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So Thoughtful

Posted by eph21920 on June 30, 2026 in Baby, Children, Creation, Generosity, Grateful

My brother and I have been continuing to work on clearing out the houses. He has been such a big help, which is part of who he is. He is very helpful, thoughtful, and generous. We decided to take a break this afternoon and went to one of the family favorites – the zoo. It was a fun time as usual and we enjoyed watching the elephants go through some of their training and seeing the antics of the baby gorilla. There were many families there and children and strollers. We came to the giraffe enclosure, which was actually down a big hill. We could take the ramp, the stairs, or the elevator. We chose the stairs. There was a long line of strollers waiting for the elevator. When we had gone down just a couple stairs, I heard a woman talking with her young child about being impatient. When I looked behind me, I saw her carrying the stroller with the baby in it down the flight of stairs. The older child was walking behind, keeping the baby engaged. When we got to the first landing, my brother helped her. He didn’t actually offer, he just said “I’ll take one end” and did it. When we all made it down safely, the woman thanked him profusely. I had a fun day with my brother and am grateful for his thoughtfulness and generosity.

I Found God today in my brother’s thoughtfulness and generosity

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Gates of Hell

Posted by eph21920 on June 29, 2026 in Answer, Connected, Eternity, Jesus, Pope

Yesterday my brother and I watched an episode of Expedition Unknown. It was about the search for the true location of Bethsaida. During the program, they stopped at an archaeological site at Caesarea Philippi where there was a large grotto with a stone in the middle. The archaeologists found evidence that it was a pagan place to worship Pan from Greek mythology. They also found evidence that it was a sacred place visited by Christian pilgrims. The program pointed out that the Bible described a way to reconcile these 2 opposing views. In Matthew 16:13-19, Jesus took His Apostles to Caesarea Phillipi. It is that place that He declared Simon should now be called Peter, putting him as head of the Church, and stated that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Jesus was making a point in that place. It was known as Hell’s gate and Jesus’ Church would replace it. Peter would be the first leader – the Pope. I had heard this explanation before and shared it with my brother. This morning, I listened to the Gospel reading of the day and it was in fact Matthew 16:13-19. The reflection described the exact same theories we had just heard the night before. It was amazing. I couldn’t wait to share it with my brother. We were both in awe of the ways God gets our attention.

I Found God today in many descriptions of how the Gates of Hell won’t prevail against His people.

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Big Hug

Posted by eph21920 on June 28, 2026 in Faith, Joy, New, Prayer

During Mass, there is a time when we are encouraged to exchange the “Sign of Peace”. It used to be typical to shake hands with the people around you and say to them, “Peace be with you.” or just “Peace!” During COVID, the churches were closed down for a period of time. As they slowly reopened, we were encouraged to nod, make eye contact, and wish peace to the people around us, but not to touch each other, so as not to spread germs. Now, years later, many people seem unsure as to what the proper protocol is. Many people flash the peace sign to others, some wave, others nod their heads with their hands fully clasped in front of them. Some extend their hands for a handshake. At the Sign of Peace during Mass today, I turned to the gentleman next to me who I had seen in church before and extended my hand. He unexpectedly extended both of his arms with a big smile on his face. I went ahead and accepted his full on hug. It definitely made me chuckle then, and now when I am thinking about it. It was certainly an unanticipated gesture that brought me joy.

I Found God today in an unexpected big hug.

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Family Time

Posted by eph21920 on June 27, 2026 in Family, Food, Fun, Grateful, Relationship, Tradition

My 2 brothers and 1 sister were all together here today. We were missing our other sister to make up our “Fab Five”. We did go to our favorite German restaurant for lunch and my son and his wife joined us. The food was amazing as always and we enjoyed being all together. While we were reminiscing, my brother said he wanted to try to make the anise cookies that my German grandfather used to make. He was a baker and made some amazing anise cookies among other goodies. We never got the official recipe, as he kept the recipes in his head and the measurements were in huge batches. The one tip that we got was to “start with a brown cookie” and we knew that he would cut them and let them set out overnight. My sister had found a recipe that she thought might work. So, this evening, my brother and sister and I gave it a try. My brother wrote down all the details of what we did as we went along. With all of our input and cooperation, we put together a batch that tasted pretty good. They’re sitting out overnight and we will bake them in the morning. It would be so great if we could figure out this unique recipe that we all loved so much. Then my son and his wife stopped over unexpectedly to visit a bit and we showed them our creation. I am grateful for the time I spend with family.

I Found God today reminiscing and spending time with family.

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Wrote the Letter

Posted by eph21920 on June 26, 2026 in Friends, Grateful, Happiness, Life, Struggles

A friend of mine is a retired teacher. After her retirement, she voluntarily taught adults with special needs. I was at her house today, when one of those students called. They have been staying in touch for years. She occasionally calls and tells my friend the new word that she learned to spell. Today the woman reached a milestone and had to share her accomplishment. She said she wrote her first letter. It was written to a serviceman that she got connected with through the Wounded Warrior project. In the letter, the woman thanked him for his service. My friend told her how proud she was of her and what a great job she was doing. The woman replied that she wouldn’t give up. Abraham Lincoln didn’t give up and neither would she. I felt pretty blessed to be able to listen in on that conversation.

I Found God today in a woman who was so happy for her accomplishment.

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Medjugorje 45 Years

Posted by eph21920 on June 25, 2026 in Answer, Faith, Grace, Life, Mary, Miracle

Today marked the 45th Anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje. It is hard to believe that the Virgin Mary has been appearing to the visionaries for such a long time. They were only children in 1981. Now, Our Lady appears to 3 of them daily, and the other 3 once a year. She is revealing 10 secrets to each of them and when they have all received the secrets, she will stop appearing and leave a permanent, indestructible sign on the mountain where she was first seen. When she speaks to them, she gives them personal messages, and messages to share with the world. I have been fascinated by these supernatural appearances and how the “kids” at the time were able to remain steadfast even while being mocked and persecuted. A friend of mine visited the place while he was discerning priesthood. When he returned home, he knew that’s what his future should be. I looked up the website this evening, wondering if there would be something radical or profound that might happen. Our Lady appeared to the visionaries as usual. This is what she had to say to all of us:

June 25, 2026 Message to Marija

“Dear children. Rejoice with me because the Most High permits me to be with you, to lead you to Him Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Rejoice, little children, and be joyful also in difficulties and you will have the strength, because you will be aware that you are transient and you will know to offer everything to God. That is why, do not forget: I am your Mother and I love you. Thank you for having responded to my call.” 

June 25, 2026 Message to Ivanka

The apparition, which lasted 4 minutes (18:35h – 18:39h), took place at Ivanka’s family home. Only Ivanka’s family was present at the apparition. After the apparition, Ivanka said: Our Lady gave the following message: “Dear children, carry the peace and the love of my Son into every heart. Pray for peace, peace, peace.” 

I Found God today in messages from His Mother.

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John and Jesus

Posted by eph21920 on June 24, 2026 in Angel, Answer, Baby, Begin, Bible, Birthday, Faith, Jesus, Saint

Today the church celebrates the birth of John the Baptist. I listened to a couple reflections, which gave me some interesting points to ponder. John the Baptist was approximately 6 months older than his cousin, Jesus. His mission was to announce the coming of Jesus Christ who would change everything. John was ushering in the New Testament. We celebrate his birthday near the summer solstice when the days start getting shorter. John taught, “I must decrease, He must increase”. Then, we celebrate Jesus’ birth near the winter solstice; the light has come into the world and the days start getting longer. I love how the Catholic church is so intentional when it comes to the celebrations of the faith. Another interesting thought was that Elizabeth was older, symbolizing the Old Testament and Mary was a young virgin, symbolizing the New Testament. And finally, Elizabeth’s husband, Zechariah, was a priest. At that time, only 1 priest was able to enter the Holy Temple. Zechariah was chosen to enter and was incensing the altar, representing all the prayers of the people being lifted up to God. That’s when the angel appeared and told him that his elderly wife was going to have a baby. When Jesus was crucified, the curtains of the temple were torn and it was exposed to all the people. Now all of us have direct access to God. We can go to church and have our own Holy Hour, worshipping and praying. How blessed we are that God is so gracious to us. I loved listening to the different thoughts and correlations of how our faith has grown.

I Found God today learning more about the faith.

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Progressing Wellness

Posted by eph21920 on June 23, 2026 in Baby, Friends, Healing, Life, Struggles

I went to dinner with some friends tonight and got caught up on the news. A couple had their baby early and he is still in the NICU. However, they have already made it through some very difficult times. The baby was delivered early via C-section as there were some concerns. At one point the mom was hospitalized for a few days as well. The new parents are at the hospital with the baby most of the time and were looking forward to going back after dinner. It was good to see them there. Everyone at dinner was excited for the day we all get to meet the baby in person. I have been praying quite a bit for them and glad to see that things are progressing well.

I Found God today in things going well for new parents and their baby.

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Passing the Cabin Along

Posted by eph21920 on June 22, 2026 in Answer, Family, Home, Joy, Life

A couple of months ago, my siblings and I agreed to sell the family cabin. It was a difficult decision to make but needed to be done. While I was on my road trip, we had a family come look at the place. Then they looked again. And again. Thankfully, my brother was up there to oversee everything. Not long after I returned home, my realtor called and said that we had an offer. The price was pretty low, though. My siblings and I conferred for a long time and decided to counteroffer. Then the potential buyers countered that offer and we accepted. I signed the contract today. Once that was settled, I made my way out to the cemetery to place flowers on my mom’s gravesite as today is the 2 year anniversary of her death. I got the flowers all situated and sat down in the grass to talk to my parents. Then it struck me. After my mom’s death, the estate would pay for the cabin expenses for 2 years. After that, my siblings and I would have to figure out what to do with it. I signed the contract to sell exactly 2 years later. Before my dad died, he wanted to sell the cabin so my siblings and I wouldn’t have to make these tough decisions. It seemed like it all fell into place. My dad – and the rest of us – built the cabin with the intention that it would be a place for the whole family to gather, have fun, and relax. We certainly did that for many years. My realtor told me later that the buyers were very excited that they would be able to purchase it. They have 4 kids. I watched the cameras when they were looking at the house, and saw the kids running up and down the hills and doing the things we used to do up there. It was a joyful sight and reminded of the good times that we had. While it is bittersweet to let it go, I do feel it is time for another family to make it their family home.

I Found God today passing along a joyful house.

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How We Treat Others

Posted by eph21920 on June 21, 2026 in Faith, Jesus, Life, Relationship

I visited with a friend today and told her about some of my trip. It is really too much to share in one sitting. I told her about my drive through South Dakota, which I loved. And while I was there, I ended up near the St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain. The artifacts and stories in the museum left me feeling very sad about the way the Indian’s were mistreated. My friend and I talked about how people have been mistreating one another since Adam and Eve disobeyed God. In our “modern world”, there is still greed, arrogance, and the hunger for personal power. We wondered how God can let things go so badly for so long. But then, we talked about the missionaries who came to minister to those who are suffering. In the case of the Indians, they built a school and continue to teach them to better themselves and the world around them. That also happens today. Not just missionaries, but ordinary people spend themselves for the benefit of others. I see it all the time. They may not make headline news, but I know people who are caring for others, advocating for those who are struggling, and showing up for people in need. As Jesus said in today’s Gospel from Matthew chapter 10:

“Fear no one.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.”

In other words, God know all about us. He knows our inner thoughts, our hearts, our motivations. We cannot hide anything from Him. We cannot control what others do, or when our time to leave this earth will be. But we can choose to do our best for one another while we are here. And we can choose to follow Jesus, keeping our souls from perishing.

I Found God today pondering the way people can choose to treat one another.

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