Links That Inspire Hope and Healing

This is a powerful video of stories of broken lives crushed by pain and sorrow restored to blessedness and beauty through Christ Jesus. A hopeful and inspiring message and song.

5 Things Christians Should NOT Say to Cancer Patients by Lee Wilson – “For years now I’ve felt there was a disconnect between the well-meaning reactions of church members toward Christians affected by cancer and other diseases of similar dread.” Many cancer patients hear words that cause emotional pain on top of what they’re already suffering. Lee shares by experience what not to say and some things we can do.

7 Steps to Self-Love: Self Compassion – “Many people ask me, ‘How do I become my own best friend and stop the negative self-talk in my head that just beats me down and makes me feel not good enough?’; well, today’s video is your answer!”

8 Powerful Promises to Calm Your Soul When the World’s Falling Apart by Bonnie Gray – “With everything that’s happening in the news – combined with all that’s going on in our families, our friends’ lives, with our kids, our jobs, or the heated politics – we can feel despairing or overwhelmed. Yet, in the midst of chaos, we have an anchor to hold onto in the storms of life: Jesus.”

10 Journaling Tips to Help You Heal, Grow, and Thrive by Loran Hills – “Writing has helped me to process not only failed relationships but also to recover from grief and loss.”

10 Things Cancer Patients Love to Hear  – Cancer patients share what they love to hear.

12 Bible Verses for When You Feel Like Giving Up – Free Printable from RachelWojo.com

15 Amazing Promises from God to You
A gathering of promises by Jennifer Dukes Lee – “Scripture proclaims God’s promises for you, His good plans for you, and His perfect love for you.”

15 Things Not to Say to Someone with a Chronic or Invisible Illness – Some things you say to someone with a chronic illness may hurt their feelings, even though you may not mean to. A lot of the time you are just trying to understand or sympathize. Well, from the perspective of someone who lives with a chronic illness, here are 15 things you should never say to someone with a chronic illness.

20 Bible Verses about HOPE – Feeling downhearted and hopeless? Read some selected Bible verses on Hope (from Bible Gateway).

20 Encouraging Bible Verses for the Brokenhearted – Bible verses and quotes for hurting souls

20 Ways to Really Help the Grieving – Lisa Appelo, who knows by experience what grieving is like when she lost her husband, lists empathetic and compassionate ways to help those who are in grief.

25 Things Our Sons Need to Know About Manhood -“When the prevailing thinking is boys will be boys — girls will be garbage. And that is never the heart of God.” (Ann Voskamp)

30 Days of Truth  – Being sexually abused as a child fills our hearts and minds with lies. Michele Viscuse shares 30 Days of God’s Amazing Truth that she discovered in her healing journey.

31 Days Healing From Abuse – Carly writes 31 blog posts in 31 days to share some of her experiences and the lessons she has learned. This is “primarily a story of who God is and his power to heal. The focus will be very much on that and on the healing process, not on the abuse itself. There will be no graphic details of abuse, in fact there will be very few details at all, only as much as is necessary to present a clear picture of the darkness so that you can see the impact of the light.” (Taken from the 1st blog post)

31 Days of Hope for Moms – “In 31 Days of Hope for Moms, we will be taking a look at some of the common challenges of mothering younger children (disorganization, frustration, depression, behavioral issues, the marriage relationship and more). We will be seeing what the Bible says about these situations as well as talking about many practical helps for pressing on with joy during this beautiful season of life!”

31 Days of Kintsugi – Lesley posts 31 Days of hope-filled messages in a series looking at how God takes brokenness and transforms it into beauty.

101 Best Christian Affirmations – Bible verses written and spoken with beautiful scenery and soothing music

A Christian Perspective on Depression – Vaneetha Rendall Risner shares insights and an interview with Terry Powell. “Those who suffer with depression often endure silently, feeling shame and internal condemnation. For Christians, the struggle is often magnified by the assumption people are less spiritual if they can’t seem to ‘count it all joy.'”

ABCs of Jesus’ Love – A print-out of descriptive words using the letters of the alphabet and Bible verses to show the many ways Jesus loves us.

After Silence – “Welcome to After Silence, an online support group, message board, and chat room for rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse survivors. You are not alone, you are not broken, and you can heal.”

Alcoholics Anonymous – “Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem.”

American Red Cross: Disaster Relief and Recovery Services -“Disasters are upsetting experiences for everyone involved. Children, senior citizens, people with disabilities and people for whom English is not their first language are especially at risk and are likely to need extra care and help. But everyone, even the people that others look up to for guidance and assistance, is entitled to their feelings and deserves support throughout the recovery process.”

To reach out for free 24/7 counseling or support, contact the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs’ to 66746.

Amy’s Adventures – Amy offers hope and encouragement to those with impaired vision or loss of sight

Around the Fire: Hope for the Family – One of Crystal Creek’s Youth Ranch’s newsletters – several articles on HOPE – “Instead of using Band-Aids to COVER my pain—Jesus wanted to HEAL my pain. I suddenly realized that the shackles of my past didn’t hold me… I HELD THEM! I had a choice to make: My wounds or Jesus.”

Beating Your Past Pain – Kelly Balarie shares some important truths here – “Unveiling your past pains before the Great Healer, allows your past pain to become healed pain.” Includes a list of Scripture verses of what God says to us.

Being You –  List of Bible Verses proving “Who I Am in Christ”

Breaking Free of the Cycle of Abuse – “This article is for anyone who is in or might get in a relationship that is abusive. It is full of helpful information because knowledge is power — especially when it includes knowledge of God’s love for you and his power to help you. Survivors of domestic violence need to be empowered in order to break free and learn to move from just surviving to thriving in a life of love, joy, and peace. If you’re stuck in an abusive relationship you can break free!”

Brene Brown Videos – “The Power of Vulnerability” and “Listening to Shame”

Bright Hope in Dark Days by Charles Spurgeon- A short devotion – “We need winds and tempests to exercise our faith, to tear off the rotten bough of self-dependence, and to root us more firmly in Christ.”

Broken Vessel by Paula Wallace – In a 5-minute video, Paula Wallace shares her story of how God showed her hope, life, and beauty in place of the damage abuse caused her.

Butterfly Struggle Story – It’s the struggle that causes us to grow and gives us the ability to fly.

Can Christians Truly Have Mental Illness?  by Bev Rihtarchik – Bev brings awareness to mental illness. Christians are not exempt from it. She shares her struggles with it and with the misconception some Christians have that it means a lack of faith.

Chosen and Approved Series – An encouraging 6-week series: Three women explore what it means to be chosen approved. They write, share and question what it looks like to live in a world with a set of expectations that do not always match our own. Or how the world sets us up to reach a standard that as hard as we try to achieve, we cannot attain.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – Center for Disease Control and Prevention Information

Cloud Townsend Resources – Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend have been bringing hope and healing to millions for well over two decades, helping people discover solutions to life’s most difficult personal and relational challenges. These are free short videos that offer solid advice in the areas of relationships, dating, marriage, parenting, emotional struggles, spiritual life, goals and success, and leadership.

Coffee for Your Heart – Holley Gerth provides a refreshing brook of love, understanding, and encouragement for weary, thirsty travelers on this journey of life.

Coping With Death and Grief – A series of articles by Patricia Johnson – “Despite the gamut of emotions we feel, grieving for a loved one helps us cope and heal. The intense, heart-breaking anguish indicates that a deep connection has been severed. Without a doubt, grieving is painful. But it is also necessary.”

Coping With Grief and Loss: Understanding the Grieving Process – “Losing someone or something you love or care deeply about is very painful. You may experience all kinds of difficult emotions and it may feel like the pain and sadness you’re experiencing will never let up. These are normal reactions to a significant loss. But while there is no right or wrong way to grieve, there are healthy ways to cope with the pain that, in time, can renew you and permit you to move on.”

Courage to Break Free – “Brave” by Joy Lenton. A heart-searching poem that promotes hope, healing, and freedom.

Daring to Hope When It’s Not Happy Endings: How to Sing in the Dark  by Katie Majors – “Our pain does not minimize His goodness to us but, in fact, allows us to experience it in a whole new way…. It’s not light yet, but I know Him, the One who is the Light. And so in the dark, I will sing.”

Dented and Damaged – “I may sometimes be at the bottom of life’s bin, but Jesus paid as high a price for those of us at the bottom as He did for those that are proudly displayed on the top shelf. In fact, Psalm 34:18 reassures me that He is near to those who are crushed and broken.”

Don’t Throw Away Your Confidence – A free printout from Renee Swope about our doubts, what God says, and Truths to hold onto

Do the Next Thing by Vaneetha Rendall Risner – Are you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed? “I had to do the next thing in the strength that God provided. And trust he would supply what I needed. While the future looked dim and unknown, I knew that everything was under his loving sovereign control. I had to take God’s hand in the dark, trust he would guide me and then act on the information I had in front of me.”

Embrace Your Identity in Christ – “But the concrete, solid, gospel truth is that you are who God says you are, and no one else has a vote in the matter.”

Emotional Abuse Test – Take this emotional abuse test to find out if you’re in an emotionally abusive situation. You’ll also find other information and resources for help at this “Leaving Abuse” site.

Emotional Health Series by Linda Stoll – “Let’s talk emotions –  where you’re at, what you’re struggling with, how you’ve been convicted, and what God has taught you along the way.” (Linda gives us a safe, nonjudgmental, nurturing place to voice our emotions. At the bottom of each post, click on the link to the next “Emotional Health” post.)

Faith Barista – A safe harbor where Bonnie Gray encourages us to be “real,” to be inspired, to breathe.

Falling Plates – Powerful video about the life, death, and love of a Savior

Father’s Love Letter – An intimate message from God to YOU: “It is my desire to lavish My love on you, simply because you are my child and I am your Father…”

Finding Light in the Darkness – A Psychology Today article by Diana Raab – “It has been said that we cannot know the light without experiencing the darkness, but at the same time, both dark and light experiences may be considered great teachers. Growth and transformation, in fact, are born out of darkness.”

Finding My Identity in Christ – Article by Joyce Meyer – “I had made the frustrating, tragic mistake of trying to find the kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace and joy (see Romans 14:17), in things and other people. I didn’t realize the kingdom of God is within us, as the apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 1:27. My joy—and my identity—had to be found in Christ alone.”

From Victim to Survivor to Thriver by Barbara Whitfield – In columns, Barbara lists characteristics of each one in progression.

GoodTherapy.Org: Helping People Find Therapists & Advocating for Ethical Therapy – “Ranked as one of the top therapist directories on the Internet, GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries worldwide who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy. GoodTherapy.org was founded by Noah Rubinstein, a licensed marriage and family therapist, in an effort to address and prevent therapists from misusing their power, getting their own needs met at the expense of their clients, violating boundaries, and treating clients in punitive and condescending ways. As an advocate for healthy psychotherapy, GoodTherapy.org educates the public about the differences between healthy and unhealthy psychotherapy practices and promotes collaborative and nonpathologically based approaches within the professional community.”

Grief and Sexual Abuse by Sherry Russell – Explains the losses sexual abuse survivors experience, the effects and symptoms sexually abused children may develop and carry into adulthood, and the need to be believed and supported. In order to heal, survivors need to identify their losses, experience and express their emotions, and reinvest in a life that has dealt with the past.

Grief: Finding Hope in the Darkness by Paul David Tripp -“This article is written to help you make sense out of what appears to make no sense and to point you towards hope even as you are experiencing the darkness of death.”

Grief Share – Grief and Recovery Support

Having Mental Health Issues Doesn’t Mean You’re a Bad Christian by Bonnie Gray – “It is tough enough combatting the stigma of mental health in a culture that prides itself on entrepreneurship, self-reliance and curating Instagram-perfect lifestyles. But as a Christian, it was even worse. Speaking up about the emotional pain I once survived or was enduring, I ran into a lie often perpetuated in our church culture about mental health and spiritual fitness: If you’re feeling emotionally broken, your faith is weak or broken.”

HAVOCA – Help for Adult Victims of Child Abuse – “Every Survivor has the right to become a Thriver. HAVOCA was established in 2001 to provide support and direction to any adult who has experienced child abuse. This experience may be first hand, or as a loved one of a survivor, or as a support worker for the victims of child abuse. The HAVOCA resource provides a wealth of information online and at the same time allows people to connect through The HAVOCA Survivor Forums. In doing so HAVOCA provides direction and friendship to survivors worldwide.”

Healing the Wounds of Emotional Abuse – “Some general principles, gleaned from professional Christian counselors, for breaking the cycle of abuse in your life and for beginning the recovery and healing process”

HelpGuide – Resources to empower us with the knowledge and encouragement we need to make healthy choices

Hope After Abortion – “It’s normal to grieve a pregnancy loss, including the loss of a child by abortion. It can form a hole in one’s heart, a hole so deep that sometimes it seems nothing can fill the emptiness. You are not alone…” Project Rachel Ministry gives help and support for those seeking healing and reconciliation after abortion.

Hope for Healing Hurting Hearts – Pinterest “Hope” Pics for the Hurting

Hope for the Heart: Chronic Illness – “God does not delight in your suffering, but He allows suffering in order to refine your faith, to develop Christ’s character in you, and to bring glory to Himself.”

Hope, Help and Healing – A Personal Study for Those in Separation or Divorce

Hope Mommies – A non-profit Christian organization whose sole purpose is to come alongside moms and families who have experienced infant loss, bringing comfort, encouragement, companionship, and hope, ultimately the Hope of Christ, as they continue to walk this side of eternity without their beloved son or daughter.

Hope Verses – Hope verses Bill from “Unshakable Hope” has put together. Suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease, Bill has learned that hope is one of the things that cannot be shaken.

How Shame Contaminates Our Lives – and a Path Towards Healing (Article by John Amodeo) – “Whenever shame enters the picture, we inhibit the free expression of emotion, with the exception of anger … shame is the emotion most difficult to admit and to discharge.” – “As the saying goes, we can’t heal what we cannot feel. Healing shame begins by recognizing how it feels inside.”

How to Find Hope in the Midst of Suffering – “We often will not know what our hurt is accomplishing, but Christ’s death is our guarantee that God won’t waste a tear. Our tenacious belief in a relational God who is good is our only hope through and in our hurt. But this tenacity doesn’t come from us, for we are extremely weak. Tenacity is achieved by very real nails driven through very real wrists on a very real cross. And today Jesus prays for us without ceasing before his Father and we are filled with the Holy Spirit to suffer as well.”

How To Help Your Wife Overcome Sexual Abuse – “Dawn Scott Jones, author of When a Woman You Love Was Abused, explains how she found emotional healing from childhood sexual abuse and how a husband can come alongside his wife who’s experienced similar trauma to offer her love and support.”

How To Forgive When It Seems Impossible – “Another hurdle to overcome is the idea that forgiveness always occurs in a single moment and that our pain will instantly disappear. The truth is forgiveness is often a process of letting go. It’s okay to forgive someone to the degree that you’re able by God’s grace at that time. Then, as you move forward, your healing will allow you to forgive more, and your forgiveness will, in turn, lead to more healing.”

How To Recover the Lost Art of Dying Well: What Kara Tippetts Taught Us – Ann Voskamp writes a beautiful tribute to Kara and shares such great insights into suffering and dying. “Suffering is never a meaningless waste of your life, but a meaningful way through your life.”

How to Stop Worrying – 13 Practical Steps by Whitney Hopler – “So many of us, even those strong in faith wonder how they can stop worrying. Living in a fallen world gives you lots to worry about, but living in a relationship with Jesus can free you from ever having to worry about anything. No matter what happens in your life, you don’t have to worry about it if you choose to rely on Jesus to help you manage it and find peace in the process.”

How To Support Someone With Cancer by Dr. Michelle Bengtson – From experiencing cancer with both herself and her husband, Michelle has learned these 12 important, insightful tips for supporting someone with cancer. 

Hurt, Hope, and Making It Through Life’s Hard Times – Holley Gerth reminds us that hurt and hope are a part of every hard experience. Hurt and hope both need to be felt, not ignored.

I Am Your Father by Brian Doerksen – Song For the Prodigal

I Give Up – A great reminder by Michelle about surrendering our insecurities, shame, etc., to God and His healing promises

I Got a Rock: Envy and Chronic Illness by Lisa Copen (Founder of Rest Ministries) – Though this devotion talks about illness, it is so relevant to all who have troubles in their lives. The prayer at the end is: “God, It is so easy to look to the lives of those who appear to not be suffering, but only You know the heart and circumstances of those around us. Lord, You love us unconditionally, and would never give us a rock when we ask for bread (Luke 11:10, American Standard Version). When it seems we keep collecting the rocks in a life that is hard, show us how You will bless us for our suffering and endurance as we keep our eyes focused on Your mercy. Amen.”

I Had a Black Dog, His Name Was Depression – Animated video from World Health Organization

I Have Trust Issues by Lisa TerKeurst – “But life doesn’t add up. People don’t add up. And in the rawest moments of honest hurting, God doesn’t add up. All of which makes us hold our trust ever so close to our chests until it becomes more tied to our fears than to our faith.”

Inspiring Stories: Thoughts About God – True life stories and thoughts

Identity in Christ Verses in the Bible – “In Christ is your true identity, your complete freedom to be who God has made and redeemed you to be!”

Kintsugi: Beauty In the Broken Places by Lesley – “God takes our broken pieces and puts them back together in a way that displays his glory, because it is in the cracks and in the scars that we see evidence of healing and God’s power to restore.”

Leaving the Lies of Shame Behind – A hope-filled blog post by Terri Fullerton who grew up in a home riddled with domestic abuse – “Christ didn’t shame me. He knows why we are where we are. He reached out his hand to grab hold of me. Like the woman at the well, he called me to a place of honesty. For me, an important part of my healing has been naming the lies and replacing them with the truth.”

Letters to the Wounded by Ann Voskamp – “I’ve seen you living chin brave through the hurt and how you keep taking one step out of bed and one through the door and how you scale mountains by relentlessly taking steps forward…”

Life Without Limbs – Nick Vujicic has no arms or legs, but his disability does not in any way diminish his ability to inspire and spark the flame of hope in people’s lives.

Loop Email Devotionals for Women – Devotionals like in the book Loop by Jennifer Camp, but delivered twice a week to your email for free. “We need to hear words, just for us, encouraging us on, reminding us what is most true—about our identities, about our lives, about God.”

Love Notes from God: 10 Ways He Loves You – Debbie shares some beautiful truths here – “Here is how He loves you and me. We are His beloved…His cherished ones regardless of our circumstances. His Word is one long love note to us… “

Mental Health Ministries – “Mental Health Ministries is an ecumenical, interfaith outreach through the California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church. Our mission is to educate faith leaders and lay persons for the purpose of decreasing the stigma associated with mental illnesses in our faith communities. Providing resources to faith communities to develop a mental health program appropriate to each congregation is the important first step in the inclusion and support of persons with mental illnesses and their families into the life of that community. Our mission is to give voice to those who have suffered in silence and to enable faith communities to begin the process of reaching out and providing compassionate care to those affected by disorders of the brain.”

Mercy Ministries – A free-of-charge program whose mission is “to provide opportunities for young women to experience God’s unconditional love, forgiveness, and life-transforming power.”

MI: MOM2MOM – Hope for moms raising children with mental illness

“My Child” – “Father’s Love Letter” (video) written out by Lynn Simpson with supporting Bible verses.

Need a Confidence Boost? – An article by Verla Wallace in Today’s Christian Woman – “Low self-esteem has become the number-one issue plaguing Christian women. Despite God’s assurance that he’s absolutely crazy about us, most of us can’t believe he means us.”

Only His Wounds Can Heal Us: Breaking Free from Self-Harm by Emma Scrivener – “As contradictory as it might sound, for the self-harmer, self-harm is self-help. So if we’re going to overcome self-harm, we need to embrace the help that God has given us elsewhere — help that does not scar us any further, but slowly begins to heal us.”

Perfectionism and Claiming Shame (Article by Brene Brown) – “Feeling shamed, judged, and blamed (and the fear of these feelings) are realities of the human experience. Perfectionism actually increases the odds that we’ll experience these painful emotions and often leads to self-blame: ‘It’s my fault. I’m feeling this way because I’m not good enough.’”

Poetry Joy: Looking at Love, Loss, Life, and Faith – “My life has been lived long in shadow-lands of sickness and struggle with emotional pain since childhood. And throughout it all I have been blessed by the power of words to heal, comfort and restore.” Joy’s “aim is to share aspects of life and faith in Christ and offer hope and encouragement along the way.” (Joy Lenton)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by NAMI – A comprehensive booklet including: What Is Trauma?, The Neurobiology of PTSD, Diagnosing PTSD, PTSD and Co-Occurring Disorders, Family Impact of PTSD, Recovery and Coping, and Informational Resources.

Precious in His Sight: Seeing Me Through Jesus’ Eyes
“This video series, taught by Theresa Ingram, wife of Chip, helps women understand that they are fully forgiven, deeply loved, and have great worth because of their relationship with Christ. We all spend many hours and days trying to be someone significant, only to realize we often don’t like the person we see in the mirror. Little do we know how precious we are in God’s sight.”

Psychology for Living -Narramore Christian Foundation, a Christian mental health organization dedicated to preventing and solving human problems, anxiety, depression, relational conflicts, and psychological disorders through psychological counseling.

Rest Ministries, Inc.: Joyfully Serving the Chronically Ill – Daily devotionals, online support groups, community support groups, and more…

Scriptures About Different Kinds of Hope – Vicki Chandler put together some verses of the many kinds of hope the Bible speaks of.

Searching for Signficance – This 7-day devotional  by Wycliffe Bible Translators dives into God’s view of our worth. Each day explores a different part of God’s perfect plan for our lives, how nothing can satisfy our longings for significance and worth besides Jesus, and how He ultimately wants us to find purpose and significance through bringing Him glory.

Secret Angel Ministry – “A blog reaching out to victims of abuse and others in need, providing insight about abuse, hope for the future, and guidance to see THE LIGHT that led Secret Angel out of the darkness of her own abusive situation and helped her to not only survive but to overcome.”

Shattered Beyond Repair by Lisa TerKeurst – “But what about those times when things aren’t just broken but shattered beyond repair? Shattered to the point of dust. At least when things are broken there’s some hope you can glue the pieces back together.”

Shattering the Silence – “I hurt for a long time because of childhood sexual abuse. Now I want to provide a safe place for hurting men to connect with other survivors of sexual abuse. Talk to us. You don’t have to use your real name to share your experiences or ask questions.” (Cecil Murphy)

Stones Cry – A healing place for survivors of sex trafficking

Stop Minimizing Mental Illness: Worst Things to Say by Natasha Tracy – “Why is it that just because I see a psychiatrist and you see a neurologist your disease is real and mine is not? Why is it you assume I can will my disease away while you can’t? Why is it that you can expect me to bring you chicken soup when you get the flu but when I get sick I can’t even expect that you’ll stick around?

I do understand that people don’t know they are being hurtful. People are trying to help. I get it. But here’s the thing, my illness is just as real as anyone else’s. Please stop forcing me to convince you.”

Survivorship: For Survivors of Ritual Abuse, Mind Control, and Torture
“Survivorship is one of the oldest and most respected organizations supporting survivors of extreme child abuse, including sadistic sexual abuse, ritualistic abuse, mind control, and torture.

Survivorship provides resources, healing, and community for survivors; training and education for professionals who may serve survivors; and support for survivors’ partners and other allies. The organization functions as a lifeline for survivors who may be isolated emotionally or geographically. Through community outreach and training, Survivorship also raises awareness about these difficult issues.”

Susie’s Joy Journey – Susie’s poems are a soothing balm to wounded and weary hearts. Her poems delve into struggles and end up going Home as she clings to the Father heart of God where she is loved and called His daughter.

Take No Glory – “Child slavery, addiction, suicide, abortion…there is Hope for all of humanity’s great struggles. We are Take No Glory, a non-profit musicianary band. We write intensely personal songs about dealing with these types of issues and being transformed by Love.”

Ten Reasons to Hope When You Are Hurting by Stephen Arterburn – Are you hurting? Here are ten reasons based on Bible verses to hang onto hope.

Thank You For the Fleas – How can one be thankful for fleas?!  This is an article about how and why Betsie thanked God for the fleas in the concentration camp. (Excerpts from The Hiding Place) An amazing example of how God turns bad things into our good and His glory.

The Abuse Expose With Secret Angel – A blog reaching out to victims of abuse and others in need, providing insight about abuse, hope for the future, and guidance to see THE LIGHT that lead Secret Angel out of the darkness of her own abusive situation and helped her to not only survive but to overcome.

The Day My Marriage Died: Healing In the Wake of Divorce – “It’s normal to try and numb the pain of divorce and get over the grief as quickly as possible. However, God created us to mourn the loss of anything to which we have attached ourselves. A person who does not process the sorrow associated with the death of a marriage is in jeopardy of never completely healing. Jumping into a new relationship, intoxicating with a substance, or becoming consumed with work or children will numb the pain temporarily, but later in life the hidden wound will rear its ugly head. Walking through the grief, not around it, is the only way to fully recover.”

The Gospel In Four Minutes – Interesting and easy to understand explanation of life in Jesus

The Grief* Emotional Health Series by Linda Stoll – “Loss comes in a myriad of forms, shapes, and sizes … some grab us and shake us senseless while others subtly step in to make their presence known.  Yet to emerge from the ashes with some modicum of health and sanity, these losses must be acknowledged, named, honored, processed completely. And wept over.  In the presence of our compassionate Father.”

The Hope of Survivors – “Clergy sexual abuse and misconduct (including spiritual abuse) is wrong. It is the pastor’s (or any other person in the role of authority) responsibility to maintain appropriate boundaries. This site is for those who desire to receive true healing—spiritual, emotional and physical—from the devastation of clergy sexual abuse.”

The PTSD Ocean  by Emily Wagoner – “What I have suffered is unthinkable, and I am still living with those ramifications on a daily basis. I still get pulled out in a rip tide more often than I’d care to admit. And God has used and is using a myriad of miracles to rescue me every single time.”

The Trauma That Arises from Natural Disasters – “Like many causes of trauma, natural disasters can be sudden and overwhelming. The most immediate and typical reaction to a calamity is shock, which at first manifests as numbness or denial. Quickly—or eventually—shock can give way to an overemotional state that often includes high levels of anxiety, guilt or depression.”

The Truth About You by Lesley – “It can be easier sometimes to present an image of who we would like to be or who we feel others want us to be, instead of living authentically as who we really are.” Lesley shares several truths of who we are in Jesus along with Bible verses that confirm them.

They Ask How You Are And You Say Fine But Are You? – “Even though depression affects millions of people throughout the U.S. alone, it’s still difficult for people with depression to talk about it. Sometimes, your friends and family mean well when they ask how you are and you say fine, but are you? Individuals with depression tend to write off their depression, both to other people and to themselves. So, we’d like to explore why that is and why it’s okay to say you’re not fine.” (BetterHelp)

Thirteen Reasons for Hope by Lesley – Lesley has a compassion and empathy for those who feel hopeless. I love these thirteen reasons for hope based on God’s Word.

Tips to Manage Anxiety and Stress  – A chart of sensible tips from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America

To Fly Again – Devotion on Forgiveness by Suzie Eller

Top Verses – This is an awesome search tool to discover and explore all the most popular verses in the Bible. I looked up “Hope” and found 202 verses. I searched for “Jesus” and found 1,356 verses. What better hope, healing, and freedom can we find than in God’s Truth and faithful promises, right? 🙂

Truths About Faith and Mental Health by Emma Scrivener – “Having ‘faith’ doesn’t mean going it alone.  Yes, you need prayer, community and the bible.  But you can also use medication, counselling and therapy. If we can use doctors for our bodies, we can use doctors for our brains. When Saul was stressed, David played him soothing music.  When Elijah was close to breakdown, God told him to sleep and eat. So let’s not be ashamed of using the resources we have been given.” (#1 of 8)

Two Stories of Freedom From Fear by Dr. John Trent – ” Sometimes in our war with the troubled past, fear can drive us back into our caves. It’s hard for us to believe that the war could really be over…that peace is possible…that life can hold a place of safety where love really exists and God really wins out over hatred, harshness and emotional or physical harm. Yet, the offer God makes for freedom is true. And it is one that I am proud to share, along with you, to those imprisoned and wanting – and needing – to come out of their caves.”

Unshakable Hope  – Read Bill’s amazing testimony of the grace of God and how God is using him to minister hope to others in the midst of the heavy trial of Lou Gehrig’s disease. Bill says, “This trial has taught us that the only way to experience genuine and consistent hope, peace and joy in the midst of a trial is to view our life and situation through God’s eyes.” I am linking to a particular blog post as it has a link to the interview he and his wife, Mary, had with Moody Radio.

Vision 61 Ministries – Hope, Freedom, and Recovery of those who have been held captive by hurts, habits, addictions, self-destructive behaviors, etc.

Weathering the Storm: Overcoming Bipolar Disorder – “You are never alone. We are all in this together to fight, survive, and conquer mental illness. We have the power to be our best selves and to begin to view the world differently and more positively than ever before. We are also here to fight the stigma that is attached to mental illness and show those who hold the judgments so closely that we are people too and that we have just as much potential as anyone else. We all deserve a chance at equality and happiness. We are stronger than the stigma!” (Kait, author of this site)

What God Thinks About You – an article by John Rinehart about our identity in Christ with proof from many Scripture passages

What Those With Chronic Pain or Illness DO Want to Hear – An article at Psychology Today written by Toni Bernhard, J.D. who knows what it’s like and had to retire early due to chronic illness.

What To Do When Childhood Trauma Holds You Back – “Once you experience childhood trauma, your life is forever changed. Children who are abused or neglected or suffer a major loss may continue to have serious psychological problems even after they are adults. If you find you have difficulty having healthy relationships or being successful at work, it may be childhood trauma that’s holding you back from having the life you want, even if you don’t recognize the signs that you were abused, neglected, or suffered some other kind of trauma. The good news is that you can identify and heal from childhood trauma. When you do, you can move past the trauma and create the life you want most.” (BetterHelp)

What You Believe Matters by Dr. Michelle Bengston – “When the way is unclear, when the road is rocky and painful, when my heart feels shattered, I have to remind myself of what I believe, what I know to be true.” – Michelle shares several hope-filled verses for when we feel broken and battered in life’s storms.

When It Feels Like Your Dreams Are Kinda Dying by Laura Story – “Like Mary and Martha, we can call on Jesus to heal those who are sick. But if Jesus doesn’t show up like we think He should, we can’t conclude that He doesn’t hear us, doesn’t care, or doesn’t love us.”

When It Seems Impossible to Forgive by Dr. Julie Slattery – “When you have been deeply hurt or betrayed by someone—perhaps by a husband who is repeatedly unfaithful or a relative who is abusive—restoring that relationship can be complicated. While the Bible is clear that we are always to forgive people who harm us, forgiveness doesn’t necessarily mean that we go back to relating as if nothing ever happened. A severe offense or a pattern of abusive behavior breaks trust, and a relationship cannot be close unless trust is rebuilt.”

When Trusting God Takes Courage by Joann Fore – “But this courage God offers is his! When he bids us, “take courage,” it’s as if he stands before us, arms extended wide, offering the very courage we need to face and overcome whatever situation in front of us. This courage, this Truth of his Word, it’s ours for the taking.”

Who God Says You Are: 17 Scriptures About Our Identity by Michelle Bengston – “Throughout my life, the enemy has whispered labels in my ear that I began to identify with and call myself. You’ve probably done that occasionally too.” Michelle shares the negative labels we sometimes identify ourselves with and continues with “but God says..” and proves it with a Scripture verse of the truth of our true identity in God.

Why Do Bad Things Happen? – A short but powerful video about challenges bringing us closer to God: “When we come to Christ in our pain, we find that He truly does understand us. It was not easy for Him either. When we come to the Savior, we find that He truly does walk with us. He gives us increased capacity to carry heavy loads and most importantly, He molds and shapes our character, so that we become more like Him.”

Why God Is Not Mad at You! – “Many people—Christians included—view God as an angry deity waiting to strike them down. It’s time to reveal the truth about a loving Father who desires the best for you.”

Why Does God Love Us? by Jack Wellman – “Just imagine what the Word of God says about those who belong to Him. What tender love is revealed in His words. We are the apple of His eye, He rejoices over us, He sings over us, He abounds in love over us, He has the compassion of a Father over us, He delights over us…and this love is from everlasting to everlasting. What more solid proof can there be? God can not lie and God tells us in dozens of Scriptures that He loves those whom he calls His own.”

Words of Joy – Another hope-filled site of Joy Lenton. In her words – “I write about my journey of life and faith with the goal of helping others toward greater freedom in knowing who they are in Christ. And to reveal, as I share words of joy and encouragement, how beauty can spring forth from brokenness and hope shines bright even in dark circumstances.”

Worry and Anxiety Bible Verses – “Find comfort and peace through Scripture that promises you hope and a future. Learn how to be free from worry and anxiety by meditating on the Word and casting your cares upon Jesus!”

You Are Not an Accident by Rick Warren – Do you sometimes wonder why you were ever born? This article is an encouraging read – “Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it.

You Can’t Rush Grief by Kimberly Key – “‘I’m trying to get to acceptance as soon as I can.’ That was a brush-off line that someone told me one day after their father died. They didn’t want to expound on the feelings they had just shared and said they didn’t want to talk because they were trying to get to acceptance as SOON as they could. I understand it and do the same thing. I don’t want to feel pain or linger in any sadness for too long. I don’t want to feel out of control and am probably afflicted by that same universal fear that lies deep within all of us…what happens if I feel the pain and I can’t come out of it? So my reflex is to take control and move through it. FAST.”

You Don’t Have to Understand God – “When we don’t understand something about God, some people are tempted to discredit him completely. My friend Andy Stanley said, ‘You don’t have to understand everything to believe in something.’ In John 9, Jesus met a man who was born blind and forced to beg just to get by. Jesus’ disciples wanted to know whose fault it was that the man was blind: Was it his fault? Or his parents?…”

You’ll Never Know It From Looking At Her by Alia Joy – “So many stay silent, like the woman with her Xanax prescription in the bottom of her purse. She doesn’t say a word about how a body can betray you, how a mind can be so hard to control when the chemistry goes haywire and no amount of joy or praise or prayer works to take it away.”

If you know of any links that encourage hope, healing and freedom, please let me know.