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New Adventures

Posted by eph21920 on September 3, 2026 in Begin, Dog, Family, Friends, Grateful, New, Travel

After being together for a couple of months, my brother started off on his new adventure this morning. His dog was super excited to get on the road again. I had been worried about her as she is getting older and struggling to get around and had some stomach problems. When she has issues now, it takes her some time to recover. But today she looked like her younger self. She was full of energy and excited for my brother to put her in the truck and harness her in. It was strange saying goodbye to them this time, as I don’t know when the next time I will seem them will be. My brother has come back here every summer for years. When my parents were alive, he helped care for them. He had been staying at the cabin and helping to maintain it. Now that the cabin is sold, he is excited to explore other areas of the country. We were very busy while he was here and we got a lot accomplished. We both agreed that it will be nice to have the estate settled, so that when we do get together again, we can just enjoy.

I also had a new adventure today. An elderly friend of mine has been wanting to get her hair cut. I was glad that my hairdresser was able to get her in. I got my friend and her walker in the car and took her to the place. It all seemed very familiar. The hairdresser was very sweet to her and at the end of it all, she gave her the style that she wanted. My friend was elated. We made our way back to her house. Her husband opened the garage door and got the electronic lift ready for us. My friend was a little slower and tired from the outing. When we got settled back in the house, I congratulated us on safely and happily experiencing our big adventure.

I Found God today in new adventures.

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Clear and Confident

Posted by eph21920 on September 2, 2026 in Faith, Knowledge, Prayer, Youth

I spent some time at the Newman Center today and visited with people after Mass. While I was there a Campus Police officer came in and chatted with the facilities manager. As I was talking with one of the students, the officer came over to the information table next to us and was looking at the rosaries. The student went into his leadership role and told the officer that he could have anything on the table, it was all freebies. The officer said that he was interested in the rosaries and the student told him all about what a rosary is, and the prayers that go with it. He encouraged him to take one. I was so impressed with the student. Not only was he not intimidated by the police officer, he spoke very clearly and confidently about his faith. I was grateful to be there.

I Found God today in a faithful young man.

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Better Health

Posted by eph21920 on September 1, 2026 in Family, Friends, Grateful, Healing

My brother has a great group of friends in the RV place that he stays in the winter. They even have Zoom get togethers when people are scattered for the summer. They are very close and supportive of one another. A couple of days ago, my brother told me about one of the ladies who was really struggling with her health. It was so bad that the others who were still there with her wondered if her son was going to come soon. They didn’t think she was going to make it much longer. Today, my brother said that when he spoke to his friends this week, they said the woman had made an incredible turn around. She was starting to feel better and get around more. They were all amazed. My brother was so happy while he was talking about her potential recovery. He was grateful and hopeful for her.

I Found God today in better health for a friend of my brother.

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Joyful Move

Posted by eph21920 on August 31, 2026 in Friends, Grateful, Happiness, Home, Joy

I was talking to a friend today who recently moved into an affordable retirement community. The land was actually donated by the adjacent church. They partnered with a local construction company to build the apartment complex. My friend said she is so blessed and happy to be able to live there. She said it’s cozy and friendly, just what she has been looking for. And since it is brand new, everyone is in the same situation and ready to make friends, or see what the place has to offer. When she first moved in and was unpacking her things, she heard a knock on her door. It was the “Welcome Wagon” from the church with a basket of goodies, including a quilt, tools, and some treats. She was having such a difficult time of it in her last place, it was good to see her so joyful about this new apartment. Even though she wasn’t at all looking forward to the complexity of another move, she was happy that she did.

I Found God today in my friend’s joy.

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Not One and Done

Posted by eph21920 on August 30, 2026 in Answer, Bible, Connected, Faith, Life, Relationship

At Mass today, the sermon was fantastic. It was easy to understand, down to earth, and made sense. The reflection was mostly based on the Gospel, Matthew 16:21-27. Before this story, Jesus’ disciple Peter had witnessed the Transfiguration and heard God say to listen to His Son. He was also appointed as the “Rock” of the Church. Evidently, Peter thought he had it all figured out, so that when Jesus told his Apostles that He was to be arrested and killed, Peter said he wouldn’t let that happen. Jesus in return calls him Satan. The point that the deacon made in his homily was that faith isn’t a one and done type of a deal. There is always more to learn about God. So much so, that we will never comprehend it all. When we begin our relationship with Jesus and accept Him as our leader and Savior, that doesn’t mean we are finished. Like all relationships, ours with God should especially go deeper. The depth of His love and mercy is unfathomable and we will never understand it on this side of Heaven. So we should not short change ourselves. Our faith can and should continue to grow deeper all the time.

I Found God today in a reminder to continue to deepen my relationship with God.

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Generous Stranger

Posted by eph21920 on August 29, 2026 in Answer, Generosity, Stranger

My brother and I have been selling many items online and meeting up with people for the exchange. It has been working out quite well. This morning we met a gentleman who purchased some electronic equipment. He handed me the money which I looked at and put in my pocket. He told us he had an auto shop, which is where he would be using the equipment. After the transaction, we both went our separate ways. Later, I took the money out of my pocket to put it away. As I did so, I discovered that the bills were stuck together. The buyer actually overpaid me. I got in touch with him and told him the situation and asked for the address of his shop so I could mail it back. He replied that I should keep the extra and buy a cold beverage and to keep him in mind when I needed work done on my car. I was surprised at his answer and certainly will keep his business in mind.

I Found God today in a generous stranger.

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The Pianos

Posted by eph21920 on August 28, 2026 in Connected, Happiness, Knowledge, Music, Past

This morning the piano tuner came and tuned both the pianos. We chatted a bit and found it had been 4 years since he was last here. He remembered talking about my dad being in memory care and my mom going over there to play the piano for him. The instrument there was out of tune and it was difficult for my mom to play on it as she couldn’t stand the sound. I passed along his information, but unfortunately the care center never called him. I had forgotten about that. Since we were reminiscing, I showed him the photos I had on the grand piano. One was a black and white picture of my mom playing the old spinet. She was about 20 years old. I explained that it was the first piece of furniture that my parents bought. I also showed him the photo of my mom’s hands playing the organ that my dad and brother built. He was very impressed with that. When he was finished tuning the pianos, he played each of them. Of course, the grand sounded much different from the spinet. I almost cried just hearing them both being played so beautifully. It had been a long time since I heard that. I said I really wanted to just have people come over and play them so I could hear them played like they should be. I suppose hiring pianists to do that is not really feasible. I did enjoy his expertise, talking with him, and most of all listening to his piano playing.

I Found God today listening to the pianos in good working order.

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Bear Antics

Posted by eph21920 on August 27, 2026 in Children, Creation, Laughter

My brother and I went to the zoo today, one of our favorite outings. At the grizzly bear enclosure, we saw one of the large bears lying in a dirt dug out in the shade to stay cool. In front of us was a family with 5 kids viewing the bear through the thick glass. After a bit, the bear got up out of it’s hole and lumbered over to the glass. It stopped right in front of the kids, turned around, and rubbed it’s behind on the glass. I assumed there must have been something that felt scratchy there, as it was in a place where 2 pieces of the clear glass, or plexiglass came together. He rubbed for a few seconds and had everyone laughing. The he stopped and lumbered back to his dirt hole. He left quite an impression on the glass and on the people. As we walked away, one of the little boys said, “That’s the biggest butt I have ever seen!” It was hysterical. That’s why it’s one of our favorite things to do – you never know what you’re going to see.

I saw God today in a funny animal encounter and kids reactions.

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Knowing How To Help

Posted by eph21920 on August 26, 2026 in Answer, Connected, Creation, Family, Grateful, Knowledge

Today I heard from my cousin who has the same name as my mother. My heart always jumps a little when I see the name, but it also makes me smile. She sent me a photo of her orchid. When I visited a couple of months ago, we talked about them and how my mother taught me to care for them. The plant looked very happy and healthy. It had 2 stems on it that had just finished flowering. My cousin asked what to do with them. Luckily, I had just talked with my sister who had advised me of the same thing. I suggested that my cousin should cut the stems all the way down and then continue to water as she was doing. I was happy that I actually had the knowledge to share. And it is always good to hear from my cousin.

I Found God today hearing from my cousin and knowing how to help.

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Simple Joy

Posted by eph21920 on August 25, 2026 in Friends, Joy, Life

As I was reflecting on the day and thinking about the ways I found God today, I kept coming up with very simple things. I spent time helping an elderly couple, cooking and cleaning and doing things that were difficult for them. We talked and prayed together. It wasn’t anything huge, but I enjoyed being able to help them and bringing them joy. In the evening I went to dinner with some friends. I loved being with them, visiting, laughing and sharing meals. Two of them started singing old TV show theme songs. We reminisced about Junior High and High School. Again, nothing really profound. I found joy in simple things today.

I Found God today in simple joy.

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