prayer – Life Conquering Blog https://lifeconquering.org Conquering Bipolar with Jesus Wed, 10 Apr 2019 14:47:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.1 https://lifeconquering.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/cropped-Basic-Square-Text-2-32x32.png prayer – Life Conquering Blog https://lifeconquering.org 32 32 Bipolar Disorder Warriors and the Weapons They Use in Battle https://lifeconquering.org/bipolar-disorder-warriors-and-the-weapons-they-use-in-battle/ Sat, 13 Oct 2018 00:45:39 +0000 https://lifeconquering.org/?p=2620 We are all Warriors in some way “I fight for my health every day in a way most people don’t understand. I’m not lazy. I’m a warrior.” – HealthyPlace.com    If you have bipolar disorder or any other affliction you...
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We are all Warriors in some way

“I fight for my health every day in a way most people don’t understand. I’m not lazy. I’m a warrior.” – HealthyPlace.com   

If you have bipolar disorder or any other affliction you can consider yourself a warriorType in the Comments section the diagnosis of an ailment, physical or mental affliction that you battle every day. 

You might have a speech impediment, cancer, Tourettes Syndrome, anxiety, Lou Gehrig’s Disease or any of the numerous monsters I didn’t mention, you are a warrior.  You become a force to be reckoned with the moment you say “(insert your illness)” will not get the best of me”!  Of all the mental and physical ailments we have in this world, no matter your story, these monsters are extremely difficult to overcome.  And just getting out of bed, taking one step at a time, breathing in and out, YOU ARE A WARRIOR.

Preparing for Battle

Speaking as one of the brave Bipolar Disorder Warriors, I know if I go into battle, I must be preparedAs a warrior, I need the right weapons in order to pull myself out of the pit of despair when I am depressed; keep the argument with my boss from growing into a full-blown manic episode; or letting my proper sleep hygiene disappear among the stars.

In this blog post, I am going to introduce the number one weapon I use as a Bipolar Disorder Warrior.  That weapon is prayer.

Bipolar Disorder Warrior

Bipolar Disorder Warriors and Prayer

The Power of Prayer

“Suffering provides the gym equipment on which my faith can be exercised.” – Joni Eareckson Tada

If you are a Christian, there are several weapons that you could use in the midst of the battle.  Remember the Armor of God?  My favorite weapon I like to go to, over and over and over again, is prayer.  Some of my most challenging fights have been won with the battle implement prayer.  Prayer taught me just how much I didn’t know about anything and especially just how much I am unfit for the battle.  Prayer directs me to the Source of Power.  That is why I pray to the One who knows everything and is Most Powerful, too.

I have been a Christian longer than I have had bipolar disorder.  When I received the bipolar diagnosis 11 years after the symptoms surfaced, I had no idea how to respond as a Christian.  Even though there is a history of mental illness on both sides of my family, that subject was never brought up at birthday parties or during the giving of gifts at Christmas.  But that didn’t matter due to the fact the Christian exposure I received at church as a child, once maybe three times or more a week, actually helped me when I was in compromising situations or when I have suicidal ideations.

Bipolar Disorder Warrior

Bipolar Disorder Warriors who Pray

Believing I am a Mental Health Warrior

I do not always believe I measure up as a Bipolar Disorder Warrior.  I bet some of you think that way, too.

In the midst of the roller coaster of moods, OCD, ADHD, and severe anxiety, I always expect for the warrior feeling to show up.  And of course I should expect to feel like a warrior.  God made me.  He knitted me together in my mother’s womb.  He knows the number of hairs on my head.  And those statements above are facts from the Bible, let yourself believe. 

Sometimes the belief in my prayers is likened to a direct line (without any busy signals) to the Creator of the Universe.  Other times, because I am human, I feel all I will get are busy signals or the voicemail.  I know from years of seeing God work that He will give me an answer in due time.  Whether it is yes, no, maybe, wait awhile, God will answer us in His perfect timing.

When God turns me around to stand in front of His holy mirror, I see myself as He sees meStanding in front of God’s mirror, I feel immersed in all of God’s power and strength. I also feel loved.  There are no personal judgements glaring at me.  I feel peace like none other before.  When I see myself the way God sees me, I become that warrior, yes, even the warrior with bipolar 1 including psychotic features, one who will walk tall and shout loudly to share God’s love for a mentally ill middle-aged woman.

At that point is when I know I am ready to face any problem inside my head or out.  The Bible says when I am weak, God is strong.  He will fight for meGod will give me whatever signals I need to make prayer the first thing I reach for when the challenges begin!

What is the first thing you reach for when in the middle of a challenge mentally or physically?  Write your answers in the Comments section below.

Bipolar Disorder Warriors

Warriors Praying

Call to Action

Share about a time when you felt like a Warrior.  How does it feel to be a Warrior?  How do you conjure up those warrior feelings when the going gets tough?  Put your answers in the comment section below or email me at [email protected].

Going Furtherhttps://lifeconquering.org/anxiety-2/

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/faith-in-life/prayer/prayer

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/

My Anxiety diminished by Prayer

Life Conquering and Psych Central (Mental Health Discoveries)

Life Conquering and Psych Central (Mental Health Discoveries)

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Anxiety as a teenager can keep you from your prize https://lifeconquering.org/anxiety-teenage-hell-part-1/ Mon, 02 Apr 2018 16:35:58 +0000 https://lifeconquering.org/?p=2179 Anxiety is a frequent companion for most teenagers.  And when it sets up shop in your brain, it steals your prize. At school, your palms sweated when the teacher called you to give an answer in front of the class;...
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Anxiety is a frequent companion for most teenagers.  And when it sets up shop in your brain, it steals your prize.

At school, your palms sweated when the teacher called you to give an answer in front of the class; your heart was pounding like a drum in your chest as you were walking up to the girl you wanted to ask out; your throat choked up when you had a feeling the teacher might accuse you of cheating on the mid-term exam; or a stomach ache just before your first presentation at the science fare.

The Objective

To realize how anxiety will keep you from your prize if you do not stop it.

It does not matter how old you are; rich or poor; what color your skin is; or what language you speak.  Good ‘ole anxiety does not discriminate.  Think of it this way,

  1. You want to go to the dance Friday night.
  2. You have no date.
  3. What are you going to do?
  4. The girl and the dance are ultimately the prize you are seeking.
  5. Then anxiety kicks in and tries to steal away your prize.
  6. How?
  7. Simple, anxiety makes you so afraid that you can’t speak, you have a stomach ache, your face is flushed, your palms are sweaty, and you get “cold feet”.
  8. If you want to own that prize, you have to fight off negative self-talk, loneliness, uncertainty, fear of failure and the list goes on.
All the colors of anxety

All the colors of anxiety

 

A problem with your hands

The bridge between marching season in high school and regular band during my freshman year of high school, was like nothing I had experienced.  After marching band was over, I switched from percussion to clarinet.  No big deal, right?  Wrong.

There was only one senior in the entire band…and she played clarinet.  This meant she automatically would be first chair clarinet until a challenge.  This is where we choose a “seat” in our individual sections.  The people challenging and being challenged would have the same music selected before hand to play for that seat.

We had a substitute band teacher at that time. She set up a chair challenge.  The point of the challenge was to perform for the seat you wanted.  Of course I went for it!  I was never last chair, second during a concert maybe, but majority of the time, I was first.  I found my prize!  Now where is the anxiety?

Clarinet

Clarinet

On the day of the challenge, I tried not to think about it.  I had practiced my fingers off and was ready.

The challenge was in front of the entire band.  I played first since I was the challenger.  A chance to sit in the most covetous sea in the clarinet section!  I wiped my sweaty hands onto my jeans before picking up my instrument.  It felt as if something supernatural happened after I began the music selection.  I closed my eyes or was in a trance and let my fingers do the playing.  I did not remember even one note I played.

When it was her turn, she simply choked.  I did feel horrible for her.  I knew then like I know now, she was an extremely talented clarinet player in high school.  Anxiety must have made her fingers feel like lead weights.  At the same time, anxiety propelled me forward.

Winning against anxiety

Your fight might be in the rugby team, track, football team, swim team, chess club, physics club, third period French or any myriad of opportunities to push against anxiety and win.  If I flaked and did not challenge her, I would never known what I was capable of.  Anxiety is tough, but focusing on the prize and not the fear, makes everything work out.

Claim your Prize

Claim your Prize

 

Going Further

Recommendations on Anxiety Books for Children whom have Anxiety Problems

Do You have a Backbone or a Wishbone?

Anxiety Fools Your Brain to Direct Your Actions and Thoughts

https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders#1

 

 

 

 

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Syncing life’s ups and downs with my own mental illness ups and downs https://lifeconquering.org/mental-illness-ups-and-downs/ Sat, 03 Feb 2018 04:36:31 +0000 https://lifeconquering.org/?p=1793 I apologize for not blogging sooner, but life’s ups and downs provided hurdles to me being able to manage my mental illness for the second half of January. Believe me, I had good intentions towards blogging. The past two to...
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I apologize for not blogging sooner, but life’s ups and downs provided hurdles to me being able to manage my mental illness for the second half of January. Believe me, I had good intentions towards blogging. The past two to three weeks have been a cornucopia of ups and downs both in my life and with my mental illness.  I’ve had personal issues; continuously unstable moods; getting sick with food poisoning; my adored pet on the verge of death; and trying desperately to find a second job.

mental illness

life’s ups and downs

Life’s ups and down

You never know when life or people or situations will throw you a curve ball. I had a big curve ball that initiated an up and down that left me wondering the uncertainties of my life. Someone or something like a car, house, job or marriage can be there one minute and another minute get swallowed up from the fallout from life’s ups and downs.

I turned the new diagnosis of diabetes of Jake, my Dachshund/Beagle mix up and down into a learning opportunity.  I  have always been scared of needles since they used to make me very woozy.  When I was taught to give Jake his insulin shots, I shocked myself right out of my socks!  I had no problem giving him his insulin.  At the beginning of his diagnosis, I was of the mindset that James, my husband, needed to learn how to give the shots to Jake, too.  Then, I could easily get out of the responsibility.

Subsequently, when Jake got so sick that we thought we were going to lose him twice, I worried I had failed at my attempts to carry out the doctor’s orders.  My heart was aching for my little buddy.  I was frightened when I saw him lose muscle control in his back legs, fall down and shake almost like having a seizure.  I wanted to freak out!  At the same time, I wanted to be strong for my Jake.  Changing my focus from failure to strength, even in tears, helped me think more clearer in the situation.  Jake is getting better with an increase in his insulin.  Now we are learning to deal with all the tiny pieces of this canine diabetic puzzle.

mental illness ups and downs

mental illness ups and downs

Mental illness ups and downs

Another puzzle I am still attempting to figure out, is my mental health.  In the past, I have spoken about the roller coaster rides I have been on concerning my own mental illness.  Sometimes, I was not very victorious because I tended to focus on the negative.  Hence I rolled over and took a nap on my couch or called James up crying. At the moment, that seemed like the appropriate things to do. While under the pressures of the past two to three weeks, I decided to choose different tactics instead o sleeping and crying.  I looked at the situations I was going through square in the face, pulled up my big girl panties, said a prayer and dove in.

One of my changes/promises for this year was to not to give up so easily.  When I would give up, I would make all kinds of excuses for myself.  I was pathetic.  I  hated the person I had become.  You see, this promise to leave my excuses behind has been extremely difficult.  No matter if it were an up or a down I made excuses for everything I did or did not do.

It is easy to make excuses with my bipolar 1 with psychotic features, rapid cycling and mixed episodes because it is challenging to live with.  Now, I did fight through a few things and left the the excuses at home.  With most things I didn’t even attempt to fight.

I have read in memoirs, on the internet as well as have seen for myself in support groups just how strong a bipolar person like me can be through the ups and downs of my mental health and life.  It is a lot of work fighting, yet it is worth every second of it.

 

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Bipolar Roller Coaster – A Not-so-Lonely Ride https://lifeconquering.org/bipolar-roller-coaster-2/ Fri, 10 Nov 2017 21:02:19 +0000 https://lifeconquering.org/?p=1466 What is this bipolar roller coaster? Every day is an up and down; up, up, up; down, down, down; or a twist and turn on a mental ride I call the bipolar roller coaster.  I ride the ups of the...
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What is this bipolar roller coaster?

Every day is an up and down; up, up, up; down, down, down; or a twist and turn on a mental ride I call the bipolar roller coaster.  I ride the ups of the roller coaster when I fight the risky urges of mania.  The downs of the roller coaster bring me to my knees when simple chores around the house become too overwhelming for me.  The twists and turns of the mental illness makes me lonely when I shy away from people in the community or even my church.

Help is within reach

bipolar roller coaster

Holy Spirit

It dawned on me that since I am a Christian, I have the Holy Spirit living inside me.  When Christ left this earth, He promised His Holy Spirit would come and dwell inside us for all eternity.  Now, I have always known I have the Holy Spirit inside me since my decision to become a Christian at 9 years old.  But this fact took on a whole new meaning in light of my endless bipolar rides.  I thought to myself, the Holy Spirit is coming along for each and every ride?  The Holy Spirit answered within me a resounding “Yes!”

Loneliness on the roller coaster

In the midst of my mental illness, I spend a lot of time feeling alone.  My husband is getting so much better at knowing what to say or do in my time of grief just by being patient with me.  It hasn’t been perfect, but we are slowly getting there.

bipolar roller coaster

Loneliness

My husband could never fully comprehend what it is like to spend a day trapped on my bipolar rollercoaster.  Actually, I do not want him to know what it is like.  I wouldn’t wish this madness on my worst enemy.  It is a living nightmare never knowing what mood is going to engulf you from one minute to the next and having absolutely no control over it.  Then you have to ride it out until the next mood comes along.

The loneliness disappears

Realizing the Holy Spirit is with me through every stomach churning hill on my bipolar rollercoaster, I do not feel so alone.  I can pray to God knowing His Holy Spirit is camped out in my heart.  Sometimes I do not know what to say because my head is so out-of-focus or is experiencing rapid thoughts.  The Bible says the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings (Romans 8:26).  That gives me great comfort knowing that He will go to God on my behalf and cry for me with the perfect words my heart is trying to say.

bipolar roller coaster

Prayer

The next time you feel alone whether you are going through a divorce, loss of a baby, lost a job, empty nest syndrome or had an automobile accident, realize you have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside you if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  Reach out to Him.  Depending upon your translation, John 14:26 calls the Holy Spirit an Advocate, Helper, Comforter or Counselor.  Let the Holy Spirit come and cry to God for you.

My Comforter has helped me in my loneliness a multitude of times.  He will do the same for you.  He is also there when I am angry with rage, impatient, waiting for a test result, having relationship issues, a clog in the creativity drainpipe, or when the money is low.  Trust in Him.  Believe in His presence.  God gave us the Holy Spirit so we may have His spirit within us on earth.

Call to Action

Do you have the Holy Spirit living inside you right now?  If you do, great!  Teach someone else about Him.  If you do not, then I want to reach out to you.  Please email me at [email protected].  I would love to speak with you and guide you to Jesus.  You may also want to look at some of the Going Further websites.

Going Further

https://www.christianitytoday.com/iyf/advice/faithdoubt/what-does-holy-spirit-do.html

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/five-truths-about-holy-spirit/

https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/holy-spirit-bible-verses/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPPMSfCdUng

 

 

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Bipolar Writer MIA Again https://lifeconquering.org/bipolar-writer-mia/ Sun, 05 Nov 2017 00:05:59 +0000 https://lifeconquering.org/?p=1462 Loneliness in Bipolar and Writing I apologize that it has been so long since I posted on my blog for bipolar and other mental illnesses.  My time has been divided between bipolar episodes and writing. I have to say it...
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Loneliness in Bipolar and Writing

I apologize that it has been so long since I posted on my blog for bipolar and other mental illnesses.  My time has been divided between bipolar episodes and writing.

I have to say it up front, I will continue to have periods of no contact with the blog.  I have bipolar 1 which is a huge cycle.  And now have new writing assignments that wake me up in the middle of the night or keep me up late.

Cycles of Symptoms

My bipolar cycle shuts down any and all writing.  The cycles are mainly monthly.  It is almost like “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray starring in it as a pompous meteorologist.  Just like Bill Murray experiencing the same day over and over again, I experience the same symptoms every month at the same time.

I have mood swings every day where I hang out on the manic side of the spectrum.  There are certain periods during the month that I am a bitch.  Plain and simple.  Rage rises up within me and I am like a volcano waiting to explode.  It takes praying to God to keep me from going off the deep end.  Without Him by my side, there would be holes in the walls, a wrecked SUV, a broken marriage and me in jail.

bipolar

bipolar rage

My hallucinations cycle through every month as well.  I had a hallucination that woke me up the other night.  Voices from a large group bled through our neighbor’s wall into my bedroom.

New Writing Assignments

Over the past couple months, I have been invited to be a guest blogger or simply write articles.  I have been hired by Blasting News!  I did not write about mental health.  Nope!  I wrote a 2,000 word review on DWTS.  It was a great exercise in researching and writing for a different audience.  The assignment really stretched me as a writer.

I am also preparing a piece for Psych Central.  They have a blog site as well as a library on-line.  My plan is that I will send material for both.

bipolar

Prayer

I need prayers for this next blog called Healthy Place.  Friday, I submitted my third article.  The first two were rejected.  Please pray that the decision makers will see the potential in my writing and the impact it would make on their readers.  Thanks!

Now those three above are paid websites.  I have a number of nonpaying websites that I am submitting to also.  And there are many more paying websites and magazines to write for.

Mental Illness Conference in D.C.

I applied to be a conference speaker at a mental illness conference summer 2018.  Pray for God’s will.

Thank you for your patience,

Amy

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My Anxiety diminished by Prayer https://lifeconquering.org/anxiety-2/ Sun, 27 Aug 2017 01:43:19 +0000 https://lifeconquering.org/?p=1332 Anxiety affects approximately 1.5 percent of the United States population each year.  This equals about 3.3 million Americans who battle anxiety in a given year.[i]  That is a lot of people suffering from this painful mental illness.  The purpose of...
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Anxiety affects approximately 1.5 percent of the United States population each year.  This equals about 3.3 million Americans who battle anxiety in a given year.[i]  That is a lot of people suffering from this painful mental illness.  The purpose of this blog is to demonstrate the power of prayer over fear in my life.  My hope is that you will see how beneficial prayer is in the fight against this mental illness and will try it on your own.

Using prayer to combat generalized anxiety disorder

I deal with it on an ongoing basis due to my generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The triggers are varied and come often. My morning could be going great then one of my triggers will set it off like a match to a pile of dry timber.

To help soothe the smoldering embers of raw nerves in stressful situations, I have discovered the effectiveness of prayer. However, my prayers in the beginning were not always the right tone. When I would begin to feel anxious at work, I would pray for relief for my nerves. My prayers to God would sound like this, “God please make this day go by faster”. “Please make the weekend get here quickly.” “Lord, please let my boss’ schedule keep him from coming into the office this afternoon.”

anxiety

Prayer can Conquer Anxiety

These prayers never worked.  The prayers failed because they did not address the real issue. I needed to go down deeper to the heart of the matter instead of just scratching the surface. What I was saying to God with my prayers was I know I have anxiety, but I do not want to face my fear of failure. If I go to work, I will have to face my fear. I just want to stay at home in bed and pull the covers over my head and shut the anxiety out.

A change of focus in my prayers

One morning as I was pulling into the parking lot at work, I was getting ready to pray one of my typical “Let my boss be late this morning” prayers, when God spoke gently to my heart through His Holy Spirit. He said that He knew I was anxious about my fear of failure. He knew that I have battled this fear for all my life.

In that moment, He showed me that my approach to my fear was all wrong. I was running away from my fear and not facing it head on with the strength of the Creator God. I needed to open my eyes and my heart and see that I was not alone in my fight against this fear of failure. He showed me that I didn’t need to pray for Him to take me out of the situations that created fear, but to invite Him into the battle and allow Him to fight for me.

Grown up prayers

Once my prayers grew up, I began to pray, “Lord, let me sense your presence in a huge way in the midst of my anxiety during this situation”. When I prayed that prayer, He showed up, and I felt His presence. He didn’t always dowse my fear inferno. What He did do was walk with me through the anxiety blaze. The greater the heat, the greater I felt His presence.

anxiety

Anxiety Diminished

When the anxiety flames burn high, I turn to Isaiah 41:13, “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, “Do not fear; I will help you.” Actually, I have this verse typed out on an index card and posted at my desk at work in two different places so it is always visible to me.

This verse has been my touchstone whenever I feel the anxiety heat up for me at work. I now know when I get anxious, whatever the situation, I do not have to fear; I can count on God to help me through the anxiety.

The Lord will fight for you, you just need to be still.  Exodus 14:14

Comments

Do you have anxiety?  What tools do you use to get through the fear?  Do they work?  Leave your comments in the section below or you may email me at [email protected].

CTA

My Call To Action for you is to go to my website Life Conquering and like my web site.  Also, if you have never prayed, try praying to Him.  Use the prayer I used in the blog.  Or all you have to do is say “Help me, God!”  And He is there quicker than you can say anxiety.

Going Further

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20646990,00.html

http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders#1

https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/anxiety

https://lifeconquering.org/anxiety-fools-brain-direct/

References

[i] https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics

 

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A Bipolar Interviewee is as Funny as a Surfer Transplanted to Alaska https://lifeconquering.org/bipolar-interviewee/ Wed, 24 May 2017 16:36:23 +0000 https://lifeconquering.org/?p=987 A Bipolar Interviewee This Bipolar Interviewee scheduled an interview with a law firm for yesterday afternoon.  Trying to find a job is not the time to break down and have a freak show.  Since the weekend, I have been feeling...
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A Bipolar Interviewee

This Bipolar Interviewee scheduled an interview with a law firm for yesterday afternoon.  Trying to find a job is not the time to break down and have a freak show.  Since the weekend, I have been feeling depressed because my psychiatrist took me off my Prozac.  Duh!  I could have told him four weeks ago when he told me to tapper off that I needed the anti-depressant.  So, I have depression hanging over me like a dark cloud.  Will this affect the interview?

A Bipolar Interviewee with Extreme Anxiety Do Not Mesh

With the Prozac slowly getting back into my body, the depression was not as exhausting the day of the interview. I was really interested in this job.  The job reminded me a lot of my former job.  It was a legal assistant/office manager position at a law firm 17 minutes from my house.  But something just was not right for this Bipolar Interviewee.

I was getting ready that afternoon when my body started shaking all over like an autumn leaf in the October winds.  My arms, my hands and even my legs were shaking.  Then my stomach began to feel icky.

The Only Place to Go is Prayer

I took a moment out and prayed.  I prayed for wisdom to know if I should go on the interview or cancel.  I prayed for peace.  I hashed it out with God about the reasons for a Bipolar Interviewee to try for a job that nearly landed me in a mental hospital four weeks ago.  The only one I came up with was it advertised good money.  Before I even revealed the reason, I knew it was hardly a reason at all.

Poor Decisions Lead to a Light Bulb Moment

Once I made my decision to cancel the interview, I called the office and let them know.  As I was sitting on my couch flanked by my two cheerleaders in fur and a wagging tail, I thought about the job and some obvious reasons why I should not have made arrangements for an interview in the first place.  1.  Too stressful.  2.  Leads to problems with physical and mental health.  3.  No paycheck is worth my sanity or health.  4.  Commute across a toll bridge.  5.  A lot of paycheck would go to tolls and gas.

Email Me

Email me about a time when God was trying to speak to you through your health, another person, a sermon, etc.  Email me at [email protected].

Going Further

http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/8-ways-god-speaks-to-us-today.html

 

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Bipolar Roller Coaster: Nineteen Jobs since College https://lifeconquering.org/bipolar-roller-coaster/ Wed, 17 May 2017 12:37:24 +0000 https://lifeconquering.org/?p=953 Bipolar Roller Coaster – WEEE! Today is day five after quitting my nineteenth job since college. When I was in my twenties, single and on the bipolar roller coaster, I quit a lot of jobs simply because I liked the...
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Bipolar Roller Coaster – WEEE!

Today is day five after quitting my nineteenth job since college. When I was in my twenties, single and on the bipolar roller coaster, I quit a lot of jobs simply because I liked the risks involved and did not care about the consequences. My mental illness created a thrill for job hopping, lust for the challenge of conquering an interview and the excitement of starting all over again. However, as I look back at the jobs I had as a paralegal and a middle school teacher, my decisions to quit were not out of thrill seeking. I was leaving those careers so I could take care of my mental and physical health.

The Fruit of the Spirit Trumps Bipolar Roller Coaster

I have had mixed responses recently when I told people I have bipolar. I get that.  Normal people do not think mentally ill people are “normal looking”.

To keep me somewhat stable, of course I am on a medicine cabinet full of pills.  I also see my psychiatrist and psychologist on a regular basis.  I am so blessed to have the Holy Spirit within me. One of His fruit is self-control. If I did not have the Holy Spirit, I would probably be divorced, homeless or in jail.  THANK YOU GOD FOR YOUR GRACE!

What is next on the Bipolar Roller Coaster?

I really want to be a freelance writer. I want to continue my mission with Life Conquering full time.  Life Conquering exists to encourage people with a mental illness through my journey as well as teach others about mental illnesses and to tear down the walls of stigma.

Email Me

Send me an email describing a time when the Holy Spirit helped you be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, gentle or self-controlled.  Email me at [email protected].

Going Further

http://ibpf.org/blog/finding-work-works-when-you-have-bipolar-disorder

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5:22-23

http://www.allaboutgod.com/fruit-of-the-spirit.htm

Life Conquering Ministries Debuts at Southeast Christian Church Southwest Campus

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A Two-Way Prayer Opens Up Conversation with Jesus https://lifeconquering.org/two-way-prayer/ Mon, 15 May 2017 19:57:49 +0000 https://lifeconquering.org/?p=945 A One-Way Prayer Providing Help During Bipolar Moments It is no secret that prayer is very important to me in managing my bipolar.  Anxiety washes over me like a tsunami, I pray to God.  Anger reaches its boiling point and...
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A One-Way Prayer Providing Help During Bipolar Moments

It is no secret that prayer is very important to me in managing my bipolar.  Anxiety washes over me like a tsunami, I pray to God.  Anger reaches its boiling point and I reach out to the Prince of Peace.  Depression drags me deep into the valley, I look to Jesus to be my Shepherd through the dark.

I am really good with those prayers that are spoken in the heat of the battle.  What happens is my prayer life ends up being a one-way conversation with God.  There is absolutely no problem with this way of praying.  However, I try to incorporate different types of prayers in my day in order to grow closer to Him.

The Two-Way Prayer

But what about having a two-way conversation with God? This is where you do less talking and more listening.

Two-Way Prayer Ideas

  • You can read a chapter from the Bible. Do not know where to start in the Bible? Ask God to reveal to you what He wants to show you during your time together.
  • You can pray for other people. Make a list of people that you would like to pray for. While it may be difficult to pray for everybody each and every day, you can divide up the week so you can pray for different people on different days of the week.
  • Listen to worship music.

Pick a time during the day that you are most alert and focused. Also, you need to find a location that is free from distractions.

More Ideas to Come

These are just a few of my favorite ways to have a two-way conversation with Jesus.

Email Me

Email me at [email protected] and describe your prayer life and any ways that you use to help you pray..

Going Further

https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/scripture-engagement/praying-scripture/home

 

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Life Conquering Ministries Debuts at Southeast Christian Church Southwest Campus https://lifeconquering.org/life-conquering-ministries/ Sun, 23 Apr 2017 19:53:03 +0000 https://lifeconquering.org/?p=905 Life Conquering Ministries – First Appearance in Public On Saturday, April 22, 2017, from 10:30-12:30 the Southwest Campus Women’s Ministry hosted “Pinterest and Popcorn”. The event had a number of booths with an eclectic tapestry of ideas and topics. There were...
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Life Conquering Ministries – First Appearance in Public

On Saturday, April 22, 2017, from 10:30-12:30 the Southwest Campus Women’s Ministry hosted “Pinterest and Popcorn”. The event had a number of booths with an eclectic tapestry of ideas and topics. There were craft stations, fudge samples, homemade jewelry and even a live chicken!  Life Conquering Ministries set up a booth, too.

I eagerly accepted a position as booth presenter. The morning of the event, I packed up the laptop, copies of my first published article, a bag of Life Savers candy and tickets for a giveaway.  I had a chance to speak to at least 70 different women about how Jesus is my life saver in the hell of my bipolar 1.

Life Conquering Ministered Face to Face with the Hurting

I was so blessed to meet so many beautiful women.  Even more amazing is how many women opened up once I said “I have bipolar 1”.  I was not prepared to meet women who said “I have had depression for over 20 years” or “My husband has anxiety” or “My neighbor’s niece has bipolar”.  I was blown away at the number of women who were touched in some way by mental illness and felt like I did – people need to be educated and the stigma needs to vanish AND JESUS IS OUR LIFE SAVER!

Life Conquering’s Next Step

From Saturday’s first successful experience presenting Life Conquering, I am even more determined to get the word out about this ministry.  If you know of a group, men or women or young or old who could use some encouragement, please contact me.  My main story might be bipolar 1, your story might be abuse, divorce, adoption, failure, greed, lying…it doesn’t matter what your story is, the answer is all the same – JESUS!

Email Me

If you have an event scheduled, where God could work through Life Conquering to share His love, contact met, I would love to share the truth of  God’s Word with any group.

[email protected]

Going Further

Here is a recording of Jennifer Choate, Southwest Women’s Ministry Leader who shows observers the activities going on at the PInterest and Popcorn Event at Southeast Christian Church Southwest Campus.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10213194520121669&id=1355594992

 

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