Finding Grace #150

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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 flew by, but went well. Recently, I recorded a video about my story and grief for church. Lydia and I were there when the video was shown Monday evening. Now she thinks I’m famous (haha!). I love her current age and stage!

Tuesday and Wednesday were fairly normal. It’s been chilly all week, but it hasn’t snowed. I’m really glad I haven’t had to shovel or blow away snow lately!

This week, I caught up with people in four different states. On Thursday, I caught up with a dear friend, who moved away this summer. Then, on Friday, I talked with three other people!! I also invited a friend over for an impromtu dinner. It made me feel so good. What a blessing!

Today, Lydia and I hung out at home. Our neighbor boys came over to play for a few hours. We played, ate snacks, and watched the new Carmen Sandiego show on Netflix. I also made up a game called ‘Apple Zombie Tickle Monster’ which was a hit! Basically, it was me chasing and tickling all the kids much to their delight. 😉 Creativity for the win!

This evening, Lydia and I also caught up with my parents, and discussed tomorrow’s lunar eclipse (in addition to the super blood wolf moon)! We also ate leftover veggie enchilada bake and some cherry cobbler I made yesterday. A grand finale to an awesome week!

I’m grateful for how God always directs our path and blesses us. He is 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)!

Regarding Lazarus

Last year I began scribing the Gospel of John with several friends. A handful of people have finished but I’m about halfway through. I recently completed John Chapter 11 word-for-word.

I stayed in Chapter 11 through the holidays. You could say I “sat” with Lazarus for about two weeks because I could relate…

Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, were close friends of Jesus. They lived in Bethany, about two miles outside Jerusalem. Somehow, I had previously missed that small detail—Bethany was nearby.

Jesus received word that Lazarus was sick, but surprisingly He didn’t go there right away. In fact, He postponed his arrival for two days. By then, Lazarus was dead.

Now I don’t know about you, but a two-mile walk would take me around thirty minutes or less. It might take me longer if I stopped to chat or run another errand. But I could easily make it in an hour.

So why did Jesus delay? He could have easily just spoken from a distance and Lazarus would have been healed. Jesus did not procrastinate but stayed where He was on purpose. He knew the Father’s plan and He knew the final outcome.

To gain some insight, I re-read the story several times.

At one point it hit me: I could understand how Martha and Mary must’ve felt when they questioned Jesus. Perhaps they felt some sense of betrayal, anger, or abandonment… He was only 2 miles away. I’m sure they felt desperation and the pain of unbearable grief. IF ONLY Jesus had shown up, when they thought He should, things would’ve been different.

My paraphrase: “Lord, if you had been here, this would never have happened!!” We so easily question God with our limited understanding, but His ways are not our ways.

When Dave was sick, there were so many times when it felt like God wasn’t listening or wasn’t working on our behalf. Often, we prayed about a test or symptom only to have the opposite happen. It was very frustrating!

I know God never leaves us nor forsakes us, and He certainly did not betray me. But my feelings sometimes got the best of me…

Yet, because Jesus stayed put and didn’t rush, He was then able to explain that He is the Resurrection and the Life. He was able to do one final miracle, which pointed to His own death and resurrection. He was able to increase His followers’ faith. He was able to bring His Father glory. He was able to give us hope 2000+ years later as well.

A short while later, in John 12, Jesus once again hangs out with his friends, Mary, Martha, and the resurrected Lazarus. I bet they all rehashed what they had been through together.

I wonder what Lazarus thought about all of this. I’m sure he and his sisters were grateful to be able to understand God’s love for them in a more personal way.

Time for a quick disclaimer: Our Heavenly Father wants what is good for us and is eager that we should be whole and healthy. And while I do believe we should seek God’s healing, healing should not be our primary goal (in and of itself).

Healing is certainly wonderful, but it’s not the end-all be-all. (Hey, Lazarus died twice!)

To be clear, sickness is not from God, and it is important to take care of our bodies in whatever way we can. For example, healthy food, exercise, adequate sleep, stress reduction, medicine, prayer, and counseling are all good. Absolutely!

For some people, healing happens in an instant, but for others, it takes time. Unfortunately, when healing doesn’t come on our terms or in our timing, some people are lead to believe they don’t have enough faith. They can even feel ashamed of being unwell.

Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Judging someone else’s faith or experience is unfair and unkind... not to mention inaccurate. Let’s be careful not add to someone’s suffering or burden them with ‘if only’ scenarios. Instead, let’s offer grace and support.

Some of the godliest and most faith-filled people I know live with chronic pain or health issues. I admire them and learn so much from them! They’re tough!

Anyway, no matter what happens, whether God heals us on our terms or not, our sole focus should be on Jesus. How can He use us for His glory?

Just remember: God can use us in whatever condition we are... dead or alive!! 🙂

Jesus wept when He saw Lazarus’ tomb. It brought Jesus great sadness, and He told His disciples He was glad for their sake that He was not there when Lazarus died. But if He had “only” healed Lazarus, we ALL would have missed so much.

Lazarus was dead four days before being resurrected, which proves nothing is impossible for Jesus! If you need healing or another form of help, Jesus is able and willing! Trust Him!

Dave and I prayed for healing, yes. And though it came differently than expected, God was (and has been) ever-faithful. Dave received FULL healing when he went to Heaven. Thankfully, God has been healing my heart as well.

I am grateful that Jesus isn’t bound by my timeline (what I think He should do and when). I don’t have all the answers, but I do know God excels at bringing dead things to life. He resurrects and restores!

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Heavenly Father, You are so faithful. Thanks taking such good care of us. Help us trust You when we do not understand. In You, We have Victory! In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: What is your ‘Lazarus?’ What do you need God to resurrect or restore?

Tasks: Listen to “Still Rolling Stones,” by Lauren Daigle. Check out the Journibles here!

Finding Grace #149

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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

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

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

This week was full of surprises and blessings. On Sunday, Lydia woke up not feeling well, so we stayed home from church. Thankfully, she felt better later in the day. I spent the “extra” time in the kitchen and prepared meals for the week. I also made some raspberry chia jam and chocolate banana bread! So yummy!

Monday was a little bittersweet because it was my 11th wedding anniversary. It was my sixth one without Dave. I spent the day running errands and thanking God for the time we had together. I also reposted this on my Facebook page (from a few years ago)!

On Thursday, I went downtown Fargo with a good friend. We both needed to run errands and decided to go to lunch together! Along the way, we went to a specialty shop so I could taste-test some flavored vinegars. I bought a fig-infused dark balsamic vinegar and a peach-infused white balsamic vinegar. I can’t wait to use them in creative ways!

On Friday, our friends gave us tickets for the Fargo Force hockey game (thank you!). Lydia and I had so much fun cheering on the team. We try to go every year, but now Lydia is able to follow the game better. Our team won in overtime!

I’m grateful for how God always directs our path and blesses us. He is 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)!

Forecasting Faithfulness

At first, I thought Lydia was grumpy. But, after a few instances of her being “mouthy,” I decided to address her bad attitude and sass.

The next time I told her to pick out her clothes for the next day, I made some suggestions based on the weather forecast. “But, you don’t know the future!” she yelled.

Thankfully, I remained calm and did not yell back! 🙂

With a deep breath of grace, I said, “Come here, Lydia.” As she climbed on my lap, I gave her a gentle hug and showed her the weather app on my phone.

Then, I addressed the heart of the matter.

“You’re right,” I said. “I don’t know the future. But God does. And, in Jeremiah 29:11, He tells us He has plans to give us a hope and a future.”

I let that sink in…

“And, do you know why God’s plans for us are good?”

“Because He is good?” she replied.

“Yes, Lydia! God loves us so much and only has good things in store for us. So, we can trust Him to do what is right and best for us.”

I continued the parallel that Lydia needed to be respectful because I too want what is best for her. Then, she agreed to “check” her attitude, before we hugged and returned to our activities.

It’s winter here in Fargo, and we’ve had a wide range of temperatures lately. In the last week, we’ve ranged from below zero to above 40 degrees (heatwave!). I’ve noticed my weather app will only predict the forecast about a week out. It will only get me so far!

Yes, even with today’s technology, the weather forecast can still be wrong. Also, I find that it can be a ‘crazy’ weather day, but it can still be beautiful outside.

While Life doesn’t come with a handy phone app, God has given us everything we need so we can live for Him (2 Peter 1:3). Not only did he create the weather, His love never fails!

If we ask Him, God will give us insights for our day and prepare us for all of Life’s storms.

We have forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

We have His presence and power through the Holy Spirit. Nothing is impossible!

We’re instructed how to successfully dress for daily battles (Ephesians 6).

Jesus gives us peace in the midst of chaos. He is our strength when we are weak. He directs our path, even in the dark (Psalm 119:105).

As this new year begins, we each can have a fresh start. Some people just finished an amazing year and are looking forward to bigger and better things. And, some are still trying to make sense of unexpected ‘storms’ last year—picking up the pieces to rebuild whatever they can.

Or, perhaps you’re somewhere in between. Either way, we can trust our faithful God. Only He knows what is coming—and only He can prepare us for it.

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Heavenly Father, thanks for leading me and guiding me. Lord, I don’t know the future, but I trust that what You have for me is good. Help me follow after You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: What are you looking forward to this year? Are you trusting Jesus to lead you?

Tasks: Don’t be a fairweather Christian. In every season, draw near and trust Jesus.

Top Priority

Happy New Year! Did you make any resolutions for this new year?

I usually set some goals for the year, and I do plan on making a few positive changes.

But, most of the changes are actually “more of the same” or continuations of old goals (that I did not accomplish yet). Oh, well! 🙂

Recently, I read an insightful article about resolutions. The part that stuck with me is that we depend on ourselves to make the changes and forget to rely on God’s power and direction.

Perhaps that’s one reason why so many people don’t stick with their resolutions… in addition to trying to do too much. We often add something new but don’t let go of the old habits, patterns, or schedules. Too much is too much!

These last two weeks of ‘winter break’ have been so restful. I have realized just how much I needed the break. So this year, I am going to keep it simple.

Thankfully, I don’t feel the need to prove anything. I just want to do my best each day and trust Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Everything I need is in Him.I want to honor Jesus in everything I do. Bringing glory to God is my highest goal and the only one that really matters. Walking with Him brings Victory and adventure!

This means staying close to Him and listen for His voice. This often requires me to slow down and do less—a challenge for a recovering overachiever and perfectionist!

But, I have learned a few big lessons in recent years:

If I am too busy to spend time with Jesus, then I am too busy.

If I am too busy to love others, I am too busy.

If I am too busy to maintain a good attitude, then I am likely too busy.

If I am too busy to eat well, move in healthy ways, and get adequate sleep on a regular basis, then I am probably too busy.

Instead of setting new goals or waffling on resolutions, this year, I am going to rest in Jesus. He blesses me, He is gracious to me, and He gives me peace.

Sure, I have a lot I would like to accomplish. But Jesus comes first.

He is my top priority!

Jesus is with me and for me. He is ever faithful; His love never fails. Everything else will fall into place as I seek Him. He is so good!

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God, thanks for another chance to praise You! Help me simplify this year as I focus on You. Help me live for You each day and put You first. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: What big goals do you hope to accomplish this year? How can you put Jesus first, trusting Him to help you?

Tasks: Make Jesus your top priority. He is worth it!

2018 Annual Review

Happy Boxing Day!! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. 😉

Lydia and I had our best Christmas yet! We really appreciated receiving some invitations to join others, but we ended up doing our own thing instead.

On Christmas Eve, we hosted another family from church. We enjoyed celebrating Jesus with them! We ate yummy food and had great conversation.

On Christmas Day, we enjoyed a relaxing breakfast and then opened presents. Lydia received several fun gifts, including some clothes, books, games, and science kits.

After that, we talked with some friends and family. We thought about going to the movies, but decided to go sledding instead. We had so much fun and even saw another family enjoying the chilly day. It was perfect.

Later, Lydia played with some of her new toys while I exercised. Then, we put together some bath goodies from one of the science kits. She’s never been so excited to take a bath! 😉

Finally, after a relaxing day, we watched a Christmas movie together. We have the rest of the week off as well, so I’m sure we will do some more fun activities!

This year flew by. Thankfully, it had more ups than downs. We saw God’s grace all around us in more ways than we can count. He is so faithful.

Lydia and I took some fun trips and spent time with loved ones. We stepped foot in at least 6 states. I’m grateful for my car and God’s protection and provision!

This year, we both pushed our limits and tried new things. Everything from recipes to outdoor Christmas lights. One highlight is that we went kayaking and Lydia loved it!

Lydia has done well in school and enjoys learning. My job is stable and I feel like I am making a difference. I’m so grateful for God’s blessings!

This year, I have felt humbled in many ways. I have become more aware of my flaws and all that I still need to learn. (Yes, I’m human!) 😉

I usually set a lot of goals, but didn’t meet most of them this year. I met my most important goals, but still left a lot on the table. In order to prioritize a big project, I kind of slacked off elsewhere! I made progress, but I also have a lot to finish or catch up!

Still, I have learned to accept God’s grace for my perceived failures and trust Him to lead me. I’m grateful I don’t have to be perfect. Jesus is My Righteousness!

I’ll probably set similar goals this year (haha, I can’t help it!). But I have learned to give myself grace and be more present day-to-day.

This year, I have challenged several fears head-on and moved forward anyway. Despite not meeting all of my goals, I have still grown as a person, and am happy with who I am becoming! 🙂

Thankfully, God’s mercies are new every day. I just have to stay focused on Jesus and walk with Him. Everything else will work out in due time!

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Heavenly Father, thanks for walking with us each and every day. Thanks for all the grace You’ve shown us this year. Redirect my path and help me stay focused as You make me more like Jesus. In His Name, Amen

Questions: What were the highlights of your year? What did you learn and how did you grow? What will you change going forward?

Tasks: Consider setting SMART goals for the new year. Don’t worry if it feels like ‘too much’ for you to accomplish. Trust Jesus to direct your path!

Finding Grace #146

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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 productive week! My mother-in-law was here through Monday, and we celebrated Dave’s 40th birthday that day. We celebrated by shopping and going to lunch! Then, Lydia and Gramma went swimming after school. It was a good day, and we had fun. I know Dave is proud of us.

I worked Tuesday through Thursday, which means I can take next week off! On Friday, I went to a holiday craft event at Lydia’s school where we made ornaments. Now we are both off until January 2nd!

After an early dismissal from school yesterday, Lydia and I went to get an oil change and tune up for my car. We sat at the dealership for three hours because I wanted to get the preventative maintenance done before my coupon expired! 🙂 Thankfully, Lydia didn’t complain as we enjoyed snacks and Nat Geo shows on cable television. We even met a friendly older gentleman who was just as excited about “Jaguars vs. Crocs” as we were!

I was able to squeeze in several errands yesterday, so today, Lydia and I relaxed at home. We slept in, made some Christmas cookies, and watched a couple holiday movies. It’s just what we needed! Happy Holidays!

I’m grateful for how God always directs our path and blesses us. He is 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)!

Fresh Eyes

It’s amazing at how much fear can cloud your vision…

Last Friday, I opted to have Lasik eye surgery to correct my double astigmatism. I’m so glad I did! I’m in awe at how my eyes are already working better in such short time.

I had thought about Lasik for a long time but never looked into it due to fear. There are risks with any surgery, but I didn’t want to risk my vision for an elective procedure!

About a year ago, some friends encouraged me to look into it. It took me forever to make an appointment, but thankfully, I was a candidate after all. I asked many questions and received solid answers at the free consultation.

To my surprise and great relief, I learned that blindness is associated with the retina and/or optic nerve in the back of the eye. Lasik affects only the outermost layer of the cornea (in the front). So the risks of this surgery are mostly related to possible infection (rare if you follow their guidelines).

For me, the long-term benefits and no hassle outweighed the short-term costs. I see it as an investment… My contacts were expensive, not to mention the costs of appointments and supplies. I’ll still need to see my eye doctor every year, but that’s normal!

An extra dose of courage combined with a little education brought me clarity. With prayer, I felt at peace and I decided to move forward.

I was both nervous and excited for the surgery. The actual procedure was a little freaky, but also really interesting! 🙂 They numbed my eyes and there was no pain, but I was still awake. I’m glad I challenged my fear and followed through.

I’m grateful God helped keep me calm because I had to stay still! I distracted myself during the surgery by reminding myself of His goodness and faithfulness. As I decided to “just go with it,” He took away all my fear.


Over the years, I’ve learned to trust Jesus more and more—though not because it’s been a smooth or clear path. Indeed, Life has not been easy, but the Lord has walked with me each step. I have seen His love and provision for me in big and small ways.

Because Jesus helped me through some of the worst years of my life (cancer and grief), I have grown past fear and have gained a new perspective. He set me free from fear, steadying me when I felt lost and couldn’t find my way forward.

Grief had to run its course, but in time, the Lord also gave me renewed purpose and vision.

Whatever you are facing in this season, I pray you’ll see your situation with fresh eyes. Jesus came to save us all, and He will make it right. Trust Him!

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Father God, thanks for keeping me safe and renewing my vision. Thanks for helping me conquer my fears. Help me continue to walk in Victory! In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Is there something you’re afraid of currently? How can you trust God to move past it?

Tasks: Pray about any steps of faith you have been putting off. Then, choose to take the first step in defeating your fear!

Finding Grace #145

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

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 really exciting week. To start, everything was fairly normal, though I worked an extra day to get ahead for the holidays. Lydia has some time off around Christmas, so I will want to spend time with her.

Now for one exciting part: I got Lasik eye surgery yesterday! Of course, I have to rest and be somewhat cautious in the days ahead but this is really good for me. My double astigmatism is now corrected. My ‘toric’ contact lenses were pricey and my glasses were 10+ years old. Indeed, the costs do add up when considering time factors, eye doctor appointments, and the cost of supplies. I’m glad I didn’t let fear get in the way!

One big help, and another exciting part of this week, is that my mother-in-law came to visit! She treated us with tickets to the Nutcracker ballet today (a local production of the show). Thankfully, it was dark and my eyes adjusted well to the stage lights. But, the timing also worked well for her to take me to my surgery appointment and follow-ups, and she is able to help keep Lydia occupied while I rest my eyes (literally!).

Finally, Lydia also had a big week. She went to the orthodontist and received an expander for her teeth! In the future, she will need braces. I’d appreciate prayers for the next few weeks as she adjusts and I help her with the expander. I never had braces or anything similar, so this is all new for both of us. Many thanks!

Well, I’m going to keep this short as I don’t want to strain my vision. It was advised to limit or avoid time online, on my phone, watching television, etc. In fact, I wrote most of this post ahead of time (before my surgery) so I could just make minor revisions today. Praise God for awesome technology!

I’m grateful for how God always directs our path and blesses us. He is 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)!

Win-Win!!

Sometimes, Life lessons are set into motion long before we need them…

Last year, my mom bought Lydia a pretty new winter coat. The pattern has navy blue and peach hearts with a pair of peach-colored snow pants. Lydia liked it last year, but it was too big.

She continued to wear her old winter coat until this week when we realized she had grown out of it and made the swap. Lydia’s new coat is still slightly big, but it will work well for her. I’m grateful my mom found a deal!

The old blue coat has a huge hole in one pocket and a couple holes elsewhere. The sleeves are also too short and have seen better days. Instead of giving the old coat away, I decided to toss it.

Then, to my surprise, Lydia was absurdly thrilled about getting rid of the coat! She started talking about how bad the old coat had become, how she didn’t even like it anymore, and how she was happy to be “done” with it.

This struck me because I knew how much she loved the coat originally. It was a huge blessing when she received it. So naturally, I turned it into a teaching moment. 🙂

I said, “Lydia, don’t forget that old coat served you well. I bought it for you and it kept you warm for two winters! It was a gift you really needed. Don’t you ever hold an old blessing in contempt because you got a new one…”

I didn’t want Lydia to take it for granted or to miss the point. So, I grabbed the coat out of the garbage and decided Lydia could use it for her outdoor play coat. Thankfully, she agreed with me because she plays outside regularly and this will also preserve the new coat. Win-win!

Winter coats are just one example, but I wonder how many times I do the same thing.

It’s certainly good to look forward to upcoming opportunities. In Life, growth is vital, and we will inevitably grow out of some things and into others. At the same time, it seems careless to ditch the old so we can grab the new. We need to find balance.

The difference is gratitude.

When God blesses me with something new, wonderful! Chances are good I will be expecting it based on how He has already prepared me. What a gift!

But, if I am discontent and just searching for what is new, bright or shiny, I risk leaving behind all the lessons I learned… On my own, I will miss the point.

Let’s not despise what God has already done for us. His blessings—both old and new—are just as abundant as His grace. Let’s be grateful for how God has lead us thus far and trust Him as we move forward! Another win-win!

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Heavenly Father, thanks for all the blessings You give us! Thank You for Jesus, the best gift ever. Help us find balance as we grow. Keep us focused on what is most important: You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Question: When anticipating something new, do you find yourself patient or impatient?

Task: In this holiday season of giving and getting, make sure to put Jesus first… the rest will work out as we trust in Him!