How would you like it, if in one of your darkest moments, someone sat next to you and said, “Be of good cheer!” Yeah, me too. I think I would give them a look that said, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I’m having a really hard time and you’re telling me, “Be of goodContinue reading “How to “Be of Good Cheer” in the Darkest Days”
Author Archives: bamarinelli
A Biblical Perspective on Holistic Wellness
When we think about our health, we often focus on the physical. But Jesus’ ministry was also about the mental and the spiritual.
Is My Mental Illness to Blame?
In mental illness, we get a lot of things mixed up and turned upside down. Who, or what, is to blame when a symptom influences my thinking and leads me into sin? Is my disorder at fault? Or am I?
What is the Best Church for Me?
Breaking up with a church and finding a new one is a process that can be painful. Maybe you’re looking for a new church because you’ve moved. Maybe you just don’t feel connected to the church you are going to and feel led to move on. Or maybe, like me, you’ve been hurt and you need a place to lick your wounds and learn to trust again. How do you start over? What do you look for in a church?
Surrendering Dreams
When I got married, like most people, I had a lot of dreams about what my life would look like. In many ways my expectations went beyond just dreams; they were plans. Like many of life’s plans, mine have not worked out.
Watching “The Chosen” with Discernment
The impact of The Chosen is amazing! However, I think it’s imperative that we all watch this series with caution.
How to Find Forgiveness
Forgiveness is not a feeling…God commands us to forgive. It’s not an option. God takes forgiveness very seriously.
Check Your Heart: A Call to Repentance
Lord, forgive me, my first thought was a sarcastic, “Oh, those poor rich people lost their toys.” Ouch! That was harsh. Conviction immediately put a weight on my heart.
When Speaking Truth, Don’t Forget the Love
What happens when we speak the truth but forget the love? We miss the chance to glorify God. Believers are drawn away from him and nonbelievers turn their backs completely.
Healing Scripture for the Unsound Mind
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) For much of my life, my mind has been anything but “sound.” I’ve struggled with undiagnosed or misdiagnosed mental illness my whole life. My illness really started affecting me at around age 16 and came off and on like waves, getting stronger and stronger until I snapped twenty years later in 2019. For this reason, I’ve struggled with Bible verses like 2 Timothy 1:7.