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Super Supportive Mom

Posted by eph21920 on October 16, 2017 in Birthday, Uncategorized

I brought my dad to a doctor’s appointment this morning and as we sat in the waiting room, we met the woman sitting next to my dad who was having the same dermatological procedure. We started talking about what beverages there were available and noted there was no coffee. She said she always has enough coffee as her daughter owns a coffee shop. I asked where it was and found that it is right up the street from our house. We have seen the sign and talked about stopping in, but never have. The woman said her daughter is special needs and the coffee shop is her way of being productive in the community. There is a regular group of men who meet there every morning. The place employs other special needs people and many of them will come to hang out. It is their safe space. I asked how it came about and she said they prayed a lot. They wanted the girl to have an outlet and also do something of value. The woman worked at one of the local food pantries. She met the people who owned the coffee shop, and when it went up for sale, they were able to purchase it. She had a background in accounting for a non-profit and was able to use that to help the restaurant. She was very proud of the shop and her daughter, and very supportive as well. The story was beautiful and I will definitely be visiting the coffee shop.

I Found God today in a faithful, supportive woman.

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Thoughtful Teens

Posted by eph21920 on October 15, 2017 in Food, Hope, Opportunity, Youth

Today I went to a monthly cooking event with high school youth who are in the Foster Care system. The group split into teams to prepare a chili dinner with cornbread, corn jalapeno popper salad, and pie. I have seen these kids for several months now – a couple for over a year. It is wonderful to experience how they have matured and changed over this time. They take on a lot of the cooking responsibilities and put their own personal touch on the dish they are making. For example, a few of them tasted the salad and added what they thought would make it better. A couple of the girls made apple pie popovers and cut some of the apple bits into little hearts to place on the top of each little pie. As we enjoyed our meal, we talked about all kinds of things. One topic was about earning a living and making money. We talked about how selfish people can be and not even give a thought to helping others. But then we also talked about how there are people doing good for others all the time in the world, but it is not something that is broadcast. It is up to each person to good to those around them. The kids said they were committed to doing so and changing the world for the good. I was impressed.

I Found God today in thoughtful teens.

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Family Game Night

Posted by eph21920 on October 14, 2017 in Family, Joy, Laughter

My sister and brother were both at the house this evening, so we decided to play a game. I called my son and he came right over and joined us. It was a fun night full of laughter. There is something so joyful about playing games with family. I loved it.

I Found God today having fun with the family.

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Ultimate Forgiveness

Posted by eph21920 on October 13, 2017 in Connected, Forgiveness, Hope, Life, Relationship

Today I saw an incredible story about a woman who forgave her assailant. The boy was 13 years old when he shot the woman, but contacted her shortly after he was incarcerated and apologized for his actions. She accepted and forgave the youth. Not only that, the young man asked if he could write to the woman. They stayed in contact and after a few years, the woman actually helped the young man be released from prison. She helped him start a new life and the two remain friends. It was an unlikely, yet beautiful story of remorse, forgiveness, and humanity.

I Found God today in a beautiful story of forgiveness.

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Beauty in the Rocks

Posted by eph21920 on October 12, 2017 in Creation, Family, Fun

It was a gorgeous Fall day today, so after lunch, my mom and I went to a park that is full of beautiful rock formations. She had not been able to walk through that area in years. I had, however, and knew there was a very nice paved trail that took you through many of the interesting formations. We brought the wheelchair with us, but she started out our trek by walking behind it. After a while she sat and rested while I pushed her around the beautiful structures. We stopped for a while and watched a rock climber navigate the face of the one of the tall, steep crags. My mom remembered watching my brother climb in the area. As we walked around, she recognized this structure and that, but wondered where the little shop was that used to be just around the corner. Her memory of such things just amaze me. As we headed back to the car, she walked the final leg of the path. It was such a beautiful day and I was glad we could enjoy it in this way.

I Found God today enjoying a beautiful day.

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Here’s to Hope

Posted by eph21920 on October 11, 2017 in Answer, Faith, Hope, Prayer, Trust

Today I read a quote from Pope Francis that really touched my heart:

“Hope would always have us recognize that there is always a way out, that we can always redirect our steps, that we can always do something to solve our problems.”

I thought about this and how easily I can feel stuck in circumstances or problems. I can feel powerless in some situations. But even if I think there is nothing I can do, the reality is there is always something I can do. Sometimes I receive a suggestion from another person – family, friends, professionals. Sometimes it is a matter of changing my mindset. Sometimes I just have to give the situation to God in prayer. Most of the time when I can do that, I am amazed at how things turn out. That proves to me that prayer is active participation, not passive. When I hope, I am not simply throwing things out there and see where they land. I am trusting in God’s great plan for my life and the lives of those around me.

I Found God today in a reminder of the importance of hope.

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A Good Doctor

Posted by eph21920 on October 10, 2017 in Answer, Doctor, Family, Humor, Knowledge, Life

Today both my mom and dad had an appointment with their cardiologist. He is a pretty great guy, always comforts them, makes us laugh, and helps to put things in perspective. We always learn something from him and he and my dad have interesting intellectual conversations. The good doctor gave them both a clean bill of health from a heart perspective and told them to stay active and stay away from the hospital. Our visit with him was informative and reassuring.

I Found God today in a good doctor’s visit.

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Alleviating Worry

Posted by eph21920 on October 9, 2017 in Answer, Family, Hurt

While I was preparing dinner tonight, my son called saying that he may – or may not – have just cut himself pretty bad. He did cut himself as he was dicing peppers to put in his dinner, but wasn’t sure exactly how bad it was. He actually found the small piece of his finger that he shaved off still stuck to the knife and texted me the picture. He had washed the wound and it was still bleeding. I talked him through holding compression and holding his hand above his heart. After being on the phone with him for over half an hour, I decided to just go over and take a look for myself. He had done a good job bandaging the finger and the bleeding seemed to have subsided. I helped him finish cooking his dinner and cleaned up the kitchen so he wouldn’t have to try to do that all with one hand. I was glad that I was close enough to just go over and alleviate worry as well as help him out.

I Found God today being able to alleviate worry for both me and my son.

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Lightening the Mood

Posted by eph21920 on October 8, 2017 in Uncategorized

My dad was in kind of a melancholy mood today, so tonight we decided to watch something funny. We pulled out the DVD of the Carol Burnett shows from the 1970’s. The episode we watched included Tim Conway who is one of our favorites. At the end of the show, Carol Burnett sang her famous.”I’m so glad we had this time together…” My dad said that scene had been in his mind the past couple of days and that he even woke up thinking about it. We all laughed. Putting on the show seemed to be just the right thing to lighten the mood.

I Found God today in laughter.

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Longest Walk Yet

Posted by eph21920 on October 7, 2017 in Creation, Family, Joy

Today was just a gorgeous Fall day. The sun was bright and warm. The air was clear and crisp. The wind was light and breezy. There were still several butterflies flitting about. My parents and I headed outside to enjoy the afternoon. A few days ago I contemplated cutting down the waning flowers in the pots outside the porch, but was glad I didn’t. As we watched, several butterflies landed on the rosebushes and the flowers as they got a little rest and nourishment. When they continued their journey, others would take their place. We decided to go for a walk and started on our way. We passed the spot where my mom is ready to turn around when she is not feeling too good. We came to the spot where we can make the short loop and kept going. Then, we even passed the long loop and joined up with the sidewalk which is a little further. My mom did better than great. She stood tall and walked with big steps. This was the longest walk I had taken with her since I moved in with them 3 years ago. It was cause for celebration.

I Found God today in a joyous afternoon.

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