When the announcement was made that the summer series at West Jackson was entitled God is Great, God is Good, my mind immediately recited the entire prayer from my childhood. There was no pause, the words flowed easily, which proves the importance of teaching children to Say Grace and other prayers early in life. Struggling …
Category: Habits
Weeds of Ingratitude
There is a lengthy crack that runs through a large portion of my driveway. It’s not pleasing to the eye, but it stays because many attempts I’ve seen at repairing other pebbled surfaces really don’t seem to improve the aesthetics. During cold seasons, the crack rarely draws my attention, but in the warm months when …
Whine or Worship
Next to the crinkling sound of a thin water bottle or witnessing someone being rude, a pet peeve of mine is hearing children (or adults for that matter) whine. It may be the high-pitched voice, or it may be the person’s disposition that makes me wince, but my initial reflex is to do just about …
5:1 Ratio
At this point on this pilgrimage to investigate what it means to have a flourishing life, I should no longer be astonished when concepts repeatedly appear from unconnected resources; however, I admit that once again while listening to a message on a church podcast while enjoying a cool, summer morning walk, a simple thought burst …
Emotional Adolescent
Perhaps, like me, when you see the term Emotional Adolescent, your mind conjures up memories of your own teenage years and how much turmoil seemed to exist on an hour-by-hour basis. In a small space of time, life goes from being abundant and flourishing to something more akin to Raging Seas. I’m grateful that my …
Fillers and Dippers
Have you ever taken the time to reflect on the influence you have on those around you? To genuinely ask yourself if you are a Filler or a Dipper? When I was introduced to Don Clifton’s theory of the Dipper and the Bucket, what you might recognize as a strengths-based approach to life, it provided …
Wrinkle Free
Once upon a time I teased my mother when we would be out clothes shopping and one of the determining factors guiding her choice was whether or not it would require ironing after being laundered. Now, I am in danger of becoming the ideal candidate for those Progressive commercials about not becoming your parents. Admittedly, …
Fragile Faith
A week into the break between the spring and summer semesters and I’m confident that no one will ever employ me to be a domestic engineer. An exasperated, “You’re fired, Julie!” would have escaped my lips today if I’d had an alternative, because not only did a glass storage dish escape my grasp while dividing …
Follow and Fish
Do you remember ever playing the game Follow the Leader when you were a child? According to one site I viewed, game play is described as, “One player, the Leader, begins moving around with actions that the rest of the players must mimic. Anything — including wildly flailing his hands or furiously scratching his head …
Unhurried Life
“Hurry rushes toward the destination and fails to enjoy the journey."Alan Fadling, An Unhurried Life If you happen to know my dad very well, then perhaps we can agree on the fact that you likely have rarely, if ever, witnessed the man being in a hurry. The only circumstance where I recall my dad ever …
Flourishing @ Life 