Dealing With Depression; click here to listen

Every man plays a major life doesn't usually feel that way. Jesus speaks of narrow gates wide roads masculine journey is filled with many twists and turns. So how do we keep from losing heart trying to find a way life feels more like a losing battle and something worth dying for, grab your gear, request your band of brothers will serve as the guides we call masculine journey masculine journey starts here now. Glad you're with us special day is not.

It is actually Christmas Eve on you not to say EV beaver and yeah it's it's an actual Christmas eve show we waited for years and is finally here. Very excited about the from their depressed which actually takes us right in the topic last week. You are listening. This we talked about dealing with loss of Christmas when that's lost a relationship or cost of a loved one to whatever that might look like. And in this week we talked about were going to continue to talk about how you deal with depression and I never really touch on that topic as much because it is last week and so if that's where you are.

Respond sorry and secondly you can go back and listen to that show might help you little bit but this we couldn't talk, but just depression in general can open it up to the people in the room and get Jim and Jim, which hopefully will be confusing for Robby Dennis and myself and then Benny's list and then that what some of the things guys that can cause depression. This time year for people well for me. I think it's expectations are set to know we want that perfect TV Christmas if you will and down.

This is real world and insist don't turn out that way to court Griswold approach yes yes they want everything to be perfect and Dennis about you. I think you can have thinking Depression based on some some not so good memories of Christmas past.

Maybe some things it didn't go that well in your life in the past and it when the lights go up it kinda brings all that back can also be brought on by being alone. There are some folks out there probably some Christian people who are they been with someone else brothers in the marriage or relationship or whatever finding themselves being alone can be very depressing to click. This time it year and with the shorter days and everything, all plays into that maybe what you yeah the weather itself trifold but you know more darkness and gloomier and that kind of thing. But you can sing songs and fortunately we live in an area in this part of the country were in sunny good portion of the year you have those people that are north where it's great for the next three months.

This is a very hard time during her time was like living in England all the time.

I don't bring the gym. What about you overlay. I think it's a big time for pausing and reflecting and that can be very depressing things.

I worked out the way we expected that sort of thing thing. Jim said different. It's not my expectations may not be that high, but my disappointments of melted up.

Here's a time to look at all for Charlie Brown and Bloc headedness. It was here in Charlie Brown into second. Yeah, I think there's some other things because I think any time during the transition, you maybe it's not you know I've lost a loved one in a relationship or whatever but they moved to another part of the country or they moved away the night you will come home for Christmas and that that transitional time is really pretty tough for people in and also finances think there's a lot of pressure to get gifts for everybody on the list and people you pray, don't say much to all year and sometimes people want to buy gifts for men and that's his financial pressure that can be very overwhelming for people yeah remember a time.

Well it's happening this year, but times where you don't have as much money to get gifts and you feel kinda pressured that you can't do that. That can be depressing for some folks and absolutely can listen to a young man here talking about his experiences with Christmas and soon picked up. I think you'll recognize it's it's 50 years old this year right in 50 years old and is now in the report with Charlie Brown this I think that once classified as Bloc headedness watching the Charlie Brown Christmas thing. I don't remember that part.

I knew now that I listen to it. You need to scan to gloss over some of those things in some of the stories Dennis you never talking looking up this topic of depression in movies, and when you have a lot of movies we watch Christmas we think are really uplifting have a very dark times. Yeah.

Guess I never really realized when I was six, the jerk. Charlie could be a real downer, year, but unity speaks to something this very real. It I think the expectation is that because it's Christmas because we have all the bright lights in the tensile and everything that were supposed be happy and Charlie was pretty bummed. It really wasn't a good time for him. It was a time where he was kinda questioning why is everyone so joyful when I'm not feeling that way. And if you remember the story comes back around to the true meaning of Christmas which becomes very uplifting for him.

Also something that that we could probably have on a little bit is when everyone, rallies around Charlie Marie and everything is he's not alone. There's fellowship and it it has a happy ending. Absolutely no it. We talked a little bit about the things that can cause depression Christmas woman ask you guys to share little bit times in it for you.

It's been a depressing time of Christmas you when you felt some of those things that we you know were talking about.

I know right now you do for me.

We talked last week losing my mom.

It's been really hard this year and Christmas special time, but also very, very hard, as my my daughter's not get me home. My youngest daughter is not for Christmas for the first time ever you now and so she moved out to Nevada and she's very depressed over Christmas as a family and even though she wanted to move there and assist hard transition times harden it seems like Christmas is a little less from the family perspective and not been able to spend that time together as far as mangoes would probably been a few years back.

He my marriage and started kinda crumbling at that point in time I had a real problem getting into the Christmas spirit. For me it was just watching money go out the window and you know you get to that point where if you're not into it you start seeing all the negatives that come you know with the holidays, whether it be you know the MD year the bosses are always trying to push to get things done in order. You know you watched Bill's mount floor you know is is Jim was saying that you have reflection on the year A.D. years coming to a close and you will you look at the entire year gone okay now where is this going to end up so you start to take the bah humbug approach and at some point you start to feel a little bit like Scrooge just with all this things on top of you to come back and talk about that topic going to get one more clip for get a break and we talk little bit about loneliness and this was actually from the Grinch and in this clip the Grinch has been just he's been down to town and realizes that he's living alone and so when you first hear this, Robby. What's what's happening when you first hear this clip while he has got an x-ray machine and it's these check out the size of his heart, and you can see is getting some reduction there any problem that men also listen to how he justifies being alone at the other part that you gotta bring out is when he's chewing the food at the end it's actually glass all all while I don't know why all like little clip actually touches on so many little pieces of fragmentation for reports is where justifies feel better about himself and making the dog look stupid stick smarter in the isolation he's actually enjoying it that the he isn't being troubled by anybody has naturally about the holiday traffic right he's he's isolated himself. That's the words, but if you watch a movie and obviously can't see that on the radio but he starts to sulk down in the chair realizing I don't like being alone and I and it's been is been down in town and sing just all the celebrations and things are going on and Jim.

I know that I going to break any sure timeline when I Christmas was a depressing time for your find it depressing. Those that nobody will be surprised but it is usually a kind of depressing and I am the bah humbug type, largely because I'm not a kid. I look back to when I was young and rapidly under the tree looking up to the light so that loved everything about Christmas and as I got older it became more and more of the it's not about me anymore.

And until the really was able to celebrate Jesus and it was depressing, year you can be. It's it's hard as can save it if you haven't seen Jim. Jim is an incredibly tall man is a pretty big tree Frito-Lay under now it will help off.

The problem is getting up.

The other part of the depressing part Christmas depression.

Robby everything that you'd like to throw I like to throw in that in the next segment will what we've got some life. We did have some ideas on how to look for life, which is why Jesus came that Kristin doesn't necessarily know and that's contrary to what that was. Visit one of the favorite characters George Bailey given somebody something for Christmas now. The man in your life match injury radio.org register now and there's a convenient payment plan mescaline journey wonders if you would consider giving that man in your life. Christmas present. He'll always treasure his heart. We have a heartless joint coming up April 6 and want to listen to what it did frantic. Truly hear from God. Only $169 for five payments of $33 masculine journey radio.org man in your life something you never forget my son Eli.

We talked about ways you can help support Lily smiled at him was on the information that Facebook.com where we can get masculine once again, PO Box 552 78500 you go back and listen to the rest of that now you just threadbare it's not you might've thought it was.

It's the Christmas edition that's right. It was a movie they were royalist guardsmen that were not really good with his picture on its new be put up all the whites around his house, but you have a dream sequence. During that Charlie Brown Christmas where he was flying a role I came from this war was born itself well before we pick you up we go take it will bid for the trip out for you know poor George Bailey, you know every Christmas he goes through this but if you've never seen the movie it's a wonderful life I do will set up the man has helped out everybody in his mind is never really done anything for himself. He was doing this free save his brother's life he saved the druggist and all the stuff now they've lost his money. That was with the building alone in the mean of the bad guy in town. Mr. Potter is going to make him pay for that and course there's one little surprise, it comes right after this clip because I got a raise $8000 immediately reported on the report from your building and loan all of the man over there from the DAs office to please help me as my family panics on the loan. Any interest I have some life insurance $15,000 policy $500 500 US made land you a used to be so what going to go.

You once called meal walked frustrated. What you will frustrated you miserable little you would live what I'm going to do for you since the state exam as a stockholder of the building alone. I'm going to swear you can.

I like Christmas good story rope. There's no doubt about that in the fascinating thing is it's a beautiful example of where Satan piles on because the obviously if you seen the movie he twists what Mr. Potter said in your worth more dead than alive which gives them the idea of you know, obviously committing suicide, but the other thing is that is the end of his rope and as you may know, I teach special ministries and so we do sign language in sign language for faith is holding onto a rope and so it's actually taking your hands like your holding onto a rope and when you when you have faith and and that's where George found himself the very last thing he did was he prayed, but interestingly it is a great job that they that they show the movie right after that right after his prayer. If you recall, that's when the man was sitting in the bar overheard that his name was George Bailey and he chewed them out on the phone so that's when he chooses to bust him in the lip so that you know he says this is what I got for my prayer was a punch but he didn't realize that actually you know in the genus of movies at his original prayer, God sent Clarence the angel, but I all that was already in play. But what he remembered from the prayer was the punch and how realistic is that to our lives is that we pray and we think that while this is what I got. Satan would love for us to believe that this Christmas season is about that or if that holiday traffic. That's why this is such a horrible death or finances are bit of a challenge. And this is the month that the car breaks down those types of things and it is pretty hard were in the second segment we did promise it would start to give you some life after bringing your way down, but you may find yourself earning their today and so what you do you ever see Robby, there's a lot that they can do in a relationship with Jesus correct when that part of what you do is to bring you back to life is spending time with you and for me personally that I'm in a get up if at this time year. I may have to get up at 3 o'clock in the morning to beat everybody in on the hustle and bustle to make sure that I get some time. That's me in Jesus and and I will say that yes, I enjoy the Scriptures. Yes, I enjoy, but I work really hard of having a conversational intimacy with Jesus before even go to any of those places to make sure I'm going someplace that's gonna give me life that I am really excited about where he's given take me reason to teach me or where you can restore me or care for me because sometimes we do all those different things in that time. At that time for me. As Jesus said, I mean is, John said in describing Jesus that he is the life and in and that life is the light of men. So he point is the way we need like this time year absolutely. And I think the you ultimately that's the long term solution right it can be the short-term need as well, obviously.

But what if you find yourself in a place where you don't believe you can have a conversational intimacy with God or you don't know what that looks like and we done shows on that if you like to go back and listen to you just find yourself in a real funk you know and I don't feel like I can get out of it since it's a time for some triage at that point right it is in the starting point for that is probably making some choices of making good decisions to take care of yourself, you know, you don't have to go to everything and do everything obscene work Christmas Eve � we've already had a lot of build up to everything but you got the next week coming out of Christmas into New Year's. Take care of yourself.

Make sure that you get out in the light get some exposure to that sure that you try to eat right this is that this is a difficult time to do that. But while folks want to want to drink some things away and that's that usually is a short-term solution and work out good for George yeah a general guideline is reading on here is pretty funny when research a little bit. It said one piece of pie. Okay three pieces of pie.

Not much that's targeted do you much good. Something else we can do it and I just want to make sure we get this out is, I think it helps nothing this in my own experience to focus outward.

Maybe try to help someone that's less fortunate than you are. And there's always someone that's less fortunate that I am try to do something nice for them to spend some time around people doesn't have to be a large group of people putting yourself in a place by yourself.

Several years ago when I was sitting in a basement apartment and you guys know when people listen may know you have had some struggles with depression is looking around I had all the decorations up everything look beautiful and I looked around and I thought this is just perfect and then it just dawned on me. I was totally alone, totally by myself and there wasn't anything that was happy and joyous about that.

It is tough and I know work Christmas Eve, but what's right around the corner is New Year's and so you have the pressure again what what's can you change what's good to be noon.

One of things are to be whole that new in the next year and circuits can be a really hard time for people so just as were Christmas doesn't mean after the next 24 hours.

This this may go away may still be here through this time. I think I think Dennis at the nail on the head. I think reaching out to others who are less fortunate. Tenant takes your focus off yourself and it also helps bring somebody else's day and you know they that gives you a good feeling. Downside does it in. I think the as we talk about these things.

There's not one recipe for any one person. It may be a combination of may be something that God displays this on your heart to do it at this point to kinda helping in a better place in something that's really I found important for me. This time you're special is the right amount of sleep if I get to down my time with God is very hard to do. Not that I don't know that I need to assist. I just am not there and also getting the right amount of sleeping in and getting out the sun. Important sunshine is another if you work inside become what you leave for work at Starkey come home and start to spend all day inside where it's dark and get out and get some sunshine take a lunch break, walk around, don't fall asleep in the sun don't fall asleep. Jim what some of the things you can think of the people. The will. One of the definitions of depression is anger turned in work and turned inward is the key. If we are focusing on ourselves were going to be depressed will find something to be unhappy about the most important thing in life or relationships and if you are keying on what is important.

First of all, your vertical relationship with God in your having that time.

And that's the only reason I am okay with you focusing on yourself. As far as taking care yourself because that is when you do as Robby pointed out when you do have time for God and you pointed out, but also all others. If you're looking at your loved ones, and if you don't have any yellow that's that is a very depressing sad place but there are very few people that are totally alone and you take care of those that you love and the focus will be off of you and the depression for others out there that spending time with your family is a really depressing time. You know, because I know of the favorite shows. We did over the years, was quoted surviving the dysfunctional family Christmas as I think most families have that at some level, if not the immediate family just a couple rings out that they have that cousin that uncle that person that they just kinda hate to be around and the tips that they talked about was trying to avoid family conflict. Not that you can avoid the family what to say next. We talk about this later or go into another room. You can choose to enter into that choose not to. And that's where a lot of this is during this time year is making good choices to ultimately lead to the place we can spend time with sometimes or not there and so taken some of these things getting in the light getting some sleep, eating well and exercising all those things are important to bring in your heart back to place you can really be receptive to what God's trying to give you this, like George Bailey he's already laid out the pleadings offer you something just might not have the ears to hear the eyes to see he's still trying to give it Merry Christmas and we hope to see you next year and go to mass and journey radio.org S hello and everyone