Leave a comment

Family and Friends Support

Posted by eph21920 on September 14, 2026 in Faith, Friends, Sick

Yesterday I visited the elderly couple that I have been helping and brought them Holy Communion. When I arrived, their son who lives next door was there and the elderly gentleman was sitting in his usual chair with his robe on. They explained that the man’s knee was swollen and painful and he was having a hard time getting around. His son was getting the crutches out from the basement to see if that would be helpful. He got them all set up and left while we had the Communion service. When we were finished, I did a few things for the couple before I left. The gentleman tried to tell me he was ok, but I could tell he wasn’t. I talked to their son and knew he would be coming over, so I felt comfortable leaving. This morning I got a call from the wife. She told me that her husband was in the hospital. They had to call the ambulance in the middle of the night as he was in so much pain and unable to move. Her daughter in law spent the night with her. The woman was up and obviously distraught as she told me what had happened. Her husband was scheduled to have surgery on his knee later this afternoon. I had planned on going over to their house this afternoon for our bi-monthly prayer group, but I went over early. She was relieved that I had come. I helped her to do some things around the house and get things together to take to the hospital. When she talked to her husband this morning, he was pretty insistent that she continue with the prayer group. I let the other members of the group know what was happening. After a while, her son from next door came over and her son from about 1 1/2 hours away came. They were very caring and patient with their distressed mother as they planned the day. They went to the hospital to see their dad while we had our prayer meeting. It was good to have our group there to dive into scripture and prayer for the woman, her husband, their family, and the medical team. Just as we had finished our closing prayers, one of the son’s came in. They were getting his dad ready for surgery, so he came back to collect his mother and bring her to the hospital. While it was a stressful time, it was beautiful to see the family rallying around their parents and figuring out how best to help them both. It was also such wonderful timing that the prayer group was scheduled for today and everyone could come over to pray with and for our friends.

I Found God today in friends and family supporting an elderly couple.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Faithful Friend

Posted by eph21920 on September 13, 2026 in Children, Connected, Creation, Faith, Friends

I talked to a friend today and we got caught up on what has been happening with our families and friends. At one point, she said that she didn’t have very much faith. Then, she proceeded to tell me that she heard something said at Mass today that gave her an idea of a way to help a friend. I pointed out that she has tremendous faith. God obviously spoke to her heart, she listened, and took action. You can’t get more faithful than that. She tried to argue saying that she also struggles. I reminded her that is the human condition. Our conversation reminded me of some of the things that were said at the conference yesterday. We are so quick to diminish our own goodness, it’s easy to see our faults. But Jesus is with us every day offering His love and compassion. We are worthy of it, whether we feel like it or not. God created us and wants to lavish His gifts upon us. If we have strayed, we can reconcile with Him in the Sacrament of Confession and start anew. We are His beloved children and need only to turn to Him as often as we can with outstretched arms and accept His love.

I Found God today in a faithful friend.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Retreat Day

Posted by eph21920 on September 12, 2026 in Connected, Faith, Generosity, Grateful, Joy, Life, Love

My sister and I spent today on a woman’s retreat at a local hotel. The theme for the day was “Beloved” – a reminder that we are God’s beloved daughters and that He is always with us and for us. There were 2 speakers, Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and vendors. I saw many of the younger and older women I had met at the Newman Center. There were many quotes and thoughts that touched my heart, so I wrote them down. Here are a few of them:

Talking about the importance of paying attention to the blessings God gives your every day, every moment. “When my life is over, I want to say I was a bride to amazement”.

“What comes to our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about ourselves.”

Jesus was at His best on the cross. His incredible suffering brought redemption. We will suffer too, but God can make beauty from it.

Everyone wants our attention right now – family, friends, social media, etc. It is so valuable. Some of our attention needs to be on God.

I had such a great day with my sister, listening to so much encouragement.

I Found God today spending it with Him.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Baby Shopping

Posted by eph21920 on September 11, 2026 in Baby, Family, Grateful, Shopping

Every year, a certain organization holds a gigantic used children’s sale  at a local event center. This year, my daughter in law and I decided to go. When I arrived at my son’s house, my daughter in law was feeding the baby. My son said that his new daughter gets very unhappy if she’s not attached to her mother. I remembered going through that phase and encouraged him to be as patient as possible and keep in mind that this is just a period of time that will pass. Once the baby was finished eating, my daughter in law loaded her into the car seat and into her car and off we went. While she initially didn’t like being put in the car seat, the baby settled down and fell asleep. She stayed sleeping while the car seat was moved onto the stroller and for most of the time shopping. My daughter in law’s family has been gifting them with quite a bit of baby gear, but she did find a couple things she needed. I kept picking up cute things, asking if my daughter in law if she wanted them. She was pretty good at saying no because they have so much. But, we did get some super cute holiday jammies for Halloween and Christmas. Her brother had already given them an outfit for Thanksgiving. I could tell that my granddaughter has been growing, but seeing so many other babies there, she looked so tiny and they looked like giants. It was pretty funny. When we were just about finished, the baby woke up and cried right away. My daughter in law took her to the car to start nursing while I purchased our treasures. On the way home, the baby got angry again as she didn’t quite get her fill. That little newborn cry is so heart wrenching. My daughter in law remained calm as she drove home. Once there, they were back together again. My son was attentive, bringing his wife her lunch and helping her to get situated. I was grateful to spend the time with family and see how they are doing with their new little one.

I Found God today spending time with the new parents and baby.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Being Patient

Posted by eph21920 on September 10, 2026 in Family, Grateful, Patience

After my brothers and I have been working through all my dad’s old camera equipment, there is still a lot left. I brought much of it into the used camera store today. The old gentleman who owns the store came out in his walker to look at the treasures. I did my best to help extend the legs on the tripods and got a lesson from him on the proper way to use the levers and knobs. He was very slow, meticulous, patient, and kind. I talked about my dad’s photography while he investigated all the pieces. Unfortunately, most if it was too old for him to sell – too old to be of use to anyone according to him. He did offer some cash for a couple of things, which I was grateful for. He got out his paper form and wrote down my information. At one point he made an error and had to go get his correction tape. Then he went out of sight and said he would be right back. I browsed through everything in the store before he returned with a handwritten check. I was glad that I went when I had a free afternoon, as the whole process took quite some time and definitely tested my patience. In the end, I was happy to share my dad’s talents and equipment with other people, and glad that I was able to be patient without feeling like I had to be rushed.

I Found God today able to be patient.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Masculinity

Posted by eph21920 on September 9, 2026 in Humility, Love, Prayer, Relationship

Tonight I turned on the first football game of the season. Before the game started, they showed some of the players getting ready. One of the men was with his wife and infant son. He held his baby in his large hands as he talked to him. Then he gave him back to his mom, dropped to a knee and bowed his head. His wife, holding their son, leaned over close, closed her eyes, and spoke into his ear. It appeared to me that she was praying over him. This tall, muscular man showed incredible humility. At the same time he was an example that true masculinity and strength isn’t always about being aggressive. It is also about treating others – especially women and children – with tenderness and gentleness.

I Found God today in a humble man.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Energetic Dog

Posted by eph21920 on September 8, 2026 in Dog, Family

Today I went over to my son’s house to watch their dog while they took the baby to her doctor’s appointment. The husky was crazy as soon as I got there. She was jumping all around and vocalizing. She knows when I come that we are going out on an adventure, or taking a walk. She could hardly wait. I got my things ready and let her out the back door. From there, she goes to the back gate and waits to get her leash on. She only went a few steps before she turned around and basically told me to hurry up. Once down the stairs of the deck, she did the same thing. It took all the self control she had to sit long enough to get her leash on. Once out the back gate, she was on her way. She has been trained to walk right beside you, but too many different people have been walking her and her training seems to have fallen by the wayside as she was far ahead of me. I had to stop many times so she would realize that she needed to pay more attention to me. And I made her stop at all crosswalks as she was trained to do. It started out as quite a battle. We went for over 2 miles so she could release some of her crazy energy. A little over half way, she finally had reeled herself in and was walking with me. When we got back to the house, she was pretty hot and tired. I gave her a few ice cubes, which she thought were the best thing ever. When my daughter in law got home with the baby, the dog got all excited again. She licked the baby like she was cleaning her puppy until my daughter in law made her stop. She is such a sweet, loving, funny dog, and I really enjoy being with her. She keeps me on my toes, but she really gave me a workout today with her level of energy. Luckily, she walks on the left side. I would not have been able to do it with my withered right hand – which is actually getting much better.

I Found God today working out with an energetic dog.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Withered Hand

Posted by eph21920 on September 7, 2026 in Connected, Healing

The other morning I woke up to a very painful right hand. The joint at the base of my thumb was very swollen and I could barely move it. When I did, it was extremely painful. I took some Tylenol during the day, but it didn’t seem to help. That night I didn’t sleep because it hurt so bad. Yesterday morning I went to church while the pain in my hand just increased. I decided I needed a stronger medication, so I stopped on the way home and got some Aleve, which my doctors have recommended in the past. I don’t like to take it as it upsets my stomach. But desperate times… When I got home, I started taking the Aleve, started icing the swollen part, and hunkered down in the recliner. I was glad I was able to sleep better last night. I woke up to a less swollen hand that didn’t hurt as much. I listened to today’s Gospel reading, which was about the man with the withered right hand. When it came to the part where Jesus tells the man to stretch out his hand, I did, and I prayed. There was no immediate miraculous healing. But, since it is feeling a little better today, I do feel confident that it will heal in a short time now. I thought it was a very funny “coincidence” that the reading and the reflection were so personal for such a random thing.

I Found God today in a specific, personal scripture.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Getting Out

Posted by eph21920 on September 5, 2026 in Connected, Friends, Fun, Grateful, Grief, Healing, Life, Struggles

I met a certain friend several years ago at a grief support group and we discovered that we had much in common. She had been caring for both her parents and both of our fathers had recently passed away. Soon after we met, her mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. We made it to a couple of Parkinson’s support groups together before my mom died. We have stayed in touch since then. Her mother recently passed away and she is now living in the big house by herself. Today I invited her to a social group that I have been going to. It was good to catch up with her, and she found she had things to talk about with several people. We planned on going for a hike with some of the group. When we were driving home, she said she almost cancelled as it would have been easier to stay home, but she fought the temptation. She was glad she came, and so was I.

I Found God today helping a friend get out.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Successful Surgery

Posted by eph21920 on September 4, 2026 in Doctor, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Healing

I was at a friend’s house today and we wondered about another friend who had hip surgery earlier this week. Our prayer group was praying for her and my friend said that she and her husband were praying for her many times during the day. I texted her, hoping to get a response. She did answer quickly and said that the surgery went well and she was staying with her daughter who was being a very good nurse. She said she was already getting around better than she was before the surgery. We were glad to hear that she was doing so well.

I Found God today in a friend recovering from surgery.

Permalink