In my world, people fall into one of two groups. They are either walking in purity and freedom or they want to be. Those who want to be may be holding onto old habits or embedded in unhealthy relationships. They want out, but they just aren’t ready yet. St. Augustine once quipped, “Lord, help me…
“Ring around the rosie A pocket full of posies Ashes! Ashes! We all fall down!” – Kate Greenaway, 1881 Peter and Iona Opie, the leading authorities on nursery rhymes, suggest that the meaning of this timeless rhyme is tied to the Great Plague of 1665, in which millions “fell down.” “We all fall down” is…
The next time you attend a recovery meeting, I can tell you how to tell who in that group has the most sobriety. It will be the person who got up earliest that morning. Sobriety is truly a one-day-at-a-time proposition. Charles Schulz said it like this: “Life is like an ice cream cone. You have…
Rodney Alcala committed his first crime on September 25, 1968. He made the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List in 1971. He was in and out of prison through most of the 1970s. In 1980, Alcala was found guilty of killing a 12-year-old girl. He would later be found guilty of other murders, landing him a…
Here’s a great question to start your day. How come you never notice your nose? As long as your eyes are open, your nose is in your line of sight. There is never a time when you can’t see your nose. So let me ask it again. How come you never notice your nose? Answer:…
In 1931, Knute Rockne died in a plane crash at the age of 43. Having led Notre Dame’s football program for the last ten years, Rockne was recognized as America’s first great college coach. His lessons are still taught in locker rooms and on football fields today. Here’s just one gem from the legendary coach:…
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) identifies four pillars of recovery: Let’s talk about the first one, which we probably focus on the least as addicts. John wrote, “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health” (3 John 1:2). Self-care is absolutely…
The Bible says, “Rejoice in the wife of your youth” (Proverbs 5:18). I have been rejoicing in the wife of my youth for 40 years now. On February 26, 1983, Beth and I were married. That’s a long time ago. Since we said, “I do,” 40 years ago, a lot has changed. I have had…
For those of us living in the United States, this is a dark day in our nation’s history. On this date, February 25, 1913, Congress passed the 16th Amendment, which set the legal basis for the national income tax. No one enjoys tax day. Otherwise, they would pay more taxes than is required. But paying…
“Acceptance is the answer to all my problems.” – Alcoholics Anonymous “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you’” (Isaiah 41:13). Recovery is a long road. The first step is always the same – acceptance. Step 1…