Question - Depression?

I did a few question posts earlier - here and here, but haven't done any for a while ... here's a question I have today.


I heard some news yesterday that made me sad. Depression just wrecked havoc on an individual, a family and a community. My heart breaks for everyone involved. 

I've dealt with seasons of depression twice in my life, so I've researched it just enough to be totally confused at the confused state it can create in a mind. 

There's a lot of different information as to the causes/reasons for it. And there's many different 'solutions' proposed. The one most repeated is the willingness to admit you are depressed and then being willing to get the help you need ... whether that is meds, counseling, lifestyle changes, getting exercise, etc. 

So the first step is admitting it, which was true for me both times, but the irony is that the very nature of depression is such that it makes it difficult to admit it. 

So my question is ... since depression can create a confused, unhealthy state in one's mind - what can we do to prevent it from becoming too severe for ourselves and/or others?

Breast cancer creates an unhealthy state in our bodies, so after a certain age women are encouraged to do examines/screenings. Maybe someone should invent a depression examine or screening that we all take after certain times. Maybe after giving birth, after a busy season in our life, after a traumatic event or a loss, etc. 

If you were inventing a depression screening - what would it look like? 

Not Alone With Questions

Saw this on the People of The Second Chance site - it goes along with my previous post about the good, bad and ugly, so I had to post it. Good reminder that none of us is alone with our questions and wondering why.


Disappointed (With God) from David Tate on Vimeo.

8 months ago: Sat, May 23, 2009 1:55am EST (Eastern Standard Time)

Question - The Good, Bad and Ugly?

Last week I posted a question and wrote "I plan to post a question every week. Sometimes the question will have more depth than others - depends what stirs my curiosity at the time."

This is an another question post.

Most people that believe in God give him credit for the good things in life. But when it comes to the bad and ugly in life - there are different opinions.

Some people think the bad and ugly are a result of choices someone (ourselves or others) makes.

Others think that everything - including the bad and ugly - that happens is part of God's plan for us.

Others see the devil behind every corner and think that bad and ugly is a direct result of his plan.

Still others think its all a result of this earth we live in.

And many believe in varying combinations of the above.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me ... I'm trying to figure it out.

I know enough to know that I don't know why some things happen. I know there are mysteries in life and if I ever tell you why this or that happened - please ask me how I think I know. 

So that's my question to you. Do you have theories about why/how 'the good, bad and ugly' happen in life? If so, care to share? 

Question: Why - Ducks and Coats?

I think I was born saying "Why?" As a child, I wanted to know about everything. Then for a time, I stuffed (or tried to) that impulse - because "it's wrong to question everything." Thankfully, I realized questions aren't wrong - not being true to the way my creator made me is probably more harmful.

So today is a 'Question' post. I plan to do these every week. Sometimes the question will have more depth than others - depends what stirs my curiosity at the time.

Yesterday the sun was bright, but the temps never made it up to 30F degrees - they've been stuck in the 20's for the past week or two. I decided to go for a walk - figured if you can't beat it, why not join it? I walked around the lake at a local state park.

 Half of it was frozen.

 Half it was not frozen.

I was amazed at two things - the people braving the ice when half of the lake was not frozen and the birds braving the water when there was ice on half of it.

The people I won't even try to figure out ...

As I watched the ducks and geese, I was amazed how they could do that without freezing to death. They just flew or swam out there without having to put on anything to survive.

Before I ventured out into this tundra, I had to put on multiple layers to stay warm and survive.

• A shirt and pair of leggings that wicks moisture away from my skin
  
• Fleece shirt
• Windbreaker coat and pants
• Good socks
• Sturdy shoes
  
• Gloves
• Beanie
• Neck Gaiter (who's the genius that came up with that name?)

The ducks and geese naturally grow feathers needed to stay warm to live in this area, as do animals and other birds all over the planet. They have natural resources to survive the climate they live it. So applying that logic, it looks like I (and all people) should live in southern climates, where I can stay warm without needing to put on half a clothing store before venturing out.

And it made me wonder something about God and creation ...

We've all heard (and probably said0 how great it is that God made the animals with certain things to survive in the environments he placed them in. Fish have gills, birds have wings, ducks have feathers and on and on it goes.

So my question is ... why would a creator make half of his world an environment that his masterpiece creation cannot survive in naturally, but instead need all kinds of adaptions from houses to heaters to clothes simply to survive?

Why?

Question about speakers

I have a question. When you are listening to a speaker - whether it be a motivational speech, a teaching, in a class, a sermon or a political speech - what's most important to you, that the speaker be real, engaging, authentic, have answers, done good research on the topic, etc?

Your thoughts?