NIKI FLORICA

The Quiet Quill

Reading, Writing,

& Dreaming Fantasy

Books, Blessings,

& Quiet Contemplations

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Lifeboats and Tigers and Fears, Oh My!

Mar 15
3 min

Lifeboats and Tigers and Fears, Oh My!

“I must say a word about fear. It is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary ... It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unnerving ease. It begins in your mind, always ... so you must fight hard to express it. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don't ... you open yourself to further attacks of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you.” Why did I choose

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I Need You to Carry On

Mar 10
2 min

I Need You to Carry On

I'm trying to start a new habit. I love going for walks down my country road when my head feels crowded with the things of this big ol' world we're just passing through. Sometimes I pray while I walk, but sometimes, especially lately, I listen to worship music. And though part of me itches against the idea that I need tunes to go for a walk—(FYI, I don't always)—most of me is thrilled about a new discovery I've made. The discovery that worship can happen anywhere, anytime, to

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Life Lessons from a Rubber Band

Mar 2
2 min

Life Lessons from a Rubber Band

Life threw me for a loop this week, y'all. One minute I'm rolling along, feeling reasonably in-control of my routine, and the next I'm buying a car, job-hunting, preparing for my driver's test, and frantically trying to ready my latest manuscript for this year's #PitMad event—just to name a few of the surprises that, of course, had to fall within the same seven days out of 365. Naturally. At various points in this week, I felt absolutely out of control. Even now, I'm not too

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Let's Talk Toast... and Jesus

Feb 25
2 min

Let's Talk Toast... and Jesus

Funny thing about toast—when you smell it, you want it. Ever notice that? I mean, there was a time when I would sooner eat dirt than toast, and I still can't deny its magical property of being appetizing in any and every context. It's just one of those things. Innately appealing, we need only to experience a whiff of it to crave it. Something in us just wants toast. What if I told you that Jesus and toast have a lot in common? See, the Word of God calls us to follow Jesus, bu

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I Will Seek Truth

Feb 22
2 min

I Will Seek Truth

I am a Truthwatcher. I know because the very thorough results from my "Official Knights Radiant Order Quiz" told me so, and we book nerds take our fictional quizzes rather seriously. Now, Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive (and its 10 orders of Knights with different attributes) may be fictional, but I can't deny that my results gave me a little thrill. Maybe because a Truthwatcher is exactly what I want to be. What does it mean to search for the Truth, to shun deceptions

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Jesus Laughed.

Feb 10
2 min

Jesus Laughed.

I can happily say that my new favourite show is officially The Chosen—not only marked by quality acting, sweet costumes, killer screenwriting, and loveable characters, but also featuring Jesus. Yeah, that's right. Jesus. Need I say more? As far as cinematic Jesus depictions go, The Chosen paints my favourite picture. Unlike in the original Ben-Hur film, he is not a faceless figure who floats through scenes on strings of otherworldly music. And, unlike in the film version of T

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Troy, Gabriella, and the Terrifying Future

Feb 1
3 min

Troy, Gabriella, and the Terrifying Future

Anyone who's watched High School Musical or the Teen Beach Movie or any such Disneylicious teen drama know that at some point or another, the heroes and heroines always get hung up on the idea of the future. I never got it before. I mean, I've seen High School Musical a bajillion times and for years, Troy and Gabriella's anxiety about the future never resonated with me like it does now. Because now, I find myself where they are—older, actually, which is too terrifying to even

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The "Hammering Process:" Too Hard, Too Soft, or Just Right?

Jan 26
3 min

The "Hammering Process:" Too Hard, Too Soft, or Just Right?

The 39 books of the Old Testament paint a picture of what C.S. Lewis calls the "hammering process—" centuries of God's hard-line training program to show Israel just what kind of God had chosen them and what He expected of them. "Hammering" seems like the right word. I mean, I'd be the first to admit that the Old Testament account, while bound together with the theme of God's tireless mercy and lovingkindness toward sinners, can also seem pretty, well . . . harsh. Those of us

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The Squirrel Mentality (and Why We Need It)

Jan 21
2 min

The Squirrel Mentality (and Why We Need It)

Squirrels get a bad rap. I know from experience—watching my family's ongoing bird-feeder vs. squirrel feud of feuds—but I can't help admiring their tenacity. Take my family's furry rival, for example. The bird food has switched branches, seen branches removed, been strung from the clothesline, from fishing wire, from the eaves, and the squirrel has always prevailed. Annoying as it is for those in my family who are not squirrel sympathizers, I happen to find it kind of awesome

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It's Not All Your Brain's Fault

Jan 18
3 min

It's Not All Your Brain's Fault

I don't abide by everything in my psychology course, but here's a fun fact (at least as I understand it): between ages 15 and 25, the limbic system of the human brain is maturing more rapidly than surrounding sections. The result? Until roughly age 25, we tend to be ruled by our emotions. I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty sure Mr. Psychologist is talking about me. What rules you? Is it your goals? Your logic? Your morals? Your personality? Or is it your emotions? Th

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How Was Your Productive-in-Its-Own-Way Thursday?

Jan 15
2 min

How Was Your Productive-in-Its-Own-Way Thursday?

Now, I typically don't write my Thankful Thursday posts at eight o'clock on Thursday night, but when life hands you lemons and a busy day, you make lemonade at your earliest convenience. So, here we are. I had a relatively unproductive 24 hours, all things considered—one of those days when every task seems to take an eternity and leaves you feeling utterly devoid of accomplishment. But in a way, I suppose that's just a matter of perspective. Our need to constantly operate at

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When Caring Is Inconvenient

Jan 12
3 min

When Caring Is Inconvenient

It's remarkably easy to give someone the impression that we care about them. We all know the proper protocol: paint our faces in the right shade of empathy with just a stroke of melancholy, give hugs when the moment demands it, promise prayers, leave our friend with that oh-so-vague offer of, "If you ever need anything . . ." before going about our lives and promptly forgetting. I know, it sounds callous when worded that way. Maybe it is. Or maybe it's true. This phenomenon h

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Here's What We Know About 2021

Jan 4
3 min

Here's What We Know About 2021

So, I could write an entire post on the ups and downs of 2020 and its multiple dimensions of weird/difficult/sobering/painful/illuminating, but I think we've got that topic pretty much covered, haven't we? The trials of 2020 aren't over, and we must continue to be in prayer for those who are suffering, grieving, struggling to make ends meet, or physically/mentally/spiritually burdened as a result of those ongoing trials. But, though the difficulties may be ongoing, one thing

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Here's What I've Learned About Expectations

Dec 30, 2020
3 min

Here's What I've Learned About Expectations

I think it's fairly safe to say that we've all had expectations drenched in a cold wave of reality. Human beings are creative. We're blessed with vast imaginations that allow us to envision our dreams in vivid ways, but unfortunately, those dreams and expectations are a bit like chalk on a driveway—pretty to look at on a sunny summer day, but quick to melt into streaky asphalt as soon as it starts to rain. It's a miserable feeling. Watching something we imagined, anticipated,

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Snowmen Smiles

Dec 17, 2020
2 min

Snowmen Smiles

Meet Dudley, Myrtle, and Rudy, the three happy snowmen mascots of this Thankful Thursday post. Technically, I should be studying for my final exam tomorrow, but thankfulness waits for no exam, and I think we could all use a reminder that there is always something to smile about, especially at this time of year. Christmas is in just over a week and I catch myself wondering how it's snuck up so fast. It doesn't feel like Christmas at all, and part of me is feeling that little p

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Ahikam's Lead

Dec 15, 2020
3 min

Ahikam's Lead

Jeremiah—what a book. I mean, really, what a story. Like so many of God's prophets, he was thrown into a role he felt ill-equipped for, only withstanding the hostility and depravity of his people by God's supernatural provision. I can't imagine being given a job knowing that 90% of it will feel like a waste of time. To be tasked with proclaiming a message daily that no one (almost literally) will listen to. Jeremiah was known as the Weeping Prophet. Considering the emotional

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Joy to the World

Nov 30, 2020
3 min

Joy to the World

God's was the first voice I heard when I woke up this morning. He didn't speak through words, but He was among the first thoughts in my head, and as I threw back the covers, I felt joy bubbling close to the surface, risen from the deep place in me where it normally simmers under my other emotions. I have things to say today and I'm not sure what they are yet. I'm just pounding on my keys and asking God to speak through me, asking you to follow where it goes. Joy is a beautifu

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NaNoWriMo and Me

Nov 3, 2020
3 min

NaNoWriMo and Me

It's National Novel Writing Month, and I'm a roiling blend of nerves and excitement and dreams of a finished product by the end of one month. And "dreams" is probably the right word—the chances of me actually writing a 50 000-word manuscript in 30 days are slim, but all the same, it's an exciting time of year, and my first time doing a November NaNoWriMo project. Over the past few months, writing has been difficult for me. My WIP series has hit some roadblocks I didn't antici

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How Great is Our God

Oct 29, 2020
2 min

How Great is Our God

In our effort to have a relationship with God, to know Him and His Son on an intimate, personal level, I think there is a pitfall we often fall into—the trap of squeezing God into a little, buddy-shaped box. I'm no expert, but from where I'm standing, contemporary Christianity places a ton of emphasis on Jesus the Savior and Friend, but less on God the Righteous and Just Judge of the Universe. We have no problem going to Jesus with all our daily problems, or claiming him as o

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Strength and Endurance . . . But Mostly Endurance

Oct 26, 2020
3 min

Strength and Endurance . . . But Mostly Endurance

One of my favourite verses in the New Testament is: "The one who endures to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:14) Not because it's poetic or flowery in its language, not because of its spiritual complexity, but because of its clarity, the simplicity of its promise. Endure to the end. Keep the faith to the end. Cross the finish line and don't stop or turn around or give up on the race before it's over. Endurance. I don't consider myself to be an insanely strong person, physi

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