Posts

The Quiet Joy of Gratitude

Image
Gratitude is joy in its most mature form. It doesn’t sparkle or shout; it hums quietly beneath the surface of our days. It is the joy that remains when life has stripped away everything unnecessary and left only what is real. Gratitude begins when we stop measuring what we lack and start noticing what we have — breath, light, companionship, mercy. It is not blind optimism; it is clear‑eyed wonder. It sees the cracks and still finds beauty in them. It looks at ordinary things — a cup of coffee, a kind word, a sunrise — and recognizes them as gifts. This kind of joy doesn’t depend on circumstance. It grows from awareness. When we practice gratitude, we begin to see grace everywhere: in the patience of others, in the resilience of our own hearts, in the quiet ways God sustains us. Gratitude turns survival into celebration. And the more we live in gratitude, the more our joy becomes steady. It doesn’t rise and fall with fortune; it abides. It becomes a way of seeing — a lens through which ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Publisher's Pride: Books on Bestseller Lists - Andrew's Awesome Adventures with His ADHD Brain (Wilcox)

Image
  Today's publisher's pride is  Andrew's Awesome Adventures with His ADHD Brain   by Kristin and Andrew Wilcox, which reached #151 in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. From Amazon: Customers find the book provides brilliant insight into inattentive ADHD, with one customer noting it's a wonderful informative read for children with the condition. The book is easy to read and customers consider it a must-read. They appreciate its pacing, with one customer mentioning it's perfect for both parents and teachers. Book description: In this two-part book Andrew and his neuroscientist mom each tell their story about living with the inattentive subtype of ADHD. How do you survive life and middle school with an ADHD elephant in your brain? Kids with ADHD will relate to Andrew's reactions to everyday and school-related situations, like remembering to turn in homework, staying organized, and making friends. Using practical strategies Andrew learns to manage his A...
Post a Comment
Read more

Precerpt from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary: ✏️ The Paraplegic Who Outlifts the Able‑Bodied: What Strength Really Looks Like

Image
  My daughter is paraplegic. Her lower body does nothing — like it isn’t there. And yet, at 50, she can: do pull‑ups do high‑rep bicep curls transfer her body weight with ease stabilize herself with a core most people would envy She carries the “dead weight” of her lower body every time she moves. Every transfer is a weighted dip. Every shift is a stabilization drill. Every reach is a functional lift. Meanwhile, the average 30‑year‑old cannot do: a single pull‑up a single push‑up a single glute bridge a single squat a single floor‑to‑stand without using hands So yes — a paraplegic 50‑year‑old can be stronger than an able‑bodied 30‑year‑old. Not because the world is upside down. Because the world has forgotten how to move. (And yes, I found this hard to believe, but the research is there!) Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary  is the inspiring true story of a septuagenarian grandmother who dared to dream big—by training for  American Ninja Warrior . Teaming up with her coach and...
Post a Comment
Read more

Morning Prayer: "a great king above all gods"

Image
  From Morning Prayer: “For the Lord is a great God, a great king above all gods.” (Psalm 95:3) Other gods??! 🕊️ 1. What Psalm 95 actually says This is typical biblical language. It appears all over the Psalms and the prophets. the “other gods” in Psalm 95 are not real gods. They are the so‑called gods of the nations—idols, spiritual powers, or rival claims to divinity—named only to declare that Israel’s God is sovereign over all of them . 🕊️ 2. Why the Bible talks this way: the ancient world was full of gods Israel lived in a world where every nation had its own pantheon: Egypt had Ra, Isis, Osiris Canaan had Baal, Asherah, Molech Mesopotamia had Marduk, Ishtar, Enlil When the Psalms say “gods,” they are referring to these —the deities the surrounding cultures worshipped. The biblical writers speak into that world using its vocabulary, but they do something bold: they dethrone every one of those gods. 🕊️ 3. Three layers of meaning in the Old Testament The Old Testament uses...
Post a Comment
Read more