A Fortress of Help and Strength

A Fortress of Help and Strength

As I wrapped up my workday, I was just getting ready to switch my phone to the answering service when it rang. I glanced at the screen—an unfamiliar number from the 530 area code. Out of habit, I put on my headset. “Pastoral care, how can I help you?” A woman’s voice,...

Checkup

Checkup

Just because I’m sober doesn’t mean that life will always be smooth sailing, and perhaps one way to check up on the quality of my sobriety is to notice how I react when life throws me a curveball. It was a beautiful autumn day, the sun was shining, the sky was a...

Excuses

Excuses

I hear a lot of excuses in the work I do. “Oh, Risë, I wasn’t able to follow through on what we talked about because …. I don’t exercise because… I can’t stop eating at nighttime because ….” The because could be followed with “I’m too busy,” “pain,” “lack of energy,”...