New Trend? Why hurt yourself?

Mental Anguish with a Side of Anxiety?

It breaks my heart how often teens and young adults talk about suicide and hurting themselves. Deep pain, loneliness, and spiritual isolation are drowning hundreds of souls. I hear so many stories filled with darkness, despair, emptiness, and hopelessness. Thoughts of suicide and urges to self-harm flood the minds of those who feel rejected and unloved—wounded by social media, school interactions, and the absence of real, meaningful relationships.

What do we do when we’ve been hurt beyond what we think we can bear?
What do we do when it feels like we have no strength left?
What do we do when we’re convinced that nobody cares?

What can we do in this age of isolation to feel better?

Let me tell you what we don’t do: we don’t hurt ourselves. That is never the answer.
The answer is in finding God.
The answer is in calling on the name of Jesus Christ.

The Bible says:

“Draw close to God, and He will draw close to you.” – James 4:8
“God is faithful, and He will not let you be tried beyond your strength.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13
“Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7–9

So... what do we do?

We make a decision.
We take the first step.
We open our hearts to the love and goodness of Jesus Christ.

Alone, we can do nothing. But with Him, all things are possible!

So, do not despair.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5–6

Believe.

God can change your life in a moment. He is the healer, the giver of life. He will never fail you, never leave you, never abandon you.

But maybe you feel like He did leave you.
Maybe you’re wondering where He is.

Well—sometimes we are the ones who leave Him.
Sometimes we turn our backs on Him.
Sometimes we need to take responsibility, repent of our sins, and turn away from the things that harm us.

You may be feeling the weight of past choices, like:

– Listening to harmful music: Some music can pull you into depression and surround you with darkness. Be careful what you allow into your ears and heart.
– Watching dark or depressing movies: Media has power. Avoid anything that fills your spirit with sorrow, worthlessness, or fear.
– Choosing the wrong friends: In some cultures, there’s a saying: "Better to be alone than in bad company." A toxic friend can drag you down, betray your trust, or influence you to make destructive decisions. You don’t need a crowd. You need Jesus—and maybe just one good person: a true friend, a family member, a teacher, priest, or pastor.

Make up your mind today:
Suicide and self-harm are NOT options.
Remove those words from your vocabulary. They don’t belong in your life. Ever.

If you’ve ever had those thoughts or acted on them, repent.
Turn away from that pain and toward God’s healing.

Have a change of heart.
A change of mind.
A change in direction.

And always remember:

God can make all things brand new.

Pray for a good person to come into your life—someone you can trust. God will provide.
Avoid toxic people as much as possible, and protect your heart. Don’t share your secrets with those who won’t value them.

Most of all, know that I’m praying for you.
And if you ever need someone to talk to, email me at: light_in_u@yahoo.com
Or message me on Instagram: @sacredheartrosaries

I’m here for you.
With love,
Princess in Overalls

Advent - Time of Hope

Almost Christmas...but not yet!  Oh yeah it's called Advent.  

This year has been tough, and is actually an understatement.  Not that the ones before were easy - Covid, the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Russia.   Remember? Who can forget, my head is spinning.  But we are not here to talk about Covid, or the beginning of those horrible conflicts that are going on around the world.  We are here to talk about 2024, and how to feel joy regardless of what is going on in your city, your country, the world.  

There is uncertainty and fear for many.  There are horrible situations that you might be going through.  How in the world can we be expected to feel joy?

Well God tells us, in Phillipians 4:8,  that: "in every situation...whatever is:

• True
• Good
• Holy
• Honorable
• Just
• Lovely
• Commendable
• If there is any excellence
• Anything worthy of praise

Think about these things !"

So yes there are terrible things some people are going through - that is a fact.  But if we have to go through something, and there is nothing we can do about it, at least we can mitigate the hardships and the evil we encounter, and we can draw some good and get enough strength and healing to go through it.  

We can always receive grace, we can always receive healing, God always wants to comfort us and draw us close to His Heart.  All we need to do is our part.  So go ahead and think about that list, don't let anyone or anything steal your free will.  There must be something you can think of, something you can hold on to, something you can chose to think about - other than whatever evil is surrounding you. 

 God is ready!  Ready to hold us in His arms, we just have to let Him!  

All we need to do is to use the power of our will.  Control our minds and  not let ourselves sink into the depths of depression. self pity and despair - that will not help.  That will make things worse, it will change us, consume us, finish us!  

Do not let your circumstances take the best of you! 

Rise above, by asking Jesus Christ to come to your aid.  

Even if all you have is a tiny bit of strength use it for the prayer :  Jesus Help me!

He will come right away. 

God promises that when we do our part "and the God of peace will guard our hearts and minds"  He will come to our aid.  He alone knows what we need most.  He will surround us with protection, strength and peace.  

This Advent there is a lot we can do, no matter what our circumstances.  Why?  Because we have the power to pray and God is on our side.  We have the power to offer up our hardships for a greater good to come out of them.  And we have the power to hope in Him who is our Saviour.  He will come, He will help, He will heal.  This Advent chose Hope!

All we have to do is ask, and trust.  

May the God of peace that surpasses all understanding be with you!

Note:

If something in this post touched your heart, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share your thoughts or your own story in the comments —your voice matters !

also...

I offer Talks and Workshops:

I can come to your school or to your church etc,  the topics would be from any of my posts.

For Ideas Contact Me: carolinaakoglu@gmail.com Subject: Princess in Overalls