Personal Insights

Initiating Your Gratitude Habit!

November 24, 2025 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to get together with friends and family and appreciate God’s wonderful presence in our life. One day does not give us nearly enough time to be reflective and grateful for all of His wonderful blessings. God’s powerful presence in our life goes far beyond one simple day of Thank You! He has been with you and watching over you since before you were even known to this world.

Our family, our friends, our personality, our journey, and the wisdom that comes with our experiences are all a gift from God. While it is a good start, one day is not possible to celebrate in gratitude the gifts from God in our life!

Every day I get up in the morning, I offer my gratitude to God for something. It is a habit I started years ago when I found myself focusing on the adversities in my life and not on the blessings. My morning gratitude reminds me all that I have and all that I am because of Him; and, it encourages me to continually express my appreciation for His blessings.

I was thinking about my gratitude habit the other morning as I was getting ready for a bike ride. My morning rides are now beginning long before the sun comes up and as winter moves in, they are getting colder, too. Last week, as I was heading out the door at 5:30AM the thermometer read 42 degrees. Even for a guy from Michigan, that is a cold bike ride. As I was pulling on my extra warm gear, I found myself thanking God for the ability to ride my bike. Instead of seeing a blustery cold ride as a challenge or a chore, I saw it as a gift and opportunity to be both appreciated and enjoyed. None of this would be possible without God’s handiwork in my life. An hour later, as the sun started appearing on the horizon, I had another opportunity to thank God for the beauty in his sunrise and in my ability to celebrate it in such a peaceful, powerful manner. Needless to say, the rest of the day was much better because I brought thanksgiving and God into the beginning of it.

Regardless of where the pains your heart is and the situation of your life, God has blessed you. There are aspects of your life that may be lacking or difficult; however, I am quite confident that there are other components of your life that are rich and fully blessed. Focus on what you have and the joy that comes from those gifts. Look to celebrate and appreciate those things daily rather than on what you desire as lacking or deficient. In your gratitude you will discover your life is richly blessed and you will also come to realize how much God really loves and cares for you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Is your child addicted to drugs or alcohol? Are you trapped on the emotional rollercoaster of addiction? Dave Cooke can help. He’s an internationally recognized speaker who has made it his commitment to minister to parents struggling with addiction in their families. His powerfully insightful, faith based approach to the challenges of addiction have inspired and educated thousands across the country.

Contact Dave today to book him to speak at your church, parent’s group, business organization, or neighborhood association. Go to http://www.100pedals.com/speaker-dave-cooke/ for more information or email [email protected].

Where is your hope focused?

November 17, 2025 by Dave Cooke 2 Comments

“…but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5 NKJV)

“Never lose hope.” I hear these words of encouragement and commitment from parents all the time. As parents struggle to find the endpoint in their child’s addiction journey, hope often becomes all that is left to hang on to.

This scripture reminds each of us that Hope comes from God. Ironically, so does a component of the struggle. For it is in our tribulations we find perseverance and character, as well as Hope. We are also encouraged to find glory in these struggles. It is in these struggles that the gifts of our spiritual, relational development with Him are found.

Hope is of God. It is a gift from God. Because of this, our Hope needs to be in God. Where is your Hope focused? Is it focused on the outcome you desire for someone else, or is it focused on God’s manifestation of his plan for your life?

This can be a challenging concept to wrap your head around. For we are called to focus our hope in Him and on Him. When we focus our Hope in him to deliver the outcome we desire or expect, we are actually focusing our Hope away from Him and on our desired outcome. Instead, we need our Hope to be focused on Him to deliver us, not our child, from our tribulation. When we we trust that God will deliver us through our present struggle, our Hope will not be disappointed.

This is a scriptural reminder that our child’s addiction is not our struggle, it is theirs. While we may experience the pain and frustration of their journey on their particular path, addiction is ultimately their journey and not yours. Recovery is their victory, not yours; and, their recovery is between God and them, and not between you and God.

This does not mean that we are not involved or impacted by their addiction. We are. This is a pointed reminder that their addiction is not our journey, or our story; it is theirs.

Each of us is on our own unique journey. While the addiction of a loved one is our tribulation, our Hope is He will deliver us from our experience in this struggle. Our Hope cannot be focused on our expectation for how God guides someone else through their own tribulation. Our Hope needs to be focused on God, that he will guide us through our tribulation according to his plan. In that, he will not disappoint.

Remember, Hope comes from God. When you are looking for guidance and strength in your difficulties, focus your Hope on God to guide you through the difficulty. When you put your Hope in God, he will not disappoint.

Recovery will not happen on your timeline!

November 3, 2025 by Dave Cooke 7 Comments

Why can’t my addicted child see it? Don’t they realize what their addiction is doing to them?

You struggle to understand why they don’t get help, why they won’t change. Can’t they see that their addiction is wrecking their life? They can’t keep a job, they go to jail, they overdose, they sleep in the street, and they look awful. No matter what you say, they don’t want your idea of help nor will they admit they have a problem.

It drives you crazy. As much as you point out to them where their life is headed, it doesn’t seem to make a difference. And you just don’t understand it.

When it comes to the addicted mind nothing makes sense. No matter how many ways you share what you see; they just won’t acknowledge your perception of reality. Remember, they are not looking at their world through your eyes and it is impossible for you see what they see through yours.

Allow me to share some nuggets of truth:

Truth #1: “You cannot make sense out of nonsense.” Remember this.

Truth #2: To admit their addiction is a problem means they will have to do something about it.

Truth #3: They will come to grips with the consequences of their addiction on their timeline not yours.

Since you can do nothing to change their mind about their addiction, pray…

“…that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by Him to do His will.” (2 Timothy 2:26 NKJV)

When it is God’s time, something will happen. Not before and not until.

In the meantime what are you to do? Do what your Father in heaven does with you.

Even though God easily could, our Father does not remind us of our failings, shortcomings, or screw ups. He waits patiently for us to find our way back to him. He suffers through our struggles and feels the pain of our failings. He does not admonish or criticize us.

Instead, He encourages us. He reminds us how much he loves us. He forgives us. He offers us advice and guidance when we ask for it. He calls us. And, he waits for us.

We don’t know the timeline. We don’t know the plan. And, we certainly do not know the future. Only God does. Regardless of what we see, think, or believe, it is never too late for God. Despite your fears, you have no idea what God has in store for your child.

Have faith in His plan, trust in His power, be patient with His timing. If you must do something, follow His example for loving and caring for our precious children. Taking this approach will be a lot more productive than judging, criticizing, or fighting with your child. Love, Encourage, and Hope – let God do the rest.

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Is your child addicted to drugs or alcohol? Are you trapped on the emotional roller coaster of addiction? Dave Cooke can help. He’s an internationally recognized speaker who has made it his commitment to minister to parents struggling with addiction in their families. Let him share with you how to create an action plan that will move you, your family, and your addicted child in a healthier direction.

Contact Dave today to book him to speak at your church, parent’s group, business organization, or neighborhood association. Go to http://www.100pedals.com/speaker-dave-cooke/ for more information or email [email protected].

Are you on Dave’s email list? If you’d like to receive his monthly newsletter for the parents of addicted children and weekly blog post notifications, complete your request here

You have to make a decision!

October 28, 2025 by Dave Cooke 4 Comments

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 NKJV)

This verse is a refreshing, empowering call from God about planning and action. I hear God saying, “You know in your heart what you desire to accomplish. Go ahead and get started. Once you get going, I will guide you to where I desire you to be.”

How many times have you hesitated to take action, fearful of the outcome or concerned that it may not be what God desires of you? I know did that a great deal in my early experiences as the parent of a child with an addiction. Many times I found myself looking to God for that clear cut answer before doing anything. At times the silence was deafening. Now I understand why. God was waiting on me to plan my course and take action.

This verse encourages us not to worry about whether our decisions are the “wrong ones,” for God will direct your steps toward the right path once you get moving. He encourages each of us to get started, do what we know we need to do, and trust Him to lead us from there. Being that your heart is already working at being in alignment with God’s principles and teaching, it is unlikely you will make a careless, reckless or irresponsible decision. Besides, even if you did not make the best decision at the time, knowing that only comes from the benefit of hindsight after you have acted.

Every parent fears making a bad decision. We fret and worry. We pray for guidance in our decision making process, hoping we don’t make a mistake. In reality, there are no absolutes or guarantees. Everything we decide, even if it seemed to be the perfect plan, is still subject to the behaviors and responses of others. How can we possibly know the hearts and minds of others until action is taken? How can we perfectly absolutely predict their reaction to our decisions. Truth is, we can’t.

Our addiction laden, highly charged situations, comprise many moving parts and pieces. Emotions are involved. In some cases, irrationality has taken control while logic and reason have left the room. Even though the situation is highly energized and fraught with risk, we are encouraged to take thoughtful action anyway.

In all this chaos, there is one constant, the will and the plans of God. Let your mind plan and act. Do what you know you need to do and let God do the hard work He has promised to do. Find comfort in knowing He will take you exactly where He intends you to be. Trust yourself. Trust Him. That is what faith in action is all about.

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Is your child addicted to drugs or alcohol? Are you trapped on the emotional roller coaster of addiction? Dave Cooke can help. He’s an internationally recognized speaker who has made it his commitment to minister to parents struggling with addiction in their families. Let him share with you how to create an action plan that will move you, your family, and your addicted child in a healthier direction.

Are you on Dave’s email list? If you’d like to receive his monthly newsletter for the parents of addicted children and weekly blog post notifications, complete your request here.

Are you ready to change your identity?

October 13, 2025 by Dave Cooke 5 Comments

What’s in a name? When you really reflect on it, a name defines and describes a great deal.

When I was younger, I knew that when my mom called me “David,” I was in trouble. I can still hear that stern, rebuking tone when she called my name. Otherwise, I was often called “Dave.” This is probably why I often introduce myself as Dave Cooke.

There has been much discussion about how we describe our addicted children. Are they addicts? Or, are they a person with an addiction. Seems like semantics, except one is a label and the other defines the condition.

When you attempt to define yourself, are you the parent of an addict? Or, are you the parent of a wonderful child currently battling their addiction? Again, it could be semantics; but, one describes a situation that expects empathy, sympathy and understanding.

This purpose of this article is not to engage in a debate about how to define or describe your personal situation. That is entirely up to you.

How you identify or label yourself does demonstrate a great deal about your perspective. Everyone goes through trials and tribulations. Children get sick. Some children are all-star athletes, some end up in jail, others become famous in their field, and unfortunately there are those who become infamous for entirely other reasons. What our children do or become does not define or describe us, or who we are. Our children’s lives are just a component of the story of our life.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5: 1-5 NKJV)

There is no shame or guilt in our journey with God. You are not defined by your children. You are not even defined by your own perceptions of failure or inadequacy. You are defined by God. He loves you, challenges you, molds you and saves you. Even more importantly, we are to glory in our tribulations; for that is God at work in our lives.

The next time you reflect on who you are, remember you are a child of God. You are on a journey. It is a journey is filled with obstacles, challenges and opportunity. Be joyful. Share the hope and love that comes with knowing that this experience is God’s way of strengthening you. And, don’t apologize or hide from your struggles, everyone has them. Your challenges can be a gift to others when you share with them how God’s love strengthened you along the way. And remember, it is only possible for others to learn from the power of God’s love in all aspects of your life when you are willing to share the entire story of your experiences as a child of God.

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Is your child addicted to drugs or alcohol? Are you trapped on the emotional rollercoaster of addiction? Dave Cooke can help. He’s an internationally recognized speaker who has made it his commitment to minister to parents struggling with addiction in their families. Let him share with you how to create an action plan that will move you, your family, and your addicted child in a healthier direction.

Contact Dave today to book him to speak at your church, parent’s group, business organization, or neighborhood association. Go to http://www.100pedals.com/speaker-dave-cooke/ for more information or email [email protected].

Are you on Dave’s email list? If you’d like to receive his monthly newsletter for the parents of addicted children and weekly blog post notifications, complete your request here.

Initiating Your Gratitude Habit!

Where is your hope focused?

Recovery will not happen on your timeline!

You have to make a decision!

Are you ready to change your identity?

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