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Calmed the Cryer

Posted by eph21920 on January 27, 2018 in Baby, Problem

I usually don’t go to the grocery store on Saturday, but it needed to be done today. As I made my way through the crowded aisles, I heard the sound of a baby crying. I felt so bad for the baby and the parent. Trying to finish a shopping trip with a crying baby is one of the hardest things to do. As I came near to the sound, I saw the mom trying to console the infant as she pushed her overflowing cart. A couple came toward her with their own little one perched in a seat in their cart. The mom struck up a conversation with the mother of the crying baby. She asked how old the child was. Come to find out, the infants were the same age. The woman started talking baby who calmed down, seemingly wanting to hear what she had to say. Both the mothers and the one dad chatted for a bit, paying attention to the infant who was now quiet. The mom explained that the baby usually sleeps during this time, but decided not to today. The group said their good-byes and the small family made their way down the aisle. I was so impressed with this scene. So many people will judge a mother with a crying baby. People can give mean glances or shake their heads, which only adds to the stress. But this little family took the time to empathize with the mom. For a moment, they calmed the child and cheered the mother. I thought it was beautiful.

I Found God today in an empathetic and caring young family.

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Found the Weather

Posted by eph21920 on January 26, 2018 in Answer, Family, Problem, Weather

My dad was a meteorologist in the Air Force for about 25 years. He still enjoys everything about weather and space. He installed a small weather station at the cabin and has been keeping track of the information for years. The other day he was searching for the data in his computer and couldn’t find it anywhere which led to much frustration. Today he spent the day digging deeper into his computer. He used some techniques that he hadn’t used before. It took a while, but he was able to retrieve all his information. He discovered a lot of other things as well. He was very happy with his productivity.

I Found God today as my dad solved a frustrating problem.

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Sharing Food

Posted by eph21920 on January 25, 2018 in Connected, Faith, Grateful, Struggles

Today I saw a touching story. A woman talked about how her older children were now out of the house so she doesn’t cook very much any more. But she decided to make dinner for herself one night. Not knowing how to prepare a small amount, she cooked a large meal. She had so much left over and got an idea to share it with some homeless people, so she made up some plates, picked up a friend, and headed over to the area. She handed a plate to a grateful man and continued on. She came to a mother with three children and handed them the food. Come to find out, the woman had been praying just at that moment that God would help her to feed her kids. The woman telling her story was overcome. When she decided to share her food, she didn’t pray about it or anything like that. She was just doing what she felt was right. And God used her generosity to answer the prayers of a struggling mother. It was a beautiful story.

I Found God today in a story of God working through others.

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Enjoying a Break

Posted by eph21920 on January 24, 2018 in Family, Grateful, Home

We decided to make a trip to the cabin in the mountains today. When we got there and looked around, the place looked unusually clean. Normally there are lots of dead flies from being in a closed up house. Gross, I know. Today there were only a couple. There is always something that really needs a good cleaning, but last time we were there, we all worked very hard. And there is often something unexpected such as the dead mouse I found one time. I checked all around and was still surprised to find everything in good shape. Even the dishwasher was empty. It was nice not to have to spring into action right away and just enjoy being there.

I Found God today enjoying a break.

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What Does God Want

Posted by eph21920 on January 23, 2018 in Answer, Bible, Faith, Life

Today, I read Bishop Robert Barron’s scripture reflection and for whatever reason – God’s I’m sure – it really touched my heart. I will share it here as it may do the same for you.

MARK 3:31-35

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus identifies us as his disciples. So what do we discover about ourselves? First, that we are a chosen race. As I’ve said many times, our culture puts a huge premium on choice, our choice, personal choice. We care, above all, about freedom, self-direction, and autonomy.

But the Bible is eminently clear that what matters above all is not our choice but God’s choice. We Christians, we followers of Jesus, have been chosen by God for God’s purposes. And this choice is not a matter of reward, as though we are being singled out because of our gifts. Just the contrary.

Your life is not about you. Your will nestles in an infinitely higher will. Your mind is an ingredient in an infinitely more capacious mind. And so the primary question of your life is not, “What do I want?” but rather, “What does God want?”

I Found God today through words of wisdom.

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Dependence on God

Posted by eph21920 on January 22, 2018 in Answer, Bible, Connected, Faith, Friends, Prayer

Last week, I met a new person at the Lifetree Cafe session that I went to. We exchanged phone numbers as she offered to pray for me. I received a message from her today saying that she was praying for both of us with the scripture Matthew 6:25-34. The subject is “Dependence on God”. It was incredibly timely – of course.

I Found God today in a new friend who reminded me of my need to depend on God.

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Miracle Story

Posted by eph21920 on January 21, 2018 in Answer, Doctor, Faith, Humility, Life, Miracle

Due to the impending snow storm, my parents and I went to church yesterday and I was so glad we did. I woke up to blowing snow and covered streets. The priest at church was a visiting missionary and preparing to give a retreat to the parish. He told a story about a man he knew in one of his previous parishes who went to church and volunteered to help with the picnic and such, but stayed on the outskirts as far as spirituality went. One day, the priest found out that the man had been sick for a year, and the doctors gave him only 30 days left to live as his body was now full of cancer. The priest followed a series of promptings that he felt from God. They led to the man agreeing to come to church a couple of times a week and having the priest and some from the congregation pray with him. The man then went to Confession as he had not been since his first time in 2nd grade. After more prayer, the priest was prompted to rebuke the cancer from the man, which he did. Shortly after that, the man spent weeks in the hospital with the doctors doing all kinds of tests. The result was that they could find no more cancer in the man. When he reported it to the priest and the congregation, they all wept with joy. The man was very humbled and wondered why God would do such a thing for him. He joined the team that helps others to come into the church and shares his miracle with everyone he can. It was such a beautiful story of the power of God.

I Found God today in a miracle story.

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Cheering Up

Posted by eph21920 on January 20, 2018 in Family, Fun, Happiness, Life, Struggles

My sister came to visit for a couple of days. She unexpectedly lost her job two weeks ago and has been really struggling. Naturally, it was a hit to her self-esteem and she is wondering what she could/should do next. When you are in your 50’s, it is a totally different ball game. My parents and I were glad that she came on her birthday. We had a little party for her that day and a bigger party for her today. My son came over and brought some new games to try out. My other sister made lunch and an amazing fruit tart. My dad and brothers pitched in and totally surprised her with a new iPad so she can work on graphic design or any other artistry. She is very talented in that way. Today’s party followed that theme. I looked up some decorating ideas and hung some paint buckets with tablecloths streaming from them so it looked like paint flowing out. I remembered last year we went to a painting party and wondered if I could replicate that at home. I didn’t want to do a whole picture as I knew that would be too complicated. As I wandered through the craft store, I figured it out. I got the individual letters made of wood to spell out her name. Each person painted one letter using their own style. They turned out so cute. I got a piece of wood to put the letters on and the words, “Family” and “Love” also made of wood. My crafty sister will put the whole thing together. It was such a fun day. My sister was so surprised and so happy. We were all glad that we were able to cheer her up.

I Found God today being able to cheer my sister.

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Forgiven Accident

Posted by eph21920 on January 17, 2018 in Answer, Car, Forgiveness, Grateful, Problem, Stranger

The other day as I was driving into a parking lot, I saw a car backing out of a parking spot in front of me. The driver of the small car couldn’t see me as there was a big truck next to it so I stopped and waited for it to back up. Suddenly, I felt a thud in the rear of the car. Someone else backed up right into me. I got out to see what the damage was. The older woman who hit me also got out and was beside herself. As I collected her information, she apologized over and over and carried on about how she had gotten into another accident a couple of years ago and her insurance rates were very high. She asked if we could not go through the insurance adjusters and she would just pay for the damage. I told her it was up to my dad as it was his car. When I got home, I told my dad about the incident and only a few minutes later, the woman called to apologize to him and ask if she could just pay for the damage and not go through the insurance company. My dad told her it would take a couple of days to see how much that would be and he would let her know. We took a closer look at the vehicle and cleaned off the mark from the bumper. There was no dent and only a small scratch. My dad decided it wasn’t worth having repaired. I called the woman today and told her. She was very grateful and again beside herself. She said she had been praying about the situation and she would be praying for me and my dad. We made her very happy.

I Found God today being able to make a woman very happy.

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Unexpected Prayer Partner

Posted by eph21920 on January 16, 2018 in Answer, Connected, Faith, Generosity, Grateful, Life, Prayer, Stranger

Tonight I went to a Lifetree Cafe group about caregiving that a friend invited me to. The discussion group has different topics each week and includes a short message about God. I started by meeting a couple of people at the table. There was a short video of a woman who had taken care of her mother. There were some discussion questions, handouts, and activities. The women at my table seemed to really connect and enjoyed talked with one another. At the end of the session, the leader invited everyone to join her in a prayer and to say the name of someone you would like to include in the prayer. I was surprised when I heard one of the ladies say my name. After the prayer, I thanked her. At the end of the night, the woman said she would keep me in her prayers and offered to give me her phone number. She said any time I needed prayer, to send her a text and she would pray. I graciously accepted. It was a terrific night with an unexpected meeting.

I Found God today meeting a woman who will keep me in her prayer.

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