Church support

I'm now really getting into the planning of an afternoon seminar entitled, "Mental Illness and How Congregations Can Respond". Thing is - and this is an important thing - I first need to know I have a team in place to help me with it. If that doesn't happen in the next little while it will be very hard to pull this together for our projected date of May 15th. If I don't have a team, I will cancel the plans. I've wanted to have a workshop/seminar like this for years now. Even before Living Room was born.

At the seminar I - and hopefully we - will have someone give an overview of mental illnesses (what they are and how they're treated), have stories from people who live with a mental illness, and have speakers on how congregations can be supportive. I hope to include a psychiatrist, a pastor, a Living Room facilitator, and members of Living Room as speakers.

I've had my ups and downs lately - far too many - wondering if anyone was going to encourage this, wondering if God was really going to help make this happen. But today I'm feeling energetic, ready to get organized. I've had encouragement from a number of sources now.

Thing I'll have to try and maintain is keeping God close. Although busy, to remember to "dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture." To remember to take time to "rejoice in the Lord." (from my Psalm 37 meditations)

My husband and some others think I'm obsessed with Living Room work (have I told you that before?). But I think I'm okay. Don't you readers who live with bipolar disorder find it's part of the disorder to focus with zeal in what you believe strongly about? And isn't that how we get a lot done? Thing is, I'm not manic about all this stuff. I'm just humming along.

Focusing my energy

Hi everyone,

I'm back from my holiday in the sun and, although I had a wonderful time away, I'm glad to be back too so I can get to work again.

While away I had a lot of time to think, to read, and to journal. I came to the conclusion that I need to focus my energy on the things that are going to do the most good. And I need to delegate the things that sap my energy and that other people are just as capable of doing, like looking after the lunches for our Living Room meetings.

One thing I realized that I need to try to do more work on is encouraging a more accepting, more understanding church climate for people with mood disorders. That kind of climate will encourage new Living Room facilitators to come forward. I've been working on that all along with the articles and books I've written, but there's much more work to do. I can't let up.

I remembered a depression seminar I produced many years ago at a church I belonged to. It was a very successful all-day event that drew sixty people. Although that event was secular in nature, this time I'd like to do something specifically for Christians. Help them learn what depression is, what causes it, who is affected, how it is treated. Let them hear stories from people who have dealt with it. Form small discussion groups for people who live with depression and for those who are supporters. We could include a break-out session specifically for pastors and church leaders, because I would try my hardest to draw those to the seminar as well.

This is my dream right now - to organize such a seminar. I'd publicize it widely and try for a big attendance. More than sixty this time. More like a hundred...or more than that even?

Yes, I'm ready to get to work again, praying that my church leadership will give their blessings to my idea. Praying I can get some people to help me make it happen.