Until recently, I’ve always thought that hurricanes don’t affect us here in middle Tennessee. Let me be clear, I am not saying that we have the same life-threatening concerns as our friends in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi or Louisiana, but we are touched by those outer bands. We are still affected by the storm. For the […]
Out of boredom, I decided to watch the first episode of the show “Ted Lasso” found on the streaming service, Apple TV. It was odd. It took most of the episode to wrap my mind around it. Curious, I watched the second and then the third. Then I stopped. It was so good that I […]
Whenever I speak to anyone in the Church about my ministry, two very distinct things usually happen. The first is that I am offered whatever I need to carry out this ministry. This could be offering a room for a 12-step meeting, allowing me to speak to those in pastoral care or sponsoring an event. […]
Good afternoon! I hope you are preparing for a fun and hopefully long weekend. I’ve been working on new materials to bring to retreats that I’m hosting in various locations. Because I’ve started booking retreats, we needed an efficient way to get the information out to you. Over the next few weeks, the website will […]
I finished my walk with the dogs as I always do. I headed into the garage from the sidewalk and unleashed each dog, putting their harnesses into the cabinet drawer with all of their other accessories, all the while talking to them about getting a drink once inside. Usually, they are excited to find their […]
“Who keeps us sober and happy?” the speaker asked. A chorus of merging voices declared, “Our Father” and then continued on with, “who art in heaven, hallowed be they name…” The prayer was recited with each person holding the hand of another, forming a circle that spanned the circumference of the room below the sanctuary […]
Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t watched the series finale of the sitcom Mom, you may want to read this post later… Last night, I scanned the On Demand menu on my television in search of the sitcom, Mom. I’ve watched this show faithfully since it began. For me, it seems to portray 12-step recovery meetings […]
With permission from The Jesuit Post, I am reprinting their article titled, “I am a Jesuit and I am an Alcoholic.” I want you to know that this disease is not a moral failing. There is no room for healing when we allow shame to be in the picture. It is time to call out […]
I remember reading the following quote years ago when we first learned of my loved one’s addiction. It changed the way I saw them: “The question is not why the addiction, but why the pain.” And the source of pain is always and invariably to be found in a person’s lived experience, beginning with childhood. … All addictions are attempts to […]
When my book, “Helping Families Recover from Addiction: Coping, Growing and Healing with 12-Step Practices and Ignatian Spirituality” was released last October it was placed in (3) categories on Amazon. Those categories were chosen to help those looking for help with family addictions be able to find it amongst the thousands of books out there. […]