Encouraging and Training Children to Flourish for a Lifetime
Nourishing society’s building blocks means we need to help families, especially children, learn to flourish. The COVID-19 pandemic tested the world’s mental stamina and overall health, and we failed on many levels. As a result, there has been a focus on flourishing...
Faith and Human Flourishing: A Theological and Scientific Perspective
The faith we encounter in Scripture motivates and fuels our ability to keep hope and human flourishing growing. The best description of faith we can offer is found in the book of Hebrews (11:1, KJV), where we read, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the...
How Gratitude Supports Us in Hard Times and Makes Us Who We Are
On March 28, 2008, Lisa Vannalee’s life was changed forever. Vannalee was 16 when, on this night, her mentally ill brother, Sam, walked into her bedroom gripping a machete. He then plunged the blade into the back of her neck and tore it through her face. Vannalee was...The AACC 2025 ‘United’ World Conference: You Help Others, We Help You
Forgiveness and Flourishing: Lessons of Mercy and Grace
Immaculée Ilibagiza is a Rwandan woman who was caught up in the massacre of a million Tutsis in the 100-day genocide of 1994. She told her story in Left to Tell (Ilibagiza & Erwin, 2006). A Hutu pastor hid her and six other Tutsi women for 91 days in a small...
The Foundations of Resilience for Building Positive Mental Health
I (Wayne) remember the slump of the weary teenager in front of me. The young man had experienced more life-changing events than many adults: family conflict, relocation, academic struggles, and anxiety. My heart ached, and I quietly prayed, “Lord, will he ever...
Relational Spirituality: How We’re Loved Into Loving
Human beings are created in the image of a relational God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit eternally existing in perfect communion. This Trinitarian reality reveals that relationships are not merely one aspect of human flourishing; they are the very soil from which all...