For the church to be pastoral it must be willing to engage in the real human drama of people's lives. This means entering into their pain and confusion, and even the messiness of life. Rarely are answers clear-cut and self-evident. As pastoral caregivers in the church, we must be willing to struggle with people as they try to figure out what to do. Moral and ethical dilemmas become opportunities for the church to express its care by its willingness to sit with people in the

'But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.'--Rom. 13:14. Autumn is a time of change. The green color of summer gives way to the yellow, red, and browns of autumn. Fruits and nuts are harvested, the days become shorter, and animals prepare for winter. During autumn there is a lot of food available as seeds and fruits ripen. Animals store up as much food as they can before winter comes. Squirrels collect nuts, mice

Prescribing medications has long been a trial-and-error approach for nearly any medication you could take. That’s been especially true in psychiatry, where there are dozens of medications that could be prescribed for common mental health concerns, such as anxiety,depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). What if doctors had a better idea ahead of time which medications may work better for you than others, based upon your unique biology and biochemical ma

Team Emerging HOPE We had a great time at the NAMI Walks Grand Rapids 5k on Saturday September 10th! We reached and surpassed our fundraising goal of $500! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED AND TO ALL WHO WISHED US WELL. THANK YOU! We want you to be an active member of our community too. Please visit our website at http://www.emerginghopefsp.org/ to sign up for our emails and newsletters. Again, thank you! Team Emerging HOPE Curtis and Pamela Robinson, Sr. Co-di

“Suicide Definition” Self-directed violence, which includes suicidal behavior, can be defined as threatened or actual use of physical force against oneself, which results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury or death (Krug, Dahlberg, Mercy, Zwi, & Lozano, 2002). Suicide or completed suicide is defined as a “death from injury, poisoning, or suffocation where it is explicitly or implicitly evident that the injury was self-inflicted and intended to be fatal. Suicid

In February 2015, my husband and I served as short-term missionaries in Cap-Haitien, Haiti with the American Baptist Churches, Michigan Servants for Christ Missionary Team; we were a group of eight people from several different American Baptist Churches in Michigan. Our accommodations were quite good and included showers (cold) and toilets that flushed, so we were very fortunate and grateful. Our hosts were Pastor Voltaire and his family, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church

College can be hard even without a bipolar diagnosis but with lifestyle changes and plenty of support, you can totally score that diploma. As if you don’t have enough to handle just getting through college, wham—you get a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Truth is, the timing makes biological sense. The late-teen years are a vulnerable period for onset of mental illness, whether you’re at college or not, because of the way the adolescent brain develops and teenagers typically be

This is our time, our opportunity to celebrate the successes of every Michigan citizen living with, caring for, or providing services to someone living with mental illness. This is our opportunity to raise awareness in our communities, to show that mental illness is a serious issue that calls for and deserves serious attention. This is our opportunity to unite, to let our legislators know that we are watching who supports mental health legislation, not only in words, but in a

Sometimes God will put a Goliath in your life, for you to find the David within you.

Every great victory in life begins with optimism and hope. In order to keep fighting against a determined enemy, we must believe that victory is possible, that our problems have a solution. General Colin Powell, once said, "Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier." Optimism multiplies your strength and resources, increasing your advantage against your opponent.