Finding Grace #147

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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 one of my favorite weeks of the year! We celebrated Christmas and then have been relaxing ever since! Most of the time, we are going-going-going so I really value the “free time” this week provided. I relish unstructured days, and often not being productive is actually the best way to ‘get things done.’

From Wednesday until Friday morning, we had a blizzard. Thankfully, we didn’t have too many plans. We were happy to stay home; we played games, watched movies, and made some extra treats! We did cancel a playdate on Thursday, but that can be rescheduled.

On Friday, I went to clear snow, but my snowblower wasn’t working. I’m not sure what’s wrong, but my neighbor cleared my driveway instead! He did about 5 driveways, not including his own. What a blessing!

On Friday, Lydia and I went to my two-week follow-up appointment. It was bitter cold outside, but my eyes look good after Lasik surgery! I still have some healing to do, but I am grateful for the outcome so far. Technology is amazing!

Today, we did a few chores which included taking the Christmas ornaments off the tree and putting away some decorations. The tree and other wintery items will stay out a while longer. The cold will last a few more months, at least!

I’m grateful for how God always directs our path and blesses us. He is so good!

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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)!

Finding Grace #146

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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! My mother-in-law was here through Monday, and we celebrated Dave’s 40th birthday that day. We celebrated by shopping and going to lunch! Then, Lydia and Gramma went swimming after school. It was a good day, and we had fun. I know Dave is proud of us.

I worked Tuesday through Thursday, which means I can take next week off! On Friday, I went to a holiday craft event at Lydia’s school where we made ornaments. Now we are both off until January 2nd!

After an early dismissal from school yesterday, Lydia and I went to get an oil change and tune up for my car. We sat at the dealership for three hours because I wanted to get the preventative maintenance done before my coupon expired! 🙂 Thankfully, Lydia didn’t complain as we enjoyed snacks and Nat Geo shows on cable television. We even met a friendly older gentleman who was just as excited about “Jaguars vs. Crocs” as we were!

I was able to squeeze in several errands yesterday, so today, Lydia and I relaxed at home. We slept in, made some Christmas cookies, and watched a couple holiday movies. It’s just what we needed! Happy Holidays!

I’m grateful for how God always directs our path and blesses us. He is so good!

**********

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)!

Finding Grace #145

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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 really exciting week. To start, everything was fairly normal, though I worked an extra day to get ahead for the holidays. Lydia has some time off around Christmas, so I will want to spend time with her.

Now for one exciting part: I got Lasik eye surgery yesterday! Of course, I have to rest and be somewhat cautious in the days ahead but this is really good for me. My double astigmatism is now corrected. My ‘toric’ contact lenses were pricey and my glasses were 10+ years old. Indeed, the costs do add up when considering time factors, eye doctor appointments, and the cost of supplies. I’m glad I didn’t let fear get in the way!

One big help, and another exciting part of this week, is that my mother-in-law came to visit! She treated us with tickets to the Nutcracker ballet today (a local production of the show). Thankfully, it was dark and my eyes adjusted well to the stage lights. But, the timing also worked well for her to take me to my surgery appointment and follow-ups, and she is able to help keep Lydia occupied while I rest my eyes (literally!).

Finally, Lydia also had a big week. She went to the orthodontist and received an expander for her teeth! In the future, she will need braces. I’d appreciate prayers for the next few weeks as she adjusts and I help her with the expander. I never had braces or anything similar, so this is all new for both of us. Many thanks!

Well, I’m going to keep this short as I don’t want to strain my vision. It was advised to limit or avoid time online, on my phone, watching television, etc. In fact, I wrote most of this post ahead of time (before my surgery) so I could just make minor revisions today. Praise God for awesome technology!

I’m grateful for how God always directs our path and blesses us. He is so good!

**********

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)!

Finding Grace #144

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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 good as we celebrated the Christmas season. I am trying to simplify this season and really enjoy being present with Jesus. He is the reason we are celebrating!

As such, I’ve noticed Him directing my path even more. I skipped an event early in the week, so I could stay on task with other things (and go to bed early). It was a wise decision. Twice I was supposed to meet with two different friends on Thursday, but met earlier than planned. That freed me up to help a friend with a home improvement painting project!

This was a fun week to decorate! At work, we had some free time, so put up some snowmen, garland, and trees. Also, I bought a new Christmas tree this year, as the old one needed to be replaced. Lydia and I put it up while listening to Christmas carols!

Online, I met a new friend, who is a remarried widow. We both commented on a post and connected over the topic of grief. After a few days, we decided to video chat… we talked for over two hours! It is so cool how people all over the world can connect. It’s especially awesome when they are sisters or brothers in Christ!

Last weekend, my mom was in a car accident. Her entire passenger side was hit by someone who ran a red light. The person didn’t even try to stop. Mom is okay overall, but yesterday, she was diagnosed with a moderate concussion. I’m grateful for God’s protection and that she wasn’t more severely hurt. Please pray for her recovery and for everything else that goes with car accidents, insurance, repairs, etc.

God is good!

**********

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)!

Finding Grace #143

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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 quite eventful. We started off in Florida, flew home with no travel delays (thank you, Lord!), and ended with work, school, and friends. We had a great time on vacation, but it’s also good to be home. God and our neighbors graciously watched over our house while we were gone… and I’m glad they didn’t have to shovel my driveway! 🙂

On Wednesday, I was able to stay home and get ahead for the remainder of the week. It snowed a little, and I enjoyed spending time with God over coffee. I also appreciated the quiet space to reflect on our trip and plan ahead. Later that evening, we went to church for our JBQ practice. It was fun to see the kids after the holiday!

On Thursday and Friday, I went back to work. I appreciate having a flexible schedule! I also enjoyed talking with a coworker on the phone whom I haven’t seen since I switched offices earlier this year. I’m looking forward to catching up with her in person soon!

Today has been fairly relaxing. Our neighbor boys came over to play for a couple hours, and so we had fun with them. Then, I did some routine Saturday chores, paid some bills, and opened some mail. Lydia received a belated birthday package, so she happily opened that while we FaceTimed with family. We might finish the evening with a movie!

The picture above shows ‘the Star from Afar,’ our advent countdown. I hide the Star, then Lydia finds it each morning. We read a simple version of the nativity story. Each day, there is a new Bible verse to go with that part of the story. Lydia loves it and has even hid the star for me when I have forgotten. 😉 I’d recommend it! (no affiliate links)

God is good!

**********

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)!

Finding Grace #142

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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 celebrating Lydia’s birthday and Thanksgiving with family. It is always good to be with family!

We tried many new things and made good memories. We went to a big cat sanctuary and watched a holiday boat parade on the St John’s River. So cool!

I’m thankful my family has always been flexible with holiday traditions. Some years we do the works and in recent years we’ve gone out to eat. Often, we have extra people present: friends, coworkers, or people with nowhere else to go. The best part is to be together and enjoy God’s goodness.

Where did you find God’s grace?

**********

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)!

Finding Grace #141

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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 feel like a broken record when I say this week had a lot going on. It seems the last couple of months have been busier than usual. And, in a society that uses ‘busy’ as a badge, I prefer a slower pace! I’m so grateful for God’s grace as we navigate life!

Once again, I worked an extra day this week, to get ahead for the holidays. One patient yelled at me in frustration about his meal plan and changes he needs to make for his health. I understood his perspective and was able to talk with him about it. I’ve been yelled at a few times in 12+ years of being a dietitian, and I am grateful it doesn’t happen often! 🙂

On, Thursday we had more snow after lunch. It was beautiful, but after I slid around a curve with AWD, I felt prompted me to cancel evening plans with friends. It was a mutual decision. Lydia and I borrowed “The Incredibles” from friends and had a movie night!

Friday morning was spent with a 2-hour phone meeting, which went an hour longer than expected. That meant that I unintentionally ‘stood up’ a newer friend for coffee. I was in communication with her (texting) but there wasn’t much I could do about it. Thankfully, she graciously accepted my apology and we rescheduled for another time. 

Today was the first JBQ ‘quiz meet’ of the year. Lydia had fun with her team! 

Where did you find God’s grace?

**********

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)!

Finding Grace #140

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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 non-stop activity, but God’s grace was all around me! It was a fruitful and productive week! He directed every step. Even when I wasn’t sure I could accomplish everything, He helped me do it.

Over the weekend, we turned our clocks back as Daylight Saving Time ended. I planned on getting an extra hour of sleep, but instead, I just stayed up a little longer. 😉 I put that time to good use, though. For the first time ever, I put up outside Christmas lights around my garage door! It was fun and worked out better than I planned. Through a series of events, God also provided extra lights to perfectly cover my entryway!

I worked an extra day this week, to get ahead for the holidays. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were each spent with work, then an afternoon phone call (to various people), followed by an evening activity. Each day was quite busy, but I felt God using me to bless others. I even got to talk to a friend in Oklahoma, which made my day!

Thursday was also full, but really good. I bought groceries before running to an appointment. Then, there was some overlap which made me late for a meeting. Next, I went home to pick up Lydia from the bus. Right after school, our neighbors came over to visit and stayed for dinner. Then, Lydia went to bed and friends came over for Bible study.

On Friday, I had another appointment and ran another errand. It’s that time of year when I try to stock up before winter so I don’t have to go out as much! 🙂 Then, I learned a meeting with my writing coach needed to be rescheduled. So, I used that time to watch a webinar and chat with a friend online. The one hour webinar probably took me two because I kept stopping it in order to text my friend! LOL, both were well worth my attention and I needed to focus!

Last night, a dear friend came over for dinner. We had tacos and she brought dessert, which ended up being delicious cupcakes for Lydia’s birthday in a couple weeks. It was so fun to catch up because we hadn’t seen each other for about month.

The weather has been unusually cold and snowy for this time of year. (Though, really, in Fargo anything is possible!) Today, Lydia and I watched ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ and will hopefully see our friend for another round of tacos! Otherwise, it’s been a relaxing day! God is so good to give us a restful day after a jam-packed week!

Where did you find God’s grace?

**********

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)!

Finding Grace #139

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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 had some interesting surprises, but I saw God at work all around me!

On Sunday, Lydia went to play with the neighbor boys across the street. She ended up going inside with them for a movie and dinner! I was grateful to have that unexpected time to myself. I called my sister, worked on a project and prepped food for our week.

Monday was a good day to get ahead for the week. I ran some errands, did some housework, and finished an audiobook. It was a good day to be productive!

Wednesday was Halloween. After work, Lydia and I had JBQ at church, so it was our first year of not passing out candy to our neighbors. Even though I don’t love Halloween, I did miss seeing all of our neighbors! Thankfully, Lydia still got some candy and played games with her friends at church. It was a good day overall.

On Thursday, I received a large package in the mail. The box was from my mom and was filled with goodies. She sent me some treats, jewelry, foodie gifts, and some little foxes (house decor). It was such a fun surprise!

I had allotted time on Thursday and Friday to work on a project, but ended up having a few meetings with people instead. As a result,I had a few cool opportunities presented to me. Now I’m praying about each new thing because I want to make sure they are ‘God opportunities.’ I’m thankful for how He directs our steps.

Tonight, we turn back our clocks one hour! (Don’t forget!) I’m looking forward to the extra hour of sleep… unless I get distracted and just stay up later instead! 😉

Where did you find God’s grace?

**********

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)!

Finding Grace #138

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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, I tried to go with the flow and let God direct my steps. He did a pretty good job as usual! I worked extra days this week, but my patients were really fun.

I ran several errands on Thursday. It took a long time going all over town, but I’m glad I got them all done! It helped to free up my schedule on other days. I went to the eye doctor to pick up some contacts, another appointment, Lowe’s to find a certain type of light bulbs, and Costco to get a few items. I like to stock up before the winter!

Friday ended up being busier than expected. I had a phone meeting that went long and a face-to-face meeting that was canceled. I also caught up with someone else on the phone who needed some encouragement. Then, I ended up cleaning the house, working on a project, and trying out my new coffee maker. It was time well spent! 

We had a lot of fun with our neighbors this week. They brought us some apples and homemade applesauce! Then, the two boys came over last night to hang out while their parents went to a concert. They had fun playing with Lydia and watching a movie. Then, everyone laid down to sleep until their parents picked them up.

Today, Lydia and I slept in and enjoyed a slow morning. Next, we’re going to our neighbors’ house to carve pumpkins and eat pizza! A perfect end to a grace-filled week!

Where did you find God’s grace?

**********

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)!