Kelly Harrel's Blog

Mental health struggles can feel isolating, but it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Many people experience anxiety, depression, or other challenges, and faith can be a powerful source of strength and support during these times. In our faith journeys, we often encounter obstacles that test our resilience. These trials can be difficult, but they also present opportunities for growth and deeper connection with God. It’s through these experiences that we discover our inner strength and learn to rely on His grace. Seeking professional help is a courageous step, and it doesn’t diminish your faith. In fact, it can be a testament to your commitment to your well-being. Remember that prioritizing your mental health is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Holding onto past hurts can weigh us down and prevent us from experiencing true joy and peace. Forgiveness is a crucial step in releasing those burdens and embracing a brighter future. Forgiveness doesn’t mean condoning harmful actions, but rather choosing to release the anger and resentment that hold us captive. It’s a conscious decision to prioritize our own well-being and move beyond the pain. When we choose to forgive, we open ourselves up to healing and growth. It allows us to release the negativity and embrace the possibility of a more positive and fulfilling life. It’s a journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth.

Authenticity is key to connecting with readers on a deeper level. When you share your true self, you create a space for genuine connection and understanding. Don’t be afraid to share your struggles, triumphs, and unique perspectives. Your experiences can resonate with others and inspire them to embrace their own journeys. By being true to yourself, you create a unique voice that sets you apart. This authenticity will attract readers who appreciate genuine storytelling and relatable characters.

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the demands of daily life and neglect our own well-being. Prioritizing self-care is crucial for maintaining our physical and mental health. Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s essential. Taking time for ourselves allows us to recharge, refocus, and approach our responsibilities with renewed energy and clarity. Simple acts of self-care, such as taking a walk in nature, reading a book, or practicing mindfulness, can significantly impact our overall well-being. Incorporating these practices into our daily routines can lead to increased productivity, reduced stress, and improved relationships.

Tuesday September 15, 2020 – Saturday October 24, 2020

Map and Directions | Register

Description:

Yes, Christians struggle with depression and anxiety. And yes, it is possible to overcome it. In this six week online study, Kelly will share tools for you to FIGHT and you will practice them in weekly homework. You will learn to:

F – Forget the Lies

I – Identify Triggers

G – Give Thanks

H – Hold Tight to the True

T – Tell Others

This study is open for adults and teens, as well as loved ones of those who struggle so they can learn how to help.

Cost is $10 per family/friend group. This could be people living in the same home, or in states where gathering is allowed, a small group (six or less) who want to participate in the study together.

Price includes a PDF of the study guide for each person which includes the weekly homework, teaching via weekly Zoom sessions, and a FREE e-copy of Angel Discovered, the first book in Kelly’s Lauren Drake series based on a character who deals with depression and anxiety.

Click HERE to register for the event.

 

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Thanks to all who supported this fundraiser! We were able to gift over $500 to Maddy for her mission trip to New Zealand. You can follow her missionary journey on her FB page. 

Tuesday July 14, 2020 – Sunday July 26, 2020

online

Map and Directions | Register

Description:

Help Maddy follow God’s call to serve as she joins YWAM (Youth with a Mission) for a six-month mission trip to New Zealand in October. You can find her testimony and journey HERE.

Many amazing authors have donated their books in support. All money raised will go directly into her New Zealand fund.

Here’s how it works. Buy tickets here through Paypal. After your purchase is complete, you’ll receive an email  (check your spam folder!) where you can choose which baskets to “put” your raffle tickets in.

Winners will be emailed and posted in our Facebook event on July 27, and on Kelly’s blog.



*Note–books will only be shipped within the US. Thank you for your donation!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I had half of this blog completed this morning, then I needed to go to the chiropractor and run errands. My errands led me right next to my church. The Holy Spirit started tugging on my heart to stop for prayer. After all, they have invited us to do so on social media and, well, my head felt like it was going to explode last night while I was reading this chapter. I decided it was time to do what James 5 calls us to and seek the prayers of the leaders of the church.

One of the female pastors sat with me, listened to the story of my accident, and then prayed over me. It was an awesome prayer. A prayer filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. I thanked her, and as we made conversation on the way to the door, she said something that made me pause. That’s when I admitted I’d been struggling with more than physical pain. She did what any good leader and sister in Christ would do. She led me back to sit down and asked me to share. As I did, she didn’t condemn. She shared the truth with me. I cringed inside every time she said “You know that” because I do know. I just haven’t been living it.

“Your relationships with others will never be right until your relationship with God is right.” The words left her lips, but they were straight from the Holy Spirit. And I knew the moment she said them, that’s what God wanted to remind me of through this chapter.

In the last two years of trials and turmoil, I haven’t cherished relationships as I should. Not my relationship with God, not my relationship with my husband, not my relationships with others at my church or with my friends. I could list a dozen reasons why, yet those don’t matter now. What matters is that I make a change.

Pastor Jess encouraged me to do one thing a day toward a better relationship with God and one thing a day to improve my relationship with my husband. On the way home, I put on my worship songs and I didn’t just sing them. I sang them to the Lord. The tears came with Control by Tenth Avenue North. The entire song spoke to my struggles, but the chorus broke me.

“God, You don’t need me, but somehow You want me.

Oh how You love me, somehow that frees me to take my hands off of my life and the way it should go.

God, You don’t need me, but somehow You want me.

Oh how You love me, somehow that frees me to open my hands up and give you control.”

Surrendered to Him, I came home and fought with my husband. Yep, you read correctly. I cried, yelled, and then felt awful. Obviously I hadn’t surrendered control to the Lord. So, I asked for my husband’s forgiveness and we prayed together.

Friends, we aren’t perfect. We are all sinners saved by grace. We are going to blow it time and time again. Then we ask for God’s forgiveness, other people’s forgiveness if necessary, and we move on to make it better.

“Prayer helps us stay focused on bigger things, on much more eternal things than the petty stuff that threatens to puff itself up beyond its actual size and becomes some huge deal it doesn’t deserve to be. In prayer we experience the kind of hard-fought key that unites us in an army of soldiers for Christ.” (Shirer 173)

We need to stay in that place of prayer and in His Word to cultivate a right relationship with God so we can have godly relationships with others.

I’ve had several women tell me they just don’t have close relationships, especially with ladies in the church. My response? Pray! Ask God to bring them. God wants us to do life with one another.

“Together, we are a mighty force. Satan knows that.

And by remaining united, we let him feel that.” (Shirer 171)

I started praying that five years ago. We ended up moving churches and it took me a year to make a friend. But from the first day, I felt noticed at church. I felt welcome and loved. As one year rolled into two, I became a leader at Bible study and drew closer to several women, like Pastor Jess, who love me enough not only to listen to me but to help me strive to be all God wants me to be. It’s because of how people like Jess pour into my life that I can say to you, my friend, I care about you. I want the best God has for you. And the best is drawing close to Him and His people. The cool thing about that prayer I prayed? He didn’t just bring me friends at church. He brought me a group of writer friends. Only one lives in California, but we have grown such a strong bond they were the first people I texted after my best friend and my dad died. They felt my grief even though they never knew Tammy or my dad because they know me so well. Their hearts were breaking for me.

I pray you will take the time to thank God for His love and the love of others. If your relationship with the Lord is lacking, do one thing a day to improve it. If your relationship with another person is not what it should be, do one thing a day to mend it. If you lack people who love you and will “do life” with you, pray for the Lord to bring those people. If you aren’t going to church, I’m praying you will find a body of believers who will surround you and pour into your life as you pour into the lives of others. Your job is to start going to church.

“Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25 )

We win, my friend. We win because God is our Father and He does the fighting for us. It’s time to show Satan that we are victorious in the lives we lead, united with other believers in Christ.

Quotes not from the Bible are taken from:

Shirer, Priscilla. “Fervent.” B & H Publishing Group, 2015.

Missing baseball season? Tired of watching TV? Head to AMAZON and download your copy of The Deceived for FREE through May 5. It is currently #1 in free books in its category. If you are interested in reading it with your teen or in a book club, let me know and I will email you a FREE study guide that has questions for each chapter in the book.

Sometimes people hurt us intentionally or sometimes they’re oblivious to the hurt they cause. I don’t know that one is easier to live with than the other. Take the guy who ran the red light and hit my car, for example. Once I got out and I went to the passenger side, he rolled down the window.

“What were you thinking?” I yelled. “Your light was so red. What were you doing?”

He just looked at me and shrugged. Not a word, not an apology. Just a shrug.

And I’ve been in pain for almost four weeks because of him. If it wasn’t for him, I’d probably be finishing the book I’m writing. My goal for April was to finish The Redeemed. If it wasn’t for him there would have been more laughter this past month than tears. I’d be able to go down to San Diego and visit my mom. I’d be cooking more meals for my vegan hubby. I’d be talking to my friends more. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t feel miserable every day.

“If I were your enemy, I’d use every opportunity to bring old wounds to mind, as well as the people, events, and circumstances that caused them. I’d try to ensure that your heart was hardened with anger and bitterness. Shackled through unforgiveness.” (Shirer 151)

Yes, this guy hurt me. Yes, it’s unfair. I have two choices though. Hold on to the hurt and bitterness, allowing Satan to use it for his purpose, or forgive him in Christ and allow God to use it for my good.

Unfortunately, there are all kinds of hurts a person can inflict on another human being. There’s physical pain, emotional pain, and even spiritual pain. I have suffered all three and honestly don’t know that one is more devastating than the others. They all leave scars. They can all put us in a bad place. But not forgiving the person who wronged us puts us in a worse position.

“When you choose to forgive someone, you’re not wiping their actions away as if the bad things didn’t happen, giving people a free pass from the harm they’ve caused. You’re just sparing yourself the burden of working two extra jobs— being judge and jury for how justice is meted out in the situation.” (Shirer 160)

I understand that. I have forgiven even greater hurts people have inflicted upon me. Hurts that a person should never have to endure from anyone, let alone those considered spiritual leaders. But when Priscilla quoted 2 Corinthians 2:5-8, my eyes were open to what true forgiveness is.

“I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.” (2 Corinthians 2:5-8 NLT)

My first thought after reading those verses was, “But I’m the one who has been sinned against. I’m the one in pain. I need to be comforted.  Why would I want to comfort the person who sinned against me?”

Though I wasn’t really asking God, the answer came quickly from the Holy Spirit.

To be like Jesus.

We comfort those who sinned against us because that’s what Jesus did. Hanging on the cross after being beaten for others’ sins, He prayed “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34 NLT) He didn’t yell or cuss at them. He didn’t glare at them. He verbally asked God to forgive them in their presence. I’m sure when they realized what they had done, that act brought comfort.

It’s not about giving the person a shoulder to cry on. Comforting doesn’t need to mean you pat a person on the back and say what they did was okay. It could be taking them a meal like Priscilla did or offering words of kindness. A smile instead of a glare. A handshake instead of a cold shoulder. Even saying a prayer for their salvation rather than cursing their name. If Jesus can do it, we can as well because His Spirit lives in us.

“Genuine freedom and renewed fervency are waiting for you on the other side of forgiveness. And the forgiveness you don’t have any desire to give right now can be amazingly enabled through prayer.”  (Shirer 161)

What hurt have you endured that you need to lift to God? Who is it that you need to forgive? Please don’t gloss over this week’s prayer, my friend. Find your scripture to cling to and write out the prayer that will bring freedom to your soul. The prayer of forgiveness.