Category: Finding Grace Weekly Recap

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Food and Nutrition, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Miscellaneous, Perseverance

Finding Grace #266

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 productive week! I enjoyed a slightly slower pace at work filled with a few meetings, good conversations, yummy treats, and a fair amount of laughter. My coworkers and I were learning how to use a new tube feeding pump so we can educate our patients. It reminded me of the classic joke… how many (dietitians) does it take to change a light bulb?!

Lydia’s school was doing some state testing this week. She forgot her iPad at home because she was charging. I wasn’t able to bring it since I was already all the way across town at work. Thankfully, she borrowed one from the school library.

On Thursday evening, Lydia and I went out to eat with coworkers to bid farewell to our dietetic intern! She has been with us since January, and we all appreciated having her. She helped us with our work and was quick to learn everything we threw at her!

While at dinner on Thursday, I got to hold a coworker’s sweet four-month-old baby girl. She was so cute and alert! This baby was born the same month as Lydia so there are many similarities in the timing of her growth and development. As such, it meant a lot to me that I got to hold the baby, specifically because Lydia was the same size and age in April right before Dave got sick in May. Whenever I see a baby that age, I think about those few weeks and consider them a sweet spot before all Hell broke loose.

I went to the college campus on Friday to teach my class. It was on renal disease, which is kind of a complex topic. But, I did my best and felt good about it overall. In addition to covering the material, at least on a basic level, my goal is to give my students practical guidance to set them up for success. I also enjoyed catching up with some of the staff, too!

This week, the weather was windy and rainy at times. But, we need the rain and I was thankful it wasn’t snowing! Then again, it was absolutely gorgeous today, and I enjoyed hearing the song birds and seeing some crocuses popping up!

**********

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, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Worship

Finding Grace #265

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 fun week, though some days seemed long! I don’t have anything really new to report, but there was just a lot going on every day! 🙂 Work and life went well, overall, and I also enjoyed chatting with my sister!

Lydia received a box of Easter goodies in the mail this week. She was so excited for some candy and a few Peanuts/Snoopy items. We called our family to say thank you, and I was so surprised when Lydia offered me one of her Reese’s peanut butter eggs! It was totally out of the blue, but she said she knew how much I like them. It melted my heart, and I told her how much I appreciated her generosity. Her whole face lit up in pride!

The college was on Spring Break this week, so I didn’t go to campus yesterday. I still have some grading and such to do, but instead of doing those things, I ran some errands and got my oil changed. It was so sunny out, and I enjoyed having some quiet time to myself.

Then, Lydia and I went to church for the Good Friday service! After it was over, we caught up with friends and met a three-week old baby boy! He only weighed about five pounds at birth, since he was three weeks early. He is so tiny and precious!

The weather was all over the place this week. It ranged from being in the 30s to 70s and at times was very windy. We were serenaded by some robins on several mornings. We also noticed buds on the trees and some tulip leaves popping up! Today, it has been warm and beautiful!

Today, one of Lydia’s friends came over for a few hours to visit. They decorated Easter eggs, watched a movie, played outside, ate lunch, drew pictures, and more. She is a sweet girl and very easy to be around. It’s so fun to see their friendship grow!

**********

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, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Prayer

Finding Grace #264

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. It had many highs and a few lows. I heard of several prayer requests, some regarding relationships and many for health issues. I’m grateful God’s grace is constant. He knows exactly what we need even before we ask!

Work went well, and I had fun participating in various meetings and helping my coworkers. I had friendly patients and feel like I made a difference!

I caught up with a couple of dear friends this week. One is a widow, like me, and we typically work through our similar experiences and cheer each other on. We met today for bowling and frozen yogurt with our girls. It was a fun few hours…just what I needed!

The other friend is a Caterpillar wife and we enjoyed catching up as well! We haven’t seen each other in a long time, but we talked for an hour on the phone. God is so good, and I loved hearing how He is taking care of everyone!

**********

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 Books and Movies I Like, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Life is Short, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #263

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 full but fun week!

On Monday, Lydia and I attended her parent-teacher conference over Zoom. I was pleased to hear how well she is doing (even in a pandemic). Her teacher explained she is excelling in her school work, but she also has a great work ethic. I really was proud to hear she has a positive attitude and does not complain!

On Tuesday, we caught the replay for a 6-week online Bible study for tween girls. (It’s LIVE on Mondays, but we missed that due to her conference.) The study discusses the concept of loyalty in the book of Ruth. Lydia and a friend had fun completing the workbook later in the week! I’m glad she can study God’s Word with a dear friend.

Wednesday was St. Patrick’s Day. It was a pretty normal day, overall, but Lydia and I discussed how we don’t need luck because we have God on our side. He is a such a good provider for us, and we reviewed some of the ways God has blessed us lately.

This week, I had several great conversations with coworkers, patients, and students! I also had four great phone calls with family. I’m grateful!

Today was in the 60s, but fairly windy so it doesn’t feel that warm. Lydia and I went through some of her books… to save, sell, or donate. It was a little bittersweet to review old memories. She is growing up, and some of the books are a little young for her!

Happy First Day of Spring!

**********

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, Books and Movies I Like, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Little Free Library, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #262

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 awesome week!! On Sunday, we Zoomed with family. It’s been so fun to check in every week! It has become one of my favorite things to do every week!

On Monday, I dropped of my tax documents to my accountant. I have various things to keep track of, and it’s good to have help! As a single mom, it’s one less thing for me to have to do. It’s always nice to get a refund, but this year, it was split. I owe some and get some back! No matter what I am so grateful for God’s provision!

I had many friendly patients this week. It’s so fun to talk with Veterans who are eager to learn about nutrition. It’s more than that though. It’s good to make the ‘human connection,’ and that was a highlight of my week!

We got a little snow this week, after it was mostly melted away. This snow won’t stick around for long, but it triggered my snow removal service to come. I was very happy about that, as I got to sleep until my normal alarm went off.

On Wednesday, I called Fitbit customer service for help. I happened to talk to someone who was working from home… in Jamaica! We had a good conversation while he answered my questions. Turns out, Lydia’s device is out of warranty, but he gave us a 35% off coupon so we could order a new one! She was so grateful and excited!

Today has been beautiful, with warmer weather and little wind. Lydia went to a friend’s house to play, while I visited with a couple friends, ran errands, and tackled some chores around the house. When Lydia returned, we took a walk to other ‘little free libraries’ and delivered some books we were done with. I also updated some of the books in ours!

Don’t forget to turn your clocks forward one hour tonight!

**********

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, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #261

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 good week! On Monday, I woke up not feeling the best. Mostly some back pain and GI issues. These tend to come and go, but Monday, I decided to stay home from work. Normally, I would just push through (like I usually do). I am proud that I rested and took care of myself instead. That set me up well for the remainder of the week.

Lydia ordered something online this week, an inexpensive toy she really wanted. She paid for it herself. She kept asking if I had received delivery notifications and excitedly opened it when it came. I order so many “boring” household items online, mostly to save me time later, so her anticipation was fun to see!

On Friday, I picked Lydia up after work and we went shopping. She requested some new pants, pajamas, and other items since she continues to grow. Imagine that! We had fun looking around at three stores, though she had to take everything home to try on. We will need to make some returns, but I’m glad we got to spend time together. After that, we went to Panera and used a gift card for dinner. We also ran into some friends!

Today, Lydia and I had a heart healthy discussion about fats, after she saw some of my props for teaching my students yesterday. This included a timely topic about body image and the importance of making good choices. Later, she played with a neighbor, while I worked on collecting and organizing my tax information!

**********

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

Finding Grace #260

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. I felt Him directing my path and filling in the gaps along the way. I’m so grateful He leads me through parenting issues, especially when it comes to dealing with Lydia’s subtle but ongoing grief about her dad, my late-husband, Dave! She’s doing fine today but had a few emotional moments this week.

On Wednesday, Lydia had a check-up at the orthodontist. She had braces a couple of years ago, but currently she is only wearing a retainer. We’ll see what the future x-rays show, but for now, everything looks good. Ironically, the next day, Lydia lost another tooth!

It was a good work-week, too. I felt productive and accomplished a lot. I had good conversations and collaborations with my coworkers. I also had fun leading a student meeting for around 60 students, plus meeting with my own students later on.

Today, I enjoyed catching up with my parents on the phone. My mom and I compared parenting notes, and my dad helped me fix my kitchen garbage disposal. It felt good to troubleshoot and get the motor running again. It feels good to solve the problem on my own!

**********

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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #259

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 pretty quiet and went smoothly. It started off quite chilly (below zero), but is currently around 25F as I write this. A huge difference, and it feels so warm!

Work was busy, but good! I really enjoyed teaching my students more about medical nutrition therapy for diabetes. I shared various handouts with them that I have collected over the years. We reviewed portion sizes and carbohydrate counting. We discussed common myths about diabetes and trends I see in my patients (personal details are confidential, of course). This is a very important topic and it was fun to see them making practical connections to everyday life.

I noticed the days growing brighter and longer this week. Spring feels like it is just around the corner, and the time change will be coming up in a couple weeks. The subtle change is nice and it does seem to improve everyone’s moods! 🙂

This week, I was asked to pray for some big things in other people’s lives. I’m so glad God blessed them by saying YES! It is great to partner with God in prayer!

Today, Lydia had fun “camping” downstairs in a pop-up tent. She read and relaxed. She might even sleep down there tonight!

Tonight, some friends are coming over for Bible study. We always enjoy catching up! We are reading through the NLT Chronological Bible together this year, and it has been fun to discuss all that is going on. Currently we are in Leviticus! 😉

**********

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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #258

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 but good! The temperature stayed below zero for most of the week, but really, it wasn’t too bad. I just dressed in layers and went about my day. Thankfully, I ran most all of my errands when it was (relatively) warmer last week!

Otherwise, I enjoyed being productive at work and home! I definitely felt God leading me and keeping me safe. The roads were a little slippery one morning and a car cut across three lanes of traffic. Another person hit their brakes and started to slide. I don’t think their were any collisions but it was very close!

I worked on my book a little more this week. It is very close to being done! Thanks for your patience. I can’t wait to share it with you!

Yesterday, Lydia was so excited for her Valentine’s party at school. She offered to share some of her candy with me, which was cute. After I picked her up, she noticed a bald eagle soaring in circles above us. She said it was the best day ever!

Then, today, we cleaned up a bit, worked on some projects, talked with family on the phone, and put together a puzzle. It should be a great, relaxing three day weekend!

**********

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/Don't Fake Brave, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Wisdom

Bring Your Tough Questions to Jesus

Yesterday, I watched a Bible Project video about “emet,” that is, God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness. I love these videos! Interestingly, the next video in the series says that Exodus 34:6-7 is the most repeated and re-quoted text by Biblical authors. Wow!!

I also heard a teacher from Read through the Word say, “If you can’t quite see God’s faithfulness in your own life, look for His faithfulness in the lives of others… both in the Bible and people you know.”

So, naturally, God’s faithfulness is on my mind this week! That said, it can sometimes be difficult to see faithfulness when you are in the midst of trials or emotional upheaval. But keep looking… It’s there!

Also, earlier this week, I was texting with two different ladies at the same time. One is very close to me and the other I have never met (a friend of a friend). They are both going through the early stages of severe grief, though their losses are different. Neither felt up to talking on the phone, so texting was their preferred option.

I wish I could take away the pain these ladies are feeling, but I cannot. It will take a fair amount of time and effort to process their intense grief. I’m available to help and listen, but I cannot heal their hearts on my own. However, I can point them toward God’s faithfulness. If they draw close to Him, He will be there strength and everything they need.

After my late-husband, Dave, died in 2013, I certainly had a lot of questions with few answers. I chose not to be mad at God, but still I wondered what our relationship was supposed to look like. I was understandably confused and disappointed.

Back then, another friend simply encouraged me to keep bringing those questions to God Himself. She validated my feelings and challenged me to not give up. Her words resonated with me as she reminded me that God could handle all my emotions. All I had to do was keep coming to Him. It was a breath of fresh air!

My daughter, Lydia, is quite resilient, but even so, she does tend to go through periods of mourning for her dad. Her grief is different than mine, and I cannot always shield her from pain and loss. Though, I can to create a safe space to discuss what’s on her heart.

Recently, Lydia showed me a paper from church where the children were asked to write down questions they would ask God. I don’t know what the lesson was about, but on the top of her list was this question: How is my dad doing?

While I hate that she has to bear such loss, I am glad she feels good about asking God tough questions. (She also asked what God’s favorite color and food were, so I don’t think she was too upset on that day.)

Bottom line: Our doubts and fears can yield a deeper faith as long as we bring all of those questions to Jesus, instead of turning away and trying to cope on our own.

Whether we come to God in anger, confusion, sadness, disappointment—or even with joy and gratitude—we are changed in the presence of Jesus.

He can handle our deepest concerns because His grace knows no bounds. It may be slow progress, but eventually, we will be on level ground again.

Don’t give up when you don’t get the answers you want. Just keep asking and trusting. God will make everything right in due time.

I’m grateful He knows our hearts better than we do!

**********

God, thanks that we can bring all our tough questions directly to You. Thanks for Your unmatched grace and faithfulness. Please speak words of comfort and healing; Lord, give us Your peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Do you find yourself weeping with those who weep? Or are you trying to bring surface (quick and superficial) solutions to deep and lasting grief?

Tasks: If you don’t know what to say to someone who is grieving, perhaps don’t say anything. Instead, show up for them. Be available even just to sit and listen, or help with difficult task. Finally, listen to this song, “God Help Me,” by Plumb.