Recovery – Ordinary-ish Thoughts

He Saves His Enemies!

I update and repost this every year on this day. I am so grateful for the work of Christ in my life and I want to glorify Him and to make much of Him every chance I get! 26 years ago today the Lord, in His sovereign love, grace, and mercy, changed my heart and […]

Sober Minded

As a recovering alcoholic I tell people all the time, when they offer me a drink, that if I were to take them up on that drink, they wouldn’t see me for weeks. That usually gets some laughs or confused looks. But I don’t say that as a joke or for shock value. It’s the […]

All We Need To Do Is Repent

The other day I heard a Christian brother, a Bible teacher and apologist, make a statement about the 12 steps that I disagree with. I have been following him for years. While I trust this brother and have benefited and will continue to benefit from his ministry and teaching; I believe his statement was just […]

I Have To Deal With This Again? Really?

It’s one of the things I’ve written about before because, evidently, it’s something that I struggle with a good bit. And one reason I write is that writing send to help me work through things… so, welcome to the process, I guess? Often I feel inadequate, like I’m not enough (I’ve done the best I […]

I’m Still The Problem

I am my biggest problem. Forgiveness, grace, mercy, a new heart with new desires and the strength to live a life of selfless love toward others is the answer… His name is Jesus. “In some way, we all give daily proof to the truth that sin still lives inside us. None of us is yet […]

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One Morning At A Time

In taking things one day at a time, I tend to do better if I start my day focusing on the One who gives me the strength to make it through the day. So I thought I would share a few brief, simple prayers that I start every morning with. My hope is that this […]

I Am an Alcoholic

This post has been on my heart for a while now, but I didn’t want to do it while my sobriety was fresh and new. Because, well honestly, it’s difficult to take someone seriously who only has a few weeks or months of sobriety talking about how different they are now. They may actually be […]

Broken Vessels

We all have choices and decisions in our past that we regret. There are things that we would have done differently (or not done at all), and consequences we wish we could change. In some way, we have hurt the people we love. It is God’s grace that we remember those failures and sin. We […]

Suffering Brings Hope?

My life doesn’t look the way I thought it would 10, 5, or even 2 years ago. Things haven’t gone according to MY PLANS. Yet things are not out of control. I have learned (well, still learning) what it means to trust the One who is in control and sovereign over all things. Admittedly, some […]

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Enjoying One Moment at a Time

Something I’ve been working hard on lately. And it does take work; for me at least. Enjoying one moment at a time, or just being present in that moment, is difficult for me. Here is some of what I’ve wrestled with and what I try to remember to help me push through, focus on the […]

I Am My Problem

There are so many things I’ve learned and continue to learn on this journey; most of it through experience and finding out the hard way. If I can help others in any way by sharing my experience, strength, and hope, I want to do so as much as possible. One of the most helpful things […]

The Delusion of Control

Why do we seek control? We are all looking for peace and joy. Our problem is that we think peace will come if situations work out the way we want them to, or people respond the way we think they should. True peace and serenity are directly tied to our level of acceptance of this […]

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Progress Over Perfection

A lot of times when I write a blog post, it’s not me speaking from 100% completed experience. It’s not even mainly to give advice to others. It’s usually me in the midst of something, reminding myself of truths that I already know, but have to constantly keep in mind and constantly try to walk […]

Humble Perseverance

Sometimes in life we find ourselves lost in dense, overgrown, spiritual valleys. Some are smaller, still difficult and sorrowful, but easier to find a way out. Others are huge, dark, and oppressive. The kind where the pain is so deep and so intense that it literally cripples you emotionally and mentally. You get frightened and […]

The Hope of Healing

I hate when my weaknesses, fears, insecurities, and character defects are exposed. It’s painful. It’s ugly. It’s embarrassing. But they are always there, all that brokenness, lurking in the shadows, wreaking havoc on our lives, whether they have been revealed to us or not. Sometimes that brokenness comes from our own sinful desires and wicked […]

… Accepting Hardships as the Pathway to Peace…

The road to peace may sometimes be walked with much pain and many tears. But it also comes with much grace from the One who paved it for us and walks it with us. It’s never easy when the Lord rips our idols away from us. It’s always painful for Him to expose our character […]

The Okay Prison

The grace of Christ means we don’t have to fake it… With Him, with others and even with ourselves. It’s ok to not be ok. AND it’s ok if others know we aren’t ok and don’t have it all together. Faking it is hard work… Exhausting. Putting on fronts. Always being “on”. Lies to cover […]