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Seeing the Wedding Pictures

Posted by eph21920 on September 19, 2017 in Answer, Connected, Family, Life, Marriage

My cousin’s daughter got married this summer and we were unable to attend. The other day we received some printed pictures from my aunt and then a thank you note with another picture from the newlyweds. Then I was able to view the whole photo collection on social media. Tonight I sat down with my mom and we looked at a bunch of pictures on my computer, including the wedding pictures. Of course they were beautiful. My cousin is a Justice of the Peace, so he was the presider for the marriage of his daughter. I couldn’t imagine how that must have felt to everyone there. The photos were able to capture much of the emotion of the event. My mom and I both enjoyed being able to see the celebration, my cousins, their children, and my mom’s sister.

I Found God today viewing a family celebration.

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Prayers for Attacker

Posted by eph21920 on September 18, 2017 in Answer, Faith, Hope, Opportunity, Prayer, Problem

Yesterday I heard about some students from Boston College currently studying in France who were attacked. A woman who has a history of mental illness threw acid into their faces. The girls were reportedly doing ok and would recover. Today I heard the rest of the story. As the girls wrote on social media to let everyone know they were ok, they took the opportunity to ask people to pray for their attacker. Here are some of the things they wrote:

“I ask that if you send thoughts and prayers our way, please consider thinking about/praying for our attacker so that she may receive the help she needs and deserves. Mental illness is not a choice and should not be villainized.”

“I pray that the attacker would be healed from her mental illness in the name of Jesus and receive the forgiveness and salvation that can only come from Him.
“This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” Psalm 91:2”

To me, this shows how everything that happens to us is an opportunity to grow closer to God, or further away. And we can be an example to help other people grow closer to God.  It is our choice.

I Found God today in forgiving young ladies.

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Wisdom of Heaven

Posted by eph21920 on September 17, 2017 in Answer, Children, Connected, Faith, Life, Mercy, Patience, Peace

I went to an event this afternoon that honored those who are supporting families who foster children. In our city, there are teams of people who volunteer to help fostering families by offering babysitting, outings, running errands, or whatever else they may need. One family included a dad who was a pastor. He spoke for a few minutes about how much he appreciated his team of volunteers. He quoted scripture from James 3:13 “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his works by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom.” and also James 3:17, “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity.” He said the volunteers are giving of themselves and doing “good works” that may seem difficult or perhaps even meaningless. But they are in fact what God asks of us as we love each other. Because of this, they have acquired the wisdom of heaven and can show peace, gentleness, and mercy. I loved this correlation and encouragement.

I Found God today in a beautiful explanation of the wisdom of Heaven.

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Oktoberfest Birthdays

Posted by eph21920 on September 16, 2017 in Birthday, Family, Food, Fun

This year, my older brother turned 60 years old and my younger brother turned 50. We were blessed to get all the siblings together and had an Oktoberfest themed party today. My brothers knew we were having a party, but they didn’t know everything we were preparing. My brother-in-law made wienerschnitzel, my sister made spaetzle, my other sister made braised red cabbage and lebkuchen, and I made a homemade black forest cake. When we lived in Germany, my parents collected a few beer steins, so we got those out. My younger brother bought my older brother a beer stein as a gift and was right in line with the theme of the day without even knowing it. My older brother made a special batch of home brew that he brought to share. Everything just worked out. It was a great day of fun with the family.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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