If you really want to know why, here goes.  My brother, Michael (22 years old), has been struggling with an altered mental state for almost 4 years now.  He was hospitalized about 3 years ago in a psych ward which did nothing but make things worse.  He has put himself in many DANGEROUS situations since then due to the delusions he experiences.  He was hospitalized again about a month ago after running over a motorcyclist (who unfortunately lost his leg, but God used it to change that man's life, and that's another story).  This time during Michael's hospitalization he was officialyy diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.  He does not believe he is sick though.  He is so far into his delusions that he believes we, and I mean just about everyone in the world, is trying to control him and is lying to him.  There are many other very scary things that he believes that are not worth going into, but the bottom line is he needs help and healing.  The other difficult thing about getting him permanent help, besides that fact he will not accept his illness, is that he can make himself act pretty normal when he wants to.  This makes it difficult for the authorities to believe his condition.  He has already faced some charges in court and was sentenced to seven years of probation.  But he has been told that if he winds up in court again, he will see prison time.  Prison is a bad thing, but an even worse thing for mentally ill.  Anyway, without medications or healing or miraculous intervention, not winding up in court again seems impossible.  We would ask that you please pray...pray for the miraculous...whether that be healing, whether that mean Michael realizes he is sick and gets help, whethere that means the courts sees his psychotic state and send him to mandatory inpatient treatment, or whatever else God sees fit.  Just pray!  My parents are mentally, emotionally, and physically worn out from the worry.  Pray for them...Linda and Johnny.  Pray for protection over Michael's life.  Please pray.  With a mentally ill person who is beyond the age limits of being able to tell them what to do, the options are limited, and we have run out the visible ones.  Your prayers are coveted.

Much love and thanks,

Melissa