Weekly Wildflowers #15
A little vulnerability, 3 Quick Takes, Fulfilling Faith - an introduction
Hey Friends,
To be a bit vulnerable for a moment - at times I feel some serious doubt over this whole writing thing and if it is even worth it. This feeling comes out of nowhere and in those moments I question why I even started writing to begin with, doubting myself and everything that has happened the past 4 years. It’s almost as if there is this inner voice telling me my writing is not that good, and no one reads it, even though I know that’s not true. I guess I always know when I’m irritating a certain someone with these writings!
Just as often as that doubt seeps in, I offer it up to God asking Him to take this whole writing thing from me if I’m not supposed to be here typing away. That I’d be happy to drop it and return to what I was doing 4 years before I wrote my very first reflection.
So I’m not sure why I’m always surprised when I get a response to these prayers of offering. A perfect stranger messaging me, telling me this work is so engaging, and they are excited to have found my substack, or another stranger sharing that they enjoyed this work and are following along.
Such a thing happened just this past weekend, the doubt and then the consolation. It’s just enough to remind me that yes I am supposed to be here, that what I’m doing is making some small difference.
I share because even though I put my voice out into the world, I am human, and I doubt, and I am definitely not perfect. Maybe I’m sharing too because if God is willing to take my meager offerings, and do something with them, I know He would do the same for you. Imagine how much the world would change if we offered up more of ourselves to God’s will?
You just have to reach out to Him and offer it up.
3 Quick Takes
On Monday I read a wonderful and surprising piece from
, author of The Benedict Option (a great book sitting on my shelf btw!), about his recent visit to our small corner of the world, Greenville, SC. He shared something that we discovered 2 years ago when we moved here - a blossoming Catholic community filled with Catholics not only practicing their faith but excited about it, and putting that excitement into action. When we moved to Greenville we had no idea this community existed, but after visiting a few parishes, Our Lady of the Rosary included (the topic of Rod’s article), we quickly realized what we had stumbled upon. It’s been a joyous and beautiful 2 years of making friends, growing in faith, meeting movers and shakers in the Catholic world, and also just living our faith out in community. To read Rod’s article about Greenville and OLR go here.Speaking of the Catholic community and friends, a couple weeks ago I had the awesome opportunity to model some new t-shirts for my friend Amanda who runs the small Catholic business Worthy of Agape! It was a joy to support her small business, and by extension her family. Amanda lives near us here in Greenville with her husband, a missionary, and their 4 children. You can find her amazing business, with play mass sets, swaddles, blankets, stickers, t-shirts, and more, here.
I’ve decided to dedicate this final quick take to something that has been a growing concern and challenge in my life and I suspect yours too - our smart phones. Each week I’ll share one way I am reducing this little double-edged sword’s grip on my life while still making use of it as the powerful tool it is. One thing I’ve started doing is turning off all app notifications. Are they really necessary? Probably not to be honest, and to be even more honest, I already check the apps I use regularly enough without a little ping or buzz to remind me. You can easily switch this. Here is how you do it for iPhone. Here is how you do it for android. Let’s keep the conversation going and discuss more strategies in our subscriber chat too!
Devotional Corner
I really think there are a large number of us who desire, deeply, to live this rich, fulfilling faith in our homes and communities but we don’t know how to make it happen. We desire a place to belong to, to say “yes, that’s mine” and be at rest. To have a soft place to land, where we don’t have to explain but to just show up and be who we are in the moment. But that kind of community doesn’t just appear out of nowhere friends.
I’ve actually written about this before, you can read it here and I’ve been interviewed about it here, at minute 32 onward.
It’s why so many show up on social media, grasping at bits and pieces of inspiration but always leave unsatisfied. It’s why many show up here on Substack looking for something richer than social media can provide with its hot takes yet it’s still not enough.
And let’s be honest, as society has provided less and less physical places for people to gather, the Church has become in many ways the one place where people with similar values still come together regularly. As Catholics, we have the opportunity to step into the breach and help build that community we all so desperately desire.
I know first hand what it is to arrive at a parish with minimal community, having lived in several states at this point, and because of that I’ve started or supported more than a couple different groups within the parishes we’ve been a part of.
It’s not easy but it’s worth it.
“The laity can also feel called, or be in fact called, to cooperate with their pastors in the service of the ecclesial community, for the sake of its growth and life.”
CCC 910
So I want to create a series that dives into this issue. It will be the focus of my monthly posts for the next 3-4 months, while still keeping the other sections because everyone needs some meal inspiration and pray habit ideas, right?
Here is where your input is needed though - I need some jumping off points, because I’m human (as discussed above), and as a writer prompts always help!
I have a good amount of experience creating community for my family and even at some parishes, such as a rosary dinner or women’s group, and I could write a lot about all of that. Yet, it’s helpful for me to know what you might want to hear about. So ask me some questions, and depending on how many questions I get and the variety, I will address a couple of them per post in the coming months. Feel free to leave the questions in comments below or in the subscriber chat.
Quote of the week
“Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.”
St. John Chrysostom
If you could grab a cup of coffee with any Biblical figure (besides Jesus), who would it be?
Maybe it wasn’t fair to put Mary in with everyone else because honestly, even I chose her. I would be so curious to learn about the hidden life of Jesus before His ministry, and learn more about her motherhood, her marriage and how the holy family lived life. It feeds right into that idea of a fulfilling faith life - no doubt the holy family lived this every day.
Still it was fun to see this break down, even if a few Biblical characters didn’t even get a coffee invite.
Be sure to check out this week’s poll here.
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.
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