Tag: spring

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Little Free Library, Miscellaneous, Perseverance

Finding Grace #528

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

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

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

This week was pretty good!

Work and school had their usual ebb and flow. Some busier days and some less. Lydia had a variety of routine tests every single day for school. She is a good student and test-taker, but she was glad when Friday came!

I took Lydia to a cardiology appointment for her POTS. She’s had more issues lately, and it was good to rule out anything else. The doctor was very funny and thorough, and the appointment took two hours! Praise God, all her tests came back great, and we left with some additional ideas for managing her symptoms. Most of these we had heard before, but it was good for Lydia to learn how to better care for herself. She was pretty excited to get a note excusing her from gym, since physical activity seems to be a trigger. School only lasts a few more weeks! 😉

The weather was all over this week! We had everything from the thirties to the mid-seventies! Sunshine with calm blue skies and a mix of a few clouds, sprinkles, and wind. I noticed a few more birds, greener grass, and buds on the trees! The days are staying lighter for longer, too!

Today, Lydia and I relaxed. I exercised, read, and worked on a project. Lydia did a little online driving school, among other things. Later, we made some pumpkin chocolate chip bread!

**********

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, Parenting, Perseverance

Finding Grace #527

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 quiet week!

At work, I covered the inpatient hospital all week, so I didn’t see as many of my usual outpatient Veterans. It was less busy than I expected, thankfully! The hospitalized patients were not as complicated as I have seen, and it helped to have several days in a row so I could anticipate their needs.

Lydia had a POTS flare-up this week and came home early from school on Wednesday. She made it to school on Thursday and Friday, but came straight home afterward to rest. to two healthcare appointments. She skipped Speech practices and also her final Speech event today because she felt so depleted. Her energy is a little better tonight, but I am glad we decided to have her stay home and rest today.

With Lydia under the weather, I kept my schedule pretty open in the evenings so I could be available for her. When she feels so weak, I like to stick around to help get anything she might need. We talked again about knowing when to push ourselves and when to rest and relax. A good lesson for us both!

Today, I did some reading and studying. Otherwise, I made some calls and mostly just relaxed! I enjoyed hearing the birds chirp and watching it drizzle a bit as the grass grows greener. 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 Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #526

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

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

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

This week was full of praises for the Lord. We have much to be grateful for!

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

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

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

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

**********

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, Pivot

Finding Grace #525

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 had some ups and downs, but I saw God’s faithfulness anyway. 

First, this week had an element of death. A dear friend had a miscarriage the day after she discovered she was pregnant. A beloved aunt (by marriage) lost her sister after a brief illness, similar to my mom’s. Both of these were very sad, and I tried to support both of these ladies with God’s help. He comforts the brokenhearted and is near to them.

I also have some really good news regarding my teeth and MARPE. I had an X-ray to check on my palate, and it is right on track. Even though the gap between my teeth has been minimal, the X-ray shows I’ve already had a six millimeter expansion! This is close to what I need, so we will hold off on further turns of my device for now. Next month, I will have more detailed scans and 3D modeling to see whether there are any benefits to further expansion or if I am fully done. This also depends on my bottom teeth, which are moving more slowly because of our plan. Either way, I’ll still have the device in my mouth for six months to help things stabilize after we finalize the process. I’ve had ideal progress so far, praise God!

On Thursday, Lydia and I woke up to a chilly house. I didn’t think anything of it at first, except when she mentioned it. I happened to take a look at the thermostat, and it was totally blank (dead). I changed the batteries, but that didn’t help. I waited a little while, prayed, and asked my neighbor who to call. I had a man come over in the afternoon; he just adjusted the batteries, and it turned right on! He double-checked the furnace, then started putting his shoes back on. He said I didn’t need to pay anything, but I offered to pay him something for coming all that way. I gave him twenty dollars for the trouble! Win-win!

My blog website was down for about an hour one evening. The server was down on my blog hosting site. This occasionally happens, but it usually gets fixed right away. I spent some time on the phone with tech support, but there was nothing wrong on my end. Thankfully, I wasn’t hacked and didn’t lose any of my data or posts. Lydia and I prayed for God to protect everything, and it all turned out well!

I saw the first robin of Spring this week! I also saw some other song birds and woke up to their singing. The weather has been windy and cold with a few flurries, but also sunny and warmer on a few days… I also am seeing the grass green up a bit. I love this time of year! 

**********

These are only a few examples, but God’s grace never runs out!

There’s grace in every situation—we just need to look for it. God promises if we seek Him, we will find Him (see Jeremiah 29:13)!

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, MARPE/Orthodontics, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Pivot, Prayer, Wisdom

Finding Grace #524

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

**********

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, Pivot, Prayer, Wisdom, Worship

Finding Grace #481

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 Pansy Purple photo and picture

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

This went so well, and it was all because of Jesus. On Monday, I had a heart-to-heart chat with Him and asked Him for help. He came through like He always does!

All week, I was swamped with work. I had many patients, but I also needed to catch up on charting from last week. I also had to complete my Monday and Tuesday notes before the long holiday. Plus, I had three competencies and quizzes to finish. I kept checking in with God and didn’t let myself get too stressed. I was calm and expectant and tried not to panic as the week went on! I raced to finish before my tour ended on Friday, and I finally clicked the last thing just as my shift was done. It was amazing, and I am so grateful!

Lydia finished seventh grade on Thursday! She also found out she was chosen to be in the chamber orchestra again next year. I am so proud of her hard work. She celebrated with a friend by going to dinner and then watching a baseball game.

I spent the evening mowing. It was a gorgeous day after several days of rain, so it was great to spend the time outside! I was proud of myself for getting it done ahead of the long weekend.

On Friday after work, Lydia went to hang out with another friend, so I went to Barnes and Noble for a coffee and to work on some continuing education. I like going there sometimes to focus. It is quiet, but it also minimizes distractions. I actually sit still and work since I don’t want to leave all my stuff unattended!

Today, we decided to do some cleaning. I enjoy being able to clean without rushing, so I listened to some podcasts and got lost in my dusting and organizing! Lydia did some laundry and cleaned her room. Tonight, we can relax a bit!

**********

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, Parenting

Finding Grace #479

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 Pathway Path photo and picture

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

This was a good week! We usually Zoom on Sundays, and did this week… but on Tuesday, my nephew wanted to video chat, and so my sister called me and we were able to do so for a few minutes. I told him he can call to chat with me anytime!

Lydia had two chamber orchestra concerts this week. One was at a local nursing home, and I used a couple of hours of comp time to attend. Other performances were put on my the jazz band, show choir, and some other smaller ensembles. The next night was at the middle school, and we also watched the senior high play. I enjoyed all the songs!

This week, I noticed tulips and other spring flowers blooming. I also noticed the gorgeous dogwoods and crabapple trees all decked out in their glory! I’m grateful for all the beauty around us.

We were invited to have dinner with another family last night. I brought dessert and they prepared a delicious meal. We had a great time chatting, catching up, laughing, and playing games. It is always good to hang out with them!

Today, I woke up and decided to mow early. It is supposed to be hot this weekend, and I wanted to get ahead of the weather. It was cool and a little cloudy, just perfect. I also had time to do the trim work, put out the deck furniture, and complete a little raking before it sprinkled a few minutes later. The rest of the day was sunny and windy, so I am proud of myself for being on top of it! The rest of today, I’ve been mostly relaxing!

**********

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, Parenting, Personality

Finding Grace #478

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 Purple Leaf Plum Flowers photo and picture

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

This was a peaceful and restful week!

Lydia left before dawn on Sunday for her CloseUp trip to Washington, DC. She had a great time and made some good memories. She returned home late Thursday and was in bed just before midnight. Lydia was exhausted but excited!

On Sunday, I came home and got ready for church. After the service, I also went to another church for my neighbor’s confirmation. After that, we enjoyed a little celebration at her house. It was fun, and I was glad to be invited. I spoke with several of their friends and family, and many of them had gone to Washington with the same program as Lydia when they were young. It eased my mind that they were going to keep her in prayer. What a blessing!

While Lydia was gone, I spent the week doing my own thing after work. Work was fairly calm for once, so it was easy to transition into a relaxing evening. I did some chores, nothing too strenuous. I made some good food, read a book, spent time with God, and watched a few shows. I appreciated the time alone since it doesn’t happen often!

I used up my last ‘time off award’ from work on Friday. I planned for the day off, knowing Lydia would be tired and need to rest. I let her stay home from school, and she didn’t wake up until Noon! In the meantime, I went to an appointment, enjoyed some coffee, and finished my Galatians journible, until Lydia was up!

Today, Lydia unpacked and did a little homework. I did a few Saturday things and also mowed for the first time this season. The weather is beautiful today, in the seventies!

**********

These are only a few examples, but God’s grace never runs out!

There’s grace in every situation—we just need to look for it. God promises if we seek Him, we will find Him (see Jeremiah 29:13)!

Posted on in Gratitude, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Personality, Worship

A Little Bit of This and That

Ah, this week has been pretty chill so far! Work has been busy but good, mostly straightforward and manageable. I’ve had good patients and fun with my coworkers—we had lunch together yesterday while doing some competencies and training.

Lydia is in Washington, D.C. (doing well). It is a good chance for both of us to grow. I’m loving that my evenings are fairly free! As such, I can pursue a little rest and relaxation. 

I thought about taking a little trip of my own, but then some work obligations popped up, and I decided to stay put. I’m glad I did because I am enjoying my time with no real plan, just doing a little bit of this and that! In short, it’s been great!!

Free Human Child photo and picture

As a single mom, I don’t get much time alone or without overt responsibility. On Monday, I made some treats for my coworkers, exercised, worked on some paperwork, and did other random things. Last night, I went on a walk, did some writing (hello!), watched a show, and got lost in some online reading. Tonight, I might do something around town—whatever I feel like!

I am also using this time to connect with God and listen. Time with Him is such a gift. It’s wonderful to wake up early and go at a slower pace, exercising a little, praying, and reading my Bible. It is a bonus that the mornings are getting brighter earlier!

Well, I think I’ll keep this short and sweet. Sometimes, I have a lot to say, but right now, I have some other things calling my name. 🙂 There is a lot of grace in just taking a break. Maybe I’ll meander a bit and see what happens after work. I encourage you to do the same! 

God is always up to something good. We need to spend time with Him to discern how He is leading us. With that, let’s go see what He has in store for us today!

**********

Heavenly Father, thanks for giving us peace and rest. Thanks for Your abundant grace that covers us. As we walk with You, help us to draw near and listen. Help us grow in wisdom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: When was the last time you enjoyed a little solitude? Do you get bored and lonely, or do you relish time alone?

Tasks: Set aside some time to spend with God today. It may be a few minutes or several hours. Make it a priority because He longs to meet with you!

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #477

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 Flower Orchid photo and picture

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

This was a good week with lots of evening activities. But, they were all good things.

Two highlights of my week were that a couple of my houseplants are thriving! I have an orchid by the kitchen window that is starting to unfold. And, I have a peace lily that has ten blooms! I think this is a first to have both doing so well at the same time!

On Monday, we went to the chiropractor after work. It is amazing how much better I have felt over the last year. I still have a few random issues, but my hip and back are much more manageable with all the things I have learned.

Wednesday night involved a final meeting for Lydia’s trip this next week. Lydia has been mostly packed for about a week, and we just added a few last-minute things. She is so excited, and we both appreciate your prayers!

Lydia attended her final rifle class on Thursday. She enjoyed trying out different styles of guns. And, she looked really cool handling them!

After work yesterday, I walked upstairs to donate blood. I have not done that for over fifteen years, but it was very convenient being at the VA. I think I will do that again sometime soon!

Today, we wrapped up a few things for Lydia’s trip. We also played a game, and then my dad called Lydia and prayed for her. It is a blessing to have a godly heritage!

**********

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)!