One of the charming aspects of being an academic is that you are often surrounded by experts in a variety of fields and disciplines from healthcare to soil science! Like others on campus, I can be guilty of gushing about subjects I find intriguing, whether that involves the dimensions of wellness, Unreasonable Hospitality, or Appreciative …
Author: Julie Powell, Ed.D.
With over 30 years in higher education, I have a passion for seeing people, not only succeed at life, but to flourish in their God-given space personally, professionally, and spiritually.
Turn My Eyes
Do you happen to have a favorite song that the lyrics just speak to you, no matter what version or style that it happens to be performed in? Keep considering that song and I’d be truly delighted if you shared the title in the comments below or chose to share it with me personally in …
Less of Me
Anyone else experience moments in life when words or ideas just pierce your heart? And it recurs again and again when all you desire is for it to truly be resolved. To truly come to an end, and instead, every speaker, every book, every Scripture, every quote just brings it back up like the pepperoni …
Missed Parties
I didn’t deserve that! Has there ever been a time when these words dripped from your mouth? Or at least crossed your mind? Something as insignificant as being cut off in traffic—I didn’t deserve that! Who do they think they are? Or perhaps, after a broken relationship or dream has come crashing down all around …
Enough
For those of you who may not know me—I am a woman. I’m a long-time follower of Christ, an educator, a traveler, a scrapbooker, an avid reader, a crafter… I could go on. But many of the identities and interests God has given me have often been complicated by that first one: I am a …
Misunderstood Introvert
Extraverts are given permission to skip this post, that is, unless you desire to authentically understand the introverts in your life. If you are unfamiliar with the terminology, which I believe is often Misunderstood, please take time to complete a quick online assessment of the MBTI to learn more. For the rest of us Misunderstood …
Best Day Ever!
One movie I absolutely love is Disney’s Tangled. I wouldn’t say I was ever a die-hard Rapunzel fan, but when a storyteller throws in a sass-packed horse like Maximus, a charming chameleon named Pascal, and an iron skillet that somehow steals the spotlight—it’s pure creative genius! As Rapunzel ventures beyond her tower, viewers are swept …
Be Brave
With her remarkable creativity and love for children, my friend Ashlee recently organized a Vacation Bible School (VBS) centered around a vibrant superhero theme designed to inspire kids to Be Brave. As we belted out lyrics and flailed along with hand motions to chase away fear—“Fear, fear, get out of here!”—the children’s voices rang through …
Paid in Full
During a recent dinner conversation about what we were currently reading, a friend asked an intriguing question: Why do you read books that make you cry? At the time I failed to articulate my reasoning, but I continued considering what an appropriate reply would be. In reality, the majority of my fictional selections lean towards …
His Presence
How do you define the word flourishing? (I would truly be delighted if anyone would accept the challenge to share their personal definition in the comments below). But we are not the only ones to ponder the word’s meaning. Attempts to define what it means for a human to flourish at life existed long before …
Flourishing @ Life 