Resilient and Redeemed: Q&A with Chris Morris + Giveaway

 

About the Book

 

Book: Resilient and Redeemed: Lessons about Suicidality and Depression from the Psych Ward

Author: Chris Morris

Genre: Christian Living / Mental Health

Release date: June 11, 2024

God cares deeply about you and your mental health. Author and mental health advocate Chris Morris has battled depression and suicidality his entire adult life. Even coming to Christ didn’t change this, which is something many fellow Christians don’t seem to understand. He still had to face the grief of unrelenting illness, the shame of struggling, and the pain of poor guidance.

In this compassionate and engaging book, Chris shares how he overcame these challenges and invites you to do the same–no matter your diagnosis. Weaving biblical truth and personal stories with thoughtful strategies and hard-earned wisdom, he helps you move past fear and shame to combat the specters of depression and suicidality.

God is still there, even in the darkest of places. May this book be a step in the process of healing and help you find hope in your battle.

Includes reflection questions, Scripture meditations, and a bonus video course.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Chris Morris is 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, Chris became committed to breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health and encouraging others to seek after holistic health.

As a writer and speaker, Chris has shared his 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. He has published several books on mental health, the most recent being Resilient and Redeemed. His work has been featured in a number of media outlets, including CrossWalk, The Mighty, and Fathom Magazine.

Chris is deeply committed to creating a more compassionate and supportive world and church for individuals living with mental health issues. Through his writing and speaking, he is a powerful voice for change and a beacon of hope for those in need.

More from Chris

Resilient and Redeemed is a book that the Christian community needs. For too long, those with mental health conditions have been forced to be shamed or to hide their struggles. Especially in a post-COVID world, mental health has to come to the forefront of the conversation. This book details in an unapologetic way my struggles with depression and suicidal ideations. The core message of this book is that God doesn’t write people off because of their struggles with their mental health. No, God is with us and for us no matter what.

Resilient and Redeemed is full of hard-won, battle-tested tools that will help people fight the battle for their mental health. There are no easy answers given, because no two mental illnesses present the same. Ensconced in story, this book gives a full toolbox of practices to support better mental health, ranging from how to find a counselor that will work for you to daily rituals that will ground your days and affirm your agency in your life.

I also put together a video series talking about resilience to accompany this book. As a member of the blog tour, you’ll gain access to over 40 minutes of me talking about resilience. We cover things like where does resilience come from, what does resilience have to do with faith, and so much more. I’m especially proud of the work I did for this video series, and I think you’ll find it incredibly valuable.

Author Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect from your books?

I like to say that this book is half memoir, half self-help, and half-theology. I know the math doesn’t work, but there’s a lot going on in this book, and it’s all good. Each chapter starts with a vignette from my life that is related to my mental health journey. From there, I share what I (eventually) learned from this moment in my life. Then I go on to share what I learned about God, or what God thinks about this moment. Then I have a brief reflection on a Scripture. 

Don’t think for a second that this is an easy book to read. I take an unflinching look at suicidal ideations and depression, and the power they can exert over a life. At the same time, I look at how God met me in the darkest places I’ve ever been and brought me back. 

 

What is the greatest advice you have ever been given about writing? 

“You can’t edit an empty page.” 

Sometimes, you have to start writing to figure out what you’re trying to say. You can’t figure it all out on the front end before you’ve started the writing process. This is hard for me to remember because I do process a lot of my writing before I sit down at my computer. But oftentimes the hardest words to write take a long time to figure out. The best version of those stories might be three or four drafts away, but you’ll never get there if you don’t write that first draft. 

 

What book made you fall in love with reading? 

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. I know it might sound cheesy, but the way Shel captured so much imagination in the simple poems made me realize just how much is possible with words. I have never looked back. I have read widely since then, ranging from history to science fiction to biographies and everything in-between. 

 

What was the inspiration behind the book? 

I wrote Resilient and Redeemed because of the profound struggles I had reconciling my own mental health struggles with my faith, due to the false narratives that large swaths of the church hold about mental health. Myths like “Only immature believers struggle with their mental health” and “Taking psychiatric medication is an indication of poor faith." It took me decades to overcome these lies that I was fed by the church. I don’t want anyone else to have to battle to overcome these myths. 

I eventually realized that it’s completely possible to have a mental health condition and be in a growing, healthy relationship with Christ. Depending on the details, it’s even possible to exercise leadership while struggling with your mental health. This is my story, but it was 20 years in the making. I don’t want anyone else to feel like they’ve had to waste decades of their life trying to stay above water.  

What was the most challenging part of bringing this book to life?  

One of the chapters details my suicide attempt. This was intense and challenging to write on many levels. For starters, my suicide attempt is probably the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my life, so revisiting that was humbling and brought a lot of pain to the surface. Beyond that, I had to rely on my wife’s memories of the suicide attempt, so we had to walk back through the most painful thing we’ve experienced together in our marriage. There were lots of tears shed, and we had to decide together whether it was appropriate to even share pieces of this moment with the whole world. 

On a related note, every part of this book was hard to write because I am exposing myself and my struggles to every reader of the book. I worried, and still do worry, about people thinking less of me or dismissing me because of the stories contained in Resilient and Redeemed.  

What do you hope readers will take away from the book? 

I want every person who reads this book to know three things: 

God doesn’t love anyone less because of a mental health diagnosis. When Romans 8 says that God is for you, it’s a promise that stands the test of time. Nothing causes God to stand up in the heavens and say, “Oh my Self! I did NOT see that one coming!” 

God doesn’t disqualify anyone from doing work in his kingdom because of a mental health diagnosis. Many churches might leave you with the impression that you have to have it all together before you can be used by God in any way whatsoever. That’s just not the truth. God specializes in using the busted, the broken, the people with murky motives. It’s all he’s got, after all. 

God will always be with you, even in your darkest moments. This is my biggest takeaway from revisiting moments in my life when I felt abandoned. God never left my side. Period. The end. 

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Before you go, where can readers keep up with what’s next? 

My hub for all things me is ChrisMorrisWrites.com. Joining my newsletter there is the best way to keep up with me. You can also find me on Instagram at @chrismorriswrites, on Facebook at @ChrisMorrisWriter, and once in a while on X at @CMorrisWrites. 

Blog Stops

Vicky Sluiter, July 27 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 27

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 28 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, July 29 (Author Interview)

For the Love of Literature, July 30 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, July 31

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 1 (Author Interview)

Through the Fire Blogs, August 2 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 3

Blossoms and Blessings, August 4 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 5

Stories By Gina, August 6 (Author Interview)

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, August 7 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, August 8 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 9 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, August 9

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Chris is giving away the grand prize package of a $75 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book, and an Audible copy of Whispers in the Pews: Voices on Mental Illness in the Church!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2dbd9/resilient-and-redeemed-celebration-tour-giveaway