Redefine Normal // Rediscover Hope
I have the privilege of sharing my site again with a good friend. Meet Janeen Ippolito: Janeen Ippolito is an award-winning author of bestselling fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. She’s also a mental health/chronic illness survivor and a veteran of Christian ministry who believes in church …
We’ve All Got Issues—Practical Ways to Address Mental Illness Struggles in the ChurchRead 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 between. …
How to Combat Suicidal Thoughts (A Personal Testimony)Read More
This video tells a little more of my story. I talk about the struggles and successes I've had in my faith over the last few years. I hope you'll find some solace as you watch this by knowing you're not alone. https://youtu.be/3N3cYMyzgqE …
Christianity and Depression I recently spent a week in a mental hospital. There. I said it. Family life had been a bit stressful, work was going well, and my side business was growing. Oh, and I was editing a new book about mental illness. But for the better part of a week, I realized I was not …
One January day in downtown Phoenix, a man in his mid-twenties limped up to me and asked if I could buy him some lunch. After saying yes, I walked with him to Burger King, listening to his story: He was in the Army, deployed to Afghanistan. After being there for six weeks, his leg got blown off …
“How are you doing?” “I’m good, great actually. How about you?” “No complaints!” This is the most repeated lie in the world today. The truth is much more complex. Maybe one person in this conversation is struggling with depression and wondering if it will cost them a job. Perhaps the other …
Jamie Coots, a famous snake-handling preacher in Kentucky, died this past week due to a snakebite. Something about this story unsettles me. This is not because I have a history with snake handling pastors, and I don’t have any long-standing issues with reptiles either. Actually, it’s not even his …
Ever have one of those moments where you realize you are not quite as awesome a parent as you imagined? I had one of those moments two nights ago. My daughter Cynthia was out of pajama tops, so she asked to wear one of my t-shirts. I said yes, and she grabbed a shirt with the above image on …
I literally couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The tenor of the entire meeting turned gross with no warning. Mockery and derision about concepts and people I admire. I felt literally sick to my stomach, but I said nothing. I was the newest member of the organization, and this was the first …
Your heroes determine your trajectory. This might seem as obvious statement, but it’s true nonetheless. The people we admire will influence our lives and our choices, if only on a subconscious level. But what exactly constitutes a hero? And how about trajectory? Much like the words …
I spoke briefly last week about community. There is something amazing that happens when a group of people gathers together, digitally or otherwise, for a single purpose that is greater than them. There is release in knowing someone sees your warts but chooses you anyway But this pales in …
Community is a tough word to define, depending on context. The “community center” means the place designed for a geographic area. The “community of believers” generally speaks to geography in part, but also a similarity of beliefs. And then there is Community, the sitcom filled with pop culture …
