<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Mysite]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mysite]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 06 Jun 2026 19:24:09 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.nikiflorica.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Today's Battle in the Pews ]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was sinking today. In church, of all places. A shame attack out of nowhere. Or... maybe not out of nowhere. ]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/today-s-battle-in-the-pews</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e53074a96d49e56ec356b7</guid><pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 19:57:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_4c725769464e3774696255~mv2_d_6000_4000_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gauls, Gods, and Gideon: My Interview with Andrew Livecchi]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hello, hello, all! I recently had the pleasure of sitting down to chat with Andrew Livecchi, a professor from my alma mater and the author of the Lays of Athewain  series, a trilogy in progress that is deeply informed by Andrew's passions for mythology, ancient literature, and honoring the Lord through his words. It's not every day I get to chat with a PhD about writing fantasy, so I consider myself blessed to have captured some of our chat on the ol' YouTube channel (check out our first...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/gauls-gods-and-gideon-myinterview-with-andrew-livecchi</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e2bb91c4c584cedb08d631</guid><pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:25:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9a712b_cd48c95c243344fe96a17c5d5d4441d3~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Boy, the Heron, and the Malice We Bring With Us]]></title><description><![CDATA[Critiquing escapism is hardly a new facet of portal fantasy. From the Chronicles of Narnia to Alice in Wonderland to Peter and Wendy, we've come to expect the token implication against avoiding our natural lives and callings in fantasy worlds, so much so that we've almost stopped hearing it.  Or chosen to, anyway. For instance, the reason I weep at the end of every Narnia movie is not an overflow of appreciation for the story, but an overflow of grief for the characters who must now pick up bori]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/the-boy-the-heron-and-the-malice-we-bring-with-us</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a200b04882ec6a3ac35bf4</guid><pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:06:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_56b841edc34f4467bb4d1c9f4bfaf84e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Time Crunch of the Ages]]></title><description><![CDATA[I hope you won't think less of me when I confess that Christmas often leaves me with a sense of melancholy that no amount of gingerbread or carolling can diffuse. Don't get me wrong—I love the season and all the blessings that come with it, but for some reason, this holiday more than any other never ceases to remind me of the blinding speed of time. Time, that precious resource that seems so abundant as sparkly-eyed kids, but also seems to flow faster the further we travel through life....]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/the-wonder-of-a-time-crunch</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69513463103da5c23b921d5e</guid><pubDate>Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:21:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_3b13350db4c8452a9d528ae3493371c3~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["Words of Wisdom!"  My Roadside Chat with a Cycling Nomad]]></title><description><![CDATA[I had the wildest conversation of my life the other day. ]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/words-of-wisdom-my-roadside-chat-with-a-travelling-nomad</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6831205653064531dde40294</guid><pubDate>Sat, 24 May 2025 13:10:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_494539504b585770524755~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Time to Steep: What Jesus and Tea Have in Common]]></title><description><![CDATA[While closing out the day in prayer last night, the Lord brought a particular word to my mind. That word is "steep." As in, Jesus, let my...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/time-to-steep-what-jesus-and-tea-have-in-common</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66aa3764ae5e97eed7589400</guid><pubDate>Wed, 31 Jul 2024 13:40:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_6168446f6a6f5f6d713334~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Soundtrack for 2024: Three Lessons to Kick Off the New Year]]></title><description><![CDATA[Too often over the last few months, an idea for a blog post has lit up over my head and I, in true Niki fashion, have failed to execute....]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/a-soundtrack-for-2024-three-lessons-to-kick-off-the-new-year</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6592c2b0dbcb7c2bded96141</guid><pubDate>Mon, 01 Jan 2024 14:10:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_44355f6366714d41593059~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When I say I'm "Fine"...]]></title><description><![CDATA[Well, it's been a minute. And I wish I could just blame school or work or writing commitments, but the truth is both more complicated and...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/when-i-say-i-m-fine</link><guid isPermaLink="false">649c62bfdbdf92e4085065de</guid><category><![CDATA[Wed. Wisdom]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 28 Jun 2023 16:49:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_a9276ed3211544b4aa685f602f1e4a77~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Discipline Leads to Delight]]></title><description><![CDATA["Discipline" is a word no one really likes to hear. It's uncomfortable and weighty, carrying all the semantic heft of correction,...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/why-discipline-leads-to-delight</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6400bd2663c00d4223a7bd4b</guid><category><![CDATA[Mon. Musings]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 06 Mar 2023 15:22:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_960ebf176d8f4415a61cbf149b841392~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[To Dance as David Danced]]></title><description><![CDATA[Happy January, everyone, and welcome back to my little corner of the world. I hope my thoughts find you rested, contemplative, and ready...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/to-dance-as-david-danced</link><guid isPermaLink="false">63bdc5a8f7f0f290c18fe6db</guid><category><![CDATA[Mon. Musings]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2023 01:00:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_5755796454666150337434~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Stay Enchanted]]></title><description><![CDATA[As elegantly thought-provoking as this title is, I can't take credit for the words. They were part of a testimony at a youth event I...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/stay-enchanted</link><guid isPermaLink="false">63694040a7f8f283c8bd6ab2</guid><category><![CDATA[Wed. Wisdom]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 09 Nov 2022 17:14:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_fb3d0364c0fe4ca5887c4e2306e64ade~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wait! I Don't Get It!]]></title><description><![CDATA["They didn't understand what he was saying, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant." Before I provide context for this...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/wait-i-don-t-get-it</link><guid isPermaLink="false">63459d9de7c6afdd820aebeb</guid><category><![CDATA[Wed. Wisdom]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2022 12:54:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_4717d90a67b54d359f29a4cf9a6ae49c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Insights of the Round Table]]></title><description><![CDATA[It's 10:30 p.m. and I'm sitting on the floor with my puppy, tired, but feeling that inner twist of inspiration that keeps me from calling...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/insights-of-the-round-table</link><guid isPermaLink="false">631566b3493b88e28cf8527e</guid><category><![CDATA[Mon. Musings]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 05 Sep 2022 12:52:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_4b6f6a37615f486a326430~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Our Great Expectations]]></title><description><![CDATA[Charles Dickens wrote a novel in 1860 about a poor boy whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of his "great expectations"—a...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/our-great-expectations</link><guid isPermaLink="false">630366f38b547cc174aa110b</guid><category><![CDATA[Mon. Musings]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2022 11:50:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9a712b_32456c47728e43b7b7e593575dc39929~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_750,h_556,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["Stillness comes naturally to me," said no one, ever.]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was in a canoe nights ago on a lake as still as glass. So still, every sound skipped over the surface of the water and time itself...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/stillness-comes-naturally-to-me-said-no-one-ever</link><guid isPermaLink="false">62f44f5c154804671318031b</guid><category><![CDATA[Thankful Thurs.]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 11 Aug 2022 13:45:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9a712b_7c78f32355b7407a8698857640dabf15~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[My Battle With Legalism (Part 1)]]></title><description><![CDATA[I've been struggling. My focus has been all over the place, my energy has been low, and my "God-time" has been contesting with everything...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/my-battle-with-legalism-part-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">62deb82bbd5b6c8da90bf29c</guid><category><![CDATA[Mon. Musings]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 25 Jul 2022 15:58:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_39019cb307914f3b9ee0005aa307db9e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seriously? Now? It's My Day Off!]]></title><description><![CDATA[I'm a routine gal. To the nth degree. If there were no variables in my life to shake things up for me, every day would probably look the...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/seriously-now-it-s-my-day-off</link><guid isPermaLink="false">62d1673dec14ca6070708c08</guid><category><![CDATA[Fri. Faves]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 2022 13:19:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_08d4d4cc3e6f461ab341a81e8113a7fa~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Even So, Even More]]></title><description><![CDATA[Have you ever noticed that I Thessalonians is a lovely little epistle? Taking up a whopping three pages in my Bible, it's an encouraging...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/even-so-even-more</link><guid isPermaLink="false">62c42dbd151b5209060ce3e5</guid><category><![CDATA[Tues. Truths]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2022 13:05:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_d34ef509faf54e76b738f88a8e69a495~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[But It's My Calling!]]></title><description><![CDATA["I think I've found my calling." Have you ever said these words? Have you ever heard them said? Have you ever wished you could speak...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/but-it-s-my-calling</link><guid isPermaLink="false">62b1cbffeba8cfeb2de461c0</guid><category><![CDATA[Sat. Spotlight]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 25 Jun 2022 11:55:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_026968cd92484a9aad1118c553810379~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[I'm Pretty Sure I Love You...?]]></title><description><![CDATA["Love" is one of those words we all think we understand. "I love you" is probably one of the first phrases we learn to say as kids. It's...]]></description><link>https://www.nikiflorica.com/post/i-m-pretty-sure-i-love-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6298a453c9553284c9b5c94d</guid><category><![CDATA[Mon. Musings]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 06 Jun 2022 12:45:01 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>nikiflorica</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>