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Bits of Calm

Posted by eph21920 on January 15, 2019 in Answer, Doctor, Faith, Family, Problem

My dad was scheduled to have a procedure done this morning. However, he was feeling pretty bad yesterday and we ended up in the Emergency Room. They ran several tests and he was admitted for observation. The plan was to still have the procedure done today. I arrived early to the hospital while my sister came and stayed with my mom. I found out that there was some mix-up with my dad’s pills, but he was still to have the procedure. In the mean time, he could not to have anything to eat or drink. We waited and waited. We then discovered that they would be doing the procedure in the afternoon. My dad waited for a few more hours – anxious, frustrated, and hungry. In the midst of all of this were bits of calm. The hospital chaplain came in and prayed with us. A nurse came in to do a test and had some things in common with my dad so they had a very nice conversation. The priest who was formerly at our parish came and anointed my dad. That was beautiful. It was these small bits of calm interspersed in our waiting time that made all the difference. My dad did finally have his procedure. All went well and he was able to go home tonight.

I Found God today in those who bring calm to stress.

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Infant Baptism

Posted by eph21920 on January 13, 2019 in Answer, Baby, Faith, Life

Today’s gospel reading in Mass was the account of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist. In his homily, the priest talked about the Catholic tradition of baptizing babies instead of waiting until adulthood and a conscious decision made. He likened this action by comparing it to a parent feeding their child because they know without food, the baby cannot physically survive otherwise. A parent also provides love and nurturing because without it, their infant will not thrive. The same goes for the spiritual needs. Baptism provides a connection with God to spiritually nourish a baby and start them off on a good path. In this way, baptizing an infant is part of how a loving parent provides for their child. I thought it was a good analogy that made good sense.

I Found God today in the gift of providing a needed spiritual beginning.

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Voice of Humility

Posted by eph21920 on January 12, 2019 in Begin, Faith, Humility, Jesus

Today I read a verse in scripture in which John the Baptist is telling the people that he is not the Christ, but Jesus is. John’s whole purpose was to point people and prepare them for Jesus. He uttered the words, “He must increase; I must decrease.” Those words touched my heart.

I Found God in the voice of humility.

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Love Overflowing

Posted by eph21920 on January 11, 2019 in Baby, Connected, Faith, Generosity, Love, Youth

Today I received an update from a young man who runs a program to help teenage youth in foster homes transition to a life on their own. His wife recently gave birth to their first child. In his note, he talked about how lucky they have been to have so much support from their friends and families. He also talked about how his heart broke for a girl who will be giving birth soon also, but has little support. Every time he received help from someone, his mind would go to the young woman as he wondered who was going to do those things for her. I was on the verge of tears reading it, just as he was when he thought of her. He put out a plea for prayers and available help for this particular girl who is not as blessed with family and friends. His words really touched my heart. The young man is full of love holding his newborn daughter and yet there is still room in his heart for one not as fortunate.

I Found God today in an example of overflowing love.

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Knew What To Do

Posted by eph21920 on January 10, 2019 in Answer, Faith, Healing, Prayer

A friend of my mom’s came over for a visit today. She shared with me a couple of ways that God has worked in her life. One time in particular, she awoke in the middle of the night in severe pain from sciatica. She managed to make it to the bathroom and back to the bed, but in a tremendous amount of pain. Since it was in the middle of the night, instead of calling people she knew, she called a specific prayer line that she would tap into from time to time. The woman on the other end prayed with her that she would be able to rest and to know what to do next. She was able to go back to sleep for a couple of hours. When she awoke, she was still in pain, but knew what to do. She realized that her daughter would be up getting ready for her day. This daughter was a physical therapist. She called the daughter who got on video chat and showed her some stretches to do to help relieve sciatica. The woman was able to do the stretches and then went back to sleep. The next time she woke up, she felt no pain. She moved slowly and carefully, but indeed the pain was completely gone and never returned. I thought that was a great story about the power of prayer.

I Found God today in a story of the power of prayer.

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Beauty in Care

Posted by eph21920 on January 9, 2019 in Uncategorized

Today as my mom participated in her exercise class, I hung out with a couple of the caregivers. One in particular was talking about how her children and grandchildren see the struggle of the disease and her struggle to care for her husband and herself. Another woman added that they are also seeing her love, patience, and concern and she was setting the example for her family to see and follow. What a beautiful reminder.

I Found God today in a reminder of the potential beauty of caregiving.

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Meaningful Rosary

Posted by eph21920 on January 8, 2019 in Generosity, Past, Prayer

My mom has been going through some of her things and told me about her collection of rosaries. Each one has a story. She received one of them from a friend’s mother. The woman wasn’t even Catholic, but gave her a beautiful crystal rosary as a wedding gift. My mom talked about how thoughtful it was of her and that made the rosary even more meaningful.

I Found God today in a meaningful gift of a rosary.

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A Blessing

Posted by eph21920 on January 7, 2019 in Answer, Bible, Faith, Music

I have been reading the book of Numbers in the Bible for my class and came upon a blessing in chapter 6:24-26. It contained the words to a song that I loved and used to sing in the church choir. My mother knew it long before me and I shared the scripture where it originated. In my class tonight, we reflected specifically on that blessing. Learning about the scripture gave more meaning to the words. It just touched my heart.

“The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!”

I Found God today in a beautiful blessing.

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Look Up

Posted by eph21920 on January 6, 2019 in Angel, Answer, Faith, Life

Today on The Epiphany of the Lord, I heard the usual Scripture story of the wise men finding Jesus in the manger by following His star. The priest’s homily led me to reflect on this story a little further. The magi were what I will call secular – they were not of a religious background. Yet through their science, research, and observation they recognized the signs that pointed to a new king. It seemed the king of the land didn’t know it. They had to tell him. And when they arrived, they didn’t find the Jewish people there worshiping the new king that was foretold to them by their prophets. They didn’t seem to know either. That got me thinking. Christians believe that Jesus Christ will come again. When He ascended, the angels said that He will come back the same way. Who will notice? Who will be paying attention? Will I? As I look around, at least half of the people are engrossed in their phones looking down. Throughout history, when people have encountered God, they were looking up. Thinking about this gave me further resolve to try to keep my eyes up, focusing on God.

I Found God today in a reminder to look up.

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Growing Friendship

Posted by eph21920 on January 5, 2019 in Creation, Faith, Friends, Life, New

I had a few hours to myself today and was amazed at the beautiful weather. So a friend and I went for a hike. She is a faithful Christian who I met through one of my mom’s Parkinson’s groups and has shared some beautiful caregiving inspirations with me. We thanked God along the way for the sunshine, the view, the beauty, and the fact that we are able go out so close to our homes and witness it. I really appreciated being outside for a while and enjoying a growing friendship.

I Found God today enjoying the beautiful day and a growing friendship.

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