Category Archives: Anxiety & Depression

Anxiety & Depression, The Last Days

See yourself on the winning side

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I have come to realize by experience that if we don’t see ourselves on the winning side during these difficult days before Jesus comes for His church, we will be weak and fearful. Anxiety will overwhelm us. Doubt and insecurity will wreak havoc with our faith. In short—we will not be well. I suspect there are multiplied thousands, if not millions, of us who already fit this description.  

People all over the world have experienced the agonizing effects of COVID-19. In the United States, we are just beginning to see what damage the lockdowns alone have done—especially to the young and the old. My heart breaks as I think of the vulnerable children who are locked inside their homes with angry, depressed, and perhaps abusive parents or relatives. And my heart breaks equally as much for what has happened to the elderly.

Yesterday, I saw a Facebook post about the residents in a nursing home in Colorado who staged a protest to the lockdown. They were outside, lined up in wheelchairs and holding signs that said, “We’d rather die from COVID than to die from loneliness.” It is shameful what has happened to them.

Even before the onset of the pandemic, I had determined to prepare myself mentally, spiritually, and emotionally for the last days. You don’t have to look very hard to find a description of the last days in God’s Word (Matthew 24; Luke 21), and let’s face it—those days won’t be easy. I began asking God to lead me to books, people and programs on Christian Networks that would strengthen my faith.  

God has clearly answered that prayer. I have watched my faith grow and my confidence flourish. Powerful truths in God’s Word that I have known for 40 years began to come alive in my spirit once again. Apparently, I had stifled and stuffed down those truths because I was afraid if I voiced them or taught them, I wouldn’t be “politically or doctrinally correct.” I asked the Lord to forgive me, and today I no longer care whether or not I am considered correct by the world’s standards.  

Now before you criticize me, perhaps you have done the same thing. Haven’t we Christians toned down our beliefs on sin, so we won’t be out of touch with our culture? Aren’t we afraid to speak our true feelings about certain issues that cause division? Yep, it seemed best not to take a stand. And what we see today is a wanning church reaping the results of preaching a “weak gospel.”

Last week I spent two full days praying about one particular situation. During the early hours of the first day, I heard God speak to me: “Truth and Light. Pray for truth and light.” I began doing that very thing. Throughout the day, my eyes began to open to what a huge difference those two words could make in the situation for which I was praying. Next, I began applying those two words in other situations. It eventually became very clear: Truth and light could make a huge difference in every aspect of our lives—our nation, schools, churches, families, jobs, health, faith—in fact, our everything!

My friends, we desperately need TRUTH AND LIGHT in our world. There is distrust everywhere we turn. We clearly have a “trust” issue. COVID has taught us to not trust what our government is saying, what doctors are saying, and what scientists are saying. Politicians have deceived us. Our nation’s history is being torn down and destroyed before our eyes. Clearly, what is good is now called evil, and what is evil is now called good.

The Lord has spoken many encouraging things to me in the past few weeks. The words “truth and light” have exploded on the pages of my journals. God has shown me the “lies” that have been taught down through the ages deceiving millions of people, including God’s very own people. I will share these things with you in my future posts. But between then and now, I ask you to do three things:

1) Dare to believe that God is for you. He is not against you.

2) Begin to see yourself on the winning side during this unprecedented time in which we live. Jesus told us these days would come so we could be ready.

3) Pray that God will open your eyes, your ears, your mind and your spirit to whatever you need to know that you currently do not know.  

Pray this prayer for yourself: Dear God, in these strange and unsettling days, I desperately want to believe that you are for me and that I am on the winning side. I ask you to begin right now to open my eyes, ears, mind and spirit to whatever I need to know that I currently do not know. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

Blessings to all ~ Janie

Anxiety & Depression, Encouragement, Faith

Can Broken Things Survive?

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A few weeks ago when I was having one of my anxious days, my son sent me a picture of a broken-down tree. The caption on it was “keep fighting.” This picture speaks volumes to my heart.

 

 

Since trees can neither think nor make decisions, let’s just pretend for the moment that they do.

 

This broken-down tree could certainly have taken the victim approach to life. After all, something catastrophic happened that altered its future—forever. As a victim, it could bemoan its circumstances, since trees are supposed to stand up—not lie down. It could compare itself to all the normal trees standing tall and straight, and determined that it will never be a beautiful tree. It could consider itself too far gone—fallen too low to fulfill its purpose on the earth. And what about its environment—trees rarely survive in the middle of a body of water. Its chances are not only slim, but near impossible.

 

Choosing to be a victim of one’s circumstances is a hard life. Victims look for someone to blame, and then much of their time and energy is spent lamenting what has been dealt to them. How many have said: I’ll never make it in this set of circumstances? If only things could be different. If only this had not happened. If only things could go back to being the way they were…before. If only….if only….if only….

 

Yet, here it is—a broken-down tree that is a shining testimony of what a tree is created to be—branched out in beautiful foliage, producing oxygen, shade and a resting place for those sparrows God watches over so carefully. And all of that—in spite of its circumstances.

 

Is it not a tree that chose to “keep fighting” and make the most of its brokenness? Is it not living proof that broken things can indeed survive?

 

A few months ago the popular syndicated columnist, political commentator and Pulitzer Prize winner, Charles Krauthammer, passed from this life. In a documentary on Charles’ life, Fox News commentator Bret Baier made a profound statement about him that I won’t soon forget. Now it only becomes profound when you know that Charles suffered a severe spinal cord injury in a diving accident when he was in college. As a result, he spent the remainder of his life in a wheel chair with only limited use of his arms and hands. Yet, Charles finished college and medical school on time, graduating with his class. He changed careers somewhere in midstream and spent many years in Washington DC as a political journalist. He had a wife, one son, and is a best-selling author of “Things That Matters.” He is highly esteemed in the media and political circles around the world.

 

Here is the statement Baier made about him: “Charles Krauthammer lived life as if the accident never happened.” Seriously, I think I gulp every time I read that statement.

 

How did Charles do it? How did he not succumb to being a victim of his circumstances? He kept fighting…against the odds. He was somewhat of a creative genius and he used the resources given him—his intelligence, his wit, and his charm to build a life that mattered.

 

And our thinking tree—what did it do? It kept fighting too…against the odds. It used the circumstances dealt to it and the resources given to also build a life that mattered.

 

I hate the anxiety that I now live with, and I really wish it wasn’t here. I hate it most when it catches me off-guard and causes me to think I’m less than I used to be, that I am a victim of some sort, or that I’ll never be normal again.

 

But like a broken-down tree or a broken-down life, I have a choice. And so do you. Here is the question for us today: Can we live life as if the thing never happened? I’m pretty sure I just gulped again.

 

I’m still not over that picture—that broken-down tree surviving…against the odds. I printed it and keep it where I can see it every day. And I have decided what I’m going to do—I’m gonna keep fighting! I hope you do too. ~ Janie Kellogg

 

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

Anxiety & Depression, Encouragement

Broken Things ~

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In her new book “The Way of Abundance,” Ann Voskamp looks at a chip in her tea cup and then writes about brokenness. With her amazing writing style she touches my heart deeply. I know that broken is what I was before Christ rescued me at age twenty-three—but then it could be what I am today because we live in a really broken world. After all, cups—and lives—are fragile.

 

I grabbed my pen as I thought about my own chipped-cup life. I believe that most of us have been chipped in one way or another, and most likely, more than once. Chips lead to ugly cracks, and ugly cracks eventually give way to a full-blown break. It’s true of me. But thanks to God’s grace-glue my chipped-cup life has been put back together several times.

 

I also believe that God doesn’t waste anything—including chips in His cups. Because we are all made for His divine purpose, those chips and the brokenness that follows are used by our Creator to shape us to be like Jesus and prepare us for eternity.

 

Ann Voskamp writes: “Never be afraid of being a broken thing.”1

 

Seriously? Aren’t we all afraid of brokenness? But she’s right—we should not be afraid—because it is our life’s story. We may not know how that ugly chip happened, who or what caused it, or when the crack began to show up. It could be as vivid in our minds as if it happened yesterday, or we may not remember at all when the actual breaking apart took place. It matters not—just that it did.

 

Many of us have difficulty believing that brokenness can be a good thing, since we are bombarded with beautiful things streaming non-stop into our lives—perfect bodies, gorgeous hair, ultimate success—as Hollywood portrays it. I personally believe it’s all a scam by the enemy of our souls to make us think less of ourselves and more of our brokenness.

 

Yet, we should not be afraid of being broken because Jesus was broken too…for us. God bruised Him and crushed Him for a divine purpose,2 and His brokenness became our solution! And now this Divine Healer is the Restorer of all broken things.

 

Actually, our brokenness works for our good, if we will take a closer look at it:

 

~When we are broken, we can see our need for Jesus—the only One who can make us whole.

~When we feel useless, God can reveal His divine purpose for our lives.

~When we admit that we are weak, God will be strong in us.

~When our lives are messed up, God takes what Satan intended for bad and uses it for good.

 

Even something as delicate as a broken heart can be healed by the healing-Savior. Jesus said, “He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.”3   Get this: God planned a way to mend us before our breaking ever happened.

 

There is not one broken thing beyond His reach. There is not one broken person He cannot mend and put back together. There is no brokenness that Jesus did not die for.

 

I think I get it now: “Never be afraid of being a broken thing” because that very brokenness may be what brings you to a place of wholeness, a new beginning, and the start of the life that God intends for you to live.

 

I wonder how many of you feel that your life is chipped, cracked, or perhaps broken beyond repair. If you are one of those, His healing awaits you. Jesus welcomes you to come to Him and let Him heal your life—past, present and future. Don’t continue living life broken.

 

Instead of bemoaning our brokenness, let’s embrace it. And if we could learn to thank Him for every chip and break we’ve ever had, we might be able see them for what they truly are—a testimony to others of God’s healing power.

 

Every healed life is a beautiful thing! ~ Janie Kellogg

 

 

1 Ann Voskamp, The Way of Abundance, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 2018, Page 188

2 Isaiah 53:4-5

3 Luke 4:18

Anxiety & Depression, Encouragement

One Cure for Anxiety: Debug Your Life

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I know you’ve been there—that place where you think you have a handle on the thing that bugs you—and then you lose it! That’s me this week. Still, I’ve thought for days that I needed to get on with my next “anxiety” blog writing, but honestly, there’s been too much anxiety for that.

 

It all started with setting up an appointment for my favorite “bug people” to come and debug my house for another year. They are my heroes—mostly because I detest bugs, especially the scorpions that inhabit the rocky soil where I live—but also because this husband and wife team lifts my spirit while they are here. I had three days to prepare for them…cleaning baseboards, emptying closets, tackling the garage, and preparing the flower beds outside. One would think a King was coming.

 

Instead, it was two of His kids who do Kingdom work while they make a living. Our kindred spirits soaked up the fellowship with one another, and in one short hour-and-a-half we shared a year’s worth of God’s faithfulness. We ended by holding hands in a circle as I prayed for their business, their ministry and especially their lights to keep shining for Jesus. They have what the world needs—the Light of the World shining through them.

 

With tear-streaked cheeks, we hugged and said good-bye. Sounds silly, doesn’t it? All sweaty and sticky, but it didn’t matter because spirits matter more than bugs. Since they left my house, I’ve been thinking: “I wish I could debug my life.” If only there were an antidote for the bugs the enemy drops into my ear. You know—those non-stop accusations that say “you’re not what you ought to be,” or “what makes you think God cares about someone like you?”

 

 

I knew right away what the antidote was. It’s just what it has always been: the promises of God. Right there in His written Word we hear Him tell us that we are made right with God through faith in His Son Jesus Christ1 and therefore, we are now His beloved sons and daughters2.

 

The truth is we don’t have to believe or even listen to the enemy’s lies, and we should never doubt where they come from. While they are intended to annoy, sting, and leave us in pain, according to God’s Word, they have no power to harm us. They may tell us we’re not the beloved, but if we listen carefully we can hear God’s whisper drowning them out. In her new book, The Way of Abundance, Ann VosKamp says it so well:

 

“Because this is always true: all my brokenness is a whisper that I don’t belong, and every time I don’t feel like I belong, the Scarred and Rejected God whispers, ‘Come here, My beloved.’”3

 

Anxiety feeds on the lies of the enemy: “the Russians are coming;” “the world is going to hell in a hand basket;” and “God has given up on the whole lot of us.” More personally, they say we are inadequate, worthless, and not enough. But God’s Word tells us otherwise, so who are we going to believe: God or bugs?

 

Maybe it is time to debug your life. If that’s the case, find a powerful promise of God, claim it for your own, and send those pesky bugs scampering for their lives. I just did! ~ Janie Kellogg

 

 

1Romans 3:21-22 ~ But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

2 1 John 3:2 ~ Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

3Ann VosKamp, The Way of Abundance, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 2018, pg. 141

Anxiety & Depression, Encouragement

Combating Anxiety and Depression ~ Where to Start

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There has to be a starting place—even when the mountain I am trying to move isn’t very big. But the mountains of anxiety and depression are huge, and one thing is clear—if I don’t start somewhere, I’ll get nowhere.

 

I begged the Lord to help me battle these two monsters in my life, and trusted that He would. Problem is, while I preferred to have the faith to remove those mountains completely, His response to me was: “Fix what you can.” I was pretty sure those words meant that mental and physical exertion would be required, along with a good-sized helping of self-discipline.

 

As I picked up the shovel handed to me, the Lord faithfully guided me to a variety of information sources—my doctors, personal testimonies, books, and others found on the Internet, free to anyone who is willing to search for it. Please keep in mind that I am no expert—I am a learner. The purpose of this post is simply to discuss the possibilities I have found.

 

One thing I did early on was to google anxiety and depression, and located more information than I could ever hope to digest. After reading from several websites, I chose Everyday Health, and subscribed to their daily email newsletter under “Mental Health and Mood Disorders.” This allows me to have smaller chunks of information to process.

 

Like all health issues, there are numerous ways to manage them. For anxiety and depression, prescription medications are at the top of the list. These medicines are often necessary and should not be overlooked. Yet, for those of us with milder forms who desire to manage our emotional health by natural means, there are a variety of things that are believed to offer some relief. But beware: this is where the mental effort, physical effort, and self-discipline will need to kick in. In short, the shovel is in our hands! If you are not usually successful at self-help programs, this may not be the best option for you.

 

I have listed below the most common natural ways to combat anxiety and depression that I discovered in my research. I have tried some with good success, and will discuss those in future blog posts. The others I will leave with you to do your own research.

 

The items are not listed in any particular order, such as the most effective to the least effective. Neither is this list considered to be all-inclusive; these are simply the ones I came across most often. Also, the specifics for each item listed is something you will need to research and/or ask a professional about, as they will likely be different for each of us.

 

Exercise ~ A little or a lot, according to what you can physically do. Use common sense. Several sources have listed this as the most beneficial.

Proper Diet ~ Learn which foods help and hinder anxiety/depression. Avoid unhealthy foods.

Adequate Sleep ~ Learn good sleep habits and protect your sleep time. All sleep is not equal!

Vitamins and Supplements ~ These are available, but they require research and/or professional advice.

Laughter ~ Learn to relax and have fun—like scheduling carefree activities.

Meditation and Music ~ Both are therapeutic—give yourself a break and your brain a rest.

Sunshine ~ More Vitamin D is sometimes beneficial. Research various ways to get it.

Stress-Management ~ Learn to avoid situations, places or people that cause stress. Limit social media, disturbing entertainment, and ongoing news programs. Get professional help if needed.

Prayer ~ No one has control over everything in his/her life, but prayer can connect us to the One who does. Exercising our faith in God gives us a sense of peace and stability.

 

I have had some good results at managing both my anxiety and depression, yet I am keenly aware that they can sneak up on me at any moment. I am also adjusting to the idea that I may be facing a lifetime battle of keeping them at bay.

 

Whatever you do, don’t go it alone—talk to someone. I recommend that you start with your doctor and let him/her know what is going on with you. Remember that we serve a powerful God who loves us and will guide us to the best solution for our specific need. And if He hands you a shovel, don’t be surprised—pick it up and get started. ~ Janie Kellogg

Anxiety & Depression, Encouragement

Anxiety and Depression ~ What Can I Do About It?

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After anxiety and depression moved into my life following a recent surgery, I was alarmed and disappointed. Within days of noticing my disagreeableness and unpredictable tears, I explained to my husband what I thought was going on.

 

“This isn’t me. I don’t like how I feel, what I think, and what I say. I expect it is some form of depression.” I told him, hoping to ease the guilt for my less-than-normal behavior.

 

A trip to my doctor confirmed my fears. I had thought it was caused by a hormone imbalance, but the doctor said no. It was a normal occurrence that happens as we grow older and our brains produce less serotonin than our bodies need. I didn’t do anything to cause the irritableness—it was just naturally happening to me.

 

Some days I was depressed and cried all day. I would take a comment out of context and then brood for hours over things I imagined were true. A television commercial about depression suddenly rang true to me: for a depressed person—everything hurts. I was hurt by those around me, and in turn, I was hurting those around me.

 

On other days I was downright disagreeable—about everything. Nothing suited me. Nothing made me happy to be where I was at the moment. I was certain that if things were just done differently, I would be content. Not so. I grew increasingly discontent with each passing day.

 

I became so unhappy with these strange feelings and emotions that I began to cry out to God for help—to lead me, guide me, and walk beside me.1 I knew that within me I didn’t have the strength to combat these monsters. I didn’t like myself, and I had become a person I didn’t want to be.

As God began to answer my prayer, He led me to passages of scripture I had memorized years before. Those scriptures, from the Book of Psalm2, became my mainstay. I printed them on sheets of paper so they’d be close at hand until I could quote them easily. Soon they were a balm to my restless soul.

 

When I laid my head down at night, I quoted scriptures. When I woke up in the morning, I quoted scriptures. The sick feeling in the pit of my stomach each morning made me dread the day ahead. One morning when the anxiety was painfully present, I again begged the Lord for help. His gentle words guided my heart toward hope that I could do something about it.

 

“Do what you can. You can fight back—with the armor I’ve given you and by depending deeply on Me. Fix what you can fix.”

 

Another woman did that—what she could. Mary poured her precious oil on Jesus’ head.3 When greedy men protested her carelessly act of love, Jesus defended her: “She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.” Mary couldn’t keep Jesus from suffering at the hands of evil men. She couldn’t keep Him from being crucified for the sins of many. She couldn’t change one thing about the Father’s will for her Savior. But she could do one thing—what she could. Was it important that she do what she could? The sweet fragrance of her ointment would be with Jesus in the dreadful hours on that cross, and would remind Him of those He was dying for—those He came to rescue. It was indeed important.

 

Do what you can. I’d heard it before and knew what it meant. After losing a husband to cancer fifteen years ago, I had battled similar monsters—aloneness, abandonment, anger (and that’s just the ones that start with the letter “A”). The only way I had survived the months following his death was to fight back with the armor of God4 and to depend deeply on Him.

 

What I was facing today was simply another battle in the same war.

 

It was time for me to take action and fight back. When the enemy of my soul filled my mind with thoughts that were not true—what I now know were lies, lies, and more lies—I quoted scriptures that I knew were true. When I became discontent with the way my husband drove the car or cooked our food, I carefully guarded my mouth. I thought if Plan A doesn’t work, I’ll move to Plan B and duck-tape my mouth shut. Praise and worship became a part of my daily routine.

 

Over the next days and weeks the Lord walked beside me, taking me to numerous scriptures, thoughts, ideas, helps and quotes that combat anxiety and depression. These things are certainly not intended to replace prescribed medications for serious and chronic mental health problems, nor are they a cure-all for the many issues of our complicated lives.

 

As in Mary’s case, none of them may change anything about the bigger picture. But they are positive things we can do to remedy some of what troubles us—to help us do what we can. I look forward to sharing them with you in the coming weeks. ~ Janie Kellogg

 

 

1 Hillsong, The Potter’s Hand Lyrics

2 Chapters: Psalm 1; Psalm 15; Psalm 23

3 Mark 14:8

4 Ephesians 6:10-18