Oh my church, oh my. Don’t be this, church. While attending a church in Louisville, KY, for six years, I came to love how the church desired community and how they gathered (worship) and scattered (small groups meeting in homes). Meeting people where they were in their life journey. Sins and all. Pointing them to a
Blog / talking about faith, talking about addiction
Brandon Henderson, Forever
My friend’s child died. Of a heroin overdose. A month before my son, Gabriel. Debbie, my new friend, and I crossed path’s this past year while advocating for others suffering from substance use disorders. Immediately we connected and have grown to cherish our bond through the loss of our sons. A beautiful soul, a broken
There is still hope on the broken road
A steady stream of people contact me almost daily, seeking solutions, seeking practical help, and hope for their adult children caught in the grips of substance use. Being a parent who loves someone suffering in this state has been one of the most difficult roads I’ve ever walked. But also one of the most faith
When the Night is Dark
glance at my sister, Angel, seeing the deep pain behind her soft brown eyes. Eyes full of compassion and deep love for her only child and son, Jason. Jason had died ten years earlier at this particular time while on business in Puerto Rico. Friends and family had gathered to remember the ten year anniversary
Rescued from the Darkest Place
Meet our guest blogger Andrew Chalmers! Andrew works for Teen Challenge. And, Andrew is drug free. He was rescued from the darkest place. My story is a story of redemption and a story of great hope restored. It’s a story that demonstrates the overwhelming grace and love that God has for each
Mourning the Loss of a Son: How to Support the Family of an Addict
But now, with the freshness of losing my son this past year, it seemed appropriate to finish the preliminary version. I have to admit, I always knew the day could come. The possibility of losing my child to a heroin overdose was a constant thought in my mind. I tried not to think about it,
Sweet Kiss of Grace
Bitter because the sting of death is painful to endure. Sweet because victory over death was overcome at the cross of Christ. Death of our earthly bodies is not the end of the story. One day we get Gabriel back, in a new and perfect way. Since Gabriel’s death on April 12, 2013, it
Beautiful Gabriel: 32 Reasons to Rejoice
andsome and witty like his dad. Loving music like his mom. Talented with the guitar like Jimi Hendrix (well, I think so). My son Gabriel struggled with addiction. Gabriel overdosed April 8, 2013. The day of the 2013 NCAA final game. While U of L was getting ready to battle for NCAA victory title, my
Pastor confesses drug addiction and near loss of family
This title and video story of a well-respected pastor who became addicted to opiates was posted on the blog site of Denny Burk. Dallas Newspaper reports that Rev. Skip Ryan was pastor of Park Cities Presbyterian Church. What is interesting about this pastor is he was also addicted to opiates: Percocet, hydrocodone, OxyContin—Ryan took them all while
Addiction Journal: The Guarantees of Addiction/Recovery
Reposted from: Addiction Journal: The Guarantees of Addiction/Recovery The Guarantees of addiction/ recovery October 31, 2012 You are advised by other parents to not enable and to put your child out of your home if they are active in addiction. Their advice is intellectually sound, yet you feel it is unloving and cold. The advice goes
The Addict’s Mom
The Addict’s Mom For two months now I have been a part of this fabulous resource for mothers of addicts called The Addict’s Mom. The site was developed by a mother of an addict. The focus is to offer an online support group for moms of addicts. With the intention to be a safe place
Are You Enabling?
Are you enabling? Enabling is not the same as helping. Enabling refers to any behavior on your part that makes it easier for the addict to continue to abuse. If your husband is too hungover to get to work and you call in sick for him, then you have enabled his drinking and he is
“Stay Close”: A Mother’s Story of Her Son’s Addiction
Jeff Bratton and Libby Cataldi, author of Stay Close, speak about the shame and guilt that surrounds addiction and how her son Jeff ultimately achieved sobriety.
An Addict in Our Son’s Bedroom
An Addict in Our Son’s Bedroom Enabling is a different from helping. This blog link is written by the parents of an addict. They give personal insight into how they set boundaries so as not to enable their son. Hope this helps you in understanding the difference between enabling and helping. Setting boundaries can be
8 Steps to Confronting an Addict: The Nathan Approach
The snare of addiction is an evil murky pit. Confronting your loved one caught in a web of addiction can be just as miry. Is there a biblical model we can follow to help guide us through the miry waters? 2 Samuel 12 comes to mind when speaking of confronting. In this passage, Nathan, the
Drinking Alcohol with a Baby in her Belly: Christ Removes the Veil
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1: 7-8 Redemptive grace is a beautiful thing. When ministering to women drug addicts, God often uses their lives to display His redemptive grace at
If Only I had a Green Nose
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but
Shedding the Enabler Label: Putting on the Label of Christ
Wearing the Label No one wants to wear the label of an enabler. Seriously. Who wants to have this label plastered on the front of their chest? An enabler often is convinced he is helping his loved one in addiction, when, in reality, he is enabling the addict. The two are distinctly different. Understanding the Label
You Are That Man: The Nathan Approach to Confronting an Addict
Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. 2 Samuel 12:7 Be on Your Toes Working around life threatening situations was an every day occurrence for many of my nursing career days. Most
The Gasp of Death
He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come