Category: Finding Grace Weekly Recap

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #463

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 Sundog Winter photo and picture

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

This week felt like a wildcard! It was good, no doubt, just lots of things going on.

Work was good and busy. I was on the go all day for a couple of days, moving from one class or appointment to the next. It does make the time go fast, though! We also had a new dietetic intern start with us; she will be at the VA for the next few months.

We had routine dentist and orthodontic appointments today. I picked Lydia up early from school, and spending a little extra time with her was nice.

I tried some new strength training workouts this week! It is fun trying to push myself.

The weather was another wild card. It was below zero for several days, with some 20s and 30s in there, too. We had both sundogs and moondogs! I chose to enjoy the weather for the most part, though on Friday, I felt like I was going to blow away! 🙂

Today was pretty quiet as Lydia hung out with a friend. We did some chores, and I caught up with phone calls and reading. I also spent some time in prayer.

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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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #462

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 winter snow nature illustration

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

This was a good week with lots of interesting things! I have noticed it staying a little lighter each night. I read something recently that said we’ve gained almost an hour of daylight at this latitude since the winter solstice!

I had about a dozen prayer requests for friends, family, and coworkers this week. I am grateful we can trust God with these heavy burdens. He is faithful and true!

On Tuesday, I celebrated my 17th wedding anniversary. Marrying Dave is still one of the best decisions I have ever made! We were a really good team. I miss him, but I am so grateful for our time together.

Work went well with no major surprises! My coworkers officially had the day off for President Jimmy Carter’s funeral, but three of us opted to work and cover the load. I already had several patients scheduled, and we were told not to reschedule unless the Veteran requested it. I was happy to come in and got extra pay as a result. The pace was constant, but I had nice patients who were grateful we were there!

On Friday, after work, I went to the local bookstore for a cup of coffee while working on some edits for the church project I was asked to help with. I enjoyed the atmosphere, and it reminded me of all the spent there writing and editing my book!

While we received some light snow today, we’ve had a fairly mild winter thus far. I have heard some songbirds, and this week, I used my Merlin Bird ID app to identify a black-capped chickadee’s song. It was sweet and cheerful. I did not see the little bird, but they are cute and made my day!

Today, I read a book, made some calls, did a few chores, and got my oil changed. I updated my budget and am enjoying spending less overall while we use up some of our storage items (a.k.a. shopping our shelves). Of course, I have seen many tempting online ads, so I removed a couple of apps from my phone. Additionally, it would be fun to see if we can avoid going to the grocery store for a full month, but I am not putting pressure on us to do that. We’ll see how it goes!

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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

Finding Grace #461

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 Mountains Nature photo and picture

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

This was a good week with a mixture of work and relaxation!

Work was busy, but it was nice to have Wednesday off for New Year’s Day. Monday and Tuesday were busy, and then Thursday and Friday were calmer. I was able to stay on top of things, but I also got ahead on some projects for the next few weeks.

On Wednesday, I enjoyed cooking, exercising, and starting my new Bible plan for the year. I watched a show and mostly relaxed. I could get used to having a day off in the middle of the week! 😉

The weather was closer to normal, but we still don’t have much snow! I’m sure we will get more soon, but I am grateful!

My internet went out this week, and I spent three hours working on it. My brothers were great at helping me via text, but I still needed to call the company to send a service person. He came the next day after work and still spent an hour figuring it out! Thankfully, it’s all good now. I still don’t quite know what the problem was, lol!

I spent about four hours on the phone this week at various points. I enjoyed catching up with family and friends. I feel blessed to have good connections with people who care about me (and vice versa)!!

Today, Lydia and I did a little cleaning but mostly relaxed. Tonight, we’re watching “Your Friend, Nate Bargatze” on Netflix. He’s quite funny, and I appreciate the clean comedy!

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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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #460

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 Winter Snow photo and picture

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

This was a relaxing week! I went to work on Monday and had off most of the week after that!

Tuesday was Christmas Eve. It was declared a federal holiday (just this year), and I appreciated having an extra day off. Our church’s Christmas Eve service was so good, and I am glad we got to attend!

Christmas Day was peaceful and relaxed. We enjoyed opening gifts, reading, playing games, baking bread, and just hanging out. It was good to connect with family remotely, too.

On Thursday, Lydia and I ran a couple of errands. Then, she had an eye doctor’s appointment, and we went to see the movie Mufasa. It was good!

The weather was pretty mild this week. It almost feels like spring! We still have snow, but I see a fair amount of grass, too!

We happily stayed home again on Friday, and I spent a fair amount of time working on my budget for the next year. I also finished some other end-of-year projects and put away the Christmas decorations. Usually, I leave them up longer, but this year, I wanted to clear the space and start the year off with a clean house!

Today, I had the opportunity to work in the VA kitchen again! This time, I worked a full day, mostly on my feet running around. There was not much downtime, and I got about 12,000 steps while I was there. Later, another dietitian also came to help, so that was fun. The other staff were grateful, and I’ve appreciated getting to know them better!

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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, Parenting

Finding Grace #459

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 with a fun family Zoom call. I enjoy catching up and watching my niece and nephew experience the joys of Christmas.

Tuesday was Dave’s birthday. On Monday night, Lydia got her ears pierced with a second hole at a tattoo shop to celebrate. It was an unexpected blessing because the man reminded me of Dave!

Work was busy but good. I was able to stay on top of my charting even though I picked up a few extra patients. In the new year, I will likely be taking on more responsibilities in teaching. So, this week, I spent some time preparing and planning. We had an employee holiday party on Wednesday with games, music, ugly Christmas sweaters, a potato bar, and treats. On Friday, we had a departmental potluck, which was fun, too!

On Thursday, we received some snow. I cleared just enough snow to get in and out of the driveway, letting my snow service do the bigger job. So, yesterday, I was going to clear snow off my sidewalks after work. But my neighbor did them for me! I was grateful because that gave me time to check my oil, add air to my tires, change two lightbulbs, and wrap Christmas gifts for Lydia!

Yesterday, I took the above picture while walking into work. The sun coming over the top of the VA building and between the church and the giant tree was so pretty. The beauty and peace set my whole day on a good path!

Today, we went to Bonanzaville (a local pioneer/historical settlement) for a short Christmas play. The theme was A Charlie Brown Christmas, and the kids did a great job! After that, we ran to Menards for some lightbulbs and a few holiday items.

Happy First Day of Winter! Starting tomorrow, the days will be a little longer. 🙂

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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, Kindness, Miscellaneous, Perseverance

Finding Grace #458

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 Red Fruits Ice Crystals photo and picture

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

This was an active week with lots going on! On Sunday, we attended the 98th Annual Concordia Christmas Concert. Our neighbor had extra tickets; we are glad she thought of us! We really enjoyed each of the choirs and the orchestra.

On Monday, I stayed home from work due to bronchitis. I just wanted an extra day since I was still coughing a bit. I went back on Tuesday and felt much better, though I still have a random cough.

This week, Lydia and I went to the chiropractor. Those visits are helpful and less painful now that I have been working on mobility in between sessions! My chiropractor is amazing, but she can only do so much for me! It’s my job to do the rest.

On Wednesday, I had a peaceful evening. I worked on the church editing project after taking Lydia to church. I was able to finish it on Friday, at least this round!

Thursday’s excitement after work was videotaping my testimony at church. I did this about nine years ago, so it was fun to see how their process has changed. I know I have changed too, so how I conveyed the story was also different. I was not as tearful, thankfully! I am not sure when they will show it, but I know it will bring God glory!

On Friday, I took the day off from work for Lydia’s holiday chamber orchestra concert! They went to a local nursing home late in the morning, and I was glad I could make it! I ran some errands and caught up around the house, using part of a time-off award I had earned previously.

Today, I was on-call and was also scheduled for some additional hours. This morning, I went to work for two consults. Later, I went in to help in the kitchen for the evening shift. They are short-handed and asked if some of us dietitians would cover for awhile. I haven’t worked in food service since college, so being back in that environment was fun! I put on about 7,000 steps in three hours!

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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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #457

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 christmas christmas headdress decoration illustration

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

This week was encouraging! I met for coffee with a dear friend on Sunday afternoon. We had a good time catching up, and our conversation stuck with me for several days.

We also had a good time on family Zoom. My four-year-old nephew is so funny, and I enjoy his seasonal excitement. It is special to see his understanding of Jesus and how we celebrate Him.

Work was busy, and I had to advocate for a patient who has been having ongoing troubles. The VA is doing well to serve him, but he’s having difficulty getting the care he needs elsewhere. We’ve gone above and beyond, so I hope he’s on the mend soon.

On Wednesday, we had something called a “snow sqaull.” The snow blew at high speeds all day, but we only had about half an inch of true accumulation. Still, I had over half of my driveway covered with foot-deep drifts. I spent over an hour shoveling and snowblowing since my snow service doesn’t come unless we reach the one-inch ‘trigger.’ It was bitter cold, but nothing I couldn’t handle. My mobility work made my back feel much better than I expected afterward!

Ironically, around the time, I started feeling sick. It is likely related to the cold, dry weather because my lungs are taking the brunt of it. It is exactly how I felt when I was sick almost all of June. This summer, I hoped to feel better on my own, but I ended up going to the doctor three times. Yesterday, I went in much sooner to get on top of it. The provider called it bronchitis and gave me an antibiotic, a steroid, and another inhaler. I am so glad I decided to go in since I don’t have time to be sick!

This week, I felt confirmation that I am right where God wants me. The snow essentially took priority on Wednesday, and I was glad to have the flexibility. Life just slows down when it comes to blizzardy weather, and I am glad I didn’t have to rush around! Later, I was asked to help with a small editing project for my church. This is a joy for me, and I would not be able to do it if I was overbooked.

Today, I mostly rested. I did some gentle exercise that was easy on my lungs. I promise I didn’t push myself too hard! Then, I worked on the editing project and our typical Saturday things. Lydia and I had a good discussion on resiliency and follow-through. We also finally got around to decorating for Christmas!

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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, Kindness, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #456

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! It started off busy and ended up fairly ‘chill.’

Monday through Wednesday was full of patients. It was a little hectic at times! But, it all turned out well. I also went in on Friday, but by then, it was fairly quiet!

Work was a bit slower, though still steady. I simply had less patients scheduled but still got a lot of things done. It was nice to have a lighter load. As such, I had time to call some extra patients and finish a few small projects.

We received a few snow flurries throughout the week, but no major accumulation. The temperatures were lower than usual, but we dressed warm and were fine. With no wind, it really wasn’t that bad! 😉

Thanksgiving was on Thursday. We had a really relaxing day with no real plans. It was a perfect day reading, watching movies, laughing, etc. I made a few dishes, including a delicious pumpkin pie tart.

On Friday, Lydia volunteered with a friend’s family to help at the combined annual Cookies with the Claus Family and Festival of Trees events by Fraser, Ltd. This organization serves several underprivileged groups around the area and is North Dakota’s oldest non-profit. She had fun passing out cookies and guiding people along. She even got to ride in a horse-drawn sleigh! She was gone most of the day but came home excitedly telling me about it all. I think it made a good impression on Lydia; she’s already talking about volunteering next year!

Today, I exercised and worked on a few simple projects around the house while Lydia hung out with a friend. It was a good way to relax!

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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, Fear, Faith, and Moving Forward book, Fear/Don't Fake Brave, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Fruit, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Kindness, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Perfectionism, Pivot, Prayer, Travel, Words, Worship

Finding Grace #455

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 Forest Path photo and picture

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

This week was thankfully less busy than the last two.

Sundays have been more relaxing since we’ve been attending the early church service. We’ve had time to prepare for the next week at a slower pace. It feels like a longer day and I feel more refreshed!

Work was a bit slower, though still steady. I simply had less patients scheduled but still got a lot of things done. It was nice to have a lighter load. As such, I had time to call some extra patients and finish a few small projects.

We received a few inches of snow on Tuesday night and Wednesday. I did a little shoveling but left the main part for the snow service. It is nice to have them come help me, though I still do a fair amount of work throughout the season!

Lydia’s birthday was on Thursday, and she was tickled by the special letter I wrote for her! She wanted to go to dinner and then watch a movie at home with some ice cream. In a way, we have already been celebrating for a week or two. That’s becaue she received various gifts when my mother-in-law visited and through the mail from family.

Friday after work, I ran a few errands and then called my mom to catch up. We had a great time chatting and it is always so encouraging. Later, my dad called to say hi, too. I always appreciate those calls!

Today, we saw Wicked (part 1) at the movie theater. I saw the Broadway production years ago, but it was fun to introduce Lydia to it. In fact, I like Wicked better than the Wizard of Oz! The movie version had some fun cameos and great music. The flying monkeys were still a little scary, though!

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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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #454

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 Autumn Forest photo and picture

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

This week was busy but good!

Monday was Veterans Day, and while I love serving them, I was grateful for a day off work. Lydia and I hung out in the morning and then spent a couple hours helping a friend itemize household goods for insurance reasons.

Tuesday through Friday was crazy at work! I had a lot of patients scheduled, but also had a few calls and requests each day. I covered a couple of other areas and did not take many breaks. But, I did my best and did what was needed.

On Thursday evening, we got dressed up and attended a fancy event. My coworker invited us to a fundraiser for the Catholic campus ministry at NDSU. The vast majority of students who come to college with a faith background leave without it. So, it is a vital time to build into these young adults. I was glad to give support, knowing people were there for me when I needed it back then. I met another dietitian, saw some other coworkers from different departments, and we had good food!  We had fun and were happy to be included!

On our drive home that evening, Lydia and I talked about certain differences between Catholics and our own Christian background. I am glad she could ask questions, and it was a good introduction for her. We circled back to the similarities, primarily that we all love Jesus and want to honor Him. Knowing what you believe and why is important, so it was a worthwhile event in many ways!

Today, we mostly relaxed. It was much needed after a full 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)!