MSI Press Blog

  Why did I live when others didn’t? Why him and not me? Why am I home while they’re still over there? These questions echo in the hearts of many who have survived what others did not — soldiers, first responders, accident survivors, even those who have outlived loved ones through illness or tragedy. The mind circles back, trying to make sense of the imbalance. The heart aches with the weight of undeserved continuation. The Unseen Burden of Survival Survivor’s guilt can be relentless. For soldiers who lost close friends, it can feel like betrayal simply to breathe freely again. For those who walked away from disaster, it can feel wrong to laugh, to rest, to plan for the future. The guilt whispers: You don’t deserve this life. It punishes joy. It questions every moment of peace. It can lead to depression, self‑punishment, or a quiet withdrawal from the world — as if happiness itself were an offense. But guilt is not truth. It is grief wearing the mask of responsibility. The Heart...

  When people think of 12-step programs, they often picture addiction recovery — AA meetings, coffee in styrofoam cups, and the language of sobriety. But the 12-step model has quietly expanded into other emotional terrains, including depression. And while it’s not a substitute for therapy or medication, it can offer something many people with depression crave: structure, connection, and a sense of meaning. What 12-Step Programs Offer Structure : Depression often makes life feel chaotic or meaningless. The steps offer a clear, repeatable path — something to hold onto when everything else feels slippery. Community : Meetings provide a space where people speak honestly about emotional pain. That shared experience can reduce isolation, which is one of depression’s sharpest edges. Anonymity : You don’t have to explain your whole life. You can show up as you are, without pressure to perform or disclose more than you’re ready to. Spiritual Framework : The idea of a “higher power” ca...

Today's book excerpt comes from  An Afternoon's Dictation  by  Steven Greenebaum . This book has been in the Amazon top 100 among interfaith and ecumenical books on many occasions. PART TWO: DEALING WITH DEATH AND DYING CHAPTER FIVE   It wasn’t lost on me that the questions that most oppressed my mind and had me angrily demanding answers from God weren’t answered until halfway through the revelations that were placed before me. Still, what I desperately needed at that moment of crisis in my life was some kind of handle on death and dying. So, what I gravitated to first were the revelations about these two difficult subjects. I read them, reread them, and lived with them. In all honesty, being open to it required me to reorient my thinking about God as well as life and death—which is a lot to unpack! But it did comfort me and help me to begin to move ahead. Given how spent I felt, this was no small task. The mind is not the soul. Nor is the body. Sometimes, the mind...