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

Its Time to Turn: Remembering 9/11 in a Divided World

A reflection on the shadow of 9/11, our collective memory shift from unity to division, and we must the season.

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.

Fly on, Thunderbird, Fly & the Quiet Riot in My Soul

I've worked on this message for a year, but it's really DECADES in the making. Whether to post it or not has had countless reconsiderations, but WTH, here it goes... BUT, before I dive in, please know this is NOT a cry for help, sympathy, or attention. Quite the...

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.

In the pursuit of revenge, even in the achievement of it, we are visible to a watching world. God has commanded us to build up one another rather than seeking vengeance. But why should we serve those we would rather make pay?

The Sweetest Revenge is Actually No Revenge at All

Revenge would surely be mine. I didn’t care if it was served cold or otherwise. I certainly would have my revenge. In fact, it was now THE thing most present on my mind. Just a few moments longer and a little bit of maneuvering. And then I would have it. My sweet,...

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You’re fooling yourself when you think you have all the answers or you long for the addictive fillings provided by a corrupt world. When something is missing in your life, don’t ignore the ambiguous groanings and long for God’s will.

How to Quit Fooling Yourself for Really Knowing Your Heart

Are you fooling yourself? It’s an honest question, but one that is hard to answer. Along with it comes other questions. For instance, how do you know you are fooling yourself? And how might we get awareness of fooling ourselves? It’s really no simple matter, but it is...

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Communion with God is a personal moment that’s vital to your being. It impacts your heart and mind as well as how you come into communion with the world he’s trusted us with serving.

Your Heart State in Communion with God and the World

Holy Communion is sort of my personal New Year or rebirth. That may sound ironically selfish, but stick with me. You see, when I have the opportunity to join with fellow believers in Holy Communion, I view it as a cleaning of the slate. A moment when I come into the...

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