Bipolar Disorder - My experience

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces evil in the heavenly realms."

Ephesians 6:12

On Tuesday, June 24, 2014 I was watching the TV series Rizzoli and Isles as they were saying goodbye to Lee Thompson who took his life in August 2013 at age 29. It was a very sad show. As I watched the showed I could feel the pain and my spirit was moved. I have with this in my spirit for two days and praying this morning I couldn't take it no more and I just cried. I didn't cry for him, I cried for all those who have fallen in that same situation of hopelessness and depression and feel that the only way out is to end their life. I cry for all the hurting family and friends that are left behind with a pain that seems to never go away with so many unanswered questions as to why it happened. Lee Thompson Young had been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and was being treated. 

What is Bipolar Disorder? Basically it is a brain disorder (considered a mental illness) that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity level, and ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Symptoms are severe, they are not your normal ups and downs. You get depressive episodes that last about two weeks. With that you see depression, hopelessness and sadness. Then there's mania. You can be euphoric or grandiose with high self-esteem. There are medications to help with this disorder. Unfortunately, some of these medications can also increase the risk of suicide.

What best way to understand something or someone than if you yourself have experienced it or have gone or are going through it. Well, I have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and am currently on medication for it. When I was first diagnosed it was very difficult to accept. I have been taking medication and it hasn't been always easy. I know it has been very hard on my parents and family as they seen me going through this in my worst moments. However, I have been doing much better. I also have noticed that when I do get the mood swings I pray to God and ask Him to take control of my mind and my mood swings and help me to get out of that cycle right away. Once I was diagnosed my sister took me to the bookstore and we went through a lot of books regarding Bipolar Disorder and I picked out three of the ones I thought were the best. I decided to read and study these books to know what I was up against. The information I received and in the workbook talked about triggers. It talks about trying to figure out your triggers. I have found out some of them, but not all of them. I thank God because He has been with me through the darkest hours and in the moments where I felt hopeless and in despair and not wanting to live.

Now besides mental illness, Bipolar Disorder and any other medical conditions, the Word of God tells us that there is a battle; an unseen battle by human eye. There is a battle raging in the spirit world. There is a spiritual battle going on in our minds. As a Christian it doesn't make you exempt to the battle raging in the spirit world, but God does give you the weapons in which to use to fight those battles. We all have an enemy within us, in Romans 8:7 says that "The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so." Our flesh, our carnal minds is our enemy. In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God..." Satan is not omnipresent (he can't be everywhere) so he has an army of demons that help him. Why does the battle begin in our mind? Because the thoughts begin there. Your thoughts are affected by good and by evil and by right and wrong. "Arguments and taking every thought captive" having pressures in your mind is not abnormal. It is part of a Christian life. It's not a sign that you are doing anything wrong or on the wrong path, it's part of your total Christian experience.

Many people battle every day with thoughts that come into their minds that are negative or evil. Many of these thoughts have been injected in their or our minds by the devil and the evil spirits. They do this to disturb our peace, to bring confusion, to torment, to destroy and use us to destroy others. We live in a sinful world full of evil and we really need God to be able to fight the battle in our mind. There are many different thoughts I can go into right now and speak about, but I only want to speak about the ones that God has put in my heart to speak about.

Thoughts of hopelessness, despair, depression, worthlessness, low self-esteem...then you isolate yourself and you feel lonely and that no one is there for you, cares or loves you. 

Hopelessness - beyond optimism
Despair - to lose hope, to give up
Depression - a sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason
Worthlessness - of no use or importance

Low self-esteem - beliefs you have about yourself as statements of fact when actually they are just opinions (I will be dedicating a post just for this one because it's important)

See the devil wants us to feel hopeless. He wants us to give up, to feel of no use and make you so sad to the point of believing you are not important so it's okay if I disappear. "No one will miss me" "They won't even know I'm missing" "They'll get over it, I'm a burden to them right now" "I've never done anything to make them proud of me" "No one loves me" "No one cares what happens to me" "They're always making fun of me" "They push me around all the time" "They are always hitting me" "They tell me I will never be anybody" "They tell me I'm dumb" "They never say I love you" - these are just some of the thoughts the devil puts in your mind. These thoughts then start playing over and over again in your mind and then they start taking form. You start developing feeling of inferiority. You get depressed. You feel like you're drowning. Your mind is invaded with these thoughts and you can't get them out of your head. Day in and day out this is all you think. You walk around trying not to let anyone know what is going on in your mind. You work really hard at not letting any signs of what's going on show. You don't want to tell anyone anything because you don't want them to think you're dumb or crazy - because this is what you think. If you're a Christian and/or a child of a Christian family you think I can't say anything because as a Christian I shouldn't be feeling this way and if I am, I must be doing something wrong. These are very powerful thoughts and create strongholds. A stronghold is an area of predominance (to take over). In other words, these thoughts take over. The longer they linger the more powerful they become until they are debilitating. 

This is the way the enemy has a claim on your mind keeping it bound with lies and confusion. If you are ready to fight this battle and claim back your mind you will have to fight the lies and confusion. First thing you must do, might sound crazy, say out loud that you will not allow any outside force do your thinking! Do not let any spirit or any other person do the thinking for you. There are spiritual laws that the demons must obey. They cannot stay when you tell them to go. There is power in the name of Jesus, in His blood and the Word of God. We have to ask God for discernment to the lies of the devil.

Think about what you're thinking about. What are you pondering on? If you catch yourself thinking about something that you can identify it being injected from the devil, stop the thought at once by speaking to yourself out loud. I am speaking through experience, I do this. If I catch myself thinking something negative or something that is going to make me feel depressed, I immediately speak out loud to myself "stop it right now! Devil you are a liar! The Lord is with me so leave me alone right now! Devil I command you right now to leave in the name of Jesus!" Yes, I do say that! You must do this over and over again every time the lies of the devil enter your mind and you will regain peace, you will be able to sleep and concentrate better. You are in a battle but you are not alone, all of God's people fight the same fight - Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." You have to make up your mind! Colossians 3:2 "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." We have to set our minds and keep them set. As you begin fighting or you begin to battle it may seem worse before it gets better. The reason for this is that the demonic powers are fighting to keep their place in your mind/thinking. Regaining your mind is a process. We all fail at one time or another, but God knows our weaknesses and in 1 John 1:9 says that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Continue to claim what belongs to you (your mind and thinking belong to you) in Jesus name.

The Word of God says that "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." When I am battling a thought, for example worthlessness, I then would stop this thought I would declare as follows: I bind and rebuke right now the spirit of worthlessness in the name of Jesus and loosen upon my life love. Every time I bind any spirit I always loosen a blessing upon my life. I am using the Word of God which is the weapon to fight against the devil. You might say I don't know how to pray or don't know much about the Bible you still can overcome the thoughts that invade your mind and do battle. God's Yellow Pages This link takes you to a pdf that has a list of "where to look when..." Understand that it is by God's name, power and authority that the devil flees. I nor you have power of our own to do this, we must rely on God. 

I pray that the Lord will minister to your life through this post.

",,,by His stripes we are healed..." This is also healing of your broken heart.

God bless!

Encourage Someone Today

How to encourage others

When we encourage others that goes straight to their heart. The Word of God tells us to encourage each other. Hebrews 3:13(a) "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today,"... (NIV)

The word encouragement comes from the prefix "en" which means "to put into" and the Latin word "cor" which means heart. Knowing how encouragement makes a difference in your life, what can you do to help others "to take heart" when they are going through a very tough time?

1. I sometimes think about what encourages me and try to share that with others
2. In the book The Five Languages of Love by Gary Chapman explains that not everyone's emotional needs are met the same way. The five love languages are: words of affirmation, spending quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch
3. I sometimes have an encouraging thought come to mind, so I share it! Sometimes I doubt if I should share it, but if I do and then say it later it won't have the same effect. Don't let shyness stop you. Form a new habit.
4. It encourages me when I'm introduced to someone else and they add a few words of my abilities and accomplishments and how I've helped them and how I've made an impact in their lives. These are encouraging words.
5. When someone is discouraged or hurting, offer them some specific help. If you don't know what to do or say you never go wrong with praying for that person. I like to write little notes and give to the person with an encouraging bible verse and a prayer and encouraging words. Sometimes we ask how can I help you and they might not dare to tell you or don't know what to say. Instead, you can say I can help you...(specific action).
6. We need to remind other Christians of the promises of God and His characteristics. We might know something in our mind, but we need to be reminded of it in our hearts. 2 Peter 1:12 "So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have."
7. I like to write so I write notes to people letting them know I am praying for them. Sometimes if God has put something in my heart to tell that person or pray something specific I will let that person know. I do this so that the person knows that God hears them and that they are not alone.
8. When someone accomplishes something or has a victory celebrate by going out for coffee, lunch, a phone call...something.
9. When offering words of praise be specific. Being specific makes your encouragement more believable. When my godson does something good I tell him "great job!" I had a friend that would always tell me "I appreciate you." We need to do this because this encourages and uplifts them.
10. Remind others about Christ's coming. This takes off our minds of what we are going through and gets us thinking about the eternal perspective. In 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 "After that, we who are still alive and left will be caught together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words."
11. Sometimes just having someone with you encourages you and gives you comfort and strength. For instance, when I was in a car accident my friend just happened to call me and I told her what just had happened and she came right away to where I was. She was of great help because first of all I was by myself and sometimes your disoriented and she was of great help.
12. Hebrews 10:25 says "Not giving up meeting together, as some have the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the day approaching." We encourage others when we attend church services, bible studies and other events. I know that when I do an event I am encouraged when others come. Don't you?
13. Make it a habit to be someone who encourages others. Write a letter to a co-worker, child's teacher, etc. because we interact with these people but for their services. We should take the time just to say thank you!
14. Sometimes when I go to a restaurant or I speak to technical support on the phone I ask to speak to their supervisor about the great service I received from that person. I also let the person know how much I appreciate their service. This encourages them to continue to do a great job.
15. When you see someone make a positive change in their life, let them know you noticed. Say something positive. For instance, I see that you really have a great attitude despite everything you are going through.
16. Always ask the Holy Spirit to give you the words or actions that you need to encourage someone today. It is impossible to serve God in your own strength, it's also impossible to freely give encouragement to someone without the help of the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 43:1-2, 5(a)   "But now - this is what the Lord says: He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: Do not fear for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Do not be afraid for I am with you;..."

Be encouraged and encourage someone today!

Hay dos huellas en la arena

There are two sets of prints in the sand

Jose Ocampo

Translation of song:

One night in my sleep I saw that I was walking with Jesus

along the shore under a silver moon.

I dreamed that I saw in the skies

my life in a series of  scenes that in silence I contemplated

Two pairs of footprints were staying in the sand as I was walking with Jesus

as friends conversing. I was looking intently on these footprints

reflected in the sky but slightly strange I observed and I felt great grief.

I observed that sometimes on having repaired the footprints

instead of seeing two pairs, I saw only a pair of footprints.

And it was I who was observing also that one only pair of footprints

was in the sand mainly in my nights without stars.

In the hours of my life flooded with anxiety and sadness

when the soul needs more console and fortitude.

I asked Jesus sadly: Didn't you promise that in my 

hours of affliction you would always walk with me ...?

But I notice that on my sadness times in the middle of my suffering

I see only a pair of footprints.

Where are the other two footprints that indicate You are with me 

when the thunderstorm is beating me cruelly in my life?

And, Jesus answered me: with tenderness and comprehension;

' Listen good, my son, I understand your confusion.

I always loved you and I will love you,

and in your times of pain I will be by your side always

to show you my love.

But if you only see a pair of footprint in the sand as we walk

and you do not see others two, that must be evident,

it is that in the hour of affliction, when your steps are weaken ,

there are no traces of your footprints because I am carrying you in My arms '.

Bible Emergency Numbers

We all at one time or another we need some help and don't know 

where to turn. Sometimes we don't know where to look in the 

Bible for what we are going through.

Here are some Bible Emergency Numbers

Be encouraged today! Remember that you and I never would have made it

if it wasn't for Jesus! 

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; 

I will strengthen you, I will help you, 

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Never Would Have Made It!

Prayer for encouragement for you today:

Give me a fresh wind of release to lighten my load.

Teach me your way and your will.

Speak to me Lord in a way that I would understand and obey.

Send the right people in my life to be a source of love, guidance and new opportunities.

Thank you Lord for your mercy and grace.

Thank you for favor.

I am ready for peacefulness and solutions to adjust to the changes in my life.

I thank you now in advance because I believe you are an awesome and mighty God.

Instead of whining, crying, feeling weak, and worried, I will worship my way back to wholeness.  

Instead of a breakdown, I'm grateful for my breakthrough.

I'm ready for my healing and deliverance.

Thank you Lord for working it out.

I exhale now trusting you Lord as I walk away from temptation, depression and the stronghold of the enemy.

Your divine law operates within me as I speak, think and act with faith, love and courage.

I stand on your promises as you cover me with your protection and provision.  My trust in you Lord allows me to breathe out the stress, worry and shame. 

Holy Spirit, I am encouraged now and will press toward the goal keeping my eyes on you. I pray in Jesus name, amen!