https://network.crcna.org/ The Network en Fri, 19 Apr 2024 16:37:29 +0000 Thu, 11 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/parenting/bullies-and-trust When I was a child and even in my teens, I was bullied in school. The bullies would ask me if I trusted them.  Out of fear I usually said yes, but then the bullies would ask me to prove it. Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/parenting/bullies-and-trust Thu, 11 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/separating-people-their-mental-illnesses I’m not sure how it came about anymore, but as I lay in bed, I found myself thinking about Vince Li. In 2008, while hallucinating, this young man murdered the passenger next to him on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba. Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/separating-people-their-mental-illnesses Thu, 29 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/elijah-and-his-purported-depression The pastor of my church is preaching about the prophet Elijah and his breakdown following his triumph on Mount Carmel. Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/elijah-and-his-purported-depression Wed, 22 Mar 2023 04:00:00 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/big-give-and-ableism The Big Give is a Canada-wide event that churches can choose to participate in or not. The purpose is to bless our communities by offering services or items that people can take home free of charge.   Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/big-give-and-ableism Mon, 27 Feb 2023 13:52:44 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/about-mental-illnesses-and-moral Experience has shown me that there are still those within the CRC who believe that those with depression or other mental illnesses should “pray it away” rather than take medication. Nobody in our denomination would dream of saying that to someone with heart disease or arthritis, but if you h Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/about-mental-illnesses-and-moral Wed, 02 Dec 2020 23:26:50 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/accessibility/facilities/challenges-motion-sickness For me, traveling mostly involves managing motion sickness. So whether I ride public transit, take a car, or fly, I have to make sure the solids in my stomach outweigh the liquids. Otherwise, I’ll get sick. Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/accessibility/facilities/challenges-motion-sickness Thu, 19 Nov 2020 14:31:53 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/thoughts-attributing-genuine-spiritual As I read through the book Finding Jesus in the Storm: The Spiritual Lives of Christians with Mental Healt Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/thoughts-attributing-genuine-spiritual Mon, 16 Nov 2020 17:27:47 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/accessibility/participants-reflection-2020-disability Michèle Gyselinck serves as the Regional Disability Advocate for classis Eastern Canada and the Church Disability Advocate at First CRC in Montreal QC. Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/accessibility/participants-reflection-2020-disability Mon, 02 Nov 2020 21:26:48 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/hatred-and-mental-illness This evening my roommate and I were watching an episode of May Day, a series about plane crashes. Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/hatred-and-mental-illness Mon, 13 Jul 2020 12:52:27 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/theology/some-thoughts-risk-taking Tonight, my roommate and I were watching a program titled North Woods Law in which Fish and Game wardens also rescue injured people who went hiking in the mountains among their many responsibilities. Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/theology/some-thoughts-risk-taking Tue, 02 Jun 2020 13:06:12 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/some-thoughts-governments-responses-covid-19 I’ve been watching the news quite a bit these last few weeks because there isn’t much else to do for one thing, and all this has led me to these thoughts:  Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/some-thoughts-governments-responses-covid-19 Thu, 23 Apr 2020 12:24:52 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/managing-stress-during-pandemic-when-you Most of the people who read my blogs know by now that I live with schizophrenia, and that on the whole I’m doing pretty well, but last night a number of factors caused me to feel angst about the current situation. Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/managing-stress-during-pandemic-when-you Thu, 09 Apr 2020 11:59:45 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/psychosomatic-disorders As I was praying for someone I know, it struck me that the woman, who has to endure a lot of physical pain, might have a psychosomatic disorder. I’m no physician; so that opinion is worth what it’s worth. My point here is not about her situation but about what the term means. Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/psychosomatic-disorders Tue, 25 Feb 2020 02:17:26 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/safe-church/remembering-polytechnique-massacre December 6, 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the Polytechnique Massacre. The École Polytechnique is the Engineering school of the University of Mont Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/safe-church/remembering-polytechnique-massacre Tue, 10 Dec 2019 01:04:54 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/safe-church/child-abuse/modern-twist-daniel-and-lions-den In Daniel chapter 6, we read how bureaucrats who resented Daniel’s authority tricked King Darius into signing an edict forbidding anyone from praying to someone besides the king himself. Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/safe-church/child-abuse/modern-twist-daniel-and-lions-den Mon, 25 Nov 2019 16:16:29 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/safe-church/child-abuse/pain-and-lament I read some articles recently on the online edition of The Atlantic, including one about the late Jeffrey Epstein and another titled "When Women Are Accused of Complicity." Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/safe-church/child-abuse/pain-and-lament Thu, 29 Aug 2019 22:28:41 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/when-supreme-court-justices-have-mental This past week Clément Gascon, a judge sitting on the Supreme Court of Canada’s bench, admitted that he has been struggling with depression and anxiety disorder for the past 20 years. He is planni Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/when-supreme-court-justices-have-mental Tue, 21 May 2019 13:42:45 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/parenting/why-we-must-talk-about-suicide Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/children-youth/parenting/why-we-must-talk-about-suicide Sun, 14 Apr 2019 12:00:00 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/pinning-blame-and-human-nature Last Thursday, while I was participating in a Bible Study, one of the other participants suggested that people had to have a mental illness or problem of some sort to commit crimes like the shooting rampage at a mosque in Québec City. Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/pinning-blame-and-human-nature Wed, 13 Feb 2019 14:27:34 +0000 https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/schizophrenia-and-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde Some years ago, when I was still experiencing psychotic symptoms—hearing voices and being prey to delusional thinking—I was depressed, because I believed that a certain man I had met while studying in another city was supposed to come and propose marriage to me despite evidence to the contrary. Michele Gyselinck https://network.crcna.org/topic/justice-inclusion/disability-concerns/mental-health/schizophrenia-and-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde Tue, 29 Jan 2019 15:35:26 +0000