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Apprehensive Attila

Posted by eph21920 on August 20, 2018 in Angel, Past, Pope

My mom is reading a book called, “Keeper of the Keys: A Life of Pope Pius XII”, by Thomas McDermott written in 1946. The book includes some history of previous popes. She read one short story to me and my dad that I found fascinating:

“When Attila, whose Huns had made of Europe a charnel house, raged before the walls of Rome, Pope Leo I alone had the courage to withstand him. Attired in full pontifical robes and preceded by a deacon carrying the cross, Christ’s instrument of victory, the Holy Father went forth to meet Attila. The awe-struck Hun, who proudly called himself the Scourge of God, granted Leo’s plea to spare Rome and the lives of her citizens. When later taunted for his submission, Attila rejoined: “I did not fear him, but the threatening figure of heavenly brightness who hovered over him.”

I Found God today in a heavenly story.

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Growing Granddaughter

Posted by eph21920 on August 19, 2018 in Birthday, Children, Connected, Family

Today is my granddaughter’s 3rd birthday. She had a Moana themed party. My parents and I sent her a couple big bags of clothes and Moana bedding to go on the new bed she was getting. I saw some pictures in the morning and when it came time for her to open the gifts, we got on video chat. She was wearing a Moana t-shirt with her name on it and had a headband of greens just like the character. Of course, she was adorable. I was able to have a little conversation with her among the business and say hi to all those in attendance. I love that she knows who I am and that we can still grow our relationship.

I Found God today being a part of my granddaughter’s birthday.

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Surprise Notes of Encouragement

Posted by eph21920 on August 18, 2018 in Answer, Happiness, Hope, Stranger

Today my dad and I made a quick trip to the cabin while my sister hung out with my mom. On the way back, we decided to stop for lunch at a little place we had never been to before. It was a little house built in the 1800’s that was turned into a coffee shop type restaurant. The seating areas were all made up of old antique type chairs and tables. After we ordered, we sat in some queen anne style chairs at an old end table with a small bed side lamp on it. The table had a little drawer, so being the curious person that I am, I opened it. My dad and I were both surprised to find that it was full of notes containing words of wisdom and encouragement. Some of my favorites were:

“Just because someone isn’t on your road doesn’t mean they are lost.”

“Life’s a journey, not a destination.”

“Imagine if trees gave free wifi. We’d all be planting like crazy. It’s a pity they only give us the oxygen we breathe.”

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

“Even the smallest prayers whispered in the most violent of storms is heard by God.”

“Holding on to anger is like holding on to an anchor and jumping into the sea. If you don’t let it go, you’ll drown.”

I Found God today in surprise notes of wisdom and encouragement.

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Heading Towards the Light

Posted by eph21920 on August 17, 2018 in Answer, Problem, Weather

I was out today and as I was about to head home, there was a terrific storm. I didn’t want to get hail damage on the car, so took a couple seconds to think about what to do. Of course, my phone was blowing up with weather alerts. I looked at the radar and saw the bright red patch basically right over me and wondered if I should stay to wait it out. Judging from the radar, the storm had already passed the place I was heading. I looked at the sky and saw the dark clouds with rapid lightning directly above. But the sky was brighter in the direction I would be going. Decision made, I got on the road as the rain started coming down heavy. I thought about different places I could stop along the way if it would begin to hail. As I drove, the rain was pounding on the car and every once in a while there would be a big splat of a hail stone. The water was flowing down the streets. I kept watching the sky and heading toward the bright spot. I turned off my path a couple of times, hoping to get out of the torrential downpour and potential hail. I passed several places where people had taken shelter – car wash bays, drive in fast food places, even bank ATM drive ups. I just kept heading towards the light. Eventually, the rain subsided. I made it to the bright spot where the sun was actually shining. Amazing. I felt it was really true that good things happen when you are focused on heading towards the light.

I Found God today in the light.

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Persistent Attitude

Posted by eph21920 on August 16, 2018 in Family, Home, Joy

When I lived in this area many years ago, I used to enjoy going to the “Parade of Homes” and looking at the newest and fanciest houses. My mom really loved it too. We saw it advertised this year and my mom wanted to go. So, we reviewed the locations, bought some tickets, and headed out this afternoon. We visited the 7000 square foot home that caught my mom’s eye. She took a couple breaks and didn’t make it to the upper levels of the house, but did get to see the majority of the place. We enjoyed looking at the decor, the creative floor plan, and the beautiful view. My mom said she had a very good time. She said she knows that she is never going to feel “really good”, but she does want to do as much as she can and enjoy doing things she likes to do – even if it is on a much smaller scale. She has such a beautiful attitude.

I Found God today in my mom’s persistent attitude.

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No Shot Today

Posted by eph21920 on August 15, 2018 in Answer, Doctor, Family

Along with several other issues, my mom has osteoporosis. Because of this and the fact that she is a high fall risk due to the Parkinson’s, her arthritis doctor recommended she receive a medication to help improve her bone density. This medication would be administered through an IV and would last for 1 year, but she would likely feel pretty bad for a couple of days. When we were contacted to set up the appointment, I talked to the nurse about all her conditions. She said to check with her other doctors to get their opinion. I learned more about the infusion and possible side effects and was not at all in favor of this plan. I don’t want to have anything done to my mom that is going to mess up something else, but I understand that it should be a preventative. I spoke with her other doctors and they recommended the medication. So, we scheduled the appointment for today and I started praying about it. Today was the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. We went to Mass last night, as we anticipated that my mom wouldn’t feel very good today. This morning before the appointment, I texted my family and encouraged them to say a Hail Mary for my mom. When we arrived at the hospital, they checked my mom’s vitals and such. After reviewing all her information, the nurse informed us that my mom’s weight was too low. She said the medication is filtered through the kidney’s, and it would be too strong of a dose for my mom at this point. She said she didn’t want to take a risk of messing anything else up in my mom. I totally agreed and couldn’t get my mom out of there fast enough. We got a call from her doctor this afternoon to meet and talk about other options. I texted my family back and thanked them for the fast and effective prayers.

I Found God today in answered prayers.

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Encountering Strangers

Posted by eph21920 on August 14, 2018 in Life, Relationship, Stranger

My sister contacted me to share her experience with a stranger she met on the bus today. She has been doing her best to take the bus to work and back to avoid wear on the car, gas and parking expenses, and the stress of driving into the city. When she got off work today and got on the bus, she saw an empty seat next to a young woman and sat down. They exchanged pleasantries and the woman asked my sister if she wanted to hear a nice story. Of course, my sister did. The woman said that this morning she stopped to purchase a cup of coffee before beginning her day. While she was there, an elderly man using a walker came up to her and told her how beautiful she was. He said she reminded him of his wife who had passed away not too long ago. She had blond hair and green eyes just like his wife. He went on to tell her about his family, his career, and his story. He also told her that he only had 6 months to live. He said that just seeing her today really lifted his spirits. He said he would think of her and asked if she would think of him too. She was doing just that as she tearfully shared his story with my sister. And who knows how many other people will hear about him. The encounter was very moving and I said a prayer for all the people involved. Perhaps others will do the same and bless the elderly man, his family, and the woman sharing his life story. My sister was in awe of her own encounter with the young woman and had to share her “God sighting”.

I Found God today in meaningful encounters with strangers.

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New Permit Driver

Posted by eph21920 on August 13, 2018 in Answer, Car, Patience, Youth

As I was out driving around today, I saw ahead of me a minivan that had something written on the back window. It reminded me of when the youth used to decorate our car windows before heading off to Workcamp. Being curious, I changed lanes and got behind the van to see what it was. On one half of the window was written, “New Permit Driver”. On the other half was written, “Thank You For Patience”. I thought that was a pretty good idea. I think there should be something like that for all new drivers. It would help keep everyone more safe.

I Found God today in a clever idea to keep people safe.

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Pelted Garden

Posted by eph21920 on August 12, 2018 in Creation, Family, Hope, Problem, Weather

We made a trip to my sister’s farm today and visited family. Her huge garden got hit with hail a couple of days ago. I saw some pretty sad photos of the damage and wondered if there were any vegetables left. We took a tour of the area and some of the plants had been completely mowed down. Many vegetables had holes and marks where the hail hit them. But I was shocked to see new growth already in some of the plants. Some even had new flower blooms. My sister and her husband had gone out and harvested the day before the storm, so they had quite a bit in storage. I was surprised to see the amount of vegetables they still had to offer. My sister said that while the hail damage was extensive, it also took care of some things that she no longer had to worry about. She said all in all the storm was a Godsend. I thought that was a pretty good attitude, especially knowing how much her garden means to her.

I Found God today in good news among a destructive storm.

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Do Something

Posted by eph21920 on August 11, 2018 in Answer, Family, Hope, Job, Life, Struggles

Sometimes I can feel overwhelmed trying to care for my parents. The daily attention that needs to be paid to trying to keep everyone safe and healthy, not to mention appointments, and issues that pop up. I often feel like there is no way I can do everything, every day. Today’s reflection from Dynamic Catholic really hit home:

“You cannot do everything, but you can do something. Do what you can, and you will find that hope has become a powerful force in your life.” Fr. Mick Schmitz taken from Beautiful Hope.

I Found God today in a reminder that I cannot do everything, and to be content doing what I can.

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