Archive for mental health

Leaving the Street… Christine McDonald

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Christine "Clarity" McDonald, Culture with tags , , , , , , , , on March 30, 2019 by paulthepoke

I rarely share this experience, as it haunts me today in a variety of ways. It is not like the physical trauma that haunts me, such as some of the violence I endured, or the mental anguish of starvation, or the sheer exhaustion of being homeless and the need to continually be on the move. No, this is so different for me.

There was a time in the early ‘90s in Kansas City when I attempted suicide. I was back on the streets, hopeless, and in despair. This was one of my last attempts before I realized I just couldn’t take my own life.

I joined an outpatient treatment group. As part of this program, I would be given an apartment if I went and stayed in a mental health respite home. As you can imagine, drug addiction was really the least of my many demons.

Reuters, Claro Cortes IV

It is difficult to be off the streets yet not have money to get a soda or eat. When providing for yourself is within the scope of your ability, it is hard to refrain from exercising that ability. I had dealt with hunger for such a prolonged period of time because of drugs and poverty. I had lacked the freedom to eat whenever I was hungry, so hunger was something I wanted to avoid at all costs.

I wanted to feel free. I now had a place to sleep and shower daily. Even though meals were provided, having even a couple of dollars in my pocket felt empowering. Just knowing I could buy a soda if I wanted to, or purchase a snack if I was hungry, felt so, so good. It was natural to turn to what I knew so that I could have those dollars that gave me that freedom. For me and others like me, the ability to buy even little things for yourself is a new freedom that, when denied, becomes a trigger, making you desperate to keep that freedom and the ability to choose.

Plus, my value as a human being had been tied to the money I earned as a prostituted person for so long. My only sense of validation of worthiness came from the purchase of my body. As I tried to move beyond shame and find other things to validate my existence, I faced a twisted, deep, internal battle. People wonder why a prostituted person would willfully turn a trick when she finally has food and shelter at her feet. Yet the world of commercial exploitation is multifaceted, and leaving it is more complex than most people could ever possibly imagine.

https://www.gofundme.com/crypurplemovie

“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald

https://crypurplemovie.com/

Read more at…

Attitude Check

Posted in Christine "Clarity" McDonald, Culture with tags , , , , , , , , , on September 14, 2018 by paulthepoke

Christine McDonaldFeaturing Christine Clarity McDonald

Christine is a requested, featured guest speaker for many conferences and outreach events.

Luke 6:41-42 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. -Jesus

Examine yourself and your thoughts regarding homelessness, prostitution, the disease of addiction/addicts, and individuals who have been in prison.

Ask yourself:
• Do I have a clear understanding of poverty and breaking those cycles?
• Do I believe “once a criminal always a criminal”?
• Do I believe that the most helpful thing I can do for a homeless individual is tell them of a job opening, or give them a job application?
• Do I believe that prostitution is a choice?
• Do I believe that the solution for addicts is just abstinence? And that if they just wouldn’t use all would be well?

I encourage you to answer these questions now.

Dear Reader, I pray that as you read God will open your eyes to see every person around you through eyes of love and grace through the very eyes of Jesus. I pray that you will recognize each and every individual, regardless of their  background or choices or present state, as the same kind of human—precious individuals created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:26-27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald

Cry Purple

Posted in Christine "Clarity" McDonald, Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , on June 22, 2018 by paulthepoke

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Romans 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

 

Featuring Christine “Clarity” McDonald

cry purple

Cry Purple, by Christine McDonald, is the story of the author’s long journey from nearly two decades of homelessness, street-corner prostitution, crack addiction, and many stints in jail to her present life of total blindness, motherhood, and happiness.

The first two-thirds of the book tell the grim story of her youthful unhappiness, how and when she got into prostitution and drug addiction, the horrendous levels of violence that she and some of her fellow prostitutes suffered, and how the drugs eventually reduced her to an almost animal-like state. It was only when she hit rock bottom that she finally found the will to seek help and change her ways.

However, after getting clean and then engaged, she had numerous other difficulties and sorrows ahead of her: losing her sight due to a disease and having both her eyeballs removed, having a special-needs daughter that she had to give up for adoption due to her inability to care for her, and  watching her relationship with her children’s father dissolve.

Christine McDonaldShe currently lives in the St. Louis, Missouri area with her young son, Ricky. She practices an open adoption relationship with her daughter’s adoptive parents. She loves doing motivational speaking, and she does all she can to help and to advocate for ex offenders, addicts, and prostituted and trafficked women.  One of her largest passions is educating people out side of these circumstances to help them have a better understanding of the barriers society has placed before these under served populations to put their lives back together.

Filming for “Cry Purple” the movie is set to begin in October 2018. Interviews and writing are currently being completed. Release of the movie is tentatively set for sometime in 2019.

“Love your neighbor… ALL of ’em!” -Christine “Clarity” McDonald

 

To contact Christine directly send a E mail to:

Christine.crypurple@gmail.com

http://www.crypurple.com/

To purchase at Amazon.com, click on link below.

 

Our Daily Bread…Featuring Paul Beverly

Posted in Paul Beverly with tags , , , , , , , on February 18, 2018 by paulthepoke

I try not to respond to tragedy with a knee jerk reaction to what’s in my head at that moment. I want time to think, to pray, to seek answers & usually seek those in the Bible. First & foremost, I’m as saddened as anyone by the horrific killings of children in Florida & anywhere else we have had them.

We DO NOT have a gun issue, we have a HEART issue. A MORAL issue. A lack of GOD issue.

In the book of Genesis, Cain killed his brother Abel. God didn’t ban stones or knives. He said, “Thou shall not murder.”

In the book of Luke, Jesus told his disciples during their last meeting to take their purses & swords with them & if they didn’t have a sword to sell their clothes to buy one. He knew they’d need to protect themselves from those who were evil.

Getty Images Fla

Photo: Getty Images/Pool

Some of you will say that was then, this is now. Some will say a knife is different than an AR-15. Maybe so, but the Bible is still the book of life for me. Our forefathers knew we would need guns to protect ourselves from evil. That’s why they wrote the 2nd amendment. Automatic weapons have been illegal for almost 100 years. Drugs have been illegal forever. An evil person will not obey the law.Do we need some kind of reform? Maybe so. Maybe it needs to be harder to purchase an AR type weapon, but those that purchase them legally are not usually they ones we have to worry about. Yes, the kid in Florida purchased his weapon legally. A permit is not required in Florida.

Do we need more mental health evaluations for those purchasing these types of weapons? Maybe so. There were signs of this shooter & others that they were capable of something horrific. The FBI knew, but dropped the ball.

We need to stop pointing fingers, stop politicizing these incidents, stop listening to the media, stop taking God out of America, & start teaching morals again. Teach the value of human lives. Teach love.

NRA-logo

I’m a big supporter of the NRA, but we need to keep big business out of politics. Stop allowing big business to line the pockets of politicians, just to push their agendas.

I want our country back to what it was when I was a little kid. Back to being like Mayberry & Andy Griffith. Back to what it was before we took God out of schools & everywhere else. We didn’t have mass shootings & killings like this back before God was taken out of everything. Stop feeling entitled & teach love!!

Our Daily Bread…Featuring Paul Beverly

Posted in Culture, Paul Beverly with tags , , , , , on April 5, 2017 by paulthepoke

pb bread

It saddens me deeply when a life is lost too soon. We never know what someone else is fighting on the inside. Be kind to everyone. Be there for them. Be someone that hopefully they can come to when they are struggling. Depression is so real & so scary. It feels like you’re alone, even if you’re around others a lot. If you are struggling, reach out to others. There are those of us that want to help & understand. Reach out to God, because he does truly heal.

Psalm 147:3 He heals the broken-hearted & binds up their wounds.

Have a healing day my friends!!!

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