Blog

What stands out most in my memory is the heat – oppressive, stifling, nauseating heat that took your breath when you ventured outside in suburban Chicago. Next, I remember that a bridesmaid was sobbing in the un-air conditioned van on the way to the church, and the bride was patiently redoing the distraught girl’s hair.

My father was a life-long educator, and I grew up on a college campus where he served for years as academic dean in the days when one person was responsible for all the various areas of collegiate academics. The institution began serving students in kindergarten and went through college, and my brothers and I were

At Bethesda Workshops, we routinely say, “No one can recover alone.” We encourage workshop participants to develop a safe community for support and fellowship as much as for accountability. We believe God created us for relationship, and healthy connection is central to well-being. Connection is also a core value for the ministry itself and among

The summer after Bethesda Workshops moved into our building, we noticed water seeping in across the back wall of the eating area, originally a long warehouse, where the wall met the floor. Investigation determined the drainage ditch behind the building needed clearing out, and our angel investor had someone do that for us. Grateful, we

From a plain wooden bench at the top of Ganier Ridge, a popular and challenging hiking trail, I examined a rock that I chose from the Heart Tree collection about a third of the way up the steep ascent. Several weeks ago, I first selected a rock when a friend shared about the tree, which

Retailers estimate over $20 billion will be spent honoring mothers this year in the US alone, which translates into a lot of cards, flowers, jewelry, and personal services like spa trips and pedicures. On this special day, I honor my mother, Dorothy Anne Discher Craig (whom my father nicknamed “Dottie”), and two other amazing moms

Life is full of meaningful symbols. Some are universal among a group of people like the cross for Christians or the star that shone above a Bethlehem stable. Others are unique to individuals like a piece of jewelry or some memento of an event that has meaning far beyond the object itself. Occasionally, a place

Within a two-week period, three families in my circle have been devastated by an untimely death. A young couple lost an infant son who died two days after birth. A family and huge extended group lost a pillar in the recovery community who was felled by a brain bleed in middle age. A healer lost

Life for me has always felt complicated. It’s not just my byzantine history or the complexity of various current situations. I work daily with people whose lives have been upended with the complex challenges of trauma and addiction. Their path to untangle that knot is as thorny as the road that led to the crisis.

This year’s celebration of Valentine’s Day was uniquely spectacular as I received far more than the most lavish flower arrangement, expensive gift, or special culinary creation. Our family embraced an exceptional bundle of love: a new granddaughter! A perfect baby girl, the first child of our son and daughter-in-law, arrived safely into the world on

During a difficult stretch a few weeks ago, I found myself in an intense grieving space around losses and trauma, including painful childhood experiences. More sharply than in years, I had plummeted into a painful pit of revisiting the circumstances that ultimately led me to the false solution of sex and love addiction. Among other

Pain is fickle, apt to lurch forward like an all-consuming wildfire that laps at your heels and chokes your throat. It can sneak up on you, despite your awareness of potential triggers or risky situations. A recent tsunami of pain for me started with a deep conversation with a friend over burgers and beer. We

Bethesda Workshops’ name comes from a biblical story in John 5 about a paralyzed man who had been lying at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem for 38 years. It was a gathering place for people who were infirm in a variety of ways, and Jewish custom required those who passed by to donate to

The plumber who came to our home this fall was excellent at his trade, but we discovered that’s not what was most important about him. Charles Dobbins’ love for and support of his childhood friend Calvin Bryant makes him memorable. The service call started with a personal question instead of one about the plumbing issue.

The Thanksgiving image that always comes first to my mind isn’t of pumpkin or turkey or some crowded living room. It’s of my toddler self looking wide-eyed out the window of a red 1957 Ford Country Squire station wagon at my father, who was standing knee deep in blowing snow. We were trying to get