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Meeting People

Posted by eph21920 on November 27, 2017 in Life, Stranger, Struggles

Tonight I met an older woman who shared a little about her life story. Her husband died suddenly nearly 20 years ago. She has an older son with Asperger’s who lives with her. Evidently, many people with Asperger’s have strong capabilities in different areas. She said her son isn’t really like that, but he does have a sense of people upon meeting them right away. He seems to be able to tell if they are “good” or “bad”. The woman jokingly added that she should listen to him more often. She said he is a blessing. I thought that was beautiful.

I Found God today in a loving mother.

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Retreat High

Posted by eph21920 on November 26, 2017 in Connected, Faith, Life, Past, Youth

Today at church, the priest talked about a national youth conference he recently attended with some of the high school teens from the parish. It was obvious that he was very excited as he shared how proud he was of the kids and so impressed with their behavior and faith. He was kind of all over the place in his message and did ramble some in his exuberance. He talked about feeling the “retreat high” that comes from spending a couple of days away and focusing on the love and mercy of God. I could very much relate to that feeling and my heart raced a little as I thought about some of the specific retreats I attended with youth. They were energizing, exhausting, and sometimes spiritually overwhelming. That “retreat high” would usually last for days and slowly diminish. But I believe I would come away from each one having grown closer to God in some way that would make a lasting impact.

I Found God today realizing how my faith grew through youth and retreats.

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The Nutcracker

Posted by eph21920 on November 25, 2017 in Children, Faith, Friends

Today my dad, mom, sister, and I went to see the Nutcracker Ballet. It had been a long time since I had seen the show and it really seems to kick off the Christmas season. The dancers were very good and the sets were beautiful. I love the contrast between the semi-professional dancers and the children. As I watched, I thought about my friend whose daughter is performing as Clara with the Boston Ballet for her third year. I was a little envious of my friends who live close there and are able to see her. The family has made a lot of sacrifices in order for this to happen. But they do their best to stay grounded in faith. Their local Diocese even highlighted the story in their magazine. It is a beautiful article that I found very inspiring. You can read it HERE.

I Found God today watching a beautiful performance and thinking of my friend in faith.

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Grandfather the Magician

Posted by eph21920 on November 24, 2017 in Children, Family, Fun, Past, Saint

My sister and my dad worked long and hard today on the scrapbook pages about my grandfather the magician. One year when he came out for a visit, he went into our grade school classes and performed some of his illusions. He kept all kinds of memorabilia, including thank you notes sent by the children after the show. Two of the notes were particularly amusing. They read:

“Thank you for the wonderful show you gave us, I enjoyed it very much. I tried that trick where you make the magic wand stay in the air and the napkin trick on my mother and father. They all were surprised. I wish you could come again. I’d call you a saint of magic.”

“That was fun to watch. I wish I could do that too. You are almost like God.”

It was fun to see the wonder through the children’s experience.

I Found God today remembering my grandfather and what an impact his magic could have on others.

 

 

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Thankful Notes

Posted by eph21920 on November 23, 2017 in Faith, Family, Food, Grateful

Yesterday I spent the day in the kitchen getting ready for the Thanksgiving meal. I saw an idea of baking “thankful notes” in the dinner rolls – like a fortune cookie. I thought that was a great idea. I asked my mom what she was thankful for this year, made each one into a note and baked them into the homemade rolls. It was a fun surprise for people to open at the meal. Here is the list:

Grateful for family that lives close by and gets to visit.
Thankful for health and that no one had a hospital stay in 1 year.
Grateful for our homes.
Thankful for the piano and ability to play and enjoy music.
Grateful for technology – medically such as pacemakers and communications so we can see and talk to people far away.

Thankful for friends who stay close.
Grateful to live in such a beautiful place.
Thankful to be able to experience nature – animals, plants, sunrises, sunsets.
Grateful for the jobs and money to afford the necessities.
Thankful for new and helpful people and experiences.
Grateful for faith, trust, hope, love.
Thankful for a mind capable of thought.

I Found God today being grateful through my mom’s view.

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Five Year Change

Posted by eph21920 on November 22, 2017 in Answer, Family, Grateful, Home, Joy, Life, Relationship, Struggles

Today at my aquatic aerobics class, people were talking about how they have changed in the past 5 years. One person said they learned more about who they are. One said they are more patient. One who retired a few years ago talked about how they are now OK with not being busy every second of the day. I told them we would need the entire class time for me to say how I have changed. That is mostly due to the drastic change of lifestyle. Three years ago I quit my job, sold my house, sold or gave away almost all of my belongings, left my children and grandchildren, and moved across the country to be with my parents and care for them. I, too, have learned much more about myself, I am trying to be more patient, and I have definitely had to slow down. I am constantly learning more about human physiology and illnesses. My relationship with my parents has always been good, but I have had to learn about them as they are right now and how to balance being a daughter and a caregiver. I could go on. As I look back during this time, a lot has happened for sure and I do not know where my parents would be had I not come. So, while it has been difficult, we are currently celebrating one year hospital free. My parents are still able to live and thrive in their own home and do the things they enjoy doing. And that brings me joy.

I Found God today realizing the blessings and outcomes of the past few years.

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Timely Problem

Posted by eph21920 on November 21, 2017 in Answer, Grateful, Problem, Stranger

Yesterday my dad and I went out to run some errands. Our first stop was the post office. I let my dad go in to take care of his business while I sat in the car and waited. I put the radio on, laid the seat back, and closed my eyes for a few minutes. When my dad returned, I tried to start the car, but it just made a clicking noise. I turned everything off and tried again. A few clicks and a red lit battery symbol on the dash was all that happened. I popped the hood and my dad went to open it. As he was trying get it open, a man toting 4 young children came by and asked if he needed help. My dad explained the situation. The man just happened to be parked next to us. He got all his children in the car, then proceeded to give us a hand. My dad got out the jumper cables and the man got them connected. Thankfully, it didn’t take much of a charge to get our car started. We thanked the man and I commented on his perfect timing. He said he was glad that he was there to help. We got the car over to the shop where they replaced the battery. Today we made a short trip to the cabin in the mountains and had a wonderful drive with no problems. Although it was annoying to deal with the battery issue yesterday, we were very grateful that it happened then and there instead of up in the mountains. That would have been very difficult.

I Found God today in a timely problem that was resolved.

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Having Courage

Posted by eph21920 on November 20, 2017 in Generosity, Grateful, Life, Trust

Today, one of the men in the Parkinson’s exercise class was sharing bits of his life story. He is from England and became employed with British Petroleum when he was young. He was bored with his job, so they offered him a higher paid, more dangerous job in underwater exploration that was located in the Middle East. That sounded more exciting to him and understanding the potential hazards, he accepted the position. Ironically, he met his wife during his employment there. Jumping ahead many years, after he and his wife were married they started having children. They moved to New York for another job offer he received. They had a baby and only a few dollars in their pockets, but they made a go of it and all worked out well. He talked about how important it is to have courage to do things that seem scary at the time. He said fear would rob a person of making potential life changing decisions. At this point in his life, he says he can look back and have no regrets for the choices he made.

I Found God today in an example of living courageously.

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Generous Strangers

Posted by eph21920 on November 19, 2017 in Answer, Connected, Family, Food, Generosity, Stranger

Today my mom, dad, and I went to church then our usual spot for brunch. It was very busy as always on a Sunday. After a while, some spaces cleared out and new people came to fill them, including 3 young women Air Force cadets. I was pondering buying their meals for them, but just before they received their food, another young woman came to their table and placed a piece of paper on it. She said it was for them, thanked them, and left. One of the cadets turned over the paper and read it out loud to the others. It said that it was from one graduated woman cadet to the others. She had paid for their meals. The girls carried on about how generous that was and took pictures of the note. I was getting teary eyed and tried hard just to concentrate on eating. When we were finished, the waitress came over and told us that our meals had already been paid for. I couldn’t believe my ears. I could see the girls listening to what was happening now at our table. My dad inquired further and she said it was done by the people who were sitting at a table behind me. I did not see who they were before they left. That was pretty amazing. Once in the car, I told my parents the story of the young cadets. We went home joyful and my dad said he thought maybe there is hope for this world after all.

I Found God today in two instances of generosity from strangers.

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Young Hero

Posted by eph21920 on November 18, 2017 in Children, Doctor, Grateful, Healing, Life, Sick

My mom and I went to the monthly Parkinson’s Support group this morning and sat with some people we had not met before. That is part of the beauty of the group. While the people experience the same disease, it plays out a little differently in each. It is interesting and enjoyable talking to, learning from, and being encouraged by others. One of the ladies told us about her grandson who is now 7 years old. He is celebrating 1 year of being cancer free. His symptoms started as a pain in his knee. His mother chalked it up to growing pains. But when he was in too much pain to get up one morning, his mom knew it was serious and took him to the doctor. He did an x-ray and sent them immediately to the children’s hospital. The boy had a massive tumor on his kneecap. He had bone cancer and ended up needing an amputation just above the knee. His is now awaiting a prosthetic leg. At just 6 years of age, the child made decisions for himself that would impact the rest of his life. According to the grandmother, he has remained cheerful and positive through the whole ordeal. He even nicknamed his leg, “shorty”. She said he is their hero and I could see her husband well up with tears. She said they are looking forward to having everyone together for Thanksgiving. It was a touching story.

I Found God today in a brave boy who is thought of as a hero.

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