Since encountering the word flourish in this research over a year ago, the term has repeatedly appeared, almost daily, in my life since; and as I described in the blog post What’s Your Word, the word is becoming foundational to my writing and study. During this same time frame, I have continued to listen to …
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.
Shift the Spiral
Imagine, if you will, these two scenarios: (1) your toddler is throwing a fit in the produce section of your local grocery and the situation is spiraling downward quickly; or (2) your name was accidentally omitted from a document related to reaching a milestone at your employer which results in a few tears being shed. …
Unfinished Misfit
“Hello, my name is Julie, and I am a Misfit.” A blessed and Unfinished Misfit; but still a misfit, at least according to culture’s current standards when contemplating the expected milestones which measure a typical white, middle-class American’s lifespan. In previous seasons of life, I would have irritably snubbed such ridiculous pigeon-holing, but after plunging …
Armor Off
In a previous post entitled Armor On, we address the relevant issue that life will more than likely include a variety of personal and professional struggles, and in order to wrestle with and overcome these struggles, we might consider following the guidance outlined in Ephesians 6 and put on the armor of God. But what …
Armor On
There is no way I will make it through this blog post without a reference to one of my favorite movies, Gladiator, so just let me alleviate the anticipation now. (Referenced previously in Face Down in the Arena). If you’ve never seen this epic saga of ancient Rome, I encourage you to view it from …
Bump the Tree
“Let’s say you’re like Mother Teresa (or me, for that matter) and you don’t feel God’s presence often, if at all. What if, somehow, you knew that this would always be the case, for the rest of your life? What if you knew you’d never get the warm feelings others get, you’d never have your …
His Favorite
Every little girl who has ever read, watched, or listened to a love story or song has imagined the surreal feeling of experiencing the ideal romance and being considered a young man’s favorite. It’s been acted out with their Barbie dolls (sometimes with Star Wars figurines too), it’s the source of diary entries, and the …
The Case of the Bad Listener
Examining McHugh’s A Listening Life and his perspective on the importance of creating a Habit of Awareness through listening well, I was amused by his descriptions of a “few of the usual suspects in the ongoing case of bad listening.” His turn of phrase here reminded me of long-ago days of combing the book stacks …
Hygge
It’s pronounced hoo-gah. See, reading does make you smarter, even if it’s just a weird educator’s blog post! Being introduced to this Danish term in The Flourishing Teacher, I was intrigued enough to search for more as I felt it captured an important component of a flourishing life. Lake launches this concept as she describes …
Leaders Who Flourish
When attempting to flourish in any capacity, it’s important to know the person God created us to be and this can be accomplished by pursuing a Habit of Awareness. Learning about ourselves and others opens our eyes to see the talents, gifts, and strengths that each person possesses along with the unique situations where various …
Flourishing @ Life 