Ep 36 | Faith, Bipolar Disorder, and Marriage with Lydia Lascola

Living with bipolar disorder presents unique challenges. In this episode, writer, artist, and speaker Lydia Lascola shares her powerful testimonial on the intersection of faith, marriage, and mental illness. She candidly discusses societal stigmas and misconceptions surrounding mental health and faith. Lydia reveals how her personal relationship with Jesus Christ not only improved her marriage but also transformed her suffering into sanctification, encouraging listeners to view faith as a meaningful relationship rather than a set of rigid practices. Tune in for a message of hope and encouragement for anyone grappling with mental health issues, marriage, or similar struggles.

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Transcript

New Creation

Lydia Lascola 0:00

I felt like I was the exception and I felt like God forgot about me. And you know, it was almost like this cruel joke, that like I wanted back into the club of Christ but like I wasn't good enough because I had bipolar.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 0:23

This is a new creation podcast. I'm your host, jamece Lachelle. I'm a Christian trauma therapist. You just heard a little bit from our guest, a little teaser. She's speaking a little bit in this episode about faith and life and how the Lord has walked her through mental illness, bipolar we talk about marriage and all of the things. So you definitely don't want to miss this episode. Let's dive right in. I want to welcome everybody back to the podcast.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 0:50

I am super excited to introduce my new friend. Her name is Lydia Laskola. Is that how you pronounce your last name, laskola? I got it right. Yes, I know, it means the school in Italian. Oh, how beautiful. Ooh, that's deep. I want to hear more about that. Okay, so I'll just read this bio and you, of course, will add to it. So this is Lydia, with a heart on fire for Jesus.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 1:20

Lydia Lascola is growing her career as a writer, painter and a speaker to combat mental illness and align with the Holy Spirit. Lydia can be found volunteering with the youth group or as a caretaker for children. Her favorite day of the week is Sundays, when she and her husband Michael habitually attend church gatherings, get breakfast, have their favorite greasy spoon and take their dog to the park to catch up on the past week and look forward to the blessings ahead. So beautiful. Her main passion and priority as of late is drafting her first book, which aims to address those who do not believe with a gracious and kind call to christ, while weaving her personal trials with bipolar disorder through its benediction. They're so beautiful. So that is the super official bio introduction.

Lydia Lascola 2:12

But tell us a little bit about you, lydia, in your own words. Yeah Well, thank you. I will say I'm pretty new to Christ and maybe that contributes to my heart on fire for Jesus, because I do know like new believers tend to be more from what I've found, more vivacious, just because they're like just discovering the Lord's power and it's like a whole new world opens up and the veil just falls before your eyes and it's, it's incredible, but you know. So it's been about two years since I've been saved. But I did.

Lydia Lascola 2:58

I was raised in the church, so I was familiar with Jesus and I had, like I went to youth group growing up and and I church every Sunday, but it never really felt personal, it just felt more like traditional and I was forced to go and that's just how I was raised.

Lydia Lascola 3:16

But as I hit my adult years and then I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I really started to seek. Then I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I really started to seek and in that seeking I tend to be a very flexible person and I never want to a people pleaser, I never want to disappoint anyone and I still tend to be that way. But before finding Christ I definitely was open to a lot more activities and experiences and, just like, allowed a lot of things into my life. And you know, in the last few years since finding Christ, I've become more grounded and intentional with my time and the things I spend doing, and you can find me cooking a lot, a lot more and painting, and I feel like I've just become more confident in who I am and not I'm not like floundering.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 4:19

Yeah.

Lydia Lascola 4:20

Yeah, I don't know if that answered your question.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 4:23

It does. It gives us an L peak about you know. You know who you are. What stood out to me in your story was the part about you find yourself cooking because, um, I don't know, I remember when I found Christ like the joy of doing those little things, he I mean he literally had to teach me how to start cooking again and, um, I don't know, it's just cool, the very I don't know, it's just cool, the very I don't know. It's like things that I think would be easily overlooked. But you can now see him in it with you. You know he's giving you back painting and all of that. So that's kind of cool.

Lydia Lascola 4:58

Yeah, god is definitely found in those mundane moments. I think a lot of people often expect, like you know, he's powerful and he should be like on the throne and like loud and in your face, and that's not at all how he moves. I've definitely found that in those quiet moments and doing simple things like folding laundry or cooking that he shows up most strongly in my life.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 5:23

Yeah, very cool, very cool. So, oh gosh, I have. I have lots of questions. I'm just curious. I love it.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 5:33

Before we do that, I am feeling led to pray now, at the beginning of this episode, and so we'll just pray for the listener, because I really do believe strongly that something shared here today is gonna touch somebody's heart, and we just wanna do that with prayer. Father God, we just thank you. I thank you for bringing Lydia here today. I thank you for us getting to hear more of the way that you're moving in her life and the way that you desire to move in all of our lives. As we give you reign, as we allow the work that you're trying to do to be done, we just get out of the way and let that happen and stop resisting you. And so that's my prayer for the listener today that something shared here today would be a blessing, that you would open up their ears to hear it and that you would open up their eyes to see your presence all around right now. And the precious name of Jesus, we pray Amen. Precious name of Jesus, we pray amen.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 6:50

Yes, so I've got lots of questions, yeah, so one of my questions is this I am curious to hear, like, as you talk about really finding your faith. So, on the one hand, one of my questions is you know, you said you were raised in church, but it sounds like it wasn't until like a few years ago that you actually had a profound heart change, I guess, and really came to know the Lord. Um, so I kind of want to talk about that. But what I'm really getting at is this I want to know, like, how have you seen your relationships change, like your marriage, for example? How have you seen that relationships change, like your marriage, for example? How have you seen that change as a result of just this new, of you really becoming a new creation? Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Navigating Spousal Faith Differences

Lydia Lascola 7:34

Most definitely. It's actually interesting that of all relationships in our life, you chose my marriage because that that has been the most radical relationship change. Because when Michael and I first were married, it's actually going to be our three-year anniversary in six days, yeah. And so if we do the math, I was only saved two years ago. So when we got married I was not and I wasn't going to church and we were living a very secular life, just kind of led by our own desires, and I wouldn't say anything has substantially changed.

Lydia Lascola 8:11

But when I decided to commit my life to Jesus, I started to go to church every single Sunday, and I still do to this day. And in the beginning it was very hard because you know, I believed and my husband did not, and the Bible talks about how you should be equally yoked to your partner, and so I really struggled with this dynamic of like, what does that mean? Like it really took a toll on like a lot of doubts on my end in this marriage. But then I, on the other hand, I have this wonderful man before me who I love with all my heart, and he hasn't changed. I was the one who changed. I had the heart change.

Lydia Lascola 8:55

So it was really a difficult period and it's been really amazing to see how God has worked our relationship, because now, two years later, michael comes to church with me every Sunday.

Lydia Lascola 9:12

He has given his heart to Jesus.

Lydia Lascola 9:15

We pray together and it's our home, welcomes Jesus into it, when before it was very much like hand distance away, like yeah, you can believe and that's your thing, but like I'm gonna go golfing and I'm gonna go drinking with my friends and and that kind of thing and and for a long time there was, um, this natural misunderstanding of like church for me was my thing, like volunteering on Wednesdays and Sundays, where it was like something that I do that's equivalent to him going to golf league.

Lydia Lascola 9:51

And I think in time he's come to see my heart change and how it really is a profound experience in my life that I live out daily and it's not just the things that I do or the words that I say, but it's literally been a mental shift in my mind, developing this relationship with Jesus that is so palpable. And I think when he opened himself to like realizing how real it was for me, and then he started coming to church with me, just seeing this transformation, it was one thing for me to go through it, but now witnessing it like watching someone else that's so close to you also walk this journey. We're still in different areas of our life. I'm heavily involved in like Bible study groups and he's like, please leave me out of that.

Lydia Lascola 10:51

But I know it's just. He has changed so much and he's so much more open and he's so much more just like himself, like who he's meant to be, who he's been created to be, and it's just been a wonderful unraveling of our relationship. So you know, in the beginning I felt like I was dishonoring my husband and tearing us apart and in reality God was weaving us back together tighter than we've ever been yeah, like tighter than you even knew possible.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 11:26

Yeah, that is so beautiful. I just love that. And I work with a lot of women who have that story. So I work as a trauma therapist, christian counselor, and I do my coaching, mentorship. So the Lord will just send me ladies who need support. And I work with a lot of ladies who have the story of my husband doesn't have faith and even like a little deeper than that, my husband's faith is not as strong as mine. You know whatever that's supposed to mean.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 12:07

And so I wonder, like what would you tell a wife, or even you know someone who is thinking about getting married? What would you tell them about? Like that part, like how did you walk out having this knowledge of who Jesus is? Like you were saying, when we first come to ourselves and wake up to Jesus, it's like whoa, you can't help but be on fire and tell everybody you know like he changes you that way, everybody you know. You know like he changes you that way. No-transcript was able to start speaking your same language, so to speak. You know, I hear you saying that he's not. You know, he may not pursue the things of God the way that you are pursuing them. It doesn't mean that it's wrong, but like I don't know, it was making sense what I'm asking like that I understand, yeah, yeah, there, there is definitely a transitional period, I guess.

Lydia Lascola 13:14

And you know, when I was going through my transition from secular to biblical and looking at life and realizing that every aspect of life is addressed in the Bible and everything you question about Jesus has already suffered through and he knows and he understands. And when I woke up to that reality and accepted him into my life and have since worked on my relationship with him, there are points where I get frustrated that, like you said, like other women will be like, his faith is not as strong as mine and I have those same thoughts. But I've come to realize that I was just reading Isaiah, chapter one about Cyprus King.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 14:06

Yeah, it's yeah, I was just in. That's where I've been the past couple days.

Lydia Lascola 14:11

Isaiah, yeah, that's so funny, yes, and it talks about how God chose him, even though he's a pagan king and he doesn't believe. But God still used him and so I hang on to and Michael's in a different place. He's not a pagan or a king by any means. He's my king, right, he's still new to his faith and his journey, but I know God is still using him and he's still walking through his own journey and I know I just have the comfort. It's taken me a long time.

Lydia Lascola 14:48

I've had many prayers of like I'm praying for Michael and praying for Michael. Like you know, I really want his relationship with Christ to go deeper and I really want, you know, us to be on the same exact page. But I also have grace for Michael because I was exactly where he was before, so I'm just like a few chapters ahead. I wouldn't say like I, you know, an expert on Christ by any means. I'm still learning and I'm still new in my faith as well.

Lydia Lascola 15:17

But I have a lot of empathy for Michael because I know exactly where he is and I also know for a fact that God is moving in his own time and I've already seen so much transformation. So I guess for the women that are frustrated. It's natural to be frustrated, but it's also you have to give it to God. And something in my prayers I've stopped praying for Michael and I've started praying like deepen my relationship with you because you'll strengthen me. And the reason Michael came to you in the first place is because he did see that change in me. So if he continues to see that change in me, you know, I do feel like my responsibility is to keep that bar high, keep that relationship with Christ, and he will naturally come to know him as well. It's just in his own time.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 16:16

I love that. Thank you so much for that response. I know that that is specifically for someone listening, so thank you. You make it sound so simple and I think it is when we let it be, you know, like it's hard, but it doesn't have to be.

Lydia Lascola 16:32

We make it hard and there's been times where I'm very frustrated. But then I look out and I also think it depends on the man, and I am blessed with a man who is open. His heart isn't closed, but I also. In the beginning there is a prayer that asks God to turn his heart of stone to one of flesh, and that prayer, I swear, is what started it all and, yeah, it was very powerful. And I have seen Michael's heart soften. It's not softened all the way. So that's the frustration part, but that's where you have to, like, let go of your frustration and let God my, my um. The only thing that matters is my relationship with Jesus, and I have no control over Michael's relationship with Jesus, so I have to take a step back and let him explore that for himself.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 17:37

Yeah, it's like you remove yourself from taking undue responsibility for his faith walk, right, like. I think we have a responsibility to continually, of course, be like pointing each other to Jesus. I think that's what he would want in a marriage. The Lord, right, but it's not your responsibility to be the Holy Spirit for your husband, right? Yeah, so very cool.

Lydia Lascola 18:02

Thank you for sharing that, yeah so yeah, that's interesting that we started with that, because it is a. It's a constant prayer on my heart.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 18:11

Yes, that's so beautiful and I think that's really is what it means to be, you know, our husband's helper, our husband's help. It's like we have to know what that means. You know, I think some people come to. I don't know if you were like this, but when I came to um christ and like understanding the bible because I had I was baptized at a young age I didn't fully. I never really had a personal relationship, didn't really understand, didn't really know much of the bible at all. And it wasn't until I was well in my 30s that I finally picked up the bible and I started reading oh, everything really is in here, but uh, everything, everything, like, just like you said, everything about life is found in the bible. Uh, but it, um, I don't know.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 19:01

I don't remember where I was going with this thought, but I'm just remembering how, like pursuit, like coming to the scriptures and reading it for the first time, I struggled in the beginning with like, like you talked about having no secular belief. You know, I came, I came into it with this worldview, a very secular worldview of like, oh, uh, the, the bible, or christian, um, christians have a low view of women and all this kind of stuff. But you read it and it's like that's not what it's saying at all. No, it's not. Yeah, sorry Go ahead.

Lydia Lascola 19:42

Well, yeah, I think you know that's the devil in disguise is is the secular worldview will will eat at you with all these misconceptions until you actually pick up the book and read it in context and also understand you know the times that it was written and take that into account, but then how it translates into the world that we live in now and I can see where, you know, the low view of women comes into play. But I think we also are looking at um, our, our definition of equality today is has migrated away from um, order and what, what it means. Like we live in a culture where we don't want to be told what to do. Everyone's independent, we're all individuals and while there are benefits to those um characteristics, hierarchy in the bible speaks to an everlasting peace and in an order that you can't. Without order you'll have chaos. That's just they. They go hand in hand, and for there to be order there has to be complementary pieces, and so a man's role and a woman's role are very different, but they're complementary.

Finding Peace Through Mental Health Struggles

Lydia Lascola 21:16

And what I found in reading the Bible and applying it to my marriage is you know, they talk about submitting to your husband and, and you know, in our culture the word submit is is so um, I know I'm going to turn a lot of people off by even saying that, but but I think for me it means more. You know, even what we just talked about is like I'm ahead of Michael in my walk with Christ, so like it would appear that I'm stronger in my relationship with Christ and Michael is weaker, right and, and the Bible says the is strong, and that's not what it means. It's more. I'm submitting to Michael because I'm giving him the space to develop his own relationship with Christ. And so for me, submission is being respectful to where anyone is, not just my husband, but any person in this world, just giving them that space and not, um, overstepping, like throwing it in in their face, like this is how life is and this is what you believe, and that kind of thing.

Lydia Lascola 22:32

I. I do think evangelism can get very. It has to be done tactfully and tastefully. We are called to evangelize and that is what God instructs us to do. But I know Michael has had experience with evangelists who are like throwing it in his face and are so harsh and like you have to believe this and that's. No one's going to come to Christ that way. Yeah, you know. So, yeah, there's a lot of just misunderstanding. I would say, if you're new to the faith, really A you can't do it alone. If you are walking with Christ alone, you're actually walking with the devil.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 23:23

Come on.

Lydia Lascola 23:24

Yeah, yeah, I really I think you need a community. You need like-minded people who are going to challenge your questions and and level you to to be thinking in in a biblical perspective so good, oh my gosh, so much wisdom.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 23:46

I love this. Thank you. So, um, yeah, kind of like. Uh it's. It seems like topic jumping, but I think somehow it all, it all will lead back.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 23:58

That's what life is, yes, right chaotic so I want to talk a little bit, if you're comfortable, about just how you've come to find peace through mental health struggles, um, how you reconcile, like you know what the Lord has taught you about that. You're writing a book about the topic, so tell us a little bit about you know that whole journey and kind of where you know it collides with Jesus and all that he's done in your life through that.

Lydia Lascola 24:38

Yeah. So I really wish I could say that I met Jesus in the middle of my trauma, Because I feel like, you know, everyone wants that story when you're saved, it's just miraculous. But my saving story is more like I cried in a bathroom and I cried out to Jesus. I just really felt his presence and I was not intending to be saved at that time. But this is years after being diagnosed with bipolar and about when I was 20, I was going to college.

Lydia Lascola 25:08

I was attending parties, you know, staying up late, experimenting with things that I shouldn't have been involved in. Of staying up late, experimenting with things that I shouldn't have been involved in and making friends, probably with the wrong crowd, and really not walking with Jesus at all, Like he was not top of mind. I don't think I ever, like picked up the Bible or went to church during that time, fell away from what I was raised and I one night literally started hallucinating and it led me to a hospital, stay in a psych ward for about a month and I didn't know my name or you know, really anything. I didn't know the year, my family, none of that, and it was a really, really dark time.

Lydia Lascola 26:00

And you know, people don't really know what bipolar disorder is. I've found like it's so easily like, oh, that's so, you're being bipolar when, when your moods fluctuate, you know from happy to sad or you're all over the place, and and really I easily like, oh, that's so you're being bipolar when, when your moods fluctuate, you know from happy to sad or you're just all over the place, and and really I'm like well then, everyone's bipolar, because everyone goes through that, right Um, but uh, when you add in mania with psychosis, and then the drop is for me, it goes to depression, with suicidal ideation.

Lydia Lascola 26:34

That cannot be managed without medication, and so my biggest struggle in my healing in the aftermath was getting myself on a schedule eating healthy foods, going to bed at the same time every night, waking up at the same time every morning, and I still, like I woke up at 11am today. That's another conversation. So I still struggle with my schedule, but something that I I'm still continuously like trying to learn is taking my medication on time, because for me it's. I'm learning, I'm reteaching myself, but my initial thought about medication is oh, it's a reminder that something's wrong with me. You know something's wrong with me, like what you know? Why was I, you know, created this way? When I, when I came to Christ, that was a big question. Um, yeah, so I had this hospitalization and then I, you know, being a very, a people pleaser and just like open to experiences, I never really.

Lydia Lascola 27:41

I went to college for photography, but you don't really get a job in photography unless you create it yourself, and after a hospitalization like that, I was in no shape to start a business or anything like that. Like that, I was in no shape to start a business or anything like that. So I really floundered with my career and I kind of just accepted any job that came my way, which has built a lot of skills, um, and I have like a resume that like is very diverse. Um, but through this whole walk I was never grounded. I was always floundering and and not focused on what I wanted or who I was. I didn't. One day I realized, like I don't know what I like, like I don't know what I dislike, I don't know, um, like I don't know what my favorite color is, like just simple things. Um, so, fast forward, probably I think it was like 20, it was right before I got saved, like two years ago.

Lydia Lascola 28:43

So two years ago I I lost my job, I got fired and it was the first job I ever got fired from and I was like you know, that takes a huge hit to the ego and and I was like what? Like I gave this my all and there was definitely things that I, looking back, I could have done differently. But I was fired for a reason, but nothing like bad, but I just, you know, I was very I think it was my first job as a project manager and I was just very full of myself and I needed some humble. God knew that. So I got fired literally the day before we were supposed to leave for vacation and on vacation, there was a massive storm and we ended up our three day vacation in Florida turned into like an eight day vacation because all the airlines weren't leaving because of the storm and we were broke at that time and I just lost my job and, and you know, I was still struggling with, you know, experimenting with different things and you know, just, my life was all over the place and then losing my job was like the last straw, and so that's when I was crying in the bathroom and I just finally something came over to me to reach out to Jesus, and it was almost like a childhood pull, like what I was raised with.

Lydia Lascola 30:12

It's like my life was ordered then so that there's something that was working in my childhood and and something is missing now and, um, you know, I I started to pray and I don't think I got any sentence out or anything and I just was like I this, okay, like this, is it? You know um. So now finding Christ, um, I deal. I used to identify myself as someone who is bipolar right and now I identify as a child of God, with bipolar like it's. It's a different, it's reframed my mindset completely, so absolutely, yeah, what you said.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 31:11

I was going to ask you that and you just said it. Yeah, how your identity changed. Now you know I was going to ask about you know what? Did you struggle with? The knowledge that you know coming to christ, like you can't deny when his presence comes upon you? Of course, we know he's omnipresent, like he's everywhere, but there is his, like tangible presence that he allows with me, and this is the way, this is truth, this is life, and the bipolar did not just instantaneously, oh away. Did you struggle with that?

Lydia Lascola 32:09

yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember knowing that, like, okay, I know I'm supposed to follow Christ, like I know this is the purpose of my life, but I had so many questions and the biggest question was like why was I created this way? Like you claim that we're created in your image and you know, in my head God is perfect, right, and so shouldn't I be perfect if I'm created in your image and, you know, by having bipolar? That's not perfection. And I couldn't make sense of um, I felt like I was the exception and I felt like God forgot about me. And you know, it was almost like this cruel joke, that like I wanted back into the club of Christ but like I wasn't good enough because I had bipolar.

Lydia Lascola 33:02

Now I realize everyone has something, someone is struggling, every single person on earth has a flaw and we joke about it like, oh, we're all messed up, but a we're living in a fallen world, right, like the bite of the apple has severed our relationship from christ, so he knew we are going to fall into a world of sin. So I do believe he created us with these quote-unquote flaws, because when we do recognize him, they are our reason to go back to him. So my bipolar disorder has turned into that space to make that relationship reconnected with Christ. So my flaw has turned into my lifeline. So my flaw has turned into my lifeline. It's completely transformed.

Embracing Faith in Mental Health

Jemese LaChel LCSW 33:54

Yeah, I love that. It's your reason to worship him, it's the reminder to you that he's still in it with you. And, like, this is of no ways the same at all, but I remember. So I've got young girls and I just remember, um, struggling with motherhood. I didn't know how to do it, you know, and at some point coming to an understanding, like, okay, well, this lack of understanding, this thing that I'm struggling with, that is my reason. I'm going to use that to remind me every single time to run to you and so, like, that's kind of what I'm hearing you say, is that you, um, it's, it's no longer something that you condemn or shame yourself for or even let society because I mean mental health stigma still exists and it shouldn't, but you know it's very frustrating too.

Lydia Lascola 34:52

Yeah, even now I'm applying for jobs and there is a. Every single application asks you if you have a disability, and then they list out what they define as disabilities, and one of them is bipolar oh really, that's so interesting.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 35:06

I don't know that I've seen that application.

Lydia Lascola 35:08

That's wild uh huh, yeah, I see it on all of my I don't know if it's a state thing or it's on all my applications and I have to either say yes, I am, no, I'm not, or I prefer not to answer. So I always say I prefer not to answer because I'm not going to lie, but then it's just frustrating because like if someone sees like oh, she prefers not to answer, like clearly she has, and so then I'm just like alluding yeah, so society definitely makes it very difficult in a very roundabout way but then, like, enters Jesus right, because he's your freedom and he teaches us how to navigate in this fallen world.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 35:48

You, you know, and it sounds like he has done that in your life, you know.

Lydia Lascola 35:54

Yeah, at least he's, he's in the he's. I'm coming to terms with it. I don't have all the answers and there are definitely days where I still wonder, like what's wrong with me? Why do I feel this way, especially when I'm suicidal. Like you know, I can't say I always feel God's presence on my life. I definitely haven't felt him as powerfully as the day I felt him enter into my life when I accepted him. But he still shows up, a when you least expect it, but b when you least know most need it, least note it. Um, yeah, so uh, I would say my, my bipolar disorder reminds me that I am not whole without him and I'm not created to be whole all on my own. I need him, yeah, I need that relationship with him, because without it I'm simply someone who has bipolar yeah, right, oh, that's so beautiful.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 37:05

Thank you so much for being so candid about that. I know that, um, there's a lot of ladies listening who are struggling with bipolar specifically and uh, so so cool to hear you just share this glimpse into what life is like, because I think there's this misconception that jesus comes into our life and then all of our problems fade away and yeah, and reality is they get harder. It is harder, isn't it? I mean, yeah, it's like it's easy. His yoke is what is it? His yoke is easy, the burden might Burden is light.

Lydia Lascola 37:41

That's true.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 37:42

That is absolutely true. And we still go through trials, tests, we still go through things. Persecutions come, like you know there's. I had a lot of naivete. When I just got completely sold out for Jesus, I was like, oh, because it's such a wonderful feeling, you know, like, oh, my goodness, I found the truth, I found the truth, goodness, I found the truth, I found the truth. And then you know, uh, something terrible happens in life and it's like, oh, okay, this is what it looks like to walk your, your, your life out with him. You are going through the storm with him, he, he's right there with you, but you're still going through. You're going through it with him, and I think that can be a misconception.

Lydia Lascola 38:30

Sometimes there's a beautiful story about um I don't really know who, where it comes from, but um, it's about a man who confronts he, he dies and he meets God in heaven. He's like God, like I went through all this time of my life and there's points that you weren't with me, and God replays his life and he's like you know, see the footprints. There's four footprints. There's you and me and he's like no, but God, look here, there's only two sets of footprints. I was alone and you weren't with me, and God's like I was carrying. Those are my footprints and I think we need to remind ourselves that.

Lydia Lascola 39:13

You know, everyone goes through those struggles and those obstacles, but the difference with Christians is that we are walking with God, or even being carried by God, and I've come to learn that it's through our suffering that we either just simply suffer or we can be sanctified because of our suffering, and it's in that purification that we come to. You know, our pain becomes our purpose and it brings a whole other level of meaning for life. Yes, when you have Jesus.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 39:49

So powerful. So this one last question what would you tell someone a young, the young woman, anybody really, who who does not know jesus like they? They maybe know of jesus, but they don't know him? What would you tell that person if they wanted help to actually know him? What would you say yeah, a few things.

Lydia Lascola 40:20

So people get turned off by any religion because of all the traditions and, um, you know, they feel like a rite of passage is to know the whole Bible or know specific facts. And I would just say surrender all of that and realize that really Christianity is set apart because there's religion and then there's a relationship, and all other religions in the world are man's attempt through. You know, if they behave in a certain way, then they'll please God. Right, it's man's attempt to reach God, but Christ, christianity, is the only religion. Christianity is the only religion, and I quote religion because at the end of the day, it's a relationship that the world confuses as a religion, because we partake in worship and we have traditions and all of that. But that's just a way to strengthen our relationship, because Christianity only way that God comes to us and he sent his son for us.

Lydia Lascola 41:34

And so for people who are on the fence about you know, do they believe or not? You know. First you do have to decide. You know if you believe or you don't, it's there's, it is black and white. But if you do decide to take that step and accept Christ in your life, he will figure everything else out for you and it's not painful, like things will change in your life, but your mindset changes and then you don't desire things that you originally desired before, originally desired before. And he walks with you and you know you. It puts you on a path to truly find your purpose, because you're not working towards your individual ideas, you're working towards what God has envisioned for your life. So it's just you know that surrender, walk by faith and not by sight. People really do struggle with it because they want all the evidence. But if you do surrender and walk by faith and you accept Jesus, then you will get the evidence.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 42:44

You can't get the evidence before you do that you that yeah powerful, so good, yeah, okay, I have another question, this is my.

Lydia Lascola 42:51

I mean at this time last question.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 42:55

So what would you tell the woman who is struggling with her mental health right now?

Lydia Lascola 43:00

yeah, in terms of like, so even, yeah, just go ahead well, even even if you don't believe, it's a very real issue. And, um, I, I, it's funny that we've we've transitioned away from mental illness and into mental health just that simple change of word, because I personally still think we should call them mental illnesses, because mental health gives you this idea that it's more positive, which is good, but it dilutes the fact that there is an issue, there is an illness, there is something that needs to be addressed very, very hard. It's scary. It makes you confront things that are uncomfortable and gritty and raw and you've buried them for so long that you know you don't want to dig them up. And then, in the process of digging them up, it's painful.

Lydia Lascola 44:03

But going back to what I said earlier, it is in your suffering that you're sanctified. You will, you will only know true peace when you're able to confront your pain. Um, so you know you can. You can do. I did all of that without Christ. I went to a secular counselor and you are able to treat your mental illnesses without Christ, but adding him into the picture makes it so much more like, filled with much more grace and comfort and support, than like any friend could lend you. So just reach out and verbalize what you're going through, because you're worth it so good.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 44:49

Thank you so much. What a rich episode. I feel like we talked about so much, so much juicy nuggets. So if anyone listening wanted to connect more with you, is there a way to find you? Like, do you have a?

Lydia Lascola 45:04

Yeah, well, I'm very much in the beginning of you know kind of focusing on my online presence. Really, the only way to reach out to me is through my Instagram, which is my handle is livinglascola L-I-V-I-N-G-L-A-S-C-O-L-A, and I'm very much new to broadcasting my beliefs and writing my book and getting out there about all of it, so I don't have too many platforms yet, but this is only the beginning.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 45:40

Yes, okay, that sounds good. And I think I found you on Instagram. Oh there you are, okay, so cool you on instagram. Oh, there you are okay, so cool. I will have um that link available. If you're comfortable, I'll put that in the show notes so that sometimes people listening they just connect with you and, you know, may want to dm you or something. So I will, um, yeah, absolutely have all of that in the show notes somewhere and in the. I just want to thank you so much for your openness.

Lydia Lascola 46:12

Yeah, this has been a pleasure and I would love to keep in touch. So thank you so much for listening to me.

Jemese LaChel LCSW 46:22

That's it for another dynamic episode. What a powerful conversation. Listen, if you are struggling with mental illness, know that the Lord is there. Know that you can go to God about this and know that there are other believers, other women, other Christians who are dealing with this stuff. It should not be taboo in the church. Seek God, and if you need to seek a counselor, don't be afraid to do that. Hey, go and follow me on Instagram. Right now, my Insta handle is at Jameice Lachelle. That's where you can find the most up-to-date content. And, okay, I'll see you in the next episode. May the Lord bless you and keep you until we meet again.