Read the Spirit
@readthespirit.bsky.social
Read the Spirit Books is an imprint of Front Edge Publishing and a weekly on-line magazine with a network of writers who have respected voices in religion and spirituality.
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Are you a Read the Spirit subscriber? Do you receive our Monday morning newsletter? Why not start your week with a faithful look at religion throughout our world? Become a subscriber today. readthespirit.com/home/ #diversity #inclusion #spirituality
A few months after heart surgery, Rodney Curtis climbs the tallest slide on a brand-new playground while his grandgirlies shriek with delight. Then come the hugs. A sweet two-minute read.
buff.ly/NFW8Rao
#Grandparents #Gratitude #Writing
buff.ly/NFW8Rao
#Grandparents #Gratitude #Writing
Joy - RodneyCurtis.com
Screeches of happiness from four brilliant souls, none of them older than five, as they run to greet me.
rodneycurtis.com
September 16, 2026 at 1:53 PM
A few months after heart surgery, Rodney Curtis climbs the tallest slide on a brand-new playground while his grandgirlies shriek with delight. Then come the hugs. A sweet two-minute read.
buff.ly/NFW8Rao
#Grandparents #Gratitude #Writing
buff.ly/NFW8Rao
#Grandparents #Gratitude #Writing
He was 9 when a teacher told him God decides who lives and who dies. The nightmares lasted years.
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff on how he stopped fearing the thunderbolt.
buff.ly/mUpc7GS
#YomKippur
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff on how he stopped fearing the thunderbolt.
buff.ly/mUpc7GS
#YomKippur
Yom Kippur reminds us that God cares—and so should we
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff, author of the bestselling The Best Day, writes about how the heart of Yom Kippur is an annual reminder of compassion.
readthespirit.com
September 14, 2026 at 9:32 PM
He was 9 when a teacher told him God decides who lives and who dies. The nightmares lasted years.
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff on how he stopped fearing the thunderbolt.
buff.ly/mUpc7GS
#YomKippur
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff on how he stopped fearing the thunderbolt.
buff.ly/mUpc7GS
#YomKippur
One chapter of Roosevelt Park Rising left @douglasbrouwer.bsky.social in tears. He had to put the book down twice.
His review is also a reckoning with the Grand Rapids he grew up in.
buff.ly/gZPbfhM
#BookSky #ChristianMemoir
His review is also a reckoning with the Grand Rapids he grew up in.
buff.ly/gZPbfhM
#BookSky #ChristianMemoir
Roosevelt Park Rising: A Review
A reckoning with the Grand Rapids I thought I knew
dougsblog.substack.com
September 13, 2026 at 1:53 PM
One chapter of Roosevelt Park Rising left @douglasbrouwer.bsky.social in tears. He had to put the book down twice.
His review is also a reckoning with the Grand Rapids he grew up in.
buff.ly/gZPbfhM
#BookSky #ChristianMemoir
His review is also a reckoning with the Grand Rapids he grew up in.
buff.ly/gZPbfhM
#BookSky #ChristianMemoir
"More than a memoir, but an inspiration for everyone."
Fourth five-star review for The Best Day, out now from Read the Spirit Books.
#TheBestDay #BestDayProject
Fourth five-star review for The Best Day, out now from Read the Spirit Books.
#TheBestDay #BestDayProject
September 12, 2026 at 1:53 PM
"More than a memoir, but an inspiration for everyone."
Fourth five-star review for The Best Day, out now from Read the Spirit Books.
#TheBestDay #BestDayProject
Fourth five-star review for The Best Day, out now from Read the Spirit Books.
#TheBestDay #BestDayProject
25 years after 9/11, many Muslim Americans are still asked to prove they belong. In a new Faith Commons essay, the Rev. Dr. George A. Mason asks why, and answers with Ezekiel, Lincoln, and Baptist founder Roger Williams.
"America has always been a nation of nations."
buff.ly/NQcnsPW #September11
"America has always been a nation of nations."
buff.ly/NQcnsPW #September11
Who Belongs Here? – Faith Commons
This month marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of an event that shook our nation to the core. A quarter century after the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City, Arlington, Virginia, and…
faithcommons.org
September 11, 2026 at 9:32 PM
25 years after 9/11, many Muslim Americans are still asked to prove they belong. In a new Faith Commons essay, the Rev. Dr. George A. Mason asks why, and answers with Ezekiel, Lincoln, and Baptist founder Roger Williams.
"America has always been a nation of nations."
buff.ly/NQcnsPW #September11
"America has always been a nation of nations."
buff.ly/NQcnsPW #September11
Karleton Fyfe was 31 and aboard the first plane to hit the World Trade Center. His uncle, Bill Tammeus, marks 25 years with a hard question: why does the US still not understand terrorism?
buff.ly/2djXkh9
#BookSky #September11
buff.ly/2djXkh9
#BookSky #September11
25 years after the 9/11 attacks, the US still doesn’t understand terrorism | Opinion
Bill Tammeus’ family lost Karleton Fyfe on that fateful day. Our government hasn’t done the serious, lasting work to prevent future violence. | Opinion
www.kansascity.com
September 11, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Karleton Fyfe was 31 and aboard the first plane to hit the World Trade Center. His uncle, Bill Tammeus, marks 25 years with a hard question: why does the US still not understand terrorism?
buff.ly/2djXkh9
#BookSky #September11
buff.ly/2djXkh9
#BookSky #September11
First review of The Best Day is in, and it's five stars.
"This book is balm for the soul."
Out now from Read the Spirit Books.
#TheBestDay #BestDayProject #booksky
"This book is balm for the soul."
Out now from Read the Spirit Books.
#TheBestDay #BestDayProject #booksky
September 9, 2026 at 1:53 PM
First review of The Best Day is in, and it's five stars.
"This book is balm for the soul."
Out now from Read the Spirit Books.
#TheBestDay #BestDayProject #booksky
"This book is balm for the soul."
Out now from Read the Spirit Books.
#TheBestDay #BestDayProject #booksky
The Best Day: A Memoir of Finding Joy, Inspiration, Resilience, and Hope by Joseph H. Krakoff publishes today.
True stories from a hospice chaplain about what people find on the other side of their hardest day.
Hardcover, softcover, and ebook.
#bestdayproject #booksky
True stories from a hospice chaplain about what people find on the other side of their hardest day.
Hardcover, softcover, and ebook.
#bestdayproject #booksky
September 8, 2026 at 9:32 PM
The Best Day: A Memoir of Finding Joy, Inspiration, Resilience, and Hope by Joseph H. Krakoff publishes today.
True stories from a hospice chaplain about what people find on the other side of their hardest day.
Hardcover, softcover, and ebook.
#bestdayproject #booksky
True stories from a hospice chaplain about what people find on the other side of their hardest day.
Hardcover, softcover, and ebook.
#bestdayproject #booksky
Teshuvah is often translated "return." Rabbi Lenore Bohm makes the case for "turning" instead: not nostalgia, but curiosity. Moses turned aside at the bush, and that's when God called him by name.
bit.ly/rts-turning
#HighHolyDays #Teshuvah #Interfaith
bit.ly/rts-turning
#HighHolyDays #Teshuvah #Interfaith
https://bit.ly/rts-turning
bit.ly
September 1, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Teshuvah is often translated "return." Rabbi Lenore Bohm makes the case for "turning" instead: not nostalgia, but curiosity. Moses turned aside at the bush, and that's when God called him by name.
bit.ly/rts-turning
#HighHolyDays #Teshuvah #Interfaith
bit.ly/rts-turning
#HighHolyDays #Teshuvah #Interfaith
@billtammeus.bsky.social has written about clergy for decades. His new review of Roosevelt Park Rising recommends the Rev. Dr. Reginald Smith's memoir to congregation members of any tradition who want to understand how churches are led and why some do not survive.
buff.ly/jqeAkFa #booksky
buff.ly/jqeAkFa #booksky
The work clergy do sometimes brings sharp critiques and trouble
A pastor's new book describes some highs but many lows
billtammeus429970.substack.com
August 28, 2026 at 1:53 PM
@billtammeus.bsky.social has written about clergy for decades. His new review of Roosevelt Park Rising recommends the Rev. Dr. Reginald Smith's memoir to congregation members of any tradition who want to understand how churches are led and why some do not survive.
buff.ly/jqeAkFa #booksky
buff.ly/jqeAkFa #booksky
New review of The Best Day in San Diego Jewish World: Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel calls Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff's hospice memoir "honest about pain, stubborn about hope."
buff.ly/1j6KIAJ
#bestdayproject #booksky
buff.ly/1j6KIAJ
#bestdayproject #booksky
Long-time chaplain draws inspiration from the dying – San Diego Jewish World
There is a Jewish story everywhere!
www.sdjewishworld.com
August 27, 2026 at 9:32 PM
New review of The Best Day in San Diego Jewish World: Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel calls Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff's hospice memoir "honest about pain, stubborn about hope."
buff.ly/1j6KIAJ
#bestdayproject #booksky
buff.ly/1j6KIAJ
#bestdayproject #booksky
The rakhi goes on the right wrist, the hand of giving and blessing. A reminder to think before acting.
Stephanie Fenton on Raksha Bandhan, Friday, Aug. 28:
buff.ly/h49ykPo #RakshaBandhan #Rakhi #HinduFestivals #IndianCulture #SiblingLove #Tilak #GulabJamun
Stephanie Fenton on Raksha Bandhan, Friday, Aug. 28:
buff.ly/h49ykPo #RakshaBandhan #Rakhi #HinduFestivals #IndianCulture #SiblingLove #Tilak #GulabJamun
Raksha Bandhan: India, Hindu communities honor brother-sister relationships - Religious Holidays
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28: In India and across Hindu communities worldwide, the sacred bonds between brothers and sisters are honored today, on Raksha Bandhan. Over many centuries, the rakhi often gifted on…
readthespirit.com
August 27, 2026 at 1:53 PM
The rakhi goes on the right wrist, the hand of giving and blessing. A reminder to think before acting.
Stephanie Fenton on Raksha Bandhan, Friday, Aug. 28:
buff.ly/h49ykPo #RakshaBandhan #Rakhi #HinduFestivals #IndianCulture #SiblingLove #Tilak #GulabJamun
Stephanie Fenton on Raksha Bandhan, Friday, Aug. 28:
buff.ly/h49ykPo #RakshaBandhan #Rakhi #HinduFestivals #IndianCulture #SiblingLove #Tilak #GulabJamun
We love an author collaboration. Here is a review by Bill Tammeus, author of "Love, Loss and Endurance" of David Gushee's latest book. Dr. Gushee is the author of "Changing Our Mind" along with many other books. His new book is "Job in Exile" buff.ly/gdjrXLV
The ancient book of Job continues to speak powerfully to us today
But exactly what it says is still up for debate
billtammeus429970.substack.com
August 26, 2026 at 1:53 PM
We love an author collaboration. Here is a review by Bill Tammeus, author of "Love, Loss and Endurance" of David Gushee's latest book. Dr. Gushee is the author of "Changing Our Mind" along with many other books. His new book is "Job in Exile" buff.ly/gdjrXLV
At the Roosevelt Park Rising launch, Denise L. Posie asked the Rev. Dr. Reginald Smith about the crack running across his book cover.
His answer: it is a metaphor for what we all walk into, and a reminder that "even the dust can rise."
New from @davidcrumm.bsky.social
buff.ly/Fqs7UZQ #booksky
His answer: it is a metaphor for what we all walk into, and a reminder that "even the dust can rise."
New from @davidcrumm.bsky.social
buff.ly/Fqs7UZQ #booksky
'Roosevelt Park Rising' touches souls of the book's early readers.
The story of an enthusiastic gathering of readers with the Rev. Dr. Reginald Smith to launch his memoir, Roosevelt Park Rising, in Michigan.
readthespirit.com
August 24, 2026 at 9:32 PM
At the Roosevelt Park Rising launch, Denise L. Posie asked the Rev. Dr. Reginald Smith about the crack running across his book cover.
His answer: it is a metaphor for what we all walk into, and a reminder that "even the dust can rise."
New from @davidcrumm.bsky.social
buff.ly/Fqs7UZQ #booksky
His answer: it is a metaphor for what we all walk into, and a reminder that "even the dust can rise."
New from @davidcrumm.bsky.social
buff.ly/Fqs7UZQ #booksky
Roosevelt Park Rising is included in @jbhe.com's latest list of Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars, alongside new titles from Duke, Cambridge, Beacon and UC Press.
buff.ly/0Om6wJ3 #booksky #AfricanAmericanBooks
buff.ly/0Om6wJ3 #booksky #AfricanAmericanBooks
Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars | The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many…
jbhe.com
August 19, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Roosevelt Park Rising is included in @jbhe.com's latest list of Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars, alongside new titles from Duke, Cambridge, Beacon and UC Press.
buff.ly/0Om6wJ3 #booksky #AfricanAmericanBooks
buff.ly/0Om6wJ3 #booksky #AfricanAmericanBooks
We write about faith, doubt, and the people trying to live both honestly.
If you've found something worth reading here, pass it to someone who'd like it too. That's genuinely how we grow.
#Interfaith #FaithAndCulture
If you've found something worth reading here, pass it to someone who'd like it too. That's genuinely how we grow.
#Interfaith #FaithAndCulture
August 19, 2026 at 1:53 PM
We write about faith, doubt, and the people trying to live both honestly.
If you've found something worth reading here, pass it to someone who'd like it too. That's genuinely how we grow.
#Interfaith #FaithAndCulture
If you've found something worth reading here, pass it to someone who'd like it too. That's genuinely how we grow.
#Interfaith #FaithAndCulture
The 75th Detroit Jewish Book Fair opens Aug. 27 with Rabbi Joseph Krakoff on The Best Day. Shari Cohen's story in the Detroit Jewish News: buff.ly/TmdEdPl
"A worst day does not define our identity."
Tickets $36, signed hardcover included. #BestDayProject #booksky
"A worst day does not define our identity."
Tickets $36, signed hardcover included. #BestDayProject #booksky
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff Kicks Off 75th Detroit Jewish Book Fair
The 2026 Detroit Jewish Book Fair runs Oct. 25-Nov. 16, with a special Aug. 27 kickoff featuring Rabbi Joseph Krakoff discussing The Best Day.
www.thejewishnews.com
August 18, 2026 at 9:32 PM
The 75th Detroit Jewish Book Fair opens Aug. 27 with Rabbi Joseph Krakoff on The Best Day. Shari Cohen's story in the Detroit Jewish News: buff.ly/TmdEdPl
"A worst day does not define our identity."
Tickets $36, signed hardcover included. #BestDayProject #booksky
"A worst day does not define our identity."
Tickets $36, signed hardcover included. #BestDayProject #booksky
A best day isn't found. It is built, one decision and one action at a time.
Believe. Embrace the struggle. Show gratitude. Take one meaningful step forward.
New from Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff: #thebestday buff.ly/dm1eIEe #BestDayProject #BestDay
Believe. Embrace the struggle. Show gratitude. Take one meaningful step forward.
New from Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff: #thebestday buff.ly/dm1eIEe #BestDayProject #BestDay
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff explains how we can discover a 'Best Day'
In the memoir, The Best Day, Rabbi Joseph Krakoff shares 18 true stories about transforming what may seem like setbacks into best days.
readthespirit.com
August 18, 2026 at 1:53 PM
A best day isn't found. It is built, one decision and one action at a time.
Believe. Embrace the struggle. Show gratitude. Take one meaningful step forward.
New from Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff: #thebestday buff.ly/dm1eIEe #BestDayProject #BestDay
Believe. Embrace the struggle. Show gratitude. Take one meaningful step forward.
New from Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff: #thebestday buff.ly/dm1eIEe #BestDayProject #BestDay
What if your worst day could become your best day?
Watch the trailer for The Best Day by hospice chaplain Joseph H. Krakoff. 18 true stories of finding light in the darkest hours.
September 8, 2026.
buff.ly/qGnK6bX #TheBestDay #BestDayProject #memoir #hope #booksky
Watch the trailer for The Best Day by hospice chaplain Joseph H. Krakoff. 18 true stories of finding light in the darkest hours.
September 8, 2026.
buff.ly/qGnK6bX #TheBestDay #BestDayProject #memoir #hope #booksky
The Best Day by Joseph H. Krakoff - Book Trailer
What if your worst day could become your best day?
"The Best Day: A Memoir of Finding Joy, Inspiration, Resilience, and Hope" is a collection of 18 true stories from hospice chaplain Joseph H.…
youtu.be
August 6, 2026 at 9:32 PM
What if your worst day could become your best day?
Watch the trailer for The Best Day by hospice chaplain Joseph H. Krakoff. 18 true stories of finding light in the darkest hours.
September 8, 2026.
buff.ly/qGnK6bX #TheBestDay #BestDayProject #memoir #hope #booksky
Watch the trailer for The Best Day by hospice chaplain Joseph H. Krakoff. 18 true stories of finding light in the darkest hours.
September 8, 2026.
buff.ly/qGnK6bX #TheBestDay #BestDayProject #memoir #hope #booksky
@douglasbrouwer.bsky.social's first night on the Camino: 17 miles, a 5,000-foot climb, dark coming on, no shelter in reach. So he rolled out his sleeping bag beside the path and waited for morning.
buff.ly/8SM00oN
#Camino #BookSky
buff.ly/8SM00oN
#Camino #BookSky
The Night on the Mountain
My favorite story from "The Traveler's Path" — and why nobody laughed when I read it aloud
dougsblog.substack.com
August 6, 2026 at 1:53 PM
@douglasbrouwer.bsky.social's first night on the Camino: 17 miles, a 5,000-foot climb, dark coming on, no shelter in reach. So he rolled out his sleeping bag beside the path and waited for morning.
buff.ly/8SM00oN
#Camino #BookSky
buff.ly/8SM00oN
#Camino #BookSky
Grand Rapids, save the date. The Rev. Dr. Reginald Smith launches Roosevelt Park Rising on Wednesday, August 12.
The story of a neighborhood that refused to be written off, told by the pastor who helped it rise. Event details and a new ReadTheSpirit interview with Dr. Smith here:
The story of a neighborhood that refused to be written off, told by the pastor who helped it rise. Event details and a new ReadTheSpirit interview with Dr. Smith here:
Stop by the launch for Dr. Reginald Smith's 'Roosevelt Park Rising'
News about Dr. Reginald Smith's launch for his memoir Roosevelt Park Rising, an event that is open to the public on August 12 in Grand Rapids.
buff.ly
August 4, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Grand Rapids, save the date. The Rev. Dr. Reginald Smith launches Roosevelt Park Rising on Wednesday, August 12.
The story of a neighborhood that refused to be written off, told by the pastor who helped it rise. Event details and a new ReadTheSpirit interview with Dr. Smith here:
The story of a neighborhood that refused to be written off, told by the pastor who helped it rise. Event details and a new ReadTheSpirit interview with Dr. Smith here:
Theodore Parker never heard Lincoln quote him. He died before slavery ended. His words outlived him anyway.
@revvedupdoc.bsky.social asks what future generations will inherit from us: courage or silence.
buff.ly/428GAha
#Democracy250 #BookSky
@revvedupdoc.bsky.social asks what future generations will inherit from us: courage or silence.
buff.ly/428GAha
#Democracy250 #BookSky
What Will Future Generations Inherit from Us—Courage or Silence? – Faith Commons
“His name is engraved in marble. His virtues in the hearts of those he helped to free from slavery and superstition.” [1]
buff.ly
August 4, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Theodore Parker never heard Lincoln quote him. He died before slavery ended. His words outlived him anyway.
@revvedupdoc.bsky.social asks what future generations will inherit from us: courage or silence.
buff.ly/428GAha
#Democracy250 #BookSky
@revvedupdoc.bsky.social asks what future generations will inherit from us: courage or silence.
buff.ly/428GAha
#Democracy250 #BookSky
Grateful for this. 100 Questions and Answers About People Who Stutter: A Listener's Guide is ranking as an Amazon New Release in Communicative Disorders, Audiology and Speech Pathology, and Education Reference.
#Stuttering #Neurodiversity
#Stuttering #Neurodiversity
Bias Busters tools for DEI in race, religion, ethnicity Bias Busters: Cultural competence guides
These guides help with diversity and interfaith discussion and growth. They cover more than racial, religious, ethnic, cultural and occupational groups.
BiasBusterGuides.com
August 3, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Grateful for this. 100 Questions and Answers About People Who Stutter: A Listener's Guide is ranking as an Amazon New Release in Communicative Disorders, Audiology and Speech Pathology, and Education Reference.
#Stuttering #Neurodiversity
#Stuttering #Neurodiversity
Reader, there was a rooster in her kitchen. In. Her. Kitchen.
@christyberghoef.bsky.social on RuPaul, his bruised ego, and a competitive game of Chase the Rooster Around the Island.
buff.ly/a7kFuad
#BackyardChickens
@christyberghoef.bsky.social on RuPaul, his bruised ego, and a competitive game of Chase the Rooster Around the Island.
buff.ly/a7kFuad
#BackyardChickens
Territorial "Discussion" with RuPaul
An update on the flock
buff.ly
August 3, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Reader, there was a rooster in her kitchen. In. Her. Kitchen.
@christyberghoef.bsky.social on RuPaul, his bruised ego, and a competitive game of Chase the Rooster Around the Island.
buff.ly/a7kFuad
#BackyardChickens
@christyberghoef.bsky.social on RuPaul, his bruised ego, and a competitive game of Chase the Rooster Around the Island.
buff.ly/a7kFuad
#BackyardChickens
A high school senior who stutters was terrified of reciting a poem in class. Her teacher let her say it to him alone, listened, and told her she had a good voice. She has never forgotten it.
Joe Grimm on the allies who don't know they're allies:
buff.ly/Gzbtr5U #stutter #stuttering #listening #book
Joe Grimm on the allies who don't know they're allies:
buff.ly/Gzbtr5U #stutter #stuttering #listening #book
A teacher who listened to a stuttering student became her hero
This is a true story from NPR as Michigan State University School of Journalism's Bias Busters release a new book about people who stutter.
buff.ly
July 30, 2026 at 1:53 PM
A high school senior who stutters was terrified of reciting a poem in class. Her teacher let her say it to him alone, listened, and told her she had a good voice. She has never forgotten it.
Joe Grimm on the allies who don't know they're allies:
buff.ly/Gzbtr5U #stutter #stuttering #listening #book
Joe Grimm on the allies who don't know they're allies:
buff.ly/Gzbtr5U #stutter #stuttering #listening #book