Tag: Rest

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #166

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 I saw God’s grace all around me. Work went well but was not very busy. But that gave me the opportunity to catch up on other tasks besides patient care. I’m grateful for God’s provision and my job, despite getting a couple of ‘warning tickets’ for parking in the wrong spot! Thankfully, that means I’ll get a parking pass after two years of asking for one. I’m choosing to be happy about the privilege of ‘getting’ to walk a lot further. 😉

I was able to hang out with and help several friends this week. I watched some neighbor kids, gave a friend a ride after her car broke down, and let another friend come over to do laundry. I also hosted my ladies Bible study and had such a sweet, funny time of sharing. It is refreshing to use the resources God has given me to serve others!

Today, Lydia and I stayed home and did several activities together. We played Connect Four and Hello Kitty Bingo. We had a tickle fest, read books, listened to the rain, and watched a couple of shows. I even supervised Lydia taking a shower on her own for the first time. She was so pleased and had fun. I am proud of the little lady she is becoming!

I received several answers to prayers this week for myself and others. I’m grateful for God’s perfect timing. He 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 #165

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 was a good week full of God’s grace and provision. I talked with several family members, and I also met several friends for fellowship and prayer. I’m grateful!

The weather for much of the week was chilly and rainy. I didn’t mind, though. I really appreciate seeing the green grass and flowers coming up!

This weekend, my mother-in-law came to visit. We always enjoy when she comes and we’ve had a lot of fun playing games, shopping, and trying new restaurants!

Today, we went to lunch and on to the ‘Parade of Homes’ which was a lot of fun. We hadn’t been since Lydia was in a car seat! Dave always loved seeing all the new house features and then replicating some of them for me. In the years since he died, it has been too sad…. so today was a breakthrough. Ironically, Lydia seemed just as excited as Dave!

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, Fruit, Journey of Grace, Miscellaneous, Perfectionism, Wisdom, Worship

Peace Be Still

John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

He said this after he had already healed the lame, blind and sick; fed the 5,000 people (not including women and children); calmed the storm; and raised the dead. He had a pretty good record, but as I wrote last week, His disciples still did not believe.

I’m grateful for the peace Jesus gives. For me, it often means a sense of quiet and calm. Externally, peace can include having growing, healthy relationships and no schedule conflicts. Peace can mean “free” time and flexibility without rushing. For me, living in peace often comes at a slower pace. But that may look different for you!

Internally, I find peace means freedom from fear, anxiety, or worry. I can reject the idea that I have to make quick decisions or be someone I am not. I don’t have to please or impress anyone. Thank God, Jesus set me free!

When everything in my little world is tranquil, though, it can become unsettling if I fail to see it from God’s perspective. Sometimes, I take pride in what I have achieved…and other times, I am waiting for the next storm or catastrophe. But with Jesus’ peace, I can expect good things because He is good and He is with me and for me.

We weren’t meant to live in turmoil. Even in the midst of chaos, holy peace is the sense that everything will be okay because Jesus will make all things right someday.

This begs the question—how does the world give peace?

The world cannot give peace, because real peace comes from Jesus alone. Only Jesus can be our refuge and defense. To refocus on Him, sometimes it can be helpful to pause and unplug from the news, social media, or even extra activities.

As amazing as this world can be, all we see is only temporary. We were meant for more!

Without Jesus, whatever we seem to gain is at risk. If we put all our hope in what the world offers, we will only end up with empty promises. Any sense of peace we do have won’t last. Yet everything we have in Jesus is safe and secure.

Jesus’ peace comes with His presence. In fact, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, in the verse preceding this one. He never leaves us on the path alone. Sometimes, He clears a peaceful path and sometimes, He enables us to walk it as it comes.

Growing in the fruit of peace is a sign of God moving in our lives.

Jesus’ peace brings new purpose, despite any pain or hardships we may endure. He brings real progress, but never expects perfection. Our fulfillment comes from Him alone.

In addition to His peace, Jesus also protects us and provides for us. His promises are sure and His love is strong. As such, we can rest in His mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

I’m grateful we don’t have to perform or earn this free gift of peace. The world often expects something in return and leaves us disappointed. But only Jesus gives to us freely… Praise God!

Don’t go another minute without true peace. Trust Jesus and rest in His love!

**********

God, thanks for the free gift of salvation which brings us peace. Thanks for righting our wrongs and forgiving us. Help us extend grace and peace to others as we point them to you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Question: What does God’s peace mean to you?

Task: Prayerfully listen to this song, “Peace Be Still.”

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

Finding Grace #161

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 was a really fun week! I enjoyed meeting with friends and talking with family. On Sunday, we attended a birthday party for my mother’s friend. She is from Ghana and we were honored to be invited. We ate all sorts of food… it was quite a feast!

This beginning of the week was full of work, school, and deadlines. I felt productive early on and was able to relax later in the week. I even got a massage on Friday!

On Thursday, I was invited to meet with some ladies from church. We got to know each other better, and I met a new friend. I shared my story with her and encouraged her in her walk with the Lord. We all prayed together and then enjoyed some food and coffee afterward.

The spring flood is happening now. Yesterday, I took Lydia to see some areas where the Red River is almost up to the bridges crossing into Minnesota. Elsewhere, other roads were blocked so sandbags and other barriers could be installed. We are safe from the water, but it is unreal how much water can spread. I’m praying people are safe and homes stay dry.

I’m glad spring is finally here. I’ve seen more geese and robins; it is good to hear birds chirping again! The snow is slowly melting, and I also saw some grass turning green!

Today was a full day, too! We are taking care of our neighbor’s lovebird. He’s quite cute! We visited some friends, one of which had surgery this week. Then, we went roller skating with another family from church. It was Lydia’s first time, but she had fun!

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, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Prayer

Finding Grace #160

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 awesome! I felt God moving some big ‘mountains’ on my behalf. I also had many productive moments of my own. In fact, I was so focused, I readjusted my schedule to maintain my flow. I love when God blesses the work of my hands, but I am also aware of just how much I need His help.

I really appreciated talking with my parents this week. My mom called me to catch up and pray for me, which meant so much. Later, we were able to video chat with them, which makes the distance seem a little better. They sent Lydia a care package with some lovely spring clothes. Lydia enjoyed them so much!

We had warmer weather again this week! The wind was fairly mild, too. Praise God! I enjoyed chipping away at some ice and snow to ‘help’ it melt faster. I do what I can! 😉

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, Parenting

Finding Grace #157

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 was a banner week in many exciting ways! God answered a prayer that I first mentioned five years ago. I met Huldah Buntain, a missionary to Calcutta, at church; it was a dream come true for me!

My mom sent Lydia the original Mary Poppins movie (on DVD), and it arrived this week. It is one of my mom’s favorites and I’m grateful she wanted to share it with Lydia. We watched it on Tuesday after school, and Lydia loved it! Soon we will watch Mary Poppins Returns, but I wanted Lydia to see the original first so she would understand the context. Thanks, Mom!! 

Lydia also received her new fitness device this week. It works well and has already out-performed the old, faulty one. She walked 10,000 steps two days in a row! I’m grateful we finally got a satisfactory resolution.

Yesterday, I had my three month (post-Lasik) eye checkup. My eyes look like they should and my vision is good. I still have some healing to do, but that is normal and to be expected. I’m grateful I took step of faith and underwent surgery in December!

Today, we have had another winter storm. But that gave us a good opportunity to stay in and relax. Lydia and I played games, read books, researched black holes, exercised, and watched videos. Tonight, at bedtime we were snuggling, and she said, “Mom, I wish we could stay like this forever!” It melted my heart. So sweet. 🙂

Finally, I set my clocks one hour forward for Daylight Savings Time! I always miss that hour of sleep, but I am glad for the upcoming spring and summer! Woohoo!

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 #156

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 was another grace-filled week! I finished many small tasks and made progress on larger ones. God stretched my time and helped me accomplish what I needed to do.

Nothing super eventful happened, but our routine activities went smoothly. I enjoyed catching up with family over the phone and had several good conversations.

Yesterday morning, my neighbor surprised me by leaving monster cookies on my front step. Yum! I tried one and saved the rest. Sooo good. (Thanks!!)

Then, after school, Lydia joined the same neighbor’s family out our back door to try snowboarding for the first time. She had fun and came inside with a few new words in her vocabulary (ex. wipeout!). I’m grateful they included her and showed her some new tricks.

Last night, a friend came over for dinner, chatting, and Netflix. She also brought some snacks. It’s always nice to spend time together!

Today, we went to a birthday party for one of Lydia’s friends. I helped out with the party, and then afterward we stay to visit/play. They also fed us a yummy taco dinner!

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 Being Gracious, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Wisdom

Holy Help

For most of February, I’ve been in contact with customer support at one of my favorite fitness companies. Unfortunately, I had several issues that were not easily resolved!

Previously, I received a special voucher for a new fitness tracking device…

I have had one for several years, with minimal problems, so I thought I would get one for Lydia. She loved the idea and we discussed how it could be a fun tool for her.

Note: Lydia does not have access to any of the technology—I am the one logging in for her and seeing the information, so it doesn’t become a problem or obsession for her.

Technically, Lydia may be a little young for her own device, but they do have one model available for her age group. I had planned to give her a fitness tracker for her next birthday, but this opportunity came a little earlier. We decided to try it out.

First, I asked about getting the children’s device, but it was not included in the voucher requirements. I called both companies to see if they could agree to add the device I wanted… and was on hold for at least an hour altogether. Nope.

Eventually, I decided to get Lydia the adult device. It is essentially the same as the children’s version, but with a few more ‘bells and whistles.’

To my surprise, the device has not worked well for Lydia. It doesn’t track data correctly and does not charge or sync correctly. So disappointing.

Over the last few weeks, I have called customer service 5 times about the device, trying to make it work. I have been on the phone for at least three hours total.

I have emailed three times asking questions and replying. At least they’ve been polite…

I could focus on the problem and remain frustrated. I could feel sorry for myself, or I could throw a fit and make threats.

But thankfully, with Jesus, our problems don’t stand a chance! He has the final authority and has already done the difficult work. It is finished.

When we have needs, we can come to Him at any time. Most of the time, life isn’t easy or fair, but Jesus is available day and night. He takes our burdens and eases our pain.

Jesus leads by example, excelling in both service and support. He has our back and keeps us on track. He doesn’t leave us to fend for ourselves, but through His Word and the Holy Spirit, He teaches us how we should live.

Sometimes I have to wait for the resolution, but the Lord always hears me and answers my prayers. True, my prayers may not be answered quite how I want—but He wisely gives me exactly what I need.

The Lord’s love is not something we have to earn. I don’t have to beg or bargain with Him. It is freely given. The Lord is gracious and does not give me junk!

Jesus always comes through for me and gives me what is BEST.

Sometimes I can prolong my struggles if I am not obedient, but Jesus never changes the rules halfway through. He doesn’t make it difficult or make me jump through hoops.

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Finally, after a month of my patience levels being tested, I finally succeeded in ordering a replacement (yesterday). I am trusting God that this one will work correctly!

**********

Father God, thanks for all You do for me. Thanks for faithfully leading me to Victory. Please continue to refine me and build patience. Help me be kind to others, even when I am frustrated. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Question: Do you have any tips for getting through customer service with minimal frustration?

Task: Listen to “More Like Falling in Love” by Jason Gray.

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #155

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 saw God working in several areas this week.

On Monday, we had a quiet President’s day. We enjoyed time at home. Lydia played outside and read. I was able to get ahead for the week, without rushing!

We received more snow this week, and I used my snowblower twice. I also shoveled, but enjoyed the slightly warmer (10-20 degrees F) weather! Three different times neighbors helped clear the snow for me, which I greatly appreciated. (Thank you!!)

Last night, a friend came over for dinner. We had tacos and watched Netflix. It was a great way to relax after a busy week. We had a fun girls night!

Today, Lydia and I took another friend and her mom (visiting from another country) to the local home and garden show. It was at the Fargodome and we spent several hours walking around and seeing the sights. Then, we went to my friend’s apartment for lunch. She made salmon, rice pilaf with vegetables, and fried plantains. It was a real treat!

Lydia has been adjusting well to her braces. She has only had one or two times where she needed some pain medication. Overall, she’s very pleased to have them on. We can already see her teeth improving! Praise God!

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, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #154

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 cool surprises! I love when that happens!

On Monday, I noticed it was snowing just like a snow globe. There was no wind and the snow fell gently for hours! It was so pretty and completely different than the wild blizzards we’ve had lately. God is so creative!

A couple months ago, I bought an online voucher to swim at a local hotel. On Monday, I was able to use it one more time before it expired this week. I went while Lydia was in  school and had a wonderful time. It was so peaceful!

This week I ran into two old friends and had good conversations with them. I also met a new friend for coffee, talked online with other friends, and chatted with family throughout the week. It’s great to feel connected!

On Thursday, Lydia lost her ninth tooth; got her expander removed at the orthodontist; and received braces (top front teeth only). She was really excited and seems to be doing well. She didn’t even mind skipping most of her Valentine’s candy from school!

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)!