This one most certainly will draw fire but here goes nothing and I do mean
nothing.

Color me cynical but I don't get where the victory is in that devotional.  I
know what depression is from first hand experience, as well as suicidal
tendencies, and depressed
people, truly depressed people, suicidal people, get no joy or comfort or
pleasure whatsoever out of fighting for their life every day and then trying
to encourage others that they can make it because you are making it.  I know
for a fact that truly depressed people have little, if any, interest in
trying to encourage everybody that they can make it when they, themselves,
know they aren't.  Listen, I am for anything that encourages
somebody where they are at any given moment, so if that devotional
encouraged you, thank God for that.  If you have to fight and struggle and
work every day at trying to be what God has made you to be, then you aren't
living; you are just existing.  That's no life.  It is also no fun.  Man, if
that guy knows a suicidal depressed pastor who is able to overcome his own
suicidal tendencies and his own depression by simply ministering to and
encouraging others that they can make it, that pastor sure doesn't need
Jesus to be the Lord of his life.  He's doing a pretty good job without the
Lord.  Like I said, color me critical and cynical but I'll bet my last
Baptist dime, plus I'll eat my cowboy hat with mustard on it, if that pastor
makes it through the rest of his life without blowing his brains out.  What
an incredible sad testimony when victory, real victory, is just on the other
side of the
darkness in which he lives every day.  That's like one blind person saying
to another blind person, well, I am making it so you can.  If you believe
that one, you're a better man, or woman, than I am.  I guess it really makes
the whole thing easier for God if we are are exactly alike.  that way He
doesn't have to individualize anything just for you or just for me.  Do we
just want to feel better because suffering people are making it so we should
feel good about it or do we want to walk in victory?  I gave up trying to
make God happy, so I could be happy, three years ago and I'm not going back.
In short, I don't live a purpose driven life any more.  I am God's purpose
so nothing drives me to do anything.  I look only for the leading of the
Holy Spirit.  I am not suggesting you live as I do either nor am I trying to
set the example.  Jesus does that quite well and all by Himself.  Maybe we
should all pray that God will make us like that
pastor, along with his depression and suicidal tendencies.  That way we can
be a better Christian.  Man, I've heard weird theology before but that one
ranks pretty high.  My advice?  Give up.  Give it all up.  When the dust
settles, you and Jesus will be the only ones left standing and that's what
He wants in the first place.  This statement of the pastor's testimony,
according to the author anyway, blows me  away.

Quote.
he is, every day, a living, breathing testimony to the power of God  not to
the power of God ten years ago when God fixed him, but the power of God
today that gets him out of bed, gives him words to speak, and a reason to go
on.
Unquote.

Now somebody is going to have to explain to me how it is that the Creator of
the universe can give this pastor power to get out of bed, power to speak,
and power to encourage others, not to mention the power to lead people to
Christ and then to shepherd God's sheep, yet the same God of the universe is
apparently unable to do anything about the man's depression and suicidal
tendencies.  Something is screwed on backwards here.  Maybe I've been
reading the wrong Bible all these years or something.  Please help.

One more thing.  If I hear one more, at a boy, statement about Joni
Erickson-Tada, I'm going to throw up.  Joni got help from others that most
of the people right here on this list will never get.  I have heard her
speak dozens of times but I can't remember one time hearing her say anything
with which I could personally identify.  god bless her for all she does, I
am not saying that, I'm just saying, I cannot personally identify with her
nor do I appreciate people trying to make me do so.  So somebody tell me
where the truth is.

What is truth to you, now that I brought it up?  Look, I can read to you
passages from the Satanic Bible, the Koran, The Pearl of Great Price, The
Jehovah's Witness Bible, and the handbook on the life of Mickey Mouse, and
find truth.  I'm not interested in a truth or some truth, I'm only
interested in The Truth.  So where do we go from here?  The standard, run of
the mill, common, every day, Christian routine, pull yourself up by the boot
straps theology?  Don't ask me.  I'm too cynical to even know where to
begin.  The truth is, however, you don't need to go any where, do anything,
or be anything; Jesus has already done it all so you couldn't impress Him if
you tried.  The Enemy is likewise not fooled by the platitudinous
devotional, watered down theology, and the, I feel good so you should feel
good commentary, of the Purpose Driven Life.

Phil.