Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5 When we think about praying … [Read more...] about Ask for Healing
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Ask for Healing
Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5 When we think about praying … [Read more...] about Ask for Healing
Grief’s Sacred Work
by Juanita Ryan I was a twenty one year old nursing student when I first came across the term "grief work." The phrase jumped out at me as I was reading an article on family dynamics and mental health. I remember responding strongly to the concept of grief as "work." The idea made a lot of sense. The article was about families who had lost a family member. The study focused on how these … [Read more...] about Grief’s Sacred Work
Approval Addiction and Identity
by Matt Russell After I experienced some sobriety from my primary addiction it became clear that there were a lot of other processes that I was addicted to—ways of thinking and acting that fed my main addiction. One of those sub-addictions rans deep underneath the radar of my life. … [Read more...] about Approval Addiction and Identity
An International Perspective on Christian Recovery
An interview with Darv Smith, M.D. Darv Smith is a physician, a certified addictionologist and a member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He also serves as Vice President of the International Substance Abuse and Addiction Coalition (ISAAC). He and his wife, Carol, have led many Addictive Behavior Counseling (ABC) schools for Youth With A Mission. We interviewed Darv on Jeju Island, … [Read more...] about An International Perspective on Christian Recovery
Seeing Ourselves More Clearly
by Juanita Ryan I remember looking in the mirror as a teenager and asking myself, Who am I? Who is that person staring back at me? At the time I didn't realize that I had already been answering that question for many years. As I look back now on those years it is clear to me that my answer to the question Who am I? was, I am a good person. That was who I was; I was good. I had a variety of … [Read more...] about Seeing Ourselves More Clearly
Impact on Abused Persons
How the experience of abuse impacts an abused person is very difficult to predict. Severity It seems self-evident that some abuse is more severe than others -- but there is no way to be precise about this and the business of comparing severity of trauma is notoriously risky. For example, it seems self evident that both frequency of abuse and intensity of abuse contribute to the … [Read more...] about Impact on Abused Persons
Forgiveness and Recovery
There are few topics more dangerous than 'forgiveness' when the context is abuse. Forgiveness has been (and is) used against people who have been abused. It is presented as something you must do -- under threat of divine punishment. It is presented as something you 'should' have done a long time ago. It is as if you become the 'bad person' in a relationship if you fail to forgive. . . and nothing … [Read more...] about Forgiveness and Recovery
Seeing God in New Ways: Recovery from Distorted Images of God
by Juanita R. Ryan God is waiting around the next corner with a club to punish me. God has a mean face, I don't like to think of him looking at me. These descriptions of God come from deeply committed Christians. Neither person would have signed a doctrinal statement which described God as someone who carries a large club, or as a someone with a mean face. They both would have affirmed … [Read more...] about Seeing God in New Ways: Recovery from Distorted Images of God
Relationships and Recovery
by Dale Ryan Loving God and your neighbor as yourself. That, according to Jesus, is the heart of the matter. Loving relationships with God, with other people and with ourselves are the heart of what is important in life. Relationships are the substance of the recovery journey, the central agenda of God's kingdom and the key to health and healing. The Bible is abundantly clear about this. … [Read more...] about Relationships and Recovery
