---
title: "The Simple Arts of Living: Ordinary Skills for a Fuller Life"
date: 2026-03-10T06:38:00-05:00
author: Jennifer Vermeer
canonical_url: "https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/the-simple-arts-of-living-ordinary-skills-for-a-fuller-life"
section: In All Things
---
[ View All Articles](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things) 

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 Mar 10, 2026 

# The Simple Arts of Living: Ordinary Skills for a Fuller Life

By examining how our everyday habits shape our identity, what might we rediscover when we reclaim the simple, often neglected practices in life?

 

     ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/iat-small-art-living.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=66&h=57&f=webp&c=59c2349d&v=d74acb1970c165fa248fa8930225984014537b1d14cea030ddda34be2fc02783)   

 

 ![]() 

       ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/iat-small-arts-2.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=40&h=25&c=e08b5aec&v=ed01a2c20bcfd8f6754cbb89223fc514423139da52439554e94eed3e88274d08)  ## The Simple Arts of Living: Ordinary Skills for a Fuller Life

In a world that rewards convenience and novelty, what skills have we stopped practicing, and how might recovering them lead to a fuller life?

 

  [### Practicing Joy in a Midwest Winter

What gifts might we miss while waiting for convenience?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/practicing-joy-in-a-midwest-winter)  

  [### Sanctified Consumption

How can we ensure that our daily choices and patterns of consumption reflect faithfulness to God, concern for our neighbors, and stewardship of creation?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/sanctified-consumption)  

  [### Faithful Listening in an Age of Noise

As we seek to reclaim the art of listening, we must first cultivate the right mindset. How might our lives change if listening became an act of humility and obedience, rather than just a skill?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/faithful-listening-in-an-age-of-noise)  

  [### Choosing Slow: The Enduring Case for Residential Higher Education

As the landscape of higher education continues to shift, how might we recover a culture that appreciates the slow, ongoing work of formation shaped by shared experiences and community?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/choosing-slow-the-enduring-case-for-residential-higher-education)  

  [### Creating Community: Encouraging Presence at Work

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/creating-community-encouraging-presence-at-work)  

  [### The Radical Act of Wasting Time

How does cultivating skills that are inherently slow—such as patience, curiosity, humility, and attentive listening—help us converse across differences?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/the-radical-act-of-wasting-time)  

  [### Go Outside and Play!

How can we balance the demands of life with the delight, spontaneity, and exploration that sustain and restore?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/go-outside-and-play)  

  [### The Lost Art of Play: Recovering Joy, Creativity, and Purpose in Sports

We have built a culture of sports that prizes discipline and results, often at the cost of delight—how might we reclaim a vision of play that cultivates character, joy, and creativity?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/the-lost-art-of-play-recovering-joy-creativity-and-purpose-in-sports)  

 

 

---

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     ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/iat-woven-together.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=56&h=33&f=webp&c=ac178f9b&v=77323efb4b916f9bafa96c00b5d6705e3d45590e883a774902303dbe1eefbd93)   Series 

 Apr 14, 2026 

## Woven Together: A Theology of God’s Ordered and Varied Design

When we understand diversity as something embedded in God's design for His creation—unfolding in complexity and woven together intentionally—we begin to see the world’s fullness, beauty, and purpose more clearly.

Read More

 

 

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/woven-together-a-theology-of-gods-ordered-and-varied-design)  [Next Article

     ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/iat-relating-to-ai.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=56&h=33&f=webp&c=7dde351c&v=99f98bf8939d8f4ea1166f52ce841532058dcd385efa27885b78fc31f78f8271)   Series 

 Jan 23, 2026 

## Relating to AI

 By Nick Breems

True flourishing depends on investing our time and attention in relationships where we are genuinely known and can know others in return. As AI becomes more integrated into daily life, how might we practice discernment in how using these tools help or hinder our relationships?

Read More

 

 

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/relating-to-ai)  [  ![]() ## In All Things

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