Tag: celebrate

Posted on in Gratitude, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Worship

Celebrating One Hundred Years

As I mentioned previously, my church celebrated its 100th anniversary on Saturday! It was a fun event, and Lydia and I enjoyed seeing old news articles, church bulletins, and pictures from the ’80s (big hair!).

There was food, and some of it was typical party food from a few decades ago. We had small sandwiches, a veggie tray, homemade butter mints, and something my local friends grew up eating: cinnamon bread with cheese whiz and sliced green olives. I haven’t tried it, but apparently many people love it!

I enjoyed seeing so many people I knew. In some cases, it has been years! I saw some of our former pastors and friends who have moved away. It was fun to ask people how many years they had spent at this particular church. A few moved to Fargo around the time I did, but I was surprised that many have been there all their lives!

In 1924, there was a revival in Fargo, and by 1926, 82 people had joined together to hold prayer meetings. An oil salesman ended up becoming the first pastor. Our current building was made in the early 1980s, and the rest is history!

We looked back on some good times and some tough times. We reviewed how those events set us up for today, some of the most exciting days of seeing God move. We also prayed about our future trajectory over the next 100 years, if Jesus doesn’t come back first!

As followers of Jesus, we are called to not stop meeting together as a Church (Hebrews 10:25). That’s where He does His best work!

God is in the business of setting people free. We celebrated 100 years of answered prayers and people being healed. That includes jail ministry and addiction recovery. We’ve had a hundred years of communion, baptisms, giving, mission trips, and community service. God has always been faithful, and He will continue doing so!

We had two guest speakers: one from the North Dakota Assemblies of God church network and the other the leader of our national denomination. They spoke about leaning on Jesus and passing the baton to the upcoming generations. It was a blessing and an honor to have them with us.

One thing that stood out to me is what God can do with the little we have. A hundred years ago, the people gave sacrificially to plant ministry seeds in faith. They showed up each week to serve and were willing to come early and stay late. As we carry on and do likewise, we are helping create opportunities to know Jesus and become like Him.

Finally, I was struck by the laughter and rejoicing around me. It reminded me of a family reunion, and I reflected on how this was just one part of God’s family. We have many more churches locally, regionally, and in our hemisphere. It was exciting and humbling to think about how Heaven will be when we run into people we recognize from all walks of life. Wow!!

Praise God that He is over all our failures and divisions, and also our successes. Jesus is way more important than our choices, feelings, or even where we go to church. He is the Great Shepherd, and He is calling you into personal fellowship with Him today. Connect with Him, and He will lead you where He wants you!

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Lord, thanks for being so faithful. You are building Your Church, and You never fail. Thanks for leading us and guiding us. May we bring You glory in all we do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Did you grow up with church dinners or potlucks? What was one food you hated, and one you couldn’t get enough of?

Task: If you don’t know Jesus personally, as Lord and Savior, I urge you to think about this today. What is stopping you from accepting God’s free gift? This life is so short, and I want to see you in eternity! Feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Worship

Finding Grace #534

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 good all around!

On Sunday, we went to church, and then Lydia stayed to serve in the kids’ ministry (they didn’t need me that day). So, I walked down the street to Starbucks, got a cup of coffee, and then walked through the neighborhood. It was a beautiful and very quiet day. I loved looking at all the pretty flowering crab trees and lilacs!

On Monday, Lydia went to a lake with some friends for Memorial Day. I stayed home and finally finished some continuing education that has been hanging over my head. It was good to have the day off work, and I am grateful for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, so we can have freedom.

Work went well this week. I had my own patients and then also covered on the inpatient/hospital side for a couple of days. It was busy, but not too bad! I even took a few a walk outside in the 85-95 degree heat!

Today, Lydia and I went to another high school graduation party, this time a coworker’s son. It is always fun to see her family and cheer on her kids. After that, we went to church for a special open house. We celebrated one hundred years of being a church in our area! It was awesome to see so many people from my ~16 years in Fargo! God is so faithful!

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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, Gratitude, Miscellaneous, Wisdom, Words, Worship

Worthy of Honor

I heard something interesting recently. One difference between praising God and worshiping God is how we talk about it. While the connection may be a little more complex, it made a lot of sense to me. Praise happens in the third person; that is, we talk about Him to people. We tell others how He is working in our lives. Worship is when we talk to God directly. We tell Him how amazing He is!

So, that has me thinking about how often I praise God versus how often I worship Him. I am the only one in all of creation who can worship and honor God like I do. And, you are the only one who can worship God in your way. We are made in His image, yet still unique.

One day soon, those who love God will be singing “holy, holy, holy.” So, if we don’t speak up or sing out, that part of the heavenly chorus is missing. Even so, during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem during Holy Week, Jesus said that if the people didn’t praise Him, then the rocks would cry out.

At church lately, we have been singing a song called “Worthy” by Elevation Worship. I can’t recall all the lyrics from one day to the next, but that doesn’t matter. All I need to remember is that only Jesus is worthy of my worship and praise. He is above all and greater than everything!

That song has been waking me up, and I am glad Jesus is on my mind first thing. Whatever I have going on in my day or life, Jesus is bigger and better. My problems are not problems for Jesus! He doesn’t face the same obstacles; He has overcome them all!

So, when I worship Him, I agree with Him. I come into alignment with Him and His purposes for me. When I praise, I tell others all about Jesus, and we build up our faith. As I pray, telling Jesus about my problems, those very same problems hear how strong and mighty Jesus is! It’s a good trade! My problems will either be resolved, or I will grow in His strength and handle them with His grace.

It all starts with Jesus. Only He is worthy of all our praise and worship. We must lay down anything else that would compete with Him. Your phone, job, hobby, schedule, distractions, not even your family… nothing and no one is worthy of all your praise and worship besides Jesus! Honor Him today!

When we seek Jesus first, He will take care of the rest! He is our treasure and our reward. We don’t have to strive because in Him is life and all we need.

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“Lord, You are more precious than silver, more costly than gold, and more beautiful than diamonds. Nothing I desire compares with You.” Help me live it out, in Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: What does it mean for you when Jesus is greater than all of your problems, your schedule, your decisions? How does thinking of Jesus as your treasure and reward change your plans and your efforts today?

Task: Catch up on my old blog posts about praise and worship!

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

Finding Grace #533

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 very full but good! I had a ton of small and big tasks to do, some of which had deadlines. Each day, I have done a few instead of trying to do them all at once.

I noticed my attitude was a little short on a couple of occasions. Certain things kept annoying me, but I noticed them and gave them to the Lord. I am grateful He is bigger than all my perceived problems!

One huge perk is that the gorgeous flowering trees are in full bloom this week. I took a few detours around town so I could stop and take pictures. White, light pink, dark pink…. not to mention the purple lilac bushes! I cannot get enough! I also noticed my tulips are starting to bloom!

We arrived home on Monday afternoon from Illinois. We had a two-hour weather delay, so I didn’t have as much time to run errands and do chores as I had planned. So, that meant catching up throughout the week. This included mowing, preparing for some high school graduation parties, grocery shopping, paying bills, etc.

Work was fairly busy with patient care, meetings, and projects. I had a couple of patients who needed a little more care, both physical support and someone to listen to them. I was honored to help them.

Lydia finished up middle school on Thursday!! She had a sleepover with friends to celebrate. Then, she came home on Friday and slept for several hours! I guess she needed it!

On Friday, I left work early for my annual physical. I really like my new primary care provider. Then, I ran several errands in the drizzling rain… I’m glad I mowed the night before when we had perfect weather!

Today, I hung out with my work friends. I love that we can do that and enjoy each other’s company. Specifically, we went to a foodie event downtown. We walked around sampling food for three hours (each just a bite, and we walked 7000 steps!). It was so much fun!

Next, Lydia and I are going to a graduation party. This Caterpillar family is the reason we are in Fargo (Dave’s boss). I remember when the kids were so little, and it has been fun to watch them grow. I know God has good things in store for 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 Gratitude, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Prayer, Travel, Words, Worship

Rest, Relax, Recap

On Thursday of last week, Lydia and I flew to Illinois to spend time with family. We had a lot of fun at the barefoot shoe expo, but we also enjoyed just hanging out. We ate good food, went to a school fundraiser for my nephew, ran errands, watched a couple of movies, played games, and laughed a lot. We missed my mom and Dave, of course, but we know they would be thrilled we got together.

On Saturday, my sister and I went to the expo in Schaumburg. We also took Lydia to Woodfield Mall. As we sat in the food court eating lunch, we were people watching. People of all sorts of cultures were there, and many fashions were also represented. We smiled at a few people’s choices, but we know that’s not always the full picture. Among the hundreds of people, some are likely brothers and sisters in Christ. Then I had a thought: I wonder if someday in Heaven, we will recognize each other. “Oh yeah, you’re the one with the tattoos, piercings, hot pink hair, and neon dress at the mall!” 🙂 I hope so!

My family and I also had several other good conversations. We talked about God’s goodness and His patience. It seems that often, someone who is good and godly will die, and God will leave the hateful jerk no one likes. It doesn’t seem fair, but we can trust that God knows best. In fact, 2 Peter 3:9 says (NLT), “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” What mercy! You can also read more here.

May be a graphic of text that says 'That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, NO EYE HAS SEEN NO EAR HAS HEARD and NO MIND HAS IMAGINED what GOD has prepared for those who love M CORINTHIANS 2:9'

We discussed some current events and hot topics. None of us is worried because we see world events through a different lens. We also reviewed some short-term and long-term plans. At various times, we mentioned prayer requests and other concerns. I am so grateful for my family of faith.

On Monday, some of us went to breakfast on the way to the airport. As we waited for our food to come, we asked each other what we were reading for our time with the Lord. Some had very specific Bible reading plans and devotional books. And some were taking an in-depth approach to a book of the Bible. I shared that I had been reading the Gospels and recently moved on to Acts. I like to have two or three different Bible translations open to compare as I go.

Finally, we discussed what Heaven will be like. The new Heaven will combine with the new Earth. It is a physical place, not just a bunch of clouds and harps! Anyway, my family talked about all the cool things we will get to do with our new resurrection bodies. Maybe we will hike mountains without tiring and see all sorts of wild animals with no real danger. Alaska is on my bucket list, but can you imagine how wonderful the new Alaska will be? I don’t have to worry if I don’t get to go in this lifetime – I will have eternity to check it out! I also hope we’ll get to explore other planets or galaxies! Only God knows!

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Heavenly Father, You are faithful and good! Thanks for the blessing of time with family. May we honor You in all we do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: When you imagine Heaven, what do you see? Have you ever looked into barefoot or minimalist shoes? (They have three main characteristics: zero drop heel, flexible sole, and wide toe box.)

Task: Don’t be afraid to have important conversations with your loved ones. Your family and friends need to know about Jesus. Ask good questions and be willing to listen to different perspectives.

Posted on in Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, MARPE/Orthodontics, Miscellaneous, Travel, Wisdom

Finding Grace #532

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 flew by! We had a whirlwind mix of work, school events, and traveling!

Mother’s Day was on Sunday. We enjoyed church, seeing friends, and then relaxed. I am grateful for the love and support of so many wonderful ladies!

On Monday, I had an orthodontist appointment. We talked about my MARPE plan after the 3D mockup. The good news is that I am done with turns! I don’t have any other appointments until August, and then we will discuss our next steps.

On Tuesday, Lydia had her final middle school orchestra concert. (That’s hard to believe!!) In addition, she had to get a new (rental) viola because a seam was busted on her other one. She also got a new bow. At some point, we’ll have to decide if we keep renting or buy a viola. Decisions, decisions!

Wednesday evening was an orientation at the high school. Lydia is a little nervous but also excited about the fall. She has some experience already, having been there several times for Congress, Speech, and some orchestra events. Because of extracurricular activities, Lydia has grown in confidence this year, and I know God will be with her!

I crammed a lot of work into a few short days! Lots of patients and lots of charting, lol! My coworkers complimented me on my unique way of teaching difficult concepts in a practical, memorable way. That made me feel good, and I am glad they trust my input!

Friday was the thirteenth anniversary of Dave’s death. I have been able to take it off for several years in a row. It is a gift to myself, so I don’t have to pretend to be upbeat if I am not feeling it. It’s not that I will automatically feel sad, but I just give myself the day off so I can “be” and do whatever I want. We usually celebrate by doing fun things and eating good food in his honor.

The best part of the week is that we hopped onto a plane to visit family! Some of us went to a barefoot shoe expo today, and tonight we are hanging out with the others.

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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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #530

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 quieter week, and I was really grateful.

Work was consistently full, but there were some fun parts, too. We had an annual day of competencies, which is a nice change of pace. Plus, we ordered lunch and ate together! All week, I had challenging patients who did not really want my help, and I had just as many who very much appreciated what I was doing for them! 🙂

Lydia had an awards banquet for the Forensics club at school. She earned several awards, including the ones she won at her Congress and Speech meets. She even ‘lettered’ as an 8th grader! I am proud of her and all her hard work!

Today, Lydia and I stayed home. We did some housework and our usual Saturday things. Lydia rearranged her whole room and cooked and deep-cleaned a few areas around the house while catching up on podcasts. I also put out the deck furniture since it finally feels warm enough. It felt great to knock off some items on my to-do list!

Finally, this afternoon, I also finished my last ministry class of the season. I took my online test and passed! I have my last group meeting this week at church. I learned a lot this last year and am grateful for the opportunity!

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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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #526

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 praises for the Lord. We have much to be grateful for!

Work went well. It was busy, as usual, but I felt good about what I accomplished!

I took Lydia to two healthcare appointments. The first was just a routine lab draw, and all that went well. The next one was audiology for Lydia’s tinnitus. Dave was born partially deaf, and we just monitor Lydia’s ears to catch anything if it changes. She potentially has a tiny bit of hearing loss, but it is difficult to tell for sure because of the ringing in her ears. However, she is used to it, and it has not affected her at all day-to-day. However, even a small change each year could add up over a decade or more. For the most part, everything is stable, and that is a really good thing!

We celebrated Good Friday at church yesterday. It is always a solemn event, as we remember Jesus’ bloody sacrificial death. Lydia and I watched The Chosen (season 5) to prepare during the week. It helps to envision what happened leading up to the Crucifixion. If you would like to watch The Chosen’s version of the Last Supper, here it is all in one spot. Thank You, Jesus!!

We had some cooler weather again this week, which is not unusual for Spring. Funnily enough, we went from no snow to a lot of snow over a few days. In fact, even just overnight and into this afternoon, we’ve had several inches again! I went outside to take some pictures, and the birds were SO loud. I bet they were having an emergency meeting to figure out who said they should come back ‘so soon’! Anyway, I loved seeing all the robins, juncos, and even blackbirds flying around and sitting in my five trees!

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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, MARPE/Orthodontics, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Pivot, Prayer, Wisdom

Finding Grace #524

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 overall. The only negative thing was that my left ear popped on both Tuesday and Thursday as a result of my MARPE journey. The bones in my face are slowly moving around, and I think the pressure changes forced air out of my ear. It was very painful, as if the bones collapsed. Thankfully, this is fairly common, and my ear was not damaged at all. It was just a little shocking since it came out of nowhere… once, I was driving! Later, I recognized the same thing happened to my nose a month ago… The jolt feels like someone punched me, but only lasts a few seconds. On Thursday, the pain radiated down my jaw and lasted for around 36 hours, and I called my orthodontist. I have been praying that God would prevent this from happening again because it is scary. Still, I know I don’t ‘have to’ be afraid.

On Monday afternoon, I got my taxes done and then had a chiropractor appointment. I am so grateful for all the ways God provides for Lydia and me! I am getting a small refund, and I really appreciate how He works things out in my favor. That’s grace.

Lydia and I talked about confidence this week. She was feeling down, and I listened to her concerns and offered encouragement. We all feel that way sometimes, and it is not good to compare ourselves with others. I coached her through some issues and pointed her back to Scripture and Jesus. I pray she is on the right track now. All glory to God who always helps me with my parenting; He is such a good Father.

Today, Lydia celebrated the beginning of Spring with a little shopping. We just had fun going around town and buying some clothes and trinkets. We also got some fancy drinks and some Chik-Fil-A. Tonight, we are relaxing while watching a movie!

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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, Food and Nutrition, Gratitude, MARPE/Orthodontics, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #523

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!  I started working full-time. To make up my hours, I am going in thirty minutes earlier and staying the whole day on Friday. It was a pretty smooth transition, and I am grateful for the opportunity and God’s grace!

On Monday night, Lydia and I both had dentist appointments. I was a little concerned I would have pain while my teeth were cleaned, but the dental hygienist was very gentle. It was a good experience!

On Tuesday, Lydia had an orchestra concert. The eighth graders were included with the high schoolers, so that was fun. I enjoyed the dance music theme.

Registered Dietitian Day was on Wednesday. We celebrated at work with Olive Garden soup, salad, and breadsticks. I mainly focused on the soup, since it was challenging to chew the salad and breadsticks. We also had fun with a game, trying to guess which fridge picture belonged to which RD!

My cold is about 95% better, and I am extremely happy to be feeling better. Praise God!

Today, Lydia has the day off from Speech tournaments. So, we are doing a few small chores and just spending time together! We might hang out with some friends later.

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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)!