Category: Finding Grace Weekly Recap

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Wisdom

Finding Grace #548

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 pretty good week, a mix of slower days with some important decisions!

Work was busy but fun. I brought some no bake cookies for a coworker’s birthday treat. I even took a few walks with my coworkers in between patients. I made sure to take them through the healing garden to count the Monarch butterflies. I introduced four of my coworkers to them this week, and at one point, we counted fifteen!

Lydia had a good week of school and likes her classes. She is learning to balance the block scheduling with one easier day and one that is more difficult. So far, the homework has been manageable.

This week, Lydia and I had to work through a situation where she disobeyed me. What she did was not the end of the world. However, I wanted to make sure she realized that sin always comes to light in the end. If we hide it, it will fester and then likely become a bigger issue when the truth comes out. Typically, Lydia doesn’t need me to discipline her much since she has a sensitive conscience and usually autocorrects. In this situation, she had already ‘fixed’ the problem, but failed to mention it to me in a timely manner… So, I enforced some real world consequences, and I hope she learned a lesson she won’t soon forget. We ended on a good note, and I am grateful for God’s help in parenting!

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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 Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #547

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?!

We had a good week easing into our next season!

Work was a little lighter this week. I was still fairly busy but had a few open spots, which let me catch up and work on some projects. It felt good!

The weather was perfect this week as we move closer to Autumn. I have enjoyed watching all the Monarch butterflies in the healing garden at work. Every day there seems to be a couple more, though I am sure they will soon start their great migration south.

Lydia had a great start to her Freshman year on Thursday. We went to the back-to-school night on Tuesday, which helped her feel more prepared. She likes her classes, and I think she will do well!

Today, Lydia worked on some homework, and I did my usual Saturday things. I’m trying to soak up the quiet, calmer pace before things really pick up in the next week or so!

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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, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Kindness, Miscellaneous, Worship

Finding Grace #546

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 our last full week before the school year starts!

Work felt quite busy all week. But I had great patients and felt like I made a difference. One day, I literally felt like God was giving me words to teach and encourage them. I connected with Jesus and felt His holy fire!

The weather was great this week. It was cooler and darker in the mornings, then warm and sunny in the afternoon. It was perfect! Yesterday after work, it was pouring while I walked to my car, yet when I got home, the ground was completely dry. I was soaked but decided to mow and then take a shower, lol!

Today, I was on-call and had to go in for two patients at work. I saw a bald eagle flying over my car as I drove on the highway! Because of work, I had less time for errands, but ended up having a two-hour conversation with someone instead! I always love when Jesus redirects my schedule.

Tonight, I made a delicious lentil soup with a lot of fall-inspired spices. Even though it is still August, I am calling it “early fall.” At this latitude, the season feels so short, so I am starting it sooner this year. Lydia loved the soup and has already started putting out fall decorations around the house!

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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 Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Life is Short, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #545

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?!

I had a great birthday week! Originally, I took the week off work for a trip, but we canceled it due to unexpected circumstances with our fellow travelers. We hope to reschedule, but I kept the time off anyway. I soon discovered God had a lot of other things planned for me instead!

On Sunday, after church, I attended a short training. I had been through a version of it years ago, but it was good to get up-to-date on ways to serve in the church. I prayerfully signed up for some activities this Fall, but we will see how it all pans out.

On Monday, Lydia and I did some back-to-school shopping, then cleaned the car and the garage. Later, I squeezed in a quick hair cut and met a friend for coffee. It was great to catch up!

On Tuesday, I got messages from two coworkers that I had a flower delivery. I was not expecting anything, so I went in to pick them up. Lydia came with me and had fun saying hi to my coworkers!

Tuesday evening was really special, as we met some old Caterpillar friends for dinner. They contacted us within seconds after we canceled our previous travel plans, so I feel like it was from God. It would have been a bummer to miss them; I always hold a special place in my heart for friends who actually knew Dave. Thanks, Lord!

I did not have any overt plans for my actual birthday on Wednesday. But that was 100% fine with me since it was good to relax! Also, I usually receive a ton of cards, calls, texts, and social media messages, so I like to take time to connect with everyone who thought of me and made me feel special. Thank you!!

Thursday was a good day for continuing education and errands. Mainly, I wanted to get a few things done to set us up better for when Lydia starts high school in a couple of weeks!!! In the evening, we had a blast attending a murder mystery dinner show. This was unlike your typical dinner theater. The cast was dressed like everyone else and was interspersed within the audience, so we all participated in solving the crime. The four-course meal was delicious, and we had a lot of laughs!

On Friday, I got my oil changed, along with some other minor car repairs. It was all part of my scheduled 120K-mile tuneup. I gotta keep my car in good working order! In the evening, Lydia and a friend met up with the church youth group for a Redhawks game before enjoying a sleepover at our house.

Today, I did Saturday things while Lydia and her friend slept in. Later, I took the girls shopping and out to eat. It was a fun end to my birthday 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 Apologetics, Books and Movies I Like, Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Kindness, Life is Short, MARPE/Orthodontics, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #544

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 great week, and I felt God’s grace all around me.

On Sunday, after church, we stayed to serve at OASIS. I’m glad we did, because some of the ‘regulars’ who serve were not able to attend. Later, we enjoyed family Zoom.

Monday was quite a full day! Work was busy, and then I left early for an orthodontic appointment. I am on track with my treatment plan, though I still have a long way to go to get my teeth in correct alignment. Hopefully, at my September appointment, I will find out more about when I will get the MARPE device removed!

Monday evening was fun because I went to my small group/book club at church. We shared our thoughts on Nabeel Qureshi’s Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus and other facets of salvation and our walk with the Lord. It tells the story of his conversion from Islam to Christianity before his death in 2017. I learned so much about the differences between various Muslim sects and how they think vastly differently than we do in the West. One important thing to remember is that the Bible stands on its own when compared to any other book or religion. We need to know what’s in it and how to live it out, but God is the one who changes hearts. It is on us to develop friendships with people and share His Truth mixed with grace and love.

Work was once again very busy, but good. I had a full schedule with patients and meetings, but also had almost no cancellations or no-shows. This is really good for my patients, though, and I enjoyed seeing them. Many of them were quite friendly and had fairly easy issues to work through. So, while I had a lot of charting, at least it all went fairly smoothly! We also celebrated one coworker’s birthday, and I had a good conversation with another about my story. They ended up buying my book, so that was really cool!

The weather was amazing this week! The mornings were much cooler (in the 50-60s on some days!), and it was great walking into work. The afternoons were warm but not hot, which is just about perfect. That said, it is an early indication of the changing of seasons! Fall will be here soon!

Today, I met a newly widowed single-mom friend for coffee. It was nice to finally get together in-person. I listened to her tell her story and encouraged her in her faith. We talked for nearly three hours, and we both were grateful for the time together!

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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, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Fruit, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Kindness, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Personality, Prayer

Finding Grace #543

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 was FULL of God’s grace! 

On Sunday, after church, we met some dear friends for coffee. We had fun catching up! Then, Lydia and I had a relaxing afternoon before family Zoom.

Work was very busy, finishing off a full month of patients, meetings, and so on. But I know I was right where I needed to be. I helped several patients who were really special. I enjoyed a potluck with my coworkers and helped solve some minor problems. I also finally got my full-time status officially approved. I have been working FT since March, but there were a few glitches, so I wasn’t getting paid properly. It’s all good now, and I will get some backpay. I am grateful my manager and supervisors are such great advocates for me!!

This week, I connected with a newly widowed, single mom. We texted and chatted on the phone, hoping to meet in person soon. She has a ten-year-old girl, and we have a lot of similarities in our stories. It made me think of my other friend, Amy, who was a godsend when Dave first died. I hope to be a good resource for her, with Jesus’ help and grace!

Lydia and I had several good mom-daughter moments. I am so proud of the decisions she is making, mostly on her own. She is learning to listen for the Lord and follow His voice. We had a lot of good laughs and some deep conversations. I am so grateful for her!

This week, we had a lot of prayers going up for various friends and family. I could sense God moving in and around me. There’s no better place to be! As a side note, I prayerfully postponed some upcoming plans, and immediately, God showed me He has better plans for me during that time. He is so good!

Today, we went to a small flower farm outside Moorhead. Then, we did some thrift shopping and dropped off a huge bag of puzzles for some friends at church. They were so surprised! Then, Lydia went to help a friend with a fundraiser, and I did some cooking at home. It was a great start to August, my birthday month!

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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 Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Kindness, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #542

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 an interesting week! 

On Monday, I left work a few minutes early to deal with a washing machine issue at home. The repairman came on Wednesday, and as it turned out, a little facecloth had clogged and cracked a pump. So, that was a fairly easy fix and not too expensive. He said my toploader should last for a long time since it is well made and easy/cheap to fix. He implied I should keep it as long as I can since it “actually gets the clothes clean, unlike some of the newer models.”

On Wednesday, I worked a half day and then took off the rest to be available for the repairman. I used a “time off award” I earned last year. The repairs didn’t take very long, so I was going to do a couple of projects, but then I ended up taking a nap for almost two hours. I was still so exhausted from wringing out all those towels on Monday! It was glorious!

Today, I was on-call and had to go in for one patient. While I was gone, Lydia had a driving lesson. She is doing really well. We did a few Saturday things, and then we babysat a friend from work’s kids for a couple of hours. They invited us to stay for dinner, which included Asian-style salmon, veggies, and rice. It was delicious and very generous of them!

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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 Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Kindness, Life is Short, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #541

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 week of a fun mix of planned activities and a few surprises! 

On Sunday, dear Caterpillar friends visited from Illinois. We met Mike and Becca when they moved to Fargo when Lydia was around six months, about the time Dave got sick. They were a huge blessing to us, and you can read about them in my book. Now, they have four kids and live near Peoria, so it was really sweet to have them over to our house.

On Monday, Lydia went to church camp in Devils Lake. She took a friend, and they had a blast at Senior Camp. I picked them up on Friday, and Lydia spent the rest of the day resting. I am glad they had so much fun!

On Tuesday, I stayed an extra hour at work to give a presentation to a different Veterans organization in Minot. I recognized a couple of people from the VA services we provide, and they told everyone how great a speaker I am. That felt good, and I was glad to teach them about an anti-inflammatory diet to deal with chronic pain!

The weather was hot and even a little smoky due to the Canadian wildfires. On Wednesday, we had an employee picnic at work, and God blessed us with a little cooler weather and no smoke in the air! By the end of the day, the smoke was rolling in, so I was really grateful we got to enjoy the time outside. I also saw several monarch butterflies in the healing garden, so that was extra special.

Today was fairly relaxing. I went to the bank and Costco, cooked a bit, did the usual Saturday things, and took Lydia for a driving lesson to practice parallel parking. Later, we met some friends at the splash pad in our neighborhood, and then they came over for an hour or so to visit. The little kids had fun, and I hope they come back again soon!

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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 Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Prayer

Finding Grace #540

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 was full of activity but also full of God’s grace! We had a variety of activities each night. Some were planned, and some were spontaneous.

Work was wildly busy, which is about what I expected. I had a full schedule of planned patients, but I also needed to work on some projects and return some phone calls. It felt good to connect well with the Veterans and know God was helping me every step of the way.

On Monday, Lydia went to the county fair with friends. That night, I also had my monthly book club meeting. We had a great time discussing our book and sharing more about our lives! I have already started our next book!

On Tuesday, after work, Lydia had her third driving lesson. I prayed quite a bit because it was on the highway during a busy time. God came through for us, like He always does!

Wednesday night, I dropped off Lydia to watch a friend’s softball game. Then, I ran some errands. She got a ride home, which is good because I was deep into organizing around the house!

I mowed the lawn on Thursday, since the rest of the week would be hot. Lydia went to a sleepover with her friends, so I had the evening to myself otherwise!

Yesterday and today were a mix of organizing and relaxing. I ran some errands, did Saturday things, and watched a movie with Lydia. A good way to end a busy 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 Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Miscellaneous, Personality

Finding Grace #539

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 was just what I needed. It was both peaceful and productive!

Work went well on Monday and Tuesday. Not much new to report there. I took off Wednesday and Thursday, just because. Originally, I thought Lydia and I might take a trip, but then we ended up staying home instead. It was awesome sleeping in and not waking up to my alarm!

It was wonderful to have a low-key time at home with no major plans! I really should do that more often. We decided to reorganize the house a bit, since it has been a while and things were feeling cluttered. We donated, put away, and repurposed various items. We worked in every room in the house, though we still have a few more spots to go through, such as the pantry. It feels so good to have more clarity and space!

On Thursday, I had two routine health appointments. Then, on Friday, I got a massage. It was wonderful, and I did not realize how tight some small muscles in my back were. 

This week, we also had fun watching movies and cooking. We watched ELLE on Amazon Prime and really enjoyed it! I made a slow cooker pot roast with a delicious gravy. I’ll definitely have to do that again! I might even make a fruit pizza for tonight.

We are planning to hang out with friends to celebrate Independence Day. I don’t know if the weather will cooperate, but we will have fun anyway! Happy 250th, America!

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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)!