Tools | Hearthaven Publishing

Abstinence: It Takes Time

We think that the mighty change of heart is going to mean an immediate mighty change of habit. The truth is that there is a distance to go between the heart, which is the seat of our desires and willingness, and the brain, which is the seat of our habits. We often...

God Changes Us From the Inside-Out

abstinence, Change of Heart, Recovery

The inclinations of my heart are changing—from the inside out. Leaving behind my addiction is not an exercise of willpower or even a deliberate choice. It’s deeper than that. It’s simply a feeling of not being interested or inclined to do the thing that for years and...

Will You Not Watch with Me One Hour?

Christ, Led by Spirit, Personal Revelation, Recovery, writing

A fellow addict once mentioned how much he wished he could have, personally, what he hears in my posts. That troubled me for a bit. I am uncomfortable with the idea that I am someone special; that others cannot have the thoughts or the insights that I share in He Did...

Blessed By Mottos

Recovery, Tools

You’re in the right program if you’re blessed by mottos. Alcoholics Anonymous has dozens of them. They’re quick and to the point. That’s why we like them. AA’s often joke that it has to be short or their sodden old brains wouldn’t be able...

It Isn’t About Abstinence

abstinence, Tools

When someone first comes to a recovery program, they put a lot of emphasis on abstinence—refraining from whatever it is that caused them to seek recovery in the first place. But at some point in a recovery process that is based on faith in Jesus Christ and His...