I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14 It was 1983. I was 21 years old. I had just quit my laborer’s job after a semester of unbridled addiction. I had plunged into a major depression and I spent the entire summer […]
Addiction
Addiction and Theology: Scientific and Wisdom Perspectives
Many of us are concerned about addiction, but struggle clinically and theologically to understand the phenomenon. To the family member, employer, or friend, it looks perplexing at best, and is often experienced as hurtful betrayal or outright defiance of a covenanted relationship. Civic society and social institutions have similarly wrestled with conceptualizations of addicted behavior […]
Prime Mover
“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 “From the point of entryUntil the candle is burnedThe point of departureIs not to returnAnything can happen”Prime Mover – Neil Peart I remember it like […]
Every Day
This past weekend, the UCC celebrated Mental Health Sunday. But for the one out of five of us living with a diagnosable mental health diagnosis, every day is a mental health day. This isn’t meant to disparage our denomination’s recognition of the importance of raising awareness and reducing stigma, but it’s a plain and simple […]
The Pursuit of Perfection
There is a car manufacturer that uses the tagline, “The pursuit of perfection,” in its ads. Now obviously, there is, nor will there ever be, a perfect car. Considering people have different needs and discretionary income to spend on said vehicle, it’s highly unlikely that there will ever be one brand that meets the needs […]