Gary has suffered from addictions for many years. Gary has worked in detox, adult and adolescence residential programs, and in community mental health. Gary is a graduate of Denver Seminary and is a LCPC (Idaho) and MAC (National – Master Addiction Counselor) Gary lives in Eagle, Idaho, with his wife, Lynda, with whom he shares the joy of hiking, birdwatching, and just sitting in the backyard enjoying their garden.
Recent Blog Posts
Who am I? I believe this one question haunts all of us. Some may say the struggle to find ourselves starts when we are born. Others say it starts when we enter Junior or Senior high school. Many still struggle with this question as adults. Some go through life finding a lot of success, so…
All of us have asked this question during our lives. I was talking to someone about this topic today. I asked them what does it mean to be special? They answered by saying we have a special talent or gift that makes us different from everyone else. I thought that’s a good answer. So often…
Welcome to the Hope in the Madness Blog! I am Gary Ackert, the author of Hope in the Madness. I struggled with addiction most of my life and have worked with many who have also struggled with addiction. I have experienced many things during my journey. Some positive, some negative. I have been accepted with…
This book has helped me overcome my barriers to living with God’s fullness. It’s full of sage, seasoned wisdom for anybody who wants to live in God’s freedom. I highly recommend it.
Steve Vannoy
The gospel solves real problems!
Hope in the Madness is clearly written and organized, the language is accessible and personal and it steers in a consistent direction from beginning to end. Ackert lays out the Gospel accurately and carefully with very sound theology and biblical analysis. In my view, the book is an explanation of the Gospel that could be helpful for anyone, addict or not. In fact, I was expecting to hear more about addiction and the “practical” tools for dealing with it. Instead he focuses on the Lordship of Christ and lets Him do the work!Placing the full scripture texts at the end of each chapter was a nice move. It gives the readers ready access to them and they can dig a little deeper if they want to.
I also appreciate Gary’s candor about his own struggles. On the one hand I was sorry to hear about his pain but on the other hand it has given him empathy and wisdom to help others that most of us don’t have.
Thank you so much for this work!
Adonye Fubara
Gary Ackert, Author 