MSI Press Blog

  That line from Morning Prayer always stops me. It assumes something we don’t like to admit: sin is alluring. Not because we’re terrible people, but because sin promises something fast, easy, and self‑centered—while holiness asks for something slow, deep, and self‑emptying. We’re drawn to sin when: It offers instant gratification. Sin whispers, You can have relief now. You can have pleasure now. You can have control now. Holiness rarely works on the timeline of “now.” It feels familiar. Our old patterns feel like home, even when they hurt us. Holiness feels like stepping into a room we’re not sure we belong in yet. It flatters the ego. Sin tells us we’re justified, entitled, or exceptional. Holiness tells us we’re loved—but also accountable. It avoids vulnerability. Holiness requires exposure: confession, humility, surrender. Sin lets us stay hidden. The allure of sin is not proof of moral failure; it’s proof of spiritual hunger. Sin is the junk food that satisfies quickly b...

  Shame thrives in secrecy. Peer and group support dismantle that isolation and replace it with connection. When it’s used: At any stage of recovery — especially when loneliness or stigma persist. How it works: Support groups, such as Overeaters Anonymous, whether in person or online, provide shared understanding and accountability. Hearing “me too” from others who’ve lived the same struggle can be profoundly healing. Expected results: Community reinforces progress. People learn they are not broken — they are human. Connection becomes the antidote to shame, and recovery becomes a shared journey rather than a solitary fight. image and some content AI-generated This post was inspired by the book, The Optimistic Food Addict: Recovering from Binge Eating Disorder by Dr. Christine Fisanick. Book Description The Optimistic Food Addict explores the author's courageous journey through a lifetime of battling binge eating disorder. Beginning with early trauma, the author describes...

  Today's publisher's pride is Travels with Elly by Larry MacDonald, which reached #78 in travel with pets books. Book description: Discover Canada like never before -- from a personal perspective, similar to John Steinbeck's view of America in his 1960 book Travels with Charley . The author travels from coast to coast in a trailer with his wife and pets, including their Standard Poodle, Elly, in order to gain a better understanding of his adopted country. Interspersed between descriptions of history, cultures, places, and icons are the author's reflections on various things such as Elly's antics, signage, ferries, political injustice, environmental issues, and animal instincts. To provide a canine's perspective, Elly reflects on things of interest to her, including cats, cows, and other critters...but especially cats! Where was Canada's first settlement? What is its prettiest town? When and where was its most devastating shipwreck? And who was its greatest h...

  When we were living in Pittsburgh, a little orange kitten showed up one day and quickly became pals with Shane, who named him Puff. He was an indoor–outdoor cat, always turning up for his meals and for petting, as if he knew he belonged. When we moved to Arlington, Virginia, we took Puff with us—how could we leave him behind? He adapted easily to the new neighborhood, a quiet area tucked away from traffic and noise. Good for kids. Good for a cat. For a while, everything felt right. Then, about a year later, Puff stopped wanting to go outside. He curled up in the corner of the study and slept—and slept—and slept. We worried. Was he sick? Had he eaten something bad? We took him to the vet on Monday morning, hoping for medicine or a change of food. The diagnosis was devastating: feline leukemia, likely contracted from other outdoor cats in Virginia. In Pittsburgh, our neighborhood had been so isolated that cats roamed freely and safely—something that’s rare now. But in Arlington, FL...