Justin Franich

STORIES WORTH TELLING

Real talk about recovery, faith, and building something from nothing.

100+ ARTICLES
Can I Watch Joy?
Devotional

Can I Watch Joy?

My three-year-old doesn't ask to watch Inside Out. She asks to watch Joy.

Feb 15, 20261 min read
Has Worrying Ever Helped?
Devotional

Has Worrying Ever Helped?

Has worrying ever made your life better? Has anxiety ever solved a single problem? I can examine a small issue from 1,752 angles and turn it into a full-blown crisis by Tuesday.

Feb 15, 20261 min read
The Cost of Ministry Nobody Talks About
Addiction & Recovery

The Cost of Ministry Nobody Talks About

Twenty years of overdose calls, unanswered prayers, and friends who disappeared taught me the real cost of calling. Nobody puts that part in the brochure.

Feb 8, 20261 min read
Moving Forward in Ministry After Loss
Addiction & Recovery

Moving Forward in Ministry After Loss

Ministry transition forced us to confront a hard question: are we honoring what God did, or camping out at a memorial stone and missing what He's doing next?

Feb 6, 20261 min read
Rocco's Story: Destroyed it all in 30 days
Testimonies

Rocco's Story: Destroyed it all in 30 days

Rocco spent 17 years in addiction. He built 3.5 years of recovery, lost it in 30 days, then found his way back.

Jan 23, 20261 min read
Faith in Hard Times: When the Dream Becomes a Nightmare
Devotional

Faith in Hard Times: When the Dream Becomes a Nightmare

The dream becoming a nightmare doesn't mean God is done. It doesn't mean he forgot. It doesn't mean you heard wrong. Sometimes the nightmare is the setup for the envelope.

Jan 23, 20261 min read
For the People Who Make the Call
Ministry Updates

For the People Who Make the Call

80% of the calls we received at our residential program came from families, not the person struggling. So we rebuilt everything around that truth. Here's what's new at SVTC.info and JustinFranich.com.

Jan 19, 20261 min read
God’s Timing Feels Thin Sometimes
Devotional

God’s Timing Feels Thin Sometimes

Sometimes the phrases we reach for feel thin. Not false... just thin. This is what it sounds like to believe God has a plan and still sit in the ache of timing, loss, and questions that don't resolve.

Jan 17, 20261 min read
A Prayer for Peace of Mind When You Can't Sleep
Devotional

A Prayer for Peace of Mind When You Can't Sleep

If you're searching for peace at 2am, you're not alone. The answer might not be trying harder or faking it better. It might be laying something down.

Jan 15, 20261 min read
What Does the Bible Say About Second Chances?
Devotional

What Does the Bible Say About Second Chances?

The father wasn't waiting at the end of the driveway with his arms crossed. He was running down the road before the apology was finished. The robe is waiting. So is the ring. So are the sandals.

Jan 13, 20261 min read
Letting Go and Letting God: A Prayer for Surrender
Devotional

Letting Go and Letting God: A Prayer for Surrender

You're white-knuckling something right now. Something that's already wilting in your grip. What if the thing you're afraid to lose isn't worth keeping anyway?

Jan 11, 20261 min read
God Is in Control: Trusting Him When the Math Doesn't Work
Devotional

God Is in Control: Trusting Him When the Math Doesn't Work

The prodigal who's been gone for years. The addiction that won't break. The marriage that feels beyond repair. Is his arm too short? Pray like you believe it isn't.

Jan 10, 20261 min read
The Future Of Shenandoah Valley Teen Challenge
Ministry Updates

The Future Of Shenandoah Valley Teen Challenge

Over two decades after its founding, Shenandoah Valley Teen Challenge is transitioning from residential programming back to a community-based recovery model rooted in its original mission.

Jan 8, 20261 min read
Aaron Gordon: Finding Identity, Overcoming Low Expectations
Addiction & Recovery

Aaron Gordon: Finding Identity, Overcoming Low Expectations

Aaron Gordon grew up in Washington, DC when it was known as the murder capital of the world, and he wasn't "supposed" to make it. Instead, he defied every expectation, graduated from West Point, and built a military career. At 54, he's still discovering the layers of identity and purpose God placed in him.

Jan 1, 20261 min read
My Father Helped a Few People Get Their Lives Back
Ministry Updates

My Father Helped a Few People Get Their Lives Back

A tribute to my father, Rev. John Franich founder of Shenandoah Valley Teen Challenge and the quiet, faithful obedience that helped break a cycle in our family and restore hundreds of lives.

Dec 31, 20251 min read
God's Peace vs. World's Peace: Why Sobriety Feels Restless
After Recovery

God's Peace vs. World's Peace: Why Sobriety Feels Restless

You did the hard work-got clean, rebuilt trust, started making progress. So why do you still feel anxious and restless? This post breaks down the difference between the world's peace and God's peace, and why only one can actually restore your soul.

Dec 22, 20251 min read
I Got Clean, But That Wasn't the Hard Part
After Recovery

I Got Clean, But That Wasn't the Hard Part

A personal account of early addiction, the moment of collapse that led to help, and how identity and discipleship shaped life after getting clean.

Dec 20, 20251 min read
Breaking Free From Pornography Addiction: Wade’s Story
Addiction & Recovery

Breaking Free From Pornography Addiction: Wade’s Story

Wade shares his journey from childhood exposure to pornography through years of bondage and into lasting freedom through Scripture, fasting, and spiritual warfare.

Dec 20, 20251 min read
WHEN SOBRIETY ISN'T ENOUGH: THE JOURNEY FROM CLEAN TO FREE
After Recovery

WHEN SOBRIETY ISN'T ENOUGH: THE JOURNEY FROM CLEAN TO FREE

Many people reach sobriety yet remain trapped in shame, performance, and spiritual exhaustion. This article explores the deeper journey from being clean to experiencing true freedom through grace, surrender, and relationship with Christ.

Dec 18, 20251 min read
When Recovery Hurts More Than Addiction
After Recovery

When Recovery Hurts More Than Addiction

Nobody told me recovery might hurt worse than addiction. At 3 AM with drug dreams and racing thoughts, I was mad at myself, mad at everyone, and angry at God. The pain almost broke me before I realized it was actually healing me.

Dec 15, 20251 min read

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