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But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him . ..  1 Kings 12:8 My first Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, several years ago, was a veteran of recovery with years of sobriety and experience. Did he know more than me about recovery? Yes. Should I have listened to him? Again, yes. Did I continue…
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Now King Solomon loved many foreign women . . . 1 Kings 11:1 Seared into my memory, are the thoughts I had when I relapsed in 2014. I knew it was morally wrong. I had been there before, and I knew the disastrous consequences. I knew what I stood to lose, but as I surrendered…
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He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.  1 Kings 3:26 When I encounter personal misery, I am easily annoyed by anyone who does not share in my discomfort. If I am struggling with my weight, I don’t want to hear how someone just lost 15 pounds. There is even a part of me…
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The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 1 Kings 3:5 As children, we used to play, What if I got one wish? I would wish for a bazillion dollars, infinite wishes or maybe infinite donuts. All of my wishes were obviously focused on my…
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Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments . . .1 Kings 2:2 I have flawed ways in which I see the world. One of the faulty things I do is to insist that everything is black or white.…
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Let a young woman be sought for the king . . . Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm. 1 Kings 1:2 While out to dinner recently, I provoked a family discussion on our individual personality types. There are many models, but one that fits me pretty well refers…
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I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.  2 Samuel 24:24 As we eat, our dog sits there, giving us his sad eyes, waiting for a morsel to fall from the table. I don’t think his palate is able to discern that we eat the best, giving him…
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The Lord is my rock and my fortress. . . 2 Samuel 21:2 In my addiction, I found my only comfort and happiness in a pill. The unstable pill of course, was not capable of supporting such a weight. I lost the joy and meaning I previously found my relationships, my job and my faith.…
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Let not my lord hold me guilty . . . For your servant knows that I have sinned. 2 Samuel 19:19-20 As addicts have usually caused much injury in the lives of those around us, we have had much to apologize for. We should be good at it, but because it is our nature to follow…
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Then the king arose and took his seat . . .2 Samuel 19:8 Recently, I broke a tooth and required a temporary replacement while the permanent fix was being made. As the temporary tooth was discolored and misshapen, I was self-conscious enough that I avoided smiling and apparently I talked funny, trying to hide the…
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