Tag: relax

Posted on in Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Kindness, Miscellaneous, Travel

Tour de Fargo

I’ve been in Fargo for just about eleven years now. It’s always fun to see who God brings in our path. Case in point: This week, we had a blast from the past!

A friend, Julie and I met in Normal, Illinois, where we both worked as dietitians, but she is originally from South Dakota. When we first moved here, a dietitian named Julie gave me a bag of ‘Dakota Style’ potato chips. It was such a thoughtful gesture. She was the only person I knew who understood the brutal winters in the Dakotas!

Julie and her family still go back to her home state a few times each year to see her parents and sister. And on Sunday, she brought her husband and three kids a couple of hours to Fargo to see us! They got a kick out of a sign that said “Fargo… North of Normal.” Ironic! 😉

We were honored they reached out, especially since it has been a number of years since Julie and I have seen each other… I had never met the rest of her family. I’m glad we have kept up through social media, and it was fun to see the kids in real life!

We had a great time! We met downtown Fargo, on Broadway, and walked around town looking for several murals. We took some great photos and made some fun memories!

Then, we walked to Island Park enjoying the perfect weather. The kids had fun on their scooters, which conserved their energy and preserved their positive attitudes. 😉

Lydia loved leading the way for everyone, since she was familiar with the area! Thanks to COVID-19, she had gone there nearly every day last summer since it is next to a local Y. Future tour guide perhaps?

We soon made it to the Red River, where I shared with them some trivia about Fargo and the river. I enjoyed seeing our town through the eyes of our guests. We walked across a footbridge to Minnesota, too!

After that, we walked back downtown and had some ice cream at Silver Linings Creamery. Delish! Then, we piled in our cars and drove to the Red River Zoo. There was so much more we could have done… Scheels, Spitfire, Thunder Road to name a few… but it was a good overview!

It was such a fun day, and it was a blessing to see someone from my pre-Fargo days. We hope to see these friends if we head to Illinois this summer.

It’s been interesting that God has been bringing so many people from the past back into my life lately! I am excited to see what else He has in store.

He always knows just what I need, but it does require a mindset of expectation and a certain level of availability. I have to be careful not to cram my schedule, so I have some flexibility.

Just like when we reached out to our friends in Grand Forks, it was nice to be thought of when these other friends came to Fargo. It’s cool to see the flip side! How refreshing!

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God, thanks for the blessing of friends, old and new. Help me be an encouragement to others, as they have been to me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Where are the fun places in your town you take guests? Have you been on any road trips lately to see friends or family?

Task: Reach out to a friend or family member you haven’t seen lately. Good news from far away is a huge blessing! Even the sound of your voice can be an encouragement!

Posted on in Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Perseverance, Prayer, Travel, Wisdom, Worship

Grand Forks Getaway

As I previously mentioned, Lydia and I had a special getaway last weekend.

We had a great weekend about an hour north in Grand Forks, North Dakota! I had made a short list of potential activities and places to visit. But, as always, God took my loose plans and put His own spin on them!

On Friday evening, we visited dear friends at a park and were visited by the ice cream truck! My friends have three kids, ages 2 to almost 6, and they are all so cute. The little boy, the middle child, wanted to hold Lydia’s hand, sit right next to her, and have her carry him. It was fun seeing Lydia respond favorably to him and his sisters. As an only child, she’s not used to siblings!

Then, Lydia and I drove across the border to Cabela’s in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. She loved it and even came out with a new stuffed animal! Soon, we crossed the bridge back to the North Dakota side. We walked around downtown before heading back to Minnesota for our car. Later, Lydia lived it up at the hotel arcade. She even won first place in the racing game! Reminds me of her dad!

On Saturday morning we had breakfast with the same friends, this time the kids were left at home. The man was one of Dave’s Caterpillar coworkers and a pallbearer at his funeral. After Dave died, I gave him Dave’s Bible. It felt like the right thing to do to bless this ‘CAT guy.’ God has blessed that small act of faith, and it has been fun to see him lead his family toward Jesus.

This man was mourning the lost of his best friend, who had just died from COVID-19 complications earlier in the week. So on Saturday, we talked about faith, Dave, family, our Caterpillar connection, and more. He acknowledged that our visit seemed like God-ordained meeting. I am so grateful I could encourage this couple because they have been such an encouragement to me!

Then, Lydia and I drove around town, visiting Widman’s confectionery and the University of North Dakota/Ralph Engelstad Arena (known for intense ice hockey games!). Later, we went to the Blue Moose Restaurant and ate tapas, walked around the mall, and visited a local indie bookstore. Lydia also drew a crowd with her marksmanship skills at Scheels!

Saturday night, we spent a couple hours at the water park in our hotel. It was huge, and we had a blast on the water slides and practicing Lydia’s swimming skills. We even ran into another friend! Then, we relaxed and watched a movie while eating some snacks.

On Sunday, we drove about 20 miles west to Turtle River State Park. We had fun hiking around and were glad we went early to beat the heat. It was gorgeous! Then, we came back home and listened to an audiobook on the way. Lydia played with a friend while I did some yard work before family Zoom.

When making our plans, it took me awhile to decide what to do and where to stay. I was trying to decide about the water park and what other attractions to see. I was also uncertain if I should contact my friends since it had been a few years since we saw them. I didn’t want them to have to adjust their plans. Turns out, I contacted them on the same day they found out about the loss of their friend. Wow!

Our whole trip was covered by God’s grace. I’d like to take Lydia to Medora, ND sometime, too, but this was the best weekend we’ve had in awhile!

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God, You are so good and faithful! Thanks for leading us and for guiding our steps. Thanks for helping us encourage others as we honor Dave’s life and legacy. Help us continue to be a blessing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Have you been to Grand Forks or Medora? What do you like to do on vacation? Do you like to relax or go sight-seeing? Do you make big plans or just meander?

Tasks: Next time you are considering a trip or step out of your normal routine, prayerfully go for it! Invite God to direct your path and see how He moves on your behalf! You never know just how He may use you to bless someone else.

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #270

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 pretty calm. I enjoyed catching up with family on Zoom, and later my aunt and my parents on the phone! I am grateful to have so many awesome people in my corner!

Work went well, and I was able to get caught up with my charting (finally!). 🙂

Lydia had two sessions of swimming lessons. She did well and had fun. She might have even made some new friends. 🙂

Yesterday, I enjoyed my first afternoon of not working in months. I took a walk along the river (pic above) and ran some errands. It was a beautiful day, and I enjoyed the mental break!

Today, Lydia and I ran a few errands and ate lunch at Panera. Sometimes, it’s nice to have a change of scenery during mealtimes; it’s always interesting to see what new things we talk about! After that, we went clothes shopping for Lydia and also found a gift for her school teacher. It was a great 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, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #267

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 seemed long, but I can’t really explain why! 🙂 I think I just didn’t get enough sleep. It was a good week overall!

We had cooler weather for much of the week and  some very light snow, which is not ‘unexpected’ for this time of year. Nonetheless, the today and yesterday were bright, sunny, and warmer! We’ve enjoyed the longer days, too.

This week, I caught up with several people through calls and texts. Some people had big prayer requests, such as health issues. And some people were praising God for what He has done for them. I’m grateful.

Today was pretty relaxing, though it didn’t quite go as expected! Most of my original plans fell through! Instead, I enjoyed a slower pace and cooked various items for the week ahead. We ordered Chinese food for dinner. I’m grateful for God’s redirection! 

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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, Miscellaneous, Worship

Unsolicited Gratitude

“Thanks, Mom!” Lydia yelled down the hall, recently.

“For what?!” I replied back. I couldn’t think of anything I had done for her in the previous moments leading up to this.

“For just being a great mom!” She came over and gave me a big hug.

There are plenty of times as a parent when I prompt Lydia to say thanks. But, in this instance it made my day to receive such unsolicited gratitude.

Lately, Lydia has been extra loving and kind. I have seen her grown in character, and I have given her some extra responsibilities and freedom at home. She has responded well and risen to the occasion. 

She also surprised me when she freely offered a Reese’s peanut butter egg (someone gave her two). As you can imagine, these days, we’re having a lot of fun laughing and spending time together. I’m grateful for my girl!

My inherent pride in Lydia reminds me of how God must feel about us when we praise Him out of the blue, or when we thank Him out of an abundance of gratitude.

He loves us as His dearly loved children. After all, if we have accepted Jesus’ loving sacrifice and forgiveness for our sins, we are joint heirs with Him!

As we grow in Godly character, we are given extra responsibilities and freedom.

I’m sure it makes Him so proud as we rise to the occasion!

Sometimes we can make life and our relationship with God complicated. But, at other times it seems so simple. He draws near to us as we draw near to Him, and in His presence if fullness of joy!

We bless God when we shout our thanks and sing His praises. It’s kind of like a bunch of flowers in full bloom. The aroma is as powerful as the flowers are pretty. What grace!

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God, thanks for Your great love and kindness! Thank You for your many blessings. May I rest in this new level of understanding Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: How do you see God’s love through the people in your life?

Tasks: As you go about your day, spontaneously sing praises to God and shout out thanks for all He has done for you. As soon as you think of something praiseworthy, go for it! This could be in the shower, in your car, on the stairs, in an elevator, while taking a walk…

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Worship

Finding Grace #265

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, though some days seemed long! I don’t have anything really new to report, but there was just a lot going on every day! 🙂 Work and life went well, overall, and I also enjoyed chatting with my sister!

Lydia received a box of Easter goodies in the mail this week. She was so excited for some candy and a few Peanuts/Snoopy items. We called our family to say thank you, and I was so surprised when Lydia offered me one of her Reese’s peanut butter eggs! It was totally out of the blue, but she said she knew how much I like them. It melted my heart, and I told her how much I appreciated her generosity. Her whole face lit up in pride!

The college was on Spring Break this week, so I didn’t go to campus yesterday. I still have some grading and such to do, but instead of doing those things, I ran some errands and got my oil changed. It was so sunny out, and I enjoyed having some quiet time to myself.

Then, Lydia and I went to church for the Good Friday service! After it was over, we caught up with friends and met a three-week old baby boy! He only weighed about five pounds at birth, since he was three weeks early. He is so tiny and precious!

The weather was all over the place this week. It ranged from being in the 30s to 70s and at times was very windy. We were serenaded by some robins on several mornings. We also noticed buds on the trees and some tulip leaves popping up! Today, it has been warm and beautiful!

Today, one of Lydia’s friends came over for a few hours to visit. They decorated Easter eggs, watched a movie, played outside, ate lunch, drew pictures, and more. She is a sweet girl and very easy to be around. It’s so fun to see their friendship grow!

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

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

Posted on in Fear/Don't Fake Brave, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Wisdom, Worship

It’s Gonna Be Okay

The week after the Spring time change (DST) is always a little rough. I didn’t feel it was off to too bad of a start, until I stayed up late two nights in a row working on a project and completely lost track of time! Thankfully, I felt fine, but I was moving slooow. Whoops!

Then, yesterday morning, Lydia slept in through her alarm! We each have our morning rhythms, which is more apparent when the timing gets off. Thankfully, I have built in extra time in Lydia’s schedule, so she wasn’t really too far behind like I was.

When our morning routine gets off, I have learned to roll with it. These are the days where I don’t do the extras. That means I skip the lathering shower pouf, use the lotion that takes less time to soak in, and don’t try anything new (think makeup and hair products)!

On those days, I don’t skip breakfast, but I may grab something portable or forgo the milk in my coffee. One reason I have trained myself to drink it black… sometimes, it’s necessary!

Yes, there are days when it seems everything is just “off” or something dramatic happens. This song, Into the Sea, by Tasha Layton, references Psalm 46:1-3, which says:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

I have been singing and humming about mountains falling into the sea all week, but yesterday, it made me think. What does it mean by ‘mountains falling into the sea?’

We don’t have mountains in Fargo, which is pretty flat. But, I have seen avalanches and glaciers calving online! And, practically speaking, this is a great picture of everything literally falling apart.

When the ground starts giving way beneath us, God is there to catch us!

Another line that stands out in that song is, “Only good things come from You.” I am reminded that chaos is not directly from God, but He will turn it into something good.

Because He is good… that is, goodness is a part of His nature… He can’t help but use my circumstances for His glory and my good. Of course, this isn’t just to make sure I get to work on time. But, rather that I stay in tune to His timing and follow His lead.

With Jesus on our side, it will always turn out well for us. That doesn’t mean we won’t have challenges, but He is with us and for us! With confidence, we can trust Him and say, “It’s gonna be okay!”

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God, You are good! You sustain me when life is uncertain. Thanks for being my safe place. Thanks for staying close. Be my strength and hold me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions:  On those crazy-busy mornings, would you rather be late and do everything well? Or, do you have a back-up plan to save time?

Tasks: Crank up the sound and listen to the song, Into the Sea, linked above in pink. Then, listen to this song, “Safe Here,” by the same artist! Sooo good!

Posted on in Being Gracious, Books and Movies I Like, Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Little Free Library, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Finding Grace #262

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 an awesome week!! On Sunday, we Zoomed with family. It’s been so fun to check in every week! It has become one of my favorite things to do every week!

On Monday, I dropped of my tax documents to my accountant. I have various things to keep track of, and it’s good to have help! As a single mom, it’s one less thing for me to have to do. It’s always nice to get a refund, but this year, it was split. I owe some and get some back! No matter what I am so grateful for God’s provision!

I had many friendly patients this week. It’s so fun to talk with Veterans who are eager to learn about nutrition. It’s more than that though. It’s good to make the ‘human connection,’ and that was a highlight of my week!

We got a little snow this week, after it was mostly melted away. This snow won’t stick around for long, but it triggered my snow removal service to come. I was very happy about that, as I got to sleep until my normal alarm went off.

On Wednesday, I called Fitbit customer service for help. I happened to talk to someone who was working from home… in Jamaica! We had a good conversation while he answered my questions. Turns out, Lydia’s device is out of warranty, but he gave us a 35% off coupon so we could order a new one! She was so grateful and excited!

Today has been beautiful, with warmer weather and little wind. Lydia went to a friend’s house to play, while I visited with a couple friends, ran errands, and tackled some chores around the house. When Lydia returned, we took a walk to other ‘little free libraries’ and delivered some books we were done with. I also updated some of the books in ours!

Don’t forget to turn your clocks forward one hour 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 Gratitude, Miscellaneous, Parenting

Quality Time With My Girl

“Lydia, what should I blog about for this week?”

“Well, we’re spending time together. You could write about that.”

It’s interesting that spending time together was at the forefront of Lydia’s mind. 

Recently, she took a quiz about the five love languages at school. It was a modified version the school counselor gave them around Valentine’s day. It was so insightful!

I am familiar with the idea, but I hadn’t thought of it for Lydia. Apparently, quality time is her highest-ranked love language, followed by words of affirmation. (Mine too!)

So, perhaps that’s why she has asked to play games together, watch movies together, read together, and so on lately. Somewhat par for the course, but I’ll take it!

Sometimes, Lydia is my little shadow, but I don’t mind. These moments will not last forever, so I am soaking up the quality time with my girl. 

So, last night, Lydia requested we have a movie night together. Truthfully, I didn’t want to watch another movie, our second this week.

I was focused on this blog, though I hadn’t started writing it yet. I had several other things to do, too. But, Lydia requested “Mom’s Night Out” which was downstairs in our basement.

I stalled as I was making dinner, and I couldn’t recall if it was kid-friendly or not (rated PG). I didn’t really want to take time to figure it all out, but Lydia went ahead and set it up anyway.

In the end, we had fun laughing about the movie, which essentially is a massive misunderstanding. Hilarious! I paused it now and then to explain things, but I didn’t feel it was inappropriate. In fact, I had forgotten how painfully funny it is.

The laughter and messages were just what I needed.

At one point, Lydia sat on my lap (causing me to take a break from writing). Her hug turned into compliments and tickles. It was perfect.

Sometimes, it feels like I have a million things to do. It’s easy to rush and forget about what’s most important. That might change from day to day, but I am grateful for simple moments with Lydia. God is so good to me!

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God, thanks for all you do for me and have given me. Thanks for leading me and reminding me of what’s important, to take time with those I love. May I soak up Your love and be a blessing to others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Do you know your love language(s)? Do you know the love languages of those around you?

Tasks: When unexpected situations arise, trust God and just roll with them. You don’t have to do it all perfectly. You might be surprised to discover it’s just what you needed!

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #259

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 pretty quiet and went smoothly. It started off quite chilly (below zero), but is currently around 25F as I write this. A huge difference, and it feels so warm!

Work was busy, but good! I really enjoyed teaching my students more about medical nutrition therapy for diabetes. I shared various handouts with them that I have collected over the years. We reviewed portion sizes and carbohydrate counting. We discussed common myths about diabetes and trends I see in my patients (personal details are confidential, of course). This is a very important topic and it was fun to see them making practical connections to everyday life.

I noticed the days growing brighter and longer this week. Spring feels like it is just around the corner, and the time change will be coming up in a couple weeks. The subtle change is nice and it does seem to improve everyone’s moods! 🙂

This week, I was asked to pray for some big things in other people’s lives. I’m so glad God blessed them by saying YES! It is great to partner with God in prayer!

Today, Lydia had fun “camping” downstairs in a pop-up tent. She read and relaxed. She might even sleep down there tonight!

Tonight, some friends are coming over for Bible study. We always enjoy catching up! We are reading through the NLT Chronological Bible together this year, and it has been fun to discuss all that is going on. Currently we are in Leviticus! 😉

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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)!