“People in Recovery Are the Best!”
I will never forget the little speech that Sara gave at St. Joseph Institute during an evening discussion on relapse prevention. With strong emotions, she argued that the best people she knew were in recovery. The group chucked when she [...]
The Elephant in the Room
When you are helping people begin their recovery, all of your instincts tell you to act like a sports coach. You want the addict or alcoholic to feel empowered, prepared to fight against the strength of their addiction, and ready [...]
Wrestling with God
Over the years I have spoken to many tough and skeptical crowds. Soon after graduating from university, I was responsible for building an unknown organization called Special Olympics. Trying to convince parents and professionals that exercise and competition would be [...]
Getting Ready for Christmas
Christmas is a very special time at St. Joseph Institute. We have been busy preparing for Christmas during the 25 days of Advent. We prepare ourselves spiritually by reviewing the origin and history of Christmas carols. Each morning we set [...]
Station 1: Addicts face Abandonment & Rejection
In the next several blogs we'll discuss connections between the Stations of the Cross and the stages of addiction. The first Station is about Jesus' condemnation to death; just like many addicts, He felt a sense of abandonment and rejection. [...]
Stations of the Cross for Addiction Recovery
The Stations of the Cross is a prayer that facilitates union with God through the passion of Christ. Traditionally, it is a devotion practiced largely by Catholics, particularly on Fridays during the season of Lent. Over the years we’ve come [...]
