Depression of a Sister

Good Morning,

It's Halloween Day and I just gotten up and had time to think through the past week. Stephanie is at my parents where she stays through the weekend and I'm amazed at how well she's doing, even though there are visible signs of depression but in 11 short days she is looking better and better. First let me tell all of our friends that I'm no writer and I'm sure you've realized that through my email post, but really I have no time to check for spelling grammar or really anything else and I just write from my heart.(My Georgia Tech family that I married into says it because I graduated from Auburn University where spelling isn't a priority LOL) I started sending updates about 8-9 days ago through email and a social network, but decided to create this blog about Stephanie as progress begins. Depression is really hard to understand as I myself went through a severe depression I guess I would say 4 years ago, and frankly it almost destroyed me, my family, my marriage, and some very important relationships in Christ Jesus, but praise the HOLY GOD who I truly believe brought me through it and healed my mindset. Even though I feel Stephanie's depression is somewhat different than what I suffered it still depression and very, very hard to understand unless you've been through it. I will say there is a good side to this disease as I've been able to come beside several of my brother and sisters in Christ and minister to them through HIS power and tell them that it will pass. One verse that I cling onto came from Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." WOW what verse as I hold on to this often in my daily walk here on this earth, to know that my left hand as the right hand of God the most High God as my left hand WOW.

As most of you know Stephanie is my twin and we're 44 years of age. She and I have always been close and shared many things together, but as we've gotten our families our lives certainly went in different directions. Before marriage Stephanie was called to missions through the Southern Baptist Mission board and served in the State of Hawaii and then came back to Lafayette where she served as youth pastor for Lafayette Heights Baptist Church as a bi-vocational position. Then she married & moved to Knoxville, TN some 17 years ago and I married and moved to Newnan, GA 14 years ago. She has a husband Tim and Nate and Jake are her sons, but before them about 14 years ago Stephanie had a child at 28 weeks and his name was Gabriel. What had happened is she developed toxemia and really almost died herself as her blood pressure fell to almost 0. The baby really did excellent for 4 weeks and she was told to go home and get his clothes to take him home the next day, but that where it began. When she got home I believe the phone rang and said she and her husband needed to return to the hospital immediately as her son had developed a blood disorder and quickly got septic and by the next morning he had passed. So I feel this is where it truly started as we saw shortly after that her first episode of depression and this is where we're at today. I think now it's not really from that experience but also from other issues that go on that she's not able to compute and handle.

So here we are 14 years later and I'm determined as a brother in Christ and not only her blood brother to walk this path with her. My wife Kristin and our 4 children Carter, Luke, Caroline, and Anna Claire are committed to this journey with her as we want to see divine healing. So today if you read this post I ask you to truly commit to prayer and maybe even a fast if you feel led to see Stephanie through this for the betterment of her family. I leave you with a thank you for the support that we've received, from my family for their sacrifice they've made, to my parents and brothers and sister for their financial commitment to this, for my brothers and sisters in Christ who I get to worship and live daily in and about their lives for their prayers and support, to our extended church family really all over the US and even the World for their prayers and to all our friends who've we had contact with throughout the years in some form just thank you and May our LORD gain all Glory in this healing process

For King Jesus

Steve