The smoke settles across our fire-scorched battlefield. Beside us, the mud groans as it swallows the two severed dragon heads of distorted identity. The dragon's sister also decays on this field. Misplaced authority oozes its last bit of stench into the distant wind. The paved road glimmers with fresh dew…
In our quest to fulfill our purposes as divine warriors, we must slay the inner dragons which stand in the way of our destinies. After embracing true identity as an esteemed member of Christ's special forces, the next steps are to identify and overcome monstrous barriers. Our previous training revealed…
Expenses mount. Windows of opportunity seem nailed shut. Physical pain and emotional lows weigh us down. Ordinary tasks of laundry and housework grow overwhelming. The pits of life can feel impossibly dark and leave us certain of defeat. I've been there. The pit tempts me to return often, even daily in…
Few of us in the first world culture starve ourselves of regular meals. Feeding our cravings has evolved into an art form. If we allow ourselves to experience a lapse between indulgences, Americans address physical pangs of hunger and thirst with religious urgency. Modern media now offers more priority to nurturing…
I had the tremendous blessing of interviewing joy expert Adria Wilkins this morning for the Flourish-Meant podcast. She's an amazing, yet humble and genuine woman who exudes grace. I had hoped for months to feature her on the show. When I met her a little over a year ago at the…
The world has changed for women. Our roles have shifted. The standards of beauty, identity, and worth look far different from one generation to the next. Laws and expectations have taken drastic turns. Many of our struggles have intensified, while other historic changes have broadened our opportunities. Although we face…
Filthy, stained, and weary, I trudged in from the unfinished work in my yard. My strength and supplies had run out. I couldn't go on, and I needed cleansing from head to toe. Shame had once devastated my life in a similar, but far more profound way. I desperately sought…
Labels cover the shopping malls, websites, roadways. They tell us how to care for items and what they're made of. Some labels imply status or value because of the brand they represent. Whether or not we realize it, each of us wears a number of soul-labels. Others read our behavior…
Sometimes the bottom seems to drop out from beneath you. Financial crisis, loss, illness, or any manner of devastation can occur when we least expect it possible. Sinkholes will cave around our feet in life, even for those of us who try to plan well. A stomach virus served me…
On a day meant to celebrate the heart, we're encouraged to purchase gifts as the key to true love. To embrace lovers, family, or to better love ourselves, the media insists we must buy just the right ticket to harmony. Culture gluts our media with advertisements for the best ways…