We Are Families In Recovery

Recovery is hard. There is no easy way to do it. Whether you or a loved one is walking this journey, it will be hard work. I heard a sermon recently about finding God IN the hard times, but lately I have been thinking it is more that we need to find God THROUGH the hard times. We all have our own experiences that seem to break us down. Relapse definitely brings it, but so does the loss of a job,…

Its been a while. Honestly, I have been struggling with the “why.” Why do I write? Why do I minister? Does it really matter? I put on blinders that blocked me from seeing what I needed to see. I have friends who have put words on the blinders. Apathy. Tired. They are so overwhelmed with life that they can’t see the why anymore. It’s difficult to live as God calls us to live in the middle of a…

The clock of life is wound but once, And no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, At late or early hour. Now is the only time we own; Love life, toil with a will; Do not wait until tomorrow, For the clock may then be still.” (Robert H. Smith) We are all living on borrowed time. Some realize this, but the rest of us go on living as if we have all the time in the world. As I…

The story usually begins with a very hungry caterpillar eating everything in sight. He stuffs himself until one day he just stops. He hangs upside down, hiding away in a cocoon. Usually the story jumps to a beautiful butterfly breaking free. What happens in between? How does this little larva completely transform? Inside the cocoon, he is digesting his own tissue, creating new cells and form. If…

And He who was seated on the throne said,“Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Rev 21:5 ESV There have been so many things happening lately that I have been a bit distracted. I love seeing things ( and people) made into something new. To be honest, this whole year has been about all things new. After 15 years of ignoring…

One of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard was a simple song, sung by someone completely humbling themselves. I don’t need the music to be perfect and loud. I want a surrendered heart. Worship is bowing before God, humbling yourself. Submission. What does it mean to submit? To accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another Yield. Give up the fight. I can’t…

Today as part of a casual conversation at work, I learned that several of my coworkers have family impacted by addiction. I kept quiet and just listened. Addiction touches more families than we realize. All throughout our communities, we find current and past drug use, alcoholism and crisis. So why is it still so hard to talk about? I have seen families torn apart by a loved one’s drug use.…

What happens after the addict is clean? When the alcohol is no longer fighting for control? Why is it so difficult for some to make that one year mark? Here the addict is at the end of themselves, and it is there and only there that a greater power is found. One of the greatest heartbreaks a family can experience is when relapse happens after an extended period of sobriety. We start to feel…

GOD, I offer myself to Thee — to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always! AMEN (Page 63 BB) GOD, Take my will and my life. Guide me in my recovery. Show me how to…

Why am I angry?

We all know what happens. Something rubs you the wrong way. Anger rises up inside you. Sometimes we cannot let go of it. Why? What is anger? According to research, anger is an “emotional state” that varies from in intensity and manifestation. Physical and emotional changes take place suddenly, or they build into a deep rage and intensity. Physical signs of anger can include increased heart rate,…

In every walk of life, you can find someone impacted by addiction. Its in our churches, our homes, our schools. We all know that alcohol and drug problems exist. But why? What is it about these substances that has created such a huge problem? This week, I have been searching for how to better help friends that are struggling. I can’t do it- they have to take that first step and it hasn’t…

This is a hard post to write, but a necessary one. I know it will hit home for one of our families. Just when everything seems to be going forward, wham… relapse. Why? “While addiction often carries a heavy stigma, relapse can carry the connotation of failure. (vertavahealth.com)” Please know that relapse is not failure. You are not a failure if you take a step backward! It just means you need…

“I’ve got this.” “I can handle this.” “ I’m fine.” We need each other. All of us, no matter what your life experiences, were made for community. We were also made for change. From the very beginning, our imperfections try to pull us backward, keeping us alone. Rick Warren, from Saddleback Church, wrote: “To change the defects in your life, you have to have people in your life who tell you the…

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Have you ever thought about what your triple- braided cord looks like? We can use the practical example of a braided cord- the end result is one cord, made stronger by all the individual strands…

Are you actively participating in your own recovery? Sounds like common sense, but what does it really mean? Social media- the great observer! We casually flip through our newsfeed, or even our private group posts, scanning for something that catches our eye. We might even say we are reading the posts from recovery groups or well meaning friends. But do we ever interact? Do we apply what we…

Sometimes life is a roller coaster ride that we wish would end. When you have a loved one dealing with addiction it can be difficult. No matter how long you have been on this journey, there are three lies we all tell ourselves at some point. Lie #1 I have to do this on my own. As part of the Families in Recovery Support ministry, I speak with many parents, girlfriends, and siblings. After they…

Every year I ask the Lord to give me a word for the upcoming year. A word to represent vision and direction. I have to tell you, my first words were quite unusual! Parachute- 2016 Ripcord-2017 Jump- 2018 No matter how crazy they seem, I promise you that they held great meaning for me at the time. I needed Him to be my parachute, my safety net. I needed to know I could pull the ripcord to open…