🍂 Thankful by Grace: A Season of Faith, Family, and Stories
by Tylia L. Flores – November 2025
Every November, when the air grows cooler and the scent of cinnamon, baked cornbread, and coffee fills the air, I’m reminded of why Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It’s not just about the feast — it’s about the faith. It’s about pausing to remember how far God has brought me, how His grace continues to guide me, and how His love is written across every page of my life.
This year, I feel that gratitude more deeply than ever — for my family, my fiancé Cody, my readers, my life with cerebral palsy, and the many creative ways God continues to move through my writing and storytelling. November is more than just a month to me. It’s a season that brings together All Saints Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and even my two-year anniversary with Cody — a season that reminds me that every story begins and ends with grace.
🌻 Thankful for My Journey with Cerebral Palsy
Living with cerebral palsy has never been easy, but it has always been purposeful. It has been the greatest adventure of my life — one that has taught me faith, patience, humility, and courage.
My CP has given me eyes to see beauty in places others might overlook and a heart to understand that true strength comes from surrendering to God’s plan. Through it all, I’ve learned that my disability doesn’t limit me — it refines me. It gives me purpose, power, and a platform to inspire others.
🖊️ Thankful for the Gift of Writing
Writing has been my constant companion and my truest expression of faith. It’s where I meet God in the quiet moments — where I process pain, celebrate joy, and find the courage to keep going.
Each story I write is a love letter to the world — proof that faith can flourish anywhere, even in the middle of struggle. Writing has allowed me to connect with others, to share the realities of living with CP, and to remind readers that grace is not limited by circumstance.
💕 Thankful for Love: Two Beautiful Years with Cody
This November marks two years with my fiancé, Cody A. McWhorter — two years of laughter, prayer, creativity, and grace.
Cody has been my biggest supporter and my muse. Our journey together inspired one of my most personal stories yet, “If I Had a Girlfriend,” released on National Author’s Day 2025 in celebration of our anniversary.
👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FS851W4B
This heartfelt story follows Paul Harper, a teen with cerebral palsy, and Hadassah Ortiz, the girl who truly sees him. It’s a story about faith, hope, and being loved for who you are. Writing it reminded me of everything Cody and I share — the beauty of being known, understood, and loved beyond condition.
✨ Thankful for All Saints Day and the Message That Saved Her Login
At the beginning of November, we celebrate All Saints Day — a time to honor those who’ve lived faithfully, reminding us that holiness is often found in the everyday.
That celebration of faith and connection inspired my All Saints Day novel, “The Message That Saved Her Login.”
👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FYH18853
This story follows Tahlia Marin, a foster teen who finds faith and friendship through an online video game, and Benjamin “Beaver” Brooks, a boy with cerebral palsy from small-town Florida. Through prayer, digital connection, and God’s timing, their story becomes a reminder that light can reach even the darkest corners — sometimes through pixels, sometimes through people.
It’s a modern-day parable about grace, technology, and the saints walking among us every day.
🎗️ Thankful for Veterans and the Power of Remembrance
November also brings Veterans Day, a time to honor those who’ve sacrificed so much for our freedom.
My Veterans Day-inspired story, “The Ribbon on His Wheelchair,” was written to pay tribute to their faith and resilience.
👉 https://www.amazon.com/Ribbon-His-Wheelchair-Tylia-Flores-ebook/dp/B0FWZ36WPT
Set in Plantation, Florida, the story follows Selena and Coady Mercer — childhood friends who reunite at a church service to honor veterans. As they tie a red, white, and blue ribbon to his wheelchair, they rediscover that love grounded in Christ can survive any distance or time.
To every veteran reading this — thank you. Your courage and faith inspire every page I write.
👨👩👧👦 Thankful for Family
Family is the heartbeat of everything I do. I’m thankful for my loving mom and dad, who have been my foundation of strength and prayer; for my brother Brandon, his wife Alejandra, and my joyful nephew Jaden, who fill every family gathering with laughter; and, of course, for Cody, who brings warmth and purpose to every day.
Our table might not be perfect, but it’s full of love — and that’s what truly makes it blessed.
🦃 Stories of Gratitude, Faith, and Grace
As Thanksgiving approaches, I can’t help but reflect on the stories that capture the spirit of this season — the ones that celebrate faith, family, and second chances.
🍞 The Cornbread Cross — A Thanksgiving Story of Faith and Service
👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DR1PL12Y
When Trinity Pierce, a teen with cerebral palsy, volunteers at her church’s Thanksgiving dinner, she meets Beary “Bear” McCall, a kind young man in a power wheelchair. Together, they learn that faith, like cornbread, rises best when stirred with grace.
🦃 No Ordinary Thursday — A Thanksgiving Love Story
👉 https://www.amazon.com/No-Ordinary-Thursday-Tylia-Flores-ebook/dp/B0F7ST932B
When Dallas Weiters returns home for Thanksgiving, she reunites with Arnold O’Shay, her high school sweetheart. Together, they rediscover that love, forgiveness, and family are worth fighting for — and that Thanksgiving miracles are often God’s quietest blessings.
🎃 The Night We Belonged — A Halloween Story of Faith and Belonging
👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSLRGN4Y
This autumn tale follows Torrey Blake, a teen with cerebral palsy and a speech impediment, and Adriana Costello, a girl healing from heartbreak. When they meet at a church Halloween party, they learn that faith can turn even the darkest night into a story of hope and belonging.
🎧 Thankful for New Creative Chapters: Faith Over Fried Chicken & Palsy Power
This season of gratitude is also a season of growth. I’m so excited to share that in 2026, I’ll be launching my brand-new podcast,
🎙️ Faith Over Fried Chicken with Tylia L. Flores — a show founded to bring a fresh, uplifting voice to modern-day Christianity, served with a side of Southern comfort and laughter.
You can follow the podcast here:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582670001342
Through Faith Over Fried Chicken, my goal is to create a space where faith meets everyday life — where conversations are honest, relatable, and full of joy. We’ll talk about everything from spiritual growth to humor, hope, and how to keep faith flavorful in a busy world.
And, of course, I’m also deeply thankful for my other ongoing podcast with Cody,
🎧 Palsy Power with Cody and Tylia,
where we share real stories, real laughs, and real faith as a couple living boldly with cerebral palsy.
This month’s episode dives into an uplifting and fun topic — how cerebral palsy connects to football! 🏈💚
You can check it out here:
👉 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5hqVevgVmGfRN5Yv0BWxV4?si=QKI_NdpfTfqvbQJBniVwew
Both podcasts remind me that storytelling doesn’t just happen in books — it happens in conversations that touch hearts and uplift souls.
🌟 Stories to Look Forward To
💻 The Message That Saved Her Login (All Saints Day)
👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FYH18853
🎆 Midnight at CityWalk
👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXN62K83
🥪 The Last Sub of ’99
👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXHLLK9V
🌊 The Fountain, One Year Later (Coming Soon!)
👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXT4JVBW
✨ A Heart Overflowing with Thanks
As I sit reflecting on this season, I realize how much there is to be thankful for — faith, love, family, creativity, and connection.
I’m thankful for the stories God has allowed me to tell, the people who’ve believed in me, and the readers who continue to walk alongside my journey. I’m thankful for Cody — for his laughter, patience, and partnership. I’m thankful for my family, my CP community, and every listener and reader who reminds me that what we create in love never goes unnoticed.
My life with cerebral palsy has never been perfect — but it has been filled with purpose. And for that, I give thanks every day.
So, from my heart (and my table) to yours —
Happy Thanksgiving, and may your life be filled with joy, faith, laughter, and grace. 🧡
