Hell on Earth and the Webs in Which We Exist
“Chad, every day can be a literal hell on earth, and it will never even begin to compare to the joys of heaven.” A good friend of mine shared this little bit of wisdom with me many years ago, and I have not once forgotten it. It’s been a refrain of perseverance during...
Your Kingdom Come And The Multitude Of Nations Who Shall Enter It
In modeling the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to seek “Your Kingdom Come.” This is probably viewed by most as a bringing of Heaven to earth. In other words, it’s something we long for in a future tense. What is forgotten or ignored, though, is the present perspective...
Can We Forget About Theology And Just Learn About God?
This will hurt (and perhaps offend) some people, but I’ll get right to the point: I hate the word “theology.” It’s a super churchy word that probably keeps more people from God rather than drawing them closer to him. The very moment I hear the word, I get visions of...
Are You Okay Wasting Time When You Can Be a Part of Something Bigger?
He feared he was wasting time. It was New Year’s Eve in 1972 and Roberto Clemente boarded a plane intended to bring aid to Nicaragua following a terrible earthquake. It was overloaded, but was determined to get supplies to the quarter-million lives that were now...
To Live Fully Alive, You Must Do More than Exist
How can we be fully alive? I mean really and truly fully alive? There are many ways we go about making it happen. And we might even think we are doing it. Yet, the contentment, satisfaction, and good feelings that made us that way eventually fade. Sometimes it’s...
POEM: Life Seasons Past… and Yet Ahead
I’ve long thought of life in the context of life seasons. Probably a throwback to The Outsiders and Robert Frost’s Nothing Gold Can Stay. The other night, as I was sitting outdoors while effectively commemorating the end of Labor Day weekend. I observed my...
How Do I Live a Refining Life, On Purpose?
What do you mean by “refining life, on purpose” – I get that question from time to time. And I understand why. It’s a bit ambiguous. At core level, it’s about personal development. In a deeper sense, it’s about the personal development of character and the...
A Better Attitude for I’m Not Even Supposed to Be Here Today
One of the most famous quotes from the Kevin Smith classic movie, Clerks, is Dante’s oft-cited refrain of “I’m not even supposed to be here today.” After being forced into work on what he thought was his day off, it’s the go-to mantra that’s quick to mind and just as...
The Real Purpose for Mastering the Sword
Hello. My name is Chad Gramling. I serve my father. I’m prepared to die. Inigo Montoya teaches us all about the qualities of perseverance, passion, and focus. So dedicated to his purpose (to avenge his father’s death), he dedicated his life to mastering the sword so...
The Secret Reasons Why You Won’t Succeed
I am more afraid of success than I am of failure. There. I said it. It’s something I have long-known to be true, but always shove under the rug and pretend doesn’t exist. I have always been a driven person, prone to dreaming and envisioning a day when all...