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Gin Rummy

Posted by eph21920 on July 17, 2025 in Friends, Grateful, Music, Past, Present, Relationship

A while ago, our friend who would come and play piano with my mom fell and broke her hip. Thankfully, she is all healed up now. While she was recovering, her daughter stayed with her. When I visited during that time, I was talking with the 2 of them about keeping busy. They told me that they had an ongoing gin rummy game. Whenever they would get together, they would play. And they kept a running score. They would just pick up where they left off. We decided it would be fun for her to teach me how to play the card game. I went over to her house today since I hadn’t seen her in a while. I told her all about my vacation. She told me all about the news and church happenings. She is as alert as ever, even though she’ll be 90 on her next birthday. Then she got out the cards and taught me the house rules of gin rummy. We played several hands just for fun and agreed to start keeping score the next time we get together. It was such a good time and I feel blessed to be able to continue this friendship.

I Found God today in a continued friendship.

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Out of the Pit

Posted by eph21920 on July 16, 2025 in Answer, Connected, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Grief, Happiness, Healing, Hope, Past, Struggles

Much of today’s devotion from “Jesus Calling” really resonated with me. It talked about being in a state of depression and in the darkness. I feel like I have felt that way for quite some time until that past few months. The reflection is from Jesus’ standpoint as He says,

“Your only hope is to look up and see the Light of My Presence shining down on you. Though the Light looks dim from your perspective, deep in the pit, those rays of hope can reach you at any depth. … I will pull you out into the Light again.”

That describes exactly how I felt. I seemed to be in a deep, dark pit of despair, worry, fear, and anxiety. Eventually I noticed I could see a little light. As I continued to move toward that light, I continued to feel better, happier, more alive, hopeful and peaceful. I am grateful for all the people who helped me, extending Jesus’ hand to draw me out of that hole. I can very much empathize with those who are in the pit, pray for them, and help when and how I can.

I Found God today realizing how He has pulled me out of the pit.

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Pet Detected

Posted by eph21920 on July 15, 2025 in Creation, Family, Joy

A while ago we put some cameras at the cabin to keep an eye on the place. I have always hoped to see some wildlife and get excited when I see a deer or bunny. Today I received the notification “Pet Detected”. Since my brother was there with his dog, I figured it was them, but I took a look. It was a bear. A little brown bear had gone across the driveway behind my brother’s truck and went up the hill. It was so exciting. I called my brother and told him. But by the time he went out to look, the bear was gone. We knew they were in the area as we have found their scat. So to finally catch one on the camera was so exciting. I shared the video with the family so we could all enjoy the sighting.

I Found God today seeing a bear out in nature.

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Take a Real Break

Posted by eph21920 on July 14, 2025 in Connected, Family, Grateful, Happiness, Joy, Life, Relationship, Rest

My sister has been working very hard for a long time now, typically working around 50 hours a week. She was in desperate need of a break, so she took some time off  and went to visit her son. I talked to her last night as she was getting things ready for her flight. She said she didn’t pack her computer, so she wasn’t going to work at all. It was going to be a real vacation. She made the trip today. This evening she sent a picture of her son and his wife. They were planning on all staying together at a house that my sister rented. It was so good to see them. I was so happy that my sister took real time off and had made plans to see family and friends.

I Found God today being happy for my sister to take a real break.

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Turin Shroud Center

Posted by eph21920 on July 13, 2025 in Answer, Connected, Faith, Jesus, Miracle

Today I saw a presentation about the Shroud of Turin at a local church. The shroud has long been thought to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. It is a 14-foot-long cloth that bears the image of a man – front and back – as it was wrapped lengthwise over a person lying down. The shroud is housed in a glass and wooden case and is kept away in the Turin Cathedral in France. It is rarely displayed to the public. The gentleman doing the presentation was John Jackson from the Turin Shroud Center of Colorado; a physicist who was part of a team that was given permission to physically study the shroud in 1978. They were given 5 days to do their testing with some restrictions ensuring the shroud would not be destroyed in any way. The scientist showed photos of him and the team arriving at Turin with a truck full of top-of-the-line scientific equipment. He shared photos of them examining the cloth and doing various experiments. He was very passionate about his work and talked extensively about the different methods he and his team used and the conclusions they found. The image as we see it is actually a negative of an actual photograph of a person. The team did many tests using x-rays and light and photography, among other methods. They discovered that the colors on the cloth do not penetrate through but are only on the top layer. They concluded that there were blood stains on the cloth that were made before the image of the rest of the body. And he talked about the energy level that likely “burned” the image into the cloth. He also talked about the connection between science and faith. There was more information, and Mr. Jackson could have talked all day. His presentation and first hand account of working with the Shroud of Turin was so intriguing and really gave reason to ponder.

I Found God today contemplating the Crucifixion of Jesus and learning about the Shroud of Turin.

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Successful Shopping

Posted by eph21920 on July 12, 2025 in Answer, Connected, Faith, Family, Grateful, Life, Love, Shopping

My son’s fiancee’s mother and I have been putting off buying a dress for the wedding. She has had surgeries, and my body has been changing for the past year. The wedding is 2 months away now, so we made a date to go shopping today. My son’s soon to be mother in law had shopped around some at the stores here in this city and found that the selection was very sparse. So she picked me up this morning and we went to the bigger city nearby. I was glad she was driving as she had a couple places in mind. One of them was a bridal store. However, when we went to the place where it has been, we discovered it had moved. But, there were a couple discount stores there. So we started the task of trying on dresses and sending photos to the bride to be to get her approval. While we were out we had lunch and chatted a lot. We remembered when our children met  and how we realized that they loved each other. We had very much in common; the love of outdoors, faith, singing in the church choir, and even had the same taste in fashion, which made it easier. We both found dresses and were happy with our successful day. I was grateful to spend the day with my son’s soon to be mother in law. We had a great day.

I Found God today getting to know my son’s fiancee’s mother.

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My Heart is a Violin

Posted by eph21920 on July 11, 2025 in Faith, Miracle, Music, Struggles

Today I heard part of the story of Shony Alex Brau. It was a story of incredible faith and relying on God. In short, he was a gifted violin player who was sent to concentration camps as a boy during the Nazi regime. At one point, he had to prove his musical capability or be killed. He couldn’t remember any songs under the pressure and prayed to God for help. At once he started playing a song that he wasn’t even very familiar with. But the commandant was pleased and spared his life. After his liberation, he went on to compose the “Symphony of the Holocaust”. The book “My Heart is a Violin” was written about his life. Here is the overview:

This book traces the unique and remarkable life of Shony Alex Braun. As a boy of four, he becomes lost in the Transylvanian forest and encounters a group of gypsies who enchant him with their musical instruments. This launches his love and fascination for the violin. He eagerly learns to play the violin, and by age eleven he makes his debut on Radio Bucharest. His dreams of further study are cut short by Nazi oppression and the deportation of him at thirteen and his family to Auschwitz. The violin miraculously saves his life in the death camp of Dachau and then after liberation, the violin brings him back from the brink of death as he recovers from a gunshot wound, blood poisoning, tuberculosis and malnutrition. He meets a charming girl in the recovery hospital and begins a new life with her as his wife in the United States. Shony goes on to become a prolific composer, Hollywood performer, concert soloist and Pulitzer Prize nominee. His faith in God and his courage to survive will inspire you. Shony’s loving concern for others will help you realize there is good in the world.

I Found God today in an incredible story of faith and perseverance.

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Ever Loving

Posted by eph21920 on July 10, 2025 in Car, Creation, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Life, Love, Mercy, Relationship, Travel

Today I got together with a friend. We hadn’t seen each other in several months and she was eager to hear about my road trip. I started with the highlights of the places we visited such as Mount Rushmore, a renovated opera house in Nebraska, the antique shop in Missouri, Lake Eerie, Maine, and such. I told her how we would get out the atlas and look at it at the end of the day to see where we might go the following day. I shared some of the ways God showed up, such as when my grandson met up with his friend in North Carolina when we just happened to stop at McDonald’s that she lived right next door to, how the weather was always cooperative, and how we were kept safe. I talked about visiting so many amazing people. As I continue thinking about the trip and sharing it with others, I realize more just how much God was present through it all. And I feel undeserving of His unlimited love, care, and mercy. Talking with my friend, she has felt the same way – who am I that God would spend Himself on me. Yet, that is exactly what He does as the loving Father that He is. I am not special, He is. It is hard to comprehend, but I am ever grateful.

I Found God today contemplating His immense love and care.

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T-ball

Posted by eph21920 on July 9, 2025 in Children, Connected, Family, Fun, Happiness, Life, Past, Relationship, Sports

When I went for a walk this afternoon, I heard a lot of people yelling and cheering. As I went around a corner, I saw the reason for all the excitement. There was a T-ball game happening at the small ball park across the street. I stood and watched for a minute as adults were very loudly encouraging the players to run. Others were helping the other team to throw the ball to the right place. Some of the kids seemed to know just what to do. Others were oblivious. I thought it was humorous. I remembered watching my own boys as they learned the ins and outs of the game. Then, I watched my grandsons play while my son coached them. Those were always good, fun, family times.

I Found God today remembering good family moments.

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In the Dreams

Posted by eph21920 on July 8, 2025 in Answer, Birthday, Connected, Death, Eternity, Faith, Friends, Healing

A friend’s mom turned 90 years old while I was away. I was sorry that I missed the big event, and I stopped by today. She had all her birthday cards prominently displayed and told me about the celebration. Her brother died recently, and some of the family had come for a visit. Her nieces brought her a rosary that belonged to her brother. She said everyone was crying – but in a good way. She was moved by the gift and felt very close to him. Then she told me about a dream she had. She and her sister-in-law had gathered a large basket of goodies, thinking they may entice her brother to come back to them. They both were up in the clouds when they heard a voice asking what they were doing. They responded that they brought the basket of treats in hopes that their beloved would come back to them. The voice said he would check. A little bit later, the voice said that he spoke to the man, but he didn’t want to come back as he was very content in his new place. The woman never saw her brother, or the being that she was having a conversation with, but she was convinced that it was an angel. She interpreted the dream as a sign that her brother was happy and took encouragement from that. This isn’t the first time that people in her family have had prophetic dreams. When she was diagnosed with cancer, her granddaughter had a dream that her father came and told her not to worry, that his little girl would be ok. Shortly after that, the cancer disappeared from the scans. It was nothing short of miraculous. The now 90 year old woman said she feels healthier now than she has in a long time and is planning on being around for several more years. I’m sure she will be.

I Found God today in the spirituality and well being of an elderly woman.

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