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 …
Category: Flourishing
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 …
Dead People
Sitting in a theater in Jackson, Tennessee, back in a past millennia, I encountered a very rare experience—the feeling of “I didn’t see that coming!” at the conclusion of a film. Other than an elusive thought that one of the main characters was still wearing the same shirt, the ending escaped my typical plot-uncovering skills. …
Enjoy the Process
As your eyes examine this post, another year will be coming to a close, and a time when many choose to Enjoy the Process of reflecting and evaluating the last 365 days; however, for most educators, I believe this contemplation occurs more often in August, in what Christina Bieber Lake coins “the month that shall …
Stealing the Pen
Have you ever been on a mission to find an object or answer? You know that feeling where absolutely nothing and no one is going to prevent you from fulfilling a mission? And I’m not talking about essentially important missions such as finding a life calling or Habits that lead to a flourishing life…no, my …
Shipwrecked
A water-theme seems to be appearing in my life lately, from Levi Lusko’s The River Wild series to two-consecutive days of Isaiah 43:2 emerging in my Praying Promises, and now descriptions of being Shipwrecked from Shannon Daloz Parks in Big Questions, Worthy Dreams. Determined to not allow these coincidences to just pass right on by, …
Frayed Rope
Perhaps, you too, have experienced a moment in your life where your best effort was made to haul something heavy upward or possibly connect two items together with the use of a rope, but despite your best effort, friction became your enemy and you were left with an unsuccessful attempt, along with a Frayed Rope. …
Volume Knob
Quiet. I like quiet. I don’t require the television on or music playing during the day in my office or home. In fact, I often try to arrive at my office before my colleagues so that I can think through the day, review course materials, and write quick notes to students and friends before the …
Cowboy Creed
If I’m willing to incorporate the nuggets of wisdom learned from Scripture, SEAL training, naval commanders and leadership gurus to equip and engage Emerging Adults to create habits that will lead to a flourishing life, why not throw in the Cowboy Creed as well? My friend, Woody Williams, shared on social media that his Sunday …
I’m Only
Part of my career story started in high school sports, which led to a college scholarship, where I continued honing my sport management skills for the women’s basketball and baseball teams. But because I was not an athlete taking the court, there were many times when a question was posed to me that my reply …