I’m a natural planner. And I’m a great starter. But I quickly move on to other projects. I am too easily bored with that thing called follow-through. That’s why I was perturbed when I read this quote from Victor Frankl: “Actually spending ten minutes clearing off one shelf is better than fantasizing about spending an…
“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.” (Andy Bernard, The Office) I remember the “good old days” of my spiritual walk. Days when I couldn’t wait to get into the Word each morning. Days when I prayed as though nothing else was on…
A patient was pleased with his medical exam. The doctor looked him over and said, “You seem to be in very good shape. You must get a good bit of exercise.” The patient explained, “Yes, doctor, I do. In fact, just yesterday, I walked five miles over rugged terrain as I climbed over rocks and…
We have about 1,200 daily readers of the Recovery Minute. I’m pretty sure nearly all of us share one thing in common – a desire to live a life of sobriety. Sobriety doesn’t just happen. It is the result of a plan, intentional work, and taking certain steps. Wendy Manwarren Generes, editor for American Addiction…
Here’s a promise that should capture the heart of every addict: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!” (Psalm 32:1-2). Notice the four-part process of redemption.…
Eve gets a bad rap. The story goes like this: But let’s look a little closer. What was Adam doing when Eve took of the forbidden fruit? Here is it: “She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it” (Genesis 3:6). Adam was more culpable than Eve. I base…
In the classic 1942 movie, Casablanca, Rick said, “Remember, the gun is pointed at your heart.” Captain Renault replied, “That is my least vulnerable spot.” The Bible has a lot to say about our hearts. And it’s not all good. Jeremiah declared, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know…
Let’s talk about the thief on the cross. Was he a bad guy? Apparently. But on the cross he met Jesus, who promised him, “Today, you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Think about it. If the man had not been a thief, he may have never found paradise. What God allows, he…
The trigger that no one talks about is being tired. We are at greater risk when we are tired. God declared, “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:9). Rest is essential to the maintenance…
There is a great promise for those who follow Jesus. He told the repentant thief, “Today, you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). What is “paradise”? Is it the same thing as heaven? Sort of. John Wesley called paradise “only the porch of heaven.” He saw it as the gathering place of the…