tonyroberts, Author at Delight in Disorder

My Life Now — Plain and Simple

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what life had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” — Henry David Thoreau, Walden. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” — James 4:10, Holy Bible (NIV) I have come to live in a cabin beside sheep, cows, and pigs with my companion lab Briley on the property of my loving family. I will begin each day with prayer and meditation. Six days a week I will pray with the faithful at St. Joseph the Worker. I will make deliveries for Summit View Ag (my family’s farm) to Amish and Mennonite brethren. At mid-day I will sit down to a farm fresh meal prepared by my daughter. My son in law will [...]

My Life Now — Plain and Simpletonyroberts2025-05-08T00:06:40-04:00

A Lost Lamb Comes Home

Friends in Faith, I write this from my Tiny House, nestled between the Catskills and Adiorondacks. I have come home after a long and arduous journey. Ophelia the Outback and I will be doing day travel in and around Upstate NY - going to daily AA meeetings and prayer services. I will serve others in recovery to preserve my own sobrieity, sanity, and serenity. I will be delighting in time with my six grandchildren and helping out the family farm by making deliveries and running errands. Most of my time, however, I will be exploring solitude something I fear like the plague. I have spent over six decades desperately craving companionship. I have used people like a drug, consuming their time and attention even as I was ostensibly caring for them. As a result, I burned out two wives and went through two trying divorces. I have done damage [...]

A Lost Lamb Comes Hometonyroberts2025-04-07T21:10:32-04:00

7 Years of Revealing Voices

On March 1, 2018 our Revealing Voices podcast debuted. Since that time we have released over 100 episodes informing and inspiring those impacted by brain illnesses and other mental health conditions, pointing to an inclusive faith as a balm to promote the healing process. This week Eric and Tony sat down miles apart geographically yet sharing one heart’s vision for episodes for the coming year. As Jake and Elwood Blues said, “We are on a mission from God.” To accomplish this mission we have gotten the (garage) band back together. Eric will continue to share Haikast episodes, blending the poetic words with words about his life pursuing mental health and overall well-being. Meanwhile, Tony will produce “Healing Stories” — testimonies of the people, places, and things that contribute to his sober, sane, and serene life. These will be laced with faith, the foundation that gives him a reason to [...]

7 Years of Revealing Voicestonyroberts2025-02-26T18:16:20-05:00

Desert Dispatches

A new devotional email series will begin next week. Starting on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025, I will be sending out spiritual reflections called "Desert Dispatches". These brief mediations on life in recovery are designed to uplift your spirit no matter where you are on your journey. If you would like to receive these messages, please use the form linked below to sign up. This will be a separate mailing list from our newsletter, and you can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time. https://delightindisorder.org/desert-dispatches/

Desert Dispatchestonyroberts2025-02-26T18:14:09-05:00

Six Months Sober, Sane, Serene

To my Delightful friends — Good News! Six months sober, sane, serene! I’ve been sober for: 0.50 Years 6.00 Months 184 Days 4,423 Hours Posted on Empower Alumni page — “As God would have it, I connected with Empower Health Group on Day 1. Y’all have journeyed with me each step of the way. Only God knows what lies ahead. I don’t know what the future holds but I know Who holds the future. And thanks be to God and those I’ve met at Empower, I know I am not alone.” Posted on Facebook — To all my FB friends who supported and continue to support me in recovery — I first accepted my Higher Power (God) over 50 years ago when I asked Jesus to be my personal Lord and Savior. Since then I have been in a desert wasteland facing many temptations to put addictions to people, [...]

Six Months Sober, Sane, Serenetonyroberts2025-02-19T13:26:40-05:00

Here I Am, Send Me

This morning I went to the midweek Eucharist service at St. James and Andrew (Greenfield, MA). Pastor Jimmy asked me to do the Isaiah 6 reading which includes the amazing transformation of the prophet from crying out, “Woe is me, I am lost.” To boldly declaring, “Here I am, send me.” Isaiah’s call is the call of every child of God. What once was lost is now found. God makes worthy what we once deemed worthless and cleanses our hearts and minds of impure motives. God presses a burning coal to our lips, inspiring us to speak the truth in love. I graduate from rehab a week from tomorrow (February 13). I will shift from treatment to recovery service in the Greenfield community, Western Mass, and beyond. I am living out my ordination vow to serve people with “intelligence, creativity, imagination, and love.” Pray for me, if you would. [...]

Here I Am, Send Metonyroberts2025-02-05T21:16:11-05:00

A Check Up From the Neck Up

It's 3 o'clock in the morning. I am listening to the Beatles while eating baked oatmeal and drinking raw milk. I am wide awake as the world sleeps. What better time than now to do an assessment of my mental health and update on Delight in Disorder Ministries? After our successful Spring/Summer Hope for Troubled Minds book tours, I returned to my Tiny House on the family farm in Upstate New York rather depleted of psychological and physical energy. I had scheduled a Sabbath rest from public speaking for the month of July. A good friend encouraged me to consider applying to present at the NAMI NY state convention in November. The application deadline was August 1. As the deadline approached, I found myself stymied by the application, almost emotionally paralyzed. I received much encouragement from friends and family. In the end, I decided to take a hiatus from [...]

A Check Up From the Neck Uptonyroberts2024-09-12T11:13:35-04:00

Head-over-Healed (and a little Jesus Crazy) by Katie R. Dale

Head-over-Healed (and a Little Jesus- Crazy) Katie R. Dale Cured from chronic crazy? By no means cured. But healed, yes. By grace, I am ever grateful for the psychiatric medications that I take on the daily. Just the other morning I perused through my old medical records from hospitalizations at 16 and 24. The zany, fanatic, maniacal ways my mind could work! I can't even read my handwriting from back then in the black and white composition notebooks I kept. Most of the manic psychosis hijacked this ability to clearly pen my thoughts, and I stand amazed at the obvious (to me now) absurdity where my mind went. It was like I had been abducted and someone else was living in my body and brain…not far from what I believed happened while in that state of mind. Suffice to say, that person no longer exists. And I am so [...]

Head-over-Healed (and a little Jesus Crazy) by Katie R. Daletonyroberts2024-09-12T11:14:10-04:00

Pick up Your Pen and Write ✍️

“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” — Martin Luther. “There is nothing so tragic as the untold story inside you.” — Maya Angelou. Writing has been part of my vocation for half a century. My writing has dropped off a good bit of late — both in terms of frequency and effectiveness. Recently I’ve been giving some thought to stepping away from my chosen/appointed vocation and finding something else to do with my time. After all, I am on disability and writing does not exactly provide me a stream of income. What difference would it make if I stopped? Couldn’t I be of better use doing something else? In lieu of just quitting, I have wandered the wilderness wasteland of Facebook. I have met many friends who have given me great support. But I have also concluded, at least for me, at least [...]

Pick up Your Pen and Write ✍️tonyroberts2024-08-26T13:03:19-04:00

“What Will Become of Me?” said my Inner Child, by Dan Staub

Today's blog post is written by my friend, Dan Staub, who wrote this as part of a memoir class. Tony I am afraid to tell my story. Many times I have shared anecdotes about my life in some relevant conversational situation but there is no way I can tell MY STORY. One reason for my hesitation is that my story is very much still in progress. Another reason is that my remaining living siblings would object to, I imagine, my interpretation of our family's history. The risk of pushback against and criticism of my voice speaking in this world prevents me from sharing my story with those whom it may help. Timidity. Anxiety. Cowardice. There are true details in my story that contradict what are seen as acceptable, normal and allowable behaviors. The consequent problems and my DIY solutions, for better or for worse, also defy convention. The miracles are [...]

“What Will Become of Me?” said my Inner Child, by Dan Staubtonyroberts2024-08-26T13:03:19-04:00

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