This week we were reminded by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, as well as looking after our physical wellbeing with daily exercise, to also take care of our own mental wellbeing. The pandemic can play havoc with our thoughts and perspective as well as bringing anxiety about our financial, physical and/or spiritual health.
I promised you some resources and one of my favourites is a blog by Thea Muir “I Am So Many Things” where she regularly posts declarations from God as to how He sees us and our situations. Spoiler alert: it is intentionally “I” focused; something we can often struggle with as it feels self-serving. However, in times such as these, I would suggest that we all have the responsibility to look after the “I” in our lives as well as our neighbours (Matt 22.39 “Love your neighbour as yourself”) and Thea’s posts are very good at letting The Truth wash over one, helping us to keep our eyes fixed on God and His perspective, regardless of what might be going on in our own heads. Give it a try! The website is: www.Iamsomanythings.com which includes a regular blog – just scroll down and click ‘Join our mailing list’ or ‘Subscribe’.
Another excellent website is: www.mindandsoulfoundation.org which aims to educate, encourage and equip in all areas of mental health from a Christian perspective. It includes a myriad of resources and some fascinating and very helpful articles for those who suffer with mental health difficulties and for those who don’t, but want to understand and help.
There is also the Soultime App at www.soultime.com which I have spoken about in a previous post which is an excellent resource for recovering peace and equilibrium.
As well as these resources the Diocese has alerted us to some others:
MIND – the mental health charity: https://www.mind.org.uk/
The Mix – mental health support for under 25yrs: https://www.themix.org.uk/
The Mental Health Foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
Alzheimer’s Society: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/
NHS talking therapies: https://www.italk.org.uk/ (you can self refer)
Directory of NHS and charity helplines: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/
Take Time: guided daily Christian meditation on the Gospels: https://taketime.org.uk/
Psalm 121 Assurance of God’s Protection
I lift up my eyes to the hills –
from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in.
Lucy Pease