Maybe you’re looking at this email and going, “What is Resilient and Redeemed, and when did I sign up for this?” I don’t blame you. Resilient and Redeemed is the new home for what was formerly known as the email list for Chris Morris Writes. I am moving to Substack. As a matter of fact, this email itself is from Substack.
If you haven’t heard of Substack, it’s sort of what happens when a blog and an email platform have a baby. It gives you a chance to see my writing alongside a bunch of other amazing writers, all in the same place. This is one of the biggest reasons I am moving to Substack, to increase the visibility of everything that I do. Instead of trying to convince people to go to ChrisMorrisWrites.com to learn things about mental health and faith, people can find my words along other tremendous creators.
My website will continue to exist, but the function of Chris Morris Writes will be a bit different now. It will be my home base for speaking and books, along with some introductory words about who I am and what I’m about. If you want to see the new vibe, feel free to take a look right now. I’ll wait.
You also get the chance to support me through a paid subscription (only if you want to though, and I’ll explain more about that later). Don’t worry, you will still get the vast majority of the words I write at no cost, just like it’s always been.
What are you all about again?
Perhaps it’s been a while since you’ve engaged with my emails. Maybe you don’t remember having ever read anything from me before. It’s okay, I get it. There are a LOT of emails that come into our inboxes these days. Let me take this opportunity to reintroduce myself and what I write about.
I am a certified mental health coach dedicated to promoting understanding of mental health issues within the church. Because of a lifelong struggle with depression and suicidality, I became committed to breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health and encouraging others to seek after holistic health.
As a writer and speaker, I have shared my personal story and insights with audiences across the country, inspiring many individuals to take control of their own health, break free from poor theological teaching placed upon them, and seek the support they need. I have published several books on mental health, the most recent being Trekking Toward Tenacity. My work has been featured in a number of media outlets, including CrossWalk, The Mighty, and Fathom Magazine. If you’re interested in learning more about my books, here’s a great place to start.
I am deeply committed to creating a more compassionate and supportive world and church for individuals living with mental health issues. Through my writing and speaking, I am a powerful voice for change and a beacon of hope for those in need.
My writing is focused on the intersection between mental health and faith. This is a safe place for followers of Jesus dealing with depression, anxiety, and every mental illness under the sun. If you’ve asked yourself, “If I’m a Christian, why am I depressed?“ or, “Where is God when my life is falling apart?“, or “How do I overcome depression biblically“, you’re in the right place.
Everything here is written as Christian help for those in the mental illness community as we redefine normal and rediscover hope together. Let’s talk about these two things for just a moment.
What does it mean to redefine normal? It means that nobody but you gets to tell you what’s normal and what’s abnormal. You are the arbiter of your own life, and you get to decide that. For you, maybe a normal day is not getting out of bed until noon because of chronic pain, and having to carefully calculate where you spend your limited energy. If so, I honor your normal here.
How about rediscovering hope? So many of us struggle to fell there’s any objective reason for hope in our lives, because, to be honest, our lives stink a lot of the time. It’s full of difficulty and complexity, hard conversations and unmet expectations. But we can find the keys to having hope despite all these setbacks. I spend a lot of time talking the nuts and bolts of hope from a biblical perspective, so it’s more tangible, meaningful, and applicable to real life.
About that subscription
I have set up a few options for you to support my writing through subscriptions: $5 a month, $50 a year, or you can be a Founding Member for a lifetime fee of $150. But that begs the question: what are the benefits of being a paid subscriber, especially since I already said that I will be making more of my writing available for free.
My posts will all be free for three months, then they roll into the archives. Being a paid subscriber will get you access to my archives for all of eternity. Beyond that, you will be able to engage in the community more fully by commenting on the posts.
Here are the biggest benefits for being a paid subscriber though:
I will have monthly video sessions with all my paid subscribers to talk about specific aspects of the intersection of faith and mental health.
I will publish subscriber-only video and audio posts that dive deep into relevant topics.
What if I want to keep it free?
I think that’s great news too. I want to see my words shared with as many people as possible. I have no delusions about my Substack subscription becoming my primary source of income. If you choose to keep the free subscription, you will get an article from me about once every ten days in your email. If you sign up for a Substack account, then you can read my words alongside all those other wonderful writers I’ve already mentioned. People like Matt Tebbe and Gino Curcuruto and Beth Felkner-Jones. And too many more to mention. But you don’t have to add another app to your phone or another website to your favorites. You’ll be able to read my articles through your email if you want to instead.
What if I don’t want this?
I will have no choice but to be angry at you forever. I’m kidding, of course. I know that change can be hard. If you don’t want to take part in any of this, I get it. All you have to do to opt out is hit the “unsubscribe” button at the bottom of any email. That’s it.
You can always come back later, if you change your mind. No hard feelings either way though.
Thanks for reading this. If you made it this far, maybe you’re the kind of person that appreciates behind-the-scenes insights into faith and mental health. You might want to hit the subscribe button above. You could even try it out for a month to see if it’s worthwhile for you?
Well, that’s what I’ve got for now. See you very soon!
Warmly,
Chris
Hi Chris, Glad to see you joining Substack. I started her in April and have found this to be an incredible place for building connections with readers and other writers. It's been a truly wonderful experience. Welcome! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have. As one of your newsletter subscribers, I'm glad to see you make the change. As a fellow writer, and someone who has worked in the mental health field, I'm also happy you're here. Your voice will be welcome here...and I hope you make fulfilling and joyful connections here as well. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made as a writer.
Welcome to Substack! It's a wonderful community, and I think you'll gain good traction with your newsletter, and your topic and themes, as they're so important.