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Extreme Mercy

Posted by eph21920 on October 7, 2019 in Faith, Forgiveness, Mercy, Stranger, Tragedy

Tonight in my Bible class, we discussed the “Antithesis” as given by Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:17-48. He challenges us to not only follow the 10 Commandments given to Moses, but to take them a step further. We should share everything we have with those who are in need. We should keep our thoughts clean and pure. We should love our enemies and show forgiveness and mercy. The teacher gave an example of showing extreme mercy. In the recent case of the police officer who shot a man because she thought she was in her apartment, an incredible scene unfolded. The 18 year old brother of the man who was killed forgave the woman in the courtroom. He told her if she asked God to forgive her, He would. Then he asked if he could give her a hug, which he did. It was truly amazing. Of course since then, there has been much debate and arguing about what transpired. But, people did the same to Jesus who came into the world to show extreme love and mercy.

I Found God today in an example of extreme mercy.

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Friends Lift Spirits

Posted by eph21920 on October 6, 2019 in Answer, Connected, Friends, Life, Relationship, Sick

A friend of mine returned from travelling and I talked with her today. The main reason for going was to see an ailing friend. But, she talked to her friend’s husband who said he wasn’t sure she would be up for a visit. So, my friend was surprised when she arrived and her friend greeted her at the door. The sick woman seemed to perk up even more as they talked and reminisced. They laughed as they remembered good times. Her husband said she hadn’t looked that good in a very long time. After she left, my friend received a text from her friend thanking her for the visit. She said she realized how important and life giving it was to have and spend time with good friends. My friend could have left well enough alone, or not “imposed”, but she persisted in meeting. Because of that, she lifted her friend’s spirit.

I Found God today hearing how friendship can lift spirits.

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Mingling With Elk

Posted by eph21920 on October 5, 2019 in Creation, Family, Grateful, Joy

My sister and I took a day off today and headed for the mountains. We had a loose plan as to where we wanted to go when we started out. As we drove higher and higher, the colors of the changing leaves became more abundant. We stopped in several spots to take in the amazing view and to take some pictures. While there were a lot of people, it wasn’t overly crowded and those we met were super friendly. At one point we decided to take an alternate route that was off the beaten path. A short while later, we spotted a herd of elk at a park. We found the entrance and a parking space and spent the next 2 hours watching the herd and taking pictures. There was one large male bull that was in charge of the group. He and a couple of younger males who were on the other side – actually in a golf course – would bugle to each other. I couldn’t believe how close they were to all the people. Some of the people were oblivious as to what behavior to watch for. But at the same time, the elk would mingle where the people were. They weren’t too fearful or bothered. It was an amazing day and I was grateful that my brother stayed at the house so I could enjoy.

I Found God today in the beauty of nature.

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Late Night Visiting

Posted by eph21920 on October 4, 2019 in Family, Fun, Grateful, Happiness, Joy, Life

The other day my dad commented that he hadn’t seen my son in a while. Little did he know, I thought the same thing and had talked with my son about it. He came over for dinner last night and was very chatty. He and my brother talked all about computer things that sounded like a foreign language to me. We watched the end of the football game and talked about sports. He told us about the latest happenings at his job. We discussed finances, friends, fitness, fun, and food. Both he and I stayed up way past our bed time, but it was a great visit.

I Found God today enjoying good time with my son.

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Inspiring Instructor

Posted by eph21920 on October 2, 2019 in Friends, Humility, Life

My aqua aerobics instructor recently turned 60 years old. To celebrate, she participated in an ironman triathlon. The competition included swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and then running a marathon of 26.2 miles. She finished in 4th place overall for women and 1st in her age group. She is quite an inspiration, very humble, and very welcoming and inclusive to everyone in the class.

I Found God today in my inspirational instructor.

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Listening to Him

Posted by eph21920 on October 1, 2019 in Answer, Faith, Grateful, Peace

This afternoon I went out to run some errands. As I headed toward my first stop, I realized I would be going right past the church. I “felt” or “heard” God’s call to stop and spend some time with Him. I argued with myself a bit that I didn’t have time, then remembered that I promised I would spend some quality time in prayer this afternoon. Evidently, this was my reminder. I do want to do what I feel God is calling me to. So I stopped in the church. It was quiet and aside from a couple of the deacons going in and out, I was the only one there. I don’t know how long I spent as I vowed not to take notice. I simply sat in God’s presence and thought about how small I am in the ocean of lives that have been lived since the beginning of time and how thankful was that I would be there in His presence. I left peaceful and grateful.

I Found God today spending time with him in peace.

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Mom’s Mental Message

Posted by eph21920 on September 30, 2019 in Answer, Family, Knowledge

It has been super windy recently, particularly at the cabin where my brother has been. Today as we sat down for lunch, my mother commented that we had not heard from my brother for a couple of days and she hoped everything was ok. Less than 5 minutes later, my brother called. He said everything was fine and he didn’t have any real news. He called for no specific reason. But my mom knew why he called. She said she could relax then after she talked to him.

I Found God today as my brother responded to my mom’s inner request.

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Just Help

Posted by eph21920 on September 29, 2019 in Answer, Connected, Life, Opportunity, Service

As I skimmed through my email this morning, I came across a short video and a written meditation, both focusing on the theme for today’s Gospel about the rich man who did not care about the poor man at his doorstep. They also both held the same message- help those around you. There are so many people in the world who need help, it can be overwhelming trying to decipher who we can assist and how and perhaps who is deserving of our money. While some people are called and able to do mission work, the majority of us should simply focus on helping those people who are around us. How can we assist our family, friends, and co-workers? The short video quoted St. Mother Teresa, “I never look at the masses as my responsibility; I look at the individual. I can only love one person at a time – just one, one, one.” I saw another quote, “Along your pathway of life, you will observe that you are not the only traveler. There are others who need your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save.” Thomas S. Monson. My mom and I even finished out the evening watching the first episode of the 2nd season of our favorite, “God Friended Me.” The theme was helping others where you are, with the gifts and talents that only you have. I think I get the point.

I Found God today in a not so subtle message about helping others.

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Reset Again

Posted by eph21920 on September 28, 2019 in Answer, Begin, Faith, Prayer, Present

Yesterday I remembered praying the rosary with some friends on a regular basis. I thought about how that really helped me to be more grounded in my faith. Now, since I am unable to pray in that way, I decided to try to make time to pray the rosary more often on my own. I did that today and hope to continue. One thing that is certain, it is a blessing that we can reset and begin anew each day.

I Found God today making time to pray the rosary.

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Connected by Rosary

Posted by eph21920 on September 27, 2019 in Answer, Connected, Faith, Friends, Prayer

This morning a post I wrote 6 years ago popped up on my phone. It was about meeting two friends of mine to pray the rosary, even though I would have rather slept in that morning. I have moved to another state since then. I really miss the prayer time and the faithful friendship of these women. I sent the story to them, saying how much I missed them. One of them replied that she was attending a Catholic medical conference. At the time she received my text, the speaker was just talking about how important it is to pray the rosary. She said she needed to pray it more. It is amazing how God will nudge you when needed. We’re all still connected at the heart of the matter.

I Found God today being reminded of the importance of praying the rosary.

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