…can we just be Broken Together?
Articles that deal with Addiction Recovery: How to use the Atonement of Jesus Christ to heal your Spirit, Body and Mind.
For most of my life, I have enjoyed the life of a professional musician. Almost two years ago, in support of my recovery from alcoholism, I took a bold step. I quit my bar bands, wedding bands, and event bands.
Join me today as I discuss my “glory days” and my quest for a higher glory yet to come as I attempt to define what it means to be a MUSICIAN IN RECOVERY!
Picture yourself falling from a running elephant…you tumble ten feet to the ground and land in the rocks while moving 15 miles per hour. Now, you’re under the feet of a raging 13,000-pound monster. “That’ll leave a mark!” Addiction recovery is like THAT: terrifying… and necessary.
Today we talk about removing our “devices of control” and (like the Barnum and Bailey elephants) finding freedom… and PEACE!
Once upon a time…
Damsels in distress–and knights in shining armor. Dismal reality–and rose-colored glasses. Dark days–and happy endings. Today we talk about nursery rhymes and fairy tales. We will meet a real-life Humpty Dumpty who sacrificed his right hand in exchange for his freedom. We’ll start the journey with “I will NEVER find peace” and end with “I am FREE”. Can your fairy tale REALLY end with “…and they lived happily ever after”? Let’s find out!
The statistics are shocking…One in ten Americans is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. And even more shocking is that only one in one hundred addicts will ever attain full life-long sobriety! I am living proof that even among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, substance abuse and addiction is a VERY SEROUS problem. Join me now as I attempt to bring a little more public awareness to what has been a very private problem…and offer some solutions to help ALL of us overcome our weaknesses and shortcomings.
“…And they all lived happily ever after.” In the depths of my alcoholism, I never thought that this line would EVER describe my life…now or in the life to come. But life in Recovery gives me hope in a happy ending.
To introduce our newer readers to some of our “vintage” posts (that’s SO 10-months ago!!), over the next few weeks I will be sharing a series of short, easy reads, inspired by stories or quotes from my previous posts. Join us now for a “Change of Heart MOMENT”!
Truth IS stranger than fiction. If I’d written a movie script three months ago entitled “The Great Toilet Paper Panic”, Hollywood producers would have rejected my script and said, “GET REAL!” Now suddenly, it IS real. As a recovering alcoholic, I finally realize that not only is gospel learning “home-centered, church-supported”, but ultimately, SO ARE MY RECOVERY EFFORTS! Join me today and discover whether life in recovery is compatible with COVID-19…
Singer/Songwriter Kenny Loggins once said, “…what you learn is that no matter when you jump, you will either land on your feet…or learn to fly”. Today we talk about hang gliding, trust vs. fear, and faith vs. doubt. Join me as we discuss Step 3 of the 12 Steps to Atonement, where we learn about becoming willing to give our will and life over to the care of God and Christ.
As a musician, my quest for performing triggered some very strong desires to use addictive substances. For many years I quietly suffered the ravages of alcoholism behind the scenes. Join me today on a new quest…the quest to HEAR music…the music of the Spirit.
The holidays can be rough, especially when you suffer from addiction, depression, or even if you’re just having a bad hair day! Everybody has “those days” when whatever is wrong with you IS NO LITTLE THING! But cheer up…there IS help and happiness ahead. Join the discussion at Change of Heart!
The LDS Addiction Recovery Program (ARP) is not just 12 steps to addiction recovery…it is much, much more: It is step-by-step instruction on how to partake of the full power of Christ’s Atonement. Taking full advantage of the Atonement is the ultimate goal of EVERY sincere follower of Christ.
Life is strange…even under the best of conditions. Life as an addict (or life WITH an addict) is even stranger. But the strangest things of all happen when an addict learns not to be an addict!
Today we step into the Twilight Zone and discuss the power of serving others during recovery.
Living with addiction is like walking a tightrope. Today we discuss putting one foot in front of the other and finding balance in our lives…balance that will help us succeed when our life becomes unmanageable.
“I misjudged my actions and fell off the horse. A hard crippling fall. The kind of fall that would change me (and my outlook on life) forever. ” They say that it’s not important how many times you fall off, but that you get back on everytime you fall. Join me today as we chat again about Rescue, Recovery, and Redemption.
Yeah, I know. It sounds like a bad joke. But really, if a Bishop, a Rabbi and an Imam walked into a bar, what WOULD they talk about? Today we discuss stigma, shame, and pride; diversity and tolerance; Higher Powers and Holy Places; RESCUE, RECOVERY and REDEMPTION. Join me as we answer the question: What will YOUR Higher Power do for you?
If you love an addict you should…um….??? (Hint: “Run away screaming” is definitely not the correct answer!) Join me today for some suggestions and inspiration as we talk about the ministry of angels.
What does “broken” mean? Today, we discuss the sacrifice of “a broken heart and a contrite spirit”. I’ll also share a bit of my love of horses with you as we talk about the right way to break horses, and how that applies to breaking the cycle of addiction. So take a BREAK and visit us for a few minutes!
Ever feel like C.S. Lewis? “…go to Him (God) when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence… There are no lights in the windows. It might be an EMPTY HOUSE. Was it ever inhabited? It seemed so once.”
Today, we’ll figure out how to fill our empty lives with the things that will allow us to forever banish our demons, and to fill our souls with joy and “…wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures.”
“If there’s no demon within, the demon outside can do us no harm.” –African Proverb
Christ taught that when unclean spirits return to the empty house, they bring even more pain and sorrow. How can we prevent this? Read on and see.
I’ve never really believed in ghosts or hauntings, but for a couple of decades, I experienced a “Haunting of the Empty House at midnight”. Join me as I share my journey out of the darkness of midnight and into the light of Christ.
So…is addiction a choice or a disease? My short answer is a resounding YES! 😉
I found this video an interesting and refreshing juxtaposition of science, psychology, and gospel insights. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I consider it worth sharing as a post here.
Enjoy the show, and feel free to give YOUR opinion at the bottom of this post!