What Does Depression Look Like?

The symptoms of depression through photos

A sickly looking thing.
Help (er) is coming
Helper shows up
Helper wants to help
Friends… despite sadness and sickness

Depression causes one to shows symptoms of sickness and lack of clarity of mind. But a Cat such as Helper (aka Tuna) can help a little to ease the sadness….. at least they try.


Watch what hope looks like

Are You Ready to Jump?


Images are my own (please give credit and links if you would like to share them.)

Writing out Depression

Reader Warning: Some may find the following post too depressing to read and therefore may need to (or should) avoid it altogether.


I don’t talk much about my experience with depression or mental illness on this blog which was one purpose I had created it in the first place. I know the details of mental illness can get messy and super depressing so I generally opt to keep them to myself. Today I decided to get real with you again and share (or divulge your attention for a few moments depending how you look at it) and let you in on a little bit of the ongoing fight…er…experience I have with it.

It Begins

For me and probably others, depression can suck so much you could care less about doing much of anything. In the middle of a low, you don’t even want to or sense the need to write a simple blog post about how you feel about depression. And when one is bombarded and filled with such inexplicable sadness, desires for doing much of anything are greatly diminished and sometimes altogether absent. If you hadn’t guessed yet, I am having one of those days.

What it’s not

Contrary to what some may think, this sadness I speak of and experience isn’t the kind of sadness you feel/have after you lose a pet or a loved one or have to go to a funeral, although those are all horrific and deeply depressing experiences and events. However, such types of sorrowful experiences can be related and make the sadness that comes with depression feel all that much worse.

One big difference between depression sadness and depression as a result of a sad event is that the later is expected, explicable and explainable but the former isn’t really. We try to explain the sadness of general depression and I will today but it never really makes a lot sense if you have never personally experienced it. I know that people have never been in the middle of it or aren’t currently in the middle of it if they say to simply snap out of it and here’s why. When I am not in the middle of this inexplicable sadness of depression, I can’t understand why it existed or cannot remember very well what it was like when I was there despite its occurrence only a day earlier! It’s true, a day without or with less depression begins to make me think it would be easy to “snap” out of it too…..that is until I am actually in the middle of it again. Wierd, perhaps. But that’s been my experience.

What it is, and looks like, sort of (based from personal experience)

In my little world, sadness caused by depression can be likened to inexplicable frustrations (sometimes anger) of feeling trapped in a endless cycle of hopelessness wrapped up with a unhealthy lack of ambition, anxiety or fear for doing stuff that truly matters. With this type of depression comes anger, frustration, low to absent ambition and of course sadness. In this state, you don’t want to work, can’t work well, don’t want to do even things you usually find enjoyable, can’t get out of bed, or don’t really care if you do or not (even if you still know you should) and most importantly don’t want to talk to people about God. Contrary to what some might think, during my times of seeming despair, I have found that the intellect doesn’t disappear and I am still quite “aware” of my surroundings and what is happening which can make matters worse. Food is still food, people are still people, the bed is still a bed and I look fine. I can and usually even “pretend” I am feeling fine but God’s knows otherwise. In other words my mind isn’t changing tangle objects into something their not. The problem lies in the level and existence of perpetual sadness and that I know I tend to feel my environment to a fault. A sad news event or knowing about one, will ruin my day. Reflecting on the reality that people are going to hell and I feel unable to do anything about it, ruins my day(s). Being reminded that there are millions of people who support the murder of babies, ruins my day. Knowing millions of babies are being murdered, ruins my day. Seeing the masses fall for the lies and deception that Satan so abundantly spreads in all aspects of our lives, ruins my day(s). Knowing people drink in sin like water ruins my day. Knowing I have the same heart and desires to drink in sin like water is just plain depressing. Knowing I have broken God’s law more times than anyone can count is beyond depressing. Realizing that there are people out there who won’t stand up for God’s laws but would rather break them, ruins my day. Of course it goes deeper than a few cleverly linked adjectives and descriptive examples but that’s a super quick gist of my experience.

Hope and Depression?

Now if you know me from my writings about God, you might be surprised. I of all people should know about hope, right? Yes and no. I know the one who gives it and I know the Author of that hope including the source for peace and joy. Yes, I even said joy. I know and believe there is hope out there because I have a relationship with the hope, peace and joy giver. God gives hope to people when they die when you repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ.
You may have heard or read about God’s message of hope on my website before or somewhere else. In fact, I believe He saves (and is the only Savior) from the wrath to come (God’s judgment for sin/breaking His laws). God also gives joy and peace because I know I won’t be under his judgment come Judgment Day. Currently I can’t see it, feel it, touch it, or taste it but I can read about it in His Word. It’s simple faith in something or rather someone bigger that any of us and His name is Jesus Christ the maker of the universe. And yet, I sit here after knowing and believing that, that in my experience having that hope doesn’t do a lot for healing depression or mental illness when you’re smack in the middle of it. In fact, in the midst of a bout with depression and lack of ambition, there is a present sort of tangible sadness that perpetually exists regardless of one’s beliefs and trust in God. Am I alone in feeling this way? I “hope” not.

I have thought of my experience with mental illness as some kind of battle or fight that I might win tomorrow with God’s help or even healing. I should also note that prayer (and even tears) have been a large part of my life and yet the sadness of depression remains. Some days it doesn’t feel like their is much battling going on at all unless it’s a losing battle and I’m the one on the losing end.

If you have ever dealt with depression issues, know someone who is or not, perhaps you have found this post a little depressing. (pun intended) And I do apologize for that but guess what? Writing about it and sharing it with you sure has made me feel a little bit better today. Yay.

Perhaps you can relate to something I wrote about? Know someone or experience depression/sadness yourself? Feel free to comment below.


Watch what hope looks like


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Why does the film “Let There Be Light” anger atheists?

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There is a film called Let There Be Light  now available on Blu-Ray and DVD which according to some review sites such as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes has many atheists enraged.  Why?  The first reason being is that Sean Hannity is the executive producer of this movie. To many like myself, this is a positive thing but to people who have a anti Biblical world view and oppose God, (because the love of sin is greater), Sean Hannity is like a Ray Comfort or Jesus Christ who proclaims truth and light in a place that doesn’t want that light.

How many of us know how much Sean Hannity is hated, mocked and scorned on a daily basis?  Many of us wouldn’t be able to bear as much as Sean does but why is the hatred happening at all?  Sean like many others is a champion of liberty, truth, and a defender of the defenseless.  Sean Hannity proclaims light in a dark place just as the film “Let There Be Light” attempts to do.   And while it’s true we need more Sean Hannitys in this world to spread the “light” in a political sense, his film  “Let There Be Light” goes even further in doing just that.

The war between good and evil is real

This film “Let There Be Light” to some extent, takes on the daily war between good and evil.  It displays the battle going on between going God’s way and the way we naturally would probably rather go.  One reason Jesus was murdered was because He proclaimed that men’s hearts are evil.  We naturally want to sin (break God’s law).  It’s in our DNA.  You don’t need to train a child to do bad deeds.  Instead responsible parents will train their children to do the right thing, morally and lawfully speaking.  Now because it’s natural for sinners to sin, it can even be “fun” to break God’s law, for a season but the real question is, what happens after we die? Will there be a consequence for our sinning against a holy God?   If hell is a real place as Jesus proclaims in Matthew 5 will you find yourself existing in hell for eternity or living in heaven for eternity.  If God is real and requires accountability for our actions, where will He find you?

Let There Be Light proclaims the Light

Now the movie “Let There Be Light” does not discuss hell directly but what is does share is the message of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.   The idea of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on its own is enough to enrage an atheist.  Reason?  If the Jesus who is spoken of in the Bible is the one who He claims to be (God manifest in the flesh) and did rise from the dead He is therefore the Savior of sinners.  But we each then must deal with our sin before God.  We will someday face a holy, perfect, righteous God who cannot have sin in His presence.  If you have ever taken the good person test, you find we all have broken God’s moral law, the Ten Commandments.   However, if Jesus was a liar and did not rise from the dead despite what his disciples claimed, then none of what I am saying or what He has spoken in His word matters.

When a film shares the truth and especially the light and the One who is the Light of the world, and exposes who the enemy is and his evil plan, it will be opposed by workers of iniquity because as the Bible proclaims, “their deeds were evil”.

“This is the condemnation, that the light [Jesus] has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”  John 3:19

Do you know the One who is the Light?

 


Let There Be Light – the movie

Watch what hope looks like – Fullyfreefilms.com

AreYouGood.us

How to Live forever (without joining a Religion)

Do Christians hate gays? Watch this

Audacity Movie – Have you seen it?

What does Hitler and abortion have in common?

 


image source

 

 

Do You Hate Trump?

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Do you or someone you know not like President Trump very much?  In some cases, this dislike rises to the level of hatred and even violence. Jesus, despite being innocent and without sin, was hated so much He was murdered.

Nevertheless, you may be surprised to learn that this post isn’t directly about Donald Trump.  In fact, it’s about something more important.  If you will be gutsy with me for a few minutes I want to address your conscious and ask some big questions.

How does God view hatred?

Lets cut to the chase and find out what God thinks of hatred.

Proverbs 8:13

“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.”

Let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,’ declares the LORD.”

 

Jesus declared, “This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

 

Jesus declared (from John 7:7), ” The world… hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.”

Simply put God hates what is evil and is hated for exposing the truth.  So what is evil?

 

good_evil

 

The Perfect Standard (for what’s right or wrong)

 

The standard God uses to define what is evil is not by any human (or fallible) standard that can change or be imperfect but can be found by looking at His perfect (moral )Law the Ten Commandments.

Ever broke God’s law?  Let’s see.  Always put God first in your life? (1st, 2nd commandments)

Ever lied? (9th commandment)

Stolen something? (8th commandment)

Hated someone?  God views human hatred as murder.(6th commandment)

Lusted? Jesus said to look with lust is the same as adultery (see Matthew 5:28). (7th commandment)

Ever used God’s name as a cuss word? Hitler’s and Muhammad’s names are not even hated as much to be used as a cuss word.  To use God’s name to express disgust is blasphemy.  (3rd commandment)

Romans 3:19-20

“We know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

God’s Law demonstrates His perfection and holiness, shows us our sin

What God’s moral Law does: It demonstrates His perfection while showing us our sin and what we’ve done wrong (evil).

God is holy and perfect and He cannot have sin in his presence which means no sinful person can exist in His presence without being consumed by His judgment.  Sort of like a dry leaf being consumed by fire.

Hebrews 10:31 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

And as a good judge must punish a law-breaker, God must deal with as lawbreakers for our breaking His laws. God being just and righteous means He must punish sin wherever it is found.

Proverbs 6:16-19 

These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

 

Since God must punish all lawbreakers (sinners) is there any hope for any of us?

Everlasting punishment in Hell is real for everyone who has broken God’s law unless there is a way of escape.

Romans 3:10-18

As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
 no one understands; no one seeks for God.
 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
 in their paths are ruin and misery,
 and the way of peace they have not known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

 

God is the only one who can save mankind from His coming judgment against sin.

Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. (Isaiah 45:21)

 

Everlasting Life or Everlasting existence in Hell

 

God paid the penalty of our breaking His law through Jesus Christ.  Jesus, God manifest in the flesh, took the punishment for sin by dying on a cross.  While we cannot fully understand God’s sacrifice for our sin or what He went through and the love He has for us (since He’s God and we’re not) we do know he rose again after three days.  Jesus’ in completing the payment for sin was raised from the grave which ultimately  demonstrated His love for all who repent and believe in Him.  Therefore it’s only through Jesus Christ that anyone will inherit or receive everlasting life!

 

When you repent from your sin (turn from it as in changing your mind about committing sin) and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save you from the wrath to come (judgment against sin), you will have eternal life! (John 3:36Titus 3:4-7Ro 6:23)

 

He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.   (Isaiah 53:3-6)

Jesus defeated death (punishment in hell), sin and judgment for all who repent and trust in Him.  Do you know where you are going after you die?

“When the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy.” (Titus 3:4-5a )

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

 


 

Watch what hope looks like – Fullyfreefilms.com

AreYouGood.us

How to Live forever (without joing a Religion)

Do Christians hate gays? Watch this

Audacity Movie – Have you seen it?

What does Hitler and abortion have in common?

 


image 1 source

Image 2 source

 

School Shootings: The Reason and the Cure…for people who want to know

 

Watch as Ray Comfort explains in 20 minutes the reason and the cure for school shootings and murder.


 

Watch what hope looks like – Fullyfreefilms.com

AreYouGood.us

School Shootings: The Real Question by Hal Lindsey

Audacity Movie – Have you seen it?

What does Hitler and abortion have in common?

Alleged Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz was reported to FBI, cops, school — but warning signs missed

Texas Shooting leaves 10 dead


 

Ray Comfort: The Real Reason Why School Shootings Happen

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Ray Comfort of Living Waters Ministry tells the real reason we have school shootings and mass murder. Read Ray’s response here.


Watch what hope looks like – Fullyfreefilms.com

My website – AreYouGood.us

School Shootings: The Real Question by Hal Lindsey

Audacity Movie – Have you seen it?

What does Hitler and abortion have in common?

Alleged Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz was reported to FBI, cops, school — but warning signs missed


Image is ingame screenshot from the Crew wild run

Time To Be Bold

Jesus asked, "Who do you say that I am?"

 

There is a war going on in the world today.

Now I am not speaking about a physical war or a nation at war with another nation or people at war another group of people (all which may be true).   (However, these types of wars are evidences of the big war I am referring to).   The war I am talking about is a spiritual one.   This war is not between flesh and blood.   This war is for the hearts and minds of every single person on the planet and it’s ultimately against God.  As Christians we must not let up in fighting the good fight of faith and sharing the truth of who Jesus truly is.   If we don’t, millions of people will be going to hell forever.   This is not God’s way.   Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?”

So today I ask the same question.  Who do you say that Jesus is?    Was He just a man or something more?   Because if He was something more, shouldn’t we all find out what that is?

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”   So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.           Matthew 16:13-17

God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.   1 Timothy 3:16

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.          John 1:1-5, 14

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

What Truly Matters

Billions of people are posting each day on the internet.  Some things that are posted to their blogs matter more than other things but I urge you not to shrug this post off as just another blog post and/or religious person’s crazy post who doesn’t get many views.   If you have questions about God, the Bible, heaven or hell, etc you need answers.   And you need the right answers.  If you are mad at God, Christians or both you need answers.  If you are mad at anybody you need answers.  For sure all of your questions may not have satisfactory answers right now but the ones God wants us to know right now do.   We may not like the answers but God always will give the correct answers.  You owe it to yourself to get answers to your questions but most importantly to find out for sure what happens after you die because you may not have tomorrow.  Thank you for your time.

hope before it’s too late

Related Interest

A Bigger Meaning?

FullyFreeFilms.com

Audacity Movie

180

 

Image source:  personal

 

Exposing the Ugliness of Abortion

180

This is a post about an article found on the Blaze by Carly Hoilman.  The truth and sadness of abortion must be made known.  Therefore I have decided articles like this must be posted and re-posted because the mainstream media will generally ignore stories that expose abortion for the ugliness that it is.

21-Year-Old Woman Hangs Herself Months After Having an Abortion, Leaves Collection of Chilling Notes

 

Related interest:

Judgment is real but there is real Hope

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With Syrian Refugees coming to America, California and other states asking for trouble

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With Obama seeking to bring so-called Syrian refugees to America, he is asking for trouble.  Some state Governors have seen the danger and have halted any settlements to their state.

However, other states like California have chosen a different path.   For example California’s governor Jerry Brown has stated he will work closely with Obama to ensure that such refugees come to the state.   What this means is that ISIS and other Islamic Jihadis will be able to come to the country for free.    Either the President and the governor along with others are naive to what will happen or they know it will happen but don’t care that it will happen.   Either way, it would appear we citizens are not among friends in leadership if this is in fact what they decide to do.

It would appear that our protection has taken a back seat to political correctness and tolerance to Islamic murder.    I think it’s far past time we all should be asking, which side is Obama on?

Nevertheless, for Christians we must pray for our leaders that they and others will see how dangerous these decisions are and then perhaps they will not in fact continue to carry them out.

 

Related interest:

Obama Dismisses Notion of US Victory; Comes to Life When Defending Refugees

More Than Half Of U.S. Governors Say Syrian Refugees Not Welcome Now

In the Aftermath of Paris Attack 2015, there is Hope

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In the Aftermath of Paris Attack 2015, there is Hope

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In the aftermath of the Islamic massacre that recently took place in Paris France people are scared, worried and wondering what is going on in this world.    The chaos and carnage that any tragic event creates makes us wonder if there is or will ever be hope and real peace.  Perhaps you are asking those questions now.

So is there hope?  Can there ever be real peace? 

The answers are clear in the Bible as to what our future is but sin and hatred of God keeps people rejecting what God says about it.   There is going to be final judgment coming against lawlessness, the breaking of God’s moral law (sin) and all evil.

“It is appointed for men to die once but after this the judgment”  see Hebrews 9:27

However we can have eternal peace and hope in the face of uncertainty and world chaos.   This is not to say one will feel at peace about what is going on with the evil and destruction we experience and see in this life but we can know the Prince of Peace and escape coming judgment in Hell.

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After you die, where will you go?

 
Heaven or Hell?  or something else?
 

God is holy and perfect and He cannot have sin in His presence.

 
Have you ever lied?
 
Do you put God first in your life?
 
Ever used God’s name as a cuss word to express disgust?
Hitler and Mohammed are not hated this much.
 
Lusted? Jesus said lust is the same as adultery of the heart.  (Matthew 5:27-28)
 
As the good person test reveals and God word says, we have broken God’s perfect standard, His Moral Law (the Ten Commandments) and because of God’s perfection and holiness we deserve judgment in Hell.   
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”  Romans 3:23
 
Upon honestly answering those questions, it quickly becomes apparent we are all guilty before God of breaking His perfect standard. Therefore, we need a Savior—a way of escape from His judgment of sin.   (James 2:10)
 
Trying to keep God’s commands or doing good things is not the way but there is a Way which only God can provide for escape because He is the Judge.
Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  John 14:6
 
He sent His Son Jesus Christ—God manifest in the flesh—to die on a cross paying the penalty for our breaking His Law (Sin). (Ro. 5:8)
Jesus rose from the dead after three days defeating sin and death. (1 Cor. 15:3-4)
When you repent from your sin (turn from it as in changing your mind about committing sin) and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save you from the wrath to come (judgment against sin), you will have eternal life! (John 3:36Titus 3:4-7Ro 6:23)
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