Every so often, I find myself wondering whether I am simply revisiting the same flourishing conversations humanity has been having for centuries or can something new be contributed to the journeys of so many over the centuries. As my mind tumbles around topics like wellness, character, vocation, flourishing, community engagement, intergenerational relationships, and rural health, …
Category: College Teaching
Proximate But Alone
A generation ago, friendship happened naturally. Neighbors lingered on front porches, children played until the streetlights came on, and friendships were woven into the rhythms of everyday life. Today, many of us are more connected than ever, yet in this Paradoxical Life, feel more alone. Researchers have begun calling this phenomenon the Friendship Recession: a …
Friendship Recession
As I have mentioned before, for those of us serving in academia, the new year does not really begin in January. It begins in August, or, increasingly, sometime in July when campus parking lots begin filling up again. As I begin year three in Campbellsville, I find myself in a familiar season of reflection. Summer …
Prayers Don’t Expire
If you aren’t a regular reader here or if you are and just didn’t notice, most of the blog titles are one to three words. At first this intentionality was because the blogging software creates the web address using the title, the longer the title, the longer the link. However, as God continued to provide …
Cognitive Closure
When a season ends painfully or unexpectedly, the mind naturally searches for Cognitive Closure—a firm explanation that will quiet uncertainty and restore a sense of stability. Psychologically, this is understandable. When a story feels unresolved, we long for clarity, coherence, and a verdict about what happened and what it means. For faculty, whose vocation is …
Intellectual Hospitality
Flourishing doesn’t begin with answers, it begins with welcome. Flourishing at Life means we must discuss growth that is whole, durable, and faithful—growth that integrates body, mind, spirit, and vocation. Again and again, a quiet but powerful theme emerges: flourishing happens where people feel seen, heard, and invited into meaningful conversation. That posture has a …
Legendary Mac ‘n Cheese
I’m not a foodie. In fact, I’m the person who gets asked to bring the paper products to any kind of gathering. It’s not that I can’t cook—or at least follow a recipe—it’s just a great deal of work to cook for one person, and leftovers get old fast. If you peek into my pantry …
Let Them Play
When was the last time you watched a child simply play? Not in a uniform, not on a schedule, not under the watchful eye of coaches or officials—just playing for the sheer joy of it. Having never been an athlete or a parent myself, I may not fully grasp the tug‑of‑war adults feel in trying …
Climate Change
As an educator who teaches environmental health, I could easily present statistics and expert opinions about the physical well‑being of our planet. But that’s not the Climate Change I want to talk about today. Instead, I want to invite you to consider a shift far more urgent than melting ice caps or receding glaciers: the …
Flourishing Feet
Flourishing Feet… Really, feet?! I know—feet might seem like an odd place to begin a conversation about flourishing. Even those of you who have patiently endured my many God Winks involving the word flourishing may think I’ve finally stretched the metaphor too far. But stay with me. There’s a story here. Recently, in my graduate …
