Saturday, February 27, 2010

Rigorous Honesty, Part 2

By Marcel Schwantes

I often coach men coming out of addiction recovery programs. They understand the consequences of their decisions after having hitting the bottom of the pit, and the steps they now need to take to stay sober and living healthy. But for thousands of others, they will continue to struggle secretly with something they have no power over.

There is a clear path to recovery, and it begins by rejecting the lifestyle of lies and self-deception. One of the realities of addictive behaviors is that those affected quickly master "the art of deception." They become good at hiding their behavior, masked behind denial, half-truths, and covering their tracks. Honesty and integrity are the first casualties of an addiction.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

We Are Sabbath, Part III: Cancer and the Sabbath

Guest post by Travis Claybrooks

A black guy, his Mexican wife, two niƱos, and a blaxican baby – that was us moving to Shelton, Nebraska. Needless to say, we were a bit concerned about the future of our “social” life, moving to the heartland of America. As it’s turned out, the good folks in Shelton are some of the best folks we’ve ever known.

About a week or two after we moved here, Karin, one of the pillars of the community came over to introduce herself. Karin is just about one of the most genuine and friendly people you’ll ever know. Over the past year or so she has proven to be a loyal friend – and I mean loyal!