Articles by Hope Is Alive

God Will Care for You and Your Addicted Loved One

Finding Hope Team

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A New Life in Christ | Bible Reading Plan

Hope is Alive: Changing the Face of Addiction Recovery

A New Year, A New Strength

A New Year, A New Strength

As we step into a new year, I want to ask you something: How are you really doing?

For many of us, loving someone in addiction has stretched our hearts in ways we never expected. We carry worry, fear, disappointment, hope, exhaustion, and love all at once. It’s a lot. Because it’s a lot, we tend to answer with, “I’m fine.”

Ignoring the question is easier, right? It’s easier than slowing down long enough to feel the things we’ve pushed aside. It’s easier than admitting we’re overwhelmed. It’s easier than feeling like we are burdening someone else with our troubles.

But the truth is, pretending we’re “fine” doesn’t change anything, and it definitely doesn't heal anything. When we bury our emotions, it’s a temporary fix. They will always show back up — in our stress, our sleep, our relationships, our boundaries, and even our faith.

That’s why God invites us to bring our whole selves to Him, and that’s why we invite you to bring your whole self to Finding Hope.

Your Finding Hope community wants to meet you right where you are. Our meetings are spaces where you don’t have to pretend, perform, or hold everything together. You get to show up exactly as you are — tired, hopeful, hurting, strong, unsure — and you will be welcomed with open arms.

When you sit in a room with people who understand this journey, you begin to realize you’re not crazy, you’re not overreacting, and you’re not alone. You’re a human being carrying a heavy load that God never intended for you to carry by yourself.

This year, instead of powering through, I encourage you to be honest with yourself, those around you, and God.

How are you really doing?

Maybe you need rest. Maybe you need boundaries. Maybe you need to let go of guilt. Maybe you need to trust God with the parts of your story you cannot control. Whatever it is, bring it to God and bring it to your next Finding Hope meeting.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

Here’s to a new year and a new strength. We’re with you, and God is too.

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For more information, visit:

FindingHope.Today

HopeAfterLoss.Today

Finding Hope and Hope After Loss Retreats: Hope and Healing for Loved Ones of Addicts

Finding Hope and Hope After Loss Retreats: Hope and Healing for the Loved Ones of Addicts

Addiction doesn’t only affect the person who is struggling — it deeply impacts the people who love them. Spouses, parents, siblings, and friends often carry emotional, mental, and spiritual burdens that can feel just as heavy as addiction itself. At Hope is Alive, our Finding Hope and Hope After Loss support groups exist to walk alongside these loved ones, offering connection, understanding, and encouragement during some of life’s most difficult seasons.

Just like those battling addiction, loved ones also need a strong support system. They need community, education, and encouragement. They need a safe place to process the wide range of emotions addiction evokes — fear, anger, grief, exhaustion, and hope. And sometimes, they need something more than weekly meetings. Sometimes, they need a retreat.

Why Retreats Matter

When addicts enter treatment, they often leave behind familiar surroundings to focus fully on healing. In much the same way, loved ones benefit from stepping away from daily responsibilities and familiar environments to find clarity and rest. Retreats create intentional space for healing away from the noise, demands, and emotional weight of everyday life.

While Finding Hope and Hope After Loss support groups provide consistent connection and accountability, retreats offer a deeper, more immersive experience. They allow participants to release the trauma of the past, quiet anxieties about the future, and rest fully in the present moment with God.

Finding Hope Retreats: Refocusing on You

When you love someone who struggles with substance use, it’s easy for their needs to become your entire focus. Over time, your own mental, physical, and spiritual health may take a back seat. Finding Hope retreats are a powerful opportunity to shift your focus back to yourself.

These retreats provide a safe and compassionate space to prioritize your well-being, reconnect with God, and learn healthy ways to care for yourself while continuing to love someone in addiction. Healing begins when you give yourself permission to rest.

Hope After Loss Retreats: Healing Through Grief

For those who have lost a loved one to addiction, grief can be complex and overwhelming. Hope After Loss retreats are designed specifically for this painful journey. They offer a sacred space to grieve openly, connect with others who truly understand your loss, and deepen your relationship with Jesus.

A Place to Heal and Hope Again

Whether you are loving someone still struggling with addiction or grieving the loss of someone you love, Finding Hope and Hope After Loss retreats offer more than a weekend away. They offer rest, renewal, and the reminder that you are not alone. Through faith, community, and intentional healing, these retreats help loved ones rediscover hope and move forward with strength and purpose.

Cling to His Words for Hope in the Fight Against Addiction

Cling to His Words for Hope in the Fight Against Addiction

When we love someone with a substance use disorder, it’s natural to turn to the internet, books, or other people for guidance and strength. But the truest source of hope and wisdom comes from God’s Word.

Some of our Finding Hope leaders shared Scripture that has encouraged them in their own recovery journey. May these verses bring you comfort, strength, and peace. Take time to read through them, write down the ones that speak to your heart, and keep them close.

“You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out!” Deuteronomy 28:6

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalms 143:8

“The Lord God is my strength, [my source of courage, my personal bravery, my invincible army]; He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds’ feet And makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence; not stand still in terror] on my high places [of challenge, trouble, suffering, or responsibility].” Habakkuk 3:19 (Amplified)

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:13-14 (ESV)

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14

No matter where you find yourself today — whether weary, discouraged, or hopeful — God’s Word reminds us that we are never alone. His promises are steady, His strength is unfailing, and His peace is available to each of us.

There is hope in the fight against addiction.

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For more information, visit:

FindingHope.Today

HopeAfterLoss.Today

All Things New: Hope for a New Year | Bible Reading Plan

Steady Words for Unsteady Days

Steady Words for Unsteady Days

At Finding Hope, you’ll often hear our leaders and members share key phrases that have been pivotal in their individual recovery journeys. These phrases are reminders of truth, strength, and surrender.

Nothing changes if nothing changes.

For a long time, I believed that if I just prayed harder or loved him more, things would get better. But the truth is, change requires action, not just from him, but from me too.

It wasn’t until I began to set boundaries, step out of the chaos, and seek community that real healing began in me.

If love were enough to change the addict’s behavior, then no one would be an addict.

They have to want recovery more than you want it for them.

I stayed for years, thinking my love would be the catalyst for change. But love doesn’t fix addiction. Surrender and action fix addiction.

When I finally stopped trying to save him and started focusing on my own healing, everything changed. Because I changed.

Pause and pray before responding.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t always respond with grace. In the chaos, emotions often led the way. But learning to pause and pray before reacting has changed everything.

Now, instead of reacting in fear or frustration, I respond with clarity, calm, and wisdom. That pause creates space for peace.

The addict and the person are two different people.

There were times I didn’t even recognize my husband — the lies, the manipulation, the broken promises. But I had to learn to separate the man from the disease.

Doing so helped me extend grace even while holding firm boundaries. It allowed me to grieve who he was without losing who I was.

Satan attacks where we are weakest.

When my husband relapsed, it knocked the wind out of me. I felt blindsided and overwhelmed. But the truth is, the enemy had been working behind the scenes long before that moment, whispering lies, creating disconnection, and isolating us from each other and from the truth.

One of my deepest weaknesses was people-pleasing. I didn’t want to stir conflict. I wanted to believe everything would just work itself out. That tendency became fertile ground for the enemy to breed fear, doubt, and denial. It wasn’t until I dove into Scripture, community, and counseling that I learned to stand firm, even in weakness.

Keeping them comfortable in addiction is helping them to stay active in their addiction longer.

This one hurt. For years, I thought I was loving well — protecting him, covering for him, easing his consequences. But all I was doing was prolonging the inevitable.

There came a point when I had to draw the hard line: no alcohol in our home. And when he relapsed again, I had to follow through on that boundary. That decision led to our separation, and while it was heartbreaking, it also brought peace — not just for me, but for our kids.

Enabling felt like love in the moment, but true love sometimes means stepping out of the way so God can do the work.

Let go and let God.

“Let God work.”

“But for God…”

There was a moment when I completely broke. I remember crying out to God with nothing left to offer, whispering, “I can’t carry this anymore. It’s Yours.”

That night wasn’t the end of the pain, but it was the beginning of peace. I stopped clinging. I stopped trying to manage it all. I stepped back, and God stepped in. Looking back, I know now that if it weren’t for God — His grace, His guidance, His comfort — I wouldn’t be here today, walking in freedom and hope.

Final Thoughts

You may not have chosen this road, but you’re not walking it alone. These phrases aren’t magic, but they are reminders for when the ground beneath you feels like it’s crumbling.

Maybe you’re still in the thick of it, trying to decide what boundary to set or wondering if surrender will ever lead to peace. I want to remind you today: God sees you. He knows your pain. He’s not asking you to carry the weight alone.

So what do you need to release? What weakness do you need to bring into the light? What phrase do you need to cling to this week?

The road may be rocky, but God walks with you through every moment, every tear, and every breakthrough. And you — you are stronger than you think, because His strength is made perfect in your weakness.

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With hope,

Darcie Stephens, Finding Hope Coordinator

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For more information, visit:

FindingHope.Today

HopeAfterLoss.Today

After the “Finish Line”: The Impact of Alumni Resources

After the “Finish Line”: The Impact of Alumni Resources

If you’ve graduated from a Hope is Alive program, you already know something powerful: recovery is possible. But you’ve also probably realized that recovery doesn’t stop when the program ends. In many ways, that’s when the real work begins.

Reintegrating into “normal life” might be one of the hardest parts of recovery. After the structure, support, and daily accountability of a recovery home, the outside world can feel overwhelming. The pace is faster. The expectations are higher. And let’s be honest — there’s a lot more at stake.

You might be managing a job again, rebuilding relationships, paying bills, and making decisions all on your own. And in the middle of all that, you’re still doing the daily work of staying sober, but without the same level of accountability.

“Something that really helps me are the alumni meetings,” shared Laci Porter, an alum from the HIA women’s program who has been sober since June 15, 2021. “We get to meet once a month and come together to check in, build each other up, and share the victories that we’re getting to experience as we continue our sobriety.”

While graduating from the program is a major milestone, recovery isn’t a finish line — it’s a lifestyle. That’s why the Hope is Alive Alumni Association offers a place to stay rooted, to stay close to the people who “get it.” The Alumni Association exists to remind you that you still belong, that your story still matters, and that there’s always a seat at the table for you, no matter how much time has passed.

According to Julie Quinlan, senior leadership and development manager for HIA’s Recovery Homes Program Team, isolation is one of the greatest threats to long-term recovery. It creeps in quietly when you get busy. First, you miss a meeting. Then, you stop returning texts and answering phone calls. Before you know it, you’re trying to carry the weight of recovery alone, simultaneously distancing yourself from every support system you have, including your faith.

“Alumni are welcome at house meetings, special alumni events like golf and ski trips, and all HIA events like Run for Hope and Inspiring Lunches,” Julie explained. “If they have questions about events or anything going on in their lives, they are encouraged to talk with their program manager or any HIA staff member they connected with while in the program. Our goal is to keep graduates connected with the addiction community, giving them a better chance at long-term sobriety.”

Julie has seen firsthand that alumni who stay connected through monthly alumni meetings tend to experience greater long-term success in their sobriety. These gatherings provide a space to share openly, reconnect with others, and guard against the subtle pull of isolation.

Christian Briley, an alum from the HIA men’s program who has been sober since May 12, 2021, shared,“To take a day out of the month to meet up with other alumni and come together, have a good time, catch up, and talk about stuff that has gone right or struggles we’re having, has had a big impact on me.”

As an alum, you’ll always have access to HIA staff, and you’ll always be met with respect, support, and the resources you need to continue your recovery journey. Whether you need someone to talk to, to pray with, or to keep you accountable in your sobriety, HIA has your back. Even in moments of relapse, HIA doesn’t turn away.

Unfortunately, HIA graduates have relapsed, but that doesn’t mark the end of their recovery. Instead, HIA rises up and helps with compassion. Whether it’s helping find a new treatment center, offering placement in another sober living home, or simply keeping the door to the alumni community open, HIA is here for the long haul.

Long-term sobriety is sustained through a connection with the addiction community, and the Hope is Alive Alumni Association provides just that — ongoing support, accountability, and community. Whether you’re thriving or struggling, you’re never alone. Recovery doesn’t end with the program; it’s a lifelong journey, and HIA is committed to walking it with you every step of the way.