sense

Makes No Sense

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:…

clean

Clean Shelves

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…

good

Good Old Days

“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…

start

Start Here

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…

honesty

Do Your Part

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.…

vulnerable

Vulnerable Spot

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…

honeycomb

Honeycomb

During a difficult battle, we read this: “King Saul had declared, ‘Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening, before I have full revenge on my enemies.’ But Jonathan had not heard his father’s command, and he dipped the end of his stick into a piece of honeycomb and ate the honey. After…

other

The Other Cross

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…

tired

Tired

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…