In the Academy-award winning movie Frozen, Queen Elsa has icy powers which trap her kingdom of Arendelle into an eternal winter. Weaving a narrative related to the bonds of sisterhood, the storyline covers themes of love, self-acceptance, and the power of true love all occurring among the wintry beauty of the Northern Lights and a …
Category: Flourishing
Meet in the Middle
On a recent road trip, I utilized a streaming service to select my music, which can often lead to befuddlement as I question the algorithm’s choices. However, for the most part, the songs seemed to align with what I was hoping to hear and even allowed for some reminiscing about college days. One song that …
Unwired Places
It’s late May and the view from the balcony includes the deep white sands of a gulf beach, cresting waves repeatedly bringing aqua blue water to the shore, a slight ocean breeze that reduces the heat from a bright overhead sun, and…pulsating music from the pool below competing with power tools providing enough volume to …
Past Perfection
Studying history is unlikely to appear as a priority on any of my to-do lists; however, as my age continues to increase, I seem to notice a growing fascination, or at least a budding appreciation, for events of the past. Perhaps some of this interest stems from a captivation with generational theory in an attempt …
Timeless Wisdom
If I were to offer the question, “What is some advice that you would describe as Timeless Wisdom?”, I wonder what information you would share. Would it be guidance in the form of financial planning? Would it be suggestions for how to maintain good health? Might it be counsel on how to nourish the relationships …
Aging Faithfully
Aging Faithfully—can this describe what it means to truly flourish; to engage in Everyday Faithfulness that guides us into a long obedience in the same direction? Perhaps the overwhelming number of resources addressing the issue of growing older should provide some perspective on how many of us struggle with our Creaturely Finitude; however, I find …
Digital Boundaries
When I pull out my lawnmower and cut the grass for the first time of the season, it can sometimes be a challenge to clearly define where to stop on either side of my property, for there are no fences to prevent me from entering my neighbors’ grass. Once that first cut is made, it’s …
Flourishing Test
“All of us want to live it. Everyone wants it for their children [and students]. But what exactly is the [flourishing] life?” Millions of people over thousands of years have been on a pilgrimage to offer some inkling of an answer to this existential question, and I am no different. A deep-rooted desire to effectively …
Habit of Attentiveness
“To thine own self be true.” Most of us find this a familiar phrase since it would be difficult to receive any education in the United States without an introduction to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. While, yes, I do agree self-care is an important part of cultivating well-being and living a flourishing life, today’s culture might be …
Abiding Friendships
Have you ever stopped to consider the Abiding Friendships in your life? Consider the individuals God has placed in your life that have a profound Power of Presence. Are these people not an amazing blessing from above? This past week I was repeatedly reminded of the importance of Abiding Friendships in my life from a …