It’s Thursday, so don’t forget to pray for Jo, her former students, and the people of PNG.
Anyone else?
Luke 2:1-5
The Birth of Jesus
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
Wandering Views 
My daughter tested negative for Covid, as did her husband. Her MIL and her MIL’s husband still just have mild cold like symptoms. Thank you all for praying.
Praising God for those two wonderful baby boys born yesterday!
LikeLiked by 6 people
Last night when Nightingale and Boy were in an aisle of Dollar General, he blurted out, kind of casually, that they would not be opening presents at his other grandparents’ house during his visit on Christmas because “Daddy is in the hospital with schizophrenia.” 😦
Please pray for salvation and healing for X, and that his son does not inherit this mental illness.
Nightingale has previously told Boy that his dad has a mental illness (in a way that a child can understand), and that sometimes he (Boy) may have to be the one to make adult decisions when he is with his dad. Sad situation for all concerned.
X’s mom has dealt with mental/emotional problems, too, throughout the years, and her sister committed suicide ten years ago this month. Some in the family think that X’s biological father is a sociopath. (Nightingale thinks X is, too, but she could be biased.)
*******
Also, although we’ve had snow on the ground for a week, and could have had a lovely white Christmas, the temps are going way up (it is currently 54*), and we are expecting LOTS of rain and very high, dangerous winds. There are warnings that there will probably be a lot of power outages on Christmas. Please pray that the high winds will not materialize, and that our electricity will stay on.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Kizzie, I have met schizophrenics and other people with mental illness who were gentle souls, never intentionally hurting a soul – during psychotic breaks or manic episodes they are not responsible for their actions. X’s vicious behaviour is not due to his mental illness.
LikeLiked by 5 people
To add to Roscuro’s comment, Kizzie, there are a lot of sociopaths out there, living quite solid lives. They have to learn to control their illness.
LikeLiked by 3 people
My mother was schizophrenic. She was a very classy, gentle and humorous lady when not activated. When it got bad she was violent, but her violence was focused on my dad or on any adult who stood in her way. I was afraid of her and yet admired her in many ways. I admired the way she struggled not to let it possess her life. And she did actively struggle. But even as an adult I was afraid of her in her active state. Of course, as an adult, I stood in her way, so…..
There is no easy answer, but there is hope. Stability and love (not to be confused with spoiling) are the greatest gifts you can give to any child caught in the middle.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Yes, I agree that X’s bad actions are not due to his mental illness, although I think his mom attributes them to that as she is in denial about how he really is.
I have often wondered about sociopaths and psychopaths. It is said that they do not have a conscience, which is a scary thought. And yet, I thought that God gave each of us a conscience. One theory is that it is a reaction to something in their raising that causes them to completely sear their conscience, but another theory seems to say that socio/psychopaths are born that way.
But I believe that God can get through to and save even the worst of them/us. It would be interesting to read a detailed testimony from a former socio/psychopath who was saved.
LikeLiked by 3 people
A former neighbor in the apartment complex we lived in years ago had a mother who was schizophrenic. She lost all sympathy for her mom on the day her mom took an overdoes to commit suicide while cuddling and napping with the young granddaughter. Thank God the grandmother had not taken enough to actually kill herself, so the little girl was not traumatized by waking up to a dead grandmother. But my neighbor was horrified and greatly angered that her mother could do such a thing. (The mother admitted that that was her aim.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
First Kizzie, there is no such thing as a former socio/psychopath. It can be medicated into some sort of submission, but they are never to be trusted. Don’t let your kind, loving heart soften you to that.
Mumsee, will know this better than I do, but the time to watch Boy is when he goes through puburty. This is something about that hormonal stew that triggers it.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Yes, I realize that puberty and the teen years can be a challenge. Even if he didn’t have this family heritage of mental illness, the situation with his parents along can wreak havoc in his heart and mind.
Another reason why I pray for God to save this little boy while he is still young.
LikeLiked by 3 people
But if a sociopath or psychopath was truly saved, wouldn’t that mean that God had awakened their conscience?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sociopath (psychopath is not an actual diagnosis, just a popular term) is one of the personality disorders, which are all believed to be more related to development – i.e. being trained in deeply flawed and damaging ways that result in unhealthy coping mechanisms – than they are to actual organic causes, as opposed to schizophrenia, bipolar, depression, etc. which are are thought to have underlying organic causes. The mental illnesses with organic causes have classes of medications, such as anti-psychotics, anti-manics, anxiolytics, anti-depressants, etc. There is no such class for personality disorders.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thank you, Roscuro. That’s the answer I was leaning towards.
Within the past week, Nightingale and I were talking about Boy and what he might pick up from his dad. I remarked, and she agreed, that Boy does indeed have a conscience, and expresses compassion.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Roscura, don’t they often come packaged together? Medicine can help with certain conditions. I talke medication for depression, so I am not arguing against it. The other conditions while instilled in childhood could be changed but it would take WANTING to change and years of behavioral therapy. Most of them do not see where they are wrong/flawed and do not want to change.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Kim, yes, those with personality disorders may often also have organic mental illness diagnosis. But as you say, behavioral therapy and a desire to change is needed for personality disorders.
I had a relative by marriage, the wife of one of my cousins, who had borderline personality disorders. She was a believer, and while I did not know her very well and she, I was friends on FB with her and saw what she posted. I saw some real struggles over the years, but I could also see she was really trying to overcome the unhealthy coping mechanisms and looking to Christ for strength. I do not think she was easy to live or get along with, but she also acknowledged her problems and did not drive people away completely as is generally common with borderline. She remained with my cousin until her premature death due to health problems a couple of years ago. My widowed cousin is now seeking to become a missionary.
LikeLiked by 5 people
My daughter’s MIL, Karen, has taken a turn for the worst. She is using an inhaler the doctor had given her earlier when she tested positive. Please pray for her.
LikeLiked by 3 people
We have a relative who is a paranoid/schizophrenic. He developed the worse symptoms in his twenties. He could not work at any job for long. He did become bad enough that his brothers (much to his mother’s displeasure) went before a judge to have him committed. He was very angry, but later admitted it saved his life.
It took several years for him (and times in and out of the hospital) before he realized he had to stay on the meds. This is normal, because of the nasty side affects of the meds. He also had Christians try to say he didn’t need medication, just faith. We had lots of prayer with him. Today he is almost totally okay with an occasional phone call questioning if someone is talking about him etc.
No one else in the family has exhibited anything like he experienced. One nephew was concerned for a daughter, but it was discovered she suffered from Pandas.
He sometimes has lead bible studies and is a very serious Christian. He is a big help to his pastor.
I think it is wise to consider the possibility of it continuing in a family, but there is no reason to think it is inevitable.
LikeLiked by 3 people