Tag: Birds

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

Finding Grace #473

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 Bird American Robin photo and picture

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

This was a good week, but it felt rather busy!

We enjoyed having a dear friend visit on Sunday after church and Monday after work! We caught up and ordered Chinese food. It was great to see her!

We had an inch or so of snow, but it is gone again. The grass is still fairly brown and the trees are still bare. But, the songbirds are coming back!

Work kept me on my toes this week. I had several scheduled patients and also had a few unscheduled calls to make, along with some projects and meetings. I’m glad I was productive, and it always feels good to help people. A couple of Veterans even thanked me for what I did for them!

Yesterday after work, I saw The Chosen, Season 5, Episodes 1 & 2 in the movie theater. It was amazing. If you can see it on the bigscreen, do! Otherwise, you’ll be able to catch in Amazon Prime (soon) and later, the free Chosen app.

This week, I had to work through some minor challenges with Lydia. Mainly, she didn’t understand why I said no to an invitation she received. I didn’t have peace about it and needed her to trust me with little explanation. She thanked me later, and I am grateful that God is working in both of our hearts. We had fun hanging out together during that time instead.

Today, we did “Saturday things.” That means some cleaning, general chores, phone calls, and relaxing. I am grateful to have the time available at home! Also, I did see another robin today!

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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

Finding Grace #472

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 fairly normal week!

On Monday, a friend brought us some dinner. It was sweet of her to make us soup and cookies! When we give her back her dishes, Lydia plans to fill them with some treats in return. 🙂

Our snow is pretty much gone, other than a few small piles from the sidewalks and parking lots. It has been fun to see and hear more songbirds. I even saw my first robin of the Spring. It was on my deck singing one morning. Perhaps it is one-half of the pair that nests under my deck.

I took some lovely walks this week. Mostly inside due to the chilly wind, but one day, a coworker and I walked along a park near the VA. It was so good to be outside!

I got my taxes done this week. I enjoy seeing all God has done in my life and finances over the last year. He is always so faithful to provide for me!

Yesterday, I took the day off to enjoy some time with Lydia for her Spring Break! She had an appointment and then we did a little shopping. Later, Lydia made some cookies while I watched the new show, House of David, on Amazon Prime. It is dark and complex at times, but also beautiful!

Today marks one month since my mom relocated to Heaven. We miss her so much. I decided to buy myself some pretty flowers (above). Otherwise, I was on-call and had to go in for two patients. Then, I caught up around the house and called my aunt. Tonight, I am relaxing while Lydia is going to watch a hockey game with friends!

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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 Books and Movies I Like, Journey of Grace, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Perfectionism, Perseverance, Personality, Pivot, Prayer, Wisdom, Worship

Ducks In A Row

Spring means a lot of birds are arriving daily! I have noticed songbirds, geese, and ducks lately. Did you know there are over fifty types of ducks worldwide, including geese and swans? (This site reports 165, to be exact.)

Apparently, there are thirty-three different duck species in the United States. Some are friendly and some are territorial. As a side note, loons are not ducks. Now you know!

Not too long ago, I saw a picture of a duck with seventy-six ducklings following her! This article describes it as a ducky daycare of sorts. That makes me smile just thinking about it!

Just like God cares for the sparrows, he absolutely cares for the ducks, too!

Free Ducks Ducklings photo and picture

When life gets busy, we may say, “I need to get my ducks in row.” This expression suggests that we need to get organized or ensure all the details line up just so. It can be difficult because no one can keep all their ducks in a row for long! The ducks (or tasks) are constantly changing, even if they all cooperate and things go smoothly.

I definitely feel that way sometimes, and I am sure you do, too. I try to bend several ways to accomplish much more than I probably should. Lord help me!

I am listening to John Mark Comer’s book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. He writes how hurry and busyness lead to distraction and burnout. We tend to run, run, run, and leave little room for margin.

As Christians, this puts us in a dangerous position because if we are so busy all the time, we don’t take time to check in with God. Doing something FOR God is different than doing it WITH God.

King Saul learned that the difficult way in 1 Samuel 13. His soldiers were afraid and leaving the battle, and Saul got tired of waiting for God’s prophet to come. He took matters into his own hands, and because of his impatience and disobedience, Saul eventually lost everything.

Free Duck Ornithology photo and picture

God’s pace is SLOW compared to the world’s pace. We can only survive spiritually if we roll back the busyness and walk with God at the pace He sets. Not several steps ahead without checking in to see if we are actually supposed to go in that direction.

The author mentioned that God is love, and perfect love takes time. So do joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. For example, we need to slow down to love people well, enjoy the present moment, and have peace of mind. Helping people or listening to them takes intention. When we are faced with temptation, we are at risk if we jump right in before weighing options.

Slowing down likely means having fewer ducks overall (tasks on my to-do list). I won’t shirk my responsibilities or give away my little duckies, but when it’s time for them to fledge (our time together is complete), I don’t have to get more ducks ‘just because.’ I trust God to help me know what I can handle and what that looks like.

After all, God cares for the ducks, and He cares for me, too. All the world’s ducks are His. And all circumstances and the tasks in my little world are under His guidance, too. Or, at least, they are if I ask for His help and go at His pace!

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God, thanks for the gift of ducks! Thanks for the new life they represent and the joy they bring. Help me submit my daily schedule to you. Give me just the right amount of tasks and help me stay focused on You. I want to walk with You, In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: How many “ducks” are you in charge of right now? Is it too much or just enough? Are you trusting God?

Tasks: Let’s honor God by checking in with Him regarding our schedule. We can trust Him to give us just the right amount of ducks. Keep in mind chaos and overwhelm are NOT from Him… don’t beat yourself up if your ducks are running wild. Just bring them to Jesus and let Him help you!

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

Finding Grace #419

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 fun and a little unusual!

I took Monday off work to spend time with Lydia for her spring break. We ran a few errands together, and then I walked to Starbucks to meet a friend for coffee. We had a good chat, and she mentioned how grateful she was for my help as she’s been going through a difficult time. Then, I walked back. It was less than a mile round trip, but it felt good to be out enjoying the beautiful weather. It reached the 60s that day!

I worked my full tour on Tuesday but didn’t arrive at the office until 1 o’clock. That’s because I went to see three Veterans first. I went to a nursing home and two private residences in Fargo and Moorhead. The nursing home is very close to my house, so it made sense to start there. I noticed a goose on the roof, which made me smile to think it was guarding the facility! The rest of the day was spent charting, but I felt rather productive!

Wednesday was another short day since I had my taxes done before work. It was also RD Day, and we had lunch and a game for staff. This included trying to match fun facts with each coworker. We laughed a lot, and the two ladies on maternity leave brought in their babies so we could see and hold them.

Thursday was another lovely day, perfect for walking to the middle school for Lydia’s teacher conference. She is doing well and has received all good reports. It is great to see how she has grown this year! As a side note, someone confirmed Lydia is officially taller than me!

Friday was the last day of working extra hours. The last four months have been very good. But, I have been nonstop busy with patient care. I was grateful for the money and time to complete my work. But it will be nice to get back to my normal routine on MONDAY when the two dietitians return! We also had a new worker start, and we are all grateful to be fully staffed again!

Today, we were invited to a coworker’s house to visit. We took Sandy’s donuts and hung out with my friend, also named Natalie, her husband, and two little boys. It was fun to chat about all sorts of fun topics and see Natalie out of our normal environment! 🙂

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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, Pivot, Worship

Finding Grace #418

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 Geese Pond photo and picture

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

This was a good week, and it flew by! I found myself praising God for many things, including less stress, beautiful weather, Lydia, His provision, and more!

Work went well and was very full—no surprise there! I needed to squeeze in an unexpected home visit and was grateful two coworkers volunteered to take a few of my scheduled patients. I love my team—they are all great ladies and helpers!

Beyond work, I did not feel overly stressed or rushed. I had plenty to do, but I could go slower and relax a bit. As a result, I had the energy to tackle a few small projects without hurrying. So, I feel really good about that!

The weather was great this week. We had a few flurries but no real snow accumulation. It was in the 30s and 40s, with a mix of clouds and sun. I am starting to see and hear a lot more birds, too. Spring is on its way!

Today, I was supposed to meet a friend for coffee, but she had to reschedule. So, while I was out, I ran some errands to pick up a few groceries and home maintenance supplies. I also did a little reading, walking, and played a game with Lydia.

Don’t forget Daylight Savings Time starts again tomorrow! Be sure to turn your clocks one hour forward tonight!

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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, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Wisdom

Finding Grace #393

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 Sparrow Bird photo and picture

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

This week was full of several good activities!

On Monday evening, I went to the chiropractor for a routine adjustment. It’s incredible to see how well my body is holding each adjustment. My back sometimes gets sore, which is normal, but I have felt SO much better over the last year. Thank You, Jesus!

This week, I worked with an inspiring WWII Veteran. He is nearing 100 and was a POW before turning twenty years old. He was captured in the Battle of the Bulge and then went to a German prison camp. He earned several medals during his time of service. He is a true living legend, and I couldn’t help but think of the History he represents. Thankfully, he is still going strong, and I am honored to have met him!

On Wednesday, I helped out with a new program at church called Alpha. Lydia was at youth group, so the timing was perfect. I met several people and look forward to getting to know them more!

Lydia brought home her viola yesterday. She is learning a lot already and had fun showing me each part of then instrument. She even played a little song for me!

Lydia and I did some yardwork yesterday evening. She mowed and I pulled weeds, as we enjoyed the cool, calm weather. As the darkness settled in, I turned on the garage lights so we could work a little longer. Unfortunately, a little sparrow flew in and would not leave! We tried really hard to get it out, but I think it was scared or confused. It stayed overnight, left the next morning after we left the garage open for a bit. Whew!

This morning, Lydia and I attended a church conference. We enjoyed good food, fellowship, an encouraging message, and games. We made some new friends and caught up with others. It was encouraging! Then, at lunch, I even got to hold an 11-week-old baby. It was such a joy to soak up all the snuggles.

This afternoon, Lydia went with a friend’s family to the Bison game. NDSU won, and Lydia had fun walking around and cheering them on. Then, they went to the mall. (I enjoyed the quiet time at home and was able to get a few things done.) It was a good day!

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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, Travel

Finding Grace #381

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 very relaxing week filled with family on vacation! On Sunday, Fathers Day, we hung out with my dad and mom plus Dave’s family at the beach in Florida. It was a perfect day.

Then, on Monday, I tried surfing for the first time. I’m really proud of myself and felt strong and confident. Sometimes, we need to push out of our comfort zone and try something new. I am so glad I did, and I can’t wait to go again!

We flew back later Tuesday and spent the next day resting. Both of us weren’t feeling well, so I am glad I took Wednesday off from work ahead of time. Lydia did manage to go to volleyball practice, but then she skipped youth group and was in bed by 7:30 p.m.

On Thursday, I went to work a little late to make sure Lydia was okay. I wasn’t quite 100% either, but I pulled through. I knew I had a busy day covering for someone else who had been on vacation, too. Lydia just rested all day, which is the best thing she could have done.

By Friday, we were both healthy again. Lydia said the best part of her day was that she felt well. I stayed later at work to finish up some patient care and came home to do a few little tasks.

This week, I tore down a barnswallow nest earlier in the week (after confirming there were no eggs). They had already made a big mess, and I didn’t want them sitting right on my front door. I set out a little plastic owl figure on the step and haven’t seen them since. I hope they find another place to roost, though. They sure are pretty!

Today, we mostly relaxed! Usually, we jump right back into our routine, so it’s been nice to have a slower pace. It rained on and off all day, thus we enjoyed reading and having some quiet time together. I need to mow, but the grass is wet. I’ll take it as a confirmation just to rest!

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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

Finding Grace #379

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 Bird Barn Swallow photo and picture

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

This week went by quickly! I stayed home from work on Monday because Lydia was not feeling well. The heat over the weekend got to her, so we focused more on self-care and rehydrating. Thankfully, she felt better by the end of the day!

Work went well, and I kept busy with charting and patient care. I had some friendly patients but also helped my coworkers and read up on various nutrition topics.

After work yesterday, I ran some errands. Then, I came home to find a pair of barn swallows building a nest on my front door. This happened a few years ago, but I hung up a little dangly, twirly thing which seemed to help. This time, the birds were swinging on in and giving me a piece of their mind! They are pretty but feisty! So, I sat outside for a few hours in front of the door to shoo away the birds. I read a book and watered the grass, as well!

Later, I asked for input online and got some good tips to discourage the birds. For now, I put up some pinwheels until I decide which of the tips to implement. So far, so good!

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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, Perseverance, Worship

Finding Grace #373

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 Bird Female photo and picture

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

This week stood out to me, and I saw God’s grace every day. It was a week of old friends, good conversations, and throwback music. I even saw a cardinal at work, which I rarely see because I still have young trees at home. Just what I needed!

My friend, Krystal, now lives in Colorado with her husband, Owen, their three boys, and a new baby girl. Krystal was in town for a family event and brought two of her kids, including the baby. She and our friend, Sara, who also has a new baby, came over to visit with a third friend. We caught up over a few hours, and it was just like old times. (You may remember them from my book.) It was fun to see how much our lives have changed over the years.

Work was a little more relaxed this week, and it has been a nice change of pace. I appreciate our managers have listened and helped set up some better boundaries as far as our patient load. As it was, I still had several other calls to make, such as patient issues that popped up, as well as some projects to work on. I still needed to cover a few areas, but I’m glad I had a little margin.

On Thursday night, Lydia and I went to see a living legend, Steven Curtis Chapman, in concert at the Fargo Theater! Lydia wasn’t really sure who he was at first, but soon felt an emotional connection to his music. It could be that they have the same birthday, but she related our missing Dave to his own losses and grief. Hearing him discuss faith and perseverance was the best! It encouraged us to keep moving forward!

Last night, Lydia and I played a game and watched the birds outside in the yard. Today, we worked on some projects and organized around the house. Lydia also went on a little bike ride in our neighborhood with a friend. It feels great that Spring is here!

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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)!