Amy Simpson

Nearly everyone is touched by mental illness – directly or indirectly – at some point. 1 in 4 people are suffering from a mental illness at any time, and the figure is higher for those who have at some point during their life. Antipsychotics are the best-selling class of drugs in the US. Nearly every church has recognized mental illness in its congregation, and yet the vast majority do nothing to care for those suffering, and don’t know how to care for them. Some can even make it show more worse. Ours is supposed to be a community where the hurting, broken and sin-scarred find rest and redemption; where everyone present owns up to being a hurting, broken and sin-scarred individual, rescued from the ultimate death, the ultimate suffering – which we deserve – by the grace of God. An outstanding and challenging book. Some things I don’t think of as mental illness and there are things we can address and help people manage. I think our Lutheran theology helps us address this in a meaningful manner. I am convicted for not having been aware of sensitive enough. show less

Already one of my favorite books of 2015. Who doesn't worry? Especially the second half of the book talks about what God says about worry, how it is a trust issue and much of what we worry about is needless. Understanding our relationship with an all-powerful God and stopping trying to control things we have no control over, or go places we can never go can help so much. If you read one book this year, I'd recommend this one.

Understanding my personality enabled me to see introversion as a gift rather than a liability. Introverts aren't out of touch with the world around them; they're so in touch, they can take only so much of it.