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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Surprisingly Spiritual Day

Posted by eph21920 on September 3, 2017 in Answer, Connected, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Jesus

This afternoon, a friend and I decided to go out and about. We had no plan at all – just wanted to get out and get away for a bit. We headed North for no real reason and ended up on the highway for a bit. After a while, we got off at a small town that we knew of, but didn’t really know that much about. We drove through a couple of side streets and found a couple of antique shops that looked interesting, so we parked the car. As we headed towards the shop, we passed a fire station that had a strange metal structure on display. Upon further inspection and reading the plaque, we realized it was a remnant from the 9-11 attack. My friend put her hand on it and said a prayer for those who lost their lives that day. There were many interesting things at the antique shops and we really enjoyed perusing. Then we had dinner at a fancier than expected restaurant across the street. It was delicious. We decided to head home via a different route. As we headed up a twisting road, we saw a large church in front of us with an unusual statue resembling a crucifix of sorts. We pulled in and realized it was a Catholic church. There was actually Mass going on at that time. The church was on a large piece of land at the top of the hill and had an amazing view. As we were driving in, we saw many statues in many places, so we parked and went walking around. We found a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. My friend touched her too and said a prayer. We found the path to the unusual statue and saw that it was indeed a cross, but Jesus was off the cross and appeared to be ascending. It was striking, especially with the sun setting in the background. My friend and I always have great adventures when we are together, but it had been a very long time since our last one. We were both extremely grateful for the surprisingly spiritual day.

I Found God today as He showed my friend and I wonderful things.

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An Understanding Relationship

Posted by eph21920 on September 2, 2017 in Answer, Connected, Friends, Grateful, Relationship

A very good friend came by somewhat unexpectedly this evening. She was upset from an event that had occurred a little earlier in the day. We were able to take some time and just talk things through. She was able to get out her concerns and I was too. We understand one another. By the time she left, we were both feeling better. I am so grateful for our relationship.

I Found God today in an understanding relationship.

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Uneventful Travel

Posted by eph21920 on September 1, 2017 in Car, Family, Travel

Today I was up very early to bring my son to the airport. I never really look forward to that drive as there are always too many cars on the highway going way too fast and following way too close. It being the beginning of a holiday weekend, I figured it would be much worse. I was pleasantly surprised that the traffic was moving along at a good speed, both there and back. There were no more cars than usual – actually there seemed to be fewer.  I didn’t come across any back-ups or crazy drivers. It was almost a pleasant drive as we watched the clouds change color from the sunrise while we chatted. And I got to listen to my Christian music all the way there and back. I even made it home in time to cook breakfast for my parents. I heard from my son later that he made it safely to his destination.

I Found God today in safe, uneventful travel.

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Finally Football

Posted by eph21920 on August 31, 2017 in Children, Family, Fun, Happiness, New

My grandson has been a football fanatic for – – well, I guess his whole life. He has followed specific teams, players, and stats. A few years ago, when he was about 12, he set up a family football league. Of course, he is always in the top of the winner’s board. He has always wanted to play the game, but expense and time have prohibited that. However, now that he is starting high school, he had the opportunity to join the freshman football team. Having never played before, he has had a lot to learn. He knows how each position is supposed to maneuver, but having to actually carry that out is a different ball game so to speak. Today he played in his first game and was on the defense. We texted in the morning and I told him good luck. After the game we got on video chat. He had a great time and told me about the game, quarter by quarter. He made some great plays – even got an interception. His dad – my son – told me he was so proud of him that he cried. It was very exciting and I loved to hear and see the enthusiasm.

I Found God today as my grandson participated in something he has been wanting to do for a very long time.

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Hurricane Heroes

Posted by eph21920 on August 30, 2017 in Connected, Generosity, Hope, Life, Struggles, Weather

For days now since the hurricane pummeled Texas, there have been images and stories of heroism. People have come from other states to volunteer their time and skills. Fundraisers are popping up all over the country. Those who have resources are offering them to benefit others. “Regular” people are helping and even saving others. Even though there have been some terrible and sad things happening, the vast majority of what has been highlighted is people helping people. It is interesting that there has been no mention of racism, bigotry, political tension, etc., – all the things that the media would have us believe that is what the country is about. I believe that this situation truly portrays what happens in our country every day. Regular people help other regular people without applause, without a spotlight, without thought of the other’s race, creed, color, religion, or political view. That is truly how our lives can make a difference.

I Found God today seeing so much good coming from so many people.

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Pair of Photographers

Posted by eph21920 on August 29, 2017 in Connected, Family, Food, Friends, Fun, Laughter

A friend of mine, along with her brother and sister, went to Wyoming last week to view the eclipse. A few days later, she shared some amazing pictures that her brother took using his telescope. I thought they were truly spectacular. I showed them to my dad who was equally as impressed and wondered what kind of equipment he had and how he had it set up. So, we had them over for dinner tonight. My dad and the photographer had quite the conversation about photography and astronomy – two of my dad’s favorite topics. While they got into the details, my friend and I visited and laughed a lot as usual. It was a wonderful evening of good food, wonderful company, and great conversation.

I Found God today in friends, food, and fun.

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