by Misty Phillip | Jul 8, 2020 | Christian Living, Faith, Healing, mental illness
Blessings from Brokenness: Five Scriptures to Cling to in the Dark
by Baylee Dunn
Many people love the summer time – the sun is shining, children are laughing, and there are memories to be made. For me, summer brings with it joy and sorrow interwoven into one. It is as if the summer breeze brings a palpable heaviness.
Yet, there is so much joy to be found in that space.
I remember the date as if it were yesterday – July 20th, 2018. I laid still in bed unable to stop the spiral of thoughts from encircling in my mind. “Why can’t I just sleep?” I wondered. It had been sixteen days without it, and, unfortunately, I would soon discover the consequences of stress, sadness, and grief when coupled with such drastic sleep deprivation. For me, this cycle of sleeplessness, delusions, paranoia, and panic would ultimately lead to two psychiatric hospitalizations over the course of that summer, and an eventual diagnosis the next fall. “You have Bipolar Disorder with Psychotic Features,” are words that I will not soon forget. They are etched into my memory and with every breath I take, I carry them. That is my clinical diagnosis, but my identity lies deep within the scriptures. You see, I am not my diagnosis. I am a daughter of the king
Here are five scriptures that I clung to during this season.
I hope and pray that each one of them encourages you in your walk with the Lord. May you always know that whatever you face, you are never alone. May the Lord shine his light upon you today and every day! Friend, you are loved.
Isaiah 26:3-4 “ 3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Proverbs 31:25 “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Hey y’all, I am Baylee Dunn. I write on faith and the struggles that we face in life from a Biblical perspective. I am a college student, daughter, sister, friend, and lover of Chick Fil A.
Blessings From Brokenness
So excited to welcome Baylee Dunn to By His Grace as an intern! I met Baylee through Hopewriter’s and instantly fell in love with her. She is a precious young woman with a huge heart for the Lord. If you don’t know Baylee, you should she is a ray of sunshine! Baylee is a college student who will be working with me as she pursues her dreams of one day writing a book.
Much Love, Misty
by Misty Phillip | Oct 17, 2018 | Featured, Healing
October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. This month I am praying for women everywhere struggling to cope with the loss of a pregnancy, infant or child.
You may be struggling to make sense of life after losing a baby. I want you to know that you are not alone. One in four women suffers from this loss.
But I also want you to know that there is comfort in God’s word that can be a salve to your weary soul. There are two free resources on this site that may help guide you through your struggle.
The first is scriptures to pray when you struggle. MistyPhillip.com/verses
The second is a one week in-depth Bible Study on Overcoming entitled, The Struggle Is Real, but so is God. MistyPhillip.com/struggle
I hope you find these resources helpful, and that you will share with those who are grieving the loss of a pregnancy or an infant loss.
Much Love,
by Misty Phillip | Feb 13, 2017 | Book Review, Christian Living, Featured, Healing, Life
Life can be so complicated and unpredictable. Today has been one of those days for me. My day started off with three MRIs: one for my brain, one for my neck and one for my back. My dear sweet husband took the morning off from work to hold my hand, comfort me, and pray for me because he knows that I am claustrophobic and that MRIs cause me great anxiety! Today was one of those days when I just needed my husband’s presence. As I went further into the MRI tube, he held my leg, and just knowing he was there brought me tremendous comfort. While sitting in the waiting room before my MRI and filling out my paperwork, I realized that today is February 13, my mom’s birthday. If my mom were still alive today, she would have turned 77!
We think we have to do something, but presence is a powerful action of its own. – Sarah Beckman
I have been thinking a lot about my mom lately. She died a few years ago after she was taken off of life support just days after Christmas. Family relations and emotions were all running high. Many friends called, texted and offered support. Whenever anyone offered to help I would simply ask for prayer. I would say that I was alright when in reality I wasn’t.
In trying times, people tend to say they are okay and don’t need anything, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth! I will never forget the loving kindness of a friend who offered to stop by the hospital to bring food, and she would not take no for an answer. Not only did she bring me food, but she also took the time to listen to me. We prayed, we sang, and she sat with me as the Lord called my mom home. Her presence at that moment in my life was powerful and it is a gift that I will forever cherish.
How do we walk alongside someone in the midst of trying circumstances?
There’s a unique opportunity to love our neighbor when they experience a time of trial in their life. – Sarah Beckman
We all experience difficult trials in life, and we know people close to us that suffer hardships. How do we love and care for others well in their crisis? The answer to this question is the purpose of Alongside: A Practical Guide for Loving your Neighbor in their Time of Trial. This must-read book is an invaluable resource for walking alongside those in need.
This book is filled with questions to consider. It offers practical ways to love people through the storms of life and will help you figure out the best way to respond to the individual’s needs. You will learn to know your place in relationship to the person in need, and what you should do accordingly. It will also give a good understanding of possible needs and how people may be feeling, including general guidelines to consider and questions to help prepare for the journey ahead.
Part 2 of the book is dedicated to taking action. Know when to go, and when to pray. When I went to the hospital to give birth to my son whose heart had stopped beating in my womb, my sweet friends wanted to come to the hospital. While having my friends at the hospital that day was a kind gesture, what I needed most was time to grieve alone with my family. There is a chapter dedicated to respecting the person’s journey and includes information on privacy and dignity, and other chapters offer specific help, including being present, showing love through food, listening well and much more.
Finally, the book concludes with chapters on special circumstances, including: messy situations, when faith isn’t shared, when you’ve been there, when someone is aging, and terminal illness. In the appendix, there are scriptures for loving your neighbor which are divided into categories and a list of websites, books, and other helpful resources like meal coordination and online fundraising.
For more information visit Sarah Beckman’s website.
A special thank you to The Blog About Network, The Blythe Daniel Agency and publishers for providing a copy of this book for review and one to giveaway.
I have one autographed copy of Alongside: A Practical Guide for Loving your Neighbor in their Time of Trial to give away!
From now until February 28th, leave a comment below with either a way that you have come alongside someone in need or how someone has blessed you in a difficult time, to be eligible to win. Also, if you enjoyed reading this blog post please share with a friend.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a fantastic week!
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