Welcome to Dymphna's Diary

Although I am not Catholic, I find it interesting that "Dymphna" is the patron saint of those who suffer from clinical depression and other mental illnesses. Considering the purpose of this site is to offer inspiration and spiritual guidance to my readers, I felt it was only right I chose her namesake for the title.

In 2010, this site was set up to pass along personal information about how depression has affected my life and the lives of my family. Since then, it has EVOLVED. In 2011, I attempted to present posts that were INSPIRATIONAL to you, my readers. In 2012, I went even deeper with personal stories from people across the United States via touching videos, songs, and interviews. My hope was to show each of you that even when you feel that you are in a situation that no one else could understand, you are not alone. Through it all, my comments have remained to be my personal opinions and spiritual reflections. I will continue to occasionally post information that I feel is beneficial in removing the stigma of mental illness, but regardless I feel blessed to have been given this platform to spread God's love and compassion for ALL people. I wouldn't be where I am today without the strength I receive daily from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My hope is that this blog will help you find some comfort in your life. It most certainly is helping me find comfort in mine.

I want to make it perfectly clear, though, that when I make generalizations regarding mental illness, I am NOT giving advice to anyone. I'm just passing along information that I have found helpful in my life. I'm writing about MY PERSONAL experiences and thoughts. Mental illness affects everyone differently and your situation may not be reflective of mine.


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Potato Chips

I received this today via email from a friend.
I've read it before (and shared it before),
but it touched my heart again...

Potato Chips

A little boy wanted to meet God.
He knew it was a long trip to where God lived,
so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips
and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man.
He was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons.
The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase.

He was about to take a drink from his root beer
when he noticed that the old man looked hungry,
so he offered him some chips.
He gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.

His smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again,
so he offered him a root beer.
Again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling,
but they never said a word.

As twilight approached,
the boy realized how tired he was
and he got up to leave;
but before he had gone more than a few steps,
he turned around, ran back to the old man,
and gave him a hug.
He gave him his biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door
to his own house a short time later,
his mother was surprised
by the look of joy on his face.
She asked him,
"What did you do today that made you so happy?"
He replied, "I had lunch with God."
But before his mother could respond,
he added, "You know what?
He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy,
returned to his home.
His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked,
"Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"
He replied "I ate potato chips in the park with God."
However, before his son responded, he added,
"You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile,
a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment,
or the smallest act of caring...
all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime!
Embrace all equally! 

Have lunch with God.......bring chips.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Broken Girl

This is a wonderful song of inspiration (by Matthew West) for all the broken girls of the world.  Grace can bring you mending...