Articles & Resources

Faithfulness and Gentleness

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” Galatians 5:22-26

Faithfulness

Faith is a complete belief and confidence in God and all of His promises. When we live by faith, we trust God’s goodness and plan for our lives as well as our loved ones.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is a confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Faithfulness is a total commitment to God that goes far beyond human understanding. We must remember that God sees the whole picture and knows what the future holds for us, and that we do not. We only see small glimpses of things right in front of us, so we must have faith in God during this journey. With that faith, we show others our faithfulness.

As we love someone with a substance use disorder, we can show the fruit of the Spirit of faithfulness by surrendering and praying for them daily, as well as by showing love with no judgment.

Gentleness

Gentleness is the quality or characteristic of being kind, tender, compassionate, and considerate. To be gentle means to show love and to care for others in the ways you act and speak. When we love someone who abuses substances, it can sometimes be easy to forget to approach them with gentleness.

• You can show gentleness and compassion toward your loved one when you realize their substance abuse is a disease, a battle they must fight every single day. We must show compassion by not yelling at them about their addiction.
• Remember to pause, pray, and respond. By pausing and praying, you can respond intentionally with gentleness rather than reacting instinctively in anger.
• We need to remember the power our words hold. “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt.” This old saying is false! Words can hurt more than we know, so remember this saying instead: “When you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything.”
• Gentleness also means setting boundaries to protect your well-being and not approaching your loved one out of anger and boldness.

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1

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God Has Me Where He Wants Me: The Story of Mike Summers

“I’ve been through things I can’t even explain, and I’m still here. There’s only one reason for that: God has me where He wants me.”

When Mike Summers first walked into a rehab program in Arkansas, he wasn’t sure he belonged there.

“I had burned every bridge with my family. I was ashamed, isolated, and just flat done with life,” he remembered.

For years, Mike had lived with the weight of disappointment — his own and everyone else’s. He didn’t feel strong, or hopeful, or ready. Mostly, he just felt tired.

That’s when he met Shawn Baker.

“Shawn walked in, and it was like a breath of fresh air. Most of the guys in rehab were rough. But Shawn was different. It was like God put him there just for me.”

That friendship would become one of the anchors of Mike’s recovery — even though his path was anything but straight.

The Road Less Travelled

Mike Summers grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas. By all accounts, he had a good childhood. He had a loving mother, who was the center of his world, and a caring step-dad. Their house was full of siblings, love, and laughter, and there wasn’t any turmoil in Mike’s childhood.

But after high school, everything changed. Sports had become Mike’s identity, and when an injury in college ended his athletic career, he lost his sense of direction. 

“I didn’t realize it then,” he said, “but I wasn’t just making bad choices. I think I was searching for a purpose.” 

That search led to marijuana, then meth, and eventually time in jail. From there, things spiraled to a place Mike never imagined. 

“For 30+ years, drugs and alcohol ran my life,” he shared. “Every relapse got worse because I thought, what’s the point? I’m already too far gone.”

But God wasn’t done with Mike.

One night, everything came to a head. Mike was ambushed by two men he thought he could trust. They beat him for eight hours — shattering his face, breaking his ribs, and leaving him unconscious. Believing he was dead, they stuffed him in the trunk of a car, planning to burn it with him inside.

On the way to their ditch site, a police officer noticed something wrong about a turn they made and gave chase. The car crashed, and at that moment, Mike woke up in the trunk.

“I pulled the emergency latch, and there were paramedics and cops waiting,” he said. “If that cop hadn’t chased them, I wouldn’t be here.”

That brush with death gave Mike a brief window of clarity. He got sober for a time and went back to school, earning his bachelor’s degree. He even got married and fathered a little girl. For four years, he managed to stay away from meth. But a back surgery led to pain pills, and everything spiraled again.

“I lost my teaching program. My mom died. My wife divorced me and took my kid. And then I really, really spiraled.”

A few years later, Mike finally reached out for help and went to treatment at the same place as Shawn Baker. When Mike got out of treatment, he did well, staying sober for about a year before relapsing again.

Meanwhile, his health was deteriorating. While working cattle, he had a heart attack. He’d ignored the warning signs because he didn’t see the point in addressing them. But the doctors fixed him up nonetheless, and within two weeks, he was right back on drugs. It didn’t matter that his body was failing him.

“I just couldn’t stop,” he admitted.

The Road to Recovery

By the time COVID hit, things had spiraled even further. Mike was sick, worn down, and completely broken. Desperate, Mike borrowed a phone and called Shawn. By then, Shawn was part of Hope is Alive.

“I told him, ‘I’m about to kill myself. I can’t stop drinking. I can’t stop using.’”

That spurred Shawn into action, leading him to pick Mike up and bring him to his home in Yukon, Oklahoma. Finally, something good was happening.

Until that next morning, when something was terribly wrong. Mike woke around 5 a.m., unable to breathe. With Shawn already at work, he called out to Shawn’s wife, Leslie, and told her, “I need an emergency room. Now!”

Mike was immediately hospitalized and doctors prepared Mike’s family and friends for the worst. His kidneys had failed, his heart was weak, and life support was keeping him alive. 

“Give me 48 more hours,” one doctor told his brothers. “If nothing changes, we’ll have to talk about options.”

Things didn’t look good for Mike. But within an hour of that conversation, Mike’s kidney function began to rise and his heart rate improved. It was enough to get him off life support, though he remained in intensive care for several more weeks. Continuous dialysis removed bag after bag of fluid from his body as he quietly fought to stay alive.

“I didn’t think my family loved me anymore,” Mike said. “But when I opened my eyes, all of my sisters, my brothers, my nephews — about fifteen people — were there.”

During one dialysis session, hospital staff handed Mike a Do Not Resuscitate form.

“I just started crying.”

It was then that a nurse came to his side, held his hand, and said, “You’re going to be okay. I’m not leaving you.” 

That moment meant more to Mike than she could have possibly realized, and she also made sure he always got the same room near the nurses’ station, where he felt safe. 

“She was my angel, and I never got to thank her,” Mike said.

Despite dire predictions, Mike’s body healed. His kidneys began functioning at 70%. His heart improved from 40% to 50%. Even his doctor shook his head and said, “Your God is good. You shouldn’t be alive.”

On March 6th, 2024, with nowhere to go, Shawn and Leslie opened their home to him once again. Leslie got him on the right diet, made sure he exercised, and cared for him like family. By April 10th, 2024, Mike was accepted into Hope is Alive.

Now, more than 18 months sober, Mike says the fellowship and brotherhood at HIA have changed his life. 

“The guys, the community — that’s the heart and soul of HIA,” he said.

Mike also found healing in classes he never thought he needed, including those about codependency and trauma. 

“I didn’t think I had childhood trauma,” he admitted. “But losing sports and losing my identity were my trauma.”

Now, Mike often thinks back to something his mother told him before passing away:

“You’re a drug addict for a reason. Someday, when you get well, you’ll be able to help somebody. People will listen to someone who’s been there.”

That’s now Mike’s mission: to share his story so others know there’s hope.

“God has me where He wants me,” he said. “And now, I just want to help somebody else.”

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God's Promise to Provide Strength for Every Battle

When we face battles in this lifetime, like addiction, we have to remember the fight is not ours to fight; it’s God’s. Imagine going to battle alone and trying to fight this beast by yourself. Would you be able to? No. You would quickly realize your weakness, surrender, and cry out for help. So, instead of fighting this battle (whatever it might be) alone until you are completely weak physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, give it to God to fight for you today, just like in the story of David and Goliath.

David told the Philistine that even though they came with a sword and spear, David came ready to fight with the greatest weapon of all: God. David was weak, but God gave him the strength to defeat this giant with just a stone and a sling, and He will give you the strength to fight your battles too. But will you allow God to fight the battles for you? Will you step out of the way so that He can have the chance to even fight this for your loved one? Addiction is a beast, but our God is bigger and stronger and will fight with us and our loved ones; we just need to step out of the way and give it to Him.

Isaiah 40:31 tells us that even when it seems like we can't go another day in this battle, God will grant us renewed strength that only He can give us to keep pushing on. He is there in our weakest times, but are you willing to let Him in?

Here are some other examples in God’s word about Him fighting our battles:

Old Testament Promises:

• Psalms 73:26
• Psalms 18:39
• Isaiah 40:31
• 1 Samuel 17:45

New Testament Promises:

• Ephesians 6:10-18
• James 5:13-16
• Romans 8:31-32
• Romans 8:37-39

I remember believing my husband’s addiction was my battle to fight. I did all the research, looked for ways to get him clean and sober, but it wasn’t until I truly threw my hands up and said, “I can’t do this. I don’t know how to get him sober,” that God was able to step in and fight this battle for both of us. A couple of weeks later, my husband did the same thing. He surrendered and went to treatment. I believe I had to surrender first and step out of the way so that God could fight the battle and get my husband to a place of surrender too. Sometimes, it doesn’t happen as quickly as we would like, but knowing this is God’s battle and not our’s allows us to get back to a healthy place physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they  shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

For more information, visit:

FindingHope.Today

HopeAfterLoss.Today

God’s Promise to Protect in the Midst of Addiction

I’ll never forget one of the days I was in the car with my kids listening to Veggie Tales. The song “Oh no, What We Gonna Do?” came playing through the speakers. This song is based on the story from Daniel 6. Many hear this story at a young age, but forget the significance of it in their adult life.

Take a moment to stop and think about the magnitude of this story. Daniel could have easily ignored the law and worshiped King Darius, but he didn’t; he kept his faith in God. Even though he knew the extreme consequences, he trusted that God would protect him. And guess what? God did. God protected him from not only one, but several lions. I can’t imagine all the emotions Daniel experienced when he entered the lion's den. But he trusted and continued to pray, and God protected him.

We continue to see God’s promise of protection throughout scripture, including Isaac, Joseph, Jonah, Moses, Paul, and so many more.

Old Testament Promises:

• Daniel 6:21-23
• Exodus 14:13-14
• Deuteronomy 20:4
• Psalm 23:1-6
• 2 Samuel 22:3-4

New Testament Promises:

• Ephesians 6:11-13
• John 3: 16-17
• John 16:33
• Luke 12:32

When addiction hits our homes, we go to great lengths to try to protect our loved ones. We do anything and everything we can think of to keep them safe, which ultimately leads to us enabling their bad habits. We forget we are not God. We are not the ones who can fully protect them; only God can do that. I know that it is extremely hard to let go because we can’t imagine our loved one sleeping on the streets or in a car, living in a drug house, going to prison, and possibly dying. But the truth is, God will protect them just like He protected Daniel. We must have faith like Daniel did and believe that His plan of protection is greater than our own.

As I think back to when my husband was active in his addiction, there are many times when God protected him. My husband was an alcoholic, and there were many times he drove intoxicated, probably even with the girls and me in the car, but God always brought us home safely. I am forever grateful for His protection during that time.

“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3

For more information, visit:

FindingHope.Today

HopeAfterLoss.Today

God’s Promise of Grace to Endure All Suffering

I will never forget how I felt during my husband’s active addiction. It was complete misery. I truly believed this suffering I was feeling (and that my husband was feeling) was going to last forever, and we would never get out of it. But by God’s grace, He restored and strengthened both of us just like the promise we see in 1 Peter.

The book of 1 Peter is a letter written by Peter. He reminds Gentile Christians that they will endure sufferings. But he also encourages them by telling them they are chosen by God. Therefore, they can place their HOPE in Jesus.

1 Peter 5:10–11 says, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

It doesn’t say if you suffer, but after you suffer. I love the truth that Peter speaks here: We will all suffer, life will be hard, and there will be trials in our lives. But that’s not all. He continues to say, “The God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” God owns ALL grace. It may not feel like we will ever see peaceful days, but one day God will restore everything to the way it is supposed to be in His eyes.

We are not meant to suffer alone. You have a Finding Hope community that understands your suffering. You also have a loving God who wants you to cling to Him through your sufferings so that He can give you the strength to get through each trial.

Through our sufferings, we have the power to strengthen our faith and our love for God.

Old Testament Promises:

• Psalms 23:6
• Isaiah 43:2
• Psalms 119:50

New Testament Promises:

• 1 Peter 3:14
• Romans 8:28
• James 1:12
• 2 Corinthians 1:5

Hold on to this promise today:  You will NEVER suffer without God’s gentle hand of grace upon you.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

For more information, visit:

FindingHope.Today

HopeAfterLoss.Today

God’s Promise to Never Stop Loving You

God promises to never stop loving you or your loved one.

God's love is unconditional. He loved you the moment He formed you, and that love will never end.

I love what Paul writes in Romans 8:38–39: “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

There is NOTHING you can say or do to stop God from loving you. The same is true for your loved one. NOTHING can ever separate us from God’s love, not even addiction.

However, through our loved ones’ addiction, we often do not feel loved. Maybe we have even been told “I don’t love you” or “You don’t love me, because…”  And before long, we believe those lies. We believe that it is something we did to make our loved one feel that way, but that is the enemy speaking. The truth is, your loved one does love you, and they know you love them. But they are trapped by this disease and will say and do anything to feed their addiction and get a rise out of you. They make their love/your love conditional, and say things like, “If you loved me, then you would buy me gas or let me stay just one night.” That is because addicts do not like boundaries, and their addiction can only thrive if we continue to enable and rescue them. The truth is, true love can be tough love.

We can lean on God’s love for us to get us through each moment because His love is unconditional. We see God’s unconditional love through the sacrifice of His own son. Jesus died on the cross for you, me, our loved ones, and this world.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” — John 3:16–17

God sacrificed His own son and watched as Jesus endured more pain than we will ever experience because of His LOVE for us.

Here are just a few more verses about God’s promise to never stop loving you or your loved one:

Old Testament Promises:

• Psalms 136:26
• Jeremiah 31:3
• Lamentations 3:22-23

New Testament Promises:

• Romans 8:35
• Ephesians 2:4-5
• 1 Corinthians 13:13​

“so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17–19

For more information, visit:

FindingHope.Today

HopeAfterLoss.Today

God's Promise to Never Leave

God will never leave you or your loved one. 

I love the promise we see in Genesis 28:10–22 with Jacob’s dream. Genesis 28:15–16 says, “‘Behold I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you.’ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.’”

I LOVE the first and last part of these verses. At the beginning, God tells Jacob that He is with him wherever he goes, and when Jacob wakes up, his attitude changes, and he knows, ‘the Lord is in this place.’

How many times do we feel all alone? Like we are lying on a stone rock? I know I had many uncomfortable, sleepless nights. There were times when I felt like I was alone during my husband’s addiction. One night, I “slept” in another room, listening to him getting sick from the previous night’s drinking. I felt alone and wondered if this nightmare would ever end.

But the truth is,  I wasn’t alone. God was with me, and He was with my husband. God never left us and He never will.

Here is some evidence that shows that God will never leave us:

Old Testament Promises:

• Joshua 1:5
• 1 Chronicles 28:20
• Isaiah 41:10-13
• Psalm 118:6

New Testament Promises:

• Matthew 28:20
• 1 John 4:16
• Hebrew 4:16
• Jeremiah 1:8

Remember, God’s word promises that He will never leave you or your loved one.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

For more information, visit:

FindingHope.Today

HopeAfterLoss.Today

Loving an Addict & Living with Grief

Grief doesn’t only follow death. It can come when addiction changes someone you love. If you find yourself mourning who they used to be or the future you imagined together, know that you are not alone and that there is hope. In this six-day plan, you’ll find honest stories, biblical encouragement, and hope for your own healing. God brings peace when all you see is chaos.

Start the plan here: Loving an Addict & Living with Grief

Side by Side in Recovery: The Impact of Adopting a House

One of the most impactful ways to serve with Hope is Alive is through our Adopt-a-House Program! This unique opportunity enables Sunday school classes, community organizations, and individual supporters to form meaningful connections with residents in our recovery homes.

What started with just four partnerships at the beginning of 2025 has now grown to 58+ across Oklahoma City! Each of our eight homes here — six for men and two for women — has several groups or individuals who have stepped in to surround residents with encouragement, prayer, and friendship. Those who adopt a house find that it is just as meaningful and impactful for them as it is for the residents, if not more so.

The beauty of adopting a house is that it’s never really about the stuff. Yes, supplies and meals are part of it, but what makes the program so powerful is the way it builds relationships. Over time, residents get to know the people who keep showing up for them, and volunteers begin to feel like part of the family. These connections create a sense of community where everyone is seen, valued, and loved.

If you want to volunteer but don’t know how much you can contribute, know that there is no pressure to fit into a rigid schedule or commit to something that doesn’t work for you. Some people jump in every month, others every other month, and some just once a quarter. It’s all about what fits into your life!

“Whether someone is able to be consistent month after month, or just step in a few times a year, the residents still feel the impact,” shared Volunteer Coordinator Danny Borris.

Don’t wait! Connect with Danny today to see all the ways you can help make a difference! The list above barely scratches the surface of all the possibilities!

Hope to Be Fearless

What happens when fear doesn’t get the final say? Hope to Be Fearless is a five-day reading plan that takes you on a journey from the root of fear to the unshakable hope we find in God's presence. Through powerful Scripture, honest reflection, and heartfelt prayer, this plan helps you uncover the deeper doubts behind your fears and understand how God's truth gives you the strength to overcome them.

Start the plan here: Hope to Be Fearless

Forged by Fire

Forged by Fire is all about finding hope in the mess and leaning into God’s strength when you feel like you don’t have any left. If you’ve ever felt like your past disqualifies you or your struggles are too big to overcome, this is for you. You’re not alone. And with God, your hardest moments can actually become your strongest ones. Together, let’s learn, grow, and conquer by leaning on God.

Start the plan here: Forged by Fire

What is the Difference Between Substance Abuse and Addiction?

I felt led to write this because I believe it’s important to understand the difference between Abuse and Addiction. A good place to start is establishing a working definition of the two.

Substance Abuse: Using drugs or alcohol to the point that it is harmful to yourself and/or others, but not necessarily to the point of physical or mental dependency or a loss of control.

Substance Addiction: A chronic brain disease where a person cannot stop using a substance despite negative consequences.

Something that jumps out to me as a massive distinction is the idea of “decision versus dependence.” A substance abuser looks like the guy who waits until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, hits happy hour for a couple of drinks with co-workers, and then, instead of going directly home, he decides to embark on another adventure. The “let’s see where this night takes me” guy. He will consume much more than he should, he will act out of character, and he will most likely risk driving home despite the possibility of consequences. He makes a decision to do all of these things. It’s calculated chaos.

Now, let’s talk about the addict. For the sake of comparison, let’s say that he works with our other guy. Our addict isn’t waiting for 5:00 p.m. on Friday. He isn’t even able to start typing his reports until he gets a few “maintenance” sips of the liquor he keeps in his desk. At noon, he has a beer with his burger that eventually turns into three. And, by 2:30 p.m., he’s counting the seconds until happy hour. Once happy hour starts, it’s off to the races. With the addict, it goes like this: craving, obsession, consumption until oblivion.

The differences are clear, but as the abuser continues his path, he increases the risk of graduating from weekend warrior to professional consumer. The more a person consumes, the more they crave the resulting effect. The more a person consumes, the more they tolerate. Which means they need more and more to get the same effect as before, thus the cycle of dependency or “addiction” is born.

The abuser, in their early stages of consumption, has the ability to make a choice to stop. This can come in the form of an intervention or a catastrophe that gives them a “come to Jesus experience,” as I like to call it. It’s always preferable that the abuser come to the decision of abstinence early without collateral damage. But, it’s likely that as they increase their tolerance to the substance, they also increase their ability to present as operating efficiently. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is where the functioning addict is born.

If you or someone you love is in one of these two camps or somewhere in between, reach out as soon as possible. Full-blown addiction is a challenging road to overcome, but there is HOPE. You are not alone, and your story could be the inspiration that saves the next person’s life.