Alcoholism
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Defining Moments
“But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. – Psalm 77: 11-12 My hands were shaking, and I instinctively backed away. “You can do this,” I said under my breath. “You’ve… Continue reading
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Sometimes You Gotta Hug the Cactus
“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” – 1 Corinthians 13:7 Alcohol brought me peace and freedom early on. But near the end I found myself thinking not of joy on a daily basis, but of death. A life that had once promised me more than I… Continue reading
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The Alcoholic’s Eden
Regardless of how much time in sobriety one has, every recovering alcoholic hears two voices. The voice of reason says: You are at liberty to drink whatever you want, but you must not drink alcohol. For if you drink it, you know what awaits. Trouble, followed by more trouble, surely followed by an alcoholic death.… Continue reading
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Not All Break-Ups Are Bad
“Resentment is the number one offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else.” ~ Alcoholics Anonymous, p.64 My first sponsor seemed to be a fun-loving guy, who surrounded himself with several other fun-loving guys. He chaired one of the meetings I attended early on in my recovery, and he’d recently celebrated a dozen or so… Continue reading
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We Will Not Regret the Past
Promise: a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or a particular thing will happen. There are 12 Steps in Alcoholics Anonymous. One who wants to get and stay sober in AA isn’t under any obligation whatsoever to work the AA program. There are no requirements, there are no musts in AA.… Continue reading
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Pain Management
As a sober, recovering alcoholic, I have found incredible value in going back in my life and recalling the day that my life hit bottom. I was all but dead. I had just lost my father; I had lost all but a remnant of my sanity; and I was on the verge of losing every… Continue reading
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Better Than I Deserve
“How blessed is the man who made the Lord his trust.” ~ Psalm 40:4 One fall afternoon I was parked on the shoulder of a rural highway about 50 miles southwest of Ashland, Kentucky. As I sat there completely hopeless and numb, I considered what few options remained. Roughly 9 hours earlier I had been… Continue reading
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But For the Grace of God
“Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs.” ~ Alcoholics Anonymous p.20 It was getting late in the evening and all I wanted was a few minutes of personal time to enjoy my favorite tv program. The day had been busy, but… Continue reading
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Encouraging Words in Difficult Times
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” ~ Isaiah 41:13 My life was in shambles. Every single day for the past several years, I sat alone in my house and sought my escape through a bottle that… Continue reading
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A Double Life Leads to Death
“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” ~ Proverbs 11:3 “He was a quiet guy, but he always seemed friendly when we would see him out.” This is such a common description we hear by the neighbors of someone who has committed a heinous crime. He seemed… Continue reading
About Me
Welcome! I’m Scott (aka Former Blackout Artist), and I’m so happy you decided to drop in! I hope you find the content here spiritually enlightening and uplifting. Most of all, I hope that my love of Christ is revealed through my writing and that it encourages you in some way today. Thanks for stopping by!