Nancy Manos Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at 09:00PM On Thursday, June 29, 2017, our 23-year-old daughter's life came to an abrupt and heartbreaking end when she took her life. Alexandra Gabrielle Manos (Alex) was one of the most kind, thoughtful, gentle souls, and one of the greatest gifts our life and in the lives of so many who knew her.
Nancy Manos Posted on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 at 11:04PM Earlier this week, a friend shared with me how she was feeling overwhelmed by everything she is responsible for right now. She asked me if I had any advice or encouragement because she knows I have found myself in a similar state over the years.
joy, overwhelmed, peace | in Joyful Living Nancy Manos Posted on Friday, January 24, 2014 at 12:08PM Just before class began on a recent Tuesday evening, as everyone was getting their benches and weight bars set up for BodyPump, I looked up and noticed the woman in front of me. I gave her a mental nod and thought, “Wow! She’s strong!” as I observed the amount of weight she had on her bar for the warm-up. We got through the warm-up and moved on to squats. As I dropped the bar and switched to a holding a medium plate at my chest while doing squats, I was focused on my form and on following the pace the instructor was setting. Chest up, squat without leaning forward, thighs parallel to the floor, weight in your heels. Throughout the classes, the instructors coach us on how important good form is so we can get the most out of the exercises without hurting ourselves. I can’t say that I love squats, but I like how I feel after we finish them! They certainly do get the heart rate up and I can feel the work in my quads and glutes. As we transitioned to the chest track, I caught a glimpse of the woman in front of me again.
form, joy, order, overwhelmed, peace, seasons | in Joyful Living Nancy Manos Posted on Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 10:54AM Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.” Song of Solomon 2:15 NKJV This reminder from Solomon could be applied in so many areas of our lives. As I look around, I am seeing how the little foxes in my life are tiny things that I have left undone. Instead of putting the clean sheets away in the linen closet, they sit on the cedar chest at the foot of our bed. A bag of trash sits at the top of the stairs waiting for someone to bring it down and out to the trash bin. The little hand-held vacuum lies on its side on the floor, just feet from where I sit, instead of being returned to the cupboard where it belongs.
clutter, home, joy, little foxes, order, organization, peace | in Order Promotes Peace