Jesus: Genie in a bottle?
It was my first week back home from the hospital. Surrounded by dozens of people at a prayer service hosted by my church, my eyes began to well up at the thought of so many people coming alongside me and…
Ryan Atkins
3 lessons I’ve learned from women
Competing in intramural sports. Yelling, screaming and chest bumping at football and basketball games. Drinking beer. Hiking. Whitewater rafting. Paintball. Poker. Wrestling around the house. Arguing over nothing of substance whatsoever. This was the testosterone laden world I knew as…
The epic battle: Faith vs. Science
I sat in the front of a classroom at the University of Cincinnati feeling as if each word I shared with the audience was more jam-packed with wisdom than the last. There was an unexpected assuredness in watching 20 people…
The rewards of exposing myself
It was September 18, 2013 and I stared at my computer screen. Panic set in as I prepared to click “send.” My blog had been live for days…I just hadn’t told anyone. Staying mysterious about what was going on in…
Iron sharpening iron
A 6’4” musclebound guy that looked to be about my age outstretched his tattoo covered arm, unsure of how to shake my hand as many often are. “Hi, I’m Josh,” he said before taking a seat near me. That was…
My #1 New Years resolution
I sat in my wheelchair behind the back pew at church. I was desperate. Nearly a year had gone by since the accident and the physical progress I was sure I would have gained by now was nowhere to be…
I don’t want to be left alone
It was a warm summer day and my friend was feeding me lunch on the back deck of my parents’ house. We were in the midst of an in-depth conversation about the trials faced in this life. Mine is a…
What’s on your throne?
One morning after pumping iron, I made a pit stop in front of the mirror on my way to the shower. I couldn’t help but turn to the side and flex my arm to see how big I could get…
The all-time greatest influence on my life
This past Thanksgiving, I came across the gratitude experiment below. The video kicked into gear new insight for me on the importance of actually taking the initiative to express gratitude: There is one person who has had a greater influence…
Generation of idiots: smart phones and dumb people
During a fraternity meeting just a few months before my accident, our president made it mandatory that all phones be placed in the middle of the table during a meeting. I grumbled to myself, “What is this, junior high?” Guys…