If the title alone has not furrowed your brow wondering where I might be headed in this post, perhaps your curiosity is not yet piqued. My recent interaction with this concept, and its relationship to Scripture, truly has this brain spinning like a brightly-colored whirligig in my neighbor’s yard as the northeast wind blows chilly …
Category: Flourishing
Holding Space
In this current season of life, I am embracing the reality that I will always be on a journey of learning new things. This reality increases the probability that my insatiable curiosity will lead me into some sticky situations (Let’s just hope that I have at least nine lives so it doesn’t kill me!); but …
Stepped-On Toes
Have you ever experienced the pain of having your toes stepped on? It’s not like stepping on a Lego block or stubbing your toe on a piece of furniture, but the experience does have a tendency to bring a bit of pain with it that is preferable to avoid. And then there is the added …
Flourishing Five
Alarmed by the statistics related to the overall health and well-being in our country, specifically with regards to mental and physical well-being, it’s a natural process for me to begin pondering the issue and wondering what preventative strategies I can implement in my own life to avoid the journey down an unhealthy path. Attempting to …
Comparison Trap
Completing a simple internet search for the phrase Comparison Trap results in over a quarter of a billion options, which to me speaks volumes regarding the prevalence of this issue. And the sad reality is that we are not currently facing an unprecedented (thank you, pandemic, for the overuse of this word) time of dealing …
Anti-Aging Mindset
All of us must practice a great deal of discretion when seeking answers on the internet, but even a scholarly researcher often begins their journey with a simple word or phrase search in efforts to begin delving into a topic. After reading Aging With Grace and I Love Growing Older and before composing this post, …
Hearth Places
In January of 2010, our campus opened the Bowld Commons, a space where residential students might gather and engage in activities ranging from sports to meetings. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching in the Bowld, gathering for GO Trip planning, engaging in conversations with students, and many other activities such as chili …
Flourishing Mindset
Tomorrow, in a first-year English class, I will pose a question to the class, asking them to compose their personal definition for a flourishing life; and I excitedly anticipate how they will choose to answer this query from the perspective of an Emerging Adult. What I anticipate hearing will be concepts related to personal accomplishments, …
Changing the Metrics
Stubborn streaks can arise within me, especially when it comes to certain tasks and topics where our culture is more comfortable accepting the status quo, doing what has always been done, rather than asking hard questions. Wrestling with these difficult queries, embracing the challenges that they generate, and allowing the process to unfold is an …
Roots Before Fruit
Not being blessed with the gift of a green thumb, there are currently no live plants in my home; and those outdoor plants not planted firmly in the ground, those potted on my front and back porch, are barely hanging onto survival. Even with the best of intentions to nourish those potted plants so that …
Flourishing @ Life 