Enjoy Life!

Matthew 1:23 - "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).

John 10:10-11 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. 

Dear God, it is so hard sometimes to look up and see the rainbows in life. Right now, it is extremely hard in light of the loss of Robin Williams. As I read the title of today's devotion, I said I wish that he had been able to enjoy life more. But he had something wrong with him chemically. And it makes me sad. He lost his battle. He no longer had the strength to finish. But I rest in confidence in the fact that You are omnipotent and sovereign. You predetermined or predestined Robin Williams to return home when he did. The only thing I can pray is that he was a believer and is now resting with You in heaven. His story has brought out the worst on many people though. Just this morning, I read that his daughter left social media because of bullying due to the loss of her dad. It makes no sense. Why attack the family? Did they really have to release the gory details of how he did it? And I also see a lot of "Christians" who are being really judgmental and ignorant about what happened. Some of them are saying that depression is a demon that can be prayed away, that he should have just prayed and repented and he would have been fine, that he committed the unforgivable sin, that he must in hell because he was selfish and took his own life. From what I have learned and from what You have been teaching, those are untruths. Depression is not a demon. It is a chemical imbalance in the brain or a situational upset to the nervous system. Many people struggle with it at some point in their lives. The veteran who now has PTSD. The autistic who is smart and understands that he or she is different, longs to fit in, but still gets rejected no matter how hard he or she tries. The mom after giving birth because her body was literally one with her baby. Depression does not discriminate. Not one of is truly know what was in his heart. While I hope he was a believer, I do not know. But You do. Depression was his special need. Special needs cannot be prayed away. Churches and Christians who believe that are doing more harm than good. And they need to repent. Jesus came to heal the sick and to save the  lost. And You created ALL of us and love us. The unforgivable sin? Do any of us know what that is beyond some kind of blasphemy against the Spirit? No. But I do know it is not suicide. Robin Williams did not commit the unforgivable sin. He did not take the coward's way out or the easy way out. He put on a facade of bravery hiding his own personal battle from the world while bringing it joy and laughter along with the tears and humanity. Some people said he was selfish to take his life. My mom said he may have felt like he was a burden, and did the most unselfish thing possible to release his family from having to worry about him so much. We feel loss. Nowhere near as much as his family and friends. And my heart goes out to them. He was a kind man and so gracious to so many whom he touched and met. Even Koko the gorilla! God, we have a hole in our lives right now, but I hope You are now embracing one of the most influential and inspirational people who has ever been on earth. Thank You for giving us the opportunity to laugh and cry because of Robin Williams. Thank You for the many generations of people who have had the chance to have him in their homes on the screens or see him in the theaters or meet him for not a single person has not somehow been touched by his life. I just wish that depression didn't exist so he could have enjoyed his life more. Help me to always enjoy life no matter what I go through. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Like a Candle

Isaiah 42:2-3 - He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 

Isaiah 54:10 - "For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Romans 8:26 - Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Dear God, I need Your comfort and Your rest. I grow weary right now from many things. Renew me. Thank You for being there and for loving me. God, also comfort the family and close friends of Robin Williams. His death announcement last night was very emotional. Teach people what they need to know when they see the film "The Giver" later this week, which I personally think everyone should do. Jeff Bridges was so choked up when asked about Robin Williams. They said he possibly took his own life. I have not heard much about whether he believed in You, but I hope he did because if he did, then he is now at peace with You instead of hurting and having to battle the monster of depression. His death stands as a reminder of why it is more important now than ever for churches to step up and stop treating mental disorders and other special needs as sins and start actually ministering to people who are struggling with them. There are simply not enough counselors out there. His death stands as a reminder of why it is crucial to remove the barriers and stigmas attached to mental health issues so that people will not be afraid to get the help they need. Men, in particular, tend to believe that needing help is a sign of weakness. I disagree. A man who acknowledges that he needs help and then actually seeks help is showing more strength than a man who doesn't. Because when he does, he is showing that he is honest and open. In this assessment, I see where Tom was a coward because instead of dealing with the conflict as he usually would, he bought lies and spread lies instead of actually talking with me about what happened. When confronted with truth, he took a cop out. But I am called to more. The letter will finally be written this week since I will finally have the time. I saw many people who said Robin Williams took the coward's way out. No, he didn't. He did the last thing he thought was the only option left. His death reminds me of what that pastor's family went through last year with their son. I started to call depression a demon, but quickly changed it to monster for a reason. Calling it a demon is the reason churches have failed when it comes to the special needs ministry arena. Too many churches call the special needs and mental illnesses demons and say, "Well, we can pray over them and pray with them and they will be healed of it." STOP!!!! Churches are doing more damage when they do that than if they just actually minister to and with the people who are challenged and blessed by them. And I am one of the people who was damaged because of the existence of that mentality in a church that was supposed to be safe from abuse and bullying, but ended up being so corrupt that I suffered from abuse and bullying instead. God, how my heart aches because to the extent of having special needs myself and seeing my mom's own struggle with PTSD, I really cannot blame Robin Williams for what he did, if he in fact did take his own life. He will be greatly missed though. He brought us all laughter and tears. "Patch Adams" as the doctor who brought comedy to his patients. "Jack" as the boy who grew into a man too fast. "Aladdin" as Genie. "Mrs. Doubtfire" as a nanny because he just wanted to be able to see his children and be a good dad to them. "Dead Poets Society" as the teacher who made an impact on his students. And many other unforgettable roles. Oh, how how we will be sorely missed. In Jesus' Name, Amen!