Delight in Disorder Ministries
Tony Roberts, Chief Shepherd
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
(Psalms 37:4)
Revealing Voices podcast celebrates their seven year anniversary!
Season 8 is underway with new episodes, Haikasts, and “Healing Stories” – testimonies of the people, places, and things which contribute to a sober, sane, serene life, and the foundation of faith that makes it all possible.
Desert Dispatches – Devotional Emails Launching in March!
Join our mailing list to receive these spiritual reflections. These brief meditations on life in recovery amid dual diagnosis are designed to lift your spirit no matter where you are in your journey. See this page to join the list!
How to Handle the Holidays with God’s Love
Welcome to the Holidays! The stress of the holidays. We’re still pressured to spend money on gifts, or gather with family we may or may not get along with. Just the idea of the holidays, with the loss of loved ones over the past years from sickness, tragedies, or simply the circle of life, is tough. We may not feel like it’s anything close to the norm we’ve known in years past. However, as Christians, we are called and set apart and distinctly expected to “live worthy of the calling” (Ephesians 4:1) we have in God, with or without mental illness. On top of the worldly stressors, our personal lives have the constant wearing of symptoms, perhaps. Is it still possible to live as a Christian with a mental illness and expect to “live worthy” of such a calling? God commands it, therefore He’s going to make it possible. [...]
What Every Pastor Ought to Know About Serious Mental Illness
Pastors and church leadership are number one on the frontlines to those who seek help for these kinds of issues with these kinds of diagnoses. It is crucial to educate the ranks of church leadership so that we can catch the “least of these” in the crises they may present and refer them to the right solutions. There is evidence that pastors don’t feel very well equipped to handle mental illness and therefore need discernment to appropriately address these situations. I want every pastor to know what to expect, how to communicate, and what to do when they arise. Within the wake of Covid’s circumstances, the matters of the mind have risen to a more visible level. This is good for generating awareness of general disorders and the stressors concerning situational depression and psychological or even spiritual oppression. However, it has not changed the significance nor moved the needle of [...]
Is My Mental Illness to Blame?
Line in the Sand Where does mental end and spiritual begin? There is no definitive line. You’re going to sin in sickness and be soul-sick in sin. The two (the heart and mind) operate in tandem. As a caseworker, I had a client at one time who was being seen at my clinic for mental health issues she had. Let’s call her Mary. Mary was also diabetic. On her way to town one day, while her husband drove her to an appointment, Mary started to frantically undo her seatbelt, screaming threats at her husband, and opened the door of the truck to fall out. She just about accomplished this act of defiance, but her husband’s quick response and grasp saved her life. At that time, Mary appeared suicidal. Mary appeared out of her mind. Arguably, Mary was in a state of rebellion. Mary appeared to be in a mental [...]
7 Biblical Principles for Taking Care of Your Mind
This post is derived from two blog posts I wrote over on PastorBrad.blog and KatieRDale.com. The Bible is full of wisdom for living a successful, God-honoring life. We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we want to address our personhood in full, we can’t overlook our mind and how we handle its health. The following principles are derived from passages in Scripture that can help us understand how God values our mental well-being and the spirit seated within. Principle #1: Express your hurts and frustrations In numerous passages in the Psalms, we see David cry out to the Lord in his pain and troubles. Examples of his fears, doubts, hurts, and sorrow can be found throughout the book of Psalms. As a general interpretation, David’s example sometimes echoes and foreshadows the pain and trials Christ ends up enduring hundreds [...]
Dear Pastor: What the Church Needs to Know About Mental Illness
Today I'm making a derivative out of an old blog post (Misconceptions Your Church May Have About Depression) and reworking it to address our pastors this month - it's Pastor Appreciation Month. Dear Pastor, First and foremost, you are brave. Your calling is not easy or light. Drawing grit from your faith and convictions is a grit akin to what military forces draw upon. The required resilience that comes from committing to this calling is not glamorous or fiscally promising. The taxation on your spirit and soul your job exacts can be stretched thinner than your leather-worn Bible. To put your job into words is a tall task. So many souls depend on your leadership and rely on your words as support. In hopes of making your job more manageable in the realm of the mental health of your congregation, here is an open letter I share with you. [...]
3 Steps to Help a Loved One Heal
As sensitive a topic it is, it's not obvious to most of us, otherwise, we'd see the signs. People are hurting. They want the pain to end. They've been dragged down by the weight of this invisible burden like a ball and chain on their soul. You may not see that or know much about their struggle. There are three steps you can take when you're talking with someone who's struggling and thinking about suicide. They may or may not have a plan. Whether or not they are intentional about acting on the desire, you can still be keen on addressing this. Having a healing conversation with someone is not natural, nor is it easy. There are tools you can learn to start talking to others, though. Observe to Identify The first step is to observe. It takes intentional effort to see if someone is suffering under an invisible, [...]