we like new people come right in and make yourself at home
Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,
Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"
Thomas Parke D’Invilliers
All of the high schools I know of start back monday...
Heather do you actually start classes that early, or are you just moving in early?
And welcome ChristaChaos! always glad to have new people!
God is always there, He promised to never leave us or forsake us!
I mean this in the least offensive way possible, but the problem's usually on our end.
I'll admit it, in my own walk with Christ, when I feel far from Him, the problem's always on my end...
we start classes the 7th as its a 3hr/day class til end of january then spring semester 'officially' starts
“The good things don’t always soften the bad, but vice-versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant.”
“Nobody important? Blimey, that’s amazing. Do you know, in nine hundred years of time and space I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important before.”
“If it’s time to go, remember what you’re leaving. Remember the best. My friends have always been the best of me.”
Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,
Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"
Thomas Parke D’Invilliers
Sometimes I wish I was back at school, or uni actually, it's so boring without education!
I have a few questions, which most likely have been asked and answered before but i'm too lazy to look through all the pages of the thread...I haven't been to church for a long time, since I was too old to go to Sunday school and I didn't want to go to church on my own. I'd really like to start going again but I find it difficult being around people, especially those who know my family because I feel like they can see that i'm mentally ill. I emailed my minister and asked when the church is most quiet and she let me know about a midweek service but now i'm thinking that it would be more difficult to go when it's quiet. I told her that I find being around people difficult because I have mental health problems and now i'm regretting telling her. She was very supportive and said that she'd visit me at home if I wanted but I feel like I have messed things up by telling her that I have difficulties.
Doesn't the church believe that mental health problems are caused by sinning? One of my problems is responsibility OCD where I feel the need to carry out compulsions in order to keep my family safe. It feels like I might be 'worshiping' something else through my rituals. Also, there are little things i'm unsure about like what should I wear to church or what if I sit on someone else's seat?!
I put it down on paper and then the ghost does not ache so much.
Don't try to calm the storm, calm yourself, the storm will pass.
Sometimes I wish I was back at school, or uni actually, it's so boring without education!
I'd really like to start going again but I find it difficult being around people, especially those who know my family because I feel like they can see that i'm mentally ill.
i understand this worry completely. where i go to church, there are people who know i have mental health problems, or at least that i'm a bit on the 'special' side. but it's a big parish and people generally don't have the time or the interest to gossip about things like that! that may not be true for everyone but i find it's an advantage of a bigger congregation. also, the more people, the more chance you're not the only one, or the weirdest.
Quote:
I told her that I find being around people difficult because I have mental health problems and now i'm regretting telling her. She was very supportive and said that she'd visit me at home if I wanted but I feel like I have messed things up by telling her that I have difficulties.
it may feel like you've messed things up, but it sounds as if she's very willing to help. maybe it would be helpful to meet her so you know someone there?
Quote:
Doesn't the church believe that mental health problems are caused by sinning?
no, it doesn't. there are a couple of people perhaps, in the Church, who might think that, just as there are non-religious people who think it's attention-seeking, or someone needs to pull their socks up. but it isn't the majority. you can often tell what a group is like by their leader, and judging by this woman, they sound ok.
Quote:
It feels like I might be 'worshiping' something else through my rituals.
i feel the same about cutting, but i think it's only to true to a small extent. it's part of your OCD, you can only fight it so much, because it's an illness. we all want to get better, but who knows how long that'll take.
Quote:
what should I wear to church
doesn't really matter, but i would suggest covering shoulders and stomach (a t-shirt or something) and nothing too provocative or revealing.
Quote:
what if I sit on someone else's seat?!
serves them right for trying to own a seat. if you accidentally change pew or chair (it's possible) just smile your apology and find where you were before. and watch out for any seat which may be reserved, usually there'd be a sign, for old ladies or for a family at a baptism etc.
I don't think 'the church' has an official position on mental health issues... Personally I think that they exist because of sin. Not your sin, but the original sin at the fall of man. At the fall, creation was pretty much broken... nothing is the way it's supposed to be. Mental health issues are a product of the broken creation... If that makes any sense.
as for what to wear, this may not be much help, but it depends on the church... It doesn't actually matter what you wear, God doesn't care, but I understand that it would be uncomfortable to show up in jeans if everyone else is dressed up, or vice versa... I'd go sort of business casual for a first visit to get a feel for it... or if the church has a website it might say something about that, or have a contact that you could email to ask.
as for sitting in someone else's seat, if you're really worried about it, maybe sort of loiter around until it's about to start and most people are already seated to see what's left.
And I think it's really cool that you have the courage to tell the pastor about your mental health issues.
and Yay for wanting to go back to church!
just sit anywhere, the people should just be happy you've gone to their church!
i've finally worked up the guts to go to the doctor about my depression/SI i think, i'm going to call and make an appointment in the morning. prayers would be very very much appreciated that i don't back out/i find someone to go with because i can't tell my parents and I've never been to the doctors on my own before and I'm absolutely terrified, thanks.
'The nights of crying your eyes out give way to the days of laughter' Psalm 30 v 5
no one cares what i wear to church; hi-top chucks, ripped jeans, and layered long sleve shirt with a short sleve shirt on top today; but people wear anything from that to suits at my church. Go with what salanna said.
Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,
Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"
Thomas Parke D’Invilliers
I wear to church what I wear everywhere else. Go in whatever you are comfortable in. Most churches are just happy have people, its not a fashion show :)
“The good things don’t always soften the bad, but vice-versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant.”
“Nobody important? Blimey, that’s amazing. Do you know, in nine hundred years of time and space I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important before.”
“If it’s time to go, remember what you’re leaving. Remember the best. My friends have always been the best of me.”
bad i found out yesterday that my parents are sending me to a therpist.
Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,
Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"
Thomas Parke D’Invilliers
eh, not too terrible. Best friend's birthday today, plans to hang out with a good friend Wednesday...but I found out that there's no way I can start school this spring and have been deferred to fall enrollment, which is bad because I have to be in college when I'm 19 to keep my insurance under my mom's plan and my birthday is before fall semester starts by a few weeks. So hopefully I'll get some wiggle room because I'm fully enrolled and set to go but semester just starts later.
hey guys I'm back... my brother has gone back to england now. I had a pretty rough time whilst he was here. Salanna I read what you said the other day about forgiving your father and it really challenged me. I thought I'd forgiven my brother for what he's done to me but when he came I realised that I haven't, that i can't let it go. Especially as he's still the same.
One thing that I've found this christmas is that God is truely in control, even through all the bad things that happen. So anyone that is going through hard times at the moment, just take comfort in the fact that God is bigger than our biggest problem and that he is in COMPLETE control.
Take care everyone
Jess x
~Here I am at your feet in my brokenness complete~
No i almost always have little to no say in everything
Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,
Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"
Thomas Parke D’Invilliers
tom...okay, you have no choice in where you go. but it's up to you how much (if anything) you let this person in. also, if you talk to your parents about it, you'll proabaly find that you have some say in who it is you see. i'd suggest talking to them about a christian counselor, and mention whether you'd feel more comfortable with a guy or girl. you might be surprised :)
also...okay, i know it seems scary and/or awful and/or not neccessary to you...but I've never met anyone who couldn't benefit from a counselling session or ten. and you don't even need to pay for it. i'm still kicking myself over that one--I fought and wouldn't cooperate with anyone my parents wanted to see when I was younger, and now I really regret it, because I realize now that it really would be helpful. except now i'd have to pay for it myself, so...no go :) plus the whole med school thing.
Jess: i think what's helped me most with that, is probably Grantley morris' website. especially this article. and this one is my favorite :)
I'm doing ok, I suppose. I anonymously left groceries on kirstie's porch today...and heard from my mother that her husband is officially filing for a divorce. I still can't believe this is happening. It's like watching my own family split up all over again.
always glad to have new people!
