Guests

Chris Cole – What Healing Means

September 30, 2018 Eric Riddle Guests, What Does Healing Mean to You? Comments Off on Chris Cole – What Healing Means
Healing means to me that I am in congruence with myself and my world, that I am able to maintain relationships in love and devotion, and that I am continually aware of and attempting to return to a state of holistic harmony. Healing, or true recovery, is not necessarily the absence of symptoms but rather an awareness of symptoms and a humble responsiveness to such maladaptive responses to pain, knowing that I want to be healthy for myself and the people I love. Healing requires some connection to a deep meaning and purpose, which I hold as a spiritual vision of love beyond my own small life and circumstances. By healing, I am moving toward the ability to love myself and my world with a growing expansiveness. Healing is a surrender to the dynamics of life and the intimate understanding of continued trials and tribulations on the infinite and mysterious unfold of my own humanity and that of those graciously placed in my life.
I have a strong desire to contribute positively to the world, to love all people, and that has to be an overflow of the love I have for myself. I hold my healing in the highest regard, because I am unable to give without being resourced enough to give. It is like the modern metaphor of oxygen masks on an airplane: I have to put my oxygen mask on before helping another with their oxygen mask, or else I run the risk of being incapacitated and incapable of living in alignment with my values. Such an inability to show love to myself is a sort of spiritual death in itself.
Perhaps most pertinent to the intersection of social justice, neurodiversity, and mental health is the healing required to hold the goodness of humanity in all people located in societal systems of stigmatization, prejudice, and oppression. I believe that people are doing the best they can with the tools they have. Any inability to see their goodness is a reflection of my refusal to see my own shortcomings and capacity to heal. People are fundamentally good, sane, and whole. I believe that wholeheartedly and have come to know this truth intimately within myself. Providing tools—whether in language, models of thinking, or more skillful treatment reform—must be an expression of the ways in which we all long to love and also need better vehicles to more fully express and articulate that love for us all.

The Plight of Lady Manic (a poem by Katie Dale)

April 12, 2018 Tony Roberts Guests Comments Off on The Plight of Lady Manic (a poem by Katie Dale)

“Listen,” she said. “Hear me,” she whispered.

Voices in her head validated what she heard.

Even with proven logic she was stirred,

The possibilities were too great to have deferred.

 

Tangible in spirit, angels gathered near,

And the devils followed them there, itching to hear.

The reality of the unseen wasn’t something to fear,

It was the lust for the untouchable hurdles she wanted to clear.

 

Lady Manic, she was known, to the shrewd and cunning Mister.

Sir Madness, her unmatched suitor, he wouldn’t resist her.

She played to his schemes, his subtle plans enthralled her.

Soon, according to Sir Madness, only he could call her.

 

Flirting with the master of irresistible temptations,

She laid open to twirling thoughts and tantalizing elations.

Like a phantom of her mind’s secret infatuations,

She succumbed to be found in questionable situations.

 

Once he lifted her too high, she panicked at the height,

She braved the quickening sensations amidst the fright.

At first glance it was glee in anyone’s unwitting sight,

Until it was too late to do anything but fall from the flight.

 

Perhaps she was naive, overzealous and of youth,

Perhaps he was too masterful for her mind to tell the truth.

 

Whichever way it was, it was now in hindsight error,

The affection they once shared was now a twisted terror.

 

Should she be prey to his next violent plan,

She couldn’t save herself, no one could, not any man.

 

The step after delight could be more than insanity,

The logical plan to follow was the bane of humanity:

 

Depths of loathing and sorrow crawled out from the pit of Hell,

In shrouds of darkness they came moaning, cleverly casted like a spell.

 

This misery appeared inevitable to keep her from her Lord’s Heaven,

It seemed the day turned into night without her knowing when.

For nights came for days and try as she might will then,

No amount of pulling by her bootstraps would let her go again.

 

Now the words fled her mind and mouth where joy once filled,

Meaning evaded her spirit, whose strength none could rebuild.

Confusion mounted its cavalry and crafted artillery from its guild,

Here the war on her psyche ambushed, her sanity, all but killed.

 

Abandoned by her guide to the skies and traitor to the pit,

She remembered her chance given before so again she sought it.

 

In the lion’s lair she knew who else had gone ahead,

The sacrifice that died to pay the ransom on her head.

She surged her strength to call upon the name of Him once dead,

“Give me my life, You paid my price, redeem my life instead!”

 

The only One who was there for her from birth swiftly came,

The test was passed and she could leave the dungeon of her shame.

Alas Sir Madness could not call on her, he had no viable claim,

Since all along she was betrothed to the Lord of Lords: Jesus, was His name.

 

Victory crowned Him, from overcoming Sir Madness and his lies,

Lady Manic was no longer known as Manic but as Wise.

The deception that once bewitched her could no longer rise,

Since she set her sights on nothing but her truthful Savior’s eyes.

 

“Listen,” she said. “Hear Him,” she whispered.

Voices left her head and love was all she heard.

The sound of her heart was true of the passion that was stirred,

Each beat was hope fulfilled and was no longer deferred.

Katie Dale — What Healing Means

April 12, 2018 Tony Roberts Guests, What Does Healing Mean to You? Comments Off on Katie Dale — What Healing Means

Healing is definitely the hand of God on my mind – I consider that I’m healed as it pertains to the elimination of symptoms and side effects. I take medication daily and believe that’s the course God has set me on for a personal healing of bipolar disorder. I don’t have the symptoms – praise God. However, I want to be clear that I recognize I’ll always have bipolar disorder this side of heaven, tempered and treated by medication. I don’t think I’m healed, as in, cured. That is a different thing altogether. To be cured would be like a deliverance of it, but that’s not possible. People aren’t usually cured miraculously of most disorders or illnesses. That’s just not a typical healing. But God has graciously given me the exact dosage of medication I need to function and thrive in life, and for that I know He sustains me, upholds me, and maintains my sound mind. To me, that is healing.

~ Katie R. Dale

Bipolar Brave

Leanne Sype — What Healing Means

March 17, 2018 Eric Riddle Guests, What Does Healing Mean to You? Comments Off on Leanne Sype — What Healing Means

Healing means living better within the challenges of mental illness.

So often I want my daughter to be “all better” or I want feel “all better” in my eating disorder. But in reality, we can’t necessarily be “all better” with a mental illness like we can a cold or stomach ache.

Mental illness is ongoing, with days that are really good and feel great and other days that just suck. However, I’ve come to learn that while my daughter and I may not be all better, we can learn how to live better within our illnesses, celebrating good days, understanding our triggers, caring for ourselves on down days, and managing/adjusting treatment as needed.

Accepting and learning how to live WITH our mental illnesses as part of life has created, for us, a general sense of living better. This frame of mind has been healing for our whole family.

— Leanne Sype

Love Eats

Blessed are the Unsatisfied by Amy Simpson: A Review

March 15, 2018 Tony Roberts Guests Comments Off on Blessed are the Unsatisfied by Amy Simpson: A Review
God is blessing our podcast Revealing Voices in so many ways and we are confident  it will only get better. For one, we’ve managed to score an interview with Amy Simpson, one of the leading Christian voices on the subject of mental illness.
I was first introduced to Simpson’s work through her book Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church’s Mission. As a pastor who has battled bipolar disorder, I felt liberated reading her passionate and compassionate call to open our pulpits and our pews to the voices and services of persons with mental illness. As the child of a father who served as a pastor and a mother who struggled with schizophrenia, Simpson speaks as one who knows inside and out both the failings and the blessings of the body of Christ responding to persons who too often fall through the cracks.

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Amy Simpson: Author, Advocate, Life & Leadership Coach

March 11, 2018 Tony Roberts Guests 2 Comments

Eric and I are very enthusiastic about Episode 2 with Amy Simpson (to be released March 15). I first became aware of Amy’s work when I was writing my spiritual memoir, Delight in Disorder. She had recently written Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church’s Mission. This book opened the doors of the sanctuary for conversations, prayers, and outreach with those who have mental illness. It still inspires individual believers and bodies of Christ to be more engaged in mental health ministry, to see the image of God even in those whom many would judge to have unsound minds.

Amy is deeply committed to seeing purposeful people make the most of their gifts and opportunities. As an author, speaker, and life & leadership coach, she helps influencers get clear on their calling and thrive in times of transition.  She inspires others to see clearly, lead boldly, live true, and fully engage in life with guiding purpose.

A creative professional and a former publishing executive, Amy has a heart for leaders who are ready to thrive through change and come out stronger. As a member of a family affected by serious mental illness, she holds strong convictions that each person’s life has purpose and that points of crisis are opportunities for transformation. As an experienced leader, filling roles from executive to entrepreneur, she knows how to help others turn challenges into resources.

Whether speaking into a microphone or through the written word, Amy is a gifted communicator with a prophetic voice. She is author of the award-winning books Blessed Are the Unsatisfied: Finding Spiritual Freedom in an Imperfect World, Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church’s Mission, and Anxious: Choosing Faith in a World of Worry (all InterVarsity Press). She serves as an editor-at-large for Christianity Today’s CTPastors.com and a regular contributor for various publications. She also serves as a member of the board for Minds Renewed, a national consortium of Christians who serve those impacted by mental health concerns and addictive disorders.

As a life & leadership coach, Amy helps influencers thrive through change so they can see clearly, lead boldly, and live true. A firm believer that life is too short to waste time living out of sync with God’s purposes, she challenges clients throughout the United States to step into their calling with authenticity and excellence. She specializes in working with people who find themselves on the edge of something new, whether a new role, organization, approach, project, or career.

Amy holds an English degree from Trinity International University, an MBA from the University of Colorado, and CPCC certification from Coaches Training Institute. She loves to travel with her husband, Trevor, their two teenage girls, and their lovable dog, Rosie. She lives with these wonderful folks in the suburbs of Chicago, where she is committed to perfecting her dry sense of humor and reading nearly everything she can.

You can find Amy at…

email: contact@amysimpson.com

Website: www.amysimpson.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.simpson.author

Twitter: @aresimpson

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aresimpson/

Instagram: amy.r.simpson

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/aresimpson/

 

Our episode with Amy will be available on iTunes and this website March 15. We hope you will join us as we discuss with Amy such things as what inspired her to write about faith and mental illness, how we can be blessed to live an unsatisfied life, and h0w loving the church and loving persons with mental illness can make a difference in our lives and ministry.

Faithful Family

March 1, 2018 Eric Riddle Guests 1 Comment

April Roberts Cohen was born, um, er, well, two years before I was. Her name was going to be Karen, but when she was born April 9, our parents were divinely inspired to name her April. From a human perspective, this helped them remember her birthday.

As mentioned, I came along two years later. From an early age, April assumed the role of surrogate mother. She was exceptionally caring. At three she was found to have taken me off the bed and was cuddling me with her blanket. It can’t be proven, but I think she dropped me on my head in the transition. That would explain a lot, anyway.
Our lives followed distinct paths, but merged when I was diagnosed with a mental illness and she became a psychiatric nurse. Now, in addition to being my sister-friend, she helps me monitor my moods and meds, advocates for me in the often complex world of mental health care, and encourages me in my walk with Christ.
Perhaps the greatest thing I can say about April is I have made her my medical power of attorney. I literally trust her with my life and death.
—

Jen Anne (Johnston) Riddle and I met in April 2009 while I was visiting my sister in Boston.  Jen was my sister’s roommate.  I was there to see my sister run in the Boston Marathon.  They were part of an intentional Christian community and I was the lucky man who had brother privileges. I stayed in an empty room next to Jen’s room. About a year later, we struck up daily phone conversations that led me to two more Boston trips for long weekends of dating around the city. Our first kiss was in a public park in Salem, Massachusetts. You may say I was bewitched.

She had courageously left Boston to live close to me in Columbus, IN in August 2010.  She was able to transfer Masters of Divinity credits to Christian Theological Seminary and continue her career working with children with autism.

In 2012, I proposed to Jen in a labyrinth in Bloomington, IN.  My youngest sister secretly hid behind bushes about 100 feet away and took pictures. Jen left the labyrinth with a ring on her finger.
The picture above was taken in October 2017 during our 5 year wedding anniversary trip.  The labyrinth is carved into a gentle sloping hill at Kent University in Canterbury, England.  In the background is the Canterbury Cathedral.
Jen is now an elder at The Living Room church in Columbus, IN.  She continues to serve children with autism. She is very good at what she does, including being an incredible wife.