Even if I opt not to create tally marks across a sheet of paper using a pen, I’m probably mentally calculating how often I hear the phrase “Wait, What?” spoken in the conversations around me. Because we live in a culture suffering from Continuous Partial Attention, I believe the frequency of this phrase being uttered …
Spiritual Discipline
Is there a title you have embraced or been assigned that felt like an appropriate fit? Have you ever resisted a label or designation that seemed to miss the mark? Perhaps, like me, there is one particular classification that gets under your skin such as Single, spinster, never-married, or childless. Even the department of transportation …
Leap of Faith
When was the last time you took a Leap of Faith? How did you muster up the courage to face that mountain in front of you, to overcome the Raging Seas, and allow God to show how truly amazing He can be? For those of us who fall into the Enneagram 5 classification, risk is …
Barn Raising
Expressions we speak in the South are baffling to many Americans, I cannot imagine the struggle that comes in translating idioms such as “Were you raised in a barn?” into another language. Today, I will not pose this question to you, but should you visit my home and happen to leave the door open, I …
Liturgical Life
Some readers may find this statement to be sacrilegious (and I know so little of theology that my word choice may be inappropriate), but for most of my life, I was unaware of the meaning of the word liturgy. This Southern Baptist girl just went to church, read my Bible, memorized Bible verses, and prayed. …
Refinement and Revision
“End of Construction – Thank you for your patience.” These words were chosen by Ruth Bell Graham, wife of evangelist Billy Graham, for her gravestone, and they have arisen in my reading several times over the years. I’m not sure I can accurately articulate why the expression resonates so deeply within me. Perhaps the reason …
Humble Listening
One of the common threads consistently emerging in my reading, probably due to the fact that it’s a skill that I have yet to master, is this idea of embracing a Listening Life, specifically what Gibson and Beitler describe as Humble Listening, and its relationship to the ideas I mentioned in the post Writing Well. …
Charitable Writing
As an avid reader and traveler, one of my favorite quotes (as I shared in Racing to Roam) hangs on the wall in my home, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Because this quote blends two of my favorite activities, it illustrates for me the wealth …
Writing Well
Have you ever been on the receiving end of a written communication that failed to clearly articulate the author’s meaning which led to a misunderstanding? Or perhaps, like me, you received a letter from a local business that was so filled with errors that your perspective of that business was tarnished forever? As a professor …
You Too?
Has there been an occurrence when you are actively listening to another person in a conversation, and your intent is not to interrupt, but truly Listen With Your Eyes; however, your mouth just blurts out, “You, too?” Often, this simple expression opens the door to a new Friendship Conversation that validates your experiences or feelings …
Flourishing @ Life 