Angel Smythe "a Stronger Me"

Just met with Angel Smythe. Listen to her Music & Read the Lyrics to "A Stronger Me"

 http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/song_details/6780543

Dealing with it? Really?

It's a few days after the Call2All Global Congress in Long Beach Ca.

#AmazingDays, if I had to put the Experience into a tweet, btw I just did

the Worship Filled the Entire Hall and the Movies, Touched Our Hearts.  Relevant discussions, round table meetings and Holy Spirit Lead Introductions Buzzed for the 5 day Global Congress @ the Long Beach Convention Center.

On the surface Call2All seemed low key but within the Numerous Rooms, and throughout the extended hours, Call2all was nothing short of Evidence of Global Transformation of Gods People to Spread the God News, that Jesus is Our Hope And Our Salvation.

So what''s God have to to do with Me being Depressed?

I'm Glad I asked.
Depression is Caused by Many things: Click Here for more

the Causes of My Depression is not the Issue! Because the Issue is never the Issue  Duh I know I heard that somewhere before, about a thousand times. blah blah ok

Teen Depression, heck Depression in General is usually caused by some form of emotional, verbal or physical abuse. and SADLY to say that's a Whole lot more of us than I Expected.

In My Yoda Voice "Staggering the Numbers Are"
Show Depression Slide Stats
Linked to: chemical, bio logical, alergies, vitamin lacking kid. Oh, and
sleep or Should I say "Lack of Sleep" we, I, ME get?

Let's look at this quick story:

Jon is depressed, and that makes Mike & Susan SAD.
Jon feels worse because now Mike & Sarah are Sad
Jon, Mike & Sarah all FEEL Hope Less
what now? how can Jon Mike & Sarah ALL have hope and still feel Sad from time to time but Have REAL Hope, Peace & Purpose?
Let's Hear Your Comments:


Upcoming Posts:

Steve Saints Flying Car and Your Business Model

 An Epic 8 year, Father & Son Hiking Journey around the world

the Holy Bible: The Play? a Look at New Colors for Media
How To:Water & Solar on Missions & Church Planting and @Home

Weather or Not Weather
Am I Trusting He Will Make ALL Things Right if I Completely Surrender to His Will, My Heart, My Mind, My Soul & My Body?

News
From World Vision, Youth With a Mission, My Broken Palace,
New Media Outreach,

Stay Connected on  the Go with My Personal iPhone & Android App, HA NOT  iwas jk lol

I'm Really Easy to Find :-)

James D Christy II
voice/text 949-336-2611
James@JamesChristy.com
http://www.JamesChristy.com
skyp: james.christy2
#JamesChristy
Google+ JamesChristy
Facebook
LinkedIN
mbpFAMILY.com
tumblr
blogspot
YouTube
Google Profile:

If You are a Crook and Want to Still My Identity, My Identity is in Christ
Google it

Depression, Cutting, Suicidal Thoughts

Teen Suicide Warning Signs

Teen Suicide & Warning Signs.

 My Broken Palace is a 501c3 non profit based in Rancho Santa Margarita California  providing  an anonymous online community for Teens Young Adults Struggling with Depression, Bullying, Self Injury & Suicidal thoughts.

Part of the Success of My Broken Palace is due to the online community expressing themselves through Art, Music & Spoken Word Poetry.

Founder Scott Brinson & the My Broken Palace Communications Director James Christy will  be speaking to a group of 2,500+ professional youth workers & lay counselors during the National Youth Workers Convention in Atlanta Nov 17th - 20th. 

Highlights of the Discussion will include a 24hour hotline & online chat, daily encouraging text messages, anonymous peer to peer support and connection to mental health & community resources 

For more information re: My Broken Palace contact

James Christy
Communications  
My Broken Palace
voice/text 949-336-2611
Skype james.christy2

http://www.MyBrokenPalace.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jameschristy

Strengthening Our Defenses

There’s more to isolation than just not having someone to talk to. Isolation weakens our defenses. We are engaged in a spiritual battle every day, and one side or the other is winning at each moment. So the question is, "Who will prevail in the various domains of your life today—the dark forces aligned with the world and the devil, or God and His kingdom?" In his book Things Only Men Know, Preston Gillham put it this way, “The enemy of God and man perpetuates a uniquely masculine attack—isolation.”

Overcoming isolation, then, is not about getting and giving warm fuzzies or an occasional high-five. It involves a war for your spiritual well-being, your effectiveness for God, and your impact on those closest to you. Isolation from other men is not just bad, it’s deadly.

From Being God’s Man...by Pursuing Friendships
 by Stephen Arterburn, Kenny Luck and Todd Wendorff, © 2003.

www.EveryManMinistries.com
29801 Santa Margarita Parkway, Suite 100,
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
949.609.8780

© 2010 Every Man Ministries. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday Wonderings

"...mystery"

"They make evil plans and say, 'We have planned a perfect crime.' The human heart and mind are a mystery." (Psalm 64:6)

So now what do I do?  A few weeks ago I told you that I was taking some pictures of Williamsburg, VA at night.  I took about 100 pictures that evening, using the same camera and lens for every photo.  The camera was mounted on a tripod and the photos were taken using a remote shutter release and about a 5 or 6 second exposure.  In other words, the camera didn't move and was allowed to draw in light for about 5 or 6 seconds.  As I went back through the pictures I discovered something a little strange. 

This is a picture of the president's home at William and Mary College in Williamsburg.  What's that "thing" in the left lower corner of the picture?  I blew it up below so you could get a better look at it...

"It" is only in two photos - this one and the last one I took that evening about 90 frames later.  See what looks to be the same object just to the right of the bell tower of Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg?

Here it is blown up....  Looks the same as the first doesn't it? 

Yet, the second "it" is in a totally different spot in the picture.  If it's a flaw or imperfection in my lens I would expect to see it in the same position in the two photos.  What is it?  I don't know.  Any ideas?  It's a mystery to me...

I love a good mystery.  It has the power to draw us in and engage our senses, thoughts, and feelings.  That's part of what I like about the mystery of God.  It's not scary, but it is engaging if we allow it.  Remember how it feels when you start reading a good mystery novel?  You find yourself not only trying to figure out the "who done it," but also feeling like you're "caught up in the chase."  It feels good.  It's exciting!  It makes you want more!

When we give God our trust we can turn away from fear and enjoy the mystery of life.  God's mystery can be inviting, invigorating, and exciting.  I love a good "God mystery" like the one in my photos.  Who knows what all God has in store for us?  Wow!

Having said that about God, I'm not sure mystery is quite the same thing in our relationships with each other.  The Psalmist says, "The human heart and mind are a mystery" because he's contemplating all the evil and ill will we are capable of hiding within the mysterious caverns of our minds and hearts.  He's talking about something dangerous, not inviting. 

Relationships with one another need less, not more mystery.  We need to be clearing up a lot of the mysterious by sharing more with each other.  Mysterious caverns under the ground might be fun to explore on a vacation, but mysteries hidden from one another deep within the caverns of our minds can be treacherous for relationships. 

I want more of God's mysteries to beckon me into wonder, excitement, and joy.  I pray that God will point me toward more of the divine mysteries and help me clear up the dangerous mysteries I might have helped create in relationships with others.  How about you?

Blessings and Peace,
Gary
Pastor, Sand Hill United Methodist Church
Boaz, West Virginia

Help save lives! For more information on my new book, "A Relentless Hope: Surviving the Storm of Teen Depression," visit www.survivingteendepression.com.

Check out my new video, "Teens Surviving the Storm"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1hSpxC_G24

Teen suicide survivor wants parents to know the warning signs

By TARA JEFFREY, The Observer

Updated 7 days ago

I wish I'd known an Emily McLachlin when I was in high school.

The 18-year-old senior at St. Pat's has a story worth listening to, particularly if you're today's teenager, just trying to survive adolescence unscathed — which is no small feat. Looking back, I recall being awkward, anxious, nervous, insecure, or all of the above, on any given day. Peer pressure, bullying, who you're friends with, being part of the 'cool crowd' and even what not to wear, may seem like minor bumps in the road now, but when you're young, nothing else matters. To quote one of my favourite songs, "... you've got so much going for you, going right. But I know, at 17, it's hard to see past Friday night."

For Emily, those unsettling and overwhelming teenage feelings started around Grade 7. Something just didn't feel right. She was sad, angry, and exhausted. She started counselling, and her condition was repeatedly linked to her parents' divorce, but Emily knew it was more than that. She wasn't just sporting a bad attitude; she was fighting the disease of mental illness. By the time she hit high school, things got even worse. The constant teasing from other girls was wearing her down, and finally, in Grade 10, Emily tried to kill herself.
"Your mind is so disheveled, that it just doesn't seem real," she recalls.
She eventually switched schools, was referred to a psychiatrist, and began taking medication for depression.
She hadn't told anyone about her suicide attempt, but then, after a well-known student took his life last year, Emily felt compelled to speak out. "It's just so hard to sit back when there is so much happening," said the 18-year-old, who is now speaking to peer and parent groups about her journey through mental illness, the warning signs, the stigma, and ultimately, the light at the end of the tunnel.
She's designed her own power point presentation on the issue, and this month, she'll speak at two events hosted by the Sarnia Lambton Suicide Prevention Committee, geared towards parents and health professionals.
"The thing I hear the most from other teens is that 'people just don't care,' or that they don't know where to go,'" she said, noting that she encourages other students to seek help, providing a list of various community agencies.
"I tell them, there are people out there who care."
This week, Ottawa City Coun. Allan Hubley wrote about the suicide death of his 15-year-old son, Jamie. The openly gay, and constantly bullied teen had tried to start a Rainbow Club at his high school to promote acceptance of others, but the posters were torn down and he was called vicious names in the hallways and online.
Like Emily, he had been receiving professional and medical care for depression.
"[But] something in his mind kept taking him to a dark place where he could not see the positive side of life, which led him to this drastic and tragic decision," Hubley wrote.
It's too late for Jamie, but Emily's courageous story will no doubt help other teens find their way out of those dark days.
"More people struggle than you know," she said while speaking at a recent mental health rally at city hall. "But it's always worth the fight. You only have one life, and that's it."
Tara Jeffrey is a reporter at The Observer. Contact her at tjeffrey@theobserver.ca or Follow @ObserverTara on Twitter.

Teen Depression Linked to Lack of Sleep?

A large-scale survey on teens and sleep has made a big splash in the news recently with its results: most teens are not getting enough sleep, and their lack of sufficient sleep is being associated with a whole series of risky, unhealthy behaviors, from smoking and drinking to sexual activity and over-eating. This is a landmark study, the first of its size and scope to explore the connection between sleep and health problems in adolescents.

The results come from the 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control. This survey of more than 12,000 teenagers assessed a range of health-risk behaviors among adolescents. Regarding sleep, the survey asked teens: "On an average school night, how many hours of sleep do you get?" The responses were divided into two categories: eight hours or more per night was considered sufficient sleep, and fewer than eight hours was considered insufficient sleep.

More than two-thirds of teens surveyed -- 68.9% -- said they received fewer than 8 hours of sleep on an average school night.

And if that's not enough, here's where things really get disturbing: Of the 11 health-risk behaviors that the survey examined, 10 of them were more likely to occur in teenagers who reported insufficient sleep during the school week.

Lack of sleep in teens was associated with a greater risk of:

• Drinking soda 1 or more times per day
• NOT exercising for 60 minutes on 5 of the past 7 days before the survey
• Using computers for 3 hours or more per day
• Participating in a physical fight at least once
• Smoking cigarettes
• Drinking alcohol
• Smoking marijuana 
• Engaging in sexual activity
• Feeling sad or hopeless
• Having seriously considered suicide

It's worth repeating: teenagers who reported sleeping fewer than 8 hours on school nights were more likely -- in many cases significantly more likely -- to engage in these risky behaviors than teens who slept 8 hours a night or more during the school week. These results do not prove that lack of sleep causes these behaviors to occur more frequently, but they do point out a strong association between insufficient sleep and many serious, risky behaviors. We know that sleep deprivation clouds judgment, diminishes self-control and willpower. It affects mood, energy, and outlook. And this is also true for adults! For teenagers, whose brains are still developing (and whose social and emotional skills are as well), the challenges of sleep deprivation are particularly serious.

We know that teenagers have their own special needs for sleep, and that aspects of their lifestyles make them particularly vulnerable to sleep deprivation:

• During adolescence, our circadian rhythms change, making teens biologically more inclined to stay up late at night and to wake later in the day. (Yes, your teen's determination to greet midnight wide-awake and never see noon is a biological thing!) This internal drive is at odds with the typical early-morning school schedule, which can leave teens woefully short on sleep during the week. 
• Teens just need more sleep than adults do. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 8½ to 9 ¼ hours of sleep per night for teenagers. Unfortunately, not many are getting this. The NSF estimates that only 15% of teenagers are sleeping 8 ½ hours nightly. 
• Their schedules -- with school, sports, and friends -- tend to be inconsistent, which makes it more difficult to establish a routine with regular bedtimes and wake times. 
• Teens today are constantly wired to an array of electronic devices. This ever-present technology can interfere with pre-sleep wind-down routines, and with sleep itself.

With the stakes for teenagers' health so high, news such as this survey shouldn't be ignored. The medical profession needs to pay more attention to sleep as a health factor for young people. As parents, what can we do to help our teens sleep better and perhaps avoid some of these risks to their health?

• Talk to your teen about sleep. You've made a point to have conversations about drinking, smoking and sex, right? It's time to add sleep to the list of topics to cover. 
• Give them a little time to sleep in -- but not too much. Allowing your teenager to sleep in on the weekends is okay, and can help them catch up a bit on any sleep they might have missed during the week. Just don't let them sleep more than 1 or 2 hours beyond their regular wake time. 
• Encourage your teen to get regular exercise. This can be in the form of organized sports, or just free-form recreational play. Physical activity -- ideally outdoors, where they can also be exposed to sunlight--will help overall health and nightly sleep. 
• Limit their exposure to technology. Let's be realistic -- cell phones, computers, video games, and PDAs are not going away. The goal here is to set reasonable limits, which should include no electronics in the bedroom. 
• Make sure to include your teen's doctor in the conversation. Don't let sleep be overlooked at your teen's check up. If your child's doctor doesn't ask about their sleep, raise the topic yourself.

As parents to teenagers, we're all engaged in trying to provide them with the skills to live healthfully, happily, and well. Guiding our teens to strong sleep habits is a critical part of that mission.

Sweet Dreams,
Michael J. Breus, PhD 
The Sleep Doctor™ 
www.thesleepdoctor.com

The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan: Lose Weight Through Better Sleep

Everything you do, you do better with a good night's sleep™ 
twitter: @thesleepdoctor 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesleepdoctor

Starved Testimony by Kelly Vegas

Hi I’m Kelly Vegas and the Lord put it on my heart to create this ministry. My heart goes out to this generation because so many are struggling with eating disorders and addiction. My vision is that through the Word of God, Prayer and the Power of the Holy Spirit you can be set FREE and completely delivered from what keeps you in bondage.   God Bless!!

Growing up as a teen in Southern California my emotions were too painful to endure as my life was spinning out of control.  The only thing I could control was my food and my weight.  I started to starve to numb my feelings and I became obsessed with being thin.  When starving wasn’t enough I had to throw up anything I ate.   Anorexia and Bulimia brought me comfort in my pain.  It provided a sense of security in my chaotic family.  It numbed all my feelings and gave me a false sense of control.  My eating disorder made me feel like I was invincible.  It became my everything.

I found myself in the grips of its deadly control.  I starved myself down to a deadly weight and at 16 I found myself in the hospital after suffering a heart attack.  Yet that wasn’t enough to stop me from starving and throwing up.  Suddenly I found myself in a battle of choosing to live or to die…

Kelly Vegas