The date was April 14, 1865. It was 10:15 p.m. President Lincoln was enjoying a play with his wife Mary. Then with one bullet fired from the derringer of John Wilkes Booth, everything changed. The President was declared dead nine hours later. Among his survivors was Mary. She lived the rest of her life in…
Three sons left home and prospered. Each was proud of the gift he was able to give their mother. The first bought her a big house. The second son bought her a new Mercedes. And the third bought their mother a parrot that was able to recite Scripture and keep her company. A few weeks…
Cynthia Bazin is a popular speaker on leadership, and holds a Master’s degree in counseling psychology. In her study of men and women who rise above their circumstances, she has found that they are really good with their time. Specifically, they don’t waste their time doing eight things: Spending time on social media Going through…
There’s a reason Step 1 comes first. Until we quit making excuses for our addiction, we will never get well. Dr. Elizabeth Hartney offers seven common justifications for one’s addiction. Denial: “It’s not a problem.” Minimization: “I have already cut down.” Comparisons: “Uncle Ted is worse than I am.” Defiance: “I’d rather live a short…
The 1904 Olympics in St. Louis featured one of the most bizarre events in Olympic history. The first-place finisher, Fred Lorz, hitched a rid in a car to the end of the course after he cramped up. He got out shortly before the finish line and crossed the line as the winner. The guy who…
The secret to sobriety is – no more secrets. You are only as healthy as your secrets. That is why James told his readers to confess their faults to one another. And that is why Paul said, “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we…
If you are seeking real, lasting sobriety, try this – take a nap. Seriously, one of your problems may be that you aren’t getting enough sleep. Jenna Fletcher offers several health benefits from simply getting enough sleep: Better productivity and concentration Lower weight gain risk Better calorie regulation Greater athletic performance Lower risk of heart…
Hope is an indispensable ingredient of recovery. Thomas Carlyle said, “He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope has everything.” Dr. Dale Archer writes, “The power of hope defines the psychological victim and psychological survivor. As long as a patient, individual, or victim has hope, they can recover from anything and everything.…
Comedian Ricky Gervais said, “I’ve never worked out what the moral of Humpty Dumpty is. I can only think of this – don’t sit on a wall if you’re an egg.” Application: If you struggle with sexually compulsive temptations, get off the fence (or wall). Put up some boundaries. This means living within predetermined guardrails.…
Two old golfers had a problem: one could still hit the ball, but could not see; the other could still see, but could not hit the ball. They came up with the perfect solution. The one who could hit would tee off, while the other golfer would tell him where the ball had gone. After…