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, …
Category: Spiritual Life
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 …
Get Low
Not too long ago, a friend and I were engaged in a conversation that somehow managed to snake its way into a discussion about actors we thought were extremely gifted. Character actors with a talent that allow you to immerse yourself in a story—like Robert Duvall, an actor we both agreed fit this definition. As …
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. …
Praying Promises
I recognize that my quirky brain may function differently than most people; however, my hope is that someone else can relate to the experience of reading an article or listening to a church message and the appearance of a phrase creates a brain worm that never seems to find its way out! And the word …
Salty People
Are there any phrases spoken in your family that only a relative would understand? Perhaps, a word usage that pinpoints to a specific geographical area? Your ears possibly perk up a little because they are so unique, or it takes a few seconds to process? While volunteering in Calgary with West Jackson Baptist Church, my …
Flourishing @ Life 