This book is recommended reading for anyone who is a Christian and is just “fed up” with their mental health professional,psychiatrist, case manager etc. The author is a Christian psychiatrist of many years experience, yes as far back as the bad old days of the 1960’s at least. He has seen many changes and has some interesting stories to tell as well as a very basic overview of most diseases currently understood. There is a whole chapter on depression. Some of the chapters include the role of the church in recovery, therapist and pastor, healing and wholeness and very importantly; church or clinic. At the back of the book are a few pages of useful addresses and websites, most being in the U.K. I personally recomend this book to  Christians involved in ministry to the mentally ill and those who are themselves. I was left with more hope in a profession we all find difficult at times. I’m sure they find it difficult too.

1.  An article titled “Online encouragement for mentally ill Christians” appeared on page 21 of June, Revive, a fresh perspective on faith, church and life. It’s a publication of the Uniting church in Western Australia. If you want to read it pick up a free copy from your local W.A. Uniting Church. Also often available from Good Sammy’s stores. It’s put in to inform those who may not have heard of this website.

2. If you missed out on listening to ABC Radio National Encounter program on 11th May 2008 you missed out on a very intersting program that explored the links between faith and depression. Questions like What does it feel like to sit in church when you’re depressed were asked as well as talking to a wide variety of people from ordinary church members as well as religous leaders who had struggled with depression themselves and psychiatrists also talking about people of different faiths or not of organised faith who came to them with faith issues in their depression. It gave in my opinion a very well rounded view of the links between a wide range of peoples experieces including one man’s guilt for feeling depressed……something often felt by people and the interviewers response. Check it out at www.abc.net.au/rn/encounter/stories The interviewer was Sharmini Kumar. Encounter. Faith and Depression.

I’m sure we’ve all heard words like this as mentally ill people and also similiar for any disabled person…. Pull your socks up…If you only had more faith or trust in God. Or maybe you like me have had scripture quoted at you like “If you only believe you can do ANYTHING in my name Jesus said, But you must believe.” Personally, from first glance it sounds like there are three magic words…..trust, faith and belief, and if you just apply them properly anything in Jesus name can be acheived. To a certain extent it is true but also to a certain extent it’s not that simple. Now don’t think that I’m trying to deny, reject or even twist scripture here, all I ask is that you read on to what God may be saying here to put new light on a old problem.

If you read the whole passage [and see the pharisees response following] you will see how Jesus healed a man born blind on the sabbath something forbidden by Jewish law. You could take lots of angles on the passage but I’m just taking why he was born blind and going from there.

We like the man born blind in this story are often blamed for our sicknesses and disabilities, even by other disciples of Jesus [ See verse 1] .But when The Master, Jesus comes fully into the picture we get the correct image of all things in life including sickness and disability. Not even the disciples who lived, walked, ate and worked with Jesus got it right all the time. They even argued amongst themselves it says at times in the bible while with him. It’s no wonder we make mistakes too; we’re just as human as they were. Which brings me back to my point: Jesus NEVER blamed people for being sick or disabled. And in verse three Jesus said it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him . Then he healed him. We often forget that total physical healing isn’t the only way God touches, changes and uses us. [Plus in Acts 5:12-16 there were people Jesus hadn’t healed.] The greatest change a person has is the change on the inside, the greater healings are those of broken relationships healed, healed marriages, families, changed attitudes, changed lives from the inside first. God maybe using what seems bad or unwanted in your life to bring out further his glory. See Romans 8.28. So just because you may not be totally physically or mentally healed, Jesus can still use you and it’s NOT because you don’t have enough trust, faith or because you don’t believe with all your heart. God can and does use you anyway in lots of ways including but not limited  to part time/full time paid/volunteer work, ministry, prayer the list goes on. Sometimes you have true trust, true faith and true BELIEF to do these things anyway.

These verses are at the end of a Psalm where God promises protection and victory over everything from snakes and lions [Verse 13]  right through to terrors of night and arrows that fly by day in verse 5 and everything in between. It’s a commonly used Psalm promising protection but I believe some people use the first part of this Psalm and other bible passages to teach that if we just follow God’s ways and do all the right things we will never have any problems. HOW WRONG! In verse 15 and in many passages of the bible [plus many Christians lives ever since including Jesus himself ]  we see great suffering with the promise of God being with us in our suffering NOT always taking it all away. Jesus said that in this world you will have troubles but I have overcome the world. That was obvious in the lives of the early followers of Jesus including how most of how the 12 disciples died. So what am I saying is this………Well for starters don’t think it’s always because you have sinned or done something wrong. It could be, but not neccessarily so! ……… Secondly: God doesn’t always take away all our problems but he will never leave you nor forsake you. Verse 91: 15 and the great commission : Mathew 28:21…..And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Jesus was with his disciples in the form of the Holy Spirit from the day of Pentecost but the disciples still went on and were persecuted, flogged, imprisoned etc. You may be thinking now “But I’m not being imprisoned or anything for my faith….what good is this doing for the Lord or for the sake of furthering the gospel”. I know I’ve felt at times thoughts similair to that…..What good is this mental illness doing me or anyone else for that matter. But years later I am writing this and can relate to you and to others in their pain and mental and emotional anguish. I’ve often heard it said that the best person to help a person through their suffering is one who has been there before them. Who knows whom or what situation  you’re helping with both now and in the future by what you are going through now.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s all doom and gloom as Christians until we get to heaven or Jesus returns or anything like that. All I’m saying is we need to have an equal balance. Yes, we are protected by God, but yes Jesus did say in this world you will have troubles, but I have overcome the world AND I will be with you. Colourful - Dave Longworth

Now, isn’t that how we treat God………I know more about the problem than you do! You don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m the one who has to put up with IT [OR HIM OR HER], all of the time. And you don’t even give me a guide. I mean to say all you’ve given me is a bible, the Holy Spirit and oh yeah, the church………who could forget that group of misfits. At least I’m not as sick as they are…….but then again I’m reading [and writing] an article about mental illness. After all I’m not like them or am I ????

I know……..I’ll go to another clinic/church. I can get help somewhere else. Another doctor [pastor/church leader], church/clinic or even…why not another branch of medicine like new age teaching or another religion. After all my prayers aren’t being answered. I’m still sick. I’ve been forward for prayer so many times. It’s not fair! I’ll try that other church or maybe that new age healer I read about. After all, you know you read about more people being touched and healed and changed by that sort of thing than by prayer or going to a good Christian church reguarly. But then again, I haven’t been reading much Christian literature lately, just the stuff you get at the newsagent or on the television. But surely that doesn’t matter, surely nothing like that really does happen. Or does it?

Surely Jesus is called the great physician. Jesus still performs miracles as he did all those years ago. And God still makes the way through peoples “red sea” type situations with rapidly approaching armies. And the Holy Spirit is still poured out into people lives changing them like in new testament times. Sure it DOES  happen, yes, even now in these times even if not always in exactly the same way………..But are you listening to, watching and reading the right material. Are you just gazing at whatever comes on the T.V. or the internet, literature for wrong purposes. Do you use the internet etc. to gossip the latest news or to gossip the gospel. Even for people without the internet there are lots of ways of doing ministry for God. Ask your pastor or missions director for ways of helping out. That’s how I started doing this. There was no adequate people helping me so I decided to do it myself, to help other mentally ill Christians that suited me, so I decided to help others like me.  And you are now reading the results.

So it all depends how you look at it; who knows best? Answer: Jesus the great physician. Is God still working miracles, yes and yes, the Holy Spirit is still being poured out into peoples lives. It just depends on what you’re watching, listening to and reading. HEAVEN FORBID! You might even read the bible!! Believe me good news is out there…….You just need to look in the right places…..

THE PSALM OF THE T.V

Based on the 23rd Psalm

The T.V. is my shepherd, I shall not want

It makes me lie down on the sofa

It leads me away from the faith,

It destroys my soul

It leads me in the path of immoral sex and violence for the sponsors sake

Yea, though I walk in the shadow of Christian resposibilities, there will be no interruption for the T.V. is with me

It’s cable and remote control, they comfot me.

It prepares a a commercial for me in the prescence of my worldliness.

It annoints my head with humanism and consumerism, my coveting runneth over.

Surely lazines and ignorance shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house watching T.V. forever.

Imagine praying and hearing this:

Thank you for calling my Fathers house, Please select one of the following: Press 1 for requests Press 2 for thanksgiving, Press 3 for complaints;For all other requests press 4

What if God used the familiar excuse, all angels are busy helping customers right now, please stay on the line and your call will be answered in the order it was received. Can you imagine getting these kind of responses as you call on God in prayer?

If you would like to talk to Gabriel press 1……..To speak to Michael press  2……For any other angel, press 3…..If you would like King David to sing a Psalm for you, press 6 .  

For reservations at my Fathers house press John 3:16   

For nagging questions about the dinosaurs, the age of the earth and where Noahs Ark is located……..wait until you get here!                                         

Our computers show that that you should have already called today…… Please call back on Monday.

Thank God that you can call as often as you want!                                   

You only need to ring once and God hears you!

Author unkown.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Whenever I am troubled and lost in deep despair

I bundle all my troubles and go to God in prayer

I tell him I am heartsick and lost and lonely too 

That my mind is deeply burdened and I don’t know what to do

But I know he stilled the tempest and calmed the angry sea

And I humbly ask if in his love, He’ll do the same for me.

And then I just keep quiet and think only thoughts of peace

And if I abide in stillness my restless murmurings cease.

Author unknown.

Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don’t turn away from, or I will die. Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I have to come to you in prayer. Psalm 143: 7 - 8

I was reading this one day and thought I would share how it helped me. The words in the bible were so relevant to how I, and I’m sure you have felt at times. [When you read the Psalms you can see how it was said that King David suffered at times from depression.] Come quickly Lord…..my depression deepens………Please don’t turn away from me or I will die…. the verse goes on. But it finishes on a more positive note…… let me hear of your unfailing love in the morning for I am trusting you……….

Did you notice the link there? When David  wrote that Psalm he started with his pain and suffering but then turned to God in prayer and believed God for the answer. Show me where to walk, for I come to you in prayer.

He didn’t just sit there  complaining and occaisonaly asking God for help, he got on and did something, he was willing to actually do something. How many of us if we are really honest to ourselves, each other and to God SOMETIMES  just sit there expecting others and God to just fix all our problems while we sit back and do nothing. I know I’ve failed in that area at times. It’s like the new testament verse that says Faith without works is dead. We do need to each day come to God in prayer, then do what HE has said. But make sure it’s really God you’re listening to……it can be easy to be fooled at times.

I know I came to a point in my life where I finally realized that after being so called “pampered” by various government departments, friends, family, medical staff and sadly even other Christians etc, I had to DO something MYSELF. Sure all those other things (including prayer) are very important and have their place BUT, if we do nothing - nothing will happen. It’s basic laws of nature( or God, creation if you prefer) that if you sow wheat seeds, wheat will grow. If you sow carrots, then carrots will grow. But if you sow nothing, then weeds will grow. It’s the old quote of Jesus, you reap what you sow, just made a bit easier to understand.

Now I fully realise that we all have times when we have to almost totally rely on outside help to get through the day and we end up in hospital. Please don’t think I’m knocking that because I’m not. I need it too and still go into hospital myself at times and I also take tablets EVERY DAY to keep me on track medically etc. All I’m saying is we need to do our part.

 Finally I just say remember the last part of that verse………Show me where to walk, for I have come to you in prayer…… David like all of us had to walk where God had showed him. God didn’t walk for him, but promises to walk with us always……. never will I leave you or forsake you…. See Psalm 23 and Mathew 28:20  Colourful - Dave Longworth

Way back in the 1980’s I felt that God was ”calling” me to some sort of Christian missionary work but not knowing what type of work it was, where I was to go or how to pay for it with little money etc. But I still plodded along, stumbling and searching for HIS answer. I went to missionary meetings, went forward at “altar calls” to say publicly before God and my friends that I was willing to go to wherever and whoever God called me to. Well within all of this time period my own mental illness that had always been there was getting steadily worse. I would go in and out of psychiatric wards and hospitals. At the time I really began to doubt and wonder just what was God leading me to? When would I gain enough strength and self confidence to be about to go overseas as a missionary? How would I finance bible college training or airfare? How would I tell my parents and family who I felt at the time, understandably would not understand or agree?  Well the answer took years but eventually it came through. One day I was reading in the bible from Isaiah and in particular the first few verses;

”Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem” Isaiah 40:1 -2

Now I was really confused! Was I to go to Jerusalem? I knew nothing about Judaism! How could I seriously think God wanted me to go to Israel? Yet that was what was in the verse that God had just given me. With time, prayer and common sense came my answer.

God was calling me to minister to his people; Christians and not so much Jews. How? By comforting them with a message of encouragement because of their mental illness. Now that made more sense! The answers didn’t all come clearly at once, except that I had to comfort God’s people. I searched in various areas though; sometimes comforting grieving people at appropriate times as well as for quite a while cards and letters of individual encouragement were posted out up to 15 a week.

There were lots of things that led to my final realization. My own struggles in finding healthy Christian teaching on mental illness in churches and in Christian bookshops. If there was anything at all it sometimes revolved around mental illness being caused by evil spirits.

One person who did encourage me was my Baptist pastor of the time, Rev. Joe Westlake. He showed me Christ my Hope in a dark place and inspired me to write the book of the same name, ( which sold all 50 copys in three weeks). Joe, little did he know also gave me the title for the newsletter and this website. Then it came to a head when in early 2002 I published the first copy of the newsletter; The Encourager from a second hand typewriter. The first issue was delivered to 11 struggling friends. So it was born!

Well it grew with advertising in Christian periodicals and an article in The Salvatian Army magazine;THE WAR CRY 8th June 2002. After that requests came daily and it went for a while on the W.A. Baptist Care website. Also the self publishing in print form of the two books I wrote and now available on this website called Hope in a dark place. and Why suicide Lord? All that from seemingly so little. Lets go on and give God the glory.

May Lemke was 52 years old when the phone call came. ‘We have a 6 month abandoned baby. He’s mentally retarded and without eyes, has cerebral palsy and is totally unresponsive to sight and touch. He’ll die soon, but will you take him while he lives?”

May’s response was quick and firm. “If I take him he won’t die. I’ll take him.”

She bathed him, cuddled him for hours, talked to him and sang to him; but there was no movement, no response.

May prayed. She wept. She asked God for a miracle. Everyone tried to discourage her but May knew that one day Leslie would break out of prison. Finally at sixteen, Leslie stood with the help of a fence they had built for him. Once May noticed his finger plucking a string. Was it a clue? Music!

From then on, the house was full of music. May and her husband bought an old piano and put it in his room. She pressed his fingers against the keys to show they could make sounds. Leslie remained totally unresponsive.

The miracle happened in the winter of 1971. At 3am the music began to play. May and her husband found Leslie seated at the piano playing a Tchaikovsky piece perfectly. May fell to her knees and thanked God.

It took 19 years of love, patience, faith and courage to tap into the hidden potential in Leslie. In each of our lives there is hidden potential. It takes this same enviroment of love, patience and perseverance to bring out the best in each other. Many of us in our wedding vows spoke the words, “I promise to love you, to cherish you…” One of the meanings of this word cherish is to ‘warm with body heat’ - just like a mother hen sitting on her eggs before they break out of their shell.  In this enviroment of warmth, acceptance and love we’re free to grow, to break out, to try new things.

Look for the hidden potential in your partner, your child, your friend. Give them heaps of encouragement, hugs, love and warmth and watch them grow.    By Brian Andrew

A bicycle riding answer to prayer. Colourful - Dave Longworth

One day in what I think was early 2002, very foolishly I went riding at night without lights to an unfamiliar area. The result: I ended up with a panic attack, cold and lost with no easy way of getting home. So I sat outside a shop until they closed and took the chair I was sitting on inside. In my fear and despair I started to cry. I didn’t know what to do but after trying to ring my earthly father from a public phone to no avail I spoke to my heavenly father in prayer. I asked God for a miracle and he gave me one. As I finished praying a policeman walked around the corner and he asked me how I was. I said I’m having a panic attack, through tears running down my face.  He questioned what I meant to which I said I’m mentally ill and I’m sick now. He promised to come back in five minutes as he had a job up the street. He did come back soon with another policeman and a police van and they drove me home in the back of it with my bike. I couldn’t do anything but Praise God and thank these two “angels”. As I got out of the back of the paddy wagon I wondered what the neighbours thought but didn’t really care. I am reminded of the verse…”Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers for some who have done this have entertained angels without realising it” Hebrews 13:2.