Leave a comment

Family Excursion

Posted by eph21920 on September 15, 2017 in Family, Fun

Going to the zoo has always been one of the family favorite things to do. My parents used to have a membership to the local zoo and they visited quite frequently, but as time went by it got too difficult for them to walk the distance and the hills. Years have passed since they have been able to go. Today, both my brothers were here, my son had the day off work, and the weather was gorgeous. So, we took advantage of the situation, packed up water, snacks, cameras, and the wheelchair, and headed to the zoo. There were several enclosures that my parents had seen before and several that were new. My mother rode in the wheelchair and we all took turns pushing up and down the hills. We ate pizza and burgers and ice cream and fried oreos. My parents told stories of their several previous trips including when my mom took my son when he was a baby and he had fallen asleep in the stroller. He woke up just about face to face with an orangutan and was terrified. It’s kind of surprising that he still likes the zoo. Many years ago, my dad won a photography contest at the local zoo with a picture of chimpanzees playing in a tub. He took many pictures today and printed them out when we got home for everyone to enjoy. It was such a great day for everyone.

I Found God today enjoying a family favorite excursion.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Origin of Man

Posted by eph21920 on September 14, 2017 in Answer, Begin, Creation, Life

My brother who lives in another state is here to visit for a couple of days. My other brother is here also. They are both computer programmers/engineers. When they get together with my dad the previous physics teacher, there are always various in-depth conversations. Most of the time I listen for a while, then move on to doing something else as I have no idea what they are talking about. But at dinner, one brother started talking about the reasons we don’t or can’t send people to Mars. This reminded me of a show I watched a couple of weeks ago explaining the idea that humans are actually martians. The premise is that Mars was once inhabited and that some catastrophe happened that made the planet unlivable. So the “people” there came to the Earth and started over. I actually love sci-fi, and we had a lively discussion about this theory and the origin of man. It was thought-provoking and intriguing to think of possibilities and how God fits into all of creation.

I Found God today pondering the origin of man.

Permalink
Leave a comment

New Mother’s Excitement

Posted by eph21920 on September 13, 2017 in Baby, Happiness, Life, Love, New

I went to my hair stylist today and she announced that she is pregnant. It was very cute, because instead of “I” she used the term “we”. The only time she talked in the singular was when she was talking about the way she felt and changes to her body. She said, “We are expecting a baby girl,” and “We’re planning on taking some time off,” and “We’re very excited.” This is their first child. She told me that they just got the crib and how they are planning on painting the room. The name they have already picked out is a combination of both their father’s names, but in a feminine form. It stems from “amor”, the Spanish word for love. It was delightful listening to her enthusiasm and so sweet as she included her husband in just about every aspect of the conversation.

I Found God today in a new mother’s excitement.

Permalink
Leave a comment

A Big Hug

Posted by eph21920 on September 12, 2017 in Children, Happiness, Love, Stranger

I went to the grocery store today with my list in hand, starting in the produce as usual. I was lost in my own thoughts as I grabbed a bag off the holder. When I turned around I was startled to see a girl standing right in front of me. “Hi!” she said. “Hello!” I replied and I realized she had Down’s Syndrome. Her mother was near-by picking through the peppers. “Will you give me a hug?” she asked as she extended her arms. Of course I did and said, “Thank you!” “You’re Welcome,” she replied. Love freely asked for, given, and received. Is this how we are to approach God? As I returned to my shopping, I heard her mother tell her, “OK – no more hugs now.” The experience made me smile the rest of the afternoon.

I Found God today in a loving face and a big hug.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Interesting Mass

Posted by eph21920 on September 10, 2017 in Connected, Death, Faith, Family, Knowledge, Life, Prayer

It was an interesting day at church this morning. To begin with, the usual “ushers” were not there. The volunteers who were there tried desperately to do the job, but it was clear they were all very uncertain about what they were doing. There was even a lull during the service as we waited for them to get organized. I watched the woman in our area as she went from one task to the other in a visibly unsure manner. She was even more stressed as a teenage girl went out the doors crying. The woman followed her, I am assuming to comfort her, then came back in to do her next task. As I watched, I thought about when I did different things for the church – some were more challenging than others. At one point, an onlooker said, “God is really stretching you today, isn’t He?” That comment always stayed with me and I think about it when things feel hectic. But typically at the end of it all, I am able to come away with more knowledge, more faith, and more trust. I felt that is what the woman was going through. Also today, the Mass intention was for my uncle and aunt who recently passed away. My mother had set up the date and time and sent cards to her nieces to let them know. I thought about the trials that my uncle and aunt face just in the 3 years that I heard from them personally. And I thought about their children and how difficult it must be for them to lose both their parents in a short period of time. I prayed for them all, as well as the other people in our families. At the end of Mass, a man spoke about a school he and his sister started in Kenya. They named it after their parents as a tribute to them on their 50th wedding anniversary. It was a beautiful story. I thought about how much I have and how blessed I am, yet I still complain about this or that. While the children in the school live in a seriously dire situation, yet laugh and have a smile on their face. Overall, it was a very emotional time at church, but very prayerful and thought provoking.

I Found God today in the many instances of His presence at church.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Experimental Procedure

Posted by eph21920 on September 9, 2017 in Grateful, Healing

My mom and I went to the Parkinson’s support group this morning. The speaker was a member of the group who had an experimental procedure done last year. He had a series of 1024 beams of ultrasound focused to a specific spot in his brain. When all the beams come together at one spot, they basically cause a lesion which destroys the section of the brain causing the problem. The gentleman told his story of his symptoms and the procedure. He had a great sense of humor and told funny anecdotes throughout the presentation. One in particular was when he went to check in for the procedure, he was to have his hair very short as a crew cut since they would be shaving his head. He did get his haircut, but he also found one of those funny hats with a ponytail in the back that he wore just to lighten the mood. Overall, the procedure was very effective in reducing some of the symptoms he was having. He had such a positive attitude and said several times how blessed he felt that he was 1 of only 31 people in the country to be able to participate in the trial.

I Found God today in a grateful man with a positive attitude.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Fix It Day

Posted by eph21920 on September 8, 2017 in Answer, Family, Problem

Lately, there have been some things going wrong, which has been frustrating – especially to my dad. This afternoon while my mom got her haircut, my dad and I ran some errands. Each place he went in to do business had no waiting. He just walked right in and got things taken care of. When we picked up my mom, she had just finished. It was perfect timing all around. While we were driving, we noticed the blinker on the car was going very fast, which usually means a burned out bulb. We checked it and sure enough, one of the back blinkers was not working. My dad called their usual shop who said it would be at least an hour wait. He then tried another place that was much closer to home. They said to bring the car on in. When we arrived, the very friendly mechanic replaced the bulb while we sat in the car. When my dad asked how much he owed, the man replied, “No Charge!” The other day, we discovered a leak under the kitchen sink. My dad had a plumber come over who was unable to find parts to fix the problem. So, my dad called the manufacturer and described the problem. They sent a whole new faucet just to make sure we had everything we needed and shipped it overnight. It was also “No Charge!” The faucet arrived today and when we got home from our errands, my dad replaced some of the parts. It took no time at all and seems to have fixed the problem. My dad was feeling somewhat stressed this morning, but the incredibly productive afternoon raised his spirits.

I Found God today as we were able to get things taken care of and fixed fairly easily.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Caregiver Workshop

Posted by eph21920 on September 7, 2017 in Answer, Connected, Grateful, Hope, Struggles, Teacher

Yesterday I was happy to be able to attend a caregiver’s workshop. There were about 60 people in attendance with all different scenarios. Just at my table, there was a woman living with her father, a woman whose mother was living with her and her husband who was also babysitting for their 3 year old granddaughter, a woman whose husband was just diagnosed with dementia, and sisters who were trying to figure out how best to care for their mother who is living alone and showing signs of dementia. The speakers were right on target and very helpful with resources and ideas on how to take care of yourself as a caregiver. One speaker that struck me was a young man who started working at an assisted living facility when he was just 15 years old. He must have been meant for it, as now 12 years later, he is speaking to groups and sharing his wisdom. His experience taught him how important it is to know and treat the whole person, as a person. He told a story about a teacher who would always get restless around 3:00 pm and start looking for children. In her livelihood, she would be grading papers at this time and finishing up her day at school. So, instead of throwing another medication at her, they got her a desk and made copies of 4th grade worksheets for her to grade each day. He told several other stories and you could see the compassion that he felt for the people in his care. All the people I met, from the sisters working together to the woman alone with her father had a great respect and love for those they were caring for. Though each case was different, each was a struggle. Every caregiver there was looking for help and support to do the best job they could. I was so grateful for the workshop and found the people and the day very inspirational.

I Found God today in compassionate and inspirational people.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Coinciding Home Situations

Posted by eph21920 on September 6, 2017 in Answer, Connected, Home

Tonight my mom called and spoke to her sister. My aunt told us that one of her son’s is preparing to move closer to her, which of course makes her very happy. Evidently, the area he currently lives in has been in a housing recession, and he wouldn’t be able to recoup the cost of the house if he were to sell it. Many people there are in the same predicament. My aunt said that a family her son knows recently lost their house and didn’t know what they were going to do. So, my cousin will be renting his house to his friends, and he won’t have to worry about selling it. The situations coincided perfectly to allow both families to have their housing needs met.

I Found God today in positive coinciding situations.

Permalink
Leave a comment

Works of Art

Posted by eph21920 on September 4, 2017 in Family, Fun

My dad bought some cute little girl statues a few years ago that are displayed outside during the summer. They have been just plain with a grayish stone type finish. During the winter, they are brought into the house. Typically they get moved from place to place because people feel like they are staring at them with their blank eyes. My dad has been wanting to paint them, but not really sure exactly how. One of my sisters is a terrific artist. She paints animal portraits on rocks that almost look alive. She has dabbled with painting the girl statues a little bit, but the one thing that had both her and my dad stumped was what to do about the eyes. She came to spend this weekend, and they decided they were going to get it done. They looked at pictures on the internet and studied the statues in church. My dad painted most of one complete statue and my sister had finished the other. Then it came time for the eyes. Once they decided how it should be done, it didn’t take my sister that long to paint them. I am always amazed at her artistic ability. The statues turned out adorable and took their place outside – though they are almost too beautiful to be out there. It was a great weekend project.

I Found God today in a beautifully completed dad/daughter project.

Permalink