Mentally "Stable"

Why is it considered so shameful to admit to having a mental disorder? Why is seeing a therapist something people have to hide so that others won't judge them and call them crazy? Why is it that taking medication in order to live a normal life is somehow taboo in our society?

I have multiple close friends who struggle with these things: Bipolar. Depression. OCD. PTSD. Anxiety disorders. Other very serious conditions as well. And they don't feel like they can just TALK about it. They have to hide it away, like some dirty little secret. But why? Why do we judge people, when we've never been in their shoes?

You know what? I see a therapist to help me deal with my chronic depression and PTSD. I'm not ashamed to admit that I need help, and i'm getting it. FINALLY. I went years without seeking help for it. Years of insomnia, apathy, chronic mood swings, flashbacks, and living in constant fear.

And you know what? I am so HAPPY i'm finally doing this for myself. I'm getting better. I'm going to be FREE. And it's going to be AMAZING! :D

We are works of art!

Expert stonemasons, or stone sculptors, know exactly where to hit a stone. They know exactly how much pressure to apply to make the stone break or chip the way they want it to. They take off all of the pieces that don't belong, until they reach the final piece hiding inside of a bigger block of stone.

God does the same with us. He takes pieces off of us. Sometimes in large chunks, sometimes in tiny chips, until we reach just the right size and shape. Trials and tribulations are the hammer and chisel with which God shapes us.

We can either choose to resist his final plans for us, and come out as a deformed and worthless lump of rock... or we can work with him, and watch as his guiding hands shape us into the men and women we were meant to become.

To Repent and Forgive

What does it mean to repent? It means acknowledging that what you did was wrong. That you wish you could take it back, or change what happened.

What if you have done something you feel is so horrible, so bad, that people will hate you if they knew? Is it someone who truly loves you? Are you sure of how they will react? Sometimes we don't give people enough credit. Sometimes people will surprise us with how loving and accepting, even FORGIVING they can be.

My biggest weakness, that I have trouble forgiving people for, is lying to me. I would rather find out that you have just killed someone, than wait years to find out you stole something or kicked a puppy. I don't care what it was that you did wrong. I care when you hide it from me, or don't tell me the whole truth.

How can I fix what I did? Well for me, I try to ask forgiveness of the person. Maybe just ask them to do their best to forgive you, and acknowledge to them that it takes time. Come clean with the person. Tell them everything. They WILL forgive you. If they don't, they are themselves sinning. It WILL take time. Just keep trying to build the trust again.

Go talk to the people in your life. Tell them the truth. Ask for their love and support. They are better people than you may think!