Leave a comment

Better

Posted by eph21920 on January 11, 2022 in Answer, Food, Grateful, Life, Struggles

I have been dragging the last couple of days – physically, mentally, energetically. Perhaps it’s coming off the holidays. Perhaps I’ve been neglecting to do what I need to take care of myself. I suppose that’s why it seems necessary to make a new year’s resolution. In any case, I resolved to get my diet back in order and started a couple days ago. And last night I went to bed right after my mom. She slept well during the night, so I did too. I woke up surprised that it was actually morning. After my prayers, water and stretching, I was happy that I was feeling better. I was most grateful that continued through the day.

I Found God today feeling better.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Being Silent

Posted by eph21920 on January 10, 2022 in Answer, Bible, Faith, Knowledge, Life, Peace

I have been reading the book of Sirach which is jammed packed with practical wisdom and advice on daily living. It is interesting how thousands of years go by since this was written and it applies to us here and now. I guess we human beings haven’t come as far as we would like to think. There are several verses regarding when to be silent. Perhaps I have been pondering these instead of blogging… I’m not quite sure. There is much to meditate upon in this book for sure.

I Found God today pondering the wisdom of Sirach.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Little By Little

Posted by eph21920 on January 8, 2022 in Friends, Hope, Sick

A couple that I know are going through a very rough time. He let me know last week that he had COVID and experiencing shortness of breath. Two days later he told me his wife was hospitalized with an intestinal infection. She wanted to avoid surgery, so was being treated with heavy duty antibiotics through an IV. My family and I and many others have been praying for them. It was most difficult that they were both unwell and unable to be together. Today the husband told me he got another COVID test and it came back negative. He was starting to feel better and was relieved for the results. His wife was responding to the antibiotics and the doctors were going to switch to taking them orally. It was good news. They are hopeful that she continues to do well and that they can see each other soon.

I Found God today hearing my friends are getting better little by little.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Snow Glitter

Posted by eph21920 on January 6, 2022 in Creation, Happiness, Weather

This morning it was 4 degrees outside when I got up and opened the blinds. It had snowed just a little overnight. When I looked just right in the sunlight, I could see shimmering speckles in the air. It was soothing and lovely, so I just watched for a while. When my mom got up a little later, she said it looked like someone had sprinkled snow glitter all over everything. That was a beautiful description.

I Found God today in snow glitter.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Guardian Angels

Posted by eph21920 on January 5, 2022 in Angel, Answer, Faith, Family, Grateful, Life, Prayer

This morning I was thinking about my dad’s care, which I often do. I still hope for that perfect answer. I was wishing there could be someone whose only task is to look out for him 24/7. Of course, I know God is. So is his guardian angel. I have a pill reminder app on my phone that I set up for my mom and my dad. I have left my dad’s reminders on and now every time it goes off, I pray for him. Recently, I have taken to praying to his guardian angel as well. I use the guardian angel prayer, but substitute “his” for “my”. I pray for him to be at peace. Today when my mom and I went to visit, we were greeted by our favorite caregiver. She said that she recently got a “lead” position. That means that she will be there 4 days a week for 12 hours each day. She will keep a good eye on my dad. She is our human angel. I was thrilled and left with a little more peace as I thank God for this gift.

I Found God today having more peace with my dad’s care.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Resist

Posted by eph21920 on January 4, 2022 in Answer, Bible, Faith, Hope, Life, Love

Sometimes I forget that there is a supernatural battle going on for our souls. I can let negative thoughts or emotions take over. I enjoyed the scripture I read tonight as a reminder: 1 Peter 5:8-9a “Stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith.” So I am not the sum of all my shortcomings. I belong to God and need to remind myself of that.

I Found God today reminded to stay vigilant.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Good Outcome

Posted by eph21920 on January 3, 2022 in Answer, Doctor, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Prayer, Sick

This morning I received a text from a friend that he had COVID, even though he was fully vaccinated and received the booster. He started having symptoms a week ago which subsided. But today he was experiencing shortness of breath. He had open heart surgery a few years ago, so was technically in the high risk category. He made the trip to the ER and was asking for prayers. My mom’s friend was here, so we all prayed. Then I asked my family to pray too. I heard from my friend later in the day that the CT scan and x-rays all came out clear. The doctor told him he looked good, but would likely be feeling the effects of the illness for weeks. Everyone was grateful for the answered prayers and good outcome.

I Found God today in answered prayers.

Permalink
Leave a comment

The Baptismal Gown

Posted by eph21920 on January 2, 2022 in Baby, Connected, Faith, Family

Tonight out of the blue, my mom asked if I knew where the Baptismal gown was. The beautiful garment was hand made by my dad’s Aunt Jane. My 4 siblings and I were all Baptized wearing the gown, along with 9 of my cousins and my 2 sons. There could have been more. The last I heard, my mom had sent the heirloom to one of my cousins. I don’t know where it went after that, or if it even still exists after 60+ years. I’m not sure what made my mom suddenly think of this, but it was a nice way to reminisce.

I Found God today remembering stories of Baptisms.

Permalink
2 Comments

Overwhelmed

Posted by eph21920 on January 1, 2022 in Answer, Faith, Hope, Life, Peace, Struggles

I can all too often find myself feeling overwhelmed. Such was the case earlier today. I thought I was starting the year off on a good path, when a phone call and conversation set me off. When I realized where my emotions were heading, first thing I did was walk away and take a time out. Usually I will take a walk outside to clear my head, but it was way too cold and slippery for that. I ranted to my sisters a bit to get things off my chest. Then I cleaned. That’s usually effective to get out some energy and it feels better when things are more in order. When my thoughts went adrift, I prayed Hail Mary’s. After lunch I went through my emails and there was a video on what to do when you’re feeling overwhelmed. I watched it and felt a little better that I had done some of the things mentioned. Today is the Feast of Mary the Mother of God. We didn’t make it to church this morning – again because it was too cold and slippery. So my mom and I watched Mass with my friend on the East coast. He always lifts my spirit. He talked about today also being the world day of prayer for peace. It was good to be reminded of the source of true peace. The closing hymn was “Let There be Peace on Earth”, with the last line being, “and let it begin with me.” No, I wasn’t  immediately able to let go of all my worries, but I do feel more hopeful and resolved in my desire to surrender more to God.

I Found God today reminded that He is the source of true peace.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Olympic Stories

Posted by eph21920 on December 31, 2021 in Connected, Family, Fun, Happiness, Life, Past

My mom has been wanting to visit the new US Olympic Paralympic Museum. I had read about it and knew it was outfitted with top of the line interactive technology. We thought it would be great to bring the family. The grandkids were off school and my sons were off work, so we planned the trip for today. Unfortunately, my granddaughter was sick, so her mom stayed home with her. But, it was really a great outing for me, my mom, my two sons, and my two grandsons. There was so much to see and do we spent almost three hours there. Early on we came to a wall photo and display of all the people on the team who support Olympic athletes. One was the “Team Mom”. I felt like that was my mom’s role in our family – supportive and encouraging. So we all took a picture with her by the sign. One room held the Olympic torches with a wall size photo of Muhammad Ali. My mom and dad had been to the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. The highlight for my mom was seeing Muhammad Ali carry in the torch. This was before my mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, but the fact that he also suffered from that disease has given her a connection with him. Later, there was a display and description of the games in Munich in 1972 and the tragic massacre that took place. We were living in Germany at that time. I remembered that the we were all in basically lock down right after the incident and that they captured the shooter only a few miles from our house. My mom filled in the details as she remembered seeing the helicopters carrying the motorcycles that were dropped into the woods along with the search party. That was quite an event. The day at the museum was great fun for the four guys as they competed in virtual games and a running race. My mom enjoyed watching them and seeing the mementos. As for me, I do like taking people on adventures. And my heart swelled as my mom shared her Olympic experience stories with her grandsons and her great-grandsons. I feel so blessed.

I Found God today enjoying time and interactions with my mom, sons, and grandsons.

Permalink