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4-Wheel Drive

Posted by eph21920 on November 24, 2019 in Answer, Car, Family, Grateful, Knowledge, Past

It snowed a couple of days ago and my parents and I thought today would be a good day to go to the cabin. The sun had melted off quite a bit of the snow in the city and the roads were completely clear, so we figured the roads to the cabin would be fine. All the roads were as expected until we reached the less traveled road that led directly to the house. It was not plowed at all, which is very unusual. Luckily, we brought the Trailblazer. There are full time residents at the end of the road who left tire tracks, so I figured I would just follow them. I put the Blazer in 4 wheel drive high gear and headed down the winding, snow covered dirt road. It did fine and a lower gear kept it from going too fast down the hill. We opted to park at the top of the steep driveway to avoid any potential problems and shoveled a path leading from the car to the front door. After enjoying the day, it was time to head home. However, the vehicle being parked on a slight incline wouldn’t budge. I put it in the 4 wheel drive low gear and that got it moving. Now instead of slowly going downhill, we had to climb up the snowy road. We came to the spot that has always given us troubles in the past with its banked uphill turns. Just as I thought we were home free, we slid and slowed until we were just spinning the tires. I stopped completely and switched gears again to 4 wheel drive high. We started moving forward again. I gave it enough gas to get us up and out without sliding off the road. Success. I was grateful for all that experimental driving I did as a teenager that helped me know how to navigate the situation.

I Found God today knowing how to drive safely out of a snowy road.

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Coffeemaker Miracle

Posted by eph21920 on November 23, 2019 in Answer, Faith, Family, Joy, Life, Miracle, Prayer

About 25 years ago, my siblings and I pitched in and bought my parents a fancy coffeemaker. It has different settings for regular coffee, espresso, beans or ground, and can even make froth for a cappuccino. My dad has been vigilant about cleaning it and taking care of it, but recently it has been giving him problems. Today he descaled it according to the prompts. When it was finished, it said to empty the grounds container. When he opened it to do so, the inside of the machine looked very wrong. Parts were not where they belonged and they were jammed in tight. We were very puzzled about the whole thing and spoke to my siblings who did not know what happened or what to do. We tried to move things a little, but were afraid to break it. Finally, my dad shut the door and walked away. We decided to go to Mass this afternoon, so after taking one last look at the machine, we headed out. When we returned, I asked my dad if he received any inspiration at church. He said he did and he prayed for a miracle. He opened the door to the coffeemaker and to our surprise, everything was just as it should be. We were shocked. My dad made a couple cups of coffee to try it out and it worked fine. Even though a coffeemaker seems trivial and our God is a big God, he can certainly care for us in the small details of our lives.

I Found God today in a coffeemaker miracle.

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Playing Wii

Posted by eph21920 on November 22, 2019 in Answer, Family, Happiness, Life, Struggles

It has been a long time since we played the Wii. The cold and snowy weather today kept us in, so we took the opportunity and turned on the game. I started playing and could definitely tell that I was out of practice. Then my mom got on for a while. She decided she wanted to work on the balancing exercises. We put a chair in front of her to hold on to if needed. It was difficult for her as she hit soccer balls, did slalom skiing, walked a tightrope, and caught fish while standing on an ice berg dressed as a penguin. She was a little sad at the low scores she was receiving. Then she played the game that you had to get balls to drop into holes while on a tilted platform. She was a pro and got one of the highest scores. She proved that even when you think you can’t do anything well, there is still something that you can do as a pro.

I Found God today in my persistent pro mom.

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Before Bed

Posted by eph21920 on November 21, 2019 in Family, Life, Past, Patience, Peace

Before I went to bed tonight, I read something my sister shared:

“Before your head hits the pillow tonight, remind yourself of the things you did right. Let go of the things you could have done better. Be patient with yourself, and remember that big things are achieved not all at once, but rather one day at a time.”

I Found God today in beautiful bedtime thoughts.

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Without God

Posted by eph21920 on November 20, 2019 in Answer, Connected, Creation, Faith, Jesus, Life

I saw 2 messages this morning that I thought about for the rest of the day. The first was a short video talking about what happens if you say you don’t believe in God. You would then become the master of yourself – you are your own God. You would have to always be right and your thinking would be the only thing that matters. We know this isn’t true. We know that our actions affect those around us – good or bad. In the civilized world we have laws that try to protect people from the hurtful actions of those around us. More than that, we recognize that we are a part of something much bigger than ourselves. We can see this in the inspiring beauty of nature, the birth of a child, the awesomeness of the uncontrollable weather. The second message was a quote:

“When people are empty of Christ, a thousand and one other things come and fill them up; jealousies, hatred, boredom, melancholy, resentment, a worldly outlook, worldly pleasures. Try to fill your soul with Christ so that it’s not empty.” St. Porphyrios.

I Found God today in a reminder of the need for Him to be in my life.

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High School Photo Again

Posted by eph21920 on November 19, 2019 in Connected, Family, Friends, Fun, Life, Relationship

My sister took a few days off to visit her son and friend of hers. She met her friend in high school – more than 40 years ago – and they became very close. After graduation they stayed in touch on and off during marriages and children. The last time they saw each other was 7 years ago for a high school reunion. My sister said when they reconnected, they just picked up where they left off. That is the blessing of a true lifelong friend. When they were visiting this time, they decided to recreate one of their favorite photos from high school. They did a great job, complete with hands in jeans pockets, holding a notebook, and purse slung over the back. While the 43 years of life experience had changed their appearance slightly, the friendship they have was still evident.

I Found God today in a long time friendship.

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All Fixed

Posted by eph21920 on November 18, 2019 in Answer, Family, Knowledge, New, Problem

We started today with a cardiology appointment for both my mom and dad. Unfortunately, their doctor was unable to see them as he was at the hospital “saving someone’s life” as we were told by his nurse. So, really that was unfortunate for us but extremely fortunate for the other person. An NP stood in for him and spent a long time with us going over medications and any concerns. After all was said and done, she made no changes and gave us things to watch for. She also sent a note to their doctor with a question she did not know the answer to and called us about an hour later with the response. It was a productive appointment, even though they didn’t see their regular doctor. In the afternoon, we went to the hearing aide doctor as my mom was having a little trouble with her new hearing aides. The doctor adjusted the devices and replaced a couple parts. She also changed some pieces in my dad’s hearing aides. Both of my parents are now able to hear much better. After that appointment, we went to the small appliance repair shop. My dad has an electric shaver that had not been doing it’s job. He was in and out in about 10 minutes. The technician replaced a part and the shaver now works like new. And it cost a fraction of what a new one would be. It was an overall productive day getting things fixed.

I Found God today getting things fixed and in the people who fixed them.

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2 Orchestras

Posted by eph21920 on November 17, 2019 in Family, Fun, Grateful, Happiness, Life, Music

Yesterday, my son took me to see one of our favorite concerts – Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It was phenomenal. To me, it’s pretty amazing how they can tell the same Christmas story with the same music each year, but introduce new ways of presenting the program. The second half of the show includes various music from their other albums and is different each year, incorporating new, exciting elements. This year, along with the pyrotechnics, laser lights, projected images, and lighted rods, a giant double Tesla coil emerged from the back of the seating area. The group also has a non-apologetic Christian message. To me, Trans-Siberian Orchestra demonstrates all the best of a rock concert. Today, I took my parents to the local Philharmonic Symphony. The guest trumpet player who has won international recognition, was unbelievable. I have never heard such a beautiful tone from a trumpet. Most of the program had a Cuban feel complete with maracas and bongos. At times it was difficult to see the movements of the musician’s fingers as they flew over the trumpet keys. The concert was inspiring and uplifting. I’m not sure how I got so lucky to experience 2 completely different, yet amazing orchestras in 2 days, but it felt like a celebration.

I Found God today experiencing the talents of amazing musicians.

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The Billboard

Posted by eph21920 on November 15, 2019 in Answer, Faith, Friends, Life, Struggles

Today at the caregiver’s group I went to, one of the ladies shared her struggles while her husband was in a rehab facility. As she was driving home one afternoon, she was pouring her heart out to God and asking for His help. She was “told” to look up. When she did, she saw a large billboard. The sign read, “You have survived 100% of your life so far. Trust that I’ve got this. – God”. Amazing but true. The message brought her instant peace.

I Found God today in God’s message.

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New Our Father

Posted by eph21920 on November 14, 2019 in Answer, Bible, Faith, Prayer

The other night, my Bible class was focused on the Our Father. Much of the time was spent dissecting the prayer. It certainly gave more meaning to the words that I often say without even thinking about them. Just as an example, the words “…Thy will be done…” are saying that even though I have much to ask for and many petitions for other people, I trust God that His answer will be the best in all situations. Since then, each time I have said the prayer, I can’t help but say it more slowly and think about the words. I have a new appreciation and comprehension for the long known Our Father.

I Found God today in new insight to an old prayer.

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