One of the most difficult lessons for me to learn in recovery was that nothing I had ever done caught God off guard. Nor did my addictive behaviors stunt God’s ability to bless me and use me going forward. I had to learn that nothing can really disqualify a person who was never qualified in…
There is a common saying you hear in recovery groups. “The measure we gave was the measure we got back.” And it’s true. One of the best things you can do to improve your recovery is to help someone else improve theirs. A recent study from Columbia University confirms the power of helping others. Over…
Recovery is less about how we respond in the moment and more about how we prepare for the moment. If you wait until the trigger hits to figure out how to respond, you will eventually fail. Sure, there are some situations that sneak up on us. But virtually every test you face will be something…
“We didn’t tackle well today, but we made up for it by not blocking.” – John McKay Former Head Coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Success starts by doing one thing well. Another former coach gives us good insight into this principle. Texas A&M basketball coach Shelby Metcalf had to suspend a player from his team due…
There are a lot of misunderstood passages in the Bible. One of those is Luke 11:1. Jesus gave us what we call The Lord’s Prayer in response to the disciples’ inquiry. So what was it that they asked the Master? Their request was not that Jesus would teach them how to pray. They said, “Lord,…
J.C. Penny was asked the key to his success. His answer was succinct. “Adversity and Jesus Christ.” Adversity is a part of life. You don’t get to decide whether or not you will have tough times. But you do get to decide how you will respond in those times. We have this amazing promise: “We…
In 1847, Oliver Chase invented a machine to make throat lozenges, which led to the beginning of America’s candy industry. With his machine and a tweak to the formula, Chase was able to shape small candy wafers into hearts and imprint them with words. Those little “candy love letters” have been a sweet tradition of…
There are a lot of reasons people fail to reach their goals. In recovery, this is especially true. Many factors play into relapse. But there is one mistake, one shortcoming, that leads to failure more than anything else. According to business expert and prolific author Harvey Mackay, the #1 reason people fail is that they…
Dream big dreams. Shoot for the stars. Aim high, don’t settle, and never look back. Famous architect Daniel Burnham was right: “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans, aim high in hope and work. Remember that our sons and grandsons…
Loneliness is one of the five basic triggers for addiction. It is a threat to our sanity, sobriety, and serenity. One study found that loneliness is as bad for our health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Don’t apologize for periods of loneliness. We’ve all been there. King David, the “man after God’s own heart,”…