“A person who is full tramples on a honeycomb, but to a hungry person, any bitter thing is sweet.” — Proverbs 27:7 (CSB) I recently came across a quote that has stayed with me: “When you are not fed love on a silver spoon, you learn to lick it off knives.” It is one of thoseContinue reading “When You Don’t Know What Healthy Looks Like”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Because I Have To vs. Because I Want To
When I was released from prison, I was required to attend group therapy. I had to pay a weekly fee. I had to show up consistently. If I didn’t attend or didn’t pay, I could be violated and sent back to prison. To be honest, there were times I resented it. Sometimes money was tight.Continue reading “Because I Have To vs. Because I Want To”
What a Walmart Parking Lot Taught Me About Recovery
Content Note: Today’s article discusses pornography and masturbation in the context of recovery. For years I have journaled using four simple questions: What am I feeling? What am I thinking? What am I doing? What am I thinking about doing? I have used a four question journaling outline for over a decade but I settled onContinue reading “What a Walmart Parking Lot Taught Me About Recovery”
If Addiction Is a Solution… What’s the Problem?
If addiction is an attempt to solve a problem, then the next question becomes: What problem? Most people initially answer that at the surface level. Stress. Work. Marriage. Temptation. Opportunity. Those things matter—but they’re not the root. The real problem usually isn’t what’s happening around us. It’s what’s happening inside us. This is where I come backContinue reading “If Addiction Is a Solution… What’s the Problem?”
No Addiction is Justified… But It Is Understandable
There’s a tension in recovery that a lot of people struggle to hold. On one side, we know the truth: Addiction costs us. It damages relationships. It takes us places we never intended to go. So we say, “This has to stop.” And that’s right. But on the other side, there’s another truth that often getsContinue reading “No Addiction is Justified… But It Is Understandable”
Sex Addiction is Rarely About Sex
When I first entered treatment after being released from prison, one of the therapists informed me that she was listing me as a sex addict. I immediately objected. I was absolutely not a sex addict. I had been a virgin when I married, and I had never had physical sexual contact with anyone other thanContinue reading “Sex Addiction is Rarely About Sex”
The Freedom of Having Nothing Left to Hide
For years I lived in hiding. I was in ministry for more than 20 years, and somewhere along the way I learned a dangerous lesson: struggle, or admitting struggle was unsafe. I believed that if people truly knew what was happening inside me, I would lose everything. So I learned to manage appearances. I learnedContinue reading “The Freedom of Having Nothing Left to Hide”
The Opposite of Addiction is Connection
Johan Hari became is known for a statement that resonated with many people in recovery: “The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. It’s connection.” Whether you agree with every detail of his work or not, there is a truth in that statement that many recovering people immediately recognize. Addiction thrives in isolation. Healing happens inContinue reading “The Opposite of Addiction is Connection”
Worship and Recovery
When most people hear the word “worship,” they think about singing in church. But worship is much bigger than music. Worship is about what we center our lives around. It is what we trust, what we pursue, what we depend on, and what we believe will save us, comfort us, or give us peace. ThatContinue reading “Worship and Recovery”
Pride in Recovery: The Barrier We Don’t Always See
When we talk about pride, most people think of arrogance—someone acting superior or full of themselves. But in recovery, pride usually doesn’t look like that at all. It’s quieter. More defensive. And a lot easier to miss. It sounds more like, “I can handle this on my own.” Or, “I shouldn’t need help.” Or even,Continue reading “Pride in Recovery: The Barrier We Don’t Always See”