Tag: friends

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, 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 Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Miscellaneous, Prayer, Worship

Finding Grace #531

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 fun week! God is good!

On Sunday, we served at OASIS and sang hymns. Be sure to read about that, if you haven’t already! 🙂

I officially graduated from my church leadership training class on Monday evening! It was a great experience, and I am honored to have participated. I know God will help me use what I learned to teach and encourage others. I hope to continue taking some of the online classes on my own.

Work was really busy, but I had fun using AI to create meal plans. I love teaching about food and nutrition, but hate making meal plans! That’s because people expect me to tell them what to eat, but then don’t actually follow through, even though I put in a lot of effort. It feels like a waste of my time, so I was happy to let AI do that for me! I helped a few people with allergy-friendly meals and was impressed by how quick and easy it was overall! I don’t use AI much, but I’ll gladly consider doing it again for meal plans!

Lydia had two chamber orchestra concerts, one during the day on Wednesday and the other on Thursday night. The music was the same for both, so I prioritized the one in the evening. I sat near some friends and really enjoyed the show!

Last night, I went to church for weekly corporate prayer, while Lydia hung out with a friend. We worshiped for a little while, prayed, and then we had an evangelist as a guest speaker.  I hope to go again soon, as it was a special time to meet with God among friends.

Today, Lydia and I worked around the house and enjoyed the beautiful day. She did some homework while I mowed. We did laundry and dishes, cooked and cleaned. We’ve also done some packing ahead of an upcoming trip!

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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, Life is Short, MARPE/Orthodontics, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #519

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 and busy! We had our family Zoom on Monday night instead of Sunday night since that worked better for most everyone. It was kind of a fun twist!

Work was fast-paced as usual. I had a lot of extra phone calls and added patients, but it went well overall. I left early for an oral surgeon follow-up on Thursday and then stayed later on Friday to see a couple of patients and finish some charting from the day before.

My oral surgeon appointment went well. I am healing faster than expected and only have one small spot left to close up. We made a tentative gameplan to meet again in a few weeks. I think I see the slightest shift between my two front teeth. Not an official gap, but it is easier to floss in-between!

I am still playing around with what foods work best for me. I may just have to resolve to let foods get stuck, lol, and then clean out my MARPE device. I think it will be fine in the long-run, so I am not too worried.

I had a relaxing facial yesterday after work. It was a perk through a partnership with my orthodontist and a local spa. It felt great to be pampered!

I really enjoyed catching up with several friends and family this week. We all talked about various topics, including about my mom, my MARPE journey, parenting, barefoot/minimalist shoes, weather, birthdays, prayer, Jesus, and the Olympics!

Today, I watched Lydia perform her humorous duo at her Speech meet today. She came alive and was so funny playing four different characters. I am so proud of her.

Happy Valentine’s Day!! I had a great day watching Lydia, grocery shopping, making calls, and enjoying the “warm” and sunny 45-degree weather!! Feels like Spring… I didn’t even need my coat!

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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, Life is Short, MARPE/Orthodontics, Miscellaneous, Perseverance

Finding Grace #518

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 bit of a wildcard week! It was good all around, but I was definitely depending on God to get everything done!

Monday was the biggest day with potential issues. I had work with several patients, an appointment, and my church training – all required some talking and focus. But, it all turned out just fine, praise God! It helps to have a soft heart!

I had an ortho appointment on Monday and an oral surgeon appointment on Tuesday. I am making good progress with my mouth healing, day by day. I am looking forward to taking the next steps of cranking my device soon!

The rest of the work-week went pretty well. I had some really good conversations with patients. None of them seemed to mind that my voice was still a little garbled post-expander placement (it’s getting better and more back to normal!).

I tried expanding my diet beyond liquids, soups, pasta, jello, pudding, and ice cream this week. Many foods still get caught in my expander, so I just do the best I can. It takes a long time to eat and then clean my mouth/device. I had a small cheeseburger and it took me about half an hour! It probably was not the best idea, so I will probably stick to those easier items for now. Hopefully, things will improve over the next month!

I met a friend for coffee yesterday after work. We spent a couple of hours catching up. We live close by but don’t get to see each other often, so we will have to do better about that!

Lydia had a Speech meet today, and I happily hung out at home. I usually have a list of things to do, but today, I mostly relaxed!

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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, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Perseverance

Finding Grace #516

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 busy, but felt relaxed at the same time! The cold weather made everything more exciting – okay, at least it gave us something to talk about!

I hosted our Sunday Zoom call with family, like usual. Some of us also met on Wednesday night, too, because my niece wanted to say hi to us. 🙂 It is always a highlight of my week, so this was a double blessing!

Work was busy “on paper” with many patients, but it turned out to be fairly smooth. I had several cancellations and no-shows, perhaps due to the frigid weather (well below zero most days!). I was grateful because I was able to stay caught up on my notes!

We also celebrated a coworker’s retirement. We are going to miss her, but are really happy for her. We had a little party at work on Thursday, and then surprised her by going out to eat afterward. We have a great team, and it was fun to hang out after work!

The news has been pretty heavy the last couple of weeks. I am keeping our nation in prayer. I know God is still on His throne, and we are called to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). Lord, may we have the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to do it!

Lydia continues enjoying Speech and had her first meet today. She was gone most of the day but had fun and won a beginner’s award!

I did some cooking, a little organization, and the usual Saturday things at home. I also read a book and took a nap. 🙂 It was a great day, made better when Lydia arrived home to tell me about her day!

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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, Life is Short, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #512

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 pretty good week!

Most of my coworkers took off for the holidays, so I was one of the few who covered for our department. I saw my own patients and also several in the hospital, who were high in acuity. It was a little crazy at times, lol.

Initially, I was also scheduled to work on Wednesday and Friday, but these days were both made federal holidays (just this year). A couple of other people decided to work on Wednesday, so I had that off and worked on Friday with one other person. It was nice to have the extra day off!

Lydia and I had a great Christmas. We ate a special breakfast, opened gifts, and relaxed in the morning. We caught up with family, too. Then, we visited two different families! We spent the afternoon with a family from Lydia’s school. Then, we ordered Chinese food and hung out with a dear family in the evening. It was perfect.

Today, Lydia and I did our normal Saturday things. I also worked on a few small projects and took Lydia out for driving lessons. Mostly, it was nice to stay home after a full 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)!

Posted on in Being Gracious, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Kindness, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Pivot, Worship

Cheerful and Connected

On Sunday, I went to church three times… and had so much fun! At one point, I told someone I might as well bring my sleeping bag and stay. She laughed and mentioned they do have a couple of showers on-site! 😀

To start, Lydia and I went to the first service at 8:30 a.m., like usual. We sat with a friend and caught up with her afterward. Typically, this may include discussing our week or the sermon. We encourage each other and may even pray for each other.

When the second service started at 10 a.m., Lydia and I left to pick up Starbucks for another friend. We chatted with her and played with her little girl for a while. Our visit was also a cover to pick up a package for Lydia’s birthday this week. I had the package delivered to our friend’s house so she wouldn’t see it in advance. My friend rewrapped it so Lydia didn’t catch on. 😉

Then, during the 11:30 a.m. service, we were back at church to help with the OASIS group. We set the tables and helped serve the food, which was ribs, scalloped potatoes, Caesar salad, and a pumpkin dessert. The older folks are friendly and appreciative. Later, Lydia mentioned how many people greeted us on Sunday, both in OASIS and at church in general.

After that, I ran Lydia home and hung out for a few minutes before heading back to church for a routine business meeting. I sat with some other friends while we heard about some financial updates and learned more about building updates as we remodel.

Free Pumpkin Pie Whipped Cream photo and picture

Finally, I came home and did a few tasks before catching up with family over Zoom. 🙂 Thankfully, I had energy throughout the day and felt like it boosted my mood. I felt encouraged, not drained!

Sunday was a bit of a wildcard initially, since I wasn’t sure how the timing was going to work out! I had prayed earlier and trusted God to direct our steps. In doing so, I saw just how connected we truly are in the context of community. 

Our church is fairly large, and now with three services, it is easy to forget about people or miss seeing them. I might go weeks without seeing certain friends, though I might remember to text them during the week or month. But Sunday was a fun eye-opener for Lydia and a nice reminder of all God is doing in us and through us.

Hebrews 10:23-25 says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

It was fun to see many familiar faces on Sunday. I’m glad that Lydia recognized the connections we have with others and saw the joy that comes from serving God. Being a part of the Body of Christ is a wonderful gift!

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God, thanks for helping us be the Church, the Body of Christ. May we grow and mature in Jesus and draw all people unto You. May we bring You glory, in Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Are you connected to a local church? Do you serve there regularly, or are you waiting to get involved? What is holding you back?

Task: Pray about getting more connected at church. It is good for your faith and builds others up… you are needed! Find something to do that blends your personality, spiritual gifts, and passions. Then, you will love showing up and serving! Note: If it’s a total drain on you, it’s probably not quite the right fit. It should be a sacrifice, but also bring you joy!

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

Finding Grace #506

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!

Free Mountains Forest photo and picture

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

This was a pretty good week, and I felt God moving in me and through me.

On Sunday, Lydia and I brought coffee to some friends after church. They had a rough couple of days with their little girl being sick, so we wanted to encourage them. By the time we arrived, she was feeling better, so we hung out for a little bit! We had fun playing and catching up!

Tuesday was Veterans Day, and we had a relaxing day. Time off in the middle of the week was just what we needed!

Work was full but went smoothly. It was helpful to have the holiday in there to break things up! My coworker on maternity leave visited with her baby girl, and that was also a bright spot!

Yesterday, after work, I went to lunch with a dear friend and fellow single mom. We also enjoyed some carrot cake and talked for over two hours about every topic imaginable. I love how God encourages me and uses me to encourage others!

Today, I did the usual Saturday chores and tasks, but also washed my bedding and organized some bookshelves. Neither is very difficult but takes some effort, lol, so it felt good to get them done. I also studied, made some food, and caught up with some podcasts!

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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, Kindness, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Travel

Finding Grace #504

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!

Free Autumn Gold photo and picture

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

Happy November!! This week was full, but also fun.

My neck and shoulders are feeling better day by day. I was able to do more exercise this week, and I think that helps them, too! As it has been said, motion is lotion. 🙂

The weather was again windy, cloudy, and drizzly. One day, we also had some frost! As a matter of principle, I try not to wear my winter coat as long as possible. The longer I put it off, the shorter winter seems to be. So, I made it through October at least! I did put my coat in my car, just in case I need it. 😉

I had an important appointment this week… Most likely in January, I will be starting what will be a few years of orthodontic care. It’s something that has been brought up for decades, but I only recently learned more about what that would entail. I see people every week with mouth and tooth issues, so I would like to avoid anything like that! Perhaps I will share more later, but for now, I have peace and am trying not to think about the pain and awkwardness too much, lol. I appreciate your prayers!

Work was busy with lots of little fires to put out. But I kept a good attitude and just tackled things as they came. Our dietitian team had fun dressing up as Dominos for Halloween!

Lydia had an orchestra concert on Thursday, with a Halloween theme. It was fun to listen to the 6-12th graders each perform some classic scary songs! Just about everyone dressed up, which means I got my money’s worth for her honeybee costume! She’s worn it at least three times already!

Lydia joined some friends for trick-or-treat, while I passed out candy at home. I didn’t have a ton of kids, but I enjoyed seeing those I did! It is a good time to catch up with neighbors, too!

Today, we traveled an hour south to Wahpeton to see my Aunt Terry, who is there visiting her mom’s extended family. This has been a little tradition for us the last few years. This time, we met for breakfast at a local truck stop and caught up for a couple of hours. Lydia and I also just happened to see “the world’s largest catfish,” too!

After that, we did our usual Saturday things, and I studied for my class at church. I also tried on some new winter gear for the season. After fifteen years in Fargo, I needed some upgrades!

PSA: Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour tonight!

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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)!