Heal Depression with God

4-Count Your Blessings Series: Part 1 How Gratitude Grows Goodness in Our Hearts

In between stuffing yourself with turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie, did you remember to give thanks to God for all His blessings and express gratitude for abundance in your life? It is easy to do at Thanksgiving, and we are reminded to give thanks. But after snarfing down the meal, when your belly is full and you watched some football or played with the grandkids, do you still remember to express gratitude? Or do you let gratitude slide as you push through the hustle of preparing for Christmas glitter and gifts?
If you are anything like me, I often let gratefulness slip, as the stress of Christmas can overwhelm. Expressing thanks is important and can boost our mental wellness all year long, according to science research and Scriptures. In today's podcast, we will explore four ways to improve mental wellness, using the acronym G.I.F.T. Come on in and join us for Part 1, Gratitude Grows Goodness in Our Hearts, which is a series in Count Your Blessings: Four Ways the Gift of Gratitude Boosts Mental Wellness Beyond Thanksgiving Day.
Contact by Email:   beth@mentallywellwithbethsteigerwalt.com
Books referenced in this four-part series:
Dr. Robert A Emmons, The Little Book of Gratitude: Create a Life of Happiness and Wellbeing by Giving Thanks
Dr. Robert A Emmons, Thanks, How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier
Scriptures used in this podcast:
Ezra 3:11 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord. He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever. And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.” 
Journaling Questions: 1. What are five things that you appreciate about your life?
2.  Name three ways that God has provided for you and your family.
3. Have you experienced a miracle in your life? Describe the experience in detail in your journal and express gratitude to God for helping you.
Count Your Blessings Hymn Lyrics, Public Domain.  
Lyrics by Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856-1926); Music by Edwin Othello Excell (1851-1921)
Accessed through https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/707, a website that freely shares hymn information.
Intro, outro, and trailer music “Bright as the Dawn” is licensed by Taizo Audio through Premium Beat by Shutterstock. #6193805
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed professional therapist, and unable to diagnose, treat or analyze depression or other associated mental illnesses. Based on Biblical principles, my personal experience of healing, and creative expression, I offer these Christ-centered mental wellness strategies to support, encourage and instill hope through your journey to mental and spiritual health. Please see your doctor, psychologist, or professional therapist for help with diagnosing and treating mental illness. If you are severely depressed, to the point where you are considering suicide, please get help immediately! Your life matters, and you are loved and valued. It is possible to find hope and healing.
Here are some resources to help you.
Christians in Crisis https://www.christiansncrisis.com  phone or text 1-844-472-9687   Started by Marriage/ Family Therapist Dr. Cheryll Holmes, this faith-based hotline offers a listening ear and counsel for severe depression and other mental illness issues.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:  Call 988 for emotional support through depression/Suicide.                                                                                                                             
If you have enjoyed this podcast, could you please send it to a friend, so they can discover healing in their journey to mental wellness? Also, please consider writing a review on Apple/iTunes. These reviews help spread the word about Heal Depression with God Podcast, so other people can rise above depression and begin to thrive in mentally-well health, like the sun ascending and reflecting on majestic mountains, a new day dawning.

3-Three Things I Did to Navigate Deep Depression

When you are deep in depression, how do you navigate through the sadness? How do you cope and have courage to rise out of bed to face the day? When I was deep in depression, feeling overwhelmed with sadness while I battled breast cancer, I had to choose to find goodness and God’s grace through the pain. In this podcast, I will explore three ways I navigated depression, using the acronym A.S.K. Come on in and listen to today’s podcast to discover three ways you can navigate deep depression, which will help you on your way to mental wellness.
Check out these Scriptures mentioned in this podcast and journal your thoughts on these questions!
2 Chronicles 20:1-29
God routs the enemy after King Jehoshaphat prays and sends praisers ahead of the army.
Hebrews 13:6 “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Psalm 27: 1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation—    whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life—    of whom shall I be afraid?
Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you;    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you;    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
 
Why is the act of praising God important in the healing process?
How can you add gratitude to your life? What are simple things you can appreciate and thank God for?
How does knowing God is with you help you to navigate deep depression?
 
Contact by Email:   beth@mentallywellwithbethsteigerwalt.com
Intro, outro, and trailer music “Bright as the Dawn” is licensed by Taizo Audio through Premium Beat by Shutterstock. #6193805
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed professional therapist, and unable to diagnose, treat or analyze depression or other associated mental illnesses. Based on Biblical principles, my personal experience of healing, and creative expression, I offer these Christ-centered mental wellness strategies to support, encourage and instill hope through your journey to mental and spiritual health. Please see your doctor, psychologist, or professional therapist for help with diagnosing and treating mental illness. If you are severely depressed, to the point where you are considering suicide, please get help immediately! Your life matters, and you are loved and valued. It is possible to find hope and healing.
Here are some resources to help you.
Christians in Crisis https://www.christiansncrisis.com  Phone or text 1-844-472-9687.   Started by Marriage/ Family Therapist Dr. Cheryll Holmes, this faith-based hotline offers a listening ear and counsel for severe depression and other mental illness issues.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:  Call 988 for emotional support through depression/Suicide.                                                                                                                              
If you have enjoyed this podcast, could you please send it to a friend, so they can discover healing in their journey to mental wellness? Also, please consider writing a review on Apple/iTunes. These reviews help spread the word about Heal Depression with God Podcast, so other people can rise above depression and begin to thrive in mentally-well health, like the sun ascending and reflecting on majestic mountains, a new day dawning.
 

2-When Women Wound You, How to Manage Church Hurt

Have you ever had church women wound you, with cutting words and mean actions? Have you ever been so hurt, that you vow not to participate in women’s groups again? If you are anything like me, I run away, stuffing down the pain and saying everything is fine, even as I struggle with rejection and sadness. For me, the woundedness festered for eight years, after women at a Christmas party stabbed and accused me with their words. In this episode, I explore the hurt of that situation. While I was battling breast cancer eight years later, I plummeted into depression and called a friend who was there at the party. She asked me if I ever had dealt with that situation. Working through the betrayal, I had to be R.E.A.L., an acronym for specific steps to be set free from church hurt. Come on in and discover how you can manage church hurt and heal your wounded heart, by being authentic and real in today’s episode of “When Women Wound You, How to Manage Church Hurt.”
Contact by Email:   beth@mentallywellwithbethsteigerwalt.com
Intro, outro, and trailer music “Bright as the Dawn” is licensed by Taizo Audio through Premium Beat by Shutterstock. #6193805
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed professional therapist, and unable to diagnose, treat or analyze depression or other associated mental illnesses. Based on Biblical principles, my personal experience of healing, and creative expression, I offer these Christ-centered mental wellness strategies to support, encourage and instill hope through your journey to mental and spiritual health. Please see your doctor, psychologist, or professional therapist for help with diagnosing and treating mental illness. If you are severely depressed, to the point where you are considering suicide, please get help immediately! Your life matters, and you are loved and valued. It is possible to find hope and healing.
Here are some resources to help you.
Christians in Crisis https://www.christiansncrisis.com  phone or text 1-844-472-9687   Started by Marriage/ Family Therapist Dr. Cheryll Holmes, this faith-based hotline offers a listening ear and counsel for severe depression and other mental illness issues.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:  Call 988 for emotional support through depression/Suicide.                                                                                                                              
If you have enjoyed this podcast, could you please send it to a friend, so they can discover healing in their journey to mental wellness? Also, please consider writing a review on Apple/iTunes. These reviews help spread the word about Heal Depression with God Podcast, so other people can rise above depression and begin to thrive in mentally-well health, like the sun ascending and reflecting on majestic mountains, a new day dawning.
 

Out of the Pit of Depression to Joy

Does depression keep you from getting out of bed in the morning? Do you still carry burdens from unresolved childhood trauma? Do you say everything is fine, when inside you are hurting deeply, and wish you could find a friend who understands?
You have come to the right place, friend. Through Heal Depression with God Podcast, you can find hope and healing in your journey to mental wellness. I am a cancer-conquering, set-free-from depression daughter of the King, best-selling author, mom of five and grammy, prayer warrior, loyal friend, and encourager. I like to meander through mountain meadows, enjoying the sweet-smelling butterscotch scent of lodgepole pines and admiring wildflowers. I like listening to the chickadees sing.
When I am at home, I play board games with my family, and dance in my furry lion pajamas, raising the praise in my living room.
It was not that long ago, where I was weeping in the middle of the night, crying out to God as I suffered through breast cancer treatments of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation in my mid forties. Though I was a Christian, I felt alone, like I was abandoned. Sobbing continually, I struggled to get out of bed, and care for my five children. At one point, I didn’t want to live anymore. My sadness had much deeper roots than just cancer. Deep down inside, I also still carried wounds of shame, grieving from childhood abuse from a known teen neighbor.  
It wasn’t until I began journaling my grief in my mid-forties, surrendering all my tears and sadness, to the Comforter and spending time in His presence, that I began to heal. I had to stand on His promises even though He seemed far away. Jesus, who suffered on the Cross for you and me, knew what it felt like to have his friends hurt him and leave him. Yet he gave them grace, forgiving them, the model for which helped me work through the hurt of childhood trauma. Immersing myself in His Word, in worship, and in nurturing nature, I began to heal and find emotional wellness. The Lord, in His goodness and mercy, met me through moonlit nights, rustling autumn leaves, and the hugs of my children. And he can touch you, too. It is possible to heal and find hope, rising from the pit of depression to joy.
In this podcast, you’ll learn how Christ-centered mental-wellness strategies, creative expression, and soul-nurturing nature imagery can help you connect with God and jumpstart the healing journey so you can flourish in wellness. To calm your soul, I may sing or pray, inviting our Comforter to touch you and give you hope.
If you’re ready to ditch depression and rise in resiliency, let’s find freedom together. Walk with me as we stroll through the forest, picking wildflowers and listening to chickadees sing. We can dip our toes into living water, skipping in newly found joy and wholeness. And wherever you are, you can put on your garments of praise (I will smile if you are leaping in furry lion pjs, like me!) and dance with me, as we sing praises to our Lord and King. 
Come on in and connect with your Creator. We can discover spiritual and mental wellness together on the Heal Depression with God podcast, where hope rises like the morning sun glowing on a majestic mountain.  
Contact by Email:   beth@mentallywellwithbethsteigerwalt.com
Intro, outro, and trailer music “Bright as the Dawn” is licensed by Taizo Audio through Premium Beat by Shutterstock.  #6193805
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed professional therapist, and unable to diagnose, treat or analyze depression or other associated mental illnesses. Based on Biblical principles, my personal experience of healing, and creative expression, I offer these Christ-centered mental wellness strategies to support, encourage and instill hope through your journey to mental and spiritual health. Please see your doctor, psychologist, or professional therapist for help with diagnosing and treating mental illness. If you are severely depressed, to the point where you are considering suicide, please get help immediately! Your life matters, and you are loved and valued. It is possible to find hope and healing.
Here are some resources to help you.
Christians in Crisis https://www.christiansncrisis.com  phone or text 1-844-472-9687   Started by Marriage/ Family Therapist Dr. Cheryll Holmes, this faith-based hotline offers a listening ear and counsel for severe depression and other mental illness issues.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:  Call 988 for emotional support through depression/Suicide.                                                                                                                              
If you have enjoyed this podcast, could you please send it to a friend, so they can discover healing in their journey to mental wellness? Also, please consider writing a review on Apple/iTunes. These reviews help spread the word about Heal Depression with God Podcast, so other people can rise above depression and begin to thrive in mentally-well health, like the sun ascending and reflecting on majestic mountains, a new day dawning.
 
                                                                
                                                                                 
 

1-Still Standing: My Journey from Depression to Redemption

Does severe depression keep pressing you down and prevent you from getting up in the morning? Do you wish you could heal from childhood trauma? Do you wish you could draw near to God and be comforted, but feel abandoned in the storm of despair? You are not alone, friend.
It was not that long ago that I was sobbing through breast cancer treatments in my mid-forties, unable to get out of bed or care for my five.children.  Despairing, I thought about ending my life. The root of my depresson went much deeper than just breast cancer. As a young child, I experienced abuse from a known neighbor, which resulted in life-long depression, anxiety, and feelings of worthlessness. While battling breast cancer at age 45,  and working through the betrayal of childhood trauma, I scrawled my pain onto the pages of my journal. I cried out to God in my distress, feeling broken like the branches felled in a blasting windstorm. And God met me, comforting and meeting me. Come listen to this episode “Still Standing: My Journey from Depression to Redemption” and discover my story of healing, and how you can enhance mental wellness and keep standing, rising resiliently above depression to redemption in your life, too.
 
Contact by Email:   beth@mentallywellwithbethsteigerwalt.com
Intro, outro, and trailer music “Bright as the Dawn” is licensed by Taizo Audio through Premium Beat by Shutterstock. #6193805
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed professional therapist, and unable to diagnose, treat or analyze depression or other associated mental illnesses. Based on Biblical principles, my personal experience of healing, and creative expression, I offer these Christ-centered mental wellness strategies to support, encourage and instill hope through your journey to mental and spiritual health. Please see your doctor, psychologist, or professional therapist for help with diagnosing and treating mental illness. If you are severely depressed, to the point where you are considering suicide, please get help immediately! Your life matters, and you are loved and valued. It is possible to find hope and healing.
Here are some resources to help you.
Christians in Crisis https://www.christiansncrisis.com  phone or text 1-844-472-9687   Started by Marriage/ Family Therapist Dr. Cheryll Holmes, this faith-based hotline offers a listening ear and counsel for severe depression and other mental illness issues.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:  Call 988 for emotional support through depression/Suicide.                                                                                                                             
If you have enjoyed this podcast, could you please send it to a friend, so they can discover healing in their journey to mental wellness? Also, please consider writing a review on Apple/iTunes. These reviews help spread the word about Heal Depression with God Podcast, so other people can rise above depression and begin to thrive in mentally-well health, like the sun ascending and reflecting on majestic mountains, a new day dawning.