Tag: work

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #283

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 great week! We started off the week in Ohio family. It felt great to relax with some of our favorite people! Then, Monday we flew back home. We had two flights with a few hours in O’Hare. It was late when we finally went to sleep in our own beds, but it’s always good to be home after traveling.

At work, I hit the ground running. I saw several Veterans and completed some online trainings. finished setting up my new office space, too. I moved a filing cabinet, and swapped the garbage and recycling cans. I organized some drawers and handouts. Also, the printer was moved around the corner and my cabinets and bulletin board were moved up a few inches to give me more space. I am happy with how it turned out! 

The rest of the week was spent unpacking (laundry!), organizing the house, running errands, making phone calls, and catching up with mail. Lydia’s suitcase, which actually belonged to Dave and is at least fifteen years old, came off the airplane with a large hole. It was time for an upgrade! I bought her new slippers, too, since we snagged a good sale!

Today, we mostly cleaned and organized before company comes next week. If we don’t stay on top of things, they quickly get out of hand! So, you we had our work cut out for us. 🙂 Lydia rode her scooter and drew with chalk a bit. Later, some neighbor friends came over to play!

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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, Food and Nutrition, Gratitude, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #272

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 full week, but I saw God at work all around me!

I participated in my first VA2K, which involves a 2,000 meter short walk and food drive for Veterans. VA employees (and others) donate food and resources for those Veterans who are food insecure and/or homeless in our community. It was a beautiful day, and we dietitians organized about sixty individual bags of food to be given away, as needed. Lydia really enjoyed going through our cupboards for items to donate!

Lydia finished up her swimming lessons on Thursday. It was a big time commitment the last few weeks, but I am glad she had fun. She had a huge smile the entire time in the pool.

Recently, I was asked to consider being a mentor for small groups at my church. Once I learned more about it on Friday afternoon, it felt like a perfect match. It will be a small commitment in the fall, but I am looking forward to it.

Yesterday was Lydia’s half-birthday. We celebrated by sharing some ice cream, getting our hair trimmed, and picking up her new glasses. Yes, she is near-sighted! Thankfully, she is very excited and confident. Several of her friends have glasses, so she’s looking forward to wearing them to school on Monday! Here’s hoping she doesn’t break them right away!

The weather was warm-to-hot this week, so I put off mowing until it was cooler today. It felt good to tackle the “jungle” that was my lawn! Being outside also means opportunities to catch up with my neighbors. I also saw some tree swallows, which is always a treat!

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

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

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

In Good Company

In about ten days, Lydia and I will celebrate Dave being in Heaven for eight years. I say “celebrate” but that does not mean we don’t miss him every day. I’m simply trying to keep an eternal perspective because that’s the only way to keep moving forward.

I mentioned this previously, but I continue to see God working all around me, especially in terms of grief and loss. I am alright with that.

For instance, at work, I once talked with a Veteran who lost her twin sister. She thanked me for acknowledging her grief, and we had a wonderful conversation. I’ve learned sometimes I have to reach someone’s heart before I can address the “work” that needs attention in their head (i.e. their mindset or habits).

Then, recently, I talked with a Veteran who has been in my care for about a year and a half. He has been through all sorts of health issues including cancer and multiple falls.

I called this man to check in with him, nutritionally, but I also wanted to offer my condolences. His wife of fifty years had suddenly died. She had been such a support for him, and now she is gone. I knew it would be a tough conversation, but he reminded me about the book, A Grief Observed, by CS Lewis. Suffice it to say we had a God connection.

It was a good conversation, and I briefly explained that I was a widow. Professionally, I don’t share my story often, but it made sense in the moment. I was simply following my heart, grateful that he knows the Lord, too. That made all the difference.

My very next patient was a Veteran whose sister recently died after a brief illness. I thought that was ironic, dealing with grief twice in the same day. For this man, I did not share my story because it wasn’t necessary. I was able to encourage him just by listening.

After that, I met with still yet another Veteran. I was supposed to educate him about one illness, but then he mentioned he is receiving treatment for colon cancer. (He actually was wearing his chemo pouch, just like Dave had to do.) He mentioned one of Dave’s doctors, and his chemo regimen was the same, too. I almost couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

To my surprise, this Veteran has been dealing with his cancer for a few years and has almost zero side effects. He does not feel overly weak and still has good appetite. He is still able to be active remodeling old buildings! That made me so happy. I did not explain my background, but inwardly, I was celebrating and thanking God for giving this man good quality time with his family.

I don’t know why God has me talk with all these people (besides for work reasons), but I am grateful He can use my pain to relate to and serve others. No matter who we talk with each day, we can look for similarities and ways to connect.

Perhaps we discuss something funny, or perhaps it’s something sad. Either way, chances are God can use it to bring comfort. Each of us has pain that only He can heal. Once we understand that, we will see that we’re in good company.

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God, thanks for Your redemption and for using me to bless others. Thanks that my story can bring comfort and healing to others. You don’t waste my pain or my tears. All glory and honor to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Do you see God at work in you story? Will you let Him use you to bless others and bring healing?

Tasks: Next time you sense an opportunity where God can work, don’t resist. Just pray and trust that it’s His timing. Your job is simply to be obedient, not worry about the outcome. Let Jesus bring the SUPER to your natural abilities!

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #269

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

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

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

This week was very good, but a little unusual at times. Work went well and I had some very meaningful conversations with my patients and coworkers. I loved that. But, I also had some tech issues and several no-shows and cancellations. On the other hand, I did get a chance to catch up with my charting, so that was a good tradeoff!

I felt God’s hand of protection this week on my way to work. I over-corrected in a traffic situation, and I’m hoping it wasn’t as close as I thought. It all happened within a split second, but I am grateful God gave me good reflexes and great car that handles well. Thank You, Jesus!

A friend and I wanted to sign up our girls for swim lessons together. I woke up early and was prepared well before the website went live. My friend got a spot for her daughter but I did not. That was a bummer! Nonetheless, I signed up through a different program, and that will work out well, too, even without the friends together. We’ll make the best of it!

Yesterday, I finished up teaching my last class at Concordia. I really enjoyed the opportunity, though I am glad to have a little more free time now. The last two semesters pushed me to do my best, and I am glad to have been able to give back to my profession!

Also, yesterday, my next-door neighbors helped me move our couch to the curb for clean-up week! I was able to do part of it on my own, but needed their help with navigating the stairs. I really appreciated their willingness and availability. The couch was Dave’s before we got married (estimate: fifteen years old). It was very comfortable, but we haven’t used it much these last few years. It had some good memories but also made me sad, and so, I finally decided to part with it. What a relief.

Clean-up week occurs once or twice a year, and everyone puts all their items outside for garbage pick-up, but it’s also a free-for-all. I placed some other items out there, too, and it will be fun to see what’s taken before Monday’s garbage pick-up! Lydia and her friends have had fun lounging on the couch…outside! But it has already been taken!

Now that the couch is gone, there is a lot more space in our exercise area. We are better able to utilize the space after some rearranging. We also went through some toys and other small items to give away. To celebrate the space, we had a picnic for dinner last night. We sat on beach towels on the floor. Lydia was so happy and asked to join me in a circuit workout!

The grass began really greening up this week, after some light rain. Soon, I’ll have to mow. Today, it is warm but a little windy. Still, we can’t complain about such beautiful weather!

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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 Food and Nutrition, Gratitude, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Wisdom

Beets for Breakfast

Oatmeal, bagels, muffins, toast, cereal, fruit, eggs, etc…. Usually, I keep my breakfast simple and straightforward. I’ll eat just about anything, but I don’t try anything fancy Monday through Friday due to time constraints.

So, the other day, I was throwing together my breakfast in a rush. My usual options just didn’t sound appealing, or in a couple of cases, I had run out of those items. So, I grabbed whatever I had on hand.

That day, I ate beets for breakfast, as well as some other veggies, and egg, and some cooked whole grains (barley and millet, that day) all tossed together!! Everything but the egg was leftover from other meals. I added the egg for some protein on a whim, but I don’t usually use the stove in the morning. 

And hey!! It was surprisingly delicious!! Beets are one of my favorite vegetables, along with peppers, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, etc. While I don’t normally think of them as breakfast food, that day, they were perfect. Plus, the boost of creativity made me happy as I left for work. 

Guess what? My lunches for work are often like my breakfast. A little bit of everything thrown in one container. My coworkers always ask what I brought, and I show them all my leftovers! Yes, cooking for two means eating the same thing for a few days!

Professionally, I ask people every day about their lifestyle habits and their relationship with food. People tell me all sorts of interesting details! Then, I help them make small changes that add up and help meet their goals. I love being a dietitian!

Lately, at work, I’ve had several patients tell me of their favorite food combinations. One person loves dipping saltine crackers into coffee, while another enjoys potato chips and ice cream, too! Sweet and salty, perhaps?!

There’s no real right or wrong way to eat breakfast or lunch… or even dinner. Sure, I’d recommend a healthy mix of protein, carbohydrates, and even some non-starchy vegetables, less sweets and fast food. But ultimately, it’s important to just eat something. 

Regardless of what you eat for breakfast (or if you eat first thing!), I see a parallel for how God meets our needs. Sometimes, the solution is straightforward and sometimes it’s a little more creative (or crazy?!). But, it always is just what we need, when we need it.

We can look to Jesus as an example. He came as an ordinary baby, died as a criminal (though innocent), rose as a Victorious King, and then prepared breakfast for His disciples.

Surely, He knows what He is doing. We can trust His timing and provision!

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God, with You nothing is random or an afterthought. What may feel like chaos to us is just an opportunity to trust You more. Help us see You in each part of our day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Do you like beets? What are your favorite breakfast foods? Do you keep it simple or do you go wild? How can you trust God more today?

Tasks: Let go of preconceived ideas for what your day should go like. Let God surprise you!

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #249

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 fun week, and I was reminded many times of God’s grace, presence and provision. On Sunday, we sang Happy Birthday to my sister over Zoom. We couldn’t all be together, but we did make a list of all the things we love about her!

Work went well all around, at the VA and Concordia. I realized an old coworker also is now at the VA, so I hope to run into her soon! I also held my last class of the semester, which happened to be over Zoom. I also finished grading some papers and made a final exam for next week!

This week, I nearly wrapped up final details on my forthcoming book! It is really an exciting feeling to be…. sooo close. It has turned out so well. I will keep you posted with the details, but I hope to make it official very soon! 😉

Today, Lydia and I went with a friend to look for an apartment. We enjoyed seeing various options, though I am thankful I am not the one moving! It made me appreciate my house all the more!

Today, we also stopped by our church for a drive thru Christmas gift of hot cocoa and ingredients to make sugar cookies. It will be fun to bake the cookies, hopefully tomorrow. I’m grateful for my church family!

Tonight, I am making a vegetable soup, helping Lydia with some math homework, and planning for the next semester of teaching! It’s been a wonderful week!

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

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

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

Finding Grace #246

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 went really well. We had a good Zoom meeting with family on Sunday, and we also made some Asian-style dumplings with a friend. We made some extras and enjoyed them for leftovers later in the week!

Work at the VA went well, and I got to fill in and work some additional hours. I appreciated the opportunity and am glad to help my team! I also received high marks on my performance evaluation, which makes me really grateful for God’s grace!

On Friday, my college students and I enjoyed a Zoom class event with other health disciplines. Then, I spent the rest of the day (before picking up Lydia) crossing off several items on my to-do list! It felt good to catch up around the house, make several calls, and drop off items in the mail.

Today is Lydia’s birthday. I am so thankful for my girl! She has been looking forward to this day for months!! Besides opening gifts from me, she received a number of cards and gifts in the mail. I really appreciate everyone’s generosity toward her! Thank you!

Today, we went shopping (errands), saw a good friend, ate some yummy food, and talked with family on the phone and via Zoom. Tonight, we are watching the Netflix movie, “Jingle Jangle.” It’s been a good day celebrating!

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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, Perseverance, Prayer

Finding Grace #238

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 smoother than last! It was still somewhat stressful, but I’m grateful a friend stopped to pray for me. I tried to get more sleep, too.

Lydia had a fun week. She continues to enjoy school and daycare. Also, on Wednesday night, a friend offered to take Lydia to church with her family, so I could have a little extra time at home. I picked her up afterward, but it was very helpful!

Work continues to be busy, but I am enjoying what I do. It was fun to grade some assignments this week, though it can be difficult at times to assess someone else’s learning! Nonetheless, I feel privileged to work both with Veterans and college students.

Yesterday evening, I mowed the lawn, hopefully for the last time this season. I had to run and get gas beforehand, so it was a last minute choice. I mowed as fast as I could and finished just before it got too dark. The street lights came on, so that really helped! 😉

This weekend, I have some more assignments to grade and prepare. I have a couple of projects to continue working on, too. I’m trying to find a good balance!

Tonight, some friends are coming over. It will be the first time we have been together since March! I am looking forward to catching up!

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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, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Wisdom

Finding Grace #237

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, but I didn’t get enough sleep! I stayed up late several nights for various reasons, only to get up early to go to work and daycare. I had some technical difficulties that took until Wednesday to resolve. Thankfully, there were no serious problems, just a lot of back and forth and playing phone tag with IT support.

Lydia had a lot of fun at daycare and school this week. She worked on several really cool artsy projects at daycare and home. At school, she enjoyed seeing her friends and bringing homework to do on her days off. A win-win, perhaps?!

Work went well for me this week all around, but there is just so much going on! Thankfully, the activities I get to do are all worthwhile. It makes a huge difference when you enjoy the tasks overall and see the purpose behind the work. I had some fun, engaging conversations with both Veterans and students! Thank You, Jesus!

This week’s weather was gorgeous. I enjoyed driving all over town to work, school, daycare, and a few stores while running errands. I love seeing all the stunning colors!

Today, I worked on a project and graded some assignments. Tonight some friends were supposed to come over, but we cancelled when some of their family members weren’t feeling well. It’s better to be wise and safe. Instead of visiting with friends, I am continuing my projects and enjoying some time with Lydia!

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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, Food and Nutrition, Life is Short, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #233

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 great week! On Sunday, we enjoyed our usual church gathering, and I noticed some of the trees are already starting to change colors! I saw beautiful yellow leaves, but I’m not sure I’m ready for cooler weather… 🙂

On Monday, I attended orientation at the local college where I will be teaching a nutrition class! The semester starts this next week. It was good that I did because I learned a lot, met some great people, and got a little more acclimated to my department.

This week, I celebrated one year working at the VA! I can’t believe how fast this year flew. I have really enjoyed serving Veterans, and I love working with a wonderful team of dietitians and other staff! At the same time, I have been challenged and grown professionally, which positions me well to teach at the college this fall. #winning

This week, I made some exciting progress on a few projects. It can be challenging to keep everything straight, but my family was good to offer input on some key decisions. I also confirmed plans for Lydia’s fall school and daycare options. This included calls, emails, and paperwork. It was a big week, and I had to keep everything straight! It was a little complex, but, I am really thankful for God’s provision and direction.

Yesterday and Today, I have been hyper-focused on finishing up my syllabus! I mowed a couple days ago and postponed hanging out with a friend so I could keep my momentum. Earlier, Lydia helped me with some housework (teamwork makes it faster). Then, she after that, she spent much of her time playing with a friend. So, that has been helpful!

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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)!