There is a book on the craft of writing called, “Writing Tools” that my dear friend and fellow writer, Meaghan Dawson from Beauty from Burnt Toast, suggested to me during a spell of discouragement, a season the writer knows well. In it, Roy Peter Clark talks about how even in serious stories, we can use language creatively to share an important message. The author states: Just as a sculptor works with clay, a writer shapes a world with words. In fact, the earliest English poets were called shapers, artists who molded the stuff of language to create stories the way that God, the Great Shaper, f ..read more

My story began prior to my birth on January 8, 1991. My biological mother, while pregnant with me, was in a tumultuous, 10-year relationship with my biological father. My bio-dad was in active addiction and abusive to my bio-mom, which ultimately led her to move states, into a maternity home where she gifted me to my parents in a closed adoption. I was born with Cleft Lip & Pallet, and as early as 8 weeks old I had my first surgery leading up until 18 years old where I endured 22 surgeries. After my treatment plan for my Cleft Lip & Pallet was complete, I remember going through an iden ..read more

*trigger warning: please be advised that some of the content in this article may be triggering for those who have experience sexual violence. My face turned fuchsia as it was inclined to do when I was reminded of my sinful past back then, the one that I thought would catapult me out of that holy room the minute any of those blameless bystanders were on to me. I didn’t know her full story, but I couldn’t help wonder: did any of these people know that I was like Rahab? That I, too, gave away a part of myself, turning the temple of me into a nuclear waste dump so often that I started to believe w ..read more

Do you have a vision of what your long-term sobriety looks like? I like to keep a vision of what my long-term sobriety looks like in my head. What does your long-term sobriety look like to you? What is it going to take to make that happen? When I was a 5th grader, I started playing clarinet in beginning band. In 7th grade, the Army jazz band from Washington DC came to our town and gave an amazing performance. It was the most wonderful thing I had ever seen, and afterward, I turned to my seatmate and said “that is what I’m going to do when I grow up!” My next thought was “what do I need to do ..read more

The reality is, in June 2006 I was literally committing suicide, finally surrendering to my addiction. Sitting in a seedy motel room all alone with only my vodka, sleeping pills, crack pipe, and heroin as family and friends were unaware of the level of hopelessness that engulfed my very soul. Living in filth and dirt, disgusted with myself as hatred and resentment filled my heart to the core, but it had to stop, I couldn't breathe anymore. Blinded by the endless list of all I had become: a disloyal wife, non-existent mother, jealous friend, thief, prostitute, ex-con, liar, cheater, gossiper, e ..read more

When my pastor recently asked our small group what actions we could commit to taking this week to increase practicing faith in an authentic way, I paused. What came to mind was a series of events from my twenties when life was simple, a bit more melancholic, and I had time for things like spiritual disciplines. During my mid-twenties as a new(ish) convert, I devoured every book I could get my hands on about spiritual formation, long before I even knew that was what I was reading. I sang psalms and wrote new ones as I strummed an out-of-tune black guitar with nail-bitten and calloused fingers ..read more

Did you know that most communities have a high demand for and minimal access to supportive women's recovery housing or sober living? Furthermore, there is a lack of available research on recovery residence effectiveness. Tiffany Knight, the founder of In the Meantime, aims to change this in her community in South Carolina. Tiffany shares that: "At In the Meantime, we’ll provide a safe, substance-free recovery residence to bridge the gap, while increasing the likelihood of success on their long-term recovery journey. I have had an intimate experience with addiction and recovery. As a child of a ..read more

We dilute the beauty of the gospel story when we divorce it from our lives, our worlds, the words and images that God is writing right now on our souls. – Shauna Niequist When I found out that I was pregnant I had to sit down. I landed in the chair that was a gift from my dad and stepmom, a re-upholstered antique of my great grandmother Edith. I imagine her with a wispy, mousy-brown bun, reading from a pocket New Testament or a first edition Betty Crocker. I never knew much about her other than her husband Gus died young. He was a farmer that looked (in the one picture I saw of him) like Ryan ..read more

The coffee shop was dimly lit and I stared at the half-empty latte in front of me. I was very early, even for me, needing to find the perfect spot so I could feel as comfortable as I could—something that I learned over time helped when I struggled with anxiety. She walked in and instantly I knew it was her. Florence’s eyes were strong, yet soft, a deep green that you could get lost in and at the same time, see yourself. She told me about the work that she did, teaching a class on substance use disorders and about the years of experience she had working with women with addiction and trauma hist ..read more

Radical honesty is something that challenges our lives and the way we live day-to-day. In mental health and addiction recovery, radical honesty does lead to radical healing. Manda Carpenter knows this firsthand, surviving trauma as a child and then moving into adulthood with related trauma symptoms and other challenges. Now, she works as a foster parent to support other children who go through similar experiences. "I believe that God uses the catastrophes of our life to be the catalysts of our calling." - Manda Carpenter In her new book, Soul Care to Save Your Life: How Radical Honesty Leads t ..read more