Just about every blog publishes a list of their top posts from the previous year. It’s a fun way to look back at what resonated with readers, but it also can create a false impression that every post is a hit (which is rarely the case).
So, in order to stick to my M-O of being open and transparent, I’m going to share the 5 most-read and the 5 least-read posts of 2015. Enjoy!
The Top-5
5. Why Porn Addiction is Not About Fulfilling Sexual Desire: The Deepest Needs of Your Heart
“As men, we tend to believe our struggles with pornography are purely about sexual desire. If this were the case, though, my addiction would have gone away once I was married. So why is it my addiction actually became worse within marriage? Why did I repeatedly choose to reject the advances of my beautiful, attractive, and loving wife in order to get my sexual needs met through pornography?”
4. My One Thing: Michael Cusick
I asked Michael Cusick of Restoring the Soul, “What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to someone struggling with porn addiction?”
3. 5 Things Pixar’s “Inside Out” Taught Me about Addiction
“I’m convinced that “Inside Out” is more than just a cartoon—it’s one of the more important movies of our day. Even if you don’t have kids, it’s still worth the few bucks it will cost to get in the door.”
2. The “One Thing” You Need to Know to Get Free from Porn Addiction
“When it comes to finding freedom from porn addiction, we often approach it the same way. We look for an easy answer—a one-size-fits-all solution—that will work for everyone, every time, without fail. We want to know the ‘One Thing,’ but that’s typically not the way God works.”
1. To All the Men Who Just Got Outed on Ashley Madison…
“I know very personally the shame that comes from being found out, from being discovered, from coming face-to-face with the destruction your hidden life has been causing in the lives of everyone you love. But I also know that for many people, myself included, this tragedy can also be the catalyst that springboards you into a life of freedom from the things that currently enslave you.”
The Bottom-5
5. What I Wish I Could Say to Morrissey
“I’ve been hooked on Morrissey since my roommate introduced me to his music back in college. As much as I love his music though, the emotional honesty he puts into his lyrics makes it hard for me to listen at times. I can’t help but hurt for him when I hear him sing about the pain and rejection that has defined his life.”
4. Are You Viewing Recovery as an All-Star Game, or T-Ball?
“When I showed up to my first recovery group, I expected it to be like the MLB All-Star game. I just knew the other guys there were going to be so far ahead of me on their journey that I wouldn’t even fit in. What I soon discovered, though, was recovery is a lot more like T-ball than the majors.”
3. Book Review: Wild at Heart
“Fast forward 10 years to the second time I picked up Wild at Heart and things were quite different. I was reading and journaling through the book as an assignment from my counselor and could not believe how different it seemed from the first time I had picked it up.”
2. If Following Jesus is about Relationship, Why does He Seem so Distant?
“It’s the same with a relationship with Jesus. You can spend time with Him in prayer. You can seek to know all about Him by reading the Bible. But if you don’t trust Him, you will never experience a true relationship with Him.”
1. Why Isn’t God Coming Through for Me?
“You can be certain, however, that God does love you—no matter how messed up you may feel—and everything He calls you to do is for your benefit. The more you trust in this truth, the more your faith will grow. Eventually, you will come to realize that you really can trust everything Jesus promises to be true—even for you—no matter how illogical or unbelievable it may seem.”
Thanks for hanging with us in 2015! Let’s do this again next year, shall we?
