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Unexpected Compliment

Posted by eph21920 on October 15, 2020 in Happiness, Stranger

Before I went out and about today, I decided to put on a little eyeliner and fix my hair up nice. I have several face masks that my friend has made and always like to wear things that match. Today it was the fall leaves look with my orange long sleeve t-shirt. I thought it doesn’t really matter to anyone else but me, but it made me feel good. As I was running errands, I decided to stop for a coffee. The shop was near a high school. I had ordered online and went in to pick it up. A group of high school students were there waiting for their order. When my drink was ready, the woman behind the counter called my name. I thanked her and took my cup. When I turned around, one of the young ladies seated at a table pulled down her mask to say, “Ms. Tammy, you look beautiful today!” That was completely unexpected. I thanked her “so much!” and went out the door smiling. I guess my extra self care details paid off.

I Found God today in an unexpected compliment.

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Purposeful Morning

Posted by eph21920 on October 14, 2020 in Begin, Life, New, Opportunity

I got up way too early this morning. But instead of trying to go back to sleep, I just started my day. I started with prayer. For almost an hour I prayed the rosary, the office, read today’s Mass readings and watched a meditation. I saw the glow of the sunrise through my window and went outside to take a few pictures of the fiery sky. Then I moved on to exercise. I did 20 minutes of yoga, then 20 minutes of aerobics. I started stretching when my son called. We chatted for a bit until he had to go to work. By that time my mom was up and I made breakfast. I felt like I had a whole day of stuff done by the morning meal. To my surprise, instead of feeling tired all day, I felt rather energized and was productive all day. Perhaps I should start every day in this way.

I Found God today in an early but purposeful and productive day.

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Infinity and Beyond

Posted by eph21920 on October 13, 2020 in Connected, Creation, Family, Life, New, Past

We flipped through tv channels tonight and came across the new Cosmos series. I was surprised that my dad had not seen any of the new program. We found that we could start watching series 1 episode 1, which we did. My dad remembered the original Cosmos series by Carl Sagan in 1980. He taught the college course that went along with the videos. He went into his library and pulled out the original book complete with Carl Sagan’s autograph and a hand written note to my dad. Watching the first episode reminded me of the immensity that our universe is and how little we actually know about it. What’s more, our history as human beings is but a tick of the clock in space time. And yet, we struggle just to get along with one another. I realized that a bigger sense of belonging, a mind set to infinity and eternity is imperative to living peacefully in our little world.

I Found God today reflecting on the enormity of creation and the Creator.

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Aware of Angels

Posted by eph21920 on October 12, 2020 in Angel, Answer, Bible, Faith, Healing, Miracle

In my Bible class tonight, we read the book of Tobit. It is a beautiful story of 2 people who were going through very difficult times. They remained faithful and both cried out to God in prayer at the same time. God heard them and sent Raphael the archangel who helped and healed them. After that, their lives became intertwined and they were blessed in ways they could never have imagined. After the lesson, there was a lot of discussion about angels – particularly our guardian angels. Several people in the class recognized that in some serious situations they had been helped by angels. It was a hope-filled evening.

I Found God today being more aware of angels.

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God Speaks if We Listen

Posted by eph21920 on October 11, 2020 in Answer, Family, Grateful, Life, Relationship

My sister has been struggling with an issue and trying to decide what her part is in responding. She shared with me an article that she came across that perfectly described the situation and offered a resolution that made sense by following Jesus’ example of interaction in his relationships. The advice was spot on. I thought it was such a good example of how God will speak to us if we listen.

I Found God today in His words of wisdom for my sister.

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United in Prayer from Afar

Posted by eph21920 on October 10, 2020 in Connected, Death, Faith, Friends, Prayer

When a friend found that her previous spouse was dying, she went to be with him and her children. He passed away a few days ago and she sent a link to participate virtually in the memorial service. I tuned in today. I was disappointed that the sound was not very good and it was difficult to hear and understand what people were saying. However, because it was a Catholic service, I recognized the order and did my best to follow along. I figured even if I wasn’t getting all the words, I was still united in prayer for his soul, for my friend and for their children.

I Found God today being able to unite in prayer with a friend from a distance.

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Three Bricklayers

Posted by eph21920 on October 9, 2020 in Answer, Job, Life

I was talking with a friend today who reminded me of a story I heard a long time ago about 3 bricklayers. The parable reflects how important our perspective is. It guides how we view our purpose in our work and in our lives:

A man observed three bricklayers on a scaffold, one crouched, one half-standing and one standing tall, working very hard and fast. To the first bricklayer, he asked the question, “What are you doing?” to which the bricklayer replied, “I’m a bricklayer. I’m working hard laying bricks to feed my family.” The second bricklayer, responded, “I’m a builder. I’m building a wall.” But the third brick layer, the most productive of the three and the future leader of the group, when asked the question, “What are you doing?” replied with a gleam in his eye, “I’m a cathedral builder. I’m building a great cathedral to The Almighty.”

I Found God today reminded of the importance of perspective in viewing my purpose.

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Fostering Hope Impact

Posted by eph21920 on October 8, 2020 in Answer, Children, Connected, Family, Generosity, Hope, Opportunity, Struggles

The other day I received an email from the Fostering Hope organization regarding their annual fundraiser. This year, the event was online as many others are at this time due to the pandemic. I volunteered with the group for a couple of years until I realized I didn’t have enough “give” in me. I was using it all for my parents. I watched the video that was professionally produced. It was great to see people I served with and some of the young adults that I was so blessed to get to know. Moreover, I continue to be impressed by the impact this organization is making on youth in the foster care system. The volunteers spread inspiration and hope.

I Found God today seeing the impact of Fostering Hope.

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Our Lady of the Rosary

Posted by eph21920 on October 7, 2020 in Answer, Faith, Life, Mary, Prayer

We found out this morning that today is the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary. My dad asked how the rosary came about in the first place, so I looked it up. We learned that the “desert fathers” used to pray the 150 Psalms using rocks and ropes. That type of tool was common in other religions as well. The Hail Mary prayer itself took about 1000 years to transform into the prayer that we know today. And Tradition has it that St. Dominic had a vision of Mary who presented him with the rosary beads and prayers. In my mom’s prayer book, it talked about what a powerful weapon the rosary is when prayed in faith. I think we are blessed to have this amazing gift that we can use any time at a cost of about 20 minutes. Using it can make an impact in our lives and in our world.

I Found God today learning more about the rosary.

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Simple Joy

Posted by eph21920 on October 6, 2020 in Car, Children, Connected, Joy

Aa I was running some errands, I drove by an elementary school. There were lots of children outside sitting on blankets in small groups eating their lunch. Some were sitting closer to the sidewalk. As I drove slowly by, the kids looked at me and started pumping their arms up and down in the international “honk your horn” gesture. I gave them a simple toot on the horn and they got super excited. It made me laugh as I felt a small connection with the “outside world”.

I Found God today interacting with happy children.

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