Hey Friends,
I hope your year is off to a good start! I've been writing, booking, recording, spending time with family and enjoying the unseasonably warm weather here in Nashville. 65 degrees in January is an unexpected blessing for this Texas girl and exchanging the warmth for the usual Winter dreariness has been so good for my soul. But for today, I'd like to shine a light on a very candid podcast interview I recently recorded. It's no secret our society is inundated with stress and anxiety in its various forms. As I've traveled around the country I've heard countless stories of those who have been affected by fear, anxiety and even depression. This experience, coupled with our family's own recent battle has compelled me to shine a light of awareness and hope on this community even more. You are not forgotten, you are not alone and I hope this podcast encourages you in your process.
Listen Here
I've also included some very specific take-aways based on our own season with this struggle. Be encouraged and please forward this to someone you know who could be helped by it.
Embrace Authentic Community
The ministry of presence can be so helpful to counter the effects of isolation that depression and anxiety bring. Surround yourself with safe people you can trust and be honest with; people who will encourage you as well as those who will sit with you in the silence and pain and wait with you as you wait on the Lord.
Read the Psalms
Reading through the Psalms is so helpful as it encourages us to process both the joys and the sorrow of our own experiences. It holds up the human experience like a mirror, encouraging us to reflect inward on our own hearts leaving no area withheld as we engage God in prayer with the most difficult places of our journey. David did not sanitize his process with God, neither should we.
Exercise Self Care
It's not uncommon for many of us to care for everyone but ourselves. It's also tempting to relegate self care to the physical but in reality this subject is all encompassing. Self care can come in the form of a good night's sleep and an inspirational book but it can also come through watching a breath taking sun rise over the ocean or through having a delicious meal and a rich conversation with a friend or spouse. Make space in your life for the things that bring renewal to your soul.
Prayers + Blessings
TG