No Fault, No Blame, No Excuse
Living Responsibly
by
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We learn from stories through books, movies, plays, TV, verbally shared memories, and so many other sources. We may not remember details, but we usually remember how we felt during the story telling experience. We remember stories more readily than perhaps any other way of learning. So, in the setting of daily meditations, on an inpatient addiction treatment center, the author decided to tell stories, and let the truths buried therein come out in their proper time. It is good that stories can be trusted to convey, what facts might find difficult to establish. However, it was also decided that reading stories directly from the Bible, in language that would be foreign to many of the hearers, who had never been to church, or who were angry with religion, would not be entirely helpful. So, the author did a lot of paraphrasing and retelling, in order to make the stories apply to life in the present time. This was not done out of disrespect for Scripture, but out of the belief that story tellers have always done this. Even Jesus used ordinary examples from everyday life, to teach deep spiritual Truth. And yet, the record tells us, he had to explain those stories, and their meaning, even to his closest followers. Yes, Truth is that hard to communicate. Hopefully you will find these stories helpful in your journey as well.
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About the Book
This is an account of the author’s work with addicted clients and their codependent families in recovery from addiction, as well as an exploration of the excessive shame, guilt, fault, blame, and excuses that go along with it. What worked for them can surely apply to us all, even if our stories might not be quite as extreme.
“Tell me a story” is not just for children to say. Read these stories for yourself, and appreciate the wisdom and guidance that can come from practical application of truth that fits everyone’s story. “In the beginning was the Word,” was said by the Apostle John, as the opening statement in his record of the Christ. “In the beginning was the Story” would not be a bad translation either.
About the Author
Rev. Cliff Bond, MDiv, LCAC, attended two years at Northwest Missouri State University and then two years at Calvary Bible College in the early 1960s before serving as a pastor from 1966 until 1977. He returned to school, completing his BA at Baker University in 1978. He earned his MDiv in pastoral care and counseling from Emory University Candler School of Theology in 1981. After a year of advanced CPE in Kansas City, Cliff worked as a hospital chaplain in Topeka, Kansas, from 1984 until 2006. After working four years as a hospice chaplain, he currently serves part-time as a cancer center chaplain and clinical addiction counselor in the Topeka area, where he lives with his wife, Carol. Visit him online at blessingsonyourjourney.com.