The 1Glories Vision

Welcome to 1Glories, the creative and publishing hub for Chad Gramling. Through captivating storytelling, history, and art, Chad bridges the past and present to inspire a more thoughtful, creative future.

Tulips - Flowers Listening Up

Insights and Inspirations

Father’s Day Reflection and Legacy Letter to My Beautiful Baby Girls

On this Father’s Day, I’m pouring my heart out to my daughters in a message about the past, unfair forks in the road, and my deepest wishes for their futures.

Elvis, Hulk Hogan, and… Me

I am no superhero or king. But I do confess I miss the days when my wife and little girls thought I might be one, or at least lead me to feel like one. Unfortunately, 2026 has mostly served up to yours truly, a lot of kryptonite, yellow, loud sounds, and…

Hey God! Dave Mustaine Made the Soundtrack to My Midlife Meltdown

The greatest dream of my life has been the family I was blessed to build. But lately, as the sharpness of youth dulls and my children use the very wings I fought to give them, I find myself in a painful new season. In the quiet insecurity of a changing life, an unexpected heavy metal anthem has become my ultimate prayer.

Ending My Purposeful Pause from Blogging and More

Growth often requires a purposeful pause. A few years ago, I stepped away from writing online to focus on some massive shifts in my professional, personal, and civic life—from stepping into an exciting new season leading an incredible Business Intelligence team to finally drafting a historical fiction novel two decades in the making. I’m returning to the keyboard with a more grounded perspective on community, leadership, faith, and resilience.

The Coming New Digital Hell

Many technophobes experience a personal digital hell on a daily basis. But, fast forward 100 years to a fully digitized society. Physical newspapers and magazines have ceased to exist. Books are all nestled within the Applazon Cloud by monopolizing the rights when the…

A Community’s Legacy of Change

I recently sat on the outside patio of the Auburn, Indiana Starbucks, pondering historical legacy in the context of community. Many years ago, as a teenager, this very spot might have been where I experienced the first garlicy joys of Fazoli’s breadsticks. Before…

Welcome to My Last “Blog Post”

Have you noticed I don’t post on my blog at 1Glories all that often any longer? Here’s why: it became a distraction. If you’ve ever blogged and tried to do so, you know that chasing visits, clicks, optimizing for search and such is exhausting! The blogger has to have…

When Being Teachable Takes More Humility than Smarts

Early in my career, an email changed my life by helping me realize I was unteachable. Thankfully, I took it to heart and have grown more than I ever would have had it not been sent.

What it Means to Take the Fork in the Road

Baseball had just lost one of its greatest personalities with the passing of Yogi Berra when I originally wrote this post in 2015. In addition to being a great player, manager, and war veteran, Berra was well-known for his Yogi-isms. Upon first hearing many, they…

Should we lament? What does lament even mean? Here are some thoughts, and a poem of Lament I wrote, called Desperate Faith.

Must We Lament? How Can We Not Lament?

It’s good to lament. Or maybe not. Who knows? Maybe we better back up and first ask “what does it mean to lament?” To answer that, let’s consult Got Questions, where they say: To lament is to express deep regret, grief, or sorrow. We can lament through words or…

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Ever consider Christian death? Doubtful, but those things that influence us, carry forward our attitudes and life into eternal directions. Which direction are they guiding you?

Christian Living, Christian Death, and the Eternal Flow

A post about Christian death is a hard one to draft. As is the case with most, this post culminated in much more than I intended when I started studying it, praying over it, and observing society around me. I also find that I have been in a very gray season of life….

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In Thrive in Retirement, Eric Thurman helps readers get the most of their third season of life. However, it’s practical and timeless advice that’s inspired by countless sources of wisdom is applicable to any season and is a must read for anyone who’s ready to take control and define the rest of their life.

Fully Living Every Life Season – a Review of Thrive in Retirement by Eric Thurman

I have always viewed life in terms of life seasons. Eric Thurman has written a guide to help retirees gain the most of their “third season.” However, Thrive in Retirement: Simple Secrets for Being Happy for the Rest of Your Life offers timeless wisdom is…

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