Depression: It's REAL!

There are so many people in the world who suffer from depression and you would never know it.  It is a word and topic that most people don't say or even talk about. It effects people in many different ways. I feel that is is a topic that needs to be talked about more often and not blown off by so many.

I use to think that when people said they were depressed or were suffering from depression it was an "excuse". It has just been here recently that I have shared with, outside my close circle of friends, that I myself am suffering from depression. The one thing that has stuck in my head is that she appreciated me sharing with her and that she wished more people would share. At the time of sharing with this with her I had only talked to her one time to introduce myself and then through Facebook a few times. I am not sure why I shared cause this is so unlike me, but I am so glad I did.

Growing up I saw what depression was like and I knew what it was but the older I got the more I believed that it was just a "cop out". There were times that I would have a bad day, who doesn't? But I had been asked before if I was depressed and maybe I should talk to my doctor but I would just blow it off. Last year I decided that I was dealing with "anxiety" issues. At this point I still wouldn't admit that I was dealing with small bouts of depression. Looking back now I have been dealing with depression continuously for a little over a year. But it has been in the past few months that it has been pretty bad. There are days that I didn't , and still don't, want to get out of bed and I wouldn't. Even on vacation I had to make myself get out of bed. I think this is the point where I realized that something wasn't right. I thank God that the Lord gave me a husband who has supported and has been an amazing trooper through all of this.

 I am sharing all of this because this is what I am struggling with right now and I could use all the prayer in the word but also to encourage other people or women who are dealing with the same thing. Depression is REAL! It's not a cop out or an excuse! Just because you are going through depression doesn't make you less of a Christian. I have to remind myself that I can't let my thoughts, feelings, or emotions dictate who I am in Christ or my relationship with Christ.

I am still dealing with it and there are days that are GREAT and then there are other days that are BLAH. I know that I have a long way to go and that's OK you got to start somewhere.

I am not living a Life Interrupted but a Life full of Divine Interventions by God.

I am "Jonah"

I am reading a book to prepare for the Bible study that is coming up. The name of the book that I am reading is "Navigating a Life Interrupted" by Pricilla Shirer. The more I read through this book I am learning I am more and more like Jonah.


Most of us have heard of the story of Jonah sense we were young kids in our Sunday school classes and followed up in children's church. Veggie Tales even made a movie about it. Pricilla uses the story of Jonah to talk about how life's interruptions might just be an divine intervention from God. Interruptions are not all ways bad even the "good" things in life can be an interruption.

Before we found out that we were expecting our first child Mike's sister, Michelle , and her husband Pete were on their second round of invitro.  Just after she found out that it had not worked Mike and I found out we were pregnant of course this was not easy news for them at all and it has not been easy for them to hear the news four other times and it wasn't easy to have to share it with them for the fact that I knew this would cause them pain. See Pete & Michelle tried for 7 years to have children and at that time had gone down all the medical avenues to be able to conceive, when the doctor said, "let's try again" Michelle couldn't emotionally or physically do it anymore. So,  in February, 2000 they started the adoption proceedings and God blessed them with two amazingly talented beautiful kids. I say all of this an share a snippet of their story because this was one of their "interruptions" in life that they had not planned but is a true divine intervention from God. Michelle is an adoption coordinator and has helped many couples to become parents. This isn't the plan that Michelle and Pete had for their lives but it was God's plan! I have been truly blessed to have had a front row seat to what God has done in their lives and there are days and times that it hasn't and wasn't easy but God was always in control


Three years ago was one of my biggest interruptions in my life. Mike and I always wanted three kids and then we prayed and decided we wanted one more child. Right after Cole was born May 2007 Mike went and had things taken care of on his side. Just shy of a year later we found out we were expecting our 5th child. This rocked my world, I couldn't understand why the Lord wanted to give me another child when I knew so many who have struggled having children and at the time a dear friend has just went through another miscarriage why me and not them.  I will tell you this Reid is a divine intervention from God in my life and I can't imagine nor would I EVER want to imagine my life without him. But  the interruptions in our lives is what gives us our story and allows us to minister to other people that we may come in contact with. Sense then there has been plenty of other interruptions in our lives, from Mike going out of town more frequently, unexpected health issues for both of us, but now they are part of our story and who we are.

I have some very dear and close friends who themselves are going through interruptions and some of them are very exciting but at the same time scary. One friend's son just got married, another will be moving and starting a new chapter that the Lord has in store for them, but then I have other friends who their interruptions are not so pretty. Watching each friend go through their interruptions and even allowed to be a part has been a true blessing. Each of them has done nothing but put their faith and trust in the Lord through it all. Granted there are times that it hasn't been easy but they had and have a choice and so do we. We can choose to be like Jonah and run and hide or we can choose to face it straight on and learn from it. 


I share all these stories for this one reason, to show how God works. We are not hear to tell our stories but to tell God's stories, to share what God can do and what God has done.


Here is two examples that Pricilla gives in her book:
1.You are about to run out the door cause you are already 5min late or in my case 15min, the phone rings and its the cable salesman wanting offer the new promotion and add more channels free for 6 months. Your thoughts are you don't have time right now and you are now even more behind and you are aggravated cause you have been interrupted.
2. Same situation, you are running late and just as you are running out the door the phone rings and its a family from the church that wanted to let you know that they wanted give you $200 to help out with finances.


So which one is an interruption?? They both are! We "categorize" and decide what is an interruption to us. If it "benefits" us it really isn't, but if it doesn't then is an interruption.


I am looking forward to going through this study with some awesome ladies and learning what their Nineveh is and their interruptions.

Just Not Plain & Simple

First I want to explain why I have titled my blog Just Not Plain & Simple. I use to think of my self as a pretty simple person... Plain, no! Over there years I have learned I am not a simple person. The older I get the more OCD I am about things. I like my dishwasher loaded so that no dishes have to be washed by hand. I add more fabric softer to make sure that my clothes smell fresh and clean, and I DO NOT let my clothes sit in the washer for an extended period of time or I will rewash them. I have many Glade plug-in around my house cause I like my house to have a fresh clean smell.... even when it's dirty. Crazy I know. I have had many FB conversations about using fabric softener with your towels and how you shouldn't but smell is what I am going for. I even had a friend purchase a candle for and the name was clean cotton. So I am learning that I am no where near simple, not even close. Who knew?? Oh, and we all know that having 5 kids isn't simple either, but I think that goes without say.  But, we all know that I am not a plain person or at least I don't think I am.

Second, the whole purpose for this blog is use it in a way that is encouraging to anyone who reads it but most of all women. Over time I have noticed more that women are my passion, I love hanging out with women & cutting up, but I can't stand the drama and I try to avoid it at all cost. I love to laugh and when I am laughing I can feel stress just melting away. I love encouraging women and I feel blessed and honored when women come to me for encouragement and even advise.

I am blessed to be apart of Heritage Baptist Women's Ministry along side some amazing women! But I do want to remind you that I am a woman like everyone else and human and I make mistakes, I have rough days, and I am emotional. I do take a lot of things personally even when they are not intended to be and I have for  years. You know the song that you learned as a kid, "He's Still Working on Me"?  I am still a work in progress and I will continue to be till the day I am standing face to face with my Lord.

I hope that everyone who reads my blogs will be blessed and encouraged by what I share and even get a giggle or two.