Tag: friends

Posted on in Being Gracious, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Perseverance

Polar Vortex!!

It’s only Wednesday, but I’ve already seen God’s grace in action! For much of the Midwest, it has been super cold and snowy this week! That may be an understatement…

Thanks, Polar Vortex! 🙂

Our local schools were canceled yesterday and today, due to the extreme cold. Our wind chills are expected to be near 60 below and our actual temperatures could be around 25 below (-35 F overnight!). Many of the cities around us are shutting down temporarily. Even mail delivery for us is canceled today due to the cold.

Thankfully, my friends and family in and around Chicago (and everywhere between) are also staying in. Several places in the Midwest could break records!

(Not quite as cold as Fargo, but yes, still chilly!) 😉

My neighbors were a big help to me yesterday when I needed to work. Lydia went to their house most of the day to hang out. I was even able to work a little longer yesterday, so I could take today off! Thanks, Melissa!

Last night, Lydia and I watched a movie and enjoyed our time together. I’m sure we will do something fun today. I foresee some baking, games, puzzles, science experiments, learning about snowflakes, and more movies in our near future! It’s like a free day!

Instead of complaining about the cold, I’m being grateful for all God has done for me. To start, He has given me extra time with Lydia, a warm house and outdoor gear, my snowblower and shovels, all-wheel drive, remote start, and a day off work! Woohoo!

School rarely gets canceled in Fargo, and we have two built-in makeup days in March and April. I know God will take care of us then, too, but for now, I’m relishing the beauty of today… weather and all.

When He redirects us, it is always for our good.

Lydia and I slept in today, and I woke up to messages from friends and family around the world… well wishes and reminders to be safe. That is a wonderful feeling to know we are so loved! Thank you!!

Maybe you’d rather hibernate and/or skip out on the cold weather. Or maybe you really enjoy it. I’m rooting for “Team Polar Bear” this week, as I am in awe that God actually designed them for these conditions. Amazing!

You know, God never sleeps nor slumbers… and He never takes a ‘snow day’ either! Yet, He graciously knows we need them on occasion! He loves us so much and knows exactly what we need. He has us covered!

Unlike snow days, we don’t have to make up or pay back God’s grace (as if we could!). It is free and available to us every day. Thank You, Jesus!

**********

God, thanks for keeping us warm and safe. Thanks for leading us and directing our path. Help us make wise choices and be generous to others. Help us be a blessing! In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: What are your favorite ‘snow day’ activities? Have you ever tried snow ‘ice cream’ or blowing bubbles and watching them freeze midair?!

Tasks: If you do have to be out and about, dress warm and be prepared! Stay safe and don’t take big risks. And most certainly, thank God for your blessings!

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #151

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

You may have seen the acronym GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace is also God’s unmerited favor, or God doing for us what we cannot.

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

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

This week was cold and snowy, but still really good. It was rather lowkey, which was fine by me! Lydia was off for MLK day, and so we stayed home and relaxed. I enjoyed reading MLK, Jr. quotes and stories, and Lydia told me what she had learned at school.

Tuesday and Wednesday were work and school days. On Tuesday, my neighbor used my recently fixed snow blower and helped clear both our driveways. We also helped a couple other neighbors. On Wednesday evening, I was grateful ‘blizzard conditions’ held off until after our evening activities at church.

On Thursday, school started 2 hours late. Lydia was glad to sleep in! Thankfully, I wasn’t scheduled to work that day so didn’t miss anything important. It took me much longer to clear snow that day, because I had to inch through major drifts. Still, I was grateful for my snow blower and that I didn’t have to shovel afterall!

I spent a lot of time praying this week, for friends near and far. Some needed prayer for jobs, sick children, and other medical issues. I also spent a lot of time praying about the recent abortion law(s) that were passed. I want to be sensitive to differing views than my own. At the same time, I’ve been considering what to do to help. Lord, have mercy on us all.

On Friday my schedule opened up so I made a little progress on a project. Later, a friend came over to hang out and watch Netflix. This evening, we are having a girls night with Netflix and Chinese food. My friend also asked me to give her hair a trim (about 3″)! 🙂

I’m grateful for how God always directs our path and blesses us. He is so good!

**********

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/Don't Fake Brave, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Perseverance, Wisdom

Well-Prepared

Good news! Over the weekend, my snow blower was returned. It has a brand new carburetor, which helps fuel and air get into the engine. It was perfect timing because yesterday morning I needed it!

On Monday evening, I shoveled my driveway because it was fairly late. I didn’t want the noise to wake up anyone. I also hoped I wouldn’t need to clear snow on Tuesday.

I was wrong. Overnight, we received about 4 inches of powder!

Of course, I didn’t realize this until right before I took Lydia to the bus stop. So, I quickly tried to shovel at least enough to get my car out (without leaving tracks). I planned to finish the rest later that morning before I left for work.

While I was shoveling, I greeted my neighbor who was doing the same. I mentioned my snowblower, but how I was short on time. A few minutes later, we agreed it was worth snow blowing. He used my machine for both of our driveways while I drove to the bus.

At the bus stop, Lydia and I discussed the weather and our plans for the day. She was excited to play on the mountain of snow at school. I reminded her to be careful because there was ice under the fresh snow.

Nonetheless, Lydia felt she was ready with all her snow gear.

Her hat, gloves, coat, snow pants, and boots were all she needed to play outside. She looked forward to the challenge ahead!

Lydia didn’t consider how much she had grown this year and that ALL of her outdoor gear needed to be upgraded this season. She just knew she was well-prepared!

As her mom, I knew what she needed and provided it beforehand. Gladly!

On the way back home, I thought about God’s timing and provision.

Without my snow blower for the last 2 weeks, I had prayed that we wouldn’t get much snow until it was fixed. Like a good Father, He listened and helped me.

While God is by no means required to give in to my requests, He loves me and gave me exactly what I needed. Before I was aware of my need!

When I returned home, my neighbor and I teamed up to help a couple other neighbors as well. It felt good to accomplish so much before 8 a.m.!

Before I go much further, I do know what it feels like when it seems God isn’t listening and/or doesn’t care. I also know that my feelings are not reliable and that God is always with me. That’s a promise!

Sure, Life is not without its challenges—in fact, Jesus himself said we would have trouble. That’s the nature of this fallen world. Yet, with Him, we are more than conquerors.

When we face challenges, we don’t have to be afraid. God can move any mountain in our way or help us climb it as we lean on Him! Either way, we have Victory!

In your difficulty, remember: Nothing is too difficult or too big for Jesus. He can handle it and empower you to bear it. He loves us more than we can understand and takes it upon Himself to care for us. Draw close to Jesus.

God has not left us on our own. He does not send bad things upon us, but uses them for our good and His glory. No matter what happens—good or bad—we are covered by His grace.

Let’s see our circumstances from Jesus’ point-of-view. There are no surprises to Him, and He sees to it that we are well-prepared for anything we face.

**********

Heavenly Father, thanks for taking such good care of me. When I am overwhelmed, help me turn to You. Remind me of Your love and grace. Help me see what is happening through Your eyes. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: In whatever circumstances you are facing—good or bad—can you see God’s hand at work? How has He prepared you for such a time as this? Can you trust Him more?

Task: Read this post—“Father Knows Best”—it was one of my first on Grace and Lemonade!

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Food and Nutrition, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #150

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

You may have seen the acronym GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace is also God’s unmerited favor, or God doing for us what we cannot.

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

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

This week flew by, but went well. Recently, I recorded a video about my story and grief for church. Lydia and I were there when the video was shown Monday evening. Now she thinks I’m famous (haha!). I love her current age and stage!

Tuesday and Wednesday were fairly normal. It’s been chilly all week, but it hasn’t snowed. I’m really glad I haven’t had to shovel or blow away snow lately!

This week, I caught up with people in four different states. On Thursday, I caught up with a dear friend, who moved away this summer. Then, on Friday, I talked with three other people!! I also invited a friend over for an impromtu dinner. It made me feel so good. What a blessing!

Today, Lydia and I hung out at home. Our neighbor boys came over to play for a few hours. We played, ate snacks, and watched the new Carmen Sandiego show on Netflix. I also made up a game called ‘Apple Zombie Tickle Monster’ which was a hit! Basically, it was me chasing and tickling all the kids much to their delight. 😉 Creativity for the win!

This evening, Lydia and I also caught up with my parents, and discussed tomorrow’s lunar eclipse (in addition to the super blood wolf moon)! We also ate leftover veggie enchilada bake and some cherry cobbler I made yesterday. A grand finale to an awesome week!

I’m grateful for how God always directs our path and blesses us. He is so good!

**********

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 #149

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

You may have seen the acronym GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace is also God’s unmerited favor, or God doing for us what we cannot.

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

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

This week was full of surprises and blessings. On Sunday, Lydia woke up not feeling well, so we stayed home from church. Thankfully, she felt better later in the day. I spent the “extra” time in the kitchen and prepared meals for the week. I also made some raspberry chia jam and chocolate banana bread! So yummy!

Monday was a little bittersweet because it was my 11th wedding anniversary. It was my sixth one without Dave. I spent the day running errands and thanking God for the time we had together. I also reposted this on my Facebook page (from a few years ago)!

On Thursday, I went downtown Fargo with a good friend. We both needed to run errands and decided to go to lunch together! Along the way, we went to a specialty shop so I could taste-test some flavored vinegars. I bought a fig-infused dark balsamic vinegar and a peach-infused white balsamic vinegar. I can’t wait to use them in creative ways!

On Friday, our friends gave us tickets for the Fargo Force hockey game (thank you!). Lydia and I had so much fun cheering on the team. We try to go every year, but now Lydia is able to follow the game better. Our team won in overtime!

I’m grateful for how God always directs our path and blesses us. He is so good!

**********

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/Don't Fake Brave, Journey of Grace, Miscellaneous, Perfectionism, Perseverance, Procrastination, Travel, Wisdom

2018 Annual Review

Happy Boxing Day!! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. 😉

Lydia and I had our best Christmas yet! We really appreciated receiving some invitations to join others, but we ended up doing our own thing instead.

On Christmas Eve, we hosted another family from church. We enjoyed celebrating Jesus with them! We ate yummy food and had great conversation.

On Christmas Day, we enjoyed a relaxing breakfast and then opened presents. Lydia received several fun gifts, including some clothes, books, games, and science kits.

After that, we talked with some friends and family. We thought about going to the movies, but decided to go sledding instead. We had so much fun and even saw another family enjoying the chilly day. It was perfect.

Later, Lydia played with some of her new toys while I exercised. Then, we put together some bath goodies from one of the science kits. She’s never been so excited to take a bath! 😉

Finally, after a relaxing day, we watched a Christmas movie together. We have the rest of the week off as well, so I’m sure we will do some more fun activities!

This year flew by. Thankfully, it had more ups than downs. We saw God’s grace all around us in more ways than we can count. He is so faithful.

Lydia and I took some fun trips and spent time with loved ones. We stepped foot in at least 6 states. I’m grateful for my car and God’s protection and provision!

This year, we both pushed our limits and tried new things. Everything from recipes to outdoor Christmas lights. One highlight is that we went kayaking and Lydia loved it!

Lydia has done well in school and enjoys learning. My job is stable and I feel like I am making a difference. I’m so grateful for God’s blessings!

This year, I have felt humbled in many ways. I have become more aware of my flaws and all that I still need to learn. (Yes, I’m human!) 😉

I usually set a lot of goals, but didn’t meet most of them this year. I met my most important goals, but still left a lot on the table. In order to prioritize a big project, I kind of slacked off elsewhere! I made progress, but I also have a lot to finish or catch up!

Still, I have learned to accept God’s grace for my perceived failures and trust Him to lead me. I’m grateful I don’t have to be perfect. Jesus is My Righteousness!

I’ll probably set similar goals this year (haha, I can’t help it!). But I have learned to give myself grace and be more present day-to-day.

This year, I have challenged several fears head-on and moved forward anyway. Despite not meeting all of my goals, I have still grown as a person, and am happy with who I am becoming! 🙂

Thankfully, God’s mercies are new every day. I just have to stay focused on Jesus and walk with Him. Everything else will work out in due time!

**********

Heavenly Father, thanks for walking with us each and every day. Thanks for all the grace You’ve shown us this year. Redirect my path and help me stay focused as You make me more like Jesus. In His Name, Amen

Questions: What were the highlights of your year? What did you learn and how did you grow? What will you change going forward?

Tasks: Consider setting SMART goals for the new year. Don’t worry if it feels like ‘too much’ for you to accomplish. Trust Jesus to direct your path!

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #143

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

You may have seen the acronym GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace is also God’s unmerited favor, or God doing for us what we cannot.

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

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

This week was quite eventful. We started off in Florida, flew home with no travel delays (thank you, Lord!), and ended with work, school, and friends. We had a great time on vacation, but it’s also good to be home. God and our neighbors graciously watched over our house while we were gone… and I’m glad they didn’t have to shovel my driveway! 🙂

On Wednesday, I was able to stay home and get ahead for the remainder of the week. It snowed a little, and I enjoyed spending time with God over coffee. I also appreciated the quiet space to reflect on our trip and plan ahead. Later that evening, we went to church for our JBQ practice. It was fun to see the kids after the holiday!

On Thursday and Friday, I went back to work. I appreciate having a flexible schedule! I also enjoyed talking with a coworker on the phone whom I haven’t seen since I switched offices earlier this year. I’m looking forward to catching up with her in person soon!

Today has been fairly relaxing. Our neighbor boys came over to play for a couple hours, and so we had fun with them. Then, I did some routine Saturday chores, paid some bills, and opened some mail. Lydia received a belated birthday package, so she happily opened that while we FaceTimed with family. We might finish the evening with a movie!

The picture above shows ‘the Star from Afar,’ our advent countdown. I hide the Star, then Lydia finds it each morning. We read a simple version of the nativity story. Each day, there is a new Bible verse to go with that part of the story. Lydia loves it and has even hid the star for me when I have forgotten. 😉 I’d recommend it! (no affiliate links)

God is good!

**********

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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #141

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

You may have seen the acronym GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace is also God’s unmerited favor, or God doing for us what we cannot.

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

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

I feel like a broken record when I say this week had a lot going on. It seems the last couple of months have been busier than usual. And, in a society that uses ‘busy’ as a badge, I prefer a slower pace! I’m so grateful for God’s grace as we navigate life!

Once again, I worked an extra day this week, to get ahead for the holidays. One patient yelled at me in frustration about his meal plan and changes he needs to make for his health. I understood his perspective and was able to talk with him about it. I’ve been yelled at a few times in 12+ years of being a dietitian, and I am grateful it doesn’t happen often! 🙂

On, Thursday we had more snow after lunch. It was beautiful, but after I slid around a curve with AWD, I felt prompted me to cancel evening plans with friends. It was a mutual decision. Lydia and I borrowed “The Incredibles” from friends and had a movie night!

Friday morning was spent with a 2-hour phone meeting, which went an hour longer than expected. That meant that I unintentionally ‘stood up’ a newer friend for coffee. I was in communication with her (texting) but there wasn’t much I could do about it. Thankfully, she graciously accepted my apology and we rescheduled for another time. 

Today was the first JBQ ‘quiz meet’ of the year. Lydia had fun with her team! 

Where did you find 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, Fruit, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #140

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

You may have seen the acronym GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace is also God’s unmerited favor, or God doing for us what we cannot.

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

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

This week was full of non-stop activity, but God’s grace was all around me! It was a fruitful and productive week! He directed every step. Even when I wasn’t sure I could accomplish everything, He helped me do it.

Over the weekend, we turned our clocks back as Daylight Saving Time ended. I planned on getting an extra hour of sleep, but instead, I just stayed up a little longer. 😉 I put that time to good use, though. For the first time ever, I put up outside Christmas lights around my garage door! It was fun and worked out better than I planned. Through a series of events, God also provided extra lights to perfectly cover my entryway!

I worked an extra day this week, to get ahead for the holidays. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were each spent with work, then an afternoon phone call (to various people), followed by an evening activity. Each day was quite busy, but I felt God using me to bless others. I even got to talk to a friend in Oklahoma, which made my day!

Thursday was also full, but really good. I bought groceries before running to an appointment. Then, there was some overlap which made me late for a meeting. Next, I went home to pick up Lydia from the bus. Right after school, our neighbors came over to visit and stayed for dinner. Then, Lydia went to bed and friends came over for Bible study.

On Friday, I had another appointment and ran another errand. It’s that time of year when I try to stock up before winter so I don’t have to go out as much! 🙂 Then, I learned a meeting with my writing coach needed to be rescheduled. So, I used that time to watch a webinar and chat with a friend online. The one hour webinar probably took me two because I kept stopping it in order to text my friend! LOL, both were well worth my attention and I needed to focus!

Last night, a dear friend came over for dinner. We had tacos and she brought dessert, which ended up being delicious cupcakes for Lydia’s birthday in a couple weeks. It was so fun to catch up because we hadn’t seen each other for about month.

The weather has been unusually cold and snowy for this time of year. (Though, really, in Fargo anything is possible!) Today, Lydia and I watched ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ and will hopefully see our friend for another round of tacos! Otherwise, it’s been a relaxing day! God is so good to give us a restful day after a jam-packed week!

Where did you find 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 Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Wisdom

On Halloween

Happy Halloween! I hope you have a fun, safe time with your family and friends tonight!

Quick confession: Out of all the holidays we typically celebrate, Halloween is my least favorite. I will tell you why…and why I don’t opt out!

I found this link about the interesting history of Halloween to be helpful. It seems our modern take on Halloween has lost some of the original intent… It’s not all bad!

The main thing I dislike about Halloween is the frightening masks and creepy costumes. I don’t like not knowing who is who!

And as someone prone to fear, I’m careful about adding fuel to my imagination!

Of course, I’ve learned to deal with the holiday (and fear!) over the years. There are some stores I just avoid because I really don’t appreciate the possibility of running into an ‘evil’ monster as I turn every corner.

For example, one year, Lydia was freaked out by a zombie placed in the bread aisle of all places. I’ve also seen the ‘grim reaper’ and ‘headless horseman’ passing out food samples.

Um, no thanks! I’ll do without…

At the same time, I don’t mind spiders, ‘friendly’ ghosts, or fall decorations like pumpkins. In fact, Lydia and I carved our first pumpkin last weekend! We really enjoyed that and eating a jack-o-lantern pizza with our neighbors!

Obviously, I can choose to overlook the parts I don’t like. Instead, I focus on the fun aspects of Halloween. First, I enjoy seeing Lydia and other kids dress up in cute costumes.

Some people are so creative!

I like passing out candy to trick-or-treaters. As a dietitian, perhaps I should pass out something else, but there are other times for healthy food. Let kids be kids!

I also see the holiday as an opportunity to reach out and love my neighbors.
It’s not every day people are knocking on my door and willing to chat! Instead of avoiding everyone, I can be kind and generous to all who come to my door.

I have a few friends who were born on Halloween, so I enjoy celebrating them. For certain friends, grief can also be a factor as they miss loved ones at the start of the holiday season. I try to encourage them.

Finally, I see October 31st as just another day God has made. Even if I don’t prefer this holiday, I still can rejoice and seize the day for the opportunity it is! That’s a wise win-win!

**********
God, thanks for the opportunity to love on everyone else around me. Thanks for giving me freedom in Christ; because of Jesus, I don’t have to fear. Help me lay aside my own preferences so that I can see the needs before me. Help me redeem the time and be wise in all I do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Do you like celebrating Halloween? If so, what is your favorite part?

Tasks: Pray about how to handle Halloween. (Each of us is different, and that’s great!) Consider opening your doors to the community and seize the opportunity to love others!