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…
Life is full of new discoveries. Such was the case on this date in history, 1781. Sir William Herschel observed the planet Uranus for the first time on March 13, 1781, from the garden in his backyard at 19 New King Street in Bath Somerset, England. After processing what he had seen, he reported his…
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) identifies five signs that you are likely an addict. The first time I read this, I checked all five boxes. I’m guessing you do, as well. But the good news is, there is a God who can help, who can lead you out of…
William Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are merely players.” (As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7) What does that mean? This 17th-century comedy features this timeless line from Jaques. He is essentially contending that life follows a script. People play pre-determined roles, as in a theater…
On this date in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell placed the first phone call. He called his assistant, Thomas Watson, who was in another room in the same house. His message: “Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you.” The telephone has come a long way in the last 150 years. Sadly, I’m old enough…
“The merit of all things lies in their difficulty.” (Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers) If you’re afraid of hard work, good luck with recovery! I would argue that recovery works, not despite the fact that it is hard, but because it is hard. It requires something of us. Recovery is not a hobby. It must…
There are a few things in life that simply don’t make sense. Here’s another one for you – people who claim to be in recovery but who don’t go to meetings, work the Steps, or have a sponsor. Their words and actions are in conflict. It reminds me of a verse in the New Testament:…