Something that’s come into my awareness as to why it’s so challenging for myself and others to not worry, and why we resist handing our problems over to God, is due to a sense of guilt. As I was absorbed with a problem the other night, my higher self told me to turn it over …
“Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6.8 I was listening to Christian AM radio the other day, when one of the shows interviewed a man who quoted the above verse. It was said in such a way that it was like I had heard it for the first time. It …
Something that I have come to understand the past few weeks as I spread awareness on the plight of the alcoholic, is that some people are not ready to humanize this disease. I can understand this complication, because alcoholism appears to be something that we choose to do to ourselves, and therefore anger and frustration …
The problem with being a recovered alcoholic, is the temptation to forget that we have a mental illness that’s simply in remission. For me, I went so far as to reject the disease theory, thinking that the 12 Step model was outdated. Fortunately, I had a moment of clarity where I understood, if alcoholism is …
After writing my passion paper that was worth 40% of my final grade, and sharing it as an invitation for people who qualify as Al-Anon members to view the disease of alcoholism with compassion, I discovered the tension that some people might have to this concept of openly loving someone who is slowly destroying themselves (and hurting others while …
This was my passion paper that was 40% of my final grade in a course I just finished as part of a crisis intervention and trauma support certificate. I wrote it with the intention of sharing it publicly, which helped me meet the minimum 1500 word prerequisite, seeing a “purpose” to it. My goal is …
I’ve been working to understand more about trauma, and in this I am coming to realize that I have been possibly misunderstanding mental illness. When my father died of an alcohol related illness, most notably through his heart, but also most likely through liver and brain degradation as well, I blamed his drinking. I understood …
I started reading the Bible following the Lectio Divina practice, which is a very mindful way of reading scripture. Instead of my usual One Year Bible that I’ve treated like a study the past year, I am now reading piecemeal, using the formula of reading a shorter passage, meditating on it, praying on it, and then contemplating it. Having …
This is a letter I have written for anyone who is undergoing the tragedy of watching a loved one be consumed by alcoholism. While there is no concrete way to navigate this disease, coming from a place of compassion, which requires self-care, will be our greatest ally as we battle this seemingly insurmountable darkness. One …