Tag: work

Posted on in Being Gracious, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Worship

Finding Grace #355

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 photos of Christmas

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

This week flew by! We enjoyed seeing our family on Zoom, and it was fun to compare the weather across three time zones and four states.

I worked Monday through Wednesday and took the rest of the week off. We celebrated with a potluck and white elephant gift party. We shared a lot of laughs!

On Tuesday, I went to work late as Lydia and her classmates took part in a ‘wax museum’ presentation. Lydia was Louis Braille, and I also saw several friends and neighbors dressed up as famous people and stayed in character during their speeches. Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, Marie Curie, Galileo, Leonardo da Vinci, Louis Armstrong, George Washington Carver, Booker T. Washington, Aretha Franklin, Babe Ruth, Maria Tall Chief, Sitting Bull, and Sally Ride were some of my favorites!

One main ‘event’ of the week was the weather. Or, rather, talking about the weather! In Fargo, it is fairly normal, but online, friends and family across the midwest were posting various viewpoints and grievances. I saw some friends back home discussing North Dakota weather and how tough we are. It was funny, though I didn’t chime in with my two cents!

One exciting surprise is that my sister, brother-in-law, and toddler nephew all arrived a day early! They were planning to come Thursday, but I reached out about the impending weather and they decided to start off Wednesday instead! It has been so fun to have them here for Christmas! We have several activities lined up; we’ve already done some shopping, baking, toddler-chasing, and movie-watching!

Today it is Christmas Eve. We went shopping, celebrated Jesus’ birth at church, had a gourmet Italian meal with authentic Bolognese sauce, and are opening up presents tonight. We are celebrating a little early because I have to work tomorrow morning. I don’t know for sure when I will get off (at least Noon), so I am grateful my family can stay with Lydia! Merry Christmas to you all!!

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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, Parenting, Perseverance, Worship

Finding Grace #354

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 a little unpredictable but good! Mostly it was all related to the weather. We had snow from Tuesday night through today!

The schools were closed and had virtual learning Wednesday and Thursday, and then started two hours late on Friday, so people had time to clear the snow. Of course, this altered my work schedule. I decided to go in for a few hours but also needed to balance everything with Lydia. Thankfully, my boss is understanding – and everyone else was in the same situation! It all turned out well enough!

The snow itself was quite pretty and really was ideal considering how it could have been. I was grateful for a timely reminder from the Lord that I am not alone. My snow service took care of most of the driveway and sidewalks. I just cleared the parts closest to the house.

With the weather, my chiropractor moved up my appointment to Thursday morning instead of the evening. The timing was good since I hadn’t left for work. She mentioned her four-year-old daughter is into Belle from “Beauty & the Beast”. Well, Lydia voluntarily offered her a gently used blanket she hasn’t used in a few years. It has both Belle and the Beast on it, so the little girl will surely enjoy it! We washed it, so it was ready to go. It feels good knowing it is going to a good home!!

On Friday, Lydia and I each had eye doctor appointments. It has been four years since my Lasik surgery and everything looks well! Lydia’s vision has gotten a little worse, so she will need to get new lenses for a new prescription. But, overall things look good!

Today, we celebrated Dave’s 44th birthday, his tenth in Heaven. We love and miss him still. But, we are grateful for how good and faithful God has been to us! We made brownies, played a rousing game of Monopoly, and are now watching Home Alone. It’s been a sweet day remembering Dave.

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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, Prayer

Finding Grace #353

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 photos of Winter

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

This week was fairly calm! I found myself ‘unplugging’ from various things, just to take in the peace and joy of the season. I spent less time on social media, the internet, movies, etc. and more time praying, singing, reading, and working around the house.

Work went well, and I had a good amount of breathing room. There were a couple of cancellations and some no-shows, so I was able to get caught up with other patients and tasks. It felt good not to be constantly behind, and I was able to have some flexibility to help my coworkers with last-minute changes!

We had a couple birthdays to celebrate – my sister’s on Tuesday and my dad’s on Friday. We sent some gifts and were sure to call my sister and dad/mom on their special days One of my brothers also called me, so it was fun to catch up with him. I am so thankful for my family and don’t want to take them for granted. I realize not everyone is close with their families, so I appreciate that we are.

After my internet was fixed last week, the technician recommended I get a wifi-extender. After some lengthy research online, I still couldn’t quite tell what might work with my current setup. So, I bought what I thought was best! Well, it arrived today, and I followed all the directions before something glitched. It would not work no matter what I tried. So, I called my other brother and he helped me get it started. So far, so good!

This morning, we attended a baby shower and also saw some mutual friends! It was fun to celebrate the mother-to-be and see how we are all connected.

The weather was a little warmer this week, which made everything more enjoyable. I was able to run some errands and clean off my driveway. This is good because we are supposed to get more snow next week! LOL

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

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

Posted on in Fear/Don't Fake Brave, Gratitude, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Personality, Pivot, Prayer, Wisdom

Cozy and Thankful

Here in the Great North, wintry weather has come! It makes me just want to stay home and watch movies while drinking something warm. 🙂 Cozy!

Actually, this is the best winter weather in that we haven’t had much blowing or accumulation yet. We can still see around the street corners, and it’s all really beautiful!

Since I fell on the ice at home over the weekend, I called my chiropractor on Monday to see if I could get in for an adjustment. Her husband, also a chiropractor, answered the phone and explained she also fell and hurt herself even worse. I hit my head and elbow, but it seems she broke her elbow in two places! I decided could just wait until later in December to see if she is starting to see patients again. If you think of her, pray for Dr. Jenny.

Interestingly, one of my coworkers and a few of my patients also have fallen on the ice, too. We’ve all had similar ‘war wounds.’ Altogether, this has made me feel even more careful than usual… I’m ‘walking like a penguin’ just in case.

Free photos of Mirror

The evening drive after work has also been a little nerve-wracking. I am a good driver, but don’t necessarily enjoy driving… and I was feeling a little time-crunched at work. Yesterday, I started off slow, and it took about eleven extra minutes to get across town since a lot of other drivers were also being cautious. Probably wise!

I was praying and turned off the radio so I could focus. Then, I just started thanking God for keeping me safe and for helping us all to drive well. I also told Him how pretty the snow was and how I was thankful there was no wind. I was very grateful for my reliable Subaru with all-wheel-drive. While I missed seeing the sun, I was glad it wasn’t ‘blinding’ me while driving. There’s always something to be thankful for!

Talking with God calmed me down! Now sometimes, I do complain, but yesterday, I was getting rid of other distractions in order to pay attention. It made a huge difference in my attitude and my driving!

Instead of being stressed when I picked up Lydia, I was calm. I’m sure she appreciated that too! I stopped to get some gas, and then we were home-free. Thanks, Lord!

With a new perspective, I was able to enjoy dinner with Lydia, write my blog post, exercise, and catch up on Season 2 of The Chosen before watching the first two episodes of Season 3 this coming weekend in the theater! It’s good to be cozy and thankful! 😉

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God, thanks for your grace and protection. Help me be wise and listen; help me know when to be bold and when to be cautious. My confidence is in You alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: What is your favorite part about winter weather? What are you thankful for?

Task: Please pray for my chiropractor, and also tell God what you are thankful for!

Posted on in Being Gracious, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Kindness, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #349

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 photos of Snowfall

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

This week, was fun and good, but also a little crazy.

We had a fabulous time on Sunday with our African neighbors. I also called them later in the week to make sure they were prepared for our first snowstorm of the season. I encouraged them to get some groceries ahead of time. After the storm stopped, I called to check in. The kids loved the snow, though they are still getting used to the wind and cold.

My work-week was wild at times! It was a four-day week due to Veterans Day, so we had more to do than usual in a shorter amount of time. We have had a lot of coverage needs lately, but in a couple of weeks, we should be fully staffed again – the first time since July 15th! Nonetheless, I am glad to be doing the work I am called to do!

On Thursday, we had about seven dietitians out, due to the snowstorm, sickness, maternity leave, training, travel, etc. There were four of us left to get everything done! We each earned a ‘golden ticket’ which is a token of appreciation; they can be turned in later for some time off. So that was cool!

On Friday, Lydia and I both were home for Veterans Day. Some friends came over to visit. The mom and I caught up over a cup of coffee, while the girls made resin coasters. It will be fun to see how they turn out!

Today, Lydia was invited to hang out with another friend from school. She was at their house most of the day, so I did a few Saturday chores, cooked some food, and then relaxed.

Of note, I was clearing some snow in my driveway today when I slipped on the ice and fell hard. I hit my head, back, and right elbow. It was a little shocking! I did not pass out, thankfully, but I am fairly sore from my neck to my hips, and my elbow has a distinct greenish-purple bruise. I did put down some salt to help melt the ice, but I appreciate your prayers as I rest and recover!

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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, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #346

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 photos of Beech

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

This week was sweet and straightforward. We enjoyed Zoom with family and more baby snuggles. My work was fairly routine with a few highlights professionally.

I started working with two different cancer patients who are each contemplating the need for feeding tubes. I reviewed the ‘how and why,’ and gave them an idea of what to expect.  There were some similarities and differences, so I had to account for each nuance. I also am following a patient who has grown more malnourished over the last few months. I reached out to his doctor after performing an extensive micronutrient assessment on him. She agreed with me that he needs greater intervention than what he has been receiving. I hope they all improve soon, and I am glad I could advocate for my patients.

Lydia had a ‘fall break’ with three days off school. She went to the Y and enjoyed playing with some Kindergarteners. She’s one of the oldest kids there, but I am having her focus on her attitude and try to help others instead of complaining.

Today, Lydia woke up sick. She’s spent most of the day on the lounge chair, mostly sleeping. I did some of our normal Saturday chores, but otherwise, I just tried to be quiet so she could rest. We appreciate your prayers that she feels better tomorrow!

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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, Parenting

Finding Grace #345

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 photos of Coast

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

This week was relatively low-key and smooth. Not much happened out of the ordinary, but sometimes that’s a good thing!

On Monday, I was off for Columbus Day. I appreciated having off the federal holiday; it’s a free day for me because Lydia still has to go to school! I planned to do a little relaxing, but instead I was very productive! I worked on a self-evaluation for work and took a two-hour test for continuing education. I also worked on some business stuff related to my book. It all was a huge relief and accomplishment!

Work was busy, as usual, but I was able to stay on top of my paperwork for the most part. I had several opportunities to advocate for my patients this week, too. On Friday, we had a chili cook-off, and two of my coworkers (on maternity leave) brought in their newborns for a little visit. It was so good to see them and eat some yummy chili!

Ironically, I saw three newborns this week! Two at work and one at our house! Yes, our friend brought her baby over again this week. It was fun to watch Lydia snuggle with the baby. I’m glad we were around to help out!

Today, we called my mom for her birthday, and had a great time talking with her! We also did some chores, and I completed an hour of working out. It was a fun goal, but I don’t do that every day. This afternoon/evening, Lydia went to friend’s birthday party, so I finally had some time to relax. I made some pancakes and brownies… I made them healthier and used up some Greek yogurt in both recipes! I also watched a movie, worked on my blog, paid some bills, and did some reading. It was a beautiful day outside too. Perfect for some alone time!

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

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

Posted on in Being Gracious, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Kindness, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #344

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 photos of Harvest

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

This was a busy but relatively calm week!

Work was fairly quiet. I had plenty of patients and tasks to do, but I had a little more time in between each thing. I don’t know if I was more productive or not, but I certainly felt more productive because I actually got things done! It felt good to finish most of my work, as I was a bit behind the last few weeks!

On Tuesday night, my friend brought her month-old baby over! We were able to chat and give them a change of scenery. The baby had been crying all day and not sleeping well. Then, Lydia and I both enjoyed holding her, while my friend ran a quick errand. She’s still adjusting to taking the baby around town… there is so much to prepare for! Of course, the baby slept the entire time for us! 🙂

Speaking of babies, on Wednesday night, we volunteered at church. I have helped many times over the years, but Lydia is just easing into it. As a parent, I see that she’s at the point of needing to serve or risk being bored with church. We signed up to help in the 3 to 5-year-old room but ended up filling in for the 4 to 23-month-old room. It was not quite what Lydia expected, but she adjusted. One little girl attached herself to Lydia, who was the only one who could calm her down! In addition to playing with the toddlers, I changed three dirty diapers and wiped several snotty noses. It’s been a while since I did that!

Today, we did our normal Saturday chores, but mostly we just relaxed. I made some delicious vegetable beef soup. I used low-sodium V8, ground beef, frozen mixed veggies, and a few seasonings. I’m looking forward to having leftovers for a few days!

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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, Journey of Grace, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Wisdom, Worship

Finding Grace #343

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 photos of Oak

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

This was a really good week! I enjoyed talking with family, including my parents who live in Florida. Hurricane Ian brought wind and rain, but they were protected. The hurricane was not a direct hit for them. There is much to be grateful for, and my prayers are with those who were affected.

All week long, I was behind on charting at work. I tried not to be too stressed, however. Several of my coworkers helped out, as I kept getting patients which took time away from getting caught up. One day, they took four of my easier patients, and then I got three more since I am in the walk-in clinic. It was a little funny, and I am glad to be part of such a great team of ladies!

I happily noticed our new little neighbor girl was wearing Lydia’s old winter coat! The mornings certainly felt chilly in the 50s and 60s, but of course, it will only get colder! I was honored when the mom called me simply to check on me. She hadn’t made it to the bus stop because of the chilly weather, but she wanted to make sure I was doing well and having a good week. That little surprise made my day!

My medical test went well, and I received excellent news that everything is normal. I had a follow-up on Friday, and my provider said I didn’t need to come back! She made a couple of recommendations to ease my gut symptoms, and I will be implementing those. All in all, it is a huge relief knowing that I don’t have to make big changes. Praise God!

This week, I did some hands-on projects. I bought and put together a dolly/cart and used it to move and assemble some gym equipment. I had asked someone for help, but they weren’t available when I was. It will be a couple of weeks until they are free, and I decided not to wait any longer. The equipment was fairly heavy going down the stairs, which ironically made me feel strong and accomplished just moving it! I prayed for God to help me, and He did! I am proud of myself for doing the hard work and getting it done!

As I drove around town this week, I noticed some of the beautiful fall colors starting to pop! It’s such a pretty time of year! I mowed yesterday, but only did the long parts. Some of the grass didn’t really need it! Lydia was also glad she didn’t have to help after all! 😉

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

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

Posted on in Being Gracious, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Food and Nutrition, Gratitude, Kindness, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #342

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 photos of Autumn leaves

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

This was a busy but good week! We celebrated the first day of fall with some cooler temperatures. The colors of the leaves are starting to pop!

This week’s highlight was talking to my neighbors (new and old). I offered Lydia’s old jacket to my new neighbor for her daughter. It was a special moment, and I gave her a hug. She and her husband both thanked me a couple more times. Another neighbor had an important medical appointment, and I was glad to hear her good news. I’m really grateful to live in this community.

This week, Lydia and I both noticed Dave unexpectedly coming up with ‘random’ people. I had two people ask about my personal details, one Veteran and one nurse. I politely answered, and they were apologetic and kindly offered support. I appreciate the opportunity to talk about Dave and the Veteran especially identified with my loss. Then, Lydia had younger kids at the Y asking her what happened because one of our neighbors was talking about it. I don’t think they meant any disrespect, but it put Lydia on the spot.  I think it turned out alright, though it is still a little strange these conversations all happened in one week!

For my work week, I had a lot of fun teaching an inaugural class called “Eating to Reduce Pain and Inflammation.” We are affectionately calling this “ERPI” and hope this series is a turning point for our Veterans. Sometimes cutting back on unhealthy foods, or adding healthy ones, is not that exciting. But, we have found that pain is a big motivator in making healthy changes!

On Thursday, I picked up Lydia and her friends from Biogirls. It is fun to be the driver for a bunch of girls and listen to what they are talking about. There was a lot of laughter!

Really, Lydia had an exciting week all around. On Tuesday, she celebrated a friend’s birthday. She and others were invited to surprise the girl at her house and then stay for treats. Then, on Friday, Lydia took a school field trip to the planetarium!

Today, I was on-call for work. I did not have to go in, which is always a nice surprise. Either way, we had family come to visit and stay with Lydia just in case. It’s always nice to have company!

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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)!