by Deb | change, courage, home, hope, letting go, life, personal growth |
Starting a new chapter in my life has always been difficult. About twenty-three years ago, we put our house on the market in Auburn, Washington where we’d lived for more than a decade. I remember the ache I felt when I saw the “for sale” sign in our...
by Deb | alcoholism, difficult relationships, letting go, marriage, recovery |
In my previous article about surviving your spouse’s alcoholism, I compared the struggle with alcoholism to an intense battle. It certainly is a battle on multiple levels: spiritual, physical, emotional. At first, I didn’t have a clue how to...
by Deb | addiction, Al-Anon, alcohol, alcoholism, compassion, courage, difficult relationships, encouragement, hope, letting go, love, loving others, marriage, perseverance, recovery, substance abuse, surrender |
Cunning…baffling… powerful… Alcoholics Anonymous uses those words to describe alcoholism. It’s true. I’ve never felt more confused and powerless than when dealing with my husband Randy’s alcoholism. It’s an intense battle—one most of us are...
by Deb | addiction, alcoholism, difficult relationships, faith, letting go, mental illness, prayer |
This post seems like deja vu. I’ve written about my “little” brother several times. Yesterday was his birthday. I called him to tell him I was thinking about him. His mental confusion seemed more pronounced. He admitted to using meth “so he...
by Deb | alcoholism, comfort, compassion, difficult relationships, faith, God's faithfulness, grace, letting go, love, loving others, surrender |
I called my homeless brother yesterday. I only wanted to say that I love him. He couldn’t hear that. He thought I was trying to intervene, judging him. He told me his life is miserable, the party’s over–not that there ever was a party, I thought. I...
by Deb | children, letting go, moms |
Last Sunday I had nursery duty at our church. I always enjoy taking my turn, because I remember how challenging it was trying to keep wriggling toddlers still for the duration of the service. Moms and dads really deserve a break on Sunday mornings. How much easier it...
