Recovery is a long journey, not for the faint of heart. Since my first meeting 12 years ago, I have been in well over 2,000 recovery meetings, including those that I lead. I have seen the spectrum – guys with 30 years of sobriety and those who struggle to get 24 hours. Sadly, I have…
In his message to the exiles, Jeremiah declares a word of hope from the Lord: “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). We’ve all read that verse, memorized that verse, and quoted that verse many…
There are three gospels: One of these “gospels” is unlike the other two. Two of them are about me. One is about you. When I buy into the poverty gospel or the prosperity gospel, I am making it all about myself. But when I live according to the generosity gospel, I am focused on helping…
It finally happened. On February 14, the Detroit Mercy College men’s basketball team won a game. Their record 27-game losing streak had come to an end. With a win over IUPUI, the Titans notched their first win of the season on their home court. The fan went nuts. Yes, the fan. Not “fans.” A lone…
As Paul Harvey used to say, let me give you the “rest of the story.” Let’s talk about rest. Rest has dozens of great benefits for the addict, or anyone else. Here are just a few. There is a reason we often “sleep on it.” A time of rest puts us in a better position…
Let’s talk about endurance running. Let’s talk about Kim Allan. She set the world record for women’s endurance running in 2013 when she completed 310 miles in just over 86 hours – with no sleep. Before you give up on such feats yourself, consider the benefits of running 310 miles, a distance greater than New…
Would you like a good laugh? I’ll give it a shot. Pick from among three jokes: Laughter is biblical. The Bible says, “We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, ‘What amazing things the Lord has done for them’” (Psalm 126:2). Did you catch that? When God’s people…
The fear of long words is called “hippopotomonstrosesquippeda.” Makes sense. It took a 36-letter word to define a fear of long words. This word was first used by the Roman poet Horace in the first century to criticize writers with an unreasonable penchant for long words. God is all about simplicity. The Message Bible reads,…
It’s okay to not have all the answers. Michael Rounds is the author of 10,000 Days Sober and an addiction recovery specialist at a correctional facility in Indiana. From his personal perspective, he suggests four ways to deal with a slip in recovery. One of those is to treat recovery as a marathon, not a…
Paul Anderson was the world’s strongest man. In 1957, he backlifted a table loaded with calibrated weights totaling 6,250 pounds. The 1985 Guinness Book of World Records said this lift was “the greatest weight ever raised by a human being.” Anderson made over 500 public appearances, in which he impressed millions with amazing feats of…