Leave a comment

Hats For Newborns

Posted by eph21920 on February 26, 2021 in Baby, Friends, Generosity, Grateful, Life

I was happy to be able to visit with a friend for a while today. She told me about a woman she knows who works in a pregnancy crisis center. My friend does terrific needlework and makes super cute hats. Her friend asked for a hat for a new little baby. My friend then discovered that the woman she knows actually works with the new mom’s to be, which she didn’t realize. She had a large stash of hats that she had made to prepare for a craft fair. However, she sent them all to the pregnancy center instead. Her friend was overjoyed and very grateful, as were the new mom’s.

I Found God today in my generous friend and her compassionate friend.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Life is Not Mine

Posted by eph21920 on February 25, 2021 in Answer, Connected, Faith, Grateful, Healing, Humility, Life, Mercy, Prayer, Priest, Struggles

Over the past 3 days, my parents and I have been watching a parish retreat. The priest offered a different way of viewing sins – as wounds. Our wrongdoings certainly have an effect on us and on our souls. He led meditative prayer to ask God to heal those wounds. One thought that stuck with me was that we have been told over and over again that our life is our own, that we need to pursue all our dreams, our wants, and our desires. The young priest who identified himself as a millennial, said that particularly young people are being taken up in this idea that is prideful and eventually leads to sadness and frustration. He went on to say that if we think life is all about us, we are selling ourselves short. We are missing the fact that we are part of something much bigger and more beautiful than we can imagine. There was much to ponder in the 1-hour presentations and the contemplative prayer provided enlightenment.

I Found God today in a meaningful retreat.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Depth Perception

Posted by eph21920 on February 24, 2021 in Answer, Connected, Creation, Faith, Life, Opportunity, Struggles, Weather

Tonight my prayer group talked about the upcoming Gospel for Sunday which is the account of the Transfiguration of Jesus. In the story, three of Jesus’ disciples witness Jesus in His glory. Then, they are overshadowed by a cloud – God – who tells them to listen to Jesus. In our discussion, we realized that we tend to think of an oveshadowing cloud as a sign of a storm. Perhaps that’s what we feel like when we are going through a difficult time – like we are in the midst of a storm. When I look at the mountains in this beautiful sunny place, I can see them in one dimension as I view them straight on from a distance. However, when clouds roll by and cast their shadows on the mountains, it is more obvious that there are hills in front and others further back. I notice the crevices and shapes of the ridges. I see more depth. It is in the shadow of the cloud that God spoke to the apostles. Perhaps when we feel our lives are in the shadow of a storm, it isn’t about doom and gloom, but an opportunity for us to deepen our experience with God.

I Found God today pondering the depth of God.

Permalink
Leave a comment

His Love Testimony

Posted by eph21920 on February 23, 2021 in Life, Love, Relationship, Sacrifice, Service, Sick

Most of the caregiver groups I participate in are comprised of wives taking care of their husbands. There is an occasional daughter caring for a parent and there are little to no men. Today I logged onto a new class I signed up for. One of the participants was a man caring for his wife. During the introductions, he said he understands his role as complete caregiver for his wife and is happy to do so. He said it is the least he can do as he will never be able to repay her for all she has done for him. That is one of the sweetest things I have ever heard.

I Found God today in a man’s testimony of love to his ailing wife.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Joyful Visit

Posted by eph21920 on February 22, 2021 in Family, Grateful, Travel

My nephew’s wife has been in the area for a few days visiting with her family. Today she made the hour long drive over to spend some time with us. We were happy we could sit outside for much of the time and soak up the beautiful sunshine. We had not seen her in over a year except over video calls. It was so nice to have a conversation in person and get to know her a little more. She is a photographer, so my dad can especially relate to that passion. Of course, we had to tell a couple stories of when her husband was a child. She is such a sweet young woman and it meant a lot that she would take the time to come for a visit. We were grateful to spend a few hours enjoying her company.

I Found God today enjoying a visit from my nephew’s wife.

Permalink
Leave a comment

New Coffeemaker

Posted by eph21920 on February 21, 2021 in Answer, Family, Food, Happiness, Life, Shopping

My dad had a very nice big coffeemaker that he used to make his drinks just the way he likes. He even made fancy cappuccinos. A few months ago it started making unnecessary loud sounds and parts weren’t moving the way they should. We brought the machine to the repair company that my parents have used for years. The serviceman called a few weeks later with the bad news. It would cost almost as much to fix the coffeemaker as it would to replace it. My dad sadly told him he would not be putting the money into the repair. By this time, he had learned to make a good cup of coffee with the pour over gadget and decided he would stick to that. However, using the pour over is time consuming and my dad has talked about wanting to get another kind of coffeemaker. We asked the family for input and they answered overwhelming that we should get a Keurig. Today we made it happen. I looked up the options and found a store where I could order what we wanted and pick it up. That is just what we did. We were happy to be out and have a nice drive. Once back home, we set up the machine. It was pretty straight forward and easy. My mom and I watched in anticipation as my dad tried his first cup. He said it was a little different from what he had been making, but it was good. The machine has several different options and I’m sure my dad will be playing with them until he figures out how to get his perfect cup. I remembered that he had a chemistry set in his room as a child and would play around with the different chemicals to see what he could create. I think this is the same kind of thing.

I Found God today getting my dad set up with a new coffeemaker.

Permalink
Leave a comment

The Peace Love Rock

Posted by eph21920 on February 20, 2021 in Faith, Family, Grateful, Love, Peace, Trust

My parents were awake early this morning with sore arms from their 2nd COVID-19 vaccines. They took a Tylenol and headed back to bed. They got up a few hours later and had breakfast. They were still a little achy and very tired. So they took another Tylenol and laid back down. They rested another couple of hours before getting up. We had lunch and I was so happy that my parents felt pretty good. I had anticipated that they might not feel well for a couple of days after the vaccine, but prayed that they would not have severe reactions. Later, my dad even did some laundry and my mom and I went for a short walk. On our way back, I noticed a red heart-shaped rock sitting on the ledge of a pillar on the edge of the sidewalk. It had a yellow peace sign painted on it. To me, it was a reminder to be peaceful and trust in God’s love.

I Found God today as my parents fared very well after their 2nd COVID-19 vaccine.

Permalink
Leave a comment

The 2nd Vaccine

Posted by eph21920 on February 19, 2021 in Doctor, Family, Grateful, Opportunity

Yes, that’s right. Today my parents received their 2nd COVID-19 vaccine. They were scheduled to go after lunch, but we got a phone call a few hours earlier saying they could go at any time. So, we got ready and headed out. On the way, we said a prayer thanking God for the opportunity and for the medical people, and asking for a good result with little side effects. Everything there went just as smooth as the first time. Neither parent even felt the shot. It’s been almost 12 hours now and so far, so good.

I Found God today in the opportunity for my parents to get vaccinated.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Not an Emergency

Posted by eph21920 on February 18, 2021 in Answer, Family, Grateful, Hope, Life, Love, Peace

I talked with a friend today who is a spiritual director/life coach also. She has been such a help to me as I do my best to navigate COVID and caring for my parents. One thing we talked about recently is the idea to not let my thoughts, worries, and fears of the future get the best of me. When I find my mind wandering to places that make me anxious, I have to tell myself the truth of the day. Breath . . . It’s OK, we are home safe, we are warm and have food. It’s OK. Breath . . . Everything may not be “fine”, but at the same time, there is no emergency right now. It’s OK. I then thank God for how He is taking care of us in that moment. I may have to talk to myself this way more than once during the day, and will continue to practice, but it has been a tremendous help to maintain some kind of peace and hope.

I Found God today remembering that each day is not an emergency and that God is caring for us.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Wisdom on the Path

Posted by eph21920 on February 17, 2021 in Answer, Connected, Grateful, Hope, Knowledge, Life

I participated in an online caregivers group today. I so appreciate getting to know the people more and listening to them. They all have different stories and their loved ones are in different stages of illness. Today I realized that is one of the blessings of the group. I don’t feel as alone in caregiving, I am able to share openly with people who understand, and I learn much from them. I always walk away with renewed hope, energy, and encouragement.

I Found God today in the wisdom of others walking a similar path.

Permalink