Suicidal Season

Good Evening to All!

This season, while for a lot of us it is a joyous occasion, to some it dredges up the ultimate sad and depressing memories for which people who may not understand the peace that God can give to their lives feel. My prayers go out to you this season in hope and faith that you will find the answers you seek in other ways than taking your life.

This statement is just "food for thought", but God's Salvation Plan according to Acts 2:38 is Repent, be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and ye Shall receive the Holy Ghost. To repent means to turn away from your old ways and start going in the right direction. Now think about it. If you take your own life, how will you be able to repent? You won't be able to change your life around for the better. Therefore, knowing that our lives are not our own, but God's, and it is not our right to take our life, how can we believe that we will be forgiven if we commit this act?

God is bigger than the universe, so He's definitely bigger than our problems. God Can Handle Anything.

Our lives are not our's to take. We were bought with a price of Jesus' death on the cross. Our lives belong to God. They are His to do with as only He sees fit.

If you are alive tonight, this means that God has a plan for you, and therefore you should not cut your life short before God's plan is accomplished by you.

When you start feeling depressed and having these hopeless feelings, please start praying and talking to God. He will answer you. All you have to do is listen for that still, small voice inside of you. If you feel that "you don't know how to pray, then just talk to God like you would a friend. I talk out loud to Him all the time. Nothing says that every time you pray you have to be on your knees with your head bowed. I often talk to Him just like I would talk to you or anyone who is visible. I also get answers in my spirit from Him.

I hope this post will help bring some peace and comfort to some of you tonight and even the coming nights. I will pray that you will work through your momentary (it can be momentary if you will talk to God and focus on Him rather than your problems). Just remember GOD IS BIGGER THAN ANY PROBLEM. The problem with us humans is we tend to focus on how big our problems are instead of how big God is. The following is an email which I received from a friend who thought that my blog may be an ideal one to post it for all to see.

FEELING SUICIDAL?

Dear Friend,
I'm so sorry you’re going through a hard time. Good news, though—there
really is hope. Time will change your current situation. You’ll soon find that
these dark feelings are temporary. Peace and joy are available to you.
I'm not promising that you’ll never have losses, but the pain will pass as you
keep praying and seeking God. Keep your head high in this storm until the
sun shines again. Soon this dark period of your life will be behind you.

There is hope. Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Recommendations:
(1) Go to other believers for encouragement.
Find a church home. Join a small Bible study in a home or church
setting. Surround yourself with others your age who seek God and
study His Word. (2) Listen to inspirational music.
You can find Christian music in your favorite style. Try your local
Christian radio station or one online. (3) Take time to read the Bible.
If you don't have a Bible, there are versions available on the Web
that you can download. Or ask your church for assistance. (4) Read the book, Purpose Driven Life. This is a great Bible study and will give you a sense of direction
and purpose for your life so you feel plugged in. (5) Get help.

Call 9-1-1 or go to an emergency room if you fear you are no
longer able to prevent taking your life. Allow someone outside
your situation to intervene. Also, consider going for counseling.
Seek out a pastor or other professional who will listen, care, and
help you with your struggles.

You are in our prayers during this difficult season in your life.

Linda Evans Shepherd

www.GodTest.com
Suicide Helpline: 1-800-SUICIDE


Sometimes good things happen suddenly. It was New Year's Eve 2003 when I considered
all the people contemplating ending their life that very night. As a person who has also experienced a dark night of the soul, I understood how a crisis, circumstance or depression could create a state of hopelessness. It’s only by the grace of God that I survived my dark night to live a life of joy.

Sometimes all it takes to survive a dark time is a little hope and encouragement as well as a fresh perspective of God's love. That's when I decided to hook up my interactive website, GodTest.com, with the suicidal lanes of the Internet.

That night 20 people came to Christ. By Monday morning 100 people had escaped suicide and found faith. Two weeks later, we were at 12,000 hits and 2000 souls coming to faith.

I soon added other features to the site. With each improvement, we experienced greater statistics. More than that, we received personal reports to show the site served a purpose. A depressed pastor wrote, "Thank you. This was the worst ministry day of my life. Your site helped me feel better." A dad of a disabled child wrote, "You saved two lives tonight. You see, I was going to kill both myself and my child, but your story has encouraged me. The two of us will live."

Since then, we have seen thousands of suicides prevented and over half a million people have come to faith. Millions have found the encouragement they need. We’ve recently redesigned the site and hope this will attract even more people to the site and encourage them to draw close to God.

As the president of a tiny nonprofit, Right to the Heart, we are delighted to help and encourage so many. Please visit the site, link to it from your online presence, and spread the word.

Linda Evans Shepherd
www.GodTest.com

U.S. Suicide Statistics (2005)

• 1.3% of all deaths are from
suicide.
• On average, one suicide
occurs every 16 minutes.
• Suicide is the second leading
cause of death for 25-34
year olds, as well as
college students.
• More people die from suicide
than from homicide.
• There were over 800,000
suicide attempts in 2005.

My Prayers are with you during this trying time.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!