The Refuge Recovery Center

10/10/2026

For anyone who is struggling or needs a special touch from God, call out to Him. He will answer. Don’t give up. Don’t give in

10/09/2026

 Pizza with the boys, Saint Charles saloon Columbia 🙌

10/05/2026

10/01/2026

When my family, friends, and I opened The Refuge Recovery Center in 2020, we did it because we wanted to help this community.

At the time, services for people experiencing homelessness—especially people with Medi-Cal—were scarce. There were few, if any, inpatient beds available. I began by providing quarantine services to people who were unsheltered. That work showed me how difficult the need was and how limited the resources could be. County programs were underfunded, staffing was thin, law enforcement was stretched, and there simply wasn’t enough support to meet the need.

From the beginning, we made a decision: we would not judge people by their past. That is not our role. Courts, law enforcement, and the broader judicial system are responsible for their roles. Our responsibility is to assess people and provide services when they qualify under the rules that govern us.

The Refuge has become a last stop for many people across the surrounding counties. We have served people dealing with addiction, mental health challenges, serious medical conditions, cancer treatment, and homelessness—people who did not meet the criteria for skilled nursing care, or who could not find a bed in a local facility. Sometimes we were told a person met the requirements for care, only to learn after they arrived that there was nowhere else for them to go. Sending them back to the street was not an answer we could accept.

Our staff have worked through holidays, illnesses, birthdays, and family events because the need was urgent. They have helped people others were unable or unequipped to serve, including people involved with the criminal justice system.

We are not the judge or jury. When someone is referred to us or asks for help, we assess whether they qualify and follow the applicable laws, contracts, and program requirements. We do not get to rewrite those rules based on public opinion or personal feelings about someone’s past.

The work to address addiction and drug dealing is a partnership. Through the combined efforts of The Refuge, law enforcement, and the courts, we estimate that approximately one pound of fentanyl has been taken off the streets in Tuolumne County. People who were once using or dealing drugs are now in treatment or working toward recovery. That is why I believe treatment matters.

Narcan saves lives, and it is an essential part of responding to overdose. But Narcan alone cannot address the conditions that keep people trapped in addiction. People also need a path to treatment, support, and lasting change.

If we believe the laws should change, we can work through the democratic process to change them. But trying to destroy or blacklist the only provider in our area offering these life-saving services will not solve the problem. It will leave fewer options for people who need help—and fewer ways to protect our community

09/12/2026

Psalm 91: Dwelling in God’s Refuge

A Recovery-Focused Devotional

Full Scripture — Psalm 91 (NIV)

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

⸻

Today’s Message: Make God Your Dwelling Place

Recovery is more than leaving drugs or alcohol behind. It is learning to live differently—one decision, one prayer, and one day at a time. Psalm 91 does not merely describe someone who occasionally visits God when life becomes painful. It describes someone who dwells in God’s shelter.

To dwell means to remain, stay, and make a home. In recovery, we must decide where our minds, hearts, and spirits will live. We can return to the familiar shelters of addiction, anger, fear, isolation, shame, and self-reliance—or we can make the Most High our dwelling place.

God does not promise that we will never face trouble. He promises, “I will be with him in trouble.” Recovery does not remove every temptation, consequence, painful memory, or difficult emotion. But we no longer face them alone.

God Is Our Refuge

Addiction often presents itself as a refuge. It promises temporary relief from pain, rejection, trauma, anxiety, loneliness, or shame. But what first appears to offer shelter eventually becomes a prison.

God offers a different refuge. His presence does not numb us; it strengthens us. His truth does not help us escape reality; it gives us the courage to face it. His love does not destroy our lives; it restores them.

Today we can say:

“The Lord is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

This is more than a comforting statement. It is a declaration of surrender. We are admitting that our old ways could not save us and that we need God’s protection, direction, and strength.

Protection From the Snare

A snare is a hidden trap. In recovery, snares can appear as:

* The thought that one drink or one use will not matter.
* Returning to unhealthy people or places.
* Resentment that we refuse to release.
* Isolation and secrecy.
* Pride that tells us we no longer need help.
* Shame that tells us we are beyond forgiveness.
* Discouragement that makes us want to quit.

God can reveal the trap before we step into it. His Word helps us recognize the lies that once controlled us. Prayer slows us down long enough to make a different decision. Honest fellowship brings hidden struggles into the light.

When temptation comes, we do not have to fight alone. We can stop, pray, contact someone trustworthy, leave the situation, and remember what God has already delivered us from.

Facing the Terror of Night

Nighttime can be difficult in recovery. The distractions become quiet, while regrets, fear, loneliness, cravings, and painful memories become louder. Psalm 91 reminds us that we do not have to fear the terror of night.

God is present during the restless hours. When the mind begins replaying the past or predicting disaster, we can return to His truth. Feelings are real, but they are not always reliable. Fear may speak loudly, but it does not have the final authority.

We can pray:

“Lord, cover me. Quiet my thoughts. Protect my mind and help me remain sober, faithful, and obedient through this night.”

Under His Wings

The picture of being covered under God’s wings represents closeness, safety, and care. Recovery requires courage, but courage does not mean pretending we are never afraid. Courage means bringing our fear to God instead of returning to destructive behaviors.

God’s faithfulness becomes our shield. Our strength may rise and fall, but His faithfulness does not change. Some days we may feel strong; other days we may barely hold on. Our hope is not based solely on the strength of our emotions. It rests on the character of God.

“I Will Be With Him in Trouble”

Psalm 91 does not say that faithful people never experience trouble. It says God will be with us in trouble.

There may be consequences from our past. Relationships may require time to heal. Trust may need to be rebuilt. Mental and physical health may require treatment. We may experience grief, frustration, cravings, or setbacks.

God’s presence does not mean we ignore professional treatment, counseling, medication, accountability, or recovery support. These may be some of the very instruments He uses to protect and restore us.

Trouble is not proof that God has abandoned us. Sometimes His greatest work happens while He walks with us through the trouble.

Recovery Is Practiced Today

Psalm 91 ends with God’s promises of rescue, protection, presence, deliverance, honor, long life, and salvation. We may not know everything the future holds, but we have been given today.

Regardless of our clean time, every one of us has today.

Today we can remain under God’s covering.
Today we can tell the truth.
Today we can refuse the first drink or drug.
Today we can ask for help.
Today we can forgive.
Today we can make the next right decision.
Today we can trust God with what we cannot control.

There is no need for a Plan B that leads back to bo***ge. God is our refuge. We refuse to give up on sobriety. We refuse to surrender to temptation. We will not compromise the new life God is building within us.

Personal Reflection

1. What have I used as a false refuge when I felt afraid, rejected, angry, or alone?
2. What situation is currently threatening my peace or sobriety?
3. Are there any hidden snares—people, places, thoughts, resentments, or behaviors—that I need to recognize?
4. What practical action can I take today to remain under God’s protection?
5. Who can I contact when I am struggling instead of isolating?
6. What does it mean for me to make God my dwelling place today?

Today’s Recovery Commitment

Today, I choose to dwell in the shelter of the Most High. God is my refuge and my fortress. I will not return to the false refuge of addiction. When fear, temptation, anger, or shame comes, I will call upon the Lord and reach out for help. I cannot change yesterday, and I do not control tomorrow, but with God’s help, I will remain sober and faithful today.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

You are my refuge, my fortress, and my place of safety. I acknowledge that the things I once used to escape pain eventually brought destruction into my life. Today I choose to take shelter in You.

Protect my mind from deception, my heart from discouragement, and my body from returning to addiction. Reveal every hidden snare before I step into it. Give me the humility to ask for help, the courage to tell the truth, and the wisdom to leave situations that threaten my recovery.

When fear comes at night, cover me with Your presence. When temptation attacks during the day, remind me that I do not have to surrender. When shame speaks about my past, remind me that my identity is being restored through Your grace.

Place trustworthy people around me. Help me accept counseling, accountability, treatment, and support. Teach me to practice recovery one day at a time.

Thank You for being with me in trouble. Thank You for hearing me when I call. Continue delivering me from bo***ge and leading me into freedom. May the life You are restoring become a testimony of Your faithfulness.

Today I make You my dwelling place. Regardless of how much clean time I have, I receive the gift and responsibility of today.

In Jesus’ name, amen