Flow to Fruitful – Update

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I now have a newsletter on Substack called Flow to Fruitful, and I want to share a bit of the backstory.

My journey to Flow to Fruitful began more than 15 years ago as I navigated a dry season after the loss of my father. I felt drained and disillusioned. One Sunday, my pastor preached from Ezekiel 37 and the valley of the dry bones opened up in a way that I had never experienced. As I sat with the text and continued reading further, I was ushered into this vision based on Ezekiel 47:12.

“Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”

At that time, God spoke to me in the language of rivers, which became a metaphor for my life. Rivers flow in a focused way to bring refreshing and fruitfulness to places that would otherwise be dry, desolate and left for dead. I realized that a life and ministry that is grounded in the presence and power of Christ requires intentional spiritual renewal.

If you have not already done so, join me at my Flow to Fruitful newsletter, which is now on Substack. Subscribe and receive a free gift to help you refresh even as you work.

Advent Lessons on Hope

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It’s been a while, dear readers. 2025 has been a challenging year and I’ve come around full circle to Advent season once again. Having meditated on Luke 1:5-25,57-66 with Elizabeth and Zechariah as my instructors, here are some lessons I’m learning about hope:

Hope sees your dedication.
Hope shows up in your disappointment.
Hope speaks God’s declaration concerning your life.
Hope celebrates your destiny even before it’s clear to you.

I reflect on this some more at Substack where I recently launched a newsletter. Please join me there at: https://flowtofruitful.substack.com/.

The Wait: Peace that Protects

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What is peace like?
Perhaps peace…
…looks like green pastures and still waters.
…feels like breeze and sun that caresses just right.
…sounds like…

Alas, the Valley of the Shadow of Death is inevitable.  
When Chaos and Conflict arrive, where can Peace be found? 
Philippians 4:7 speaks of Peace that transcends all understanding, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
This Peace of God is not merely serene. This Peace protects.
It doesn’t always protect us from circumstances and hard times.  Life still be lifing. 
Yet in my sanctified imagination, I see Peace on guard within my soul.  

Here are some thoughts on practicing the presence of Peace during Advent.

Your Call: How does Peace speak to you in this season?  How can you practice its presence?

The Wait: Wrestling with the Essence of Time

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I can appear calm, yet I know that I can be impatient.   I’m the one that scouts out what looks like the shorter line in the store, only to be dismayed when another line moves faster.  That kind of wait can be a minor annoyance, but some waits are longer than others. Some waits erode hope.  Some waits shed tears.   

I haven’t worn a watch in a while.  Yet my mindset is often attached to a clock ticking in my head. Chronological time is a tool that helps us to function and organize our days.  Yet our eternal God reserves the right to transcend it. If you have experienced some frustration with waiting, I wonder what comes to mind for you when you watch this video. Sit with it for a few minutes.

If you would like to see more about how the above video relates to the Advent season, watch this Invitation to Hope.

Your Call: Reflect on two Greek words for time, which are 1) chronos, which speaks to chronological time, and 2)  kairos, which speaks to an appointed time or a due season.  How can this understanding prepare you for your wrestling match with time?

Press On: Navigating the Buttons of Life

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Right now, which of these buttons speaks to you the most? Are you inclined to press previous, play, pause, stop, or next?

I tend to hover over the “next” button.  The temptation there for me is ruminating about what’s next to the point where I forget to be present, which can lead to escapism or fear.  I am realizing that I can reframe that “next” button as I trust God with my future. I can press “previous” and express gratitude for how God has been faithful in the past. I can press “pause” and take a deep breath, reminding myself that the Holy Spirit in within and around me. I can cultivate a sense of expectancy while not imposing my expectations or obsessing over exact outcomes. I can sing along with the hymnwriter who proclaims, “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.”

Your Call: Reflect on the button that stands out the most and how that speaks to this season of your life.  (Sisters in Christ, I invite you to subscribe to my Flow to Fruitful newsletter and receive a free mini-workbook that goes a little deeper with this. For more information, click: bit.ly/flowtofruitful).

Advent and The Power of Expectancy

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This time of year can be a mix of anticipation and disappointment. Imagine a gathering where joy, grief and fatigue may be sitting in a circle staring at each other and wondering why they were seated at the same table. Advent can be a season to come to terms with all of this while holding on to a glimmer of hope. One of my favorite lines of a Christmas song is from O Holy Night: A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices. Note that the weariness doesn’t disappear, yet there is joy. The picture below is speaking to me now and I wonder where you might see hope in it. 

Your Call: Journal about your reflections on this picture. How does it speak to you?

Those Days, part 2

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The swing welcomed me.
It had been so long since I pumped my legs, 
Letting momentum take me higher,
Caressed by breeze and sky,
Lifted, grounded and held at the same time.

With each swing, 
I saw Freedom lift her hands.

Your Call: Swings were my favorite part of the playground. 
Is there a memory of a past delight that can re-energize you now?

Those Days

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Are you telling on yourself?
Outside sneaking,
graffiti writing,
cig smoking,
candy buying,
but you’re alright with me
’cause when I heard
you and horns testify…

I was hopscotching and double dutching
In playgrounds swinging, full voice singing:

“Skippieees,
they cost a dollar ninety-nine.
Skippieees,
they make your feet feel fine”

Miss Mary Macking with hands clapping
Hide-and-seeking, relay racing,
Giggling and twirling and chasing…

Chasing your melodies and
dizzy with black girl joy.

© Sharon Fleshman

Your Call: What memories or moments help you recover your joy?

Lessons from Aretha: Finding & Honoring Your Voice

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This past summer, I saw the movie “Respect” and was struck by what Aretha Franklin endured and how she persevered.  She had recorded numerous albums for Columbia Records, but none of them seemed to capture her unique sound.   Then Aretha went to Atlantic Records where she composed more of her music, accompanied herself on piano, and recorded at the off-the-beaten-path Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama. In “Respect”, there was a scene with Aretha being interviewed during a recording; she said that she was still trying to find her voice.  Wondering whether this happened or was dramatized, I searched YouTube and found video clips from the actual recordings. In one of them, Aretha indeed said:

 “I still have to find out who and what I really am.  I don’t know yet. I’m trying to find the answer.”

I was amazed that this was coming from the mouth of the future Queen of Soul.  Aretha already had a powerful singing voice but she was searching for more. It was fascinating to watch this process unfold.  She found the space needed to bring her full self to recording. Yet, she would have to deal with those who profited from her voice at the expense of her personhood.

Over the years, these actions have helped me navigate finding voice on my own journey.

Recognizing uniqueness.  Ironically, when I first became licensed to preach, I felt like I lost my voice as I felt inadequate compared to those around me.  I had to break free of my own rigid sense of what a preacher should sound like. Celebrating myself as a beloved and called daughter of God, a lover of books, music and poetry, and one who is curious, creative, and contemplative empowers me to speak up in my most authentic and powerful voice.

Receiving from others.  I’m grateful for my parents and family who spoke into my life before and after I was born.  I appreciate my pastor and other trailblazing clergy who have helped me hone my voice.  I glean from the legacy of courageous women in Scripture and throughout history.

Remembering that voice is connected to a person.  Voice shows up in preaching, singing, speaking and writing, but it is not a product. Voice is an extension of being and living in communion with God, yourself and others who love you for who you are and encourage you to be your best true self.  

Your Call: Watch the excerpt from National Geographic’s “Genius: Aretha”. What stands out to you about it?  What lessons are you learning about your voice in this season?

Resurrection Living: A prayer during this pandemic

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It was about a year ago when I began to reflect upon what it looks like to live out the resurrection beyond Easter Sunday.  Never would I have imagined that the year 2020 would bring a pandemic with it. How do we speak life into what feels like an abyss?  The only place for me to begin is prayer, whatever that may look or sound like at any given time.   My prayers have consisted of grief and gratitude, of sobs and psalms, of heartache and hope, and of indignation and intercession. In the midst of this, I sensed the need to write the following prayer so that I can return to it as I navigate this journey.

Very Present Help in Trouble,

I pray for our scientists to get the necessary knowledge, understanding and resources for the ethical, expeditious development of a safe and effective treatment and vaccine.

I pray for divine covering and adequate protective gear for health care staff and for all other front-line essential workers putting their lives on the line and for all others to respect the guidelines for social distancing and sheltering in place. 

I pray for a sufficient supply of hospital beds and medical equipment for those suffering and in critical condition from the virus. I pray against the insidious nature of this disease that seeks to snatch the very breath that You gave us at birth.

I pray for integrity, wisdom and compassion for leaders who influence and impact others by their words, deeds and decisions.   I pray against a mindset of greed and selfishness that puts money and privilege above the precious lives of those You created in Your image.

I pray for families, friends and communities trying to figure out how to live and love and for those who struggle to make a living.  I pray against corrupt systems that would continue to ignore or exploit those on the margins.

I pray for educators and students as they navigate how to teach and learn in these challenging circumstances.  I pray for 2020 graduates who grieve as they miss out on  anticipated celebrations.

I pray for increased awareness of Your presence and protection for the self quarantined who feel isolated, depressed, trapped, anxious, fearful, in despair, on the verge of relapse or powerless and those being mistreated or abused in any way. 

I pray for Your comfort for those who mourn the dead and healing for those who  fight to live.  For these, I pray for an extra measure of Your supernatural strength.

I pray that we find a place of rest, wellness and purpose in the midst of this trying time.

I pray all these things in the matchless and mighty name of Jesus. 

Amen and so be it.

Your Call: What is prayer like for you during this pandemic?