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25 Ways a Single Mom can Fight Depression

Single moms, do you sometimes feel like you are one event away from losing it? If one more thing — just one more – doesn’t go well, it’s going to tip you over the edge! Does the stress of parenting alone often weigh so heavy on your shoulders that you battle depression and perpetual feelings of sadness? You are not alone. The U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health found in research that the prevalence of moderate to severe depression was significantly more pronounced among single mothers by 28.7%.  This concludes that single mothers are more likely to experience poor mental health than partnered mothers, and the primary factors associated with this are the presence of financial hardship, overwhelming stress, and a perceived lack of social support.&nb...

hide

I will play hide-and-seek with youif that’s the game you want to play.I will cover my eyes and count while yourun run and imagine how to be invisible,situate yourself so thespace envelopesyou fully maybe by shadow maybe by sound,your own breathing held so you can’tfeel your heart, as if that would work;but I will uncover my eyes,unwrap fingers from browand begin the first steps oflooking looking for what youhope I will find again. -jennifer j. camp This post appeared originally at jenniferjcamp.com

say

I like that about youthe way you pause,your eyes crinkled and bright. I hear you, yourattempts to find what it wasyou wanted to say. I speak into you now,your voice becoming mine,mine becoming yours. Trust it. Keep moving:me in you / you in me -jennifer j. camp This post appeared originally at jenniferjcamp.com

Following God’s Direction

www.insideoutwithcourtnaye.org Where are you today? Are you at a crossroad as it relates to direction? Are you trying to figure out which decision to make on something pretty major in your life? Are you needing God’s direction right now? And lastly, what is it? Whatever it is, pause and pray. Ask God to show you clearly what you need to do. But when He reveals it to you, follow His direction. Don’t waver, because He’s faithful to give you the wisest answer. In James 1:5-6, the writer tells us, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind....

Little Steps to Big Change

Last summer, I would have told you I didn’t have an artsy bone in my body. And I didn’t. When my mom set up a summer lake house painting project for everyone, I was relieved that the lines were already drawn, and I just had to fill in the space with watercolor paints. But something strange happened last summer. I somehow couldn’t stop painting. My paintings weren’t much good initially, but I found it strangely relaxing and tried to fit in a quick painting session almost daily. I didn’t think I was improving but it was fun. Much to my surprise, I started to improve! The progress was so incremental that I barely saw it happening. I find myself this year able to say that I am indeed artsy. I’m not super great at persevering over a long period of time. I am tempted to believe that if the effor...

still

It stretches out, this spacebetween the quiet,layered with chiming bells,clip-clopping horses andcars rumbling over cobblestones.Teenagers sprawl on couches–laughter and sneezing and sullen smiles;sighs and thumping, socked feet.Still we huddle together,bars of chocolate on our tongues,notes of the Beautiful Normalthinly disguised as heavensinging lullabies tofractured hearts. -jennifer j. camp This post appeared originally at jenniferjcamp.com

i stand here

I stand here—the kitchen counteran altarwhere words come andprayers in opened hand.I raise my arms,eyes squeezed shutto the teapot’s reflective chrome,and make this vow:Nothing you sayI won’t believe.You’ve come too far,fought too many battles,for me to doubt you now.I love it here,preparing to be lovedso well. —jennifer j. camp This post appeared originally at jenniferjcamp.com

4 Types of Baggage We Bring Into a New Relationship and How to Fix It!

                I have been blessed to attend dozens and dozens of marriage ceremonies through the years.  Never does the beauty of a blushing and glowing bride or the look on her soon-to-be husband’s face, when she appears, get old.  I get butterflies as I think of the exciting journey they are about to embark upon. The joy of marriage is not talked about often enough!  In fact, I might venture to say that because I work in single parenting ministry, the marriage beauty can be overshadowed by the hardships that I often see in divorce or failed relationships.  Yet, the reality is, there is something wonderful about having a partner to do life with, to share experiences with, or to bounce ideas of...

flight

It isn’t long before sunlight trickles in, glass-orbed particles bouncing,percolating like stars in rain. My boots crunch rock in wet-strewnpavement, Ireland green marryingsky-ocean blue. I remember, it wasn’t so long ago, that we collectedourselves, stood up on bike pedals anddecided not to be afraid. After all,wet streets were no danger, cars zoomingaround us, we foreigners on theleft-right side of the road. Adventureisn’t hard to find when fear is notwrestled to the ground but held, afragile bird longing to be givenpermission to fly. And so I stayreleased, remembering our handsgripping handles, ice-April air cuttingthrough cloth: the flock of us,heads up, wings outstretched, willingto continue if only to see the nextturn in the road. -jennifer j. camp This post appeared o...

Gathering like Grandma

My Grandma was wonderful at gathering people together. As a child, I greatly reaped the benefits of her gifting, although I did not realize she was displaying a biblical characteristic.  I see now that her hospitality was one of the greatest things about her. I want to live in that legacy and pass it onto the next generation. Growing up, I got to see my out-of-state grandparents about 3 times per year.  In the spring, we visited their Arizona house for the whole week of spring break.  Grandma always had clean beds for us, a meal cooking after we arrived from our day of travel, new toiletries for us to use, and a pantry stocked full of fun things for her grandchildren.  In the summertime, they provided a two-week long vacation on Lake Huron for all of their children and ...

third floor Airbnb in Belgium

When will it begin, the ability to staypresent without wistfulness or striving?For this rhythm of searching for more exhausts me.Beautiful expectation this earth yet to breakopen with wonder too great to comprehend.Like he is and she is and like this lighthitting in a triangle on this jute flooras bells sing out at dusk across the plaza in June. -jennifer j. camp This post appeared originally at jenniferjcamp.com

confession

I confess I struggle, impatient for changebut hesitant to do the work required for it.I want the benefits, the reward without the hardwork and the fear that effort will produce failure.Failure isn’t worth avoiding at all costs,for the cost of not trying to changeis worse than failing.Please forgive me and help me.I want to be willing to try and to sacrificeand to love—always to love. -jennifer j. camp This post appeared originally at jenniferjcamp.com