Tag: thankful

Posted on in Food and Nutrition, Gratitude, Miscellaneous, Worship

A Funny and Timely Reminder

Yesterday, I had a funny and timely reminder that God loves me, listens to me, and helps me. You might just think it’s silly (as you read along), but He is so good to me!

In the morning, I brushed my teeth and thought about a few random things I wanted to remember. I have started leaving sticky notes in the bathroom to make it easier to jot those ideas down. Nonetheless, yesterday, I was trying to get out the door for work, so I promptly forgot to write down my thoughts. That happens often! 😉

Well, later at work, I was listening to a webinar and couldn’t shake that I had forgotten something at home. Does that happen to you, too, at the most random times? I think it has something to do with a boost in creativity when the brain is relaxed. Either way, I knew “it” started with a “c” but couldn’t think of it.

It nagged at me, so I prayed and asked God to help me remember it when I got home. Then, I moved on and just let it go. I had other tasks to do and needed to put my brain power toward them! Flash forward to me pulling into the driveway after work…

I opened the garage door and started to pull inside. That’s when I saw my new-ish refrigerator on the wall directly before me. Suddenly, I remembered what it was!

Free A Bowl Food photo and picture

“Cottage cheese!!” I yelled. I laughed so hard for a few minutes. It brought me such joy that the Holy Spirit reminded me of the cottage cheese in the garage, which needed to be brought inside so we could use it before it expired. Very practical and timely, right? I knew it was important, haha!

I immediately told Lydia about this when I came inside. I had my hat, gloves, coat, backpack… and the cottage cheese. She might have thought I was crazy, but I felt so loved by God! I am sure He was laughing with joy, too!

Of course, you may not even like cottage cheese, but God wants to bless you similarly. He loves to see our delight when He answers our prayers – no matter how big or small.

Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. Your loving Heavenly Father already knows. He longs for you to come to Him so He can bless you! That said, it’s not about what He can do for you, but rather who you are becoming. Like Jesus, trusting God for every little thing.

Now, I could really use His help finding a couple small 2024 calendars I misplaced… stay tuned!

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Father God, thanks for graciously helping me remember things that are important to me! Help me remember things that are important to YOU! May I honor You in all I do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: In what way have you asked God for help lately? Was it something huge (that only He can do), or was it something funny, like helping you remember cottage cheese?

Tasks: Let God be God. He can handle the small things and remind you to do your part when it’s time. But, He is also trustworthy enough to take care of the BIG things, which He will do in His own timing. Trust Him and let Him surprise you!

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

Finding Grace #411

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 Hut Blizzard photo and picture

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

This was a good week with a bit of stress. Mostly, I was tired and work was busy. Nothing new and it was “all good” overall. 🙂 

Work was busy all day, every day. It’s a good problem to have, though we spoke up to see if there are some changes we can make. We came up with a new solution, and I think it will still be busy, but hopefully a little more manageable.

The weather was chilly but not too crazy! El Nino is making our North Dakota weather warmer than usual with less snow. I love winter, but with even the little bit of shoveling I have done, my back, shoulders, and arms being sore. I try to use ergonomic shovels and techniques, but I am grateful for a little reprieve! 🙂

Lydia had a routine well-child appointment. She is doing well with all her water and salt, but she still feels not-so-great sometimes. Prayerfully, I thought a cardiology appointment would be our next step, and her doctor agreed to put in a consult. I expect that Lydia is “fine” (besides POTS), but it would be good to see if there are any other tools available to us and to verify that nothing else is going on. Prayers are appreciated. In other news, she will be taller than me soon… my guess is she will match me by spring!

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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, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Prayer, Words, Worship

Praise Him Anywhere

On my way to work yesterday, I heard the song “Praise You Anywhere“ by Brandon Lake. It’s a good song, but I hadn’t paid much attention to it until yesterday. I sat in my car for a few minutes, thinking about various places I could praise God.

I like to sing in the shower, in the car, and while cooking. I’m sure there are other places I worship God, but I haven’t thought much about it lately. Sometimes, I like to just be quiet and feel His presence.

That said, I don’t have to sing in order to praise God! I often thank God for various things, either out loud or in my heart. I might praise Him for the weather, or a kindness I perceived. I may thank Him for light traffic or meeting someone else’s needs. I pray blessings of over people I love dearly and complete strangers I see as I go about my day.

I love that praise can be a part of prayer, which is just talking to God. I like to check in and pray at meal times, when I wake up and go to bed.

Currently, I am thanking God for sending us less snow than usual. I’m sure we will get plenty of it soon, but it has been helpful for my current role at work. The cold weather is important and beneficial at the same time. There is beauty to be found in every season!

With the winter we’ve had lately, my sister sent a picture of a sun dog. We see them a lot in North Dakota, but she hadn’t seen one for a while in Illinois, where she still lives. It was a praiseworthy thing to photograph!

I love what Psalm 113 says about praise. Here is part of verses 1-3:

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord.

Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

Praising God doesn’t have to be awkward. Really, it is the most natural thing we can do. If you don’t know what to say or do, start with what you see. Tell Jesus how thankful you are for objects in your environment. Next, move through the other physical senses (hearing, touch, smell, taste, and proprioception). Make it a full-body experience!

Then, tell Him how you feel emotionally. Praise Him for His help, provision, healing, and anything else that comes to mind. If you are struggling, that’s okay. He understands. Praise Him anyway!

We were created for a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Whether you sing or talk, you don’t need fancy words! Just bring your heart!

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God, we praise You! You alone are worthy. Help us praise and worship You with our whole hearts and all of our gratitude. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Where do you like to sing or praise God? Do you find it easy or a bit awkward?

Tasks: As you go about your day, look for ways to praise God. Consider tracking your praises and see how long your list gets! For another great Brandon Lake song, check out “Gratitude.” Praise Him anywhere!

 

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 Fear/Don't Fake Brave, Gratitude, Journey of Grace, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Perseverance, Pivot, Procrastination, Wisdom

Fifteen Years

On Sunday, I celebrated fifteen years since I married Dave! It was my tenth anniversary without him here, but this anniversary felt fairly lightweight. Marrying Dave was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I am grateful for the time we had together.

Lydia reminds me of Dave daily; she’s a treasure like her dad. This weekend, we made a bit of forward progress… another project requiring more tools.

Fifteen years ago, Dave and I bought a closet organizer that had several pieces. We used it in our old house in Illinois but separated it into different rooms when we moved to North Dakota.


Over the last year or so, Lydia’s been requesting we remove the drawers and shelves that ended up in her room. The drawers have needed repairs on and off for ten years. I suppose fifteen years is a long time for particle board! Nonetheless, I kept putting it off.

Because of its size, it seemed like a lot of effort, mentally and physically. I knew I would have to do it all myself! But it was also emotionally tough because whenever I saw it, I could envision Dave installing it with great love and attention to detail. Oh, how he loved Lydia and wanted the best for her!

Well, thanks to our recent break from work and school, I finally felt relaxed and ready to tackle it. Lydia cleaned it out and cleared space. Then, I unscrewed it from the wall. We removed the drawers and shelves before I slowly pulled the unit down to the floor.

I’m pretty sure that the unit was just waiting to come down! Almost with a sigh of relief, it fell into two sections before hitting the floor! I could see what was happening, so I was prepared. Ironically, it saved me the effort of prying it loose! Then, the hinges on the door gave way, and the rest just came apart.

Finally, I carried it to the curb for garbage pickup on Monday. Lydia promptly moved her desk into that new space. It fits perfectly. In fact, the desk looks much better there than sticking out from the window, its previous location.



In hindsight, it was almost as if the wardrobe was just holding together until I could finally release it. It felt like an object lesson, a statement: It’s okay to hold onto the past for a little while, but it’s also good to let it go. That’s part of healing and moving forward.

I don’t know if you need to let something go… but maybe it’s time. It’s not that it means less now, but consider how you have grown past the point of needing it. Or, perhaps it is keeping you from growth.

Then again, maybe there’s nothing holding you back… But are you holding something else back? No rush. No pressure. Just something to consider. As Lysa TerKeurst says, “Emotions are indicators, not dictators.” God wants us to live a full life. But life is short, and we don’t have time to waste. 

Ultimately, we want to listen to Jesus and follow His timing in our lives. We don’t have to be afraid; He is trustworthy. He will make it clear when we need to keep moving forward!

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God, thanks for blessing me, protecting me, and providing for me. Thanks for the reminder to let go of things that aren’t good for me anymore so I can follow You more closely. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Questions: What is God asking you to do as a result of this blog post? Is there something holding you back from following Him?

Tasks: Take a little inventory of your environment, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Be brave and let go of what is not serving you well. Trust Jesus and keep moving forward!

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

Finding Grace #409

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 Trees photo and picture

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

This was a good week to jump back into our normal routine. Thankfully, it was relatively smooth sailing, with a four-day week after the beginning of the new year!

Work was quite busy, but I had some really nice patients. They all seemed grateful for my input, which is always gratifying! 

Lydia had an exciting week in that she began wearing contacts. We have talked about it for a while, and she is doing well! I am sure she will still wear her glasses sometimes. But, it is fun to see her take the next step of growing up!

Today, we had a good day of working on a couple of projects. I paid some bills, made a few calls, and put together a veggie tray. We also put away the last of our Christmas decorations. It felt good to be productive!

Tonight, Lydia and I are watching The Hunger Games movie. Lydia has been reading the book series, but I have not. It is dark but interesting… and, more importantly, a good way to spend time with my girl.

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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, Journey of Grace, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Perseverance, Pivot, Wisdom

Keeping It Simple

Happy New Year! Lydia and I had fun hanging out at home on New Year’s Eve. She really wanted to stay up until Midnight, so we played some games, ate some yummy food, and even did a little painting. Mine was rather abstract, but I did add some glitter, ha!

While we waited for the new year to roll in, we talked about things we are looking forward to this year. She had a great list, including going to camp, joining a volleyball team, and doing some traveling.

On a personal note, I want to build more rest into my daily routine to help me manage stress. By that, I mean adopting a slower pace (which is not always possible), purposeful movement, and simple nourishing meals. I also want to stay on top of my clutter. A tall order, but, I will do my best.

Spiritually, I want to stay present with Jesus and invite Him into every part of my day. That’s one reason I want to have a slower pace – to hear Him more easily and move with Him without delay. The noise of daily life makes it difficult to pay attention to Him!

Thus, Lydia and I decided to read the Bible together chronologically and discuss it.  The Bible shows God’s goodness and love but also how brutal humans can be. That said, some of the content may be beyond Lydia’s maturity level, so I might let her skip those parts. We will see how it goes!

Otherwise, I’m not really into making resolutions but rather setting SMART goals and building solid habits. It’s good to give ourselves a lot of time (maybe, all year!) since it takes a while to build new routines.

A few months ago, I came across the idea of setting goals we are 90% sure we can achieve (rather than a so-so 50%). That way, it is still a stretch, but we are confident. Thus, we are more likely to have success over something we were not fully committed to. It has more to do with building ourselves up rather than just the to-do list.

Free Fireworks Bright photo and picture

That said, keeping it simple is usually the best idea. My cousin is a librarian for kids. She asked them what kinds of resolutions they had. Here are some of their ideas: Be kind. Have fun. Be nice. See the hippos at the zoo. Explore! Paint!

We can learn a lot here and interpret the children’s nuggets of wisdom. Basically, this means to treat people well, pause to enjoy life, and try new things. I am fairly confident we can all be successful with these! 🙂

Whatever you decide to do this year, follow where the Lord leads. Be sure to check in with Him throughout each day. Staying close to Jesus is the best thing you can do!

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God, thanks for Your new mercies every morning. Help us keep You front and center this year. Help us slow down, stay present, and listen to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: Do you have any resolutions or goals for the coming weeks? Do you have a specific strategy you like to follow?

Task: Be sure to check in with Jesus as you plan your days, weeks, months, and years!

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

Finding Grace #408

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 Cardinal photo and picture

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

This was a delightfully slow week, just what I needed. We have a couple more days before the usual busyness of work and school returns! I am relishing this time together with minimal plans!

On Sunday, we volunteered in the 2-year-old room at church for Christmas Eve. I love that Jesus came as a baby, something even they could understand. Many of these toddlers were walking around caring for baby dolls, and one little boy mentioned his new baby brother. They were all excited about opening gifts, and in their own way, they could grasp that Baby Jesus was special. Jesus is for everyone, regardless of age or any other factors.

Christmas on Monday was a quiet day. We slept in a little, ate a lazy brunch, and opened presents. We played some games, connected with family, and just moseyed around. It was perfect.

The weather this week was a little wonky with rain, ice, snow, and fog! Some people may deal with flooding, and some people lost power! But, we didn’t have any major plans and had no big interruptions. We stayed home for the most part, and so I heard the sump pump going periodically. We eventually ran some errands, but it wasn’t a big deal for us, thankfully.

Today, I did my usual Saturday things, like a few chores and calls. I am thinking ahead to next week, but I am glad it’s not a pressing matter. Lydia is at a friend-sleepover, so I have the evening to myself! 🙂

Well, this is my last post of 2023! I am grateful for God’s grace this year and hope you have also seen God at work in your life. Happy New Year!! I pray 2024 is your best year yet!!

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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, Journey of Grace, Life is Short, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Perseverance, Pivot, Prayer, Wisdom

Looking Back: Lessons Learned

Today is the last Wednesday post of 2023! I have the whole week off, the first time in at least five years. Having time to relax and reflect on the year has been wonderful. I have been catching up on a few things, reading, and planning for January.

Here are some changes we’ve made and lessons learned over the last year. 

In March, I worked with a personal trainer for a short time to regain strength after a few minor health issues made me feel weak (all is well, or at least manageable, now). With a clean bill of health, I decided to make some changes! The trainer reminded me of my goals and the importance of compound movements and progressive overload (lifting heavier weights over time). I also brushed up on some basic muscle anatomy. Our bodies and muscles adapt and need to be challenged in order to grow!

The increased strength and confidence paid off when we went to the beach in June. We spent a week with Dave’s family in Florida, and I went surfing for the first time! It felt good to try something new. I was told most people give up after the first few falls, but I stayed out in the water for several hours.

Free Pine Cone Tree photo and picture

Feeling better physically was good for my mental health, too. This year, I learned to cope with stress and perceived stress better. I worked on praying, breathing, stretching, and taking breaks (not quitting). I’m sure my stressors are still similar, but I am just handling them better. Because of this, I had enough mental space and emotional energy to tackle some organization projects around the house. I had put them off for too long, but finally made progress!

Lydia had a big year of growth. She made the decision to be baptized and followed through in May. It was a special blessing that it happened on Pentecost Sunday! Later, when she went to Bible camp in July, she felt a closer connection to God. Since then, she has been spending more time with Him praying and reading her Bible. It has blessed us both, and I am so proud of her!

Lydia finished elementary school in May and entered middle school in August. The difference is like moving from checkers to Monopoly! She enjoys playing the viola and is learning to navigate friendship drama, but also trying to fit in and be her own person. This has led to many conversations about values. Otherwise, Lydia is building her study routine and has realized she can’t rely on the laurels of her past successes. It has been fun to watch her grow; it is worth the occasional struggle.

We have continued to meet over Zoom most weeks with my family. It is something we look forward to on Sundays! We share jokes, updates, and prayer requests. It makes our in-person visits easier since we don’t have to spend as much time catching up. A family that builds each other up is such a gift.

In that vein, another highlight was when my parents came to visit in October! We had such a fun time hanging out. Lydia and I were grateful to have them all to ourselves! My mom built into Lydia with some words of wisdom. My dad fixed several things around the house, some of which I hadn’t even realized were issues. I will try to do a better job of staying on top of things now that I have more energy.

Free Tree Evergreen photo and picture

Work has been steadily busy but also good. I took on some extra responsibilities to cover for others. I was a little nervous, but God has been blessing my efforts. In some ways, I have been mentoring my younger coworkers, too. It’s not an official role, but it is nice that they trust my experience and knowledge. That said, I continue to learn from them as well!

One notable win this year was when the fence belonging to the rental property adjacent to mine was replaced. This is a large corporation with several locations, and I spent several months trying to communicate with them when their fence fell into my yard. They did not respond appropriately, so I spent all summer and fall pushing the city to intervene. They were quick to respond, but it took a while for the legal protocol to play out. I didn’t back down, and finally, the fence was replaced!

Looking back, it seems the common factors are perseverance and growth. We cannot have one without the other. Difficulties are not always bad, and God can use any challenge for our good. With this, I am challenged to keep close to Jesus. He is the only thing that really matters, and everything I need is in Him!

As this new year comes, I am sure there will be more lessons to learn. But I don’t have to be afraid; God never said it would be easy but that He would be with us. He is faithful. We can persevere and grow as we keep moving forward!

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God, thanks for faithfully bringing us through another year. May we reflect Your goodness and grace in every circumstance. May we shine your light on all we meet. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Questions: What is your top highlight of the year? How did God help you through your challenges?

Tasks: Take a few minutes to reflect on the highlights, challenges, and wins of your year. Praise God and commit to trusting Him in the new year. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.”

Posted on in Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #407

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 long, crazy week, but I know God’s grace was in full swing!

Naturally, work was probably the biggest factor heading into the holiday weekend. It was busy, busy, but good. I enjoyed the cheerful atmosphere, along with some treats, and it always feels good to help people. The main challenge was managing the paperwork! I am off all next week, so I was racing to complete everything until the very last minute. It was not all that bad, just kept me on my toes.

This week, I had a rental car for a little longer than expected. I planned for two days but had it for four! Essentially, there were a few cars ahead of mine and they had to order a second windshield since the first replacement had a chip when they uncovered it. But, I was thankful to have an option to get back and forth to work. Even if it did look like a clown car! I was very happy to get my car back Friday afternoon!

The weather held up other than a little fog! We are supposedly getting a little rain tonight which could become slick on the roads. I guess we will see what tomorrow brings!

Lydia worked on some homemade gifts, including some treats, while I was at work yesterday. She then went Christmas shopping with a friend today. I was able to wrap a few gifts and catch up around the house. It was a good day!

Merry Christmas to one and all!! May you find God’s grace and love abounds in Jesus!!

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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)!