Lydia’s life goal is to soak in God’s love, love God and those around her, and encourage others to do the same.

 

Lydia Floren loves people, and loves to laugh. She is passionate about encouraging folks to embrace the joy-giving love God offers every person. It thrills her to help people learn more about their identity and value, and then grow to the point of connecting and sharing what they’ve learned with those around them. She is an ENFP, and her primary love language is words of affirmation. Despite (or maybe because of) living with a houseful of males for the last 26 years she is fond of “girl stuff”: talking, sewing, reading, jewelry making, antiquing, collecting old silver and linens, and talking, to name a few. She deeply values friendship, both new and old. A Southerner born and bred, Lydia’s idea of heaven is the beach and a book, preferably with a good friend the next chair over.

 

The daughter of a Baptist minister, Lydia’s nomadic upbringing stretched from New York City to the south Florida beach town of Bradenton, where she graduated from Manatee High School. She earned her Bachelors in History from Furman University, and her Doctor of Medicine degree from Medical College of Georgia, and is a practicing board certified Family Medicine physician. She and her wonderful husband Andrew, also a physician, met and married in Orlando Florida and now live and work in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Their 3 grown sons, Michael (Kiley), Daniel, and Samuel – are currently scattered from Texas to California. Lydia and Andrew are part of the community of believers at Jacob’s Well in Eau Claire, WI. She believes in the tenets of the Nicene Creed and Apostle’s Creed.

 

Writing

Lydia has loved to write ever since she was young, and while she has shared her stories and thoughts with her immediate circle for years, she has just recently begun to share these with a wider audience. In her writing she connects everyday experiences with biblical truths to challenge herself and others to dig deeper and reach higher in their lives. She is working toward publishing a study on Guidance, and is currently writing a series on the topics of identity, value, belonging and calling.

 

Authors who have influenced Lydia: Henri Nouwen, Brother Lawrence, Oswald Chambers, Ann Ortlund, Brennan Manning, Dr. Paul Brand, Phillip Yancey, Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, David Seamans, Francis of Assisi, St. Augustine, Charles Spurgeon, Chuck Swindoll, and C. S. Lewis.

 

 

A personal note from Lydia:

I have been a lifelong believer, raised in the performance-based culture of middle-class America. Even in the Christian community I often perceived my value to be linked to my performance or what others thought of me. In my struggle with feeling “not good enough” I have searched high and low – in my career, in books, in activities, organizations, roles and relationships – to find the sense of satisfaction and completeness often missing from my Christian faith. As I have begun to absorb and live in the fact that I am a beloved child of God – precious and valuable to him, not because of what I do but simply because I am His creation – my life has been transformed. This I know: if you learn to be loved—to soak in God’s love for you personally – and then share it with others, you will shine in such a way that you can’t help but draw people to Christ.

 

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father in heaven.”  (Matthew 5:16 NKJV)

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