Wildflower Writes

Even as a lifelong Christian, Sheila Walsh struggled to trust God completely.  It took a complete emotional breakdown for her to address the fear and shame that had kept her from making a final step of faith so that she could live completely for God.  Even then, as her Biblical profiles exemplify, faith involves a moment-by-moment commitment to believing in God's provision. I was astounded that a Christian with such a public life as a writer, speaker, and singer would lay bare what are probably the darkest moments of her life, in order to demonstrate her understanding of trust in God, forged in the trenches, so to speak.  In fact, I was encouraged by the idea that we can trust God to make our dreams come true, when those dreams are of God and for His purpose.  Welsch blends in her personal experiences, with detailed stories of people we think we know from the Bible:  Anna, Joseph, Martha, Abraham... letting us see through fre...

If I could save up a little more money, I could work from home... Someday I'm going to buy that little VW bug convertible... One day I'm going to take that Caribbean cruise... Someday.  My bills will be paid; my house will be clean; my flab will be gone; my life will be organized.  Yet, each day another 24 hours comes and goes, and for every step forward toward one goal, another goal lies tantalizingly out of my grasp.  And I wonder.  Does ANYONE really have it all together?  Or are we all juggling time maintaining our house with building a family or juggling energy keeping a job with building a career? The apostle Paul said, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want" (Phillipians 4:12 NIV).  There is a line, a tightrope even, that every healthy person must walk.  Everyone should set goals, aim for something greater, commit to personal growth....

We use the word "trust" in many different contexts.  A living trust is a legal financial agreement.  Trust can be reliance on a person or entity.  "Mutual trust is a shared belief that you can depend on each other to achieve a common purpose." ( Ten3 ).   As I listen to Stephen Covey elaborate on his 7 Habits , he points out that trust is based on both character and competence.  In other words, to really trust someone, you have to believe that he does what he says he will do AND that he can do what he says he will do.  Think of someone you might hire to perform services for you, say, a landscaper.  It's important you work with someone of good character, who isn't going to overcharge you for the materials or make the project bigger than you originally agreed on.  It's equally important, however, that she knows what is aesthetically pleasing, knows what types of flowers and shrubs thrive in different climates, and c...

MMQZQMEWJQ8F

They said I was crazy.  After the fact. My husband and I had driven separate cars to church that morning, and driven one car home.  I thought it would boost my weight loss plan and save the earth, if I rode my bike to the church that afternoon for choir practice.  5 miles.  No big deal. As I wheeled through my suburban neighborhood, I planned on taking the same route I drive to church.  I started on the road, just like a car.  Technically, a bicycle is supposed to follow all the rules of the road a car does.  Logistically, most drivers of motor vehicles do not know this and do not respect a cyclist's right to be on the road.  Healthwise, safety dictated a sidewalk route whenever available.  When I decided a little air in my tires might make the ride more comfortable and expedient, I took a short cut through a side street rather than go to a complicated interesection to get to the gas station.  I felt completely safe as I took the a...

I live in a medium-sized city.  It's similar in size to Novato, CA; Moore, OK; Euless, TX; Bowie, MD; and Chapel Hill, NC.  In case that helps any. It's not the type of town where everyone knows your name, but it does seem like it's a small world- perhaps 3 degrees of separation rather than 6.  My favorite hobby is introducing people to each other.  I like to be a resource.  In my dream world, I would be able to match every person with their ideal vocation; and fill every staffing need presented by local companies (at least the good ones).  You never know when the people you meet are going to be major players in your life or the life of someone you know.  You never know what fascinating stories they have to share, interests you may have in common, or connections they can introduce you to.  Networking is not merely a business tool.  It is a way of life.  It is meeting the variety of God's creation face-to-face, and helping to bui...

What do people fear the most?  I've divided it into a few categories:  For many, it's the creepy crawlies:  snakes, spiders, mice, and bugs.  For others, it's larger creatures, like dogs, children, and terrorists (or children who are terrors). For some it's all things health related:  doctors, dentists, shots, cancer, vomiting, even death. For some it's social:  speaking in public, crowds, a job (or lack thereof), people in general, divorce, relationships, and the economy For some it's spatial:  heights, closed spaces, open spaces, flying For some it's natural:  dark, storms (and the aforementioned creepy crawlies) For some it's personal:  finances, insignificance, rejection, failure When it comes down to it, the primary motivations are avoiding discomfort, pain, and death. Even when it may seem irrational (1 in 9.2 million chances of getting killed on an airplane; 1 in 2.3 million chances of being killed by lightning).  ...