Category: Finding Grace Weekly Recap

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #127

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 fun week and I am thankful for how God moved. I wasn’t sure I would meet a deadline for Monday, but I did! Later in the week, I got encouraging feedback from my editor. Whew! 🙂

Work went well this week and I had a full schedule. It has taken me a long time to find joy in my work again. For several years after Dave died, nothing seemed exciting…let alone work! Lately, it has started feeling good again. Being part of a team and having patients who are eager to learn has helped!

This week, we hung out with neighbors, enjoying ice cream and pool time. Yesterday, Lydia went down the block for a get-together with girls in her grade. She had fun but came home not feeling well. She had a headache and a slight fever. After I took her temperature, she went to bed early. She needed the rest!

Today, Lydia is feeling mostly better (just a bad cold). I encouraged her to take it easy, so she has been watching ‘My Little Pony’ and relaxing on the couch! I also have been enjoying the quiet day. I’m glad I ran my errands earlier in the 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)!

Where did you find God’s grace this week?

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous, Travel

Finding Grace #126

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 low key, but rather exhausting though we didn’t have much planned! I didn’t get much sleep when we were enjoying time with family. Then, after we returned in the middle of the week, I kept praying that I could keep my days straight! 🙂

Lydia and I spent Wednesday unpacking, doing laundry, sorting mail, paying bills, and relaxing after spending so much time in the car on our road trip. We had a great time, but driving was physically tiring. It was good to have a day set aside to recover.

Today, I still feel like I am still getting caught up from our weeklong adventure (as much fun as it was). At work, I previously altered my schedule to accommodate my travel plans. Thus, I went to work on Thursday and Friday and had a full patient load. Mentally tired, after that, I didn’t accomplish much at home! Still, I’m thankful for the flexibility!

I have a deadline this next week for a writing project. I’m not sure I’ll meet my goal, but I am thankful it is not a BIG deal if I don’t. I’m also glad God’s grace which covers us no matter what we do (or don’t do)!

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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)!

Where did you find God’s grace this week?

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous, Travel

Finding Grace #125

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 a little crazy at first, but I felt God’s grace and direction even more! On Sunday, Lydia and I went to a campfire/potluck with some friends from church. We enjoyed a relaxing evening and fellowship. I’m so glad we went.

Then, I hurried to clean, fold laundry, pay bills, work, and pack for a ‘little’ road trip. We went to a family reunion in Michigan and also stopped along the way to see friends! The drive through the gorgeous Upper Peninisula (UP) was fairly relaxing and for once I didn’t have every detail planned. 🙂

On our trip, we saw three of the five Great Lakes! Superior, Huron, and Michigan. We even crossed the iconic Mackinac Bridge! (It is a five mile long suspension bridge.) We mapped out a few fun events along the way, but decided to skip them due to light rain on those days and timing. We were excited to hurry and see family and friends instead!

Once again, this week’s road trip provided a gracious timeout from daily life. I’m grateful for all the time we get to spend with loved ones. Thank You, Jesus!

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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)!

Where did you find God’s grace this week?

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #124

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 unusual, but at the same time, it was just what I needed. On Sunday, Lydia and I attended a concert of hymns. I didn’t know what to expect, nor did I know what Lydia would say or think. She was a little restless, but was listening to the music. We had a good conversation about the songs and how they impact our lives even today!

On Monday, we attended my writing group. (Lydia feels very important that she gets to come with me and take it all in.) It was encouraging to see my friends growing and sharing all they have accomplished…as well as share my own successes.

After work on Wednesday, Lydia and I attended an evening show at a local outdoor amphitheater. ‘Hello Dolly!’ was so funny and Lydia was able to follow along. We enjoyed the costumes and music, as well as a lovely evening in general. We arrived home after 11pm and were glad we could sleep in! Thursday was rainy all day, so the show for that night was cancelled. I was grateful God provided free tickets (via our neighbor) and gave us great weather for the show!

On Thursday, Lydia and I woke up late (on purpose) and simply hung out at home. We played some games, exercised, made some yummy food, and watched a movie. It was good to spend time together without distractions.

This was a great week to talk with various friends. During the week, I talked online with a friend in Okinawa, Japan. She is far from home and I was happy to pray for her and encourage her. She did the same for me! Then, yesterday afternoon, we received a surprise visit from a friend. It was fun to catch up without an agenda. We also hung out with our neighbors throughout the week. I’m grateful God always knows just what I need. 🙂

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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)!

Where did you find God’s grace this week?

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Prayer

Finding Grace #123

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, with the heat and relaxed schedule, it has really felt like summer! Monday was an awesome day for me. I met an important deadline and received a letter from a dear friend in Sweden. Also, a new friend came over with her three children. The kids were all a little older than Lydia, but she had a lot of fun playing ‘big kid’ games with them. My friend and I had a great discussion about prayer and all that God has done for each of us. Later in the evening, we joined some neighbors for ice cream. It was a smile-filled, red-letter day for me…and as if that’s not enough, I even had a good hair day! 😉

At work, I had some really friendly patients, who were all eager to learn. As a dietitian, it’s my job to help people make healthy changes. It’s great when people want to learn and modify their habits. Believe it or not, that doesn’t always happen…change can be difficult! So to have ALL my patients on board is really fulfilling. On one of those work days, our neighbors volunteered to watch Lydia, instead of having her go to daycare. It was a big help to me and a great day for Lydia! 

On Thursday, another friend came over to catch up and chat about our plans this fall to do ministry together at church. It was fun to hear all that God is doing in my friend’s life and we challenged each other to keep moving forward. God is good!

The summer always coincides with lots of ‘togetherness’ for Lydia and me. She grows more independent every day, but also needs to be reigned in from time to time. (It’s not all popsicles around here!) 😉 This week, we addressed our ‘bad attitudes,’ not listening, and showing respect. It was a good reminder to keep open communication and make sure we are connecting every day. Going to bed early to get enough rest might also be a wise idea…but also a challenge! 🙂

The rest of the week was spent relaxing; planning ahead; eating ice cream, watermelon, and corn-on-the-cob; talking with people; and doing routine activities around the house. On Friday, I talked to several different people, and joyfully spent 2.5 hours on the phone in three different conversations. 🙂 I’m grateful for my flexible schedule and am glad to be available to encourage and help other people when needed. Thank You, Jesus!

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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)!

Where did you find God’s grace this week?

Posted on in Being Gracious, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Little Free Library, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #122

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?

The beginning of this week was busy, but the end of the week mellowed out! On Sunday, my new friend and her family came to church for a second time. I hope they continue to find their way. It is a blessing to help connect people within God’s family!

I worked on Monday and Tuesday, finishing up my last days at my old office. I am consolidating my two office spaces into one…and moving a few blocks north to be with the rest of my team. It makes sense overall, but the change is a little bittersweet because I have sat at that ‘old’ location for about six years. I have been at my ‘new’ office since November, and it will be nice to have everything in one place.

On Wednesday, the 4th of July, Lydia and I didn’t have any set plans. Yet sometimes that is the best way for God to show up and direct my path. We slept in, made a small brunch of eggs, toast, and a beautiful fruit salad (see pic!). Then, friends came over to visit and drop off a geocache container for my little free library for a 4-H project! It was a win-win for both of us and I hope it will bring even more traffic to my library.

On Wednesday evening, we celebrated Independence Day with neighbors. This year the fireworks in our neighborhood seemed more coordinated than ever. Instead of a bunch of random fireworks, we watched a whole panorama of about eight different houses near and far. It was pretty cool! I also invited a new neighbor to sit with the rest of us because he was alone for the holiday.

The rest of the week was spent doing yardwork, housework, writing, running errands, etc. We also enjoyed talking with various family members on the phone and via video chats. We stayed up late for several nights in a row, so the slower pace has been refreshing. I’m thankful for the down time to catch up around the house and with family. God 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)!

Where did you find God’s grace this week?

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #121

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?

Overall, this was a relaxing week! On Sunday, a new friend and her husband came to church. I invited them after meeting her at swimming lessons last week. They enjoyed the services and hope to return tomorrow. She said how friendly and warm everyone was. Later, I discovered she is a writer and we have many things in common!

Speaking of swimming lessons, Lydia passed! I’m so thankful she did because she worked really hard. I’m proud to see her confidence grow and am glad she can move on to the next level soon. I’m sure God feels the same about each of us when we achieve our goals!

One evening this week, our neighbor boys came to hang out while their parents had other plans. Then, when their mom came, she and I chatted and let the kids play. I threw together some food and we had a good time! Then, we went to hang out with their family on another night! I’m grateful for those low-key moments because we can just go with the flow and experience God’s goodness as it comes!

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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)!

Where did you find God’s grace this week?

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous, Travel

Finding Grace #120

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 another awesome week filled with God’s grace! On Sunday, Lydia and I went kayaking. It had been on my list of things for her to try forever, and we finally accomplished it! I was really proud of myself and Lydia!

I followed up with my work supervisor about our meeting last week and we discussed adjusting my schedule slightly. I had some time to consider what was important to me and we made some win-win decisions. I can help them more, but it still works well for me. I’m grateful for the way God provides for me and Lydia! He is sooo good!

I always love when God directs my steps, and this week was no different. Lydia started two weeks of swimming lessons in the late afternoon. Sometimes, I strike up a conversation if I am sitting next to someone eager to chat. This week, I met a lady watching her granddaughter. Ten years ago, she lost her oldest daughter after dealing with a blood clot (32 years old). We connected and I ended up inviting her to church tomorrow. She is planning to bring her family too!

This week, Lydia and I visited several friends to catch up. Sometimes we just walked and talked, and other times we let the kids play and ate ice cream (or s’mores over a campfire!). We had wonderful weather, and enjoyed some heat, but almost no humidity or wind. Today, in particular, we met with another family and drove to Maplewood State Park for a picnic, hiking, and geocaching. It was a great week with friends!

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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)!

Where did you find God’s grace this week?

Posted on in Being Gracious, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous, Wisdom

Finding Grace #119

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 busy but exciting week! Each day was packed with a variety of activities. Lydia enjoyed four mornings of Vacation Bible School (VBS) and during that time, I juggled work and appointments. A coworker was able to pick Lydia up for me one day while I finished my patient charting. I really appreciated her help, which eased my stress. Overall, it was a really fun week as God directed our steps!

I had a meeting with my work supervisor this week about some upcoming changes. The changes are minor and will be good overall, but I will have to adjust (again). Later in the week, I received well-timed encouragement from another dietitian I ran into at VBS! She was the first RD I met in Fargo (years ago), and she reminded me that it is good to stay strong in my skills (or stretch them). Then, I am always ready to do whatever God needs me to do. With that shift in perspective, I’m choosing to have a good attitude about the changes at work! I know God has good things in store for me! 🙂

Our afternoons were also full of fun. We visited a couple local parks and enjoyed beautiful weather. One afternoon, we reunited a dog with its owner. Another day, we joined some friends for a geocaching expedition! Still another day, we went to the public library and then met a friend (and her two boys) for ice cream. We also hung out with our neighbors. It was a fun to see so many awesome people!

All of our evenings were well spent, too. We had a few meetings and opportunities, one of which was speaking with some ladies at Redemption Road. Even though their journeys are different than mine, we can all something from each other. I shared my story and encouraged them to trust God in the midst of their difficulties.

Thankfully, today has been fairly relaxed. We woke up to an awesome thunderstorm, making me extra glad I mowed last night! For breakfast, Lydia and I made pancakes. Then, we read some books and played games before doing some Saturday chores. Tonight, we might watch a movie to cap off another grace-filled 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)!

Where did you find God’s grace this week?

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Little Free Library, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #118

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 our first ‘real’ week of summer break. Overall, Lydia and I had fun and were able to relax a bit. The next few weeks are full of activities, so I spent this week trying to get ahead. I am thankful God reminded me to just take it day by day… then, I didn’t miss all the ways He wanted to help and bless me.

On Wednesday, a Caterpillar family invited us over for ice cream. It was fun to catch up for a couple hours because we haven’t really seen them in several months. They’ve been a huge help to us over the years, and I am thankful for all the friends that still check in with us from time to time. God is so good!

Mowing my yard hangs over my head each week, while I consider the timing of that vs. my schedule, Lydia, indoor chores, and the weather. On Wednesday evening, a friend offered to mow for me! It saved me a lot of time, because mowing usually takes me an hour, plus time preparing to mow, directing Lydia, cleaning up, etc. Having someone else mow for me freed me up to think about other things the rest of the week. On top of that, my friend also fixed a few small items around the house that were too complicated for me to do on my own. It was a big help and I was grateful!

This week, I converted my treadmill to a walking desk, something that has been on the backburner for a few years. My treadmill is over ten years old and squeaky. Some of the speed and incline buttons don’t always work, but technically, it still does the job…most of the time. Because of the cost, I likely won’t replace the treadmill until it truly dies. (Unless I find a good deal…fingers crossed!) I found a wooden panel in the garage and laid it across the handles to revamp my user experience. If I want to walk faster or run, I can just remove the extra piece. It’s been fun, and I wrote most of this piece while walking at about 2.8 mph! I had to slow down for edits, though. 😉

On Tuesday and Thursday, Lydia and I went to the “Little Red Reading Bus” which drives around town and stops at various schools and parks. It is a new venture with our local school district, to get kids reading every day. We went twice and Lydia picked out two books each time. I think we will make it a regular summer activity!

We also walked to another little free library, similar to ours, in the neighborhood. On the way back, we stopped at a park where Lydia played with two of her classmates from this past school year. I met the kids’ parents and learned about their lives. Both families immigrated to the United States and it was fun to hear about their cultures and experiences. We exchanged contact information and I hope to see them again!

 Where did you find God’s grace this 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)!