Tag: service

Posted on in Being Gracious, Gratitude, Kindness, Life is Short, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #451

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 Bridge Park photo and picture

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

This was a good week! It was fairly quiet but busy all the same. 

We served at church on Sunday, and it is always fun to stand on the balcony where we greet the kids coming to Sunday School. I like to watch families and friends connect with each other. Later, I went to a vision and planning meeting, and it is exciting to see all God is doing in our church and community!

The weather has been beautiful this season. I am still watching the trees turn, though more leaves are starting to fall now. I have not needed to break out my jacket yet, so I am grateful for every day that goes by without snow. When it comes, that will be fine, but I’m in no rush! In fact, I mowed one last time this week, just the parts that needed it, since much of the grass has stopped growing.

Today, Lydia and I joined several my coworkers in helping a friend on our team. After an unfortunate event last year, she needed to inventory her entire house for insurance to determine replacement costs. It would take months for her and her husband to do it independently, as they have three little kids and full-time jobs. It has turned their lives upside down, as they have been displaced this whole time. Having them jump through all these hoops is unrealistic when it was not their fault. So, today was huge. Nine of us put in about 26 hours of effort (combined) in a few short hours working together. There is still more to do, and I hope this expedites things since the legal matters are also adding up! I was missing Dave today, as he loved to serve in practical ways!

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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

Finding Grace #410

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 Storm Winter photo and picture

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

This was a busy but solid week. It felt a little long at times, probably because it was a five-day work and school week! 😉 It was good overall. 

At work, I enjoyed visiting three Veterans at their homes. One person didn’t have an extra chair but offered me her wheelchair. I stumbled a little over the footrest, and we joked that if I fell, I might have to move into the nursing home for rehab and be her roommate. We laughed, though she didn’t want to talk over thirty minutes because she was headed downstairs to lunch. 🙂 It was a fun experience!

The weather finally reached negative temperatures this week! We got a tiny bit of snow and have had blizzard conditions (due to snow in the air). But it’s all been manageable, and we are safe!

Lydia’s school entered a new quarter, so that means she is starting a foreign language sampler. She will be trying out Spanish, French, German, and Latin. It will be fun to see which she likes best!

This afternoon, I made a beef and vegetable stew, made some calls, and did some paperwork. Lydia went to the Fargodome with a friend’s family to assemble meals for Feed My Starving Children. We did that a few years ago, and Lydia had fun again 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 Miscellaneous, Parenting, Wisdom

Doing the Right Thing

Monday was Earth Day! Of course, every day is a good day to celebrate our beautiful planet! For starters, I enjoy watching nature docuseries, like “Our Planet.” 

I also enjoy David Attenborough’s voice… 😉

There are lots of ways to take care of the environment and our surroundings. Some ideas include recycling, upgrading appliances, switching to reusable straws (or going without), and shopping at thrift stores.

We can turn off lights to conserve electricity, turn off the faucet to save water, and walk or ride a bike to save fuel. We can change our diet, buy less, or split large packages of food or toiletries, and share with our neighbors.

Planting a garden or tree, beekeeping, or putting up bird feeders and birdhouses are also ways to be proactive. Switching to online subscriptions instead of paper may also work.

Recently, Lydia’s school collected our plastic grocery bags for recycling. We had just read her National Geographic Kid’s magazine on how most plastics end up in the ocean and the damage it does there. Needless to say, I sent my fair share of plastic bags to the school. I’m also trying to switch to reusable bags when I can.

In the last week, since most of our snow melted, I have noticed a lot of garbage sitting in the back of my yard and just off my property. I don’t know if it is intentional or if it flies away before it can be contained. Either way, trash has been accumulating near the fence on my boundary line.

On Monday, I asked Lydia if she and a friend would pick up the garbage for me. I planned to reward them, but suddenly Lydia’s friend was nowhere to be found. Instead, I ended up going out there with her. She was glad not to have to do it alone.

“It’s fun doing this with you, Mom,” Lydia said. “But why do we have to pick up everyone else’s garbage? And why is no one helping us?”

She had a good point. It wasn’t fair, but I explained it was the right thing to do.
We talked about being responsible and what it means to be a good steward. I mentioned—and hoped—that other families were doing other good things to help the Earth, too.

Talk is cheap, but doing the right thing is always a good choice. We have to take action if we want to have an impact. Even if we are doing it alone. 

We have so many resources to manage. How we use our time, money, and energy are personal to each of us, but those results can make-or-break our character. We can’t afford to just do the minimum because our lives are all intertwined. Our thoughts, words, and deeds will eventually affect someone or something else.

Jesus’ death on the cross was by no means fair. However, through His death and resurrection, Jesus set us free to do what is right. Selfishness is no longer our default.

Now, we have the freedom to follow a new path, which includes self-discipline, stewardship, and serving others. Thank You, Jesus!

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God, thanks for creating such a beautiful universe and sharing it with us! You’re infinite wisdom and power are awe-inspiring. Help us take care of all You’ve entrusted to us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Did you do anything to “celebrate” Earth Day? Are you doing a good job stewarding your God-given resources, talents, and gifts? What needs to change?

Tasks: Check out these planet-friendly tips! Even small changes can make a big difference!

Posted on in Being Gracious, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Wisdom

Holy Help

For most of February, I’ve been in contact with customer support at one of my favorite fitness companies. Unfortunately, I had several issues that were not easily resolved!

Previously, I received a special voucher for a new fitness tracking device…

I have had one for several years, with minimal problems, so I thought I would get one for Lydia. She loved the idea and we discussed how it could be a fun tool for her.

Note: Lydia does not have access to any of the technology—I am the one logging in for her and seeing the information, so it doesn’t become a problem or obsession for her.

Technically, Lydia may be a little young for her own device, but they do have one model available for her age group. I had planned to give her a fitness tracker for her next birthday, but this opportunity came a little earlier. We decided to try it out.

First, I asked about getting the children’s device, but it was not included in the voucher requirements. I called both companies to see if they could agree to add the device I wanted… and was on hold for at least an hour altogether. Nope.

Eventually, I decided to get Lydia the adult device. It is essentially the same as the children’s version, but with a few more ‘bells and whistles.’

To my surprise, the device has not worked well for Lydia. It doesn’t track data correctly and does not charge or sync correctly. So disappointing.

Over the last few weeks, I have called customer service 5 times about the device, trying to make it work. I have been on the phone for at least three hours total.

I have emailed three times asking questions and replying. At least they’ve been polite…

I could focus on the problem and remain frustrated. I could feel sorry for myself, or I could throw a fit and make threats.

But thankfully, with Jesus, our problems don’t stand a chance! He has the final authority and has already done the difficult work. It is finished.

When we have needs, we can come to Him at any time. Most of the time, life isn’t easy or fair, but Jesus is available day and night. He takes our burdens and eases our pain.

Jesus leads by example, excelling in both service and support. He has our back and keeps us on track. He doesn’t leave us to fend for ourselves, but through His Word and the Holy Spirit, He teaches us how we should live.

Sometimes I have to wait for the resolution, but the Lord always hears me and answers my prayers. True, my prayers may not be answered quite how I want—but He wisely gives me exactly what I need.

The Lord’s love is not something we have to earn. I don’t have to beg or bargain with Him. It is freely given. The Lord is gracious and does not give me junk!

Jesus always comes through for me and gives me what is BEST.

Sometimes I can prolong my struggles if I am not obedient, but Jesus never changes the rules halfway through. He doesn’t make it difficult or make me jump through hoops.

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Finally, after a month of my patience levels being tested, I finally succeeded in ordering a replacement (yesterday). I am trusting God that this one will work correctly!

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Father God, thanks for all You do for me. Thanks for faithfully leading me to Victory. Please continue to refine me and build patience. Help me be kind to others, even when I am frustrated. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Question: Do you have any tips for getting through customer service with minimal frustration?

Task: Listen to “More Like Falling in Love” by Jason Gray.