Getting rid of the baggage.

I believe that many time in life we go through more than we truly have too.  You know, the Bible tells us that God will put no more on us than we can bare. We ask then, why does everything seems so hard? That answer is because we have a tendency to hold within ourselves things we didn't even know was there. I know this because I am one of those people. I believe also that God puts people in our lives to help us to learn to cope with things that is wrong.

Cope - to handle something successful: to deal successfully with a difficult problem or situation.

Friends, men, especially have a tendency to think we can overcome things on our own, because most of us growing up was told grown men do cry and we have to be strong. Friends, take it from someone who is there and going through the same as you. Living in the past, (the baggage) will eventually catch up with you. Unless you or someone you know are aware of the signs, it will be  every hard to detect what is happening.
Many of the things we try thinking that we will get over it, doesn't work. We think that being able to talk to a love one or spouse about our problems will do the trick and fix us but there is more to it than that. We are talking about many many years of carrying past baggage. Getting help or treatment is no different than an Alcoholic seeking helping through AA, or a smoker having help to quit smoking. To many  times why we hold onto the past is because we go into what is called preservation mode.

Preservation - Is to protect from harm, danger; to protect.

Many people who have psychological problems are unaware because things happen to us in our youth or growing to where we build up a wall, saying, "I will never let this happen again".

Psychological  - Human mind: relating to the mind or mental processes affecting humans:  affecting or intended to affect the mind and mental processes.

 When I was young there had been a lot of bad things in my life and I say (had been) because it is in the past, now I have a future. People who live in the past have no future. As I was saying there had been things that took place so that one day I told myself, "NO ONE will ever hurt me again". I had built up such a wall I could not break it down on my own. Past baggage hurts everyone around you. I myself believe that 85% of divorces take place because of hurt from things we have no control over or we can't fix ourselves (past baggage).

As much as I hate to bring up these two subjects, they are two examples of why getting help will help you to cope and overcome the baggage of your past.

      1. Is battered wife/husband syndrome, yes it can go both ways
      2. abuse, (mentally,verbally, or physically), even child molesting/rape which could had happened only once or continue on into their teen and adult years. These are just two of the many things people try to cope with on their own. These are things that causes broken marriages and homes. When things begin to arise in our relationships with others we do have a tendency to get angry or upset to the point that there is no point of repair.
I believe that those things we have heard or experienced in our past stays within us until we can get help. And we bring them into our relationships. Being abusive isn't a way of life, we must face it!  Being abusive is a (SICKNESS). We said earlier in this blog that God puts on us no more than we can bare. Many will ask, if He, (God), doesn't, why doesn't or why won't he heal me. To be honest I have no answer to why He won't. The Apostle Paul had a thorn in his side, (not a literal thorn) it could have been a sickness, disease. We really don't know because there isn't much mentioned about it except that He asked God to remove it three times and God said NO, My grace is sufficient. Meaning I guess it is there to keep you (Paul) humble.
Many people suffer from depression and being Bi-polar. Many don't even know that they carry that around everyday. We feel down in the dumps all the times, don't care about things, especially those we love. When we suffer everyone suffers.
Some say that depression can be hereditary.

In which hereditary means - of or relating to,or denoting factor that can be transmitted from one generation to the next.

What cause depression and anxiety -

• Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for weeks or longer.

There are a number of factors that may increase the chance of depression, including the following:

• Abuse. Past physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can cause depression later in life.
• Certain medications. For example, some drugs used to treat high blood pressure, such as beta-blockers or reserpine, can increase your risk of depression.
• Conflict. Depression may result from personal conflicts or disputes with family members or friends.
• Death or a loss. Sadness or grief from the death or loss of a loved one, though natural, can also increase the risk of depression.
• Genetics. A family history of depression may increase the risk. It's thought that depression is passed genetically from one generation to the next. The exact way this happens, though, is not known.
• Major events. Even good events such as starting a new job, graduating, or getting married can lead to depression. So can moving, losing a job or income, getting divorced, or retiring.
• Other personal problems. Problems such as social isolation due to other mental illnesses or being cast out of a family or social group can lead to depression.
• Serious illnesses. Sometimes depression co-exists with a major illness or is a reaction to the illness.
• Substance abuse. Nearly 30% of people with substance abuse problems also have major or clinical depression.

How Is Biology Related to Depression?

Researchers have noted differences in the brains of people who are depressed as compared to people who are not. For instance, the hippocampus, a small part of the brain that is vital to the storage of memories, appears to be smaller in people with a history of depression than in those who've never been depressed. A smaller hippocampus has fewer serotonin receptors. Serotonin is a calming brain chemical known as a neurotransmitter that allows communication between nerves in the brain and the body. It's also thought that the neurotransmitter norepinephrine may be involved in depression.

Scientists do not know why the hippocampus is smaller in those with depression. Some researchers have found that the stress hormone cortisol is produced in excess in depressed people. These investigators believe that cortisol has a toxic or poisonous effect on the hippocampus. Some experts theorize that depressed people are simply born with a smaller hippocampus and are therefore inclined to suffer from depression.

One thing is certain -- depression is a complex illness with many contributing factors. The latest scans and studies of brain chemistry that show the effects of antidepressants help broaden our understanding of the biochemical processes involved in depression. As scientists gain a better understanding of the cause(s) of depression, health professionals will be able to make better "tailored" diagnoses and, in turn, prescribe more effective treatment plans.

What causes being bi-polar or uni-polar - The cause of bipolar disorder is not entirely known. Genetic, neurochemical and environmental factors probably interact at many levels to play a role in the onset and progression of bipolar disorder. The current thinking is that this is a predominantly biological disorder that occurs in a specific part of the brain and is due to a malfunction of the neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain). As a biological disorder, it may lie dormant and be activated spontaneously or it may be triggered by stressors in life.

Although, no one is quite sure about the exact causes of bipolar disorder, researchers have found these important clues:

Genetic factors in Bipolar Disorder

• Bipolar disorder tends to be familial, meaning that it “runs in families.” About half the people with bipolar disorder have a family member with a mood disorder, such as depression.
• A person who has one parent with bipolar disorder has a 15 to 25 percent chance of having the condition.
• A person who has a non-identical twin with the illness has a 25 percent chance of illness, the same risk as if both parents have bipolar disorder.
• A person who has an identical twin (having exactly the same genetic material) with bipolar disorder has an even greater risk of developing the illness about an eightfold greater risk than a nonidentical twin.
• Studies of adopted twins (where a child whose biological parent had the illness is raised in an adoptive family untouched by the illness) has helped researchers learn more about the genetic causes vs. environmental and life events causes.

Neurochemical Factors in Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is primarily a biological disorder that occurs in a specific area of the brain and is due to the dysfunction of certain neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, in the brain. These chemicals may involve neurotransmitters like norepinephrine,serotonin and probably many others. As a biological disorder, it may lie dormant and be activated on its own or it may be triggered by external factors such as psychological stress and social circumstances.

Environmental Factors in Bipolar Disorder

• A life event may trigger a mood episode in a person with a genetic disposition for bipolar disorder.
• Even without clear genetic factors, altered health habits, alcohol or drug abuse, or hormonal problems can trigger an episode.
• Among those at risk for the illness, bipolar disorder is appearing at increasingly early ages. This apparent increase in earlier occurrences may be due to under diagnosis of the disorder in the past. This change in the age of onset may be a result of social and environmental factors that are not yet understood.
• Although substance abuse is not considered a cause of bipolar disorder, it can worsen the illness by interfering with recovery. Use of alcohol or tranquilizers may induce a more  severe depressive phase.

Now the answer is: there are ways of getting fixed and leaving behind the unwanted emotional baggage we have carried around for years. 

First you must have or receive a diagnosis . 

Then with the help of the right medications, (different people usually are described different medications). What helps one may not be helpful to another but given a chance there is a right combination that will help with you depression/bi-polar disorders. 

And lastly finding the right counselor or therapist that you can feel comfortable with. Some men can relate to women better than men or vice versa.

Don't be ashamed or afraid to ask for help, the only shame is NOT seeking help.  If you don't care enough about yourself to seek help, do it for those you love and don't want to hurt.

 

Yes there are ways to reverse the baggage.
In airports there are baggage claim areas to pick up your luggage? Get off the plane forget the luggage and leave it there. It won't be easy but it can be done.

I hope this will help someone.








 

What about the little people,

As we begin to think about this article, we thought of how this could head in probably 20 different directions. We could talk on one subject for days, and never tell the end of the story. We could talk about the children, the homeless, the poor, lower class, and even the middle class of America and get admonished for doing so, well I say, so be it. What have we to lose, our lives for speaking up?

We live in a fast paced world, at a fast paced speed. Blink your eyes once and you've been passed, forced into the slow lane and no one's moving over. It seems that once the title as the little people is placed on you, it's a tag you'll never lose. Jesus once said, "the poor will always be among you". The Old Testament writer's wrote that it was the families responsibility to care for their sick, their family, their poor. That was over 3000 years or more ago when that was written. Things change but the Word of God does not change. Jesus once said about the laws of His Father that He laid down for an often backsliding Israel. Jesus said, "I come not to do away with the Law of My Father but to add too". Now those very words will hit a sour note with a lot of people, sinners and Christians alike. But to know the word, is to read the word, study the word, and God will reveal the word.

What about the little people who've been left behind, no where to go, no where to turn? What is to be done? First put not your trust in man, men are only human and subject to failure. We are to help our own poor, and sick, but what do we do when we can help no more, where do we turn? First to family, but not to drag them down beyond rescue. Second the Church. Thirdly to the government. Yeah, I know what government? Which opens up another big can of worms . The Church, wow now I'm nervous, talking about the Church and it's part in helping those in need. As far back as I can remember in the Bible, from the times of the days of the Priest and tabernacle, it was a commandment that all should bring a tenth of all they had, into the tabernacle, whether it be, monetary, sheep, goats, cattle, corn, wheat and so on. That the Priest would not have to work, but be set side for the care of the tabernacle with help of priests in learning, to be free to perform the daily sacrifices, free to hear God's word to bring forth to the congregation, and to help those in need. The commandment is still alive today, even though many believe that when Jesus came He did away with it. What a pity. Remember Jesus said, "I came not to take away but to add too"? That's pretty plain. It is also said in the New Testament, will a man rob God, of what, thine tithes and offering? We do live it a different time. Fast cars, hi-tech this, hi-tech that, the day of planting and growing are just about over. Famine, pestilence, drought, fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, changing in the seasons, seasons running together, these are just a few of the "signs". And yes, Jesus did say, "Render unto caesar, what is caesar's and unto God what is God's". We owe God his tenth, still.

But there are some sad stories that go along with those churches who help the needy, poor and homeless, hungry and sick. A Pastor told the story one Sunday morning. He was out mowing the Church grounds, and looked up to see a young man, get out of his car, grab a gas can and walk up to him and said his car was out of gas. He reached into his own pocket and gave the young man, I believe, a $20 dollar bill. The young man even told the Pastor may God bless you sir, however, as the young man was leaving the pastor noticed the man got into his car and drove off! I guess that if a person will rip off a Man of God, they'll rip off the House of God. The way things are today, no stability anywhere. With the economy, stock market, jobs, health insurance out the roof, no heath insurance at all, where do the little people go, what about the little people?

Only one last resort, the Government. Now this is tough, where do we start? For as long as i can remember, and I'm 50 years old now, I have watched television over, and over, and over again, watching people, movie stars, Unicef, Feed the children, organization after organization, ask for food, money, and donations. Showing pictures of little rhaul an Ethopian refugee, or little Mamie who probably won't see tomorrow if she doesnt get help, and for $3.00 a week she'll be able to eat, and we'll even send you a picture so you'll know who you're sponsoring. I am NOT in any way, shape, or form putting down any of these children or organizations, but lets take a trip down some of the streets of America. Let's start on the streets of New York, journey on down through Florida, back across to Texas, on over to California, up to Washington State, and back across every state that makes up the Continental United States. We have our poor, our sick, our homeless, our little people. And if we need a picture before we can even help our little people, go to a morgue, go to the police station, go to the Department of Human Resources, they'll be glad to show you a picture of a person who needs or needed our help, if we really want to help and do something.

Now for the Government. Hello Government, we (America) neeeeeed your help! You have the treasury cranking out billions, upon billions of dollars a day. Wow, what you gonna do with all that money Sir? You gonna give it to help our homeless, our children, our poor, our sick and hungry? You gonna build the homeless a home? You gonna help our children and families with health care? You gonna help our sick and hungry with food, shelter, gas, water and lights, that you wouldn't regulate, so it would be affordable? Probably not. You'll continue to send billions to Iraq, to rebuild it even though they said they didn't need our help, and very little will be for our troops. You continue to send billions to Afghanistan to fight Alqueda, Ben Laden, and the Taliban. Even continue to sell weapons to rogue countries that can't stand us, then turn those very weapons on us, killing our innocent. It's time to hold our elected officials accountable, from the President, Congressmen, Senators, and governors on down the line. Do what you were elected to do. America comes first and foremost, all the others are extra. Help America first, then help every other country to your hearts desire.

GOD bless Israel.

To all the little people who need help, there's coming a day, in the near future when our eternal help will come, a day when every eye shall see and every knee shall bow. A day that will be so powerful, that the earth will tremble, the buildings will fall. A day when every powerful, rich, wealthy, from one end of earth to the next, east to west, north to south, shall cry out from His triumphant entry, with ten thousands of angel by His side, "Oh let the stones fall on us, hide us from His presence".

Little People, there is hope, our day's a coming, and nothing will be as it was. No more tears, no more poor, homeless, sick or hungry. Let all the little people Praise the Lord.

SHALOM AND PEACE TO ISRAEL.