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Drowsy Heart

Posted by eph21920 on December 2, 2018 in Advent, Answer, Begin, Faith, Hope

This past week, I met with my prayer group. We read and discussed the Gospel reading for today – the First Sunday in advent. I heard it at church this morning and we read some of it at dinner tonight as part of a reflection. Each time, there was a particular phrase that stood out to me. It was, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, . . .” Now, I don’t have a problem with carousing or drunkenness. But I will admit that I can let the anxieties of daily life get to me – to weary my heart. Thankfully, I also heard a reflection from Dynamic Catholic that helped. The words, “We all have these things in our lives that we’re wrestling with. We all have questions that we’re struggling with. We all need a turning point, and it’s great for us during this time of Advent to step back, think about who we are and what we’re here for, what matters most and what matters least . .. ” This is what I hope to keep in mind during the Advent season.

I Found God today in a meaningful beginning to Advent.

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George H.W. Bush Tribute

Posted by eph21920 on December 1, 2018 in Death, Faith, Hope, Love

I woke up this morning to the news that George H.W. Bush had died. I came across an incredibly touching memorial cartoon along with a paragraph from his granddaughter, Jenna Bush Hager:

“This brought me such comfort this morning. I had the opportunity to talk with my grandpa about the afterlife. This is what he said: ​He answered without any hesitation. “Yes, I think about it. I used to be afraid. I used to be scared of dying. I used to worry about death. But now in some ways I look forward to it.” And I started crying. I managed to choke out, “Well, why? What do you look forward to?” And he said, “Well, when I die, I’m going to be reunited with these people that I’ve lost.” And I asked who he hoped to see. He replied, I hope I see Robin, and I hope I see my mom. I haven’t yet figured it out if it will be Robin as the three year old that she was, this kind of chubby, vivacious child or if she’ll come as a middle-aged woman, an older woman. And then he said, “I hope she’s the three-year-old.” Robin was the daughter this giant of a man lost years before to leukemia. The little girl he held tightly: who spoke the phrase I have heard Gampy repeat for my entire life, forever knitting Robin’s voice into the tightly woven fabric of our family: “I love you more than tongue can tell.”

I Found God today in a beautiful tribute and perspective of death.

 

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Growing and Loving

Posted by eph21920 on November 30, 2018 in Life, Love, Youth

Today I saw that a young woman I knew was proud to officially be part of the Peace Corps. i also saw that it was the birthday of a young man I know who is now a proud husband and daddy. It warms my heart to see good young people grow into loving, giving young adults.

I Found God today in loving young adults.

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Beautiful Music Together

Posted by eph21920 on November 29, 2018 in Family, Joy, Music

This evening I was searching through the TV channels to see if there was a Christmas show on when I heard my mom start playing Christmas music on the piano. After a couple of moments, my dad started singing. In a little while, my mom joined in as well. I thought there was nothing better to hear.

I Found God today as my parent’s made beautiful music together.

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Extreme Coffee Experience

Posted by eph21920 on November 28, 2018 in Family, Food, Fun, Stranger

My mom had her final physical therapy appointment this morning. She has had another amazing recovery in 4 weeks from a very painful episode of sciatica and bursitis. As we have driven back and forth, we noticed a particular drive through coffee shop always had a huge line. We thought we should try the drinks there some day. Then we thought what better day than today. Surprisingly, when we drove in, there were no other cars. We pulled straight up to the window and told the young woman this was our first time visiting the place. She cheered and told the other 3 young people in the shop who also cheered. We placed our order after some discussion about what it was that we actually wanted. As we waited for our coffee, the girl chatted us up pretty well. We told her this was my mom’s last therapy appointment and we were celebrating by trying this place that looked to be so popular. She was prepared with other conversation starters such as, “If you could only listen to one genre of music for the rest of your life, what would it be?” My mom chose classical of course. When we got our drinks, we also received 3 punch-cards that only required 1 more punch for a free drink. As for the coffee, my parents liked their usual brand better. But the experience was second to none.

I Found God today in a very positive experience at a new coffee place.

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Fast Response

Posted by eph21920 on November 27, 2018 in Answer, Faith, Family, Happiness, Home, Prayer

My brother called this afternoon to check in. He has been on the road traveling for over a year straight now. We talk to him a couple of times a week to virtually travel with him as he keeps us up to date on where he is, what he is doing, and what he plans to do next. This afternoon, he told my mom that he was planning on coming back this direction in the upcoming Spring/Summer. My mom got so excited. She said just this morning she was praying that he would come back. That is a pretty fast response.

I Found God today in His fast response to a mother’s prayer.

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What’s Needed to be Happy

Posted by eph21920 on November 26, 2018 in Answer, Friends, Happiness, Priest

The other day, a friend and I were talking about how necessary it is to have a positive attitude. “Happiness is a choice,” she said. She went on to give examples of people in her life who made themselves miserable mostly by focusing on the things they were struggling with. That was the topic of conversation, or complaining, or choosing not to engage in life. Today’s Gospel reflection from Bishop Robert Baron was right on target. He said in part,

“… you have everything you need right now to be happy. What makes you happy is always right in front of you because what makes you happy is love. Love is willing the good of the other, opening yourself to the world around you. Love is not a feeling. It’s an act of the will. …”

I thought the sentiment was timely.

I Found God today in a timely message about the choice to be happy.

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Into the Font

Posted by eph21920 on November 25, 2018 in Baby, Children, Humor, Stranger

Our “place” in church is near the entrance, just past the doors, near the Baptismal font. The rows of chairs there are easy to get in and out of and are more comfortable for my mom than the pews a few rows further up. The font is a quite elaborate 2 tiered large fountain. The upper level is just the right height for adults to reach and they use this for the Baptisms. It runs down to the lower basin which is level to the floor. The children love that it is easy for them to touch. From our usual “place”, we see a lot of commotion. This morning, a woman came in with 5 children and sat in the back row of pews. The youngest toddler was quite active, constantly moving and chattering. At one point, the woman took the baby and the next child in line out to the restroom. When they came back in, the little boy got away from her and headed straight into the Baptismal font. He actually climbed in. The mother reached him pretty quickly and got him out. There were many gasps from the people around. I thought I should go help her, but one of the ushers sprang into action and helped her get the 2 little ones out the doors. When they came back in, the little boy had his pants rolled up and his shoes were on, but the socks were not. In the mean time, the other 3 kids didn’t seem to worry. The rest of the Mass, I watched the mom continue to try to keep the 2 young ones in line. I remembered the stories my mom told me of her taking us 5 kids to church. I figured both my mom and the woman were receiving extra blessings.

I Found God today in a persistent mom and a helpful usher.

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Honey

Posted by eph21920 on November 24, 2018 in Family, Life, Love, Marriage, Relationship

Today my mom and dad were able to get out for a walk before the weather turned too cold. In the complex where we live, the street is a large circle that goes to each home. At the other end of the complex are the mailboxes. When my parents reached the halfway point, my mom stopped while my dad continued on to check the mail. She was to stay put and wait for my dad. But, she decided to take a little look around. So when my dad returned, she wasn’t immediately visible. He called out, “Honey!” and she went over to him. She remembered the story of when she was talking to a priest friend on the phone and was asking my dad a question and called him honey. The priest said he thought it was so sweet that my parents still called each other honey after all their years of marriage. And that was about 20 years ago!

I Found God today as my parents continue to show their affection for one another.

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Making Wreaths

Posted by eph21920 on November 23, 2018 in Answer, Family, Friends, Fun

A couple of weeks ago, I saw that one of the local florists was having an event that included making a Christmas wreath. I asked my sisters if they would be interested. One sister told me that she knew how to make them and had supplies to do so. She even used to host classes at one time. I had never known that before. So, we decided to make wreaths at the house. A couple of days ago I collected a huge bag of limbs from the trees at the cabin. When my sister and brother in law came over yesterday, they had even more. Today we got everything together and covered the entire basement with plastic. Some friends came over and we got to work. I felt like I had no idea what I was doing, But with her help and a little patience, I made a couple of wreaths with the fresh boughs. it was great fun.

I Found God today in fun with friends and family.

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