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Dad’s Physics Interview

Posted by eph21920 on August 4, 2017 in Family, Knowledge, Life, Past, Weather

Today my dad received a phone call from a man who worked for him while he was in the Air Force about 40 years ago. He was a “young kid” when my dad first met him. They worked together in meteorology and weather forecasting. The gentleman had retired himself as a Lieutenant Colonel 17 years ago. He was now doing work for the American Institute of Physics researching the history of space weather science. He had spoken to several people and evidently, my dad’s name kept coming up, so he asked if he could interview him. He came over this evening and they took a few minutes to catch up. Then, they sat down at the dining room table for the official interview. My dad talked about how he got into the military and ended up working in meteorology. He spoke about his early assignments, the work he was doing, and his Master’s Thesis regarding the ionosphere, which was new information at the time. He recalled places, dates, and important people along the way. We will be receiving a transcript of the interview sometime in the future. After the interview, the gentleman told my dad how much he appreciated how he treated him when he was so new to the job and what a good mentor he was. My dad said that when he met him, he knew he had much to offer and would go far. Many years ago, my dad gave him a copy of the Introduction to Space college textbook that he wrote. His friend said he remembered that and gave my dad a copy of the book that he wrote. The whole experience was such a blessing to me and I hope for my dad as well. It was wonderful to hear the concise description of my dad’s time in the Air Force. And it was heart warming to hear the words of gratitude and encouragement from them both to one another.

I Found God today in a beautiful connection that my dad made with an old friend.

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Going Gluten Free

Posted by eph21920 on August 3, 2017 in Answer, Food, Stranger

I have had a pretty sensitive stomach for quite a few years now and have realized that gluten plays a big factor in that. Typically, I will go a while staying away from gluten, then eating a little, then a little more, then having an upset stomach. It’s a vicious cycle. I have been doing pretty good, though, for the last couple of weeks and feel so much better. So, I have recommitted to staying gluten free. I have never tried making dough without flour and decided I should give it a try. When I was at the store today, I found the baking aisle and stood back to get a good view of the options. As I was scanning the shelves, an older couple came up and stopped in front of me. The fairly tall husband asked if I needed something from the top shelf. I said no thank you, that I was still trying to figure out what I needed. The wife was looking at the gluten free flours. After picking up several and talking it over with her husband, she made her choice. I asked if she did a lot of gluten free baking. She said she did. I told her I was just starting and trying to find a good option. She talked to me for a while about rice flours, mixes, xanthan gum, and her 30 years of experience. She said she thought she should give me her phone # so she could be of help. Honestly, I almost thought I should have taken it. At one point she wanted to give me a little pat on the arm when she told me good luck, but stopped herself. I thought that was pretty cute. At the checkout, we bumped into each other again and she told me where I can find magazines with lots of recipes. She was such a sweet, helpful woman.

I Found God today in a sweet, helpful stranger.

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One More Milestone

Posted by eph21920 on August 2, 2017 in Family, Job, Joy, Youth

My nephew who joined the Navy a few months ago reached one more milestone. Today he graduated from his training and is officially a Seabee. My sister was there for the ceremony and sent some pictures. He has definitely changed during the time he has been away and he looked great. I could see the joy and pride in his smile. He will have a few days off before he starts his first assignment and my parents and I are hoping to see him.

I Found God today in the joy and pride I saw in my nephew.

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The New Park

Posted by eph21920 on August 1, 2017 in Children, Fun, Joy, Laughter

I was out and about today and picked up a smoothie. I thought it would be nice to sit somewhere outside and enjoy my drink, but I didn’t want to go too far away. Then I remembered that a new park was built near the house and I have been wanting to check it out, so I headed over there. The parking lot was full of cars as it always has been whenever we drive by. I found a place to park and made my way to the large playground, water park, and picnic area. There were tons of families with the parents on the outskirts  as they watched their kids on the new playground equipment and running in and out of the squirting water. There was even a little turf area where people had set up beach chairs and umbrellas. For all the cars that were there, I was surprised that it didn’t really feel that crowded. I meandered along the path that went around the area and watched the children play. Their laughter and energy made me joyful.

I Found God today in the joy of children.

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Attributed to Prayer

Posted by eph21920 on July 31, 2017 in Answer, Faith, Grateful, Hope, Prayer, Sick

A woman who I’ve been praying for had surgery about two weeks ago due to a large mass in her abdomen. I received word that she was doing well and the doctor felt he had removed all of the cancerous tumor. She has been home now for about a week. Today I learned that she had an appointment and the doctor was pleasantly surprised to tell them that it was only in stage 1 cancer. He thought that judging by the size of the tumor, it would be much worse. The family says that this is the best they hoped for and they attribute it to prayer from so many people. They sent a message that was full of gratitude and described how the family prays together often. It was so uplifting to read. Even though they have treatments to go through, they are remaining positive.

I Found God today in good news and uplifting words from a faithful family.

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Left Eyes Have It

Posted by eph21920 on July 30, 2017 in Connected, Problem, Stranger

My brother recently had his truck into the shop for some repairs. He was very happy with the place, but after a couple of days, the service man who was right on top of things failed to call when he said he would. My brother followed up and one of the employees said that the man was taking care of his daughter who had some problems with her eyes. When he went to pick up his truck, the serviceman was there. He told my brother that his daughter was born with a cataract in her left eye. It is likely that the man noticed my brother had a white spot in his left eye due to a cataract that he was born with. At that time, the medical field did not have the technology to remove the cataract, so my brother has lived his whole life only able to see out of his right eye. When the technology did become available, my brother spoke to several ophthalmologists about it. They all told him that since his eyes have already full developed, if they did the surgery on the blind eye, it would not be able to correct itself to be in alignment with the other one. The service man said that the doctors told him that the surgery needed to be done before his daughter turned 2 years old so both eyes would merge to see “normally”. Evidently, she had the surgery and was having some problems. My brother shared with the man that he has seen with one eye for his whole life and it is normal for him. He also said that he was happy that the surgery is now an option and hopes that all goes well for the little girl. My brother told me that he was trying to help the man be hopeful no matter what the outcome of the surgery. I thought the whole encounter was pretty interesting. Perhaps the man really needed to hear what my brother had to say from his unique perspective.

I Found God today in an extraordinary encounter between my brother and a stranger.

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Considerate Friend

Posted by eph21920 on July 29, 2017 in Answer, Friends, Generosity, Grateful

My dad and brother have been doing some work on the mountain cabin, however, it has come to a standstill due to the unusually wet weather. They were going to head up there today, but it was another rainy day. My dad called a friend who is currently at his cabin just up the road to ask if he would be able to take a look and make sure their work is holding up. He was happy to and reported that everything looked fine. That was a weight of worry that was lifted. My dad’s friend is such a helpful and considerate man. I love it when he calls my dad his “buddy”.

I Found God today in a considerate and helpful man.

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Reassuring Doctor

Posted by eph21920 on July 28, 2017 in Answer, Doctor, Family, Grateful, Sick

My mom still wasn’t feeling too great today, so we called her regular doctor. He typically only works on Friday mornings. After explaining her circumstances to the nurses, they were able to squeeze her in for an appointment. Her doctor knows her well and how best to detect certain ailments, such as the dreaded diverticulitis. We thanked people profusely on the phone and at the office for getting her in. After the doctor’s examination, he agreed with the ER from yesterday that she likely had a virus and it would take a day or two to clear up. He did some more testing just to make sure and gave us more detailed directions. We thanked him again for making time for my mom. He said that he was happy to and has some flexible time for just these sorts of things. We were grateful for his time, guidance, and reassurance.

I Found God today through a reassuring doctor.

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Quick Trip to the ER

Posted by eph21920 on July 27, 2017 in Answer, Doctor, Family, Grateful, Healing

My mom was having stomach troubles last night and during the day today, but as usual, she kept on going and doing what she could. Finally this evening, she started getting very dizzy and feeling really bad. We called her doctor’s office and spoke to the nurse on call who recommended we go to the emergency room as she was concerned about her being dehydrated. She said we could try one of those “stand alone” emergency rooms that we have seen around as there is usually no waiting. I was a little wary, but my dad thought it was a good idea, so we made our way to the one that was connected to their usual hospital. There were no other patients there. After completing the paperwork, we went into the room and the doctor came right in. They did some lab work, gave my mom fluids and a little bit of medication to help calm her stomach. Thankfully, all the tests came out fine and after one round of fluids, my mom was feeling much better. All the staff was super friendly and attentive. It was a completely different feel from the hospital emergency room. From the time we left the house to the time we returned, less than 2 hours had passed. We were all grateful that my mom was feeling better, that there were no immediate issues, that it was an overall good experience, and that we were home at the usual bedtime.

I Found God today as my mom received quick and effective help.

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A Small Sound

Posted by eph21920 on July 26, 2017 in Answer, Creation, Faith

Tonight I was sitting quietly praying about what to include in this blog. As I was still, I heard the soft, soothing sound of raindrops outside and on the window. I exhaled and realized this is the most peaceful I had felt all day. It reminded me of how Elijah went to meet God and after encountering a violent wind, an earthquake, and a strong fire, God was found in a “light, silent sound”. It was also a good reminder that I need to take time away each day to be silent to be with God.

I Found God today in a small sound.

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