I was about seven years old when I decided I’d had enough of my father’s rules. I decided I could make it on my own, so I ran away from home. I got about two blocks away when I realized I was hungry, so I returned home. Did Dad notice my insurrection? I suspect that…
You have been tested, tempted, and trampled. Paul said, “We are hard pressed on every side, but we are not crushed” (2 Corinthians 4:8). John Quincy Adams said, “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” Long-term sobriety is all about perseverance. Let me suggest a few keys to…
Until 1956, the Air Force plane carrying the president was referred to as Air Force 8610. Something happened that changed everything. One day, the presidential aircraft was cleared to land at a local airport, about the same time as an Eastern Airlines flight, also number 8610. The confusion demanded a change. So from that day…
Paul said, “We have this treasure in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). God has always placed the finest treasures in the most breakable jars. Here are just a few examples of God’s broken soldiers: Recovery Step: Each of these men and women were jars of clay. But it turns out, those are the only…
The only thing harder than doing the right thing is doing the wrong thing. James R. Miller said, “It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibility of not doing it.” A recovery friend checked in at the…
God is not a fan of pride. Through the young prophet, God spoke to an entire nation that was rife with pride. This was that message, to the empire of Babylon: “I am against you, you arrogant one, for your day has come, the time for you to be punished” (Jeremiah 50:31). Imagine hearing those…
It’s always a good time to get back to basics. Legendary coach Vince Lombardi’s first practice session with his new team was a memorable one. Addressing the Green Bay Packers, he held up a football and said five words: “Gentlemen, this is a football.” Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,…
If you want to make God laugh, make your plans in stone. Uncertainty is a part of life. Even the angels are kept in the dark sometimes. Jesus spoke of the timing of his return: “No one knows the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven” (Matthew 24:36). We know that our end…
Matthew 28:8 “The women hurried away from the tomb, afraid, yet filled with joy.” Often, life’s greatest journeys take us through both emotions – simultaneously. We experience fear and joy at the same time. At no point is that truer than with recovery. The feelings of joy and fear are not mutually exclusive. Many who…
I grew up as a wrestling fan. You always knew the good guys from the bad guys. So imagine my surprise when I was visiting family in Kansas one summer, and I came across their local wrestling program on television. Into the ring stepped a villain, as confirmed by the round of boos from the…