In a culture obsessed with chasing happiness through success, wealth, or comfort, Ross H. Palfreyman asks a quiet but profound question: “What if joy isn’t found in what we get, but in what we give?”
In Joy in the Brambles, Palfreyman draws on a lifetime of faith, reflection, and service to show that joy isn’t a fleeting emotion—it’s a spiritual orientation. It’s not the satisfaction of a perfect day; it’s the deep peace of waking with God, even when life’s thorns press in.
He begins by untangling a common confusion: mistaking happiness for joy. “Happiness depends on outcomes,” he explains. “Joy depends on perspective.” Happiness comes and goes with circumstance; joy is anchored in something eternal. For Palfreyman, happiness can be the foundation, but joy is the compass.
The “brambles” of life—hardship, temptation, and the noise of modern living—often obscure our connection to God. But Palfreyman reminds us that joy isn’t found by avoiding these brambles; it grows when we walk through them with purpose. “When we serve others, we find God,” he writes. Acts of love, forgiveness, and service turn struggle into a garden where joy can bloom.
The book doesn’t preach; it guides. Each chapter feels like a conversation with someone who has walked the path before you, someone who knows the frustration of modern life but also the enduring peace found in surrender to God’s plan. Palfreyman’s tone is reflective, compassionate, and deeply personal, drawing readers gently into a practice of daily joy.
He stresses that joy is cultivated, not marketed. In a world chasing instant gratification, his words are a reminder that “true joy is cultivated through patience, gratitude, and faithfulness.” The book is practical, offering guidance on living joy in relationships, work, and quiet moments of reflection. It shifts the focus from what we lack to what we can give.
At its heart, Joy in the Brambles reclaims a sacred truth: joy is a connection to divinity, not something to chase. Through faith, service, and love, even life’s thorniest moments can become vessels of grace. For anyone seeking peace in a noisy world or longing to rediscover meaning in the everyday, Palfreyman’s words meet you where you are, guiding you gently home.