Here are some things you don’t really need to know about me, but will if you read this blog:
- I am a huge fan of people who hang out in church basements and drink weak coffee and tell each other honest stories about how they got so broken.
- While some people dream of dinner with Ghandi or Tea with Mother Teresa, I always wanted to go back in time to share a bottle of good red wine with Jesus.
- I spent most of my career writing books or helping people write books until I got too drunk every night to remember the next day what I did the night before and so I stopped writing anything at all for a long time. Now, my brain is less pickled and I am ready to write something again and so I have .
- I live in Colorado Springs, which used to be the last place I ever wanted to live because there were too many Christians here who might know I was supposed to be a Christian, too, and I worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep my drinking a big secret. Now that I’m in recovery I like it here a lot and I just tell everybody all the shameful things I did as a drunk that hurt my pride so there won’t be so much of it left to protect, and it seems better that way.
- I am occasionally inclined to mild profanity when things go wrong and to saying “Praise God,” when they go right, although I consider both of these bad habits I’m trying to break. Not because life can’t be crap and God isn’t good, but because it’s more complicated than that, and I think since I’m a writer I should use my words better.
- I have a little black bat-faced dog named Edmund who after seven years still barks wildly at me every time I come through my own front door. “You belong to me, Stupid,” I tell him. “You’re supposed to bark at strangers.” But the truth is that I am not good at barking at strangers, either. I’m generally all nice and sweet to them while I bark the most at the people I belong to. I belong, at least in part, to a handsome, groovy, God-loving, genius book editor named David Kopp. We’re been married for seventeen years and have five grown children between us., two hers and three his, none ourse, and none I should talk about here too much because to tell you even the smallest details of their amazing accomplishments and beautiful souls would be bragging.
This is Edmund
Me and my husband, Dave
Hi Heather,
I LOVE Colorado! Praying for the day that God brings us back there!
My name is Cheryl. My best friend sent me a link to your blog. I only know you through what I have read-but you are a lot like her.
I’m not a big blog reader-mostly because I find them annoying and not very honest.
Your’s is a breath of fresh honest air.
My best friend has been sober for 8 years, my husband has been sober for 7 years and my oldest son has been sober for about 3 months. I’m not an alcoholic, but addiction has been a huge part of my life.
Forgiveness has been THE key to being married for 26 years. It’s been a hard and bumpy road-but worth every battle we have fought.
I love what you wrote about how weird it feels to say how thankful you are for all of God’s “blessings”. I was thinking the very same thing yesterday as we have watched God answer prayers and bless our lives in amazing ways. I don’t believe we have done anything to deserve it. I’m not a person who “expects” God to bless me…and I am humbly overwhelmingly thankful when He does.
I live in Florida-but used to live in Colorado Springs
I plan to keep reading, thanks for sharing so honestly.
Heather,
There is so much I want to share with you. I want to share because your writing blog is Real, and hit home. I saw your blog “Why God Can’t Be Trusted” on Facebook. I am sharing your blog with my fb friends and family. What you don’t know about me is that I lost my mother in 2010 from alcohol and substance abuse, she was 55. I am the only professing Christian (1993 accepted Christ in my heart) in my family, and I did what you described in your blog; lots of prayers, lots of arguments between God and I. I still find myself weeping over her death, and the unknown. I have my father who is now taking the same path as my mother. I have a hard time explaining all their choices to my own growing children. I continue to Trust God to be faithful. I really like what you said about God not on strings to be a puppet. God has drawn me very close because of these life stories. I appreciate your honesty. I will be following your blogs. God Keep You and Bless You.
Cynthia, thanks so much for taking the time to reach out to me. I am sorry about your mother. So sad. I resonate with your loss so much. I am so glad that some things I have written have resonated. I love hearing that. I am holding you in prayer right now. I hope I’ll hear from you again. God bless you, too. Hugs, Heather
Hi Heather
What a great Blog – my friend Deb sent me the link as she thought I may find it interesting
Thankyou for your honesty, I look forward to following and catching up on your previous writings.
I too am in Recovery, and thank God every day for my sobrierty and the loving people he has put in my path to encourage and help me on my journey.
God bless you as you continue to share your experience, strength & hope – and long may we keep going to those dusty old church basements with weak coffee!!!
Love,
Penny x