For me, there’s nothing like a good book.
You know… the kind you can’t quite put down.
The ones you’ll lose sleep over to finish.
The ones that pull you in and don’t let go until the very last sentence.
Recently, I thought about books I love. The ones whose covers are well-worn, spines sufficiently cracked, pages tattered, and realized just how much they have in common. Not content or characters. Not even similarity of genre and style. But they all have a range of characters that help you experience a rollercoaster of emotion. The highs are high, the lows are really low, happy endings are few and far between.
But they end well.
Ending well in my eyes has little to do with everything going right, or according to plan. And it never seems to have anything to do with flourishing all the time. But I fall madly in love with stories where one or more of the characters realize, and believe, they have every right to flourish. That seems to get them to the end of their story.
Today is my first day on staff with Flourish Placemaking Collective (FPC) after serving for several years on the board. I am thrilled about this new chapter in my career, yes. But even more thrilled that the vision of FPC is wedded to the clear call and purpose of God. To love Him, and our neighbors as ourselves. And the work of building community, belonging, and connection among each other is the manifestation of this purpose.
I look forward to turning the page with Tim, Matt, and each of you. Not just to flourish, but in service of loving every moment that we take steps to love each other more loudly with our time, talents, and treasure—like the physical spaces where we have and will continue to worship.
In Love + Solidarity,
