Tag: Fargo

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #318

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!

Bird, Western Meadowlark, Ornithology, Species, Fauna

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This was another great week!

The weather was chilly and windy, but ended on a good, sunny note! Lydia made me laugh when she questioned if we should stay home because of the wind! We did receive a little snow, but nothing major… and now, most of it’s gone again!

I had a really great chat with one of my closest friends a couple of nights ago. She lives in a different time zone, so great to catch up over the phone! I am always amazed by God’s timing. We were dealing with similar issues, and we were able to encourage each other!

Today, I was on-call for work, though I did not get called in. It’s always good to be prepared either way! We had also some family visit this weekend, and they took Lydia to do some fun art activities while I waited for my on-call time to end.

Later, we went out to eat, watched a movie, and went shopping for a new bike for Lydia! Now, she has a 26-inch bike with a small-medium frame. She’s so excited and will be able to keep growing into it for a while. I was surprised we bypassed the 24-inch size, which was clearly too small for her. Thankfully, this one should last her a few years of potential growth!

Otherwise, it was a normal, busy week! It was good to find God’s grace along the way, and I am grateful for all the little ways He showed up. Bible study discussion with friends, chocolate ice cream at work, and creating a bulletin board at work highlighting peoples’ pets (a fun team building activity). 🙂

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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 Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Gratitude, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Wisdom

Finding Grace #311

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!

Nature, Winter, Tree, Sunset, Dusk, Evening, Sky

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This was a good week! It was less crazy than last week, for sure. Work was busy, but things were more or less back to normal.

My toenail is still not 100%, but it is slowly getting better with the antibiotic. I made another doctor’s appointment for later next week, but maybe I won’t need to go!

I joined a ladies’ group at church, while Lydia participated in Wednesday activities. We started a book about women in the Bible, which should take us through the next few months. It was fun to see some old friends and meet some new ones!

Lydia had a remote learning day for school (at the Y) yesterday due to another blizzardy Friday! It wasn’t too bad in town, but there were several accidents in the rural areas. I went to work, grabbed some groceries, and picked her up early so we could enjoy a little extra time together. This included a fun 2+ hour game of Monopoly. Lydia really enjoyed being the banker… even though I won!

Yesterday, I had a really encouraging call with my mom. I called just to say hi since I missed her, but then I asked her for some advice. Through her wise words, she confirmed that I am doing exactly what God wants me to do right now. I am so grateful for her and my dad! They truly are the best parents.

Today was another relaxing day with Lydia. We played with hair, clothes, and makeup; I am so glad to have a girl! I talked with my sister and made some delicious brownies, too. Weekends are perfect for trying new things!

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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, Kindness, Miscellaneous, Perseverance

Finding Grace #310

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!

Winter, Mountain, Snow, Landscape, Trees, Countryside

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This week was a bunch of wild cards! It was quite busy and full of the unexpected. Even when I was fully prepared for certain events, they still didn’t turn out just as I planned. Thankfully, God was with me and helped me get through it all.

This week, I covered outpatient services when my other coworkers were out of the office for various reasons. At times it was one patient after another and it stretched me professionally. It wasn’t all bad, just a little stressful.

I also picked up a couple of patients who had new feeding tubes. I had plenty of time to prepare before they came for their supplies and education. But what I didn’t expect is that they came on the same day at nearly the same time when no one else was available to help! At one point, I met the patient out in the transport vehicle that had picked him up… he was too weak and tired to come into the building. Thankfully, it worked out and all’s well that ends well!

Lydia had a remote learning day for school yesterday due to a blizzard. It threw off my work schedule a bit, but I was able to stay a little later and call it even. It turned out to be a blessing after all!

I went to the doctor yesterday for an ingrown toenail and just started a ten-day antibiotic (hopefully avoiding a podiatry consult!). Soaking my foot or the last week hasn’t done the trick, but it’s been a painful two-week ordeal so far. 

Today was another bitterly cold day, so we didn’t mind staying home. I did clear some snow and did some usual Saturday dishes and laundry. Needless to say, with my toe, I am happy to keep my feet up!

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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 Books and Movies I Like, Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Perseverance, Personality

Finding Grace #309

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!

Travel, Tourism, Park, Spa, Relax, Source, Gazebo

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This week started off a little shaky but ended well! Praise God! Early on, I was having technical difficulties with my internet. I had to manage my emotions and calm down. I was still able to post my blog for Wednesday, but I had to jump through a few extra hoops. Thankfully, on Friday, the internet company came and updated a few wires and such. It was very out of sync but now it is working very fast and very well!

This week, I was pleased to receive more compliments about my book. In one case, I called to make a routine appointment and the person on the other end was reading it! She said it was good to understand the challenges we faced, but she also appreciated how I regularly turned the story back to God. It is fun to hear from a variety of people and see how God is using my pain for His glory!

Today, Lydia and I relaxed at home. We made a breakfast casserole, and later, some cookies. We told jokes, read books, and made a music playlist with Oldies favorites with family input. We also played a game and watched a movie, which seems to be our winter-weather go to these days! 🙂 We really don’t mind!

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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 #308

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!

Winter, Flow, Frozen, Snow, Riverbank, Nature

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This was a great week! I received satisfactory answers for some of the unknowns I faced last week. Not quite the answers I expected, but answers filled with God’s grace. I’m grateful He holds us close and watches over us!

The weather was cold, but we didn’t have any blizzards. So that made driving fairly easy, which always eases my mind. I was able to host some friends one night, so I was very glad the weather was decent!

This week, I was able to learn more about gut health through an online (nutrition) continuing education course and also a seminar today. What’s even cooler is that I was able to help a patient with that information! Another bonus is that my own gut health also stands to benefit!

I enjoyed a productive work week this week! My office is still a little chilly, but the space heater has been working well. I attended some good meetings and had great collaboration on some projects with my coworkers!

Today, I had the gut health seminar, and we caught up around the house. I worked on some home maintenance issues, such as fixing some wires in my ceiling fan. Also, a friend came over to hang out, which was great since we haven’t seen each other for awhile!

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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 Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Food and Nutrition, Gratitude, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #307

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!

The Road, Path, Winter, The Snow, The Sun, Snow

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This was a good week left with some unknowns! Nothing too important for now, just I didn’t get some answers when I hoped to get them. Maybe next week, lol!

We enjoyed snow and cold, but also warm sweaters and boots! The snow is falling like a snow globe right now! I haven’t been out to clear snow, but might do it later!

This week, I felt like I was running in several directions at times, but I also enjoyed quality time with Lydia. We had food delivered and made buckwheat pancakes. We watched movies and played some games, too!

Work went well, and it was a good mix of being busy and catching up. My office, and the one next to mine, were really chilly, so we wore our coats for a little while. It was funny, and we made jokes that heat must not be in the budget. A work order was put in eventually and a couple of space heaters helped make it more bearable.

This week, I hosted two Zoom calls about writing and publishing. It was fun to “give back” and encourage these friends who are at various points in the creative process. Everyone has a story to tell! We discussed how they can get started or keep going, and I shared some lessons learned and what worked best for me and my book.

Today, we stayed home relaxed. Lydia cleaned her room while listening to an audiobook. I changed a light switch, repotted two plants, and did some reading. I prepared for some upcoming events, too.

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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 #306

I find grace overflowing with God’s love, joy, peace, blessings, mercy, power, provision, protection, and wisdom. Thank You, Jesus!

Bird, Blue Tit, Winter, Tree Branches, Frost, Frosty

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This was a fun week! On Sunday before church, I spent a little extra time snow blowing and shoveling. It felt good to get my driveway cleaned up! And, it set me up well for when it snowed again later in the week.

This was the first full week of work I have had since the beginning of December. With traveling, Lydia being sick, and the holidays, it’s been a while! Perhaps that sounds like a luxury, but it felt good and I really love my team. I’m glad I was able to help some with some extra patients. We have some new coworkers, too,  and they fit in really well. Also, this week I met a Veteran who worked with Dave at Caterpillar!

I made more progress with my Ruth journible. It is such a rewarding experience!

On Friday, we had more snow. It was less than expected, but Lydia was able to do some remote learning for school at the Y (since they closed schools the night before). We had a good day; I went to Costco and picked up Lydia early. We dropped off a little gift for a friend and then watched a movie together!

Today, we stayed home and knocked a few things off our to-do lists. It always feels good to get caught up around the house! And, I’m grateful for the moments I have with Lydia!

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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 Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Perfectionism, Perseverance

Finding Grace #305

I find grace overflowing with God’s love, joy, peace, blessings, mercy, power, provision, protection, and wisdom. Thank You, Jesus!

Landscape, Winter, Forest, Snow, Plantation, Sun, Japan

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This was a cold, snowy week! The cold and snow are both very normal for this time of the year, so I was not too worried about them. But, a few other factors made for an interesting show of God’s grace!

On Wednesday, Lydia had an unexpected snow day off from school. It was a last-minute decision by the school district. I agreed with what happened, yet Lydia could have been left outside all alone. (The day before, I left her at the bus stop because the bus was running late and I needed to get to work.) I ended up staying home with her,  and we reviewed what to do in that type of situation. I also gave her a house key!

Usually, I work a half-day on Fridays, but this week I was able to work a full day and basically swap my hours from Wednesday when I took off. Essentially, I was able to take the equivalent of a half-day off instead of a whole day. Plus, I was able to cover for a couple of coworkers who were gone on Friday, so it worked well all around!
Friday also happened to be my 14th wedding anniversary (my 9th without Dave here). Lydia and I always miss him, but we had a nice dinner and watched a movie together! A friend sent me a picture of someone reading my book at a gymnastics class. It made my day a little sweeter knowing someone was reading about us!
Today, we went to brunch with a friend/coworker. Then, we went to “help” her pick out a dalmatian puppy! We played with thirteen puppies, and Lydia had fun cuddling one in particular. We are not getting a puppy at this time, but it was sure fun to dream! In reality, I don’t have the bandwidth right now to put in the effort a puppy would require. But, my friend does, so I’m sure we will get to play with her puppy soon!

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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 Being Gracious, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Kindness, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Wisdom

Finding Grace #304

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 interesting but good week. We stayed home on Monday due to Lydia not feeling well and the blizzardy weather. It turned out to be a good thing since her daycare opened late and closed early anyway.

I discovered my car battery was close to dead on Tuesday, but thankfully, I found a charger hidden in plain sight on the workbench. (Thanks, Dave, for always being so prepared!) I bought a new battery and had it installed on my way to work because at 8+ years old, the original one was on borrowed time.
As we arrived home that night, the thought occurred to me… perhaps God kept us home on Monday so I wouldn’t get stuck in a blizzard with a dead battery and sick child. Our doctor was closed, and daycare closed early, so we had just chalked it up to another day of rest. But, of course, God always sees what we cannot.

We made it to work and daycare for three days, and now have a three-day weekend! It might be rough going to work and school for five days next week!

Last night, we had a great time hanging out with some new friends for NYE. It was so nice to be invited! Lydia even lasted past midnight and was in bed by 12:45 a.m. She slept until 11:50 this morning!

Today, we are mostly relaxing and preparing for this new year. We watched a couple of movies, started our new yearlong Bible reading plans, and did a few chores. We also decorated some Christmas cookies since Lydia wasn’t up to it last week. Overall, I love January since it is usually a little slower-paced. It’s below zero today, so it’s been good to stay in! Happy New Year!!

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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 Being Gracious, Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Fear/Don't Fake Brave, Gratitude, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Wisdom

Grace Upon Grace

A couple of weeks ago, someone sent me a link to a short message about Mary, the mother of Jesus. It was by an evangelist named Brent Carr.

Interestingly, the little blurb mentioned Mary was “highly favored” and then described all the difficulties she faced. She was nearly divorced, rejected by her community, gave birth in a stable, and so on. The author’s point was that favor may imply blessing, but it doesn’t imply an easy road.

Mr. Carr wrote, “Favor never looks like favor at first. Favor sometimes takes you through frustration, failure, and fear.” I can certainly relate to all three of those!

In the Bible, the word for favor is linked with grace (see the word: chairs). I prefer using the word grace, but favor reminds me of the word ‘favorite.’ I imagine God smiling down at me, not necessarily to give me everything I want, but to make sure I have everything I need.

Like buying a new snowblower… but still having to use it! 😉

God’s grace, or favor, isn’t always obvious. It’s sometimes intangible, like knowing God is with us or trusting Him to protect us or provide for us. Usually, it involves a situation that makes us test, or prove, those truths. Yes, our struggles can show us God’s love and grace.

Lately, resting in God’s grace has meant taking off work a few days to let Lydia recover from an illness. Favor means not worrying about my workload when I get back… I am glad for a good team to cover for me, though I usually like to be the one offering to help!

Grace has meant keeping the house calm and peaceful for Lydia, but also knowing there are benefits for me, too. My to-do list is neverending, so it has been good for me not to push too hard in the last week. Instead, I was able to rest, too. We watched some television, but we also read and napped.

On Monday, Lydia still wasn’t 100%, so I took another day off from work (in addition to Wednesday/Thursday last week). Her doctor was closed because of blizzardy weather, so I took it as a sign to stay home, safe and warm. Indeed, her daycare (the Y) opened late and closed early, so I would’ve missed most of work anyway!

It’s good to know when to rest, but it’s also good to know when to push ourselves forward. If God makes the opportunity clear, we can trust He will provide. Even if we don’t have all the answers or know all the details.

So, yesterday, Lydia felt marginally better, still coughing and a little lethargic but fever-free! I knew that we needed to try and make it to work and daycare. We got all ready and were in the car, only to find out my car battery had died!

I sent Lydia inside to rest and stay warm, while I texted a couple of friends for input. One of them asked if I had a charger. I hadn’t thought about it, but God brought to mind something I had walked by dozens of times. Sure enough, I DID have a car battery charger! By God’s grace, Dave had bought one years ago, and I was able to figure out how to use it.

Of course, I rolled into work late, but even then, there was grace and favor. After dropping off Lydia, I stopped to buy a new car battery since mine was 8+ years old. (The average lifespan of a car battery is two to five years, so that’s another level of grace!) The third store had what I needed, and a sales associate kindly agreed to help me install it. Never mind the temperature was several degrees below zero!

Reflecting on all of this, I am grateful we didn’t have to cancel many plans while Lydia was sick. It was a holiday break but we celebrated in Illinois earlier in the month. I am also thankful I didn’t go out on Monday and have my car die then. God knew it would not be good for us to be stuck on the road with a dead battery, all while Lydia wasn’t feeling well! Plus, I was able to use some Christmas money I received to pay for the battery! Bonus!

John 1:16 says God gives us grace upon grace. Instead of focusing on our problems, let’s focus on Jesus and trust Him to be all we need. Come to Him with a heart full of gratitude!

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Father God, thank You for your grace. You take such good care of us.

Questions: Where do you see God’s grace and favor in your life this week? Have you stopped to thank Him or tell someone how gracious He is?

Tasks: Whatever you are doing, pause and praise God! In good times and bad, thank Him for the goodness and grace He brings to your life!