Category: Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book

Posted on in Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #536

You may have seen the acronym GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace is also God’s unmerited favor, or God doing for us what we cannot.

I find grace overflowing with God’s love, joy, peace, blessings, mercy, power, provision, protection, and wisdom. Thank You, Jesus!

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This was a red-letter week for me, and I saw Jesus work in very personal ways. That said, all week I stayed up late and was groggy in the morning since I had extra activities. Plus, it is easy to lose track of time when it stays light until 10 p.m. in Summer! 😉

On Sunday, Lydia had her first official driving lesson with a professional. She has about 28 hours of driving with me, but I wanted someone else to fill in the gaps of things I might not think to teach her. She passed the first lesson with flying colors!

While she was driving, I had a meeting at church with one of our lead pastors. She’s in charge of the leadership program I finished, and we talked about next steps. I got to tell her about my previous experiences in teaching others, and there’s a possibility I could do more of the same. For now, we are going to have me step into a current system to see whether we can either provide support there or develop it further. I am grateful to serve and feel like God has me right where He wants me.

On Monday after work, I went to the chiropractor and then to a new book club at church. I am excited to share more later, perhaps, but I am excited for several reasons. It is a small group, and everyone there loves to read. We may have others join (men or women), but for now, there are just four of us. We plan to read one book a month, including a couple of suggestions I brought off my shelf at home. It ticked a lot of boxes for me on a personal level and I was praising God after. I am glad to make new friends, read several genres and discuss them, and actually tackle my stack of books!

Tuesday was my blog writing night, and Wednesday was church for Lydia. Pretty normal for us. But being busy every night made me not get around to mowing until Friday night. It was super windy and I got a lot of small dust and grass particles in my face, but I am glad I got it done.

On Thursday, a coworker convinced me to go with her to a dietitian social event at a local winery. It was a beautiful day, and I was feeling pumped with all that had already happened this week. I am so glad I went. It has been about thirteen years (since Dave died) that I have been involved with that group. I met five or six ladies, and we talked all about dietitian things and life in general. They were very welcoming, and I am sure I will go to more events!

Today, we went to Panera for lunch. Lydia was craving a Caesar salad, and we haven’t been in forever! Otherwise, I started my book for book club, started another class for church (on my own), and did other Saturday things. It was a perfect end to a great week!

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These are only a few examples, but God’s grace never runs out!

There’s grace in every situation—we just need to look for it. God promises if we seek Him, we will find Him (see Jeremiah 29:13)!

Posted on in Being Gracious, Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Kindness, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Personality, Prayer, Wisdom

Priceless

I was reading in Acts 19 recently, which talks about the Apostle Paul in Ephesus. He spent a lot of time there and grew to know those believers well. Through an interesting series of events, the believers began to radically change how they lived. They threw away resources related to idol worship and sorcery, a value of “50,000 drachmas,” when one drachma was worth a day laborer’s wage.

At one point, the local silversmiths and tradesmen resented Paul’s influence on their businesses. So, they gathered a bunch of ruffians and sparked a riot. The local amphitheater, seating around 25,000 people, was full of arguing and confusion. Eventually, after two hours, they were dismissed by the city clerk. If they didn’t disperse, the Roman officials would come to enforce their rule.

The crowd never did lay their hands on Paul, but they did rough up some of his companions. After that, in Acts 20, Paul left Ephesus (modern Turkiye) for other towns to encourage more believers. What stuck with me, though, was the 50,000 drachmas…

I had Lydia help me try to wrap our minds around this. It could be 10 days’ worth of money for 5,000 people, or any other combination. The amount is worth around $6 million dollars in today’s value!

I imagine it would take several of my neighbors and me selling our modest homes together to raise that much cash. The Ephesian believers, at least at that point in time, had their priorities straight. You can read more about them in Ephesians and Revelation 2.

Jesus is greater and more worthy. Following Him is costly, but the rewards are priceless. He is our Lord and King, but He takes good care of us, too. Similarly, we buy good things for our children and sometimes bless them as God has blessed us.

On Saturday, I bought Lydia a brand-new viola. I rented for the last three years and had a store credit to put towards buying one for her. She had some concerns with her rental viola, showing she knows the difference between what is working and what is broken.

I knew it was a matter of time before I had to make a decision, since many high schoolers transition to their own instruments. With it being summer, our schedule is a little more open, and it’s a good time to get comfortable with a new instrument before school starts up again.

We spent two hours at the store, and Lydia tried out five violas! We took notes on each one, and she played each one a couple of times. The last one literally came alive when she played, and she was all smiles. Of course, it happened to be the most expensive!

Still, I learned so much and considered the cost as an investment in her. She has a good ear for music, and she understands things more intuitively than some of her peers. It seems that some students cannot discern the subtleties among notes, problems, instrument quality, and the like, but Lydia can.

Oddly, choosing the right viola felt like a personal test for me. I have faced times where spending a little more money was the wise thing to do, but I went back and forth over whether it was worth it (and if I was worth it). Can you relate?

For example, thirteen years ago, when I was buying my new Subaru, I was unsure whether paying extra for a better backup camera was worth it. In my grief, I wondered if I could get by on the lesser one. But, through prayer, reflection, and some wise advice, I made the better choice. Now, I use my car’s backup camera daily!

When I realized what God wanted me to do on Saturday, I welled up with gratitude. I have learned a lot about how much God values me. I wanted to emphasize that to Lydia, too. She is a priceless treasure and worth way more than the cost of the new viola!

The amount was close to what I expected and planned for, just a little stretch. And I know there will be days when Lydia does not want to practice. I told her that if she decides to quit later in high school, then I get to keep the viola for myself. I don’t have much musical talent, so the thought of me screeching on it is enough for Lydia to take me seriously!

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God, thanks for showing us how precious we are to You. You are worthy of all our praise and adoration. Help us reflect all Your goodness and give You all the glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: How has God been stretching you lately? What stood out to you in the post above?

Task: Next time you are faced with a costly decision, think through what is really at stake and how you can trust God to make the best choice. Also, watch this insightful archaeology documentary on the seven churches of Revelation, including Ephesus (17 minutes in)!

Posted on in Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, MARPE/Orthodontics, Miscellaneous, Travel, Wisdom

Finding Grace #532

You may have seen the acronym GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace is also God’s unmerited favor, or God doing for us what we cannot.

I find grace overflowing with God’s love, joy, peace, blessings, mercy, power, provision, protection, and wisdom. Thank You, Jesus!

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This week flew by! We had a whirlwind mix of work, school events, and traveling!

Mother’s Day was on Sunday. We enjoyed church, seeing friends, and then relaxed. I am grateful for the love and support of so many wonderful ladies!

On Monday, I had an orthodontist appointment. We talked about my MARPE plan after the 3D mockup. The good news is that I am done with turns! I don’t have any other appointments until August, and then we will discuss our next steps.

On Tuesday, Lydia had her final middle school orchestra concert. (That’s hard to believe!!) In addition, she had to get a new (rental) viola because a seam was busted on her other one. She also got a new bow. At some point, we’ll have to decide if we keep renting or buy a viola. Decisions, decisions!

Wednesday evening was an orientation at the high school. Lydia is a little nervous but also excited about the fall. She has some experience already, having been there several times for Congress, Speech, and some orchestra events. Because of extracurricular activities, Lydia has grown in confidence this year, and I know God will be with her!

I crammed a lot of work into a few short days! Lots of patients and lots of charting, lol! My coworkers complimented me on my unique way of teaching difficult concepts in a practical, memorable way. That made me feel good, and I am glad they trust my input!

Friday was the thirteenth anniversary of Dave’s death. I have been able to take it off for several years in a row. It is a gift to myself, so I don’t have to pretend to be upbeat if I am not feeling it. It’s not that I will automatically feel sad, but I just give myself the day off so I can “be” and do whatever I want. We usually celebrate by doing fun things and eating good food in his honor.

The best part of the week is that we hopped onto a plane to visit family! Some of us went to a barefoot shoe expo today, and tonight we are hanging out with the others.

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These are only a few examples, but God’s grace never runs out!

There’s grace in every situation—we just need to look for it. God promises if we seek Him, we will find Him (see Jeremiah 29:13)!

Posted on in Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Gratitude, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Worship

A Hymn Sing-Along

On Sunday, Lydia and I helped serve at OASIS. We cut up watermelon and prepared sandwiches. We set up tables and added place settings. We greeted some of the regulars and even saw some older friends we hadn’t seen in years. One was a dear lady who gave feedback on my book all those years ago!

Usually, if we are able to stay for the meal, Lydia and I sit and visit with everyone. It is heartwarming to hear stories from these older folks. Often, we listen to a short sermon afterward while we eat dessert.

This week, instead of a sermon, we had a hymn sing-along! It was so much fun. We used the old-school hymnals, and people called out song requests.

Hymns are special because, unlike modern worship songs, many of them have been around for centuries. They hold so much church history and theology! As a parent, I want Lydia to understand the importance of these traditions. We don’t give up when times get tough. We hold fast to Jesus!

As we sang through maybe ten or fifteen songs, I was a little overcome with emotion. There was a bit of nostalgia, since I grew up singing various hymns over the years. We didn’t go to a church that used hymns every week, but many of them are well-known. We sang them at home, with the radio or just because, and even a few select choruses at camp.

We certainly sang a few hymns at Dave’s funeral almost thirteen years ago! On Sunday, I was reminded of this as we sang “Victory in Jesus.” I got a little teary-eyed as I thought about how far God has brought us. After we sang “Amazing Grace,” I even said inwardly, “I would really like to sing ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,'” since we also sang that at Dave’s funeral.

Immediately, to my delight, that song was requested! It touched my heart and made me know God was watching me, blessing me, and drawing me close. That’s the thing about these old songs – they help us connect with Jesus.

The last song we sang was “Jesus Loves Me.” When Dave was sick, some days this was the only song we could sing. We had no energy, and our hearts were down and out. All we could do was bring our brokenness to the Lord. When I could barely think straight or make sense of all the chaos, this song was the only thing that came out. God’s Truth that was placed there when I was so little, and when life pressed in, that was the foundation!

I’m not alone in the fact that “Jesus Loves Me” is one of those that many little children learn. In fact, as we wrapped up, Lydia and I smiled at each other. She had a cute way of singing it with a hearty emphasis. “…Little ones to him belong, they are weak, but he is… STRONG!”

The next time you find yourself at a hymnal sing-along, I pray you will take it in stride. Soak up the Truth and consider the strong traditions. If you listen closely, you’ll hear the voices of the Saints, a precursor to Heaven, when we all worship Jesus together!

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God, You are faithful over generations and centuries. Thanks for meeting me at church on Sunday. Thanks for answering my heart’s request. May I honor You in all I do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Do you enjoy singing hymns now and then? If so, what’s your favorite?!

Task: Create your own worship playlist on Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite online platform! Make sure to add some hymns! 😉

Posted on in Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Fear/Don't Fake Brave, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Wisdom, Worship

A “With Us” God

This week, I am praying and reflecting on the great losses of life and property in recent Texas floods. Natural disasters, like fires, earthquakes, and hurricanes, have also happened, though the Texas floods hit home because Lydia is at camp this week.

In the midst of tragedy, including wars, people tend to ask “Why didn’t God prevent this?” and Where is God in all of this?” I don’t have all the answers, but I have asked those same questions. I am absolutely sure He is right in it with us. He is Emmanuel, God with us, or as someone once said, He is a “with us” God.

God is outside of Time, but He’s right here, too. He can be everywhere all at once. There’s no place He’d rather be than with those He loves.

God is a loving Father who fights for His children. He, too, faced heartbreaking loss when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus could have shunned the cross, but He knew it was the only way. In fact, this was His redemptive plan from before the beginning of Time. So, I don’t know His purposes in Texas, but I know He understands and grieves with us.

Free Poland Castle photo and picture

God is our refuge and shield. He is a safe place, a hiding place. We can run to Him for protection. As we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. I imagine God holding and carrying the girls from Mystic Camp, along with so many others who were swept into the water. I am praying everyone is found.

God’s delay is not absence or apathy. His timing is just different, and His ways are higher than ours. He is sovereign over the good and bad. (He does not send bad things upon us, but uses them for our eventual good.) We can trust Him even when we can’t see how it all turns out.

Our Heavenly Father helps us deal with fear, and He comforts us in our grief. We, too, are called to mourn with those who mourn; we can pour out all our emotions to Jesus because He cares for us.

As sad as tragedies are, I cannot imagine facing them without Jesus because He is our only Hope. Every day, we are getting closer to when Jesus will come back. One could say things will continue to get worse before they get better…

Nonetheless, our main focus is to stay close to Jesus and keep our eyes on Him. Whatever you are facing today, lean into God’s love, mercy, and grace. He is faithful and good.

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Father God, thanks for being with us in the good and bad. Please be with those in Texas who are dealing with the aftermath of the flooding. Give them Your comfort and peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: How do you reconcile life’s tragedies? Do you turn to Jesus or your own insights?

Task: Read Psalm 91. When the unfathomable occurs, bring everything to the Only One who can hold it all together and work it out for your good and His glory. It will take time, and you may never fully understand it, but He can handle all that concerns you.

 

Posted on in Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Pivot

Twelve Years

This week, I am reflecting on God’s work in my life and how far He has brought me. Tomorrow, May 15th, marks twelve years since Dave went to be with Jesus. His death seems like yesterday, but also a lifetime ago. I have grown so much, but at the same time, I am still finding my way.
The picture below popped up in my memories last night. This was taken the day before Dave came home sick from work, starting our chaotic year (May 2012-May 2013). We both looked so calm, like we didn’t have a care in the world. How quickly that would change!
I’ll take the day off work tomorrow to give myself some space to feel and do whatever is needed. I don’t quite know what I will do yet, but I have some ideas. In the evening, Lydia and I will celebrate Dave’s life with a friend who knew him here. He loved tacos and pizza, so we are planning to get… taco pizza in his honor. 😉 I also have a pretty necklace to give Lydia, keeping up my tradition of making the day something to celebrate, not dread.
Naturally, it is a little bittersweet, but God has been so, so good to me. He has been my Rock and always sees to it that I have what I need. God has given me Lydia, and she is such a gift. He helps me parent her, sometimes in very creative ways! God has provided for me financially through work and other means, and He has given me a solid community of support, both near and far. Thank you!
This week is also tough as we celebrated the first Mother’s Day without my mom. Mom loved Dave as much as she loved my brothers. It brings me comfort knowing they are together again! I am inspired by how they never complained about their agonizing pain or struggle. In both cases, they sought Jesus right up until the end. Although their bodies gave out, they finished their races strong.
We can’t have great victories if we never have a battle, and we can’t celebrate a win if we don’t fight through something first. Life has many unexpected twists and turns, but we can always trust God. None of this is ever easy, but God is always with me. And, if you turn to Him, He will be with you, too!
Of course, we love and miss Dave and Mom so much. Grief is a long-term thing, but it’s hard to stay sad for long when I think about them in Heaven. They are safe, secure, and whole. More alive than ever before. And someday soon, all of God’s plans will fully come together. Those who belong to Jesus in Heaven and on Earth will be reunited. What joy that will be!
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Father in Heaven, You have been so, so good to me. Thanks for Your faithfulness and grace. May my life point others to You and bring You glory. Help me keep moving forward. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Questions: How do you celebrate the memory of those you love who have died? Have you accepted God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus? (Don’t delay, do it today!)
Tasks: Listen to this song, “Been So Good,” by Elevation Worship. Take some time to look back on how God has been so good to you. If interested, check out my book!

Posted on in Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Personality, Pivot, Prayer, Wisdom, Worship

Pain Has A Purpose

Lately, I’ve seen many people dealing with challenging circumstances, quite a few of which have worsened in recent months. Whether someone’s pain is related to financial health, physical health, mental health, consequences of someone’s actions, grief or loss, or something else, the emotions are very real.

When life throws you a curveball, how do you respond?

Undoubtedly, we’ve all wondered why bad things happen to good people. I covered much of this in my book, based on my own experiential understanding of pain. But it has been a while since I talked about it here. Each of us handles pain a little differently, although there are probably some broad similarities, too.

The world sees pain as proof that God doesn’t exist. “If God really loved me, why we would He let that happen?” The devil uses pain to make us believe that God doesn’t care, that He has abandoned us. He twists God’s character and lies to us, sometimes leading us toward a sinful response when we mistrust God.

Free Landscape Winter photo and picture
Yet, pain is a tool God uses to get our attention and to teach us. As C.S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” from The Problem of Pain, chapter 6

In reality, it’s good for our faith to be tested sometimes. We find out who or what we’ve been relying on. Anything less than Jesus is going to fail. Let Him refine you.

We have small tests of faith daily. If I sit in a chair, there’s a fleeting moment that I have to trust it to hold me! We trust total strangers, such as airplane pilots, firefighters, and even garbagemen, to do their jobs and come through for us. But, we can struggle to trust God, who created us and loves us so much.

It is much easier for me these days to trust God because I have put Him to the test. But, that doesn’t mean I never face another challenge. I will face trials as long as I am here on this lovely planet. Jesus reminded us of that, but He also reminded us He is always with us. That’s a promise! 

Free Mountains Mountain Peaks photo and picture
Pain and trials are often linked. We may not understand the purpose until much later. Nonetheless, I heard an interesting perspective this week that I am still thinking about: It may feel like God is picking on us, but really, He is picking us. There is a big difference!

We see this in full force when reading the book of Job and other books of the Bible. God had a special purpose for Job and his pain. It brought Him glory in the end. And, God ended up blessing him with much more than he had before. God’s blessing is not always financial, and I am happy to let Him choose what is best!

Ultimately, we can see pain as an opportunity to grow and reflect God’s character. So, instead of grumbling and complaining, we can choose to draw close and worship Him. We are more than conquerors in Jesus!

Through trials, we see and learn new things about ourselves and God. It takes maturity to see God’s goodness in the pain. Yet, we cannot always have only goodness – that’s not real life! As we lean on God, we remember He is Supreme and reigns over ALL, the good and the bad.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

We can trust God and lean on Him as our Heavenly Father. His joy is your strength! He is faithful and true. He will never let us down!

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Father God, thanks for being with us in our pain and trials. Help us see your purposes in our pain. Help us trust You more and bring You glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen 

Questions: What is your gut reaction to pain and trials? Is it fear and worry, or prayer and praise?

Tasks: When painful trials come, dig in deep. Draw close to God through prayer, worship, and reading His word. Trust Him to come through for you!

Posted on in Being Gracious, Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Fear/Don't Fake Brave, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Fruit, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Kindness, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Perfectionism, Pivot, Prayer, Travel, Words, Worship

Finding Grace #455

You may have seen the acronym GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace is also God’s unmerited favor, or God doing for us what we cannot.

I find grace overflowing with God’s love, joy, peace, blessings, mercy, power, provision, protection, and wisdom. Thank You, Jesus!

Free Forest Path photo and picture

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This week was thankfully less busy than the last two.

Sundays have been more relaxing since we’ve been attending the early church service. We’ve had time to prepare for the next week at a slower pace. It feels like a longer day and I feel more refreshed!

Work was a bit slower, though still steady. I simply had less patients scheduled but still got a lot of things done. It was nice to have a lighter load. As such, I had time to call some extra patients and finish a few small projects.

We received a few inches of snow on Tuesday night and Wednesday. I did a little shoveling but left the main part for the snow service. It is nice to have them come help me, though I still do a fair amount of work throughout the season!

Lydia’s birthday was on Thursday, and she was tickled by the special letter I wrote for her! She wanted to go to dinner and then watch a movie at home with some ice cream. In a way, we have already been celebrating for a week or two. That’s becaue she received various gifts when my mother-in-law visited and through the mail from family.

Friday after work, I ran a few errands and then called my mom to catch up. We had a great time chatting and it is always so encouraging. Later, my dad called to say hi, too. I always appreciate those calls!

Today, we saw Wicked (part 1) at the movie theater. I saw the Broadway production years ago, but it was fun to introduce Lydia to it. In fact, I like Wicked better than the Wizard of Oz! The movie version had some fun cameos and great music. The flying monkeys were still a little scary, though!

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These are only a few examples, but God’s grace never runs out!

There’s grace in every situation—we just need to look for it. God promises if we seek Him, we will find Him (see Jeremiah 29:13)!

Posted on in Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Travel

Finding Grace #424

You may have seen the acronym GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace is also God’s unmerited favor, or God doing for us what we cannot.

I find grace overflowing with God’s love, joy, peace, blessings, mercy, power, provision, protection, and wisdom. Thank You, Jesus!

Free Tulips Tulip Field photo and picture

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This week was bittersweet. We laid my Aunt Deb to rest in my small central Illinois hometown. It was a long way to travel, but I am so glad we went. We even visited with my mom’s side of the family for a little bit. Being with extended family was good, and I feel blessed to reconnect with my roots.

The weather was warmer in Illinois, and I had forgotten the grass greens up quicker than in Fargo! The tulips and crabapple trees were blooming in full force—so pretty! Lydia and I were gone for nearly a week, and I was so happy to see our own grass had started turning green by the time we returned to North Dakota!

During our road trip, we stayed overnight with my mother-in-law in Rockford. We enjoyed hanging out with her and Dave’s brother before heading downstate the next day. We then stopped by my brother’s house to hang out before the rest of the family rolled into town. On the way back, we stayed in a Chicago suburb with my sister and her family.  It was great to see where each of them lived because they all had moved since we last drove to Illinois. Now, when they tell us about their day, we can envision it a little better.

Seeing old friends in Illinois was heartwarming, and I appreciated the kind comments about my blog and book. Thanks for your ongoing support and encouragement!

Lydia and I went back to school and work on Friday. I was so honored when several of my coworkers sent me texts to say hi or stopped by to see me in my office. I shared some goodies I had brought back from my trip and thanked them for covering for me. It was nice to be missed, but I was also glad to be back.

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These are only a few examples, but God’s grace never runs out!

There’s grace in every situation—we just need to look for it. God promises if we seek Him, we will find Him (see Jeremiah 29:13)!

Posted on in Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Fear/Don't Fake Brave, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Kindness, Life is Short, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #421

You may have seen the acronym GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace is also God’s unmerited favor, or God doing for us what we cannot.

I find grace overflowing with God’s love, joy, peace, blessings, mercy, power, provision, protection, and wisdom. Thank You, Jesus!

Free Robin Red-Breasted photo and picture

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This Holy Week was good. I did a daily Bible devotion on YouVersion about Jesus’ las week, and it was good to keep that at the forefront of my mind.

On Sunday, I met with a dear church friend for coffee. She has been growing in her faith but is working through some tough issues. I am so proud that she mentioned her questions to me, and we were able to discuss them. She was dealing with fear, and I encouraged her and challenged her to not give up. As long as we keep moving forward toward Him, we will have Victory!

Work was surprisingly slow! I had a lot of patients, but a few canceled or no-showed, and some rescheduled or just didn’t want to talk long. I was able to stay on top of my charting and am fully caught up! I was able to do a few projects and even cleaned my desk!

Otherwise, it was a quiet week. I have enjoyed the calm, and often, during these peaceful moments, I can hear from God best. Of course, He has given me a few new things to think about and pray through. 🙂

Today, I saw my first robin of spring! I had just woken up, and the bird was singing on my deck. I was delighted and am sure there will be many more in the coming days!

Finally, three people mentioned my book to me. One asked how to get a copy for a friend, and two gave positive feedback. I love that my works are encouraging others! It’s been awhile since I shared the link, but here is how you can get one (or three!).

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These are only a few examples, but God’s grace never runs out!

There’s grace in every situation—we just need to look for it. God promises if we seek Him, we will find Him (see Jeremiah 29:13)!