Not being a connoisseur of fine art, I can count on one hand the times that I’ve been so transfixed by someone’s work that I felt this overwhelming desire to just be still and soak it all in. For me, this usually occurs when viewing the talents of gifted photographers like Megan Shaw and Shawn …
Category: Relational Equity
Side-by-Side Conversations
“Teamwork makes the dream work.” Yes, I have actually uttered those words, and during a recent endeavor between athletics and academics where we all contributed items for a successful luncheon and were standing in the gymnasium lobby, I heard one of the coaches voice this phrase about cooperation too. For many of us, teamwork is …
A La Carte
Just in case there is anyone reading this blog who has never seen an a la carte menu, Trip Advisor offers the following definition, “A la carte refers to choosing off the menu - choose what you want and pay the individual menu prices for each item. This is usually opposed to 'table d'hôte' which means a fixed price meal.” …
Shallow End
Riding in the car for consecutive hours along the highways between Tennessee and Alabama provides an immense amount of time for a variety of entertainment options to occupy the brain in order to pass the hours. Typically, for me, the media options include listening to a book on audio; however, this past trip, I opted …
Pot Roast
I’m not exactly sure when I first read the Pot Roast story; however, I believe it came from a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. According to Forbes, “Chicken Soup For the Soul began in 1993 when motivational speakers, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, decided to incorporate 101 inspirational stories that they and other speakers …
Agendaless Conversations
Have you ever been so engaged in a conversation with someone that when you became aware of the length of time that had lapsed, you were shocked that the hours had passed so quickly? The conversation appeared to have a steady rhythm of listening and sharing that just flowed naturally without much effort needed. Throughout …
Assembly Required
Do the words Assembly Required strike fear in your heart, or do you accept the phrase as a challenge to be conquered? Admittedly, as a person who enjoys the contest of piecing together puzzles, I achieve a sense of accomplishment when a finished product mirrors the image on the box and there are no remaining …
Tiptoes of Expectation
Have you ever read an expression of words that seemed to capture meaning and emotion, while offering a visual image, that reached deep inside of you and touched you at the core of your soul? That might be a slight over exaggeration but I’m not sure how else to articulate the way that God uses …
Goodwill Hunting
Deep inside, I have this belief that all humans desire to be the best person they can be; that everyone seeks to flourish in their own lives and that aspiration expands out to those around them. I refuse to release my grip on this conviction even when our current culture attempts to convince me otherwise. …
Read the Manual
After years of maintaining a beautiful lawn with a gas-powered mower, a decision is made to venture out and investigate the latest battery-powered mowers, so upon opening the large cardboard box after making the final purchase, my first step was to Read the Manual. Now, there are many items that once purchased, such as a …