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: Spiritual Life
Stay or Go?
Experiencing life with an Abiding Friend like Tara typically brings a bit of whimsy, and I dearly hope you have a friend like her in your life. Although we don’t have the opportunity to spend as much time together in this season of life, Tara is a gift threaded throughout my memories and scrapbooks, and …
Hang Time
Walking across Union’s campus during the summer, it’s not uncommon to encounter evidence that Fuge Camp is occurring, whether it’s viewing hundreds of young people engaged in outdoor recreation or seeing their small-group rooms decorated with the year’s theme. One day as I passed the Fuge store, where participants can purchase merchandise, I noticed a …
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 …
Rare Jewel
Never having had the opportunity to inspect the quality of a stone through a jeweler’s loupe, I can only imagine how exquisite it must be to see the detail of a Rare Jewel. Admittedly, without the small magnifying glass, I likely could not identify the difference between the Diamond-Z4 available for “only $29.95” and a …
Perfect Timing
If I took the time to share all of my friend Tara’s attributes, I would need more space than I’ve allowed for this blog; however, one of her many gifts that has amazed me time and time again, is her gift of Perfect Timing. Of all the friends the Lord has chosen to bless me …
Quitting Social Media
I’m too stubborn to quit much of anything; however, I am wise enough to discern that sometimes there are moments to cease what you are attempting, reflect on where things are going, and assess a best strategy for moving forward. As a Gen Xer navigating the digital age, I am finding myself Pressing Pause more …
Flourishing @ Life 