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Chris Morris Writes

Redefine Normal // Rediscover Hope

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I spend my time writing about how to balance faith and difficult times. I have both mental illnesses and chronic illnesses, but I’m learning to thrive anyway. I guess that’s why Redefining Normal is part of the code here, because it’s been part of my journey.

My BooksLearn more

Redefine Normal

Rediscover Hope

Welcome to my little corner of the internet! Unless you happened upon this site by some cosmic accident, you’re probably looking for some hope and guidance in the midst of a chronic condition or mental illness. If so, you’re in the right place. This is precisely the focus of my site. Everything here is written to help those in the mental illness and chronic condition communities redefine normal and rediscover hope.

Let’s talk about these two things for just a moment.

What does it mean to redefine normal? It means that nobody but you gets to tell you what’s normal and what’s abnormal. You are the arbiter of your own life, and you get to decide that.

For you, maybe a normal day is not getting out of bed until noon because of chronic pain, and having to very carefully calculate where you spend your limited energy. If so, I honor your normal here. More power to you!

How about rediscovering hope? So many of us struggle to fell there’s any objective reason for hope in our lives, because to be honest our lives stink a lot of the time. It’s full of difficulty and complexity, hard conversations and unmet expectations. But we can find the keys to having hope despite all these setbacks. I spend a lot of time talking the nuts and bolts of hope, so it’s more tangible and touchable and feelable and meaningful.

Chris’ Latest Posts

God’s Voice Vs. Other Voices

I’m super excited to share my website with Katie Dale today. Here’s her bio, so you can get to know her a little: Hey there! I’m Katie Dale, familiar with the storms of mental illness, and I blog about my faith and how it has informed my brain-based disorder at KatieRDale.com.…

God’s Voice Vs. Other VoicesRead More

Depression Is NOT Disappointment

Leslie was trying to make it work with her husband. They had been struggling for years. Counseling didn’t seem to help, because neither of them was really willing to change the things that needed to change for their marriage to be better. They had talked with their pastor, but none…

Depression Is NOT DisappointmentRead More

Depression is NOT Grief

One of my best friends Alfred called me and told me the terrible news. His dad has suddenly passed from a brain aneurysm. Alfred didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know how to respond, this wasn’t supposed to happen like this. His dad was mostly healthy, and this was…

Depression is NOT GriefRead More

Depression is NOT Anger

Suzanne just thought it would work out differently. She applied for that job, knowing she was more than qualified for it. She rocked the interview, and even got immediate feedback from her interviewer telling her to expect a phone call with a job offer in a couple days. When the…

Depression is NOT AngerRead More

Is Depression a Sin (Hint: NO)

Too often, those in the church are quick to call depression and other mental illnesses a sin, calling the sick to repent and return to God. It breaks my heart to see this response, because there is no other type of illness where this would be acceptable. Never in a…

Is Depression a Sin (Hint: NO)Read More

Interview on This Undivided Life Podcast

I had the privilege of being interviewed by my friend Troy McLaughlin on his podcast This Undivided Life. We talked about everything from my favorite meal ever to where God is in the midst of depression and suicidal thoughts. If you’ve ever wanted to hear more of my story, this…

Interview on This Undivided Life PodcastRead More

Is There a Difference Between Anxiety and Worry?

Ask your average Christian if anxiety is a sin, and they can quote you a number of verses that point to an obvious yes. For the sake of brevity, let’s just focus on the words of Jesus in Luke 12:25-26 – “Can all your worries add a single moment to…

Is There a Difference Between Anxiety and Worry?Read More

Jenny Hill Unsplash

When Running Becomes Dangerous to My Health

I recently had to make the difficult decision to stop running. Now, don’t get me wrong – I don’t love running, but it was a good way to get my exercise in. It was also a pleasant way to spend some time with my son doing something together.   But…

When Running Becomes Dangerous to My HealthRead More

Why Childhood Trauma Makes Me Freeze in Arguments

I couldn’t believe it. She literally just accused me of faking my seizure disorder. Who did she think she was to say such a thing? And why would I do such a thing? Did she think I actually wanted to be unemployable, waiting and hoping for Social Security Disability to come…

Why Childhood Trauma Makes Me Freeze in ArgumentsRead More

The 3 Lines in ‘Doctor Strange’ That Floored Me as Someone With PTSD

I was watching “Doctor Strange,” the Marvel movie, when I was floored by a scene. When the Ancient One is dying and talking with Dr. Strange, she drops three truth bombs that reverberated through my soul. You see, like Dr. Strange, I’ve had my previous life stolen from me. I wasn’t…

The 3 Lines in ‘Doctor Strange’ That Floored Me as Someone With PTSDRead More

What Life with Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures is Like

“You don’t have real seizures. Nobody in the neurology arena can help you. You have a mental health condition, not a real one.” My life was rocked in 2013 with those exact words. I had just spent three days in the hospital, where my seizures were being monitored by video…

What Life with Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures is LikeRead More

How I Survived a Suicide Attempt

One year ago today, I shuffled out of the psych ward. They said I was ready to face the world again, and that my suicidal thoughts were under control. I wasn’t so sure. I knew the demons that I still faced every morning, and every night, and every moment in…

How I Survived a Suicide AttemptRead More

See All

Do you ever feel like you are losing the battle against your mental illness? Like you need support from somewhere, but you don’t know where to turn? Then the Mental Health Meditations You Didn’t Know You Needed are for you!

Get this free ebook when you subscribe to my monthly newsletter.

Get inspiration directly in your email in-box to encourage you to keep fighting and never give up.

Is This For Me?

Found out more about this site and see if it’s a good space for you to hang out.

Learn more

Life with Psychogenic Seizures

Psychogenic seizures is one of my primary diagnosis, and it impacts me every single day. Learn how here.

Learn more

Two Things I Learned About the Church in the Psych Ward

I have spend time in a psych ward twice in my life. I learned a lot about myself and the church both times.

Learn more

What People Are Saying

Jeff Goines

Whispers in the Pews “Finally, someone is speaking out on a deep and important issue that simply does not get talked about enough in our faith communities. Thank you, Chris, for your honesty and bravery. May these words move us all to deeper and more compassionate action.”

Jeff Goins
Bestselling author of The Art of Work
https://goinswriter.com/
Mary Demuth

Perfectly Abnormal “Perfectly Abnormal is one of those books that should be required reading for churches longing to provide a welcoming environment for all their members. And it should be required reading for any human who wants to love, empathize, and walk in the shoes of another. I so appreciated… Read more “Mary DeMuth”

Mary DeMuth
http://marydemuth.com
Marty Kaiser

Perfectly Abnormal “I highly recommend this book to any person or family trying to deal with a chronic illness. In its pages you will find practical help to move forward, and hope to experience a life worth living. Over the past few years I have witnessed the pain and sorrow… Read more “Marty Kaiser”

Marty Kaiser
http://revealvineyard.com

Whispers in the Pews “Chris Morris has compiled honest and raw stories that give sight into the heart of many Christians who have battled, or are battling, mental illness. Whispers in the Pews brings to light that mental health matters and how it hasn’t always mattered in the Christian community,… Read more “Shawn Elizabeth George”

Shawn Elizabeth George
Inspirational Author, Writer, and Speaker
https://www.shawnelizabethgeorge.com/
Mary Demuth

Whispers in the Pews “I cannot imagine Jesus scolding someone with a mental illness, telling them to just get over it, try harder, memorize more verses. No, He would listen. He would love. He would be filled with compassion. And even He was deemed mentally ill in his time, his… Read more “Mary DeMuth”

Mary DeMuth
https://www.marydemuth.com/

Whispers in the Pews

“Compassion is the antidote to stigma, and it only begins when we hear the stories of real men and women who suffer from mental illness. Chris Morris is doing the church a tremendous service with this book. It should be required reading for… Read more “David Edward Cummings”

David Edward Cummings
PhD, Professor of Microbiology, Point Loma Nazarene University, Host of the SoulCare Podcast, Elder at Pathways Community Church, Santee, CA
http://davidedwardcummings.com/
Rett Syndrome

Whispers in the Pews “I am ridiculously excited for the stories in this book to be shared. There is an incredible need to discuss the reality of mental illness and how the church can improve how it addresses this.”

Colleen English
President & Founder of Rettland Foundation
http://rettland.org/

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chrismorriswrites

tl;dr version: I signed a book deal today with Our tl;dr version: I signed a book deal today with Our Daily Bread Publishers! I’ve included pictures of me actually signing my book contract and the lemon meringue pie my family and I will be enjoying as a celebratory dessert. Drool if you’d like, it’s appropriate to do so.

Story version:
About twelve years ago, a dream was birthed in my spirit. That dream was to have a book published with my name on it. More specifically, I wanted to have a book traditionally published. I thought I had THE IDEA that would catapult me to getting an agent and getting a book deal. I expectantly sent my proposal out to every agent I could find. Nobody was willing to take a chance on little old me. I heard a lot about building a platform and becoming an expert in my field.

I was heartbroken, but I didn’t entirely give up the hope of publishing a book. I independently published three books over the course of about four years and continued to grow as a writer in the meantime through blog posts and writing for my church and writing every opportunity I could find.

Fast-forward to about a year ago, and I decided to pitch some agents on a new book idea that I thought the world needed to hear. Still, no bites…until @marydemuth came along. After some back and forth, she accepted me as her client. 

We began pitching the idea I thought the world needed to hear, but no publisher agreed with us. I went back to the drawing board and decided to try a different tack. I prepared a proposal for a devotional on how to persevere in faith through trying times and we pitched it to Our Daily Bred Publishers. They loved it and agreed to sign me to a contract to write this book for them.

So…after twelve years, multiple false starts, and 3 independently published books, I can finally say I am going to be a traditionally published author! The book is tentatively titled Persevering in Hard Times: 40 Devotional Lessons from Hebrews 11 and will be published in the fall of 2024. I only wish it would be sooner! Won’t you join me in celebrating this momentous day?

#celebrategoodtimes #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #goodthingscome
We went to Las Vegas for a long weekend with our b We went to Las Vegas for a long weekend with our best friends to celebrate their 25th anniversary. What a privilege to be able to join them. We had a wonderful time eating spectacular food, visiting the Bellagio’s great spring exhibition, seeing Ka by cirque du soliel and just enjoying each other’s company. So amazing…and so hard to return to normal life. I am glad to be in a bit more quiet though…Vegas is SO LOUD everywhere. 

#bestfriends #traveling #lasvegas #lasvegasstrip #lasvegasfood
My daughter was chilling here before her game at t My daughter was chilling here before her game at the Special Olympics Arizona State Games with some of her friends. She ended up winning a GOLD medal with her team today and scored a basket. So proud of her!

#specialolympics #soaz #proudpapa #autism #soproud
Maybe I can talk clearly, but it sure doesn’t fe Maybe I can talk clearly, but it sure doesn’t feel like it. And when I do enunciate, I’m slobbering all over myself. So today, you get a quick life update. Hurray for local anesthetic and a gentle dentist! I’m out for today.
Earlier today, I said something I thought was harm Earlier today, I said something I thought was harmless and quirky to my wife, but a couple minutes later she started crying. It was t because she was feeling emotional or overreacting. No, it was because I was a jerk. I forgot something I promised to her a few years ago and wounded her in my forgetfulness. And it’s not the first time I’ve done this, so she with good reason has started to believe it is intentional. 

I have some work to do. I asked for her forgiveness, but this isn’t the sort of things that just goes away with a simple question. I need to earn her trust back, and it will take time. 

This is a good example of how we ought to allow our words to be seasoned with kindness and tenderness. Snarky is fun, and it’s an important part of my personality. But snarky can also wound if we’re not careful. Let’s commit together to lead with kindness. Like this post if you’re with me here. 

#leadwithkindness #alwaysbekind #leaveroomforgrace #forgiveness #ittakeswork
Reading this book for seminary right now. It’s a Reading this book for seminary right now. It’s an introduction to Black Liberation Theology. Brand new topic for me, and it’s rocking my universe. God is viewed as the Divine Liberator, always working for freedom of the oppressed. Since this is true in this lens of theology, God is always for the oppressed and against the oppressor. It’s challenging to read and think where I land on that scale as a middle class White dude, and it’s hard to argue against the theology. 

TL;DR version: Book is blowing my mind!

#theologymatters #mindblown #seminarylife #northernseminary #jameshcone
#happyvalentinesday to everyone out there! This p #happyvalentinesday to everyone out there!

This photo is from last year at the Grand Canyon, shortly before our 24th wedding anniversary. It’s amazing to think about what we’ve overcome during those years. 

We both come from abusive, broken families (there’s good in there too, but definite brokenness) and didn’t know what it meant to be married when we got married. We were “put a tablecloth on a box and call it a table” kind of poor. We didn’t have much vision to be better than we were in those days. Now, I’m a small business owner and author and my wife is a pediatric instructor at a college. Only God could do this! Today, I think of Ephesians 3, where Paul prays to the God who can accomplish more than we can imagine. That God has been so present in our marriage and I’m so grateful!
I never do this, but I’m gonna drop a tease post I never do this, but I’m gonna drop a tease post right now. I can’t share details yet, but I have some incredibly exciting writing news to share very soon. Can’t wait to be able to share the deets!

#writing #writersofinstagram #greatnews
My daughter is playing basketball for the Special My daughter is playing basketball for the Special Olympics today. You might not be able to tell, but she’s super excited to play. The second photo is her scoring a basket. This is a BIG deal because if I’m being honest she’s not super skilled. I love that @specialolympicsarizona puts on events like this so my daughter can feel accomplished athletically and make new friends. It’s such a gift for her, because making new friends is hard with her disabilities. #specialolympics #makingnewfriends #autism
I’ve been learning a lot lately about staying in I’ve been learning a lot lately about staying in a positive frame of mind. Truth be told, my mental health can’t afford for me to be pessimistic any longer, so I’m working on changing that CORE part of who I am to stay healthier. 

Some days are tougher than others. The last two have been really intensely difficult. When I regained consciousness from my fall, I was upside down on the stairs. Very awkward and painful, not to mention it freaked me out. 

Today my body is still recovering from that momentous fall and I’m in a ton of pain. I’m trying to ignore it and stay focused on tasks that I have to do for the day, but the pain keeps interrupting me. 

Im usually dealing with pain most days because of my seizures, but this is next level. 

I know I’m not the only one dealing with chronic pain. How do you deal with it when your pain won’t let you be positive? Or when you can’t focus because if your pain?

#chronicpain #chronicpainwarrior #chronicpainsucks #seizures
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