Chipping away at the stigma of addiction is near and dear to my heart but it wasn’t until I was asked to speak on the topic of engaging families and parishes into recovery where I gave any thought as to how or where to start dealing with such a big job. The stigma surrounding addiction, […]
My beloved readers, I know that most of you have been negatively affected by drugs and alcohol and so let me ask you to please indulge me in this post. For the sake of growth, I’d like for you to read it with an open mind. I grew up in a small town in a […]
I used to watch the reality television program, “19 Kids and Counting.” Could you really disconnect from society and be as happy and successful as they appeared to be? Could you develop a system of rules that would keep everyone in line and insure success in the family? Well, it would certainly be nice if […]
I realize that I am a day late for the feast day of Ignatius Loyola, still, let me share a few perspectives of Ignatian spirituality that have been helpful to me in my recovery from the addictions of others and in my addictions from my own harmful ways of being. I hope that you will […]
“I trust in God,” I used to say without much thought. Or, “At least I have my faith.” But what do those things mean? Do I really mean it? What do they mean to you? Have you ever thought about faith? What is the difference between faith and trust? I’m doing the spiritual exercises in […]
As I was leaving my annual physical, the doctor stopped me in the hallway, “Hey, your labs came back from your last appointment. You’re normal on all tests.” “Oh that’s good.” Then, I laughed, “Actually that’s a first. I don’t think anyone has ever called me normal before. “My doctor chuckled and said, “Let […]
I went to the doctor last week for my semi-annual appointment. He asked me how I was feeling to which I said, “fine.” I thought it was casual conversation. Again, he asked, “Are you feeling okay?” At this point, I was starting to wonder myself. “I think so.” I said, meaning it. “Well your blood […]
A week before Christmas, I stood before a group of people at Ignatius House in Atlanta, Georgia. Each person there shared the common problem of living with an addiction in a loved one. They were looking for help. They needed hope. I had my entire presentation carefully planned out, but when I got up to […]
I went to mass with no idea of what to ‘give up’ for Lent. In the past, I’ve paid a lot of attention to this exercise. But, the last few years instead of giving something up, I’ve chosen to add something. Giving up chocolate felt hollow. The thought of ‘ I’ll give up chocolate for […]
Meet Lucy. She loves our morning walk. She stares at me like she is watching a clock. She knows the routine. We have coffee, eat breakfast, clean the kitchen, make the bed and then we go on our 1.7 mile walk. Once she sees my tennis shoes, she goes nuts. She dances sideways and tries […]