President Theodore Roosevelt said, “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” Maintaining a positive spirit is key to success in any field. Especially recovery. Never let the failure of yesterday dictate the outcome of tomorrow. Max Lucado said, “Meet your fears with faith.” And Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers…
Can you name this person? Born in Mississippi, he was raised in rooming houses. He wanted to be a musician, but never had any kind of formal musical training. When he tried out for choir in the eighth grade, his music teacher gave him a “C.” Undeterred, he bought his first guitar the next day.…
You’ve been hurt or falsely accused. You long for vindication. I get it. I’ve been there. Oswald Chambers wrote, “Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves.” Writing for Psychology Today, Dr. Lori Katz addresses this subject head-on. She cites the key to peace: “You must disengage from the entire drama of pain.” Seeking…
A lot of big things have happened on this day in history – September 18. Cornerstone is laid for the U.S. Capitol Building (1793) Creation of the phonograph (1877) CBS debuted (1952) Roger Clemens struck out 20 batters (1996) But the most significant September 18 event came in 1964. It was on this day, 58…
Life is not always fair. On August 2, Houston Astros star Yordan Alvarez led off the third inning in a game against the Boston Red Sox. For some unknown reason the umpire lost track of the pitch count, awarding Alvarez another pitch when three strikes had already been called. Life is not always fair. The…
The power of forgiveness is well-documented. Johns Hopkins Medicine conducted studies that conclude that our health is greatly impacted by our willingness to forgive those who have harmed us. Their findings: “Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap huge rewards for your health, lowering the risk of heart attack; improving cholesterol levels…
God wants you to experience joy, abundant life, and outrageous blessings. But what does that look like, exactly? Jesus warned, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in an abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). Rick Warren said it so well in The Purpose Driven…
“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will live as one.” – John Lennon God never intended us to do life alone. This thing called “connection” is magic. You can’t find recovery without it. Isolation is not your friend. Community is…
I recently reconnected with a friend from my first church, whom I had not seen in 25 years. As we enjoyed lunch together, he showed me the words of a country song he is working on. (My friend is no song-writer, but he would have been a terrific philosopher.) I share the words to his…
In the U.S., football is underway. Each year, 18 million of us crowd into stadiums to watch our favorite teams play. Another 100 million watch on television. And every one of us is convinced we could call plays better than the coaches for our team. Legendary coach Bud Wilkinson once mused, “Each Saturday, our college…