NIKI FLORICA

I think it would alarm me if I actually knew how much time I spend with my head down, watching the road ahead of me. On walks, I barely see the sky. The trees are shadows in my periphery. If birds are singing, I don't hear them through the whirlwind of thoughts in my head. The benefit of keeping your head down is focus. Your eyes are on the road ahead—on the prize, if you would, on where you want to go. You're watching your feet—choosing the best steps forward, avoiding any p

Want to hear a secret? Just kidding—it's not really a secret. I'm a smidge of a pessimist. Just kidding—it's more than a smidge. I think it stems from my fear of being caught unprepared for an emotional blow; I hate having hopes dashed or high expectations crushed. I hate being let down, so my subconscious coping mechanism is to lower my expectations on all fronts so I can't be disappointed. The problem? It also makes it much, much harder to get excited. School starts tomorro

I'm usually pretty good at laughing at myself. You know, when the stakes are low. When things get stressful, though, and nobody else is laughing? Yeah, that kills my good humour. The past couple of months have marked a struggle to build competence in what I do. New tasks are always daunting, but new tasks along with the weight of dozens of people's expectations are crippling for someone like me. I wish I could say I'm a cauldron of confidence, but that would be a bald-faced l

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

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

I'm sitting on the wooden swing in my backyard, under an aquamarine sky, the wooden slats warm and familiar against my back. Everywhere I look, there is movement—leaves swaying, colours changing, clouds drifting, wind dancing, my shadow rocking back and forth with the slow arc of the swing. I'm alone, and yet, I know I'm not. It's an exhilarating feeling. God is here with me. He always is, but sometimes it takes a slow swing on a sunny day to remember how close He is, how muc

Earlier this week, I blogged about the inevitable reality that life is pain, and that we have only two options in that regard: to suffer, or to suffer with Christ. It's as true now as it was days ago, as it was months ago, as it was two thousand years ago . . . but that doesn't mean there aren't other facts of life that are equally true as well. Life is joy, for example. A contradiction? I think not. It's the kind of paradox that can only exist within the infinity that is God

Tackling new or overwhelming undertakings in our lives can be exciting, but it can also be laden with baggage—fear and uncertainty, doubt an

At the start of the semester, a friend of mine took the initiative to resurrect a Christian club at our high school from a group that had existed in past years. It's been such a blessed and rewarding experience to meet with Christians every week within a school setting, and today more than usual, since, in the spirit of the season, it was the day of our Christmas service! Shaking up our usual proceedings for the occasion was a lot of fun. We met in the school music room, sang

This weekend I heard the story of a courageous young woman who has battled unimaginable health issues for more than six years. Her story, though painful and riddled with periods of fear and doubt, is a triumphant testament to the goodness of God. In her words, “God is real, and He is good.” There were so many ways in which her testimony touched me, so many facets of her story that blew me away. How did she find courage when the pain seemed to have no end? How did she keep pra