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Answered Prayers for Healthy Baby

Posted by eph21920 on August 12, 2026 in Answer, Baby, Doctor, Faith, Family, Grateful, Joy, Life, Prayer

I started this morning by taking my son’s dog for a little hike in a nearby forested park. It was peaceful, cool, and energizing – a great way to start the day. I talked with son and his wife on and off during the day. They sent a picture of the new baby wearing a preemie outfit. It was even too big for her. The last text I received from my son this evening about the baby said, “She’s passing all of her tests with flying colors, kind of surprising all the nurses – hearing, oxygen, blood sugar, jaundice, weight…everything. Both our nurse and the pediatrician said that there’s nothing concerning them at all. And she just had her best feeding yet.” I mean, no one can ask for anything better than that. There were certainly a lot of people praying for this little bundle of joy, and I am so grateful that God answered them.

I Found God today in answered prayers for a healthy baby.

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Safe Delivery

Posted by eph21920 on August 11, 2026 in Baby, Birthday, Family, Grateful, Life

Last night I went over to my son’s house. It was the day that my daughter in law’s doctor scheduled to induce labor, 2 weeks early from the due date. They had been doing ultrasounds on the baby for a couple of months and concerned that she was so small. Everything looked ok, but they wanted to get her into the world to see if she was in need of something. My son and his wife went to the hospital around 10:30 at night. I stayed at their house with their dog. The doctor started the induction process when they arrived. It was slow going for the first several hours. I texted with my son and got updates during the day today. Later in the afternoon I received, “It’s time to push. Talk to you on the other side!” A couple hours later I received the photo of mom, dad, and baby all together. She was small in size, but not too small. My son said it took some time for her to breath on her own, but that she was doing well and they are hoping that she will not have to stay in the NICU. It was all good news! I was so grateful that everyone was doing well. And grateful for all the prayers from all the people during this time. I am excited to meet her and welcome her into the world and her home.

I Found God today in a safe delivery for my new granddaughter.

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Family Weekend

Posted by eph21920 on August 10, 2026 in Connected, Family, Fun, Grateful, Happiness, Life

The past couple of days have been full and fun. My nephew and his wife came for a visit, so they and my sister stayed at my house over the weekend. On Saturday, we all went to dinner along with my brother, my son, and his very pregnant wife. We went to our favorite German restaurant and were serenaded by an accordion and violin as we sang happy birthday to my brother. It was a wonderful evening with lots of laughter and delicious food. Yesterday I was happy that my sister, nephew and his wife all attended Mass with me. Then, they wanted to go explore a nearby cave attraction. My brother and I tagged along as well. They reserved a “Lantern Tour”, but when the guide explained the small crevices and darkness that was part of the experience, I was too afraid to go. I was glad that everyone else went, though. I decided to try the less intense tour and was even afraid to try that one. But, I did it. During that tour, you were allowed to use the flashlight on your phone if you needed to. I was having trouble right away as I couldn’t tell what kind of ground I was stepping on or if it was flat or on an incline or decline. I used my flashlight most of the time that we were walking, which really helped me to be more stable. I really did have a lot of fun on the tour, even on my own. After both tours, we all connected and talked about our experiences. We sat outside on the deck at the top of a peak and enjoyed the view and chatted for quite some time. I was grateful to spend this time with family – especially my nephew and his wife.

I Found God today enjoying the weekend with family.

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Dad’s Craftsmanship

Posted by eph21920 on August 7, 2026 in Answer, Connected, Family, Grateful, Happiness, Life, Stranger

My ongoing project is to sell and donate items from my parents estate. I have had a pair of speakers that my dad made up for sale for several weeks now. Today the right buyer contacted me. My brother loaded up the speakers in my car and we met the man and his girlfriend. The gentleman was in awe of the craftsmanship that went into creating the speakers. My brother said he remembered them being in the house since he was a child. He was able to provide more information about them than I was. The man told us about how he and his girlfriend like all the vintage electronics. He said he usually will clean up old speakers, build a cabinet, and resell them. But, he said he really liked this set and the handcrafted enclosure that my dad built. To him, it was a piece of Americana history. He said he felt like they were kindred spirits. In all the different things I have sold, I have met some pretty good people who have a love for the vintage items. It really does make me happy to see these items get into the hands of people who are excited to have them.

I Found God today in a gentleman who will enjoy my dad’s craft.

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The Transfiguration

Posted by eph21920 on August 6, 2026 in Bible, Faith, Jesus, Life, Plan

I woke up too early this morning, so I rolled over, grabbed my rosary, and put on my rosary app to pray. Thursday is the Luminous Mysteries and the 4th one is the Transfiguration. For whatever reason, this is one of my favorite Bible stories. I remember the picture in my old Children’s Bible of Jesus as dazzling white as a drawing can be, standing alongside of Moses and Abraham. The apostles appear stunned. I always imagine what it would be like to see such a sight and to hear God’s voice booming from a cloud, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him.” I think I would be stunned too. Even when I imagine it, I get a little overwhelmed. I actually finished the whole rosary, so I put on the reflection of the Gospel of the day. I was surprised when I heard that it was the Feast of the Transfiguration. I listened to the scripture and the reflection, which was pretty powerful. Jeff Cavins started by talking about the fact that only 3 apostles were chosen to witness such a scene. Perhaps the others felt left out. He reminded us that just because Jesus chose certain people to accompany Him to the top of Mt. Tabor, doesn’t mean that He loved them more than the others. And so it is for us. We should not feel left out or lesser than another if they get more attention than us, or if they are taking part in something that we are not. God loves you and me the same – abundantly and forever. We each have our own life to live, our own path to follow using the gifts that God has given us. He will guide us along that path and will always be with us. It is our part to Listen to Him, discern where He is leading us, and trust as we walk along with Him. It worked out that I was able to go to Mass today as well, so that was an extra blessing for me. I heard the scripture again, and again imagined myself in that place. It is just such a spiritual encounter to me.

I Found God today pondering the story of the Transfiguration.

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The Motor Home

Posted by eph21920 on August 5, 2026 in Family, Friends, Life, Past, Relationship, Travel

I was visiting with an elderly couple today and they were reminiscing about when their 4 boys were younger. When they only had 2 boys and 1 on the way, they purchased a motor home. It was, of course, an old style with a small section that went over the cab. The boys would take turns riding in that space and watching out the window. When some of them would be aggravating each other, there was room for them to spread out and separate, to help solve the issue. They said it was expensive for them at the time, but it was well worth it. It was an investment in their family. They could just pack everyone in and go, spending a lot of good quality time together. The couple made monetary sacrifices at the time to purchase the motor home, but said it was absolutely worth the investment in their family.

I Found God today in a couple who made sacrifices to nurture their family relationships.

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Such Strength

Posted by eph21920 on August 4, 2026 in Answer, Friends, Generosity, Grateful, Life, Struggles

I have had a particular friend on my mind recently. Last I talked to her she was in the hospital and I wondered how she was doing. So, I gave her a call today. I was happy to hear that she was back at home recovering. She said she was a little frustrated as it was taking her a long time to get her strength back. Honestly, she is one of the toughest people I know. I don’t even know how many times she has been in the hospital and she comes back just as strong every time. When I asked about everyone there, she told me about a friend of hers who she has been helping to care for. Unfortunately, when she was in the hospital and rehab for 5 weeks, her friend really started to decline. My friend said she has to get better so she can help her friend more. She is truly a selfless woman. It was so good to talk to her and catch up. I always leave inspired after talking with her.

I Found God today in a strong woman.

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Response to Fear

Posted by eph21920 on August 3, 2026 in Answer, Bible, Faith, Friends, Jesus, Life, Struggles, Trust

I met with my prayer group today and we discussed the scripture Matthew 14:22-33. The most discussed topic was fear. A couple of statements that people shared really stood out to me:

Fear weakens trust.

Fear leads to misinterpreting God’s plans.

I thought about these words a lot and how true they are. When I am afraid, it is mostly fear of the unknown result of a particular circumstance. Then I want to try to control the situation instead of trusting God. Also, when I allow fear to take over my mind, I can’t think clearly. It is easy for me to miss what God is doing in the moment and what He might have planned for the future. Of course, it would be nice to just stop being afraid and trust Jesus. In this scripture, Peter initially is ready to walk on the water towards Jesus, knowing and trusting that He will take care of things. However, as soon as Peter takes his eyes off Jesus, he starts flailing. When he calls back out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus is right there, extending His hand, pulling Peter up out of the depths. It is a great story and beautiful image. I pray that I can trust God more, instead of reacting to my own fears and doubts.

I Found God today in His response to fear.

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Living His Dream

Posted by eph21920 on August 2, 2026 in Answer, Car, Family, Grateful, Happiness, Life, Opportunity

My grandson texted me yesterday saying that I would never guess what he would be doing last night. I made a lot of random guesses that were pretty funny and saved the best for last. He moved almost a year ago to chase his dream of working with race cars. He got a job with a team and has been promoted and doing very well. My last guess was the correct one – driving a race car. A friend of his offered to let him rent his old crown vic stock car and drive it in a small race. Of course, my grandson was ecstatic. Some of the people he works with even pitched in to make it happen. He called on his way to the race track and told me that the owner of the car was hauling it out and would spot and coach him. I got a few videos and updates during the night. The last message was a photo of him outside the car announcing that he won 2nd place. I thought that was pretty amazing for his first time behind the wheel. I told him I was so grateful that he shared this event with me and how joyful it is for me to see him make his dreams a reality. He replied, “It’s super exciting living it and having it be a normal part of my life. Especially after wanting to do what I’m doing for so long before this. It’s a crazy cool feeling I wish everyone could experience.” I was again impressed at his heartfelt, thoughtful comments.

I Found God today seeing my grandson live his dream and appreciating it.

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Winning Gold

Posted by eph21920 on August 1, 2026 in Friends, Joy, Life, Relationship, Sports

I was talking with an elderly gentleman today in his 90’s. He has trouble with his eyes and they always look red and irritated. I always wonder how much it effects his vision. I was actually driving behind him for a little bit and he seemed to do just fine. He told me about a race that he ran in the state Senior Games. He won the gold for his level and was invited to participate in the national competition. He was very excited to share the news. For the national competition, he has friends who live in the area and have already planned how to support him so he can go. I was very inspired by the way he didn’t allow his physical struggles to interfere with his passion for life.

I Found God today in an inspirational person.

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