Arise Blog

Surprise Blessings
Resonating Resources Melanie Nixon Resonating Resources Melanie Nixon

Surprise Blessings

Living in a home with books all around (even flooding the closest), you often find treasures. Words that speak from pages right when you needed an escape into a novel, or a poem widening your perspective, or soft gentle…

These I call surprise blessings!

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Beauty and the Brain
Resting Melanie Nixon Resting Melanie Nixon

Beauty and the Brain

When two kinds of beautiful come together: an aha moment and a time for sharing what’s merging for this month’s Resting practice.

Beauty and the Brain

Ever since reading The Soul of Desire: Discovering the Neuroscience of Longing, Beauty, and Community by Curt Thompson, MD, his insights keep stirring, particularly in conversations about beauty. He makes connections on how the brain works with…

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From the garden: Restoration pt. 2
Devotional Melanie Nixon Devotional Melanie Nixon

From the garden: Restoration pt. 2

Daily Life Rhythms

Days later the word “restoration” still remains, a mulling with, and longing to trust there’s work going on in the heart. 

A steady prayer has been arising asking God, “How will You continue the restoration of our minds, hearts, bodies–our souls?” Many people ask and we often share conversations “dialogue” of honest and open questioning about …

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From the garden: Restoration
Devotional Melanie Nixon Devotional Melanie Nixon

From the garden: Restoration

Have you ever spent time restoring a piece of furniture maybe a family heirloom? When my daughter was born, I decided to restore a french style dresser for her room. It took stripping the old paint, then lightly sanding the top, sides, and drawers before applying an undercoat…

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