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
Posts Categorized / Addiction Stories
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
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
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
“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
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
Grace Sufficient
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 Death is always a real possible consequence of substance abuse. As I wrestled