Let's Have a Kiki

Happy New Year! 

Count Your Blessings

One of the first blessings was that we were able to get the poor soul who was running around in circles screaming, to settle down.  Donnie's mental health seems to be deteriorating.  There are many voices in his head.  Several of these voices are children.  One is very violent.  Another just rocks back and forth.

Donnie and I had an idea.  Let's try to get the little children to work on a project together.  What better song is there than "Count Your Blessings"!  We went to You Tube and pulled up this old rendition.

The children do not sound quite as good as this famous quartet but we like to let them think so.

Here is another version by Bing Crosby.

As we continue to Count Our Blessings ~  the list would not be complete without YOU!

We hope you have a Happy New Year!!!

What am I supposed to do?

Donnie suffers from multiple personality disorder.  Unfortunately, I do not know how to help the personality that is present.  I do not even know his name.  All he does is run around in circles and screams, "I can't take it anymore.  I can't take it anymore."

All I can do is wait.  Wait for him to become exhausted and settle down.  Either that or wait for Donnie to show up.  Nevertheless, I sit and wait and pray.  Eventually, I will take him to the VA clinic and if necessary, we will have him admitted to the psychiatric ward at the VA hospital in West LA.  My heart goes out to this poor soul who is frantic with pain and turmoil.

Is the number one reason for depression - Unthankfulness?

Bible help to Overcome Personal Depression!

Within the Pages of the Bible are the answers to man's most pressing needs. At this moment, you may be very discouraged about life. Life may now appear to you as an endless, tragic treadmill, not really worth living or having. Perhaps you are saying, right now, life holds nothing for me, it is only a bum rap, a lousy trip. Nobody loves me; nobody cares if I live or die. In the midst of your despair, and your doubt, and frustration, and hopelessness, I want you to realize that Jesus Christ offers to you another view of life; a view that is truly beautiful. Jesus has some special words for us: He said, "I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). With these words, Jesus lifts life above the physical realm and assures us that the abundant life has a divine and eternal quality. The Bible tells us that we were created in the very image or likeness of God, and you can be sure that if God made us like himself, then our lives must have tremendous meaning, destiny, and purpose. Jesus came to give each of us a good life. And you can enjoy the benefits of that abundant life right here on the face of this earth. Life can have many beautiful moments which you can and should enjoy and cherish. It is very true, of course, that life has it's high and it's low points. Being moody and despondent on a temporary basis is a natural part of every personality. However, please don't allow your deep and despondent moods to control your very being. I know that you may be tempted to blame yourself unduly for all the things that ever go wrong. You may want to punish yourself and others for the deep personal problems which you encounter. However, the abundant life which Jesus gives prepares our hearts with a mature love which can endure pain and suffering. The Apostle Paul says that this mature love "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails . . . " (I Corinthians 13:7,8). Please listen to me very closely. It is important that you understand this. God really cares for you. In John 3:16, we read, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life". There are Christian people who really care for you too. We care whether you live or die. We want you to experience and enjoy that abundant life in Christ. We want to introduce you to that love that never fails. John also tells us in I John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear . . .". This love really can be yours and you can have and enjoy a life that is meaningful and purposeful. If you would enjoy life, then serve the giver of life - God. Again, the Apostle John says in I John 5:3,4, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith". Depression has become our nation's number one emotional illness, and it is increasing steadily. Rising suicide rates, especially among the young, show the final end to which depression takes people. Broken, unhappy homes and wasted lives are often the result of unfettered depression. Some depression is good because it tells us we need to stop and take stock, have a rest, or perhaps have a physical examination to see if there is a medical problem that needs to be cared for. However, depression is most often the result of a selfish, self-pitying, ungrateful heart. The wise Solomon said: "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7. In discussing depression, we must believe fully that God has a remedy for every problem and that we can-go to Him for help. Here are some positive, Biblical steps to take to overcome depression: Recognize that God created you in His image and therefore you are good. He wants you to be happy. He gave His only begotten Son so that you might have eternal life (John 3:16). Abraham Lincoln once said, "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." Believe that God is faithful to do what He has promised for you. Look for His abundant life. God has promised to meet our every-need (Phil. 4:19; Eph. 3:20; Matt. 7:11). It is not ours to worry about food, clothing and shelter. God has promised that if we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, He will add these material things to us (Matthew 6:25-33). Let His spirit dwell in your richly, causing you to have a song in your heart, an attitude of thanksgiving and a submissive spirit (Eph. 5:19-21). No misery or depression can exist in such a heart. Practice thanksgiving and praising the Lord for all things. To praise the Lord when things are going against your will is to show a submissive spirit. Be thankful in everything (I Thess. 5:18). , Think on positive things, things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report (Phil 4:8). Realize that all things do work together for good to them that love the Lord (Romans 8:28). Do not dwell on past unhappy experiences, bad news in the world today, or ways in which life seems to have cheated you. Think about all the ways life has been a blessing to you. Have a forgiving spirit. Bad feelings or unforgiven hurts toward your fellow beings can cause you to feel very depressed. Telling others you are sorry you have wronged them or that you have forgiven them for something they have done to you in the past can often be the most therapeutic means of bringing about a peaceful heart.

How Many Bells Would You Ring?

The best part of Christmas for me this year was attending the Midnight mass at Trinity Episcopal Church in Santa Barbara, California.  My friend Andor invited me to attend the service with him.  I was delighted to have someone to go to mass.  This church practices what they preach as they volunteer at the Casa Esperanza on a weekly basis.  Their pastor is the one of our Chaplains.

The choir was marvelous.  The church was in all it's glory with all the Christmas decorations.  When you looked at the altar, you were amazed at the beauty of the manger scene. Hundreds of candles flickering and glowing.  Fragrance of incense from Bethlehem wafting in the air.  However, the most meaningful part of the night was when the pastor gave the sermon.

The sermon was partly about the horror that took place in Newtown, Conneticutt.  As he
 reminded us of the unfortunate 26 souls that were gunned down in cold blood, the nation asked all the churches across the country to toll the bell chimes 26 times in honor of these dearly prematurely departed individuals.  However, many of the churches decided to ring their bells 28 times.  28  is the total number of souls lost their lives that day.  I wonder how many times I would toll the church bells?  How many bells would you ring?

O Holy Night

For years, people have been telling Donnie and Bobby that the last day of the world would be on 21 December 2012.  This was the last day on the Mayan calendar.  Well, here we are at the Mental Health Center Christmas party in Santa Barbara.  One of the therapists asked me me what my favorite thing about Christmas was?  My answer is Midnight mass on Christmas eve with someone who knows how to sing "O Holy Night".  I also like the part where everyone lights a candle from one and sings, "Silent Night".  Hope you enjoy the music as much as I do.  Merry Christmas.

I Need Thee Every Hour