Depression Forums

 

I've just cleansed and programmed a few tumblestone crystals and because it's been so long since I last did it (oops!) I'd forgotten how to do it properly.

Thankfully Gaia stepped in and guided me through it and there are some cleansed and programmed crystals sitting on the kitchen draining board that'll be dried by the moonlight tonight and I can move them to their permanent home tomorrow.

My left hand is numb with cold now, but it's starting to come back to life after Gaia prompted me to make a mug of 'Love' tea.

It might sound weird, but the whole house feels lighter and cleaner now and it's all thanks to Gaia's guidance.

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/05/30/beautifully-broken?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8IAf4Zl0mgZuDV8JB3BkRGiV6EkcDjD8RO4DVtzu0fpUYgNM2OQATWh0s3wrm-RGmcZJ2LTmFLYyrmC3tVsIr5YO9wBA&_hsmi=257758103&utm_content=257758103&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Beautifully Broken
May 30, 2023
by Stacy J. Lowe

“For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3 (NLT)

SMASH!  The sound of shattering clay filled the room, and my heart sank. An artist’s project, many hours in the making, had somehow toppled off the table and crumbled on the cement floor below.  And this wasn’t the first accident, either. This likeness of the artist’s own head, so carefully and skillfully crafted over a number of weeks, had suffered a previous minor fall from a drying rack.  Now I watched the artist’s eyes widen in horror at this new, much more devastating blow. Oh, how my heart went out to her!  While not a sculptor myself, I do know how it feels to have something you’ve poured yourself into suddenly crumble away without warning. It hurts badly. To the point where it can leave you wondering who you even are anymore.  The Apostle Paul could surely relate to a sudden life detour. He was a sold-out, faithful follower of Jesus, preaching and teaching the Good News throughout various regions. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Instead, he suffered many bouts of persecution and imprisonment for his actions (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).  Despite all that, though, he understood there was a greater reality and a higher purpose than what is immediately visible in the here and now. That’s why he tucked this important nugget of truth in a letter he wrote to the church in Colossae:  “For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

Paul’s words challenge God’s people to be transformed by the love of Christ and remember the truth of who they really are. Sometimes, though, figuring out what that looks like can be hard, especially in seasons of struggle and uncertainty. But that day, amongst the shards of broken clay, it became startlingly clear for me.  You see, it was at that moment I noticed that while most of the sculpture had crumbled to dust, the face itself was unchanged. It had somehow remained intact through all the mishaps and was still fully identifiable as that of the artist. And that’s when I realized the sculpture hadn’t just been broken; it had been beautifully broken and made even more compelling than the original piece.  That’s the thing about brokenness it always leaves a mark behind. But when we choose to couple our own shattered remains with God’s goodness and grace, we, too, become beautifully broken, and that’s how the very best stories are told. Stories of hope those around us are desperate to hear stories we ourselves may need reminding of at times.  This is what I’m now reminded of when I read those words from Colossians 3.  Because of Christ, I am not my circumstance. Because of Christ, I have a much higher calling on my life than anything that could ever happen to me here on earth. Because of Christ, no matter where I find myself or how shattered I may feel, my real life the core of who I am will never change. I will always and forever be identified as God’s chosen daughter.  Therefore, because of Christ, when I feel stripped of who I am, I can choose to remember whose I am, and I will embrace this gift of being beautifully broken.

BEST OUT OF OFFICE AUTOMATIC E-MAIL REPLIES

1. I am currently out of the office at a job interview and will reply to you if I fail to get the position. Please be prepared for my mood.

2. You are receiving this automatic notification because I am out of the office. If I was in, chances are you wouldn't have received anything at all.

3. Sorry to have missed you, but I'm at the doctor's having my brain and heart removed so I can be promoted to our management team.

4. I will be unable to delete all the emails you send me until I return from vacation. Please be patient, and your mail will be deleted in the order it was received.

5. Thank you for your email. Your credit card has been charged $5.99 for the first 10 words and $1.99 for each additional word in your message.

6. The email server is unable to verify your server connection. Your message has not been delivered. Please restart your computer and try sending again. (The beauty of this is that when you return, you can see who did this over and over and over....)

7. Thank you for your message, which has been added to a queuing system. You are currently in 352nd place, and can expect to receive a reply in approximately 19 weeks.

8. Hi, I'm thinking about what you've just sent me. Please wait by your PC for my response.

9. I've run away to join a different circus.

10. I will be out of the office for the next two weeks for medical reasons. When I return, please refer to me as Lucille instead of Steve.

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/05/25/what-if-the-next-big-step-god-wants-you-to-take-is-small?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=257495081&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_O1CQj2ypOZ2kDS1U5m0RHijlYIOOMG9BjCRugU8xJ_n_SLHkenoguB-upgphIUG0iXqse2E2mfvdAuNbDjFFLxJCDVQ&utm_content=257495081&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

What if the Next Big Step God Wants You To Take Is Small?
May 25, 2023
by Lysa TerKeurst

“in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:6 (NIV)

It was a hot day inside and outside at the orphan village in Liberia. Twelve boys inside, practicing choir music, found their eyes wandering over to the soccer field, where the promise of fun and the cheers of their friends tugged at them.  They were feeling the pull of wanting to go outside and play soccer. But these boys determined the choir was worth the sacrifice.  Years earlier, Liberia had been ravaged by a civil war that left more than 25,000 orphans to be cared for. So to raise money and support, an a cappella boys’ choir was formed to travel throughout the country of Liberia and perform in churches.  Two of the teenage boys in that choir, Jackson and Mark, had been orphaned as babies when their parents and most of their siblings were killed by rebel forces.  Night after night, these boys knelt beside their makeshift beds and poured out prayers of thanksgiving and hope that one day they’d hear six simple yet life-changing words: “You are my child welcome home.”

God had a perfect design for their prayers to be answered and worked miracle after miracle to bring the boys’ choir to America. But little did I know my family would be part of the answer to Mark and Jackson’s prayers.  Life was already busy and full, as I was a mom to three little girls. So you can imagine my surprise that the night I went to see The Liberian Boys’ Choir concert at our church, I was stirred to consider adoption.  As I sat in the concert, God whispered to my heart that two of those boys singing were mine. No, I thought. Not me. I felt like sticking my fingers in my ears and singing, La, la, la, la, la I’m not listening to You, God! But the stirring in my heart wouldn’t stop.  I decided to try a new tactic with Him: Lord, I just came here tonight to bring my girls. I’m not looking for a major life change. Life is already very full with work, speaking, writing and home-schooling. Besides, all my friends would think I was crazy.  But God wasn’t discouraged by my response. His directive in my heart became more intense as the evening went on. After the concert, I asked the coordinator of the event which of the boys still needed homes. He told me eight of the boys still needed to find families and encouraged me to walk into the reception area where they were. If God intended for some of these boys to be part of my family, he was sure I’d know it.  Reluctantly, I walked into the reception area. In a matter of seconds, Jackson and Mark walked up to me, wrapped their arms around me, and called me Mom.  I was moved and terrified at the same time.  What began as a small heart prompting had turned into a very big decision.  I cried out to God, desperate for His guidance and wisdom as I pondered every aspect and wrestled with this decision deep in my spirit.  Still, doubts and questions flooded my mind.  One day, I called a friend and poured out my heart. She patiently listened without much response as I asked, “Why me?”

Then, quietly and prayerfully, she answered: “Because God knew you’d say ‘yes,’ Lysa.”

I was stunned. I think that was the highest compliment I could have ever received. My heart was filled with joy as my mind was filled with memories of the years of small steps God had me take to reach the place where I could be prepared to take this much bigger step.  Now, many, many years later, I think back to sitting in that church pew, just going about my ordinary life when God’s extraordinary invitation burst forth. I could have so easily walked out of that church and ignored God’s stirring. I’ve done that more times than I’d like to admit. But look at everything I would have missed out on had I done that.  Hear my heart: I’m not saying everyone is called to adopt. Honestly, the next big step God wants you to take might actually be small. But we’ll never know what that next step is if we don’t “submit to him” everything we do, as Proverbs 3:6 instructs us.  Each day, we can look for His invitation to leave our plans behind to join Him in His wondrous work through small steps of obedience.