Just over 2 months ago I resigned from my position at my church after a couple of years struggling with alcohol issues in secret. All seven of these things are very true, but they're incredibly difficult to see while still in the dark. Being in the dark is an incredibly lonely place to be. You may be surrounded by people that love you, but you're isolated from them by having to keep everyone at a distance to keep your position. While trying to help others experience grace, community, forgiveness, and Christ, you fail to experience the benefits of those things yourself.

I constantly think about how much better/easier things would have been if I'd come forward sooner. At the same time, I can only imagine how much worse things could have been if I'd kept things a secret any longer.

If anyone reading this is still living in secret, I'm willing to talk as someone still in the process of recovery and redemption. You can email me at kirkneverdied@gmail.com

What makes some of these lists interesting to me is that while I agree with your list, women read them through the filter that is the female mind. ...and the verse is also true.

As much as we try to understand each other, we don't have the actual experience to fully understand even what we mean we describe ourselves to one another.

Our two year old becomes a three year old tomorrow. And he definitely started the "Terrible" somethings a few months back. The problem I have is that I find is outrageous behavior so adorable. I struggle not to laugh at either his over-the-top outbursts or his incorrect use of words during emotional outbursts.

I guess it's better to be assumed by their antics than infuriated.

Absolutely. The church I'm at is a church plant of a church plant from the church I grew up at. The lead pastor was my youth pastor when I was in high school. Our worship pastor was one of my students when I was an intern 10 years ago.

Working with people you know really well has some huge advantages, and a lot of big disadvantages.

I know this was a big struggle for me when I first started in ministry. I started at my church at 26. I was in charge of teams of people who were decades older than me. Some of the people were some of my actual youth leaders growing up.

This seems like one of the major leadership hurdles for young leaders.