Category: Finding Grace Weekly Recap

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #62

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 in 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 we got back into our routine after our road trip. As we returned to Fargo, I noticed bright whites, stunning pinks, and deep purples on all the flowering trees in the community. I don’t have any on my property, but I always enjoy seeing them around. Maybe I will have to buy one for next year!

At my own house, I noticed my maple trees all had new leaves. My tulips also bloomed while I was gone! My neighbor sent me a picture while I was gone, but they are even more pretty in person!

Many of us neighbors have been out in our yards this week. It’s been fun to see all the kids playing again. A year older, they are a little more developed in their social and playing skills. I’m excited for another outdoor season! Today it is in the 80s so the kids are playing with buckets of water, bobbing for apples, and playing in the neighbors’ slip-n-slide!

Today, I mowed for the first time this season. I should have mowed before our road trip last week… but didn’t. So parts of the yard were so high that Lydia and the neighbor kids thought it was wheat. It was ready to sprout! I laughed when one neighbor girl took a pile of the grass home and asked her mom to put her “wheat” in a vase with water. 😉

Finally, this week we traded child care duties with one of the neighbor families, which was really helpful and fun! We each took turns with school pick up and drop off. One night I had a work meeting so they watched Lydia after feeding us a yummy dinner. Then the next night, I watched their boys for a few hours while they had a nice night out.

I’m so thankful for 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)!

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Travel

Finding Grace #61

I love the concept of 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 in 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 jam-packed getting ready for our first road trip of 2017. It’s always hectic trying to pack, clean and prepare the car. I also needed to finish planning our route, make reservations, and make sure everything is good in our absence. Thanks, God, for Your grace, provision, and protection!

We have been spending time with family this weekend, as we mourn the loss of my aunt. She passed away in late January, but her services were delayed until better weather. Our large family needed to have time to make traveling plans. I am so glad many of us were able to get together, comfort and encourage each other, and share good memories.

I am praising God for good weather this week! With road trips, there’s no telling how the roads will be. Rain, snow, or fog can make navigation difficult. Thankfully, we’ve had gorgeous weather every leg of the journey.

Finally, I am thankful for good friends and neighbors who helped watch Lydia this week. With so much going on, I needed to focus. They were instrumental in giving me space and time to think and plan!

*******

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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #60

I love the concept of 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 in 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! It was fun seeing Lydia’s excitement over her “helpfulness” award. Work went well, though I felt I was constantly a day behind. I got my oil changed at the new Subaru facility. It was like a resort, with coffee, sparkling water, and a host of yummy snacks. I enjoyed the relative peace and quiet, along with the nice environment! 

Just as spring is getting under way and everything is turning green, we had a few inches of snowfall. Thankfully, I covered my tulips so they wouldn’t suffer too much. I figured the rest of my plants were hearty enough to sustain the cold. Sure enough, it’s back to being green and sunny today! I might even need to mow soon.

Lydia and I enjoyed having the neighbor boys over last night. They played while their parents enjoyed an evening out. Lydia slept so well that she didn’t get up until 10:30 this morning! I was able to enjoy my coffee and some quiet time reading. Then, this afternoon, Lydia’s been at their house playing outside!

*******

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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #59

I love the concept of 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 in 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 wonderful! We celebrated Easter and I met a new eye doctor.  We enjoyed our normal activities, too. Lydia learned about Jonah and the whale/fish at school. To illustrate the point, Lydia’s entire class was able to go inside a HUGE blow-up whale. It definitely made for a memorable story!

With the beautiful weather, we spent several afternoons outside with the neighbors. I tackled cleaning the garage, putting out my wind chimes, and putting out patio furniture for the season. A morning rain shower on Tuesday made the grass brighten almost instantly. I also noticed more flowers starting to grow!

At church this week, I met a really cool couple from Chicago. It was great getting to know them better and see what God has done in their lives. We talked about how sometimes people think we are really strong after going through difficult times… But we all agreed that it’s because we’ve relied on God’s strength to bring us through!

I also enjoyed getting together with another friend while our girls were in preschool! She and her younger boys came over to play and catch up. With the beautiful weather, we walked to the neighborhood park.

In fact, I am so thankful for all the connections I had with people this week. I felt useful at work, which is always a great feeling. I was able to pray with another friend and encourage her! I talked with other friends about future plans and events. All in all, I am thankful God knows just what I need!

*******

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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #58

I love the concept of 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 in 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 busy, yet felt more relaxed than usual. That’s probably because I was able to catch up on a few things around the house. I had a lot to do, but accomplished a lot too. We also spent a fair amount of time outside which always feels like a staycation!

Lydia and I enjoyed getting a head-start on Easter activities! She had a party at school, and we went to a Good Friday service yesterday. It is always humbling to see all that Jesus went through during his crucifixion. Thank You, Jesus. Today, Lydia and I decorated eggs and talked about the new life we have in Christ.

This year, I have really enjoyed watching the changing of seasons. In addition to seeing and hearing more birds, this week I noticed the first signs of green grass. I noticed a few trees blooming. A few tulips and irises are starting to grow too. 

A big highlight this week was that Lydia lost her second tooth! We went out for pizza last night and it came out during dinner. I knew it would likely come out that evening, but it still surprised us. Lydia looks so cute without her two bottom teeth. It is fun watching her undergo big-kid things!

*******

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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #57

I love the concept of 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 in 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 overall! We enjoyed a birthday pool party for a little family friend on Monday. She was born about six weeks before Dave died, so she is quite special to us. We’ve enjoyed seeing her learn and grow over the years. It was fun catching up with her parents and older siblings as well.

We’ve had a beautiful week weather-wise! It was bright and sunny most days, and I happily wore shorts on a few occasions. On Thursday afternoon, I sat outside with a couple neighbors while our kids played together. A few other neighbor kids joined us for riding bikes and scooters, chalk on the sidewalk, snacks, running around, and other shenanigans. An exciting early start to summer!

One highlight of my week was enjoying the serenade of a little finch 3+ days in a row. At first, I thought he was a purple finch. However, later I decided he might be a house finch. Either way, he was red/brown and quite cute. He sang his heart out, without a care in the world! As I listened, I remembered God sees and cares for every detail of our lives.

Lastly, Lydia lost her first tooth! She diligently wiggled it all week and last night, just before bed, it came out. She was very proud of herself. We plan to get some frozen yogurt as a special treat to celebrate this milestone!

*******

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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #56

I love the concept of 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 in 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?

For the most part, this week was fun and relaxing! My sister came to visit for most of the week, so we enjoyed many special activities. While my sister was here, we pre-registered Lydia for school in the fall; saw Beauty and the Beast with friends; had another friend over for dinner; got massages; and did a little shopping. Lydia also got to spend quality time with my sister when I was at work!

As I mentioned in Wednesday’s post, I am especially grateful for God’s grace and forgiveness in restoring relationships (with Him and other people). I’m also thankful for my gracious friend. When it comes to friendships, we have Jesus as the best example of how to love and be kind. Praise God!

We’ve had gorgeous weather this week! I’m glad I saw a few robins! Growing up, we always had a nest of little blue robin eggs in our tree house each spring. So, to me, robins are a tell-tale sign… When I see them, I know spring is here!

Today has been an relaxed day of spring cleaning. I caught up on some reading; Skyped with family; paid some bills; washed the car; did some laundry; and a few other chores. Now, Lydia is outside playing with neighbor friends and I’m on my way outside too! 🙂

*******

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, Journey of Grace, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #55

I love the concept of 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 in 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 felt like I was living out of my car…but for good reasons! I simply had a number of meetings and places to be. I worked two longer-than-normal days, but had help from a good friend who watched Lydia before school. She was a huge help!

On Wednesday evening, I had the privilege of speaking at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) at my church. I am grateful for the three years I spent at another local MOPS chapter when Lydia was little. This week, I shared my story with a small group of ladies, discussing some of the struggles and joys I’ve had. Moms—and women in general—need to stick together, and I was glad for the chance to share with these ladies.

Yesterday (Friday) was quite busy, but fun. Besides our “normal” Friday activities, I met with a lady from church; encouraged two people who recently loss their spouses; had our neighbors over for pizza and playing; and Skyped with family in Illinois. It was great to see some of the amazing people in my life. I am so thankful for how God uses me!

Today has been full of activity too. In addition to our Saturday routine, we went to a birthday party; cleaned the house; did two loads of laundry; and made my second fruit salad of the week. YUM!! I am looking forward to relaxing tonight before another busy week. I am so thankful for God’s sweet and refreshing 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)!

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #54

I love the concept of 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 in 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 many bright spots! Throughout the week, I talked with various friends and family on the phone, which is always fun! A newer friend also came over on Tuesday evening for a good chat. We were both encouraged and enjoyed praying for each other. 

I’m still figuring out my work flow (at my ‘new’ job), and have been a little stressed going into the office more. While I am thankful to have a job, it’s been throwing off all my other areas, including housework, projects, and time with Lydia. I’ve had very little downtime (or personal space) lately, though as a mom, that’s somewhat par for the course. I apologized for being terse with Lydia this week, but apparently, she hadn’t noticed. Unfazed, she confidently said, “That’s okay, Mom. I’m not feeling left out.” I had to smile at her interpretation and response, because she has been following me around all week! 🙂

One positive at work was that I met with another dietitian this week. She showed me more about the computer system we use. She was friendly, helpful, and a good teacher. I was glad to learn about more of what she does!

Today has been fairly relaxing. I have been catching up around the house and preparing for next week. But, I am also taking time to enjoy some downtime with Lydia. I am thankful God’s grace covers all!

*******

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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #53

I love the concept of 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 in 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 slower-paced week compared to the last few! Lydia was on spring break so we had one less commitment this week. On Monday and Wednesday, I went to work and felt productive. On Tuesday, I worked on personal projects and housework while a friend generously watched Lydia for me. 

On Thursday, my mother-in-law came from Illinois to visit! We’ve had a great time so far. She and Lydia have read books, played games, put together a new LEGO set, and made a special dessert. We also watched a movie and ran to Costco! 🙂 When Lydia went to a neighbor’s birthday party today, my MIL and I went to a specialty tea shop and out to lunch! We always enjoy when she visits…I’m thankful for the encouragement she brings!

Otherwise, not much new to report. The weather here was windy and cold most of the week. Now, it is still chilly but the wind has died down. It’s always good to see the bright sun and blue, blue skies! With the time change, we will be enjoying more and more beautiful spring weather!

*******

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)!