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Good Friendships

My son was on a trip the past week and was the best man at his friend’s wedding. He and the groom met online as they were choosing roommates for their first year in college. They quickly became good friends and ended up rooming together for the full 5 years of their college career. I picked my son up from the airport today and he told me all about the event. He said the best part was seeing his college crew. They decided that they all need to get together once a year and started making plans. I was glad for him and the blessing of the friendships he had.

I Found God today in the blessing of good friendships.

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Appreciating Help

My dad spent several days at the cabin with my brother. They worked on and completed several projects. On the way home today, my dad talked about how much he loved being there. He felt good physically. He got a lot done. He especially enjoyed being with and having the help of my brother. I really appreciate him as well.

I Found God today appreciating my brother.

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In the Common

My mom, dad, brother, and I were relaxing at the cabin tonight talking about how we found God. Of course, by just being at the cabin surrounded by nature it is easy to see and feel God’s presence. As we reflected on our busy day, we discussed how we did a lot of cleaning. Everyone did their share of straightening up, dusting, vacuuming and such. Then people took turns washing and showering. My brother pointed out that everything and everyone was a lot cleaner than the day before. He reminded us of the quote that “Cleanliness is next to Godliness,” so we must be on the right track. He also said that sometimes you just find God in the common things. So true.

I Found God today in the common.

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Unique Marvel

Tonight, my mom read a quote from Pablo Casals. It read in part, ” . . . You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. . . . And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel?”  Also, today in the Church we celebrate the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist. In the reflection by Bishop Robert Barron, he talked about how both Elizabeth and Mary had realized the marvel of not only themselves, but that of their situation. Though they did not know at the time how everything would play out, they discovered their role in the “theo-drama” – God’s plan for their lives in the world. I thought the two reflections connected beautifully.

I Found God today in a reminder of the uniqueness of each person as a being and as a role in the world.

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Saw the President, Sort of

This morning, my mom and I watched the Air Force Academy graduation on the local news station. I thought President Trump’s speech was inspiring and was impressed at how personal he made it. We planned to make a trip up to the mountains this afternoon and had lunch at the park hoping to catch a glimpse of the Thunderbirds. But, we were evidently too early and knew the graduation was running behind schedule. We decided not to wait and set off for the hills. It wasn’t too long before we came to a traffic jam. It was then that we realized our timing was off. They were starting to close down the highway for the President to return to his airplane. I decided to head downtown hoping to cut across further down the line. At every intersection that we came too, the cars were lined up and not moving. We made our way down a side street that no one else had found. My mom noted that we had the road to ourselves and wondered what that meant. As we crossed some railroad tracks, I figured it meant we shouldn’t be there either. The road ended at a highway on ramp. There were stopped vehicles everywhere. But as we entered the intersection, a police officer waved us on up to the highway. I obeyed and found myself with only about 4 other cars on the highway. It was surreal, like out of a movie. We all drove slowly as if to say, “Should we be here?” People tried to exit, but they were all backed up as well. I just kept driving. On the other side of the highway, a police motorcycle sped past. Then another, then another. I told my mom that we were going to see the President. Sure enough, after a few more motorcycles, the President’s motorcade appeared, including the long black limousine with the American flags waving in the wind. “There he is! There he is!” I squealed with excitement. He could have been in any of the 20 or so cars that drove past, but we saw them all. So, we did see the president . . . sort of. Our timing ended up to be perfect. It was a pretty exciting and adventurous afternoon.

I Found God today in an exciting afternoon.

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Mothers’ Wisdom

Today my mom got out her “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book. The first entry she read was from St. Teresa of Calcutta. It read in part,

“… Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”

I said she was a very smart woman. My mom said for years people have asked her what it takes to be married to the same person for such a long time. She always answers, “Be kind.” She got teary eyed as she remarked that she must have been on the right track all along. I told my mom that she is also a very smart woman.

I Found God today in the wisdom of 2 beautiful mothers.

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Love Through a Child

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

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

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

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.