The arts are in limbo, nearly at a crisis in educational systems. Funding for arts in public education for children has been reduced to literally nothing the last three decades. Colleges and universities struggle to validate the existence of art programs and socio-economic forces marginalize the financial ‘return-on-investment’ of liberal, performing or visual arts higher education. It is taunted as incompatible with career stability and economic viability, unless one goes

In an age where societies are consumed with “the big,” attitudes frame around “large is in charge,” which introduce the need to measure against others. From “how many likes and shares” to “the amount of followers,” from the fasting growing ‘this and that’ to the top ten of whatever category, pop culture creates an obsessive drive for more, for the viral, for the most notable. This cultural mania suppresses the mindset of contentment. It seems as if it is not enough to "jus

In Judges 17:6 and 21:25, the word discloses an accurate view of our times and why: "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." This idea that we should get to define for ourselves what is right and true is a recipe for generational deception, disorder, and disaster. Blindness is a fitting estimation of the moral state of our generation. Deafness is the drive to look to other answers instead of the principles of God. Awakening is the call to arise from our sleep and slumbe

Jesus Christ described himself as the Bread of Life in John 6:35 NLT: "I am the bread of life. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." The phrase, "I am the bread of life," is one of the "I AM" statements that Jesus spoke in the gospel of John. However, it is more a function of life than a title in the life of a follower of Christ. Bread is a symbolic representation of the life-provision of Christ. When you become born again, you receive the Bread of Life and become a

James 4:6 TPT "God resists you when you are proud but continually pours out grace when you are humble." In a day of self-centeredness, leaders must have a centered self. The Sign of Insular Thinking -When leaders lack the capacity to function in relationship when others have different and unique concepts, ideas, methodologies and perspectives from their own. Figurehead leaders become the gurus and experts, further proliferating the clergy/laity dualistic, dichotomous distinc

Is freedom the “free domain?” The freedom to dominate? The dominion of the free? The highest law of freedom is the law of responsibility. As I reflect on the greatness, goodness, graciousness, grievousness, greediness and giftedness of the United States and its citizens, I can trust and not trust you at the same time. I might trust you to drive me to the doctor and not trust you to conduct the medical procedure. Humanity was created as trustees in the earth: to be fruitful,

In the world, everything from atoms to molecules to cells change to match our beliefs. Our belief inform our thinking. Then, our beliefs impact our physiology at a cellular, subatomic level, shaping outcomes and outputs. What we believe impacts who we are in the natural, physical world. Thus, we are limited by the way we think of ourselves and others in that world. If a group of human beings believe that another group of human beings are subhuman or inhuman, then the preju

I am done. I am undone. Why, Oh why the repetition. Why do I feel there is no answer to my repetitive petition Like a splinter in my soul that I can't pick out I erupt from the pain sometimes through my mouth Hope seems delayed - feeling like denial Tired of the mask that hides disgraceful betrayal BUT You can lift us up to be the Image before the world's foundations Even if there is not a change to the world's situations I put my life on Your altar and say Consume the excess

Taking a look at the ego is an important truth to understand if you wish to grow emotionally, mentally and spiritually. As culturally defined, the ego is really our self-importance. Ego draws us away from God and our neighbors and toward ourselves. On the other hand, to deny self by immersing ourselves in Christ moves us beyond ourselves toward the love of God and others. Jesus was discerning in saying that everything boiled down to the Greatest Commandment: Love God and lov

In foundational collegiate communication courses, students are introduced to the ABC's of Communication: Accuracy, Brevity and Clarity. Accuracy includes both accurate information and accurate expression. The information should be correct and well-expressed. Accuracy demands precision in writing. Precision is the quality of being exact and accurate. Brevity is the quality of being brief. It is a striking feature in communication. Brevity means giving maximum information in

Romans 13:11 "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." The subconscious mind is like a garden. The seed that is planted there will grow. We've been planting many different seeds there. There are many tares among the wheat. MIND = GARDEN WORDS = SEEDS Some tares or weeds are obvious and they need to be rooted out. Sometimes it's hard to tell the bad from the good. Sometimes it's har

As a consulting professional, I am asked many questions in the course of a week. In those instances, I am expected to provide contextual co-created answers with agile synergy and strategy. In my function as a servant leader focused on revealing Christ and being hidden in Christ, when asked questions I have become aware more and more that in answering, I run the risk of revealing things wisdom directs me not to reveal. I’ve learned that I must be healed enough in my emotional

Felt needs are changes deemed necessary by people to correct the deficiencies they perceive in their community. To consider there is a need means there are flaws, frailty and failures; thus, there is room for growth, maturity and course correction where necessary. The need: leaders who are disciples and sons first and foremost. Discipleship fosters a dependency on Christ for direction and development; in turn, that leads to discipling of others in the words and ways of Jesus,

Over the last few years I’ve learned a reality: people ignore facts and when it comes to reasoning, identity trumps truth. In one of the arguments in “The Enigma of Reason,” a book by cognitive scientists Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber. According to their theory of reasoning, reason’s primary strengths are justifying beliefs we already believe in and making arguments to convince others. This line of reasoning makes us fall prey to a number of cognitive biases, like confirmatio

As part of my grief recovery and wholeness journey, I craft handwriting letters and cards: signing them, dating them, placing wax on them and sealing them too. These letters are written to people I deeply and dearly love. Who I miss. Who I care about. Who I have lost. Who I have hurt. Who I have disappointed. Who have hurt and harmed me along with a plethora of scenarios I want and need them in my life. The sentiments are not reciprocal. Many days I wish and hope these impa

Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul, the apostle, exhorts us to “forget those things which are behind” and then to “press toward the goal.” one thing we must do is stay on track. An important question to ponder (as we press toward our goal o

I would put all my energy in trying to make it work, trying to help another heal, but would abandon my own needs or truth in the process, because the desire to recognize or honor my own worth was not as strong as it was for me to show you yours. Was I aware of this mindset? Was I aware of this pattern? No, for I did not keep my heart with all diligence for out of my soul flowed the controlling forces in my life (of being self-absorbed with hiding in fear and not healing in fa

Christianity has been bound up with political power since the 4th century-binding the Christian faith with military might. The complicity and complexity of Americanized Christianity and the historical usage of Christendom is a multi-faceted movement that encompasses numerous organizations and individuals with irreconcilable commitments. There is no truer form of Christian to date, for it has proven its empirical alliances and perhaps needs to be exposed to divine violence--l

Why Your Mind Matters in a Time of Crisis and Injustice What do you want in this exact moment of time? What do you see that impacts the fabric of your heart? “Do you want to be made whole? Do you want to see the world heal?” In ghastly times, our nations are losing restraint and casting away vision. We have been inundated with misinformation, disinformation and the lack of it. Overloading of sound bites, video clips and hashtags fill our minds with images, forming a neural

When a person or group-think culture possesses a supremacist superiority complex mindset toward a specific group of people, AND When the general American corpus does not cry out for swift justice or due process in the face of factual evidence, AND When the predominant American evangelical church leadership’s national conscious exists void of empathetic discourse due to silence and impotent action via partnership, Then that nation’s conscience is seared and indifferent toward