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Surprises Everywhere

Posted by eph21920 on June 15, 2026 in Connected, Faith, Family, Joy, Life

As I have been travelling, I have just been picking hotels that seem convenient along the way. Last night I stayed in a place that was a block away from a major river with a metal arched bridge going over it. I walked over at sunset and was blessed with an amazing view.

This morning as I was heading out, I realized I was super close to an Indian school that my brother has been supporting for years. He has always had a soft spot in his heart for native Americans. I went over and took a tour of the visitors center. There, I learned that the school was started by a Catholic order to minister to the needs of the natives there who were devastated when the “white man” came over. There was a chapel on site, so I visited that too. The decor all kept to the native tradition and language. It was beautiful.

Later I stopped at a giant mall that has been a part of the landscape for almost 100 years. I read the history in the pamphlet and was surprised to hear about their Catholic faith. There was even a travelers chapel that held a large stone rosary. I actually own the exact same one.

God shows up on so many places and circumstances. We just need to be open to finding him.

I Found God today in many surprising ways.

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Heavenly Cathedral

Posted by eph21920 on June 14, 2026 in Angel, Faith, Grateful, Prayer, Travel

This morning I was blessed to attend Mass in a beautiful cathedral. It was even more ornate than I had anticipated. Marble pillars surrounded the giant altar and held the lit dome canopie. On the ceiling above was painted the Nativity with many angles and saints surrounded the scene. A huge crucifix hung on the wall. There were other saints and angels painted on the ceiling that seemed as high as Heaven itself, statues with votive candles adorning the side altars, and an amazing pipe organ. The church was full of people for Mass and I loved seeing the reverant families with lots of kids. The priest was very personable and his homily was relevant to today’s situation. After Mass as I was looking around and taking photos, one of the gentleman pointed out an additional adoration chapel, so I went in. The size and simplicity was in stark contrast to the large church. In the church, I couldn’t stop looking around. In the small chapel, I settled in and prayed for everyone I could think of – and those I may have forgotten. Several times during Mass I got a little choked up. I think these experiences and places really help me feel closer to God and I am so grateful that I am able to visit them.

I Found God today in a heavenly cathedral.

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Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine

Posted by eph21920 on June 13, 2026 in Faith, Grateful, Joy, Opportunity, Peace, Travel

Today I was able to visit a Shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is the patron of the Americas and it seemed particularly fitting as today is the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I didn’t actually put that together until I arrived. There was a long winding pathway up to the chapel, which had places to stop, admire a statue, learn more about a saint, and take in the scenery. On the path just ahead of me was a young man wearing an all white suit, carrying a large bouquet of flowers as a tribute. There was also a beautifully dressed teenage girl celebrating her quincenera wearing her extravagant red sequined dress. She was accompanied by several boys all wearing black suits with white shirts and red ties. They made the trek as well as their photographer and took many photos along the way. Mass was starting not long after I made it to the top as a little bonus – also unplanned. The chapel was only built within the past 25 years, so it was modern, yet ornate as if it were much older with an altar rail and altar for the priest to face the same direction as the congregation. A replica picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe was just beyond the altar. Mass was beautiful, the grounds and devotional sites were peaceful, and the people were all so friendly. I was grateful I was able to spend time there.

I Found God today in a peaceful visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

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Roadside Chapels

Posted by eph21920 on June 12, 2026 in Faith, Grateful, Prayer, Travel

I had the opportunity to see some very interesting and unique little chapels today. There is an old Belgian community that settled and farmed the land. They would build small personal chapels to thank God for a favor, to honor a particular saint or devotion, or to remember their loved ones. I had a map that showed many of the chapels that were open to the public. Today was the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and I found a chapel with that devotion, so I thought I would start there. The directions took me right to it, sitting in the owners front yard close to the road for easy access. I went in the tiny building that held an altar, large statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, several smaller statues, old photos, pictures, and framed prayers on the walls, baskets of prayer books and cards, a memorial to a daughter, and a small kneeler. It was built in the late 1800’s and kept up by the homeowners. It was truly a little piece of history. I said some prayers, took some photos, and signed the guest book before I left. As God would have it, there was a church and cemetery across the street and I noticed a large structure in the middle. I went over to take a look, and sure enough it was a grotto with St. Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes. I smiled and thanked God for the extra gift. I was grateful to see these beautiful structures that were so far off all the main roads and cities. I felt it was a testament to the faith of the people there.

I Found God today in personal chapels.

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False Alarm

Posted by eph21920 on June 11, 2026 in Answer, Baby, Doctor, Family, Grateful

My son and his wife are expecting their first child in a couple of months. The doctors have been concerned as the baby is measuring very small, so they have been doing an ultrasound every week. The other day at the ultrasound, the doctor noticed an irregularity in the cord blood flow. This made my son and his wife more nervous – especially since she was planning a road trip to visit extended family. However, the following day they received a message from their doctor saying that she reviewed the ultrasound again and it looked like everything was normal. It included a note saying to enjoy her trip. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. That was such a weight off of them. My daughter in law was able to travel without everyone being more worried.

I Found God today in good news from my daughter in law’s doctor.

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Changing Plans

Posted by eph21920 on June 10, 2026 in Answer, Family, Plan, Weather

I had planned on visiting another cousin today, then heading West. However, after watching the weather, I decided to hunker down at my aunt’s house a couple more days. It was a good thing, because the places I would have been going had tornado warnings as well as wind and hail damage. My aunt and I planned our lunch outing between storms and otherwise watched and listened to them as they blew through. I was grateful she was open to letting me stay another couple of days. It was otherwise a low key day, just hanging out and visiting, which was very relaxing.

I Found God today being safe.

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Drawbridges

Posted by eph21920 on June 9, 2026 in Family, Fun, Grateful, Life, Travel, Weather

Today I went out and about with my cousin’s wife. We started out looking at all the stores near the waterfront. I’m not really a big shopper, and as we walked, I just wanted to be closer to the water. So, we made our way down. We walked along the nice sidewalks and piers. A flurry of motion in the water caught my eye and I spotted a mother duck with about a dozen babies. They followed her in and out of the water. Their little feet went so fast in the water it looked like they were running on the top. It was adorable. We made our way up to the first of 3 drawbridges that shuttle traffic across the bay. It was a foggy day, which made the scenery very interesting. As we walked over the bridge, we came to a little house like building. My cousin explained that it was the building for the bridge tender – the person who is in charge of opening and closing the bridges. Her father was a bridge tender and I learned all about the workings of the 3 bridges. It was exciting to see the bridges open for boats to go under. We went up to the top of a museum that overlooked the bay and she pointed out different landmarks. There was a particular sailboat that was built in the shipyard there that was highlighted in the museum and just happened to be docked right outside. My cousin told me of the time she spent a week on that boat with the family who owned it. She had so much to share about the area and was a fantastic guide for the day. I was grateful that I got to know her better and for such a fun day.

I Found God today enjoying the time with my cousin.

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Similarities and Differences

Posted by eph21920 on June 8, 2026 in Connected, Family, Life, Music, Relationship

Today I had another wonderful day with relatives. My aunt had mentioned that she was behind on putting flowers around her house. So this morning, we went to the flower stores where she picked up a beautiful yellow hanging begonia that caught her eye and a small pot of red geraniums. Every summer, my mom also loved getting a pot of red geraniums. When we got back to her house, I put the geraniums on her front step and the hanging basket near the back porch. My aunt sat in her favorite chair and was so happy that she could see her gorgeous yellow begonias. When we were visiting later, she told me that starting in junior high, she was in the marching band and played the drums. I never knew that before. She said she couldn’t sing great, but she could really play the drums and other percussion instruments. We talked about how my mom played many different instruments in the band. I loved spending the day with my aunt and learning more about her life and some similarities and differences between her and my mom.

I Found God today learning more about the bonds between my aunt and my mom.

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Positive Outlook

Posted by eph21920 on June 7, 2026 in Answer, Family, Happiness, Hope, Life, Struggles

I continued my travels today and made it to my aunt’s house. We went to dinner with 2 of her sons and got caught up on the family news. I had not seen one of the cousins in many years. He has been through tragedies, family struggles, and health issues. But through it all he has an amazing positive attitude. Recently he was treated for cancer and it was unsure if he would survive. Both he and his brother attributed his recovery to his determination to beat the disease. He had a business in the town at one time and knew many of the people in the restaurant. Others said a cheerful hello to him, but he didn’t recognize them. Regardless, he greeted everyone with enthusiasm. His perseverance and uplifting attitude were so encouraging.

I Found God today in a positive outlook on life.

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More Cousins

Posted by eph21920 on June 6, 2026 in Baby, Faith, Family, Fun, Grateful, Joy, Life

Today I got to spend time with more cousins. We went to a local restaurant and I was proud of myself for trying some foods that I never had before. And it was delicious. We also went to a local town fair that was small but fun. Their son met us there with his girlfriend and their new baby. She was so tiny and sweet and did all those newborn things that make you smile and go aww! The mom also had a 6 year old daughter. We all had fun watching her excitement as she went on the carnival rides and saw the animals at the petting zoo. It was a low-key and joyful afternoon. In the evening, we talked about handling the suffering and death of loved ones as well as the incredible joys of miracles and the way God lets us know He is still with us. I was so grateful for the day and the people in it.

I Found God today in the joy of more family time.

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