Weekly Wildflowers #13
Catching Up, 3 Quick Takes, Failing at Lent? Good!
Welcome! I’m Mandy - a wife, writer, and mother to 3 kids. I spend my days navigating homeschool, writing, and the medical needs of my special needs son. Together in this space we will explore the incredible truth, beauty, and goodness of our Catholic faith lived in everyday life. I invite you to join me, as we dive into the mundane moments and find God.
Subscribe for free to receive my Monthly Newsletter, my Weekly Posts, or both. I’m so glad you are here and look forward to journeying with you!
Friends,
It’s been a minute.
And I’ve intensely missed this part of my weekly writing routine. During the interim I’ve been thinking of how to better use this space for you but also for me.
First though, an update. We’re now 7 months past my oldest son’s leg surgeries, over a year past my husband’s ACL repair and I think we’re finally, finally settling into a routine. That left sorting out my writing schedule which took a major hit with PT, OT and doctor appointments squeezed in-between learning the rhythms of a new school. On top of all that I can officially add “public speaker” to my resume! Check out that story here just after the guest article.
I am excited to be back writing weekly for you, and wanted to bring your attention to a couple of things:
I’ll be moving this weekly edition to Fridays. I write for another publication every Tuesday, you can find that here, and so Friday is what works best for my schedule so I can consistently show up.
I’ve started a chat in Substack. A casual spot for subscribers to share prayer requests, to ask questions, and where I can ask you what you want to see more of because I really do want to know. So join me every Friday and lets talk, I’d love to hear from you!
As I ease back into this weekly habit, bear with me. I do truly look forward to continuing to grow together, hopefully having great discussions in the chat, and building this community up!
3 Quick Takes
Maybe I’m speaking to the choir on this one, but I really think social media apps like Instagram have messed with us, our perceptions of reality and our expectations. The more conversations I have with real life women, the more convinced of this I’ve become. Apps like Instagram or Tik-Tok not so subtly tell our brains that what we are seeing is the truest and best form of life - from cooking meals, to keeping the home clean, to dressing, or praying a certain way. It strips us of our individuality while simultaneously hitting the *new shiny object* lever that our brains can’t resist, scrolling for the next hit. Maybe you’ve heard the terms brain rot or doom scrolling recently. It’s worth looking into. My husband and I have dramatically cut back this Lent, and I pray it will be the foundations of healthy habits moving forward into Easter and beyond. This is me not so subtly saying “join us!” Possibly a good subscriber chat, let me know!
Speaking of online spaces, have you ever noticed that once the term “Catholic” is brought up, people have issues with it? Lately I’ve noticed it a lot more. People are being all chummy, talking, enjoying whatever topic or article they are discussing and then suddenly the Catholic Church is mentioned. Soon mud is being slung and others are defending her and an all out battle ensues, online at least. I can’t say why exactly but as I noticed this trend, the verse from Matthew 10:34 came to mind “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword.” While there is the invisible church of believers, the Catholic Church is the other side of that coin, the visible Church of Christ, that all can point to readily. She is one, holy, catholic (little c), and apostolic and because of this, it causes tension as she stands unwaveringly by these pillars, obviously to the frustration of others. You can read more about the visible and invisible church here.
Spring is nearly here and I can practically taste it. Joe and I have been purchasing seeds, planning out our raised beds, and cleaning up brush. I could almost say it is my favorite season but then Summer will soon been on its heels with delicious produce and solid warmth, even in the shade, and I can’t quite commit to stating which season is my favorite. That said, I hope you are enjoying the longer days (Northern Hemisphere friends) and are as excited about the warmer days as I am.
Devotional Corner
Welcome to the first full week of Lent, friends. If you’ve already found yourself struggling or failing at the devotion or sacrifice you’ve chosen during this time, you’re in good company!
Often times we can be tempted to feel discouraged or to even despair and give up because we aren’t succeeding in the ways we feel we ought to. Well I want to be the voice of encouragement this week and say I am so glad you are struggling or failing!
Why?
Because that means God is showing you that you can’t do this on your own. He is showing that you, and I, are in fact incapable of succeeding in this spiritual life without Him, His Love, and His Mercy. Instead of turning to ourselves constantly, we have to turn to Him, ask for His assistance, ask for forgiveness and then get up and try again but this time with His grace.
Isn’t that beautiful? I really think so, because whether we want to admit it or not, recognizing our shortcomings is the first step to fully surrendering to God’s will and living within the freedom that provides. No longer are we constrained by our weakness but are freed by His strength, His victory over death, and His Love.
So rejoice in your failings and weakness this Lent! Give all glory to God and ask Him to step into your sacrifices and devotions this season.
3 Simple Ways I Rejoice in my Weakness (When I want to do anything but)
I am a recovering perfectionist. Having children went a long way in this recovery for me, but becoming Catholic brought me to my knees in many many ways. Lent being just one of them. When I expect too much of myself, perfection really, I inevitably fail. When this happens I’ve gotten into the habit of thanking God for that failure. Just a straight up “Thanks!” Because I am 10% being humbled in that moment realizing, for the umpteenth time, that I can’t do it all and I’m not supposed to.
Rest. In today’s culture, rest is ridiculously associated with Sloth. That is a lie that is whispered to us to keep us moving at a breakneck pace, missing out on the most profound moments with God all because “Busy is best” or some such nonsense. Resting is a great way to rejoice in weakness. Why? Because we are human and God knows this. In 1 Kings 19:5-8, Elijah has gone into the wilderness (Lent anyone, anyone?) and is in such despair that he asked God if he could just die, right there on the spot. God must have chuckled with some compassion tossed in the mix, because an angel came to him and told him to eat, and then he rested some more. I liken it to when my youngest becomes utterly irrational around 7 pm (dude you need to go to bed!) and start the process for him with a snack, a bath and bedtime. Come morning he is bright, shiny and ready to tackle the day again.
Learning to say no. Maybe this isn’t hard for you, but it is so hard for me to say no to things. I have head this irrational idea that I can do so much. Yet with an autoimmune condition, a child with special needs and the demands of ordinary life I hit a wall and realized I had to say no to things, even good things. I finally acknowledged my limits, so I’ve said no to Lenten devotionals this year, no to fasting beyond what is expected by the church, no to additional liturgical gatherings, and no to adding to my plate. Good things all, but for me, I needed to settle into saying yes to God and no to the extras.
“but he said to me ‘ My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ I will all the more gladly boast of my weakness, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
2 Cor 12:9
Quote of the Week
“The heroic minute. It is the time fixed for getting up. Without hesitation: a supernatural reflection and… up! The heroic minute: here you have a mortification that strengthens your will and does no harm to your body” (The Way, no. 206).
St. Josemaria Escriva
Read about the Heroic Minute
Do you Prefer a real tree or a fake tree?
I asked this poll question back in December and you all responded and then I didn’t write this post for nearly 4 months, so I’m bring this poll question back just so you can see the results! I didn’t expect the winner, so that was fun to see. We used to be a real tree family but now we travel over the Christmas season quite a bit and like to keep our tree up at least until Epiphany so a fake tree seemed to be the right fit for us at this point.
Be sure to check out this week’s poll.
