Late in the winter of 1569, Dirk Williams found himself running from the Dutch authorities. Although no one today would see his beliefs about baptism as radical or threatening, leaders of his day regarded him as a heretic. Fleeing for his life, Williams came to a pond covered with a thin layer of ice. After…
The Internet has taken the porn industry to a whole new level, providing what is known as the “triple-A engine” effect: accessibility, affordability, and anonymity. And the results have been devastating. The Kinsey Institute has found that men’s use of porn has resulted in 86 percent of them finding reduced sexual quality with their partners.…
On January 21, 1989, Michigan played Wisconsin in a men’s basketball game. The game came down to two free throws by Michigan guard Rumeal Robinson. He clanked both shots, and the Wolverines lost by a single point. Determined that this would never happen again, Robinson stayed after every practice for the rest of the season,…
A powerful storm battered the Mayflower as it carried the Pilgrims across the Atlantic Ocean. When a young passenger named John Howland came up on deck, the storm swept him out to sea, where he disappeared beneath the water’s raging waves. Howland somehow grabbed onto a rope and held on for dear life. He was…
I hear it all the time. “My porn habit doesn’t really hurt anyone.” That’s not exactly true. 1. Porn hurts family and friends. Porn leads to isolation. Porn users often spend up to 20 hours a week on their habit. This leads to a total withdrawal from family and friends. 2. Porn hurts your spouse.…
The Bible says to “hold fast to what you have attained” (Revelation 2:25). Let’s consider five ways to do that with your sobriety. 1. Celebrate milestones. If you’re in a 12-Step program, you understand this. It is important to celebrate the hard work of recovery and to use this as a motivation for further success.…
In 2016, Drs. Shoba Sreenivasan and Linda E. Weinberger published an article in Psychology Today, titled “Why We Need Each Other.” The article concludes with this summary: “We need each other – for connectedness remains essential for psychological survival.” Community is not just a key to your happiness; it is integral to your very survival.…
In 1934, a young Frank Sinatra sang the lyrics of I Get a Kick Out of You for the first time. A line from that song: “Mere alcohol doesn’t thrill me at all.” Substitute sex addiction for alcohol and you have the testament of every sex addict. Eventually, the alure loses its thrill. The addict…
It was one of the greatest comebacks in sports history. On May 7, 2014, the Clinton LumberKings played the Burlington Bees in a Single-A level minor league baseball game. The Bees had buzzed to a 17-1 lead by the fifth inning. But the LumberKings erased the 16-run deficit and won the game in extra innings.…
In the 2006 movie, The Devil Wears Prada, Emily Charlton (played by Emily Blunt) said, “I’m just one stomach flu away from my ideal weight.” I suppose that’s one way to lose weight. Unfortunately, that is also the way most of us do recovery. Like losing weight, recovery demands discipline, new habits, and absolute resolve.…