Lifeline Scriptures

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me"
Philippians 4:13


"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
Helaman 5:12


"I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day."
Alma 36:3


"...peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."
D&C 121:7-8


"...if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather in blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."
D&C 122:7


"For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
2 Corinthians: 17-18

Bipolar Quote

"Bipolar illness takes a special brand of courage: to face every day and draw out of it what measure of happiness you can, while trudging on, trying to do the best you can. Bipolar illness is a heavy burden, and those who carry on beneath its weight are heroes among us."

Reaching for Hope

This is the book that I reach for whenever I am having a bad day. Brent knows I am not doing good by the books that are strewn across the bed when he gets home at the end of the day. My bad day reads are: Reaching for Hope, The Bipolar Survival Guide, or my past journals. These are the days that I just hang on and hope they are over soon. I took one of my long drives to Horseshoe Bend the other night. I haven't had to do that for a long time. I am glad that my hard days don't come around as often as they used to.

Self Explanatory

Crazy Carousel

the carousel never stops.
no one gets on,
no one gets off.
i ride alone.
round and round it goes
as the shiny brass poles
move up and down
in one continuous, eternal circle.
this crazy carousel
is a ride of madness,
my ride straight from hell.
familiar faces encircle
the beautifully created structure;
their smiles blurring together
as i grow disillusioned
with the realities of my life.
others determine that i must
enjoy the ride
or i would remove myself from the
brightly painted pony
i sit astride.
do not think that i chose this lunacy.
i was not consulted before
the ride was set in motion,
for i would have declined
the deceptive enticement
of my childhood dreams.
i have grown weary of this
never-ending journey.
please stop this crazy carousel
and let me get off.
is there any that would like
to take my place?
maybe you will enjoy the ride
more than i,
or maybe the carousel will stop...
for you.

dina marie
march 2006

I Like Living

What is Normal?

I have caught myself saying, "I just want to be normal." But what defines normal? I found one definition: The usual, regular, or typical state, degree, or form. So, I have concluded that I am "normal" within the realm of Bipolar Disorder. I am okay... just as I am.

Shoshone Falls

We attended a wedding in Salt Lake City this past weekend and on the way home Brent suggested we take a small detour to see the Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls. Because I have been sick so much since we moved here to Idaho, I haven't been able to do as much as I would have liked. It felt good to get out and enjoy such a beautiful place. I am so thankful for my good days. I have learned to better appreciate the reprieves that come more often now. Thanks for suggesting it Brent.

Sometimes You Gotta Laugh

My Word

Sometimes this is all I can do;
it is enough.