Last week we dealt with the concept of depression: Where it comes from and the Biblical view of how to more than cope with it.

This week we dig deeper into how the Bible speaks to how we more than just "meditate" or silence ourselves and the voices we often fight. Though changing our thought life (our ruminator) is vital to defeating the oppressive forces, we have been given Biblical truths to both defeat the voices and fill the silence.

Philippians 4:8 and Lamentations 3:21-33 give us tremendous insight to how the Holy Spirit works to transform our minds into thinking God-thoughts. Biblical meditation isn't an emptying of our minds but filling them with His truth. We overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and by our testimony.

We don't fight feelings, we identify them, and then make them align with the Word of God. Faith overcomes fear. Truth overcomes the lie.

Depression is not from our Father.

However, like many "big names" in the Bible, many of us have experienced the deep pit depression brings. But not everyone goes through the same experience. So, there's no "easy fix-all" when it comes to depression.

There are many causes of depression and, though we don't purport ourselves to be licensed psychologists, we have been equipped to bring a Godly perspective that can help in the process of being delivered from this pit.

Whether the cause of a person's depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, a personal failure, or any of the other seven other causes we've discovered over our combined decades of ministry, there is no need to live in the pit: God's Word gives us the insight to be an overcomer.

This isn't a "12 Easy Steps to Defeat Depression" podcast. But we are going to start with one of the most basic fundamentals of overcoming depression as well as some Biblical truths that most often are not discovered on a psychologist's couch.

This is part one of a two-part podcast that can shed Godly light on a very serious subject.

Is Valentine's Day for the birds?

According to Geoffrey Chaucer in his 1375 poem "Parliament of Fowls," the romantic celebration is. "For this was sent on Saint Valentine's day/When every fowl cometh there to choose his mate," expresses his perspective.

But there's quite a history about who Valentine was and how Valentine's Day slowly pushed out the Lupercalia Festival of the Romans. History buffs will enjoy this insight.

Is Valentine's Day only for couples? Is this "love day" exclusive?

Author C.S. Lewis wrote a book titled, "Four Loves," which expands our understanding of the Biblical usage of the words, (yes, words - plural) "love."

In spite of the 145 million Valentine's Day greeting cards being mailed at this time, there's one "love letter" that expresses how much the Father loves us and how we should love each other.

We are not only encouraged but commanded to love each other. John 15:13 is one of the most powerful verses that expresses this. Jesus told us that no one has a greater love than the one who will lay down his life for a friend. Then He did that very thing.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you from the two of us.