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Love Through a Child

Posted by eph21920 on May 28, 2019 in Children, Love, Mary

I chatted with a friend today who shared an adorable picture of her granddaughter. The toddler is about 1 1/2 years old and full of energy. The photo caught an intimate moment of the little girl stretching up high on her tiptoes so she can reach the face of a Mother Mary statue to give her a kiss. The statue was almost as tall as the child and set upon a rock. Mother Mary had her arms outstretched and her face pointing down at just the right angle to accept the kiss. It was heart warming.

I Found God today in His love through a child.

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A New Angel

Posted by eph21920 on May 27, 2019 in Angel, Death, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Life

The other morning I received word that a coworker and friend had passed away. I read through her obituary today and reflected on her life. I met the tiny woman when I started working for the church about 15 years ago. Although small in stature, I quickly realized she had a big faith. She shared that by teaching others from young to old. And she had a special gift of working with those on the fringes of society. She loved to wear hats to Mass, but her love for the Lord was still visible. Thankfully, she took me under her wing and showed me all the particulars of working in the parish. Even though we fell out of touch when I moved away, I was happy to see her during some of my visits. I learned much from her and am grateful for our friendship.

I Found God today reflecting on a life well lived.

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Food Experiments

Posted by eph21920 on May 26, 2019 in Family, Food, Fun, Happiness, Joy, New

My sister and I have been talking about what delicious things we can make from her toffee. One of them was toffee popcorn. We tried several experiments using the toffee in different ways – melted, large pieces, tiny crumbs, baked, etc. Some were successful, most were not, but we had fun doing it. Later in the day, my brother came over too. I had bought a chevon roast a while ago from a friend who owns a farm and decided this was a good day to try that. I had looked up and read as much information as I could about how to best cook the roast and took it out of the freezer to thaw. When it came time to prepare it, I put on the video that showed what to do. Of course, my piece of meat did not look like the one in the video. My sister, brother and I all conferred on what to do and got it all figured out. In the end, the roast was cooked to perfection and was delicious. I really enjoyed trying these food experiments with my siblings.

I Found God today doing food experiments with my brother and sister.

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New Face

Posted by eph21920 on May 25, 2019 in Answer, Connected, Death, Grief, Life, Love, Struggles

Tonight I watched the repeat of a story about a young man who received a face transplant. I had heard bits and pieces of the story that came to light in November. But tonight I learned and saw much of the story. The young man got a second chance at life after years of dealing with depression and trying to commit suicide. The young man who was the donor also struggled with depression and unfortunately died due to drug addiction. Ultimately, the story was about how new life can come about after devastating circumstances. God was steeped in the details. He was in the prayers, strength, and courage of both families. He was in the decision to choose life by both young men – one by getting help and pushing through his situation and the other by donating all that was functioning after his death to give others a chance to survive. The mutual love the mother’s had for their children and for one another was remarkable. I cried for the loss of life and for the gift of life.

I Found God today in the story of loss and gift of life.

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Sun Came Back

Posted by eph21920 on May 24, 2019 in Car, Creation, Joy, Life, Weather

Today was the opposite of stay-in day. When I drove to the gym this morning, I turned a corner and the sun hit me right in the eyes. It had been a few days since I saw sunshine and it was a shock to my system. At the same time, it warmed my heart. Everyone at the gym talked about how wonderful it was to see the sun and the mountains. And everyone was joyful. I had a few errands to run this morning and I figured there would be a lot of people out. There were. But again – everyone seemed to be cheerful. Even at the Department of Motor Vehicles. After lunch I took my son to the airport for a trip he is taking. I knew the traffic would be heavy. It was. At one point, I just followed the GPS as it rerouted me off the highway which had come to a dead stop. I wound through back country roads. The speed limit wasn’t as fast as the highway, but there were not very many people on it at all and it was a beautiful drive. All in all, it was a busy, but joyful day regardless of the crowds. I attribute at least part of that to the bright shining sun. It makes everything better.

I Found God today enjoying sunshine with thousands of others.

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Stay In Day

Posted by eph21920 on May 23, 2019 in Family, Life, Peace, Weather

Today was another day of cool, damp weather and we had nowhere we needed to go. My mom and I were able to get outside for a short walk and breathed in the brisk air. Other than that, I stayed inside in my comfy sweat pants. I cooked some, cleaned some, got caught up on my emails, and touched base with some friends. It was peaceful not to have any commitments or any schedule for a change.

I Found God today just staying in.

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God is Still Present

Posted by eph21920 on May 22, 2019 in Faith, Friends, Sick, Struggles

Tonight I met with my “Small Church Community”. One of the men had extensive cancer surgery a few weeks ago. He and his wife were able to join the group tonight. They shared how they felt God with them during this difficult time, even as he gets ready to undergo chemotherapy. It was so good to see them and pray with them.

I Found God today in a faithful couple.

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Surprise Snow and Safety

Posted by eph21920 on May 21, 2019 in Death, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Weather

Last night before I left to my Bible class, the weather was spitting a rain snow mix, so I decided to drive the suv. When I headed out after class, I couldn’t see anything but white outside of the large glass doors and windows. My classmates and I were all in shock over the 6″ of heavy wet snow packed on the road and our cars. Some of the men found shovels and brooms and made their way through the parking lot clearing off cars. Then, they shoveled out vehicles that couldn’t get out of their parking spot. We were all so grateful for them. It was a mess driving home as I slid around even in 4-wheel drive. I was grateful I had driven the right vehicle. We awoke to a winter wonderland this morning with over 9″ at our house. But the trees were bent low and after further investigation, we realized many tree branches had broken and were lying on the ground and in the roads. We were grateful there was no damage to our property. We had planned on going to a funeral and after waiting for the sun to come out to start the melt, we decided to go. On the way, I had to maneuver through giant piles of snow and giant tree limbs strewn across roads. The funeral was for a man who was on the church choir that my parents and I were involved with over 30 years ago. I always thought of him as a gentle giant with his peaceful demeanor, sweet smile, and booming bass voice. We saw other members of the choir there that I hadn’t seen in years. I enjoyed touching base and getting caught up on families and events. We were grateful that in the midst of crazy and stressful weather we were able to go to a peaceful place.

I Found God today in safety and peace in crazy weather.

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YOU Get a Book

Posted by eph21920 on May 19, 2019 in Generosity, Knowledge

Today I heard that Oprah Winfrey was the Commencement speaker at one of the city’s local colleges. Then, I heard more of the story. Oprah founded a girls school in South Africa, which she promised to do after meeting with Nelson Mandela. Upon graduation, the girls are accepted into countless colleges throughout the world. One of the girls attended the college here in my city and graduated today. In her opening remarks, Oprah said she was there for the girl, but also for everyone else. She even gave each graduate a copy of her new book, “YOU get a book, and YOU get a book, etc.” I was moved by her generosity and commitment to the girls in Africa.

I Found God today in extreme generosity,

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Next Great Photographer

Posted by eph21920 on May 18, 2019 in Family, Job, Knowledge, Life, Relationship

Today my parents and I went to the graduation party for my nephew’s girlfriend as she received her college degree in photography. When we arrived at her parents’ home, we noticed one of her photos hanging on the wall. The beautiful picture of a person sitting by the baths in London was printed on canvas in a shadow box frame. It was stunning. She has quite an eye and is very talented as was shown in her portfolio. My sisters and brother in law were there too, so we all got to meet much of her family. As she and my nephew plan their future together, it was great to know the love and support that come from those around them. It was a long day and a long drive for my parents, but we were all glad that we were able to spend this time with them.

I Found God today celebrating my nephew’s girlfriend.

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