When did life become so complicated? At what point in history can someone direct their index finger and declare with certainty, “That’s when life became hard!” Ask a thousand people that probing question, and I’m confident you will receive a thousand varying answers, each one dependent on that person’s particular life circumstances. Recently, this question …
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.
Appreciative Inquiry
It’s been a challenging eight months since the post entitled Attitude and Gratitude was posted to this blog, and it will likely be another three months before this one publishes for you to read, but for some reason, this stubborn lady is still struggling with having an attitude of gratitude and appreciation. What’s ironic, is …
Power of Presence
Have you ever experienced the Power of Presence from a friend or family member who seems to just always be present at times when they are most needed? Personally, I can share that during many of these precious moments in my life, I am confident that the Lord is sending His love through those individuals …
Unexpressed Gratitude
Returning to the topic that was introduced in a January post entitled Gratitude Gap, I’ve been challenged once again to consider how klutzy I am when it comes to expressing gratitude. In a 2020 Thanksgiving message, pastor Andy Stanley reminds me of the impact that not withholding gratitude can have on the relationships in my …
Encountering Expectation
Not being a connoisseur of fine art, I can count on one hand the times that I’ve been so transfixed by someone’s work that I felt this overwhelming desire to just be still and soak it all in. For me, this usually occurs when viewing the talents of gifted photographers like Megan Shaw and Shawn …
Side-by-Side Conversations
“Teamwork makes the dream work.” Yes, I have actually uttered those words, and during a recent endeavor between athletics and academics where we all contributed items for a successful luncheon and were standing in the gymnasium lobby, I heard one of the coaches voice this phrase about cooperation too. For many of us, teamwork is …
A La Carte
Just in case there is anyone reading this blog who has never seen an a la carte menu, Trip Advisor offers the following definition, “A la carte refers to choosing off the menu - choose what you want and pay the individual menu prices for each item. This is usually opposed to 'table d'hôte' which means a fixed price meal.” …
Three AM
For the past year or so, it seems as if the dark hour of three o’clock in the morning is when God prefers to connect the dots between the various ideas that have passed through my awareness throughout the day. Perhaps it is in this wee hour that my brain creates some type of reset; …
Shallow End
Riding in the car for consecutive hours along the highways between Tennessee and Alabama provides an immense amount of time for a variety of entertainment options to occupy the brain in order to pass the hours. Typically, for me, the media options include listening to a book on audio; however, this past trip, I opted …
Rocky Road
Admit it, when you saw the title, you began thinking of ice cream! Unfortunately, the only connection this post might have to ice cream would be if you happened, this past week, to witness my personal pity party being celebrated on my back porch with a bowl of caramel delight from Kroger. Of course, it …
Flourishing @ Life 