Category Archives: Trials

Matthew Perry

On Matthew Perry

I’m by no means an expert in all that happened in the life of Matthew Perry, but after seeing his interview with Diane Sawyer, I am convinced that he genuinely wanted to help people…he was reaching out to anyone struggling with addiction or mental illness.

At the time of my post, we don’t yet know the exact cause of death, but his passing compels me to think deeply, search my heart, and learn from his life.

Matthew Perry spent close to 9 million dollars and 25 years fighting the addiction. He revealed in his 2022 autobiography, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir,” that he attended 6,000 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and entered rehab 15 times. Perry wrote of the loneliness he experienced during his cycles of substance abuse and recovery.

It’s heartbreaking to think that a person with so much “success” could live such a life. I’m praying for his family, fans, and friends. I hope, like Matthew, we all have a heart to help people who are struggling. 

As a pastor I would simply point you to Jesus. Not the religious one, the real One. On August 20, 1989 the real Jesus set me free from 9 years of drug and alcohol addiction, He literally healed my broken heart.

If you’re out there and you need help, please – don’t hesitate to call upon the name of the Lord, you can do that now. Then reach out to a Christian Church or friend…as Matthew said in the interview, none of us can do this alone. Feel free to message me, we’re here to help (Galatians 6:1-2).

Your brother in Christ,

Manny


“I started to cry. I mean, I really started to cry – that shoulder-shaking kind of uncontrollable weeping. I wasn’t crying because I was sad. I was crying because, for the first time in my life, I felt OK. I felt safe, taken care of. Decades of struggling with God, and wrestling with life, and sadness, all was being washed away, like a river of pain gone into oblivion.”

– Matthew Perry

My High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure
On September 30, 2008 I was diagnosed with extremely high blood pressure (170/100).
At first I wasn’t going to mention this in my blog, but after talking this over with the Lord, I sensed it was something He wants me to chronicle.  This blog is for God’s glory, and this diagnosis is something He is using in my life.
I’m not sure (from a physical standpoint) why my blood pressure is so high (I have another appointment on the 23rd).  My cholesterol levels are good, and I don’t “feel” stressed; I’m only slightly overweight (I’ve shed 7 pounds in the last 2 weeks).  The doctor says it might be genetic (hereditary).
What I am sure of, however, is that God has used this to speak volumes to my heart, here’s a few things off the top of my head.
1. I need to live every day as if it were my last (the doctor said my condition is “dangerous”).
2. I need to appreciate so much more, the life, the love, the family, the people I have been so graciously surrounded with.
3. I need to slow down, take walks (talks) with the family, and in a holy way, enjoy every moment God gives.
This whole thing is an answer to prayer…I have always wanted “more of God in my life.”   It’s sad to say, but such a desire usually requires trials, wake-up calls; our world needs to be rocked.
“Thank You Lord. Please have Your hand on my heart.”
“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12