Exclusive Content:

WATCH: Sisters Sing Bone-Chilling Easter Rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’

The young sisters from Fort Frances, Ontario sing an Easter rendition of Leonard Cohen's famous "Hallelujah," that is so beautiful, it'll bring tears to your eyes.

What Is Maundy Thursday?—How to Celebrate During Holy Week

As we celebrate Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter, you may start to wonder, what is Maundy Thursday? Three days before Easter, we come to Maundy Thursday. "Maundy" comes from the Latin word "mandatum," meaning command, order, or commission.

Abby & Brittany: Conjoined Twin Abby Hensel is Married!

They’re the most famous conjoined twins in the world, and now Abby Hensel, of the duo Abby and Brittany, is now married! 

I Take Antidepressants AND Believe Jesus Heals

Anxiety and depression.

They are two separate sides of the same coin and are very real.

Those who suffer, feel them just as acutely as they would holding that small coin in their hand — if not more so.

For some of us, the root of our emotions and reactions are hard to identify, to name, to call out … until Jesus gives us a little nudge.

Maybe the nudge is a hushed conversation with a friend or a hard shove into a complete breakdown.

Hi, my name is Kristin and I suffer from mental health issues.

Wow — that was hard to write. Truth be told, I deleted it a couple [of] times before finally retyping. Because I just labeled what I thought were simple feelings as an “issue” and did it where the world can see. (Lord, have mercy on my over-sharing soul.) But I’ve had too many private conversations with other women — moms, especially — to know I’m not the only one and sometimes, some things should be thrown out there despite the risk of a label.

For me, it took months to recognize my lack of sleep, racing mind, outbursts of anger, unhealthy impatience and busy-ness were rooted in mental health and hormonal imbalances.

WANT TO KNOW WHEN IT CLICKED? WHEN JESUS NUDGED ME OVER A BOWL OF CHIPS AND SALSA.

About a year ago, a few friends and I sat down for MNO (mom’s night out) at a local Mexican restaurant. The conversation easily flowed to a point where a couple of them said — out loud — they suffered from the same and similar things I secretly battled for months. They told me how they screamed unnecessarily at kids and husbands, how they couldn’t relax or settle down, how they couldn’t sleep and how eventually they reached out for help and haven’t looked back.

And — gasp! — these friends are strong, faithful Christian women. They believe Jesus at His word and know He can heal and works all things for their good — even the hard and emotional stuff.

But they haven’t fallen into a trap of believing they should “just have more faith” or “pray harder” to fix their struggles.

God can and will take even the tiniest bit of faith and move mountains. It says so right there in Matthew 17. It doesn’t take a lot for Jesus to do big things. So we don’t have to have massive amounts of faith to be delivered from anxiety and depression. I believe He offers us some sort of “out” every time we ask.

…For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.

(Matthew 17:20)

Sometimes, Jesus wants us to trust Him beyond what is comfortable, going farther and deeper than prayer and simple faith.

He wants us to do something about it.

That evening a year ago with my friends, they shared where they were after getting the help needed. They discussed the everyday things that sparked their anxiety and depression, and how seeking help through prayer, medication and professional counseling became daily rocks to steady them.

I felt another nudge when around that same time, I studied the Psalms and came across this verse:

Deliver me
    from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
    and from the deep waters.
Let not the flood sweep over me,
    or the deep swallow me up,
    or the pit close its mouth over me.

Kristin Funston
Kristin Funston
Kristin Funston is the author of More for Mom: Living Your Whole & Holy Life and helps busy women engage with God and live with proper perspective and peace in the daily grind. She writes in a way that is relatable and practical, often with a healthy dose of humor. Kristin is a regular contributor to various blogs and has been featured in places like The Better Mom, TODAY Parenting, Scary Mommy, and City Moms Blog. Kristin resides outside of Memphis, TN with her husband and three daughters. You can connect with her at KristinFunston.com or on Facebook or Instagram.

WATCH: Sisters Sing Bone-Chilling Easter Rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’

The young sisters from Fort Frances, Ontario sing an Easter rendition of Leonard Cohen's famous "Hallelujah," that is so beautiful, it'll bring tears to your eyes.

What Is Maundy Thursday?—How to Celebrate During Holy Week

As we celebrate Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter, you may start to wonder, what is Maundy Thursday? Three days before Easter, we come to Maundy Thursday. "Maundy" comes from the Latin word "mandatum," meaning command, order, or commission.

Abby & Brittany: Conjoined Twin Abby Hensel is Married!

They’re the most famous conjoined twins in the world, and now Abby Hensel, of the duo Abby and Brittany, is now married!