Delight in Disorder

When the Waves of Trauma Come Crashing In by Laura Moseley

Laura Moseley is a single mother of three children, who survived 23+ years of sexual and domestic abuse. I formally work as a customer service rep for a social service organization, as I love helping people. DV advocate, in my "spare" time. I am a blogger, future podcaster, public speaker, and community activist. https://www.facebook.com/dvwalkingwounded https://dvwalkingwounded.wordpress.com/ I, after 23+ years of abuse within my life, would consider myself to have an “unofficial” doctorate in trauma, as I’ve used myself as a bizarre test subject for years -- but not intentionally. It’s more like sitting with my own pain and analyzing, now that I am no longer in active abuse. Trauma, as defined by Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, is “a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or physical injury.” It derives from the Greek word for “wound,” which initially signified a physical wound, but can now be [...]

When the Waves of Trauma Come Crashing In by Laura Moseleytonyroberts2021-07-13T17:38:44-04:00

“I’m not depressed, but…” by Kathryn Pesyna

In the beginning, when the world grinded to a halt and everyone stayed home, I received a huge dose of validation as a stay-at-home mom. Suddenly people were realizing exactly what I do every day, and how demanding it is. After several weeks, we all settled into a new routine and got used to the new norm. The good feelings of validation wore off, and I started to feel the struggle. But I’m a stay-at-home mom. It’s literally in the name. I’m supposed to have the stay-at-home thing down. DOWNWARD SPIRAL Initially, it wasn’t too different from our day-to-day. The biggest change was we were no longer going out. We were no longer having play-dates. We were no longer doing our activities. You see, “stay-at-home” is a misnomer. We actually go out a lot. So we, like everyone else, were stuck at home and feeling the struggle. However, now I had the guilt [...]

“I’m not depressed, but…” by Kathryn Pesynatonyroberts2021-07-07T18:43:59-04:00

Elegy for a Damn Good Mother: an Explanation by DeMaris Gaunt

So many of my friends and family are facing death these days. Our reactions vary widely based on what we experience in life, what beliefs we hold, and how willing we are to walk through the valley. This is a poem a friend of mine wrote as her mother was dying. It is one of the best expressions of going through stages of grief that I have ever read. Elegy for a Damn Good Mother: an Explanation by DeMaris Gaunt We all hated it that mom had a closet full of clothes with the tags still on shoes never worn a set of wedding China unused in the cupboards a diamond tennis bracelet worn approximately once a home built for entertaining never filled with guests drawers of blank stationery that never got the chance to deliver her hopes or wishes into the lives of those she called friends— and I [...]

Elegy for a Damn Good Mother: an Explanation by DeMaris Gaunttonyroberts2021-06-30T18:19:59-04:00

The Longing of William Cowper in “Heal Us, Emmanuel”

“Heal Us, Emmanuel” by William Cowper from Olney Hymns Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are We wait to feel Thy touch; Deep wounded souls to Thee repair, And Savior, we are such. Our faith is feeble, we confess We faintly trust Thy Word; But wilt Thou pity us the less? Be that far from Thee, Lord! Remember him who once applied With trembling for relief “Lord, I believe,” with tears he cried; “O help my unbelief!” She, too, who touched Thee in the press And healing virtue stole, Was answered, “Daughter, go in peace; Thy faith has made thee whole.” Concealed amid the gathering throng, She would have shunned Thy view; And if her faith was firm and strong, Had strong misgivings too. Like her, with hopes and fears we come To touch Thee if we may; O send us not despairing home; Send none unhealed away. Poet and hymn writer [...]

The Longing of William Cowper in “Heal Us, Emmanuel”tonyroberts2021-06-26T17:12:10-04:00

“Joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” by Abigail C.

A baby born after a loss is referred to as a "rainbow baby," so we included this nod to our losses in my maternity photos. Photo credits: A.McGrath Photography “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” I have conflicting feelings about this verse (Romans 12:12), although it has been my favorite for as long as I can remember. For one thing, I fail at every part of it. On the other hand, it contains everything I need to survive even the depths of despair. I’m Abigail, and I am many things—a friend of Tony’s, a lifelong Christian, an occupational therapist, a mother of three, a wife, and hopefully a future entrepreneur (you know, in my free time). I have also struggled with an anxiety disorder since high school and more recently added PTSD to the mix. Quick background: I started having panic attacks [...]

“Joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” by Abigail C.tonyroberts2021-07-08T06:27:04-04:00

A Woman Among Lions, Fighting for Faith and Family by Kirsten Panachyda

My guest blogger today is Kirsten Panachyda. Kirsten writes and speaks to infuse courage into the soul-weary. Her book Among Lions: Fighting for Faith and Finding Your Rest while Parenting a Child with Mental Illness is available now. Kirsten blogs at kirstenp.com. She and her husband Dan have two sons, and they are a roller-coaster-riding, travel-loving, blue-hair-dying family. Once again my night devolved into nightmares, restless dozing, and eventually, sleeplessness. I stayed in bed until I felt like I would explode if I didn't cry and then I crept downstairs. I shuffled into the kitchen, thinking maybe I could make a cup of herbal tea to soothe my tight throat and aching chest. I got as far as the stove, picked up the battered red kettle, and slid down to the floor. My kitchen floor was not something nice to sit on. When we bought the house in 1997, [...]

A Woman Among Lions, Fighting for Faith and Family by Kirsten Panachydatonyroberts2021-05-23T04:03:14-04:00

Faith Grows in Community by Lisa Jamieson

My growing up could read like a mashup novel from National Geographic, Little House on the Prairie and Epicurious magazine. Before kindergarten, I was riding my bike to a Minneapolis candy store several blocks from home. Later, I ice skated to elementary school on the James River in North Dakota. By the time I was 9 years old, we had moved to Canada where I was collecting sap from maple trees every spring, catching smelt in Thirty Mile Creek, building blanket forts surrounded by peach and cherry orchards in the summer, swimming to a rocky pier off the southern shore of Lake Ontario and stomping Niagara grapes with the neighbors every fall. Woven between the lines of that idyllic childhood were some dark days too. I carried the grief of good-byes and struggled to make friends. Attending weekly church developed my sense of God’s presence but I perceived him to be [...]

Faith Grows in Community by Lisa Jamiesontonyroberts2021-05-21T05:37:00-04:00

Moods & Maternity by Katie Dale

Hey there! I’m Katie Dale, familiar with the storms of mental illness, and I blog about my faith and how it has informed my brain-based disorder at BipolarBrave.com. I also have a memoir out about my journeys through the psych wards and how I found peace of mind with psych meds (by the grace of God) – you can find it on Amazon here. Since my former profession of case manager at a behavioral clinic, I’ve stepped into the role of stay-at-home mommy to Kylie. And I get to travel the world with Chris, my man in uniform. Aside from that, I could live off mac ‘n cheese, and I still hold onto my aspiration to run a sub-20-minute 5k. Come find me and say hi on social media @KatieRDale. Stay bold, brave, and real. Moodiness comes with maternity, that’s a given. Add to that a layer of a [...]

Moods & Maternity by Katie Daletonyroberts2021-05-12T09:51:00-04:00

When the Planet Got Hit by a Bus: A Pastor’s Perspective on the Pandemic.

This week's guest post was written by Rev. George Love. George is a long-time friend of mine going back to seminary days. He is a husband, father and the pastor of Hebron Presbyterian Church in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. George appreciates the invitation to reflect on mental health in the context of our shared journey through the pandemic. A year or so ago the planet got hit by a bus. Everyone on the planet pretty much. Usually when someone gets hit by a bus, it’s just one person. Everyone else sees how monstrously awful it is that this happened and people who weren’t hit by the bus do all they can to come to the aid of the person who was hit. That’s not universally true, but in large part there is truth to it. So, the problem when everybody on the planet got hit by a bus was two-fold. [...]

When the Planet Got Hit by a Bus: A Pastor’s Perspective on the Pandemic.tonyroberts2021-04-27T20:06:20-04:00

Book Launch: Disability and the Church by Lamar Hardwick

Lamar Hardwick was thirty-six years old when he found out he was on the autism spectrum. While this revelation helped him understand and process his own experience, it also prompted a difficult re-evaluation of who he was as a person. And as a pastor, it started him on a new path of considering the way disabled people are treated in the church. Disability and the Church is a practical and theological reconsideration of the church's responsibilities to the disabled community. Too often disabled persons are pushed away from the church or made to feel unwelcome in any number of ways. As Hardwick writes, "This should not be." He insists that the good news of Jesus affirms God's image in all people, and he offers practical steps and strategies to build stronger, truly inclusive communities of faith. Editorial Reviews Review "In a time when first-person disability narratives remain hard to come by, Disability [...]

Book Launch: Disability and the Church by Lamar Hardwicktonyroberts2021-04-21T19:03:00-04:00

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