Hand in Hand Lake County

Hand in Hand Lake County Hand in Hand is a Faith-based long-term in-house addiction recovery facility for those in need. Rebuilding lives and identifying potential.

Hand in Hand ministries is the nonprofit for 'His Powerhouse' men's recovery facility and the 'Ruth House' women's recovery facility. We seek the lost of Lake County and equip the found to a life of service to their Savior, Jesus Christ. We reach out with a hand of HOPE to the poor, disconnected, sick and lost. With this hand of HOPE, we are showing others they have the ability through Christ to m

ove forward with a “Road Map” of empowerment. Equipping others with the resources in our community and mentoring them into a life pleasing to God. Using the resources in our community to provide guidance and training of the life skills that they may need. Hand in Hand will always seek God’s guidance as we assist the “least of these.”

23/04/2026

April 23
“When The Roots Are Deep, There Is No Reason To Fear The Wind.”

Many times, I have felt like the slightest life issue has blown me over. It felt like I was uprooted and tossed around, which caused me to fear what the next storm might do to my life. Fear is a part of our life because we let it. Shallow thought, not rooted in truth, will allow our lives to be torn apart. But if we have a strong foundation of roots, the damage is limited to a few lost leaves. Leaves can be replaced, usually with new shiny ones. Without a reliable root system, we are easily blown over and uprooted. Our root system provides stability and nourishment for our lives.
When a seed is planted, the first sign of life is a root system. The seed will not fight to find the light until it knows the roots are stable and providing nourishment. If the ground is soft, the roots will spread quickly in shallow soil. But when the ground is hard, the root must fight for depth to find needed nourishment and water. The fight through hard ground makes the root durable. The harsh terrain might provide a few scares as the root scrapes against jagged rocks to reach a favorable environment, where nourishment and water are plentiful. The plant will not show itself to the world until it takes root. The better the roots are, the bigger the plant grows.
Our lives are just like this. We start as a seed. Sometimes we land on soft ground, and everything becomes easy. Then when the storm hits, we find that our roots are shallow, and we get blown over. Other times we start on hard, rocky soil, where it is hard to survive. Then we send our roots deep, pushing rocks to the side, and get injured in the process. We do this to reach the nourishment we need to survive. When the storm hits, our roots are deep and robust, and we survive.
Regardless of what type of soil you start in, you will need a deep root system in nutrient-rich soil. If your roots are shallow, you should challenge them to grow deeper, where they can provide the support necessary for you to grow tall. God provides the nutrients we need for a secure root system. When we are rooted in God, life can’t blow us over. We might lose a few leaves, but He will replace them with better ones. Colossians 2:7 tells us how this works. It says, “ Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
Start with God and let GRIT be your root system. GETCHASOME!

22/04/2026

April 22
“If You Are Lonely When You Are Alone, You Are In Bad Company.”
—Jean-Paul Sartre

We have all struggled with liking ourselves because we are not perfect. Not liking ourselves is caused by not forgiving ourselves. Colossians 2:14 says, “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” God allows us to turn our sins over to Him, and Jesus died for those sins already. Today is a good day to start fresh. Ask God to remove the sins Jesus already died for, then start working on you. Change is difficult; even when we know, it is necessary. Take it one day at a time and one issue at a time.
Trying to concentrate on all the needed changes at once will overwhelm you, and you will give up. Start with something small, like changing your vocabulary. Try, for one day, to use more friendly words and see who notices. Even if no one notices, I bet you will notice it makes “you” feel better. Now you have made the first step to loving yourself again. Make a list of the things you want to change about you, then prioritize them, as this will allow you to see progress as you mark them off, one by one. Make the goal, being a little better today than you were yesterday. If you are doing this correctly, the list will never end. Each day you get better, you will find new things you want to change, and will need to add them to the list. If you need some inspiration, do a GOOGLE search and ask; what the Bible says about hurtful words (or whatever you are trying to correct). I don’t usually suggest Google, but this will lead you to verses in the Bible you can look up for yourself. Try a couple of different translations until you get the message God wants you to hear. God wants us to like ourselves because we were made in His image. He wants us to be like Jesus. Here are some suggestions on how you can utilize GRIT on your journey to liking yourself. Put God first and ask Him for direction. Your relationships will get better when you work on yourself. You can’t make someone like you, but you can give them a reason to. Working on yourself is building your integrity. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Find the truth in; God loves you just as you are but loves you too much to let you stay that way.
Get some GRIT and start liking yourself so you can be in better company, even when you are alone. God, Relationships, Integrity, and Truth. GETCHASOME!

21/04/2026

April 21
“COVID-19” Versus “HOPE”

We are experiencing things today we thought only happened in movies because of this virus. The feeling of being safe has deteriorated to new lows. Depression is affecting people who have never had to deal with it before. The news has a different “spin” on what to expect next, every day. The world as we knew it last year is gone. Parents are becoming the school teachers they have complained about for years. School-age children just want to see their friends. Families are fighting and dredging up old stuff from decades ago. I have found myself under a lot of stress because I feel responsible for providing my family and job with answers to questions I can’t answer. It is hard to find “HOPE” under these circumstances.
Now is the time for us to look for and find “HOPE.” It is time to seek the truth. Today, I am going to share with you some of the truths I have discovered. 1) I am not in control of this virus, nor should I be expected to. 2) God is showing me; I need to let go of my life and let Him guide it. 3) If I was to die from this virus, I would win because I would get to go to Heaven, where there is no virus. 4) God did not cause this virus, but He allowed it to happen because we need to learn something. 5) Ninety-nine percent of the people infected recover. I should be praising God for those recoveries and praying for the families of the ones who didn’t survive. 6) God tells us many times, “do not fear.” Now is the time for me to do what He said. 7) This list could go on for days if I continue to look at what I am supposed to learn.
What is on your list? What do you choose to focus on? Start working on your list and watch “HOPE” appear. Proverbs 10:28 tells us, “The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.” Ask God to reveal to you what you need to learn from this, then listen. Maybe this is God getting your attention. Give it to Him.
Now is an excellent time to put GRIT in your life. Let it inspire “HOPE” in your heart. Put God first and “do not fear.” Let this be a time of relationship building, and do not let the stress tear them apart. Put your integrity to work and let others see it. Your strong integrity will provide hope to others. Find the truth in all the information being thrown at us.
Don’t let opinion overrule fact. You will know you have found the truth when God gives you peace. Find hope and release fear. Stay safe and GETCHASOME!

20/04/2026

April 20
“Do Not Listen With The Intent To Reply. Listen With The Intent To Understand.”

When I am listening, I am working out my reply in my head most of the time. When this happens, I spend all my brain’s bandwidth on the reply and miss most of the essential facts I should have heard. Not listening to understand makes my response less valid. When someone is talking to you, they just want you to understand them most of the time. They may not be looking for a reply. Let them ask you to reply.
We all want to be heard, and we want to be understood. And sometimes, we just need to talk out loud. We should not assume that the speaker is looking for you to resolve something for them. We should ask them if they want feedback. Once you have listened to understand, your reply should lead them to resolve it themselves.
God tells us to seek wise counsel many times in the Bible. Proverbs 11:14 tells us, “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.” Another verse from Proverbs is 12:15. It says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”
I have had many people who I see as wise counsel, and the number one thing they all had in common is that they do not respond with a solution. The counselors I chose listened intently and responded with questions. They asked questions so they could truly understand. They also asked questions so I could understand my issue better.
If you are looking for wise counsel to give you the answers, you are probably looking for someone to blame if it doesn’t work out the way you expected. Wise counsel will direct you to understand your issue. Often, we know what to do; we just don’t know what the question is. Wise counsel is not for giving the answer; they are for helping you find the correct answer. If you want to be wise counsel to others, try listening to understand. The correct wise counsel will have integrity. They will become the best relationships you have because they listen. Wise counsel will be people practicing GRIT.
Learn to listen with GRIT in mind before you reply. Ask, is God in the equation? How will it affect relationships? Who has integrity? And don’t forget to look for the truth. Maybe then you can respond.
Learn to listen, and GETCHASOME!

This morning was sacred.Donna recommitted her life to the Lord through baptism, and we also got to witness the dedicatio...
19/04/2026

This morning was sacred.

Donna recommitted her life to the Lord through baptism, and we also got to witness the dedication of her son. Moments like this are hard to put into words… because they’re not just ceremonies, they’re transformation.

Lives are being changed.
Hearts are being made new.
What was once broken is being restored.

There is something so powerful about watching a mom return, not just to her family, but to her Heavenly Father. Watching her stand in that water, choosing surrender again, choosing faith again… it’s holy.

And then to turn around and dedicate her child, to say “I’m choosing a different path, a different legacy,” that’s generational change happening right in front of us.

Donna carries that quiet strength, steady and faithful, and it was beautiful to see the unfolding of such an important moment.

This is why we do what we do.
Not for programs or structure, but for moments like this.
For redemption. For restoration. For new life.

God is still moving. And it is beautiful to witness.

19/04/2026

April 19
“How Can I Get Along With Everyone?”

It is our human nature that keeps us from getting along with everyone. Sometimes you need to separate yourself from people who are damaging to your well-being. Those relationships might need some boundaries installed to keep your sanity.
We should always treat people better than they treat us. The apostle Paul gave us some inspiring words in Romans 12:9-21. It reads like this; “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love—honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
It appears very hard for us to follow Paul's message when treating your enemy with love. We are often more concerned that someone will see us as a weak person, rather someone who loves others. You will come across people in your lives who will be hard to love. Don’t let the world tell you how to treat them. If you have been treated unjustly in your life, it becomes hard to show love to others. Try implementing Paul’s word from Romans and watch the reaction. You just might make a new friend. The world has taught us to respond to evil with evil, which never had a positive outcome. Following Paul’s example in Romans will give you high integrity, make for better relationships, and bring you closer to God’s truth of salvation.
Show some love today by practicing GRIT. Love your neighbor as yourself, with integrity. GETCHASOME!

18/04/2026

April 18
“The Best Part Of Your Story Is That The Next Page Is Blank, And You Get To Write It.”

Have you ever been reading a book, and the story makes a complete change, resulting in a much better ending than you could have expected? A twist in the plot is what good story writers are trying to accomplish. Most books start with all the tragedy, troubling situations, and drama. The story will lead you down a path of destruction until you are certain there is no way for this to have a pleasant ending. Just as you become convinced of a disastrous conclusion, the story makes a turnaround. Something happens to change the outcome. The tragedy is no longer looming and waiting to strike. Maybe the villain becomes the hero, or the attacker comes to the rescue.
We have a story in the Bible that follows this writing style. It is the story of Saul. He was a villain who persecuted Christians, but his life was changed on the road to Damascus. Saul’s story is told in the book of Acts, where there is a twist in the story, and Saul’s life makes a complete turnaround. Saul was such an evil man that no one believed he could ever be any different. He was feared by many, and everyone knew that Saul would spend eternity in hell, and that would never change. Just like our lives, they get so out of control that no one thinks they could recover. People start to believe it will end in disaster and could never have a positive ending. But God can make anything happen. He can take your mayhem and destruction story and turn it into the most dramatic conclusion you have ever heard. The Bible is full of stories, just like this. King David was a liar, guilty of infidelity, and incited a murder. Then God turned it into a great ending where King David became an author of inspiring songs and poetry that we find in the book of Psalms. Your life can leave a positive legacy if you change the ending to the story.
GRIT changes tragic stories into Godly endings. Allow God to be a part of your life and guide you to the heroic conclusion. Let the positive changes in your life turn your relationships into the people cheering you on to the finish line. Make your unblemished integrity be the change where people start to notice the story will have a good ending. Make truth be the pivot point in the story. Now is a perfect time for the story you are writing to become a classic novel with such a dramatic ending; it will be a best-seller for years to come. God is waiting to become the twist in your story. Surprise us all and change the ending to something nobody expected, your eternity in Heaven.
God, Relationship, Integrity, and Truth – story changers. GETCHASOME!

17/04/2026

April 17
“Sometimes, You Just Have To Be Done. Not Upset Or Mad; Just Done.”

What do you need to be done with? I mean entirely finished. Whatever you need to be done with, God is waiting to take it from you. All we need to do is ask. But, if we ask, we need to be ready to be totally done with it. You can’t be wanting it to go away until you want it back; you need to be done with it permanently. Most of the things we want to go away are things that we want back. We will let go of our temper until we decide to take it back. We will let go of our addictions until we want them back. We will let go of hatred, but only till we want it back.
Some things in life are downright hard, such as going to work, balancing budgets, raising children, even trying to decide what to make for dinner when the pantry is almost bare. Pile them all together, and we have a recipe for disaster. When life gets tough, we form bad habits like stressful eating, using alcohol to cope, using s*x to make us feel better for a minute or even substance misuse. All these things are temporary, and our problems still exist when we return from our temporary escape. God wants to take our “stuff.” He wants to be our escape. But you need to be done with it before He will take it. In 1 Peter 5-7, God tells us about His concern for us. It says, “Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” This sounds like an easy solution, but we need to have faith to give God or stuff. Faith in knowing God is big enough to take our stuff.
Because God knew we would have trouble with this, He gave us Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.” I know we are all busy with our “stuff,” but you had time to read this. Use the GRIT messages to help build the faith you need to give it to God and be done, really done. Not upset or mad. Just done. Build your faith by hearing, reading, or studying the Bible and its messages. Learn more about God, Relationships, Integrity, and Truth, until you have enough faith to be done with all your “stuff.” Only then are we ready to give it to God and be done.
GETCHASOME!

16/04/2026

April 16
“Anger Is The Punishment We Give Ourselves For Someone Else’s Mistake.”

Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. We all deal with the sin of anger. It sneaks up on us when we feel like we have lost control of a situation. If we can blame the other person or situation, it makes us believe our anger is warranted. It can be a good idea to sit on your anger for a while and give yourself time to deliberate and cool down. You cannot think clearly when you are angry. Your mind becomes flooded with untruths; your integrity is dismissed, and you don’t bring God into the situation. All relationships have problems. Letting go of your GRIT in a time of anger will only make it worse. When you allow yourself to become angry, it is because you have been hurt. Someone has let you down, disagreed with you, or wronged you in some way. Anger is us wanting someone else to suffer for our pain. What we want is called revenge, and we are the ones that suffer when we try to push the hurt on them. Revenge never made anyone feel better or made a situation less hurtful.
In James 1:19-20, we hear these wise words; “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” My mother told me that being angry only hurts me. I used to think this was a stupid statement. Then, after 25 years of holding on to anger about one thing, I was finally tired of carrying it and let it go. I thought enough time had passed, and this person would have some remorse when I told them I had finally forgiven them. To my surprise, after all this time, they told me they had forgotten about that a long time ago—no remorse or apology. Again, I was hurt by this person, but I decided not to take that anger with me this time. It was finally time to give it to God and let Him be the judge. I had been drinking poison and expecting them to die. I was the only one my anger was affecting.
People are going to do things that hurt us. We can’t avoid it. How we react to it is our choice. You may have to set new boundaries. You might have to find some better relationships because getting angry will only destroy your integrity. And the truth is you can not control the actions of others. You can only control your response to those actions. If you want to surprise the other person, don’t respond with anger. Let them see that you have self-control and don’t react. Chances are, they were just trying to make you angry. Don’t let them win! Stop punishing yourself for the actions of others. Cling to God, Relationships, Integrity, and Truth. GETCHASOME!

15/04/2026

April 15
“If You Continuously Compete With Others, You Become Bitter, But If You Compete With Yourself, You Become Better.”

We live in a world of competition. I refer to this as the “one-up syndrome.” If I can eat 20 chicken wings, you must eat 21 to be better than me. We compete in sports, money, fame, the fastest car, the biggest house, and even our clothes. Our world tells us we don’t have enough. We don’t have enough “stuff.” We don’t have enough attention. It even tells us we don’t have enough hatred. We are continuously told why we should NOT like someone. We take every mistake and throw it in their face as if we had never made one. If we can make the other person look bad, we think it makes us look better.
Healthy competition can be valuable by helping us define goals. If someone can do 50 push-ups and I like the results they have received from them, it gives me a healthy goal. What can you do to be a better you? Not so you can one-up someone, but so you can become a better you. Trying to become someone else will make you bitter. You will never be them because God made us all unique. In Psalm 139:14, David praises God by saying; I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” God did not make you like any other person. He made you a unique design with a purpose for His kingdom.
When you find yourself trying to be like others, stop and pray to God for guidance in becoming the unique you. You may also want to look at your positive relationships and ask God what you are supposed to bring to that relationship. When you are competing with yourself to be a better you, look at your integrity and ask yourself if it is healthy. Finding the truth about who you are supposed to be will bring you peace. You will no longer struggle with trying to be someone or something you are not.
Don’t be bitter, be better!
GETCHASOME!

14/04/2026

April 14
“Permanent Decisions Based On Temporary Emotions, Lead To Disaster.”

Don’t promise when you are happy. Don’t reply when you are angry, and don’t decide when you are sad. These are all examples of making a permanent decision based on temporary emotions.
We will often make promises when we are happy that we can’t fulfill. Everything seems more comfortable and more possible when we are happy. Therefore, we make more significant promises during this time. Later, we start to feel the pressure of fulfilling the promise.
When we are angry, we will let our mouths overload our brains. The blood is flowing quickly, and the brakes in our mind get wet, then we can’t stop the thoughts from becoming words. Once the words have left your mouth, they can’t be unheard. An apology will help heal the situation, but the words will still leave a scar.
Most of our worst decisions are made when we are sad. We will often choose to give up or quit during times of sadness. Quitting and giving up only leads us to more sorrow and regret. Quitting has never been a resolution for anything.
We should always stop and evaluate situations before making a decision. Don’t be in such a hurry. Time is on your side. Slow down and make reliable decisions. Review all the information and look for the truth. Proverbs 28: 25 tells us about hasty decision-making. “To make rash, hasty decisions shows that you are not trusting the Lord. But when you rely totally on God, you will still act carefully and prudently.” Run your decisions through the GRIT FILTER before making them. Your poorly thought out decision, made on temporary emotions, might have some permanent consequences you don’t want.
Always seek God’s guidance and seek wise counsel before making life decisions. You will be glad you did.
God, Relationship, Integrity, and Truth. The basis of all good decisions. GETCHASOME!

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