mental health

Read more about the article A Holiday Hermit’s Guide to Enjoying Family Gatherings (without doubling up on your medication)

A Holiday Hermit’s Guide to Enjoying Family Gatherings (without doubling up on your medication)

while the holidays are supposedly all about coming together, there’s a reason I’d rather hibernate in my stretch pants, messy bun, maybe a day or two past my last shower, and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” with an endless supply of eggnog (more precisely, the creamy non-alcoholic kind). All that festive chaos? Not exactly my idea of a good time.  As a bipolar mom with manic tendencies and anxiety served with a side of ADHD, holiday gatherings give me a little extra “something” to manage.

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Read more about the article A New Year, A New Light

A New Year, A New Light

As we enter a new year, I must be honest: to me, it just feels heavy.  There’s a sinking feeling that’s been lingering in me these past few months, an urge to put the shutters up on life and keep out whatever the future may bring.  The uncertainty can feel overwhelming, and it’s tempting to shrink back, to withdraw into a place where things feel safer and more manageable. But even in these moments, I’m beginning to recognize something powerful: God has me here, even now, amid all this uncertainty.

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Read more about the article Caught Between the Love of Jesus and a Struggle with Addiction—RUSS & TORI TAFF: I Still Believe

Caught Between the Love of Jesus and a Struggle with Addiction—RUSS & TORI TAFF: I Still Believe

by Lisa Burns in Leading Hearts magazine

Multiple Grammy award-winning vocalist and songwriter, Russ Taff, has created some of the most memorable songs in gospel music.

Having been an integral part of the Imperials, as well as having launched an amazing solo career, Russ’ iconic voice of grit and soul is etched upon many of our hearts and minds. What some may not realize is that his wife, Tori, is an equally accomplished and gifted artist in her own right, having co-written and arranged multiple award-winning songs.

Leading Hearts Magazine recently had the opportunity to sit down to speak with this dynamic duo. They have a story to tell, and their desire is that by doing so, they will make a difference.

Russ grew up in a Pentecostal pastor’s home. Upon arriving in a town to take over a new pastorate, life was filled with fresh beginnings. That all would quickly change over a short period of time. Russ recalls, “My dad struggled with alcoholism, and our home was not a happy place. We were told often that we weren’t going to amount to anything.”

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