Assurance; Day655

Assured that He Who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up also with Jesus and bring us [along] with you into His presence.  2Corinthians 4:14

Assurance Not Insurance
I recently watched the movie “Helen” played by Ashley Judd and the movie touched my heart.  When you get a chance, it is on Netflix or rent it on DVD.  I think most of us suffer from depression from time to time.  There are events in life that are unfortunate and sometimes it will put us in a difficult situation and then with the passage of time the left over from that event triggers a mild or severe depression and sadness depending on how strong we are mentally.  When that happens, our survival depends on what we were exposed before experientially. Each one of us were given a capacity to hold off a certain “mental pain threshold” and if we were not exposed to a higher level of “pain and suffering” from previous experiences, then eventually we succumb to sadness and depression.

According to the experts, when an unimaginable event happens, we go through 5 Stages, [Kubler-Ross Model] . Just read the information on the link I just mentioned to get your enlightenment about the 5 Stages of Grief if you have not heard about DABDA.  .
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

In the movie, there was a part when Helen and Mathilda [both suffering from depression] were discussing about the “things you don’t want to say to a depressed person”.  I was intrigued of the subject but I did not take notes during the movie and can’t remember the exact phrases and so then I goggled “things to say to depressed friends” right after watching the movie .   I like the things mentioned by most professional counselors [some are from patients or friend of a patient] but I think that there were a few things not discussed or mentioned.  Most of us probably are guilty of not saying the right things to our friends who are depressed and sad. It’s good to know the right things to say.

I’d like to add a few .  I am a cardiac patient but I managed to avoid being depressed.  When I was discharged from the hospital after stent#1, I was told that most likely depression will be there in the horizon a few weeks after.  I was looking forward to it and built a strategy on how to face the mental part of being a cardiac patient.

1. Go to a quite place [ie. a closet, or a deep forest, or an ocean, or an empty road]
2. Close your eyes and be still
3. Pray to God for Wisdom regarding your situation
4. Repeat Step #1-4 everyday until your mind is clear.
5. Rebuild your faith in God
6. Read the Bible at the beginning of every day and reflect
7. Find a non-denominational church
8. Do something [don’t be idle]
9. Write a journal
10. Organize your room, closet, home office, kitchen, bathroom [anything you can organize]
11.Make your yard the number1 in the neighborhood
12.Make a small notebook to write for home related ideas
13.Make a small notebook to write for work related ideas
14.Don’t rely too much on other people, the way out is normally done by your own footstep.
15.Don’t go through Step1-5, go straight to Acceptance.  Either way, research showed people always end up accepting.
16.Know and be assured that you are not alone-God is with you.

Some “not-so common” things I’ve done lately to stay mentally sharp.
1. Increase my cycling mileage to 40miles
2. Fast pace 2.4Mile Swim
3. 25 yard sub-surface swim [swim 25 yards with 1 breath at the end]
4. Made my circle very small
5. Deactivate Facebook
6. Start and finish a task.  [this is the hardest, when I start something, I have to finish it, if I can’t I will not even bother starting]
7. Do things that are important. 
8. Listen to Misty Edwards only

Quadrant I-Urgent and Important
2.4Mile Swim
Yard work

Reading List
Sharepoint 2010 Search Pro, p240

24Hour Report
0900, End of Sleep,
0910, Coffee
0930, Study 2Corinthians 4:14 [read more]

Barns 2Co 4:14 –
Knowing – Being fully confident; having the most entire assurance. It was the assured hope of the resurrection which sustained them in all their trials. This expression denotes the full and unwavering belief, in the minds of the apostles, that the doctrines which they preached were true. They knew that they were revealed from heaven, and that all the promises of God would be fulfilled.

Shall raise up us also – All Christians. In the hope of the resurrection they were ready to meet trials, and even to die. Sustained by this assurance, the apostles went forth amidst persecutions and opposition, for they knew that their trials would soon end, and that they would be raised up in the morning of the resurrection, to a world of eternal glory.

By Jesus – By the power or the agency of Jesus. Christ will raise up the dead from their graves, Joh_5:25-29.

And shall present us with you – Will present us before the throne of glory with exceeding joy and honor. He will present us to God as those who have been redeemed by his blood. He will present us in the courts of heaven, before the throne of the eternal Father, as his ransomed people; as recovered from the ruins of the fall; as saved by the merits of his blood. They shall not only be raised up from the dead; but they shall be publicly and solemnly presented to God as his, as recovered to his service, and as having a title in the covenant of grace to the blessedness of heaven.