Principle 8
Get Real. Deal. Heal.
WHAT DOES PRINCIPLE 8 MINISTRIES DO?
ENGAGE
Principle 8's first goal is to meet you where you are, acknowledge that we're all broken and need healing. Priniciple 8 shares stories through tunes and testimony. I'm not here to judge. We're walking out our recovery one day at a time. We may not have been through or done exactly the same things, but we're not that different from each other. I want to help you learn from my experiences.
ENCOURAGE
Pornography and sex addiction hurt the addict and the ones they love. We can help you all get on a path to forgiveness and redemption, so your relationships can heal. Principle 8 helps you find healing
and freedom from inappropriate and destructive attitudes and behaviors. If you're committed to recovery from pornography and/or sexual addiction, Principle 8 is here to help.
EQUIP
We all need a plan for our recovery. Working the plan requires tools and techniques you can use when life gets messy. Principle 8's resources can be part of your recovery 'toolbox'.
EMPOWER
Principle 8 is here to guide you on your lifelong journey toward healing and wholeness. We get stronger when we build others up. As they say: "We keep what we have by giving it away."
Transparency and willingness to 'lead with weakness' are near and dear to the heart of Principle 8's mission to share experience, God's strength and hope. If you missed my interview with Australian podcaster, Rodney Olsen, please visit Bleeding Daylight and check it out. Congrats to Rodney and his team on this important podcasting milestone. Cheers to 100 episodes, mates!
FREE faith-based movie premiere THIS SATURDAY in Western PA!
#forgivinggodmovie starring @deuces1966 Dean Cain! #Jesus AND #Superman AND great independent talent (and...well...me in a jumpsuit and pink hair) all in the same movie?! Throwin' it back to #1985
Come to #kittanning and see it before you can DVD it!
Evidence is not proof.
What do you see? A UFO?
It was actually the #goodyearblimp
...but zooming in with my phone camera yielded this fuzzy, grainy photo.
Sometimes, we zoom in on our problems, but we don't have the right tools or our vision is clouded. We get a blurry picture and try to make sense of it...and when it doesn't make sense , we call it a blimp when it might be a UFO or vice versa.
We might offer 'exhibit A' as proof of something...maybe to convince someone of something we ourselves want to believe.
But evidence is not proof.
These days, photos, video and film can be so convincingly 'real' that almost anything can be made to seem plausible, even probable.
Hollywood can bring dead stars back to the screen and show past presidents parlaying with Forrest Gump.
#deepfake footage nowadays can make it seem as though almost anyone is saying or doing almost anything.
The digital age is dangerous, but the desire to manipulate others by deception is as old as the Garden.
Stay wise, and remember that evidence can be planted, but proof is rooted firmly in the truth.
Often when we're trying to set ourselves up, we fall. #sobriety includes an accurate view of ourselves.
#addicts tend to think grand thoughts.
We also tend to be verbal processors - thinking, planning and scheming out loud, having past or future arguments out loud, even when the other person isn't there (it's much easier to win that way 😜)
It's not too early or too late to really start talking about our problems, but sometimes, we just need to stop talking, put our hands over our mouths and listen to sound advice.
It's time to #getrealdealheal
#principle8
#recovery
(sound on!)
These are the days of the #judgesandkings
Whole world's gone crazy,
Everybody's doin' their own thing...
Before the judges and kings
We all tend to think we are better than we actually are. We even revel in our goodness. But if we are honest with ourselves we're not as good as we should be. We do the things we shouldn't do and we don't do the things we should.
It's #thehumancondition
If this song seems preachy please know it's also preaching to the choir and I'm in the choir just like everybody else. There's only One good and perfect Teacher.
#principle8
#getrealdealheal
#proverbs
#indiemusic
#songwriter
There's a joke about someone who won a contest for being the most humble person in town. When they walked on stage to accept their award, they were disqualified.
The ancient Greeks knew the dangers of #hubris but the warnings were more ancient still.
Quite often, it's when we're cocky that we end up with egg on our faces.
When our feathers get ruffled, it's usually our wounded pride underneath that's causing the agitation.
It's hard to be humble, but let's give it a try. Pride goes before a fall.
#getrealdealheal
#principle8
#recovery
According to experts, over 85% of women in the so-called 'adult entertainment' industry don't want to be.
Fraud, force and finances are typical reasons they fear to leave.
Many feel they can't earn a better living, but the ones who really profit are the owners of the websites and clubs and parlors, and the madams and pimps.
We can be part of the solution or continue to be part of the problem.
When there's no demand, there's no need for a supply.
#getrealdealheal
#principle8
#recovery
Most people know drug addiction can be fatal, but #sexualaddiction can also lead to an untimely demise.
Think about it...how many times do we read a newspaper story or see something on TV about a jealous spouse or lover taking violent action against their rival, their significant other, and/or themselves?
Some sexual addicts succumb to hopelessness and take their own lives.
Some even die accidentally as they take more and more extreme measures to heighten their pleasure.
It's time to #getrealdealheal
A double life might cost you your life.
#recovery
#principle8
Are you a stone roller?
Are you a rolling stone?
Are you maybe feeling like #Sisyphus - a trickster who cheated death, but is cursed to push the same stupid rock up the same hill forever?
There is one who can roll the stone out of your way. He rolled a stone from the mouth of His own grave.
His Name is #Jesus
Surrender to escape your fate.
#getrealdealheal
#principle8
#recovery
#boundaries are key. Not only do we need #healthyboundaries with others, but also with ourselves.
A lack of self or impulse control is a mark of an addict.
We mustn't place ourselves in positions of temptation.
We can't assume we're strong enough to dance on the line without crossing it.
In other words:
If you know you can't swim, stay out of the pool.
If you don't know if you can't swim...stay out of the pool.
If you think 🤔 you can swim, but you nearly drowned last time...
Stay out of the pool!
Don't stand at the edge of the pool. You might fall in.
Just don't go to the pool.
It's time to #getrealdealheal
#principle8
#recovery
#proverbs
💈 ✂️ They say if you hang out in a barber shop (or a salon, if your prefer) eventually, you'll get a haircut.
The company we keep is important. It's harder to stay sober if you're hanging out with your old drinking buddies all the time.
A few weeks ago, I was in need of a haircut, so I tried a couple places, but they were too busy to take a walk-in that day.
I checked a local barber shop. The door was wide open. There was much playing, but no one was there. I called out. No answer. I looked around.
I saw a stack of men's magazines - so called 'adult' entertainment on a side table.
The old me would have leafed through them instead of leaving.
Since I've turned over a new leaf, I walked out.
#Jesus hung out with 'sinners' and I do, too. If with no one else, then in the company of my self and I'm sinner enough for the #Savior
It's a hard decision to know when to to walk away to save your sanity or bless a business so they see Jesus.
Maybe I'll barge in on that barber again someday and tell him what the Lord has done for me, how He has set me free.
In his chair, I may be a captive audience, but then, so is he.
Maybe we'll even become friends...as long as he doesn't give me the #SweeneyTodd treatment...
Promises...promises.
Addicts will say just about anything to maintain a desired status quo.
Setting boundaries is an important way to keep yourself from being used.
Faithfulness is difficult. There will always be temptation, but being honest about our struggles helps us process our pain and get to the roots of our issues.
There is One who can be trusted to be faithful. His Name is Jesus.
He said that even looking at another person lustfully was like commiting adultery with them.
We can't live up to that standard, but we can surrender our temptations as they come.
The book, Every Man's Battle suggests
learning to 'bounce' your eyes off of people you find attractive.
Ladies, this goes for you, too.
There's a short, steep and slippery slope between seeing, looking, lingering and lusting.
Avoid the edge.
I don't know about you, but alcohol figured prominently in a number of my poor decisions.
Setting boundaries with booze is vitally important in recovery - even if drugs and alcohol aren't your 'real' problem.
Sex addiction issues are frequently concurrent with substance abuse.
Lowering your inhibitions isn't usually a good thing.
#beergoggles
#recovery
#enjoyresponsibly
#principle8
#thinkbeforeyoudrink
When we partake of #porn or engage workers in the so-called 'adult' entertainment and /or sex trade industries, we are depriving the innocent of what is right and just.
There's just no way of knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that the people in these lines of work are there of their own free will and wouldn't rather do anything else for a living.
#thinkaboutit
#getrealdealheal
#principle8
#recovery
Seems these days there are a lot of open mouths and closed ears.
Many #addicts are verbal processors. We talk out loud - often in circles - until we believe our thoughts and actions are justified.
It's like what Dr. Jerry Root calls "the rationalization of deceit."
We say something until we believe it...and we hope others will, too.
It's time to close our mouths, open our minds and our ears and listen.
It's time to #getrealdealheal
#principle8
I'll be honest...like many pieces of scripture, this one is a mystery to me.
But I think it means that regardless of what we devise, the Lord's divine sovereignty will prevail.
That's not a license for us to go out and do whatever we want.
I think the key is humility... The humility to at least try to figure out what God would have us do in every situation, instead of what we would plan or want.
Yes, back in the day I had a WWJD bracelet, but Jesus would not have done the things I did, nor thought the thoughts I thought.
The trick for me is to get out of my own head and try to imagine what my loving creator would have me do with my life.
How might I serve others? How might I love them...really love them?
Lord, direct my desires. Direct my steps.
#principle8
#proverbs
#getrealdealheal
#recovery
Even a good compass can be affected by external forces.
There are powerful magnetic fields that can draw us off course without us even realizing it.
Pretty soon, we are very far away from where we intended to be.
There is a true North. It's a tough bearing to follow. Virtually impossible.
Fortunately, we can recalibrate our moral compass by comparing it with a constant - God's Word.
It's good to know that God judges us by our motives and not just our actions, but we must walk circumspectly, cautiously and always check our headings, as well as asking ourselves and trusted others about our true intentions. Godly friends will call us out on the carpet, call us out on our crap.
#principle8
#recovery
#getrealdealheal
Ok, I'll be honest...until I looked closely, I thought there were two #donuts in this pic. Wishful thinking? Yes, sometimes the mind sees what it wants. Mine often wants donuts.
We usually want what's feels good, not necessarily what is good. I want the donut. I should eat the apple.
Sometimes, we sabotage ourselves because of a poor self image. When we remember our intrinsic value and dignity, it's easier to believe we are worthy of good care.
Self-discipline protects us and others from the harm of bad decisions.
#recovery
#principle8
#discipline
"Homewrecker." It's an old-school term for a third party who breaks up a 'happy' family.
Truth is, the homewreckers are the ones who succumb to external #temptation and the ones who are in #denial about the condition of their #marriage
When we're betrayed, it's easier to play the victim than accept any responsibility for the erosion of our relationships, but it's rarely that simple.
If we're the betrayer, we also want absolution. We may believe and even claim we're justified by the actions, inactions or attitudes of our partner...
but it's rarely that simple.
If we spent as much time and energy in honest work on our #relationships as we do trying to escape our reality, we'd be a lot better off.
Homes, like houses, take work to build and maintain.
Don't tear down. Build up. Repair, don't run.
#getrealdealheal
#principle8
#recovery
Is your heart sick?
Is your hope postponed?
Why put it off any longer?
What do you long for? Chances are, it's not what you chase after. It's something deeper, more pure. More real.
There were two trees in Eden. One was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The other was the tree of life.
Only one was forbidden.
Has your mouth ever written a rubber check?
Boy, mine has.
Ever throw the word 'love' around? Yeah, me, too.
Ever commit to do something you didn't have the time, tools or talents to do? Been there. Done that.
Ever make a situation worse be shooting your mouth off? Oh, yeah. Almost got me killed once.
We have to remember to think before we speak and let our 'yes' be 'yes' and our 'no' be 'no.'
It's the best way to go.
#integrity
#recovery
#principle8
#getrealdealheal
"A word to the wise is enough." This quote and ones like it have been attributed to Ben Franklin and others...and have deep roots in the ancient Jewish #talmud
#billcosby is often quoted as saying: "A word to the wise ain't necessary, it's the stupid ones that need the advice."
Bill probably fancied himself a member of the former set and not the latter - all evidence to the contrary (or at least enough to meet the legal standard.)
I was deeply disturbed and saddened to learn about Mr. Cosby's private life.
I have fond memories of watching the Fat Albert & The Cosby Kids and The Cosby show, now tainted.
Bill Cosby's old stand-up routines are filled with hilarious truth, but he was living a lifelong lie.
Sadly, over the last few years it became widely known that Bill had big problems and hurt a number of people.
If we are wise in our own eyes then we are fools.
This song may come across as 'preachy' and since no one is immune, probably even 'preaching to the choir,' but I'm in that chorus, too. We all think we're better than we are.
https://youtu.be/4A5tNsOeH5o
We all need wisdom.
There's only One true Source, but we can find trustworthy agents of the Source, if we're willing to humble ourselves, look and listen.
#principle8
#getrealdealheal
#sexualaddiction
#recovery
#celebraterecovery
#CR
#hurtpeoplehurtpeople
If we dress provocatively, what exactly are we provoking?
In our fallen brokenness, we all want to be seen and thought of as attractive, but what are we trying to attract?
If we advertise our 'availability' should we be surprised when people view us primarily as an outlet for sex rather than a genuine, committed loving relationship?
Ladies and gentlemen, we can do better. We can help each other be better.
Let's.
#lipstickonapig
#principle8
#getrealdealheal
#sexualaddiction
#recovery
#dressforsuccess
It is our own pride and arrogance that assumes our way is better than YAHWEH.
Things are so turned around that we're often proud of our deviation from long held beliefs about what's right and wrong, classy (Remember classy? Whatever happened to classy?) or tasteless.
We need not shame ourselves or others, but should any of us really feel a deep longing to be proud of our sexual behavior...our sexuality?
Regardless of orientation, is there a need to figuratively or literally parade it through the streets?
Out sexuality is NOT our identity. We don't have to keep it in the closet, but we ought to keep it in the bedroom, or at least in our own homes.
There's no need for us to share intimate moments with the world. Straight, bi, pan, or gay, there's just no need for blatant PDA.
#whathappenedtoclassy
#recovery
#sexualaddiction
#principle8
Why do we call it 'adultery?' It's childish and immature!
It's tempting to step out on our spouse when things are rough or when we don't feel like our needs are being met. But it only make things worse. #playthetapeforward
Think it through.
#adulting is hard. Adultery only makes it harder.
It's time to #getrealdealheal
Remember: In the #Bible the only One who had the right to condemn the woman caught in adultery...didn't.
His Name is #Jesus and He loves you.
He did, however, tell her to leave her life of sin.
#recovery from #sexualaddiction is possible - IF you work a program!
#principle8
"The mind must wrap around the foot."
- Michael Scott
Jim said no.
Michael wouldn't do it.
Dwight got burned.
Technically, Pam ran.
Oh...and it's just a TV show.
Yes, there is a science to coal walking, and it can be done...but why?
Is it really worth it? What are you trying to prove...and to whom?
It's time to #getrealdealheal
#principle8
#recovery
#sexualaddiction
Trusting God - in recovery and in daily life - is a moment by moment, day by day process.
Sometimes, it means redefining 'need'. We often say things like: "I need a new car." or "I need more money."
All we need to say is: "God, I need You." He already knows this, but confessing is blessing.
#principle8
#confessingisblessing
#getrealdealheal
What we call the 'heart' is perhaps more akin to what we might call the mind or the spirit or the soul.
Your mind is not your brain, but your brain affects your mind and your mind affects your brain.
Guard your heart - your mind, your spirit, your soul - by protecting your brain.
It will help you #getrealdealheal
#proverbs
#recovery
#principle8
ABOUT
Damon Covert, Rocker In Recovery
Hi. My name is Damon. I'm a grateful recovering addict celebrating positive sobriety after years of acting out. I'd like to share my experience, God's strength, and the hope I have in Him to overcome decades of decadence and disobedience. Through my stories and songs, you'll see that our struggles can bring us together and help us get better, one day at a time. Let's get connected and make our world a little brighter place. Purity is possible!
TUNES & TESTIMONY
This 30 (+/-) minute presentation includes highlights of my personal testimony woven together with relevant original songs.
Suggested Donation
$250 + travel
BOOK IT!
FULL BAND CONCERT
The Principle 8 Band will perform up to 60-90 (+/-) minutes of CCM, modern worship and original tunes at your event.
Suggested Donation
$250 Base + $100-150/musician
BOOK IT!
WEEKEND WORKSHOP
Damon will share his testimony with your men's group, lead times of worship, men's small group breakout sessions and offer insights into recovery. A perfect fit for a men's overnight retreat.