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The soul is a fascinating concept. It’s not a muscle you can flex or grow in the gym of life. It’s a purity that can be tainted, a core essence that is both divine and vulnerable. How much you allow it to be shaped, purified, or tainted depends on what you endure and choose. The Bible provides a deep well of wisdom about the soul, particularly in the King James Version (KJV), where it often describes the soul as something precious, eternal, and easily influenced by good and evil. Let’s explore what the KJV says about the nature of the...

Ok, my dear friend. Let me get right to it: tough love is killing me, and it’s killing many others too. How many? I don’t know. No one does. There are no official reports from Synanon, AA, or Al-Anon. We only know one thing—within the 12-step community, weddings and funerals are tragically common. How can this be? You want to believe that tough love could have saved your brother’s life, don’t you? It angers you, doesn’t it? You’re not alone in that anger. But I’ve been around the block—30 years in outpatient programs, 10 years sponsoring men in the 12-step...

I was weak last night, and the paramedics had to come. Thankfully, I’m okay, just still feeling a bit fatigued. I managed to eat a couple of meals, and that helped a little. Tomorrow, I get my food stamps, which will lift some of the weight off my shoulders. Your pastor, Donald, has been helping me find shelter, and I’m so grateful for that. It’s been a tough journey, but I'm seeing a light ahead. I couldn’t help but think about your sermon on contracts—how money can bring out the worst in us. I signed one too, and you were...

When I wrote my memoirs, I focused on what worked and didn’t work in the mental health system. There was a lot of hardship, a lot of failure, and an abundance of frustration. In my anger at religion, spirituality, and the false promises of AA, I completely overlooked ten crucial years of my life. During those years, I experienced more prosperity and success than ever before. I had love, money, success in my art, I wasn’t smoking, I was exercising, and I was deeply devoted to the Word of God and prayer. Looking back, the coincidence is just too hard...

“I’m very sorry, Dan… we won’t be able to sell your book.” Those words hit hard. I had poured my heart and soul into my work, hoping it would be something meaningful not only to me but to others. But here I was, with a pastor who hadn’t even read my book, turning it away. "Why not? You haven’t even read it. Other pastors put me to work with my talents. Why not you?" I asked. I was offering something I truly believed in, something that could help others. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? Help one another, especially...