THURSDAY ~ RAINY DAYS CARRY BLESSINGS This morning the rain is pouring down here on Long Island. After weeks of snow and cold weather, the sound of rain falling feels almost comforting. I can actually see the snow beginning to melt, little by little, as the warmer rain does its quiet work. It’s funny how something that looks gloomy outside can actually be doing something very good beneath the surface. My morning started the way it usually does — with my BodyShot. Every time I take it, I get this wonderful feeling of wellness and energy that seems to move through my whole body. It’s like my body wakes up and says, “Okay, we’re ready for the day.” Today will be a full one. I’m taking my daughter for her MRI appointment, and afterward we’ll run a few errands — the post office, the bank, and of course a stop at Walmart for the usual everyday things that keep life moving along. Nothing extraordinary. Just ordinary life. But I’ve learned that these simple days — the errands, the responsibilities, the quiet moments between them — are often where God shows up the most. REFLECTION Rainy days remind me that not everything that looks gray is bad. Sometimes the rain is exactly what the earth needs. It softens the ground. It melts what has been frozen. It prepares the soil for new growth. Our lives are often like that too. There are seasons when things feel heavy, uncertain, or inconvenient — like driving through rain when you’d rather see sunshine. But often those very seasons are when God is quietly doing His most important work in us. Melting old fears. Softening hardened places in our hearts. Preparing us for something new. So today, instead of wishing the rain away, I’m choosing to see it as a blessing. A reminder that even gray skies can carry God’s quiet goodness. PRAYER Heavenly Father, Thank You for this new day, even when it begins with rain. Thank You for the way You work quietly in our lives, often in ways we cannot immediately see or understand. Just as the rain melts the snow and prepares the earth for new growth, help us trust that You are preparing good things in our lives as well.

In the mid 1990s in Fort Worth Texas area, I was working for American Airlines as their Eagle Pilot Recruiter. I was reinventing myself for the hundredth time.. in a scattered frame of mind, I somehow got told to read this book.. And it changed my life, again "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. A classic well written book about the true story of the author surviving the terrors of German Concentration Camp during WW2. Man's Search for Meaning is a 1946 book by Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, that combines his memoir of life in Nazi concentration camps with an introduction to his psychotherapeutic method, logo therapy. The book argues that the primary human drive is the search for meaning, and that individuals can find purpose even in immense suffering by choosing their attitude, completing tasks, or loving another person, thereby finding a "why" to live for. It has become a classic of existential literature, offering profound insights into human resilience and the will to survive. His findings showed that while some easily perished from the challenges of inhumane incarceration, others found a way to survive and endure the pain and injustices because they have a PURPOSE and DREAM that was unfulfilled waiting back "home". It showed the strength each of us possess when all hope is lost. Striving and working toward a goal, no matter how big or small, defines us and shows us why we are here. The mere mention of this book brings tears to my eyes as I remember a dark place and a way forward. If anyone has lost hope, felt uncertain, or felt lost, even for a short time, this book will save your life. It saved mine, many times. Enjoy. Grandma Grady (Those are my "Top Shelf" books of my favorites in the photos below):

She beat cancer twice—then did something Hollywood celebrities never do: she told the truth about what comes after. Her name is Kathy Bates. Long before illness rewrote part of her story, she was already a force in American cinema. By the early 1990s, she'd claimed an Academy Award for Best Actress with a performance in Misery so controlled and terrifying it secured her place in film history. She became known not for glamour, but for something rarer: women who were sharp, complex, and impossible to ignore. Then ovarian cancer arrived in 2003. Quietly. Privately. She told almost no one. Treatment happened away from headlines and press cycles. For nine years, the public didn't know. Not because of shame—but because she refused to let illness eclipse her craft. She didn't want to become a story about survival instead of an actor doing the work. Then came 2012. Breast cancer this time, and a double mastectomy at sixty-three. The physical changes were irreversible. The cultural expectations around women's bodies—especially older women in Hollywood—were unforgiving. Kathy Bates made a choice that cut against every industry instinct: she told the truth. Both cancers. Both recoveries. No performance of gratitude. Just facts, stated plainly. And then she did something even rarer. She talked about lymphedema. Most people have never heard the word. It's a chronic condition that happens when lymph nodes are damaged or removed during cancer treatment. The lymphatic system can't drain properly, causing painful swelling—often permanent—usually in the arms. It limits mobility. It causes fatigue. It increases infection risk. It requires lifelong management. And it's almost never discussed. After surgery, Bates developed lymphedema in both arms. Compression sleeves became part of daily life. So did physical therapy, constant monitoring, and navigating pain. Many survivors aren't warned in advance. Many don't learn the word until they're already living with it. So Kathy Bates said it out loud.

This is my Personal Morning Prayer Good morning, Lord. Thank You that I can feel my breath. That I can hear the birdies singing. That I am awake, aware, and alive. Today, Lord, I ask You to drown out the noise — the outside voices, the inner chatter — and remind me how happy You want me to be. So today, I am asking Your permission to do what makes Debra happy. And I promise, I will always ask You if it makes You happy too. Thank You for allowing me to hear Your Voice. I've learned to recognize Your Voice over the years, I will know in my spirit if You approve or not. Let me hear only Your Voice today, I pray. As I breathe in the soft, familiar fragrance of the perfume I’ve worn for over fifty years —a scent that smells like me —I’m reminded You have known me through every season of my life. Now, as I slowly open my eyes, I pray reverently that I will see every person eye to eye that you put in my path today the way You see them. Lord, You give me plenty of resources and opportunities. Help me recognize them. Help me notice the God-winks,the quiet nudges,the divine appointments hidden inside ordinary moments. Give me courage to obey quickly when You prompt me. Let me not hesitate when You are moving. And when this day is done, Lord, whisper to me before I fall asleep: “Well done, My good and faithful servant.I entrusted you with My gifts,and you used them wisely and faithfully.” You said if I am faithful over a few things, You will entrust me with more and invite me to enter into the joy of the Lord. I can’t imagine what the Joy of the Lord will be like…but I long for it. I long for eternal fellowship with You. Send Your Holy Spirit — my Helper —to guide me, steady me, and help me use my gifts wisely and faithfully today. Amen. Grandma Grady

FRIDAY ~ FAVOR, FAITH & CELEBRATION Early morning today. Earlier than my usual 5:00 a.m. The house is still quiet. Darkness just beginning to soften at the edges of the sky. There’s an energy in the air. Not nervous. Not anxious.Just… anticipation. Today is Friday the 13th. A date that has never carried superstition for me.Years ago, on a Friday the 13th, I found a $20 bill. Since then, I always find something — a penny, a dime, a dollar — and I smile. My little “money from Heaven” reminder. One and three. Lucky numbers for me. My birthdate backwards. My My baby sister born on the 13th. Move-in dates. New jobs. Fresh beginnings. The 13th has always whispered favor to me — not fear. And today…today is a big one. Tonight is Night to Shine 2026. 👑✨ Over 970 churches. All 50 states. Over 70 countries. Thousands and thousands of Kings and Queens being celebrated. I’ve been up early because my heart is already there. With the gowns.The corsages.The red carpets.The parents wiping tears.The volunteers cheering. There is something so holy about celebrating someone the world often overlooks. And as I sip my coffee this morning, I think about how interesting it is —that a day many call “unlucky” is a day I have always associated with blessing. Perspective changes everything. TODAY’S REFLECTION What if the date you feared is actually marked for favor? What if the label you’ve accepted isn’t the truth at all? God has a way of turning what others call unlucky into something deeply beautiful. PRAYER God, Thank You for reframing things in my life. For turning superstition into celebration. For marking my days with quiet reminders that You are in control. Tonight, as thousands of special needs Kings and Queens are honored across the world, let Your joy flood every room. Let parents feel seen. Let volunteers feel purposeful. Let every child feel crowned, cherished, and adored. Help us remember that You determine favor — not a date on a calendar. And if today is marked with blessing, help us recognize it.