Wildflower Writes

Photo by  Diana Polekhina  on  Unsplash   As a former athlete and musical theater participant, you would think I’d be graceful and coordinated. This is not the case. I’m kinda clumsy. In fact, as a teenager, my church youth group nicknamed me “Niagara” as in, “Niagara Falls.” I’m not better. I still have a scar on my thumb where I tried to open a cinnamon roll can with a knife. I have several burn scars from my stints in food service (and one from a fireplace). I’ve tripped four times on my morning jog- once while running from zombies (long story). The last time I tripped, I stepped off a sidewalk onto an uneven brick-paved road. I tried to jump up and continue my run, but I had scraped up my arm and leg and hurt my ego as well as my body. I walked home and cleaned myself up. It was ugly to look at. It hurt to walk. But every day the wounds shrunk and the pain was less, until only a scar was left. The pain after my fall let me know I needed to clean up and ...

Photo by  Lesly Juarez  on  Unsplash I love working with ideas. I enjoy working with people. Words are my favorite tools. I don’t enjoy working with my hands much. As I tried to create something for a Christmas ornament exchange last month, I kept muttering, “I hate crafts.” So it is something of an accomplishment this afternoon when I put together a bookshelf all by myself. I followed all the directions, used real tools, and it looked like the picture when I was finished. Jay Shetty suggests trying one new project or hobby a month to discover one’s purpose. He calls it sampling. It’s similar to the way your mother may have insisted you try new foods. You don’t know what you might like unless you explore something new. Very few of us can say we took on the career we wished for as a child. We grow and change. We can’t know what it is we enjoy doing, what brings meaning and fulfillment unless we try out different things. Many of us still don’t know what we want to be ...

Photo by  Diego PH  on  Unsplash I used to live in a place where light bulbs had a ridiculously short life. I don’t know enough about electricity to know if it was the way the house was wired, or the dollar store bulbs, or if there was another reason some light bulbs had to be changed after just weeks of use. It’s difficult to tell if a bulb is “good” until you actually screw it into a fixture that is turned on and is connected to electricity. By itself, a light bulb can’t brighten a room. It has to be connected to the power of electricity for it to work. I think too many times we try to shine out of our own power. We rely on willpower to keep going on, long after we’ve lost the joy, purpose, and vision that sparked interest in the first place. The truth is, we’re not meant to live life alone. We’re meant to be connected to one another, as part of a larger fixture. We’re also meant to be connected to a Higher Power. Like the variety of light bulbs available for diff...

Photo by  Robina Weermeijer  on  Unsplash Our brains are powerful! I heard about a research study where basketball players of equal ability were divided into two groups. One group practiced shooting free throws; the second group visualized themselves making free throw shots. When the two groups were compared, they showed the same amount of improvement over the time of the study. The brain strengthened the same neural pathways whether the players practiced physically or in their minds. What you think determines your existence (I think therefore I am). It can also set the whole course of your day, which by degrees can set the course of your life. It can determine your beliefs. What you believe determines what you do. It seems simple, but it’s not easy. Apostle Paul talks about taking your thoughts captive. They can run rampant if you let them. It’s important to think on purpose. To focus on what is true and good and hopeful, rather than the junk you consume on social ...

Photo by  Derek Story  on  Unsplash Living in an area crisscrossed by railroad tracks, I hear train horns day and night. The long, mournful wail makes me smile, reminding me that there are people and things on their way to the far reaches of the continent, and they happen to be passing close by. Even though I’m settled in my cozy home or office, the trains are forever moving. Someone is traveling to a new destination for a fresh start, or to spend time with loved ones. Someone’s special order is on its way to surprise and delight, and it has to go through my city to get there. I’ve been on the other side, too. I’ve traveled by train, watching small towns zip by the windows, following rivers and seeing mountains approach in the distance. I’ve drifted off to the steady click-clack, click-clack of the wheels on the tracks. I’ve experienced the anticipation of the journey and arriving at my destination. Kay Warren writes in the book, Choose Joy , that “life is much more l...

  Photo by  Jay Wennington  on  Unsplash My sister believes that when it comes to chips and salsa, there is a gold standard. Other restaurants may have a more authentic Mexican menu or faster service, but when she has her heart set on perfectly crispy, salty tortilla chips, there is only one right choice. If you’ve ever had a fine dining experience, where there is more silverware than you know what to do with and you feel guilty for wiping your mouth on napkins someone has to launder… you’ve encountered food prepared in a way that not only satisfies hunger but engages the senses. Plates are presented as works of art, creations composed of the finest ingredients. Once you’ve had a dining experience like that, it’s harder to be satisfied with fast food cheeseburgers. Our senses and sensibilities have been elevated- we want something beyond the everyday and mundane. We have deep longings for lofty things- real relationship, passionate purpose, deep understanding, person...

In Roman times, soldiers carried a shield, made of pressed wood and reinforced with iron and brass. In battle, this shield kept them from injury so they could live to fight another day. When a centuria of soldiers was under heavy fire, they would form a "testudo" or tortoise. This formation was created from the shields of all the soldiers, and together it made a "shell" that protected all of the soldiers more completely than any one shield could protect one soldier.  This is why I am part of a church. My personal faith is an amazing thing that gives me an identity, a purpose, and an understanding of the world. It protects me from the "flaming arrows of the evil one" (Ephesians 6:16). But it's not enough. In the same way a soldier's body isn't completely covered by a shield, my faith is inadequate if I practice it in solitude.  But if I combine my faith with the faith of a teenager who is pursuing a calling from God, the faith of a ...

I'm at a point in my life (mid-way?) where I don't want my own fears and insecurities to keep me from living my fullest life. So many times I feel an inclination or prompt to connect with someone, to say something (positive) I am thinking, or to try to get to know them better. In the past, I've brushed off those feelings, because reaching out to other people is hard. What if they don't like me or think I'm weird for saying something? So, lately, I've been trying to act on impulses to connect with people or show kindness. I believe the Holy Spirit is often behind these prompts, which means there is a reason for me to be certain places at certain times, and maybe there are things that only I can do or say. I don't want to miss any of these opportunities. But sometimes I wonder, is it me, or is it God? When I'm pulling u p to the door of my childhood Sunday School teacher's hous e, who left our church after decades of service... I ask myself, Why am...

Yes, I said Joy in Snow. I don't mean watching little "snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes." I mean snow. Snow that dumps in piles and on sidewalks and driveways and streets and icy winds that cut through my heaviest coats. Snow. It's not just that I intensely dislike cold weather. Snow is scary when I have to drive somewhere and the road is slick and I can't see well (partly because I refuse to take the time to clear off my car). Snow is tedious when I have to put on shoes just to take the garbage out. Snow is a pain when I spend an hour shoveling it only to look out the window the next morning to see no evidence of aforesaid shoveling. There are chores, situations, relationships, etc., that seem tedious and overwhelming. No matter how much snow I shovel, or laundry I launder, or dishes I clean, or worksheets I copy, or blogs I write... there's always more to be done. I get frustrated because I have so many new and creative things I want to tr...

For many people, work is a necessary evil, a means to an end.  If you're employed, you earn an income, which pays for food, shelter, transportation, and other nice things.  You also have something productive to do during the day (or night).  If the benefit of a paycheck were removed, or if the necessities of life were taken care of, many people would not work. I don't think that God intended people to loathe work, to dread Mondays and thank Him for Fridays.  Yes, He originally introduced the idea because His first creation, Adam, was disobedient , but that doesn't mean He can't redeem it for good things in the world and in you. You were created for a purpose.  You were created with a combination of personality, passions, and talents that are uniquely yours.  If the planet Earth were a factory, you have a job doing your part to make the world go 'round. While it would be wonderful if we could all choose the perfect degree,...

It is officially the first day of Spring and I am taking it on as my second New Year. Spring is supposed to be a time of new beginnings , of new growth and turning over new leaves. That is what I’m doing this year. Three weeks ago tomorrow I was let go from my stressful job as an admissions representative for a nursing home. Today I am ready to write a thank you note to the person who gave me the “pink slip.” After the initial shock, I’ve done some evaluating and praying and really feel that God opened the door to a prison cell, and I am FREE! I now sleep better at night, have put away the anti-depressants, have fewer GI problems… Although I hated that job, I didn’t realize what it was doing to me. It was my security blanket , though, and I never would have let go if someone hadn’t wrenched it from my hands. So, I am pursuing my dream as a self-employed, work-from-home, freelance writer . I have several projects in the works already, including a grant, three blogs, a press releas...

With another call out of complacent Christianity, Max Lucado brings to every person, especially the most ordinary of us, the nature of God's call and purpose for life.  He reveals both sides of the coin that all people matter to God:  Every person is called and equipped to make a difference in the world, and every person is worthy of God's touch through the service of His people.  As always, he threads the lives of heroes from the Bible, history and present day to encourage and inspire Christians to reach their potential as Jesus' ambassadors. More than once, this book moved me to tears and prayer.  It had me question my attitude toward the people I meet every day and the ones I only glimpse on the evening news.  It had me question everyday encounters.  As Hebrews 13:2 says, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Don’t read this book unless you are re...

God has a will, plan, and purpose for humankind, and each person has a part.  Everything someone needs to reach his or her God-given potential is within, waiting to be discovered and developed.  Reaching your full potential for God can be achieved by working with His Spirit to develop a clean heart, and clear mind, and a balanced schedule. When I read this book, it was as if Dr. Stanley could read my mind and heart, saying  “You have settled.  You’re threatened by life’s challenges.  When are you going to have enough faith in God that he really has a plan for an abundant life for you?  When are you going to make the most of opportunities and start moving in the direction of God’s plan?” This book lays out seven essentials for moving toward the path God has designed for each individual.  It is also peppered with appropriate Scripture references and Biblical examples that illustrate the step-by-step plan Dr. Stanley has outlined for moving from excus...

Do you remember your first lost tooth?  Do you remember wiggling and wiggling it, maybe before it was even loose?  Did you ever go to extreme measures, like pliers or a string tied to doorknob?  My son’s first tooth is loose.  He’s in no hurry for it to come out, although he played with it all through the church service this morning.  He first noticed it while dining out a week ago.  He complained of a sore tooth while biting into a slice of pizza.  “Is it loose?” I asked.  He wiggled it, and sure enough, it could bend to a 45 degree angle.  At 6 1/2 years old, it had been a long time coming.    His older sister was adorable.  She put her arm around him, and with a knowing smile, asked to see and touch the premier tooth.  Apparently, her cousin reacted the same way when his younger sister had her first loose tooth.  She’s only 5 1/2, but lost her third tooth today.  It was barely hanging on to begin wi...

Imagine being born without arms and without legs. You’d never be able to run or dance or play sports. You wouldn’t be able to hold someone’s hand, pet a dog, or hug a friend. People would either pity you or mock you. You would have every reason to feel angry and cheated by life. I saw a man today who faces this challenge. However, he has such a strong, compelling spirit, that after hearing him speak, you almost forget that he has physical limitations. His name is Nick Vujicic. The following is an excerpt from his web page, www.lifewithoutlimbs.org : “Due to the emotional struggles I had experienced with bullying, self-esteem and loneliness, God began to instill a passion of sharing my story and experiences to help others cope with whatever challenge they might have in their lives. Turning my struggles into something that would glorify God and bless others, I realized my purpose! The Lord was going to use me to encourage and inspire others to live to their fullest potential and ...

It was after 4:00, and I was grudgingly rushing back to work to meet with a family member at the nursing home. I was focusing on the construction sight at the end of the road, and almost missed my turn. I had one of those dissociative thoughts as I made my turn, that I had narrowly missed driving into destruction. It could be a metaphor for life- that by focusing on all the negative circumstances in life, you inevitably drive your life right into negativity and destruction. Then it occurred to me that it was not called a destruction site. It was a construction site. Even though it looks like a complete mess, each machine, hole, orange sign, and pile of dirt serves a purpose. In time, what now looks like a confused eyesore will be a safer traffic flow pattern with brand new asphalt and signs. Sometimes the roads of life need fixed, too. Too many of us continue down the same paths we’ve always known, and don’t realize they’re filled with potholes until we lose a hubcap or get a flat tire...

I walked into the last office, making my final delivery for Doctor’s Day. I walked into the small waiting room, and waited patiently for the receptionist to get off the phone. “11:30. April 14th. 11:30. Tuesday. Tuesday. 11:30. 11:30. 11:30. Tuesday. April 14th. Yes, that’s right. No. 11:30. You’re appointment’s at 11:30. 11:30…” I swear this went on for a full five minutes. I stifled a laugh. Obviously the gentleman on the other end was hard of hearing, and perhaps a little cognitively deficient. Even the smallest bit of information just wasn’t translating for him that day. When the receptionist finally ended the call, she sighed and gave me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry,” she said. “That’s okay,” I answered, flashing a sympathetic look and quickly handing over the carnation intended for the doctor. In my line of work, you have to use some creative communication techniques at times. It is really hard to convey your meaning to someone who can’t hear the words you...

I’ve been talking to a lot of people about jobs and careers. I have come to the conclusion that there is no reason a person shouldn’t go after their dream job. One of my friends has been going to school for several years to get her Master’s in counseling, while running her own restaurant at the same time. She started to realize about 10 years ago that she wanted to use her listening ear and life experience to help others in need, and after defining her goal, worked steadily toward it. Another friend would like to be a full-time youth pastor. However, he has to decide whether it’s important enough to him to go back to school. He has been out of work for six months and is trying to figure out how to make a living in the mean time. A third friend is miserable in his current situation- he has to work late hours, has to choose between pleasing his boss and being civil to his clients, and is constantly hounded to do more. His dream job would be coaching college basketball. While he may...