Category Archives: Hope for the Hurting

“Stay Strong!” Doesn’t Help Those In Grief And Loss

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Gordon Grose

People yet to be deeply affected by the death of a loved one, often urge the bereaved to Be Strong, or to Stay Strong. Earlier, I described NBA legend Kobe Bryant’s tragic death (https://www.gordongrose.com/ the-death-of-kobe-bryant/). People on Twitter have expressed … Continue reading →

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What We Learn From The Death of Kobe Bryant

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Gordon Grose

The death of Kobe Bryant shocks us out of our avoidance and denial of the reality of death. We learn we are vulnerable; only God’s word lasts forever. Continue reading →

Posted in Death and Dying | 2 Comments

Help Partner Help Addict

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Gordon Grose

To help your addicted loved one, help their partner, friend or spouse. In many cases that may be the only way to help change an addict’s behavior. “Could you get my husband to stop drinking,” a young woman wanted to … Continue reading →

Posted in Recovery | 2 Comments

Hope For People with Bipolar Illness

Posted on March 15, 2019 by Gordon Grose

There is hope for people with bipolar illness. Many famous artists, such as Vincent Van Gogh, lived with manic-depression without the benefits of our current state of knowledge. Living with that disorder, now named bipolar illness, presents challenges beyond most … Continue reading →

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Where Does Mental Illness Come From?

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Gordon Grose

Where does mental illness come from? One of the most perplexing issues for Christians is the relationship between spiritual problems and mental illness. Is lack of faith, failure to pray, for example, the reason a person becomes depressed? Because a … Continue reading →

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Option B by Sheryl Sandberg: A Review

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Gordon Grose

I recommend Option B in the strongest terms. At least for people who have lost a loved one. Not everybody will want a book about a sudden death, grieving, learning to adjust, and finding ways to rebound. It’s not a … Continue reading →

Posted in Death and Dying, Hope for the Hurting, Recovery | 1 Comment

Depression Can Lead to Addiction

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Gordon Grose

Depression can lead to addiction. To escape his dislike of his life, taxi driver Joe used vodka binges. Those led, however, to a plan to end his life. Like the weeds that grow in our yard, demanding our constant attention to … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental Illness, Recovery | 2 Comments

A Signal Of Addiction

Posted on February 8, 2019 by Gordon Grose

A church dropout may be a signal of addiction. In my first pastorate, one of my laymen stopped attending worship. Because we’d had conflict, I passed it off as unhappiness with me. As a result of my assumption, I failed … Continue reading →

Posted in Recovery | 3 Comments

Recovering From Spiritual Depression

Posted on January 25, 2019 by Gordon Grose

Spiritual Depression Some may be surprised to learn that spiritual leaders experience spiritual depression, or what we call “burnout.” After a period of faithful leadership, for example, these pastors and other leaders report they “hit a brick wall.” What causes … Continue reading →

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What Happens To Our Brain In Depression?

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Gordon Grose

A Teen Brain in Depression What happens to our brain in depression? Pastor Johnson’s teen daughter became so depressed he brought her to Christian psychiatrist Donald Hall. Her softball teammates had “betrayed” her, she believed for example, an ex-boyfriend was … Continue reading →

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