Joel Osteen & Joyce Meyer - helping in small doses.

[MyMiddleNameisHypo]

As of late, I have once again "relapsed" with my Hypochondria and Anxiety disorders to the point where Agoraphobia was beginning to rear its ugly head in my life. Since I have been out of work for 14 months I've had a lot of time alone which I truly feel contributed to my severe relapse.

I took it upon myself to start seeing a counselor once a week. After very little progress, I was nearly at my whits end with the counselor and the whole anxiety situation. I had considered having myself admitted into a government based inpatient treatment facility - and I told my counselor this. She swiftly changed the subject and asked me if I had ever listened to Joel Osteen or Joyce Meyer. Being from Houston originally, I had heard of Joel Osteen but because I was raised a Roman Catholic I never thought to listen to him. I left the counselor appointment feeling drained, highly emotional and still feeling like rock bottom would be a step up from where I was.

I got home and pulled up some Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer videos online. I was AMAZED. I could feel my despair lessening, for once in my life - I felt like there was HOPE. It was that moment I realized that things truly can get better. I spend the next week listening to and watching next to  nothing but Joel Osteen's sermons and Joyce Meyer's speeches.

While these have not cured me 100% - or even 50%, I no longer feel so overwhelmed - and when I do, I put my headphones on and listen to them again and again.

I hope this post can help at least one person. I understand that not everyone believes in God or Religion and I hope I didn't offend anyone but Osteen and Meyer have been a Godsend to me throughout all of this. 

Thanks for reading! 

[PinkIcePrincess]

Hi MyMiddleNameis Hypo,
  I LOVE JOYCE MEYERS!! I have seen Joel but not alot.
    Joyce has a great book called Straight Talk it is about anxiety ,depression and sure is very helpful her bood Battlefield of the mind is an awesome book also and I also bought the cd sessions called POWER THOUGHTS you get small carrying cards,work book and several cds..awesome!!
  I watch her on TV also she is a power house and she has been through alot in her life and she shares that..which helps so many.
 Patsy Clairmont a long time sufferer with Agoraphobia is another good speaker she does alot of the Women of Faith conferences. She spent 20 yrs dealing with Agoraphobia and now she is just amazing and a spit fire!! lol.
  Thanks for sharing and helping others out!!  We need all the help we can get!! I believe!
Youtube is a great place to watch many of these people.. I have agoraphobia so I watch alot of her and Charles Stanley do not always agree with him but he is really good also. Love his Life Principles Bible..since I can not set in a Church just yet.
  Talk to you soon !
  Happy Healing!
  PinkIcePrincess

[Infinite]

*Sigh* To each their own I guess, but religion and religious indoctrination has worsened or even caused mental issues in people. This type of stuff quite often confuses people and makes them totally irrational, at least if they are influenced easily. Glad it works for you guys (even though I am an atheist), but be careful telling people this the answer.

[MyMiddleNameisHypo]

I guess we can agree to disagree. The thought that people would deliberately deny God and Religion makes me sad and I find it deeply disturbing. Perhaps if more people would open themselves up to the Lord's blessing it would lift the heavy burden on their shoulders.

If it helps you to sleep and night believing that when you die you will do nothing but rot in the ground - so be it. As for me, I know I'm going to Heaven to live out the rest of eternity in bliss - and THAT helps me sleep at night.

My life doesn't end when they put me 6 foot in the ground - for a non-believer, it does.

However, each is to their own - as you said.
 
May God bless your soul.

Also, while I am NOT pushing Religion on ANYONE - I am just simply stating what I know regarding what I believe and what non-believers believe. Correct me if I'm wrong. I have always been under the impression that non-believers believe that when they die it is basically like when any other living thing dies - they pretty much decay into nothing. Correct?

[tinam7]

What I find distressing is that anyone else's views that do not conform are deemed "deeply disturbing." This can grow into worse, dangerous disturbances as history has proven again and again.

I am accepting of everyone's beliefs as long as they do not impact me. And, correct, for me there is nothing after death unless I am pleasantly surprised. But the here and now is good enough for me.

[MyMiddleNameisHypo]

I personally refuse to settle for mediocrity. I refuse to believe this life is all there is.

However, there is no persuading you otherwise. Some enjoy mediocrity, as for me, I know there are great things to come in my future because I am a child of the most high God. He would not allow me to suffer so much down here in everyday life if I wasn't going to be rewarded in the afterlife. This is all a test. During hard times, people want to blame God, they want to blame Religion. It's all just a test to see who is worthy. I do not question nor do I attempt to "push" my beliefs on others. You believe what you want to, and I'll believe in the truth.

[Happy sailing]

Mymiddllename...
I am also a Christian and I also watch Joel Osteen and Joyce Myere and find them encouraging.

Infinite....
I understand why you say that.  There have been people "wrongly" influenced by "religions" and things said and done "in the name of God" that, in my opinion, and evident by the "fruit" or "outcome" of those things to NOT been of God at all!!  In my opinion, I believe that God is love and His words/actions are borne out of His character and Who He is-love. 
I also have seen personally how people with fear issues needlessly become afraid of God etc. 
Anyway... I am NOT telling you believe anything!  I believe God gave each of us free will and with that "pushing" anything on another is "manipulation and control" and a violation of the free will God gave us all.  It is also my belief that God doesn't violate anyone's free will and that is why it is wrong for us to do so, including in the name of "religion" .  I believe that God comes / will come to those who ask Him too.

Tinam7... I think what I wrote above to Infinite would address what you wrote as well.
I guess I just want to say that I am a Christian, but I TOTALLY respect each person's "divine" right to their own choices and opinions. 

Hugs and love to all!!!   
 

[GenSec]

Perhaps if more people would open themselves up to the Lord's blessing it would lift the heavy burden on their shoulders.

Well, what has always interested me is that the majority of the people here on this website claim to be Christian and the Lord's blessing doesn't seem to have lifted the heavy burden from their shoulders anymore than athiests like myself. It would seem that the burdens we carry on our shoulders that bring us all here for support are of similar weight regardless of whether or not we choose to convince ourself of a god.

Some enjoy mediocrity, as for me, I know there are great things to come in my future because I am a child of the most high God.

Some may dismiss my beliefs as mere "mediocrity", but i prefer to call them "reality". They don't particularly disturb my sleep at night. Furthermore, it doesn't deeply disturb me when other people don't chime in agreement with my beliefs. Why should it disturb me?

You're going to heaven, i'm going to rot in the ground - what is there for you to be deeply disturbed about? You're apparently sure of your salvation and reward at the end of this life. You should be as secure in your beliefs as sure can be i would have thought.

Best,
Gen.

[MyMiddleNameisHypo]

I just don't understand why the non-believers couldn't have just simply skipped this post instead of blowing up the thread with blasphemy. The original thread was direct towards BELIEVERS. If you didn't like the the heading of the post - why couldn't you have just skipped over it? That is just like an Atheist to try and attempt to make Christians look like ignorant fools. You are not obligated to respond to every single post on this website.

I made a simple suggestion to fellow Christians - if you are not a Christian then this thread OBVIOUSLY does not pertain to you.


Simple.

Instead of blowing up my thread, why don't you go create you own regarding how Atheism has helped you in life. How it has given you hope - instead of completely ruining mine. I still stick to my guns - Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer has helped me and I truly believe they have the power to help OTHER CHRISTIANS.

[tinam7]

Thank you for your response. It speaks for itself.

[GenSec]

All this looked like when i read came across this thread was a simple mutual exchange of opinions amongst members here, nothing more. You responded and participated in that discussion without complaint too, MyMiddleNameisHypo. If this outburst was how you felt, all you had to do was say so from the start.

Simple.

Please, after all there's absolutely no reason to let my mediocre views deeply disturb you.

Bye,
Gen.

[Infinite]

[Tam0630]

I just don't understand why the non-believers couldn't have just simply skipped this post instead of blowing up the thread with blasphemy. The original thread was direct towards BELIEVERS. If you didn't like the the heading of the post - why couldn't you have just skipped over it? That is just like an Atheist to try and attempt to make Christians look like ignorant fools. You are not obligated to respond to every single post on this website.

I made a simple suggestion to fellow Christians - if you are not a Christian then this thread OBVIOUSLY does not pertain to you.


Simple.

Instead of blowing up my thread, why don't you go create you own regarding how Atheism has helped you in life. How it has given you hope - instead of completely ruining mine. I still stick to my guns - Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer has helped me and I truly believe they have the power to help OTHER CHRISTIANS.

Quoting this post for the purpose of getting your attention. I could have quoted much more but for the sake of time, I won't. I am a Christian, and as such, I will call you out with respect and quote the scripture you apparently live by in doing so.

Ephesians 4: 1-3 (english standard version)

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4: 31-32

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

----------------------------

While you are entitled as a Christian to defend your beliefs, the bible itself tells you that doing so arrogantly, in slander, without gentleness, patience and humility, is clearly wrong.

We are not called to be arrogant in getting our point across. We are called to be different, set apart, slow to anger and abounding in love and need I say, tolerance.

Just some food for thought. Just because someone doesn't believe the things that you and I do, doesn't mean they are "mediocre" people worthy of such disrespect.

[tinam7]

First, Tam, I want to thank you for your post.

Then I want to mention a book a friend told me about that is without a doubt the most memorable book about WWII. It is the story of the Christian Corrie ten Boom and her family (Dutch) and their activities at that terrible time. They all paid for it with their lives except for Corrie (Cornelia) who survived the very worst. She tells their story in The Hiding Place which also became a movie.

[excusemydust]

I realize that I'm walking into a bit of a minefield here, but I wanted to note that Joyce Meyer uses a lot of general psychological principles that would apply regardless of whether one is a Christian and she is hugely entertaining.

[Happy sailing]

Hey there Excusemydust -
That is cool!
Great observation!
I was just wondering what general psychological principles ( because I want to try to benefit from them). 
I also find her entertaining!
Just trying o get better, faster!! 
Hugs 

[Fireraiser]

The post by Tam0630 is what I found inspirational.  I am an atheist that follows a buddhist way of life, and I found what Tam said very profound, and feel that this could apply to persons regardless of what there beliefs are.

Thanks Tam0630.