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Thundersnow

Posted by eph21920 on April 3, 2017 in Answer, Friends, Joy, Weather

The forecast called for stormy weather this afternoon and tomorrow, so I headed out to run errands and get to the grocery store before that happened. When I got to the grocery store which was my last stop, I spotted some pretty dark clouds just above me. They looked like thunderstorms to me and the temperature was mild, so I was a little surprised when I came out of the store to see gropple – or little snowballs. When I got home, my neighbor was in his open garage, so we chatted a bit. He asked if I had every experienced thundersnow. I said I did one time. Then looking at the clouds again, I said I thought I heard thunder a little earlier and this seemed to be the right circumstances. I checked the thermometer and it was a balmy 50 degrees. My dad came out to chat as well and then it happened – thunder followed by a heavier snowfall. We all rejoiced at experiencing the phenomena.

I Found God today by experiencing an uncommon weather phenomena right after talking about it.

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Aunt Anticipation

Posted by eph21920 on April 2, 2017 in Answer, Family, Happiness

My parents will be celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks. They decided to have a small party at the house and we got busy sending out invitations. My mom’s sister is the only living immediate family member for both of my parents. She lives very far away and they haven’t been together in quite a few years. When we got ready to mail her the invitation, my mom said, “You never know about her – she just might come!” She actually said that a couple of times. Today I spoke to my aunt and found that she is indeed coming. One of my cousins will be travelling with her. When my parents heard the news, they both became a little teary eyed and emotional. They are very excited to see my aunt again.

I Found God today in my parents loving reaction to know that they will be seeing my mom’s sister.

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Reconnecting

Posted by eph21920 on April 1, 2017 in Answer, Baby, Connected, Doctor

I have had the pleasure of keeping in touch with a few of the youth that I have known from when I was a youth minister. One in particular was married last year and they just had their first child. The little baby had some immediate health issues. Thankfully, they were able to get things under control enough so he was able to go home with mom and dad. The family has been on my mind and in my prayers ever since.  I thought about my friend who is a pediatrician and who was a huge part of the ministry – even taking youth on mission trips and retreats. He knows the new mother as well. I reached out to the young woman and was so glad to get a response today. The good doctor is in fact her pediatrician. I thought about what a blessing that must be for both of them.

I Found God today in a reconnection.

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Positive Exposure

Posted by eph21920 on March 31, 2017 in Creation, Family, Life, Struggles

We have visited the mall several times for various reasons, but only realized recently that there has been a photography exhibit there. Being a photographer himself, my dad spent some time at the mall the other day, but was unable to locate the exhibit. We decided to give it another try, so my dad and I headed over there this afternoon. It was a very busy place as the schools are finishing up a week-long break and the weather was dreary and cold. We asked a couple of people about the exhibit and were finally able to find it. The title of the exhibit was, “POSITIVE EXPOSURE – “The Spirit of Difference”. The space was full of  beautiful portraits of “people living with genetic, physical, intellectual and behavioral differences.” The subjects were all different ages. Many of the photos were people from our own community. Each picture had a little description of the individual. Some included their particular struggle, some did not. My dad and I discussed the composition and how the portraits revealed the inner joy and beauty that was a part of each person. The photographer’s goal is to “Change How You See, See How You Change.” It certainly was not the kind of exhibit we had anticipated, but it truly did move my heart.

I Found God today in photos of extraordinary people.

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Clearer View

Posted by eph21920 on March 30, 2017 in Answer, Faith, Lent, Life

Every morning we open the blinds over the very large dining room windows. The sunshine can be very intense, so we usually wait until the afternoon to fully raise them. Then we enjoy the view especially during lunch and dinner. As I was doing some spring cleaning today, I washed the windows. That had not been done for quite some time. When I finished it was noticeably brighter in the room, even though the sun was now behind clouds. I thought about how I didn’t realize how clouded our view had become. Then I thought about how the same can be true in life. If we don’t attend to our spirituality, our thoughts and view of life can become clouded. We can feel like we are in darkness. We don’t clearly see the beauty that’s right in front of us. But when we do some spring cleaning and go to church, pray, read scripture, and the like, our view gets brighter. We realize the love God has for us and our soul enlightens. Lent is such a great time to start spring cleaning our spirits.

I Found God today in a clearer view.

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His Ways II

Posted by eph21920 on March 29, 2017 in Answer, Family, Grateful, Healing

I was reflecting more today on the statement of “God’s ways are not our ways”. While it is true that I – we all – go through difficult times, there are also times when things work out marvelously. When I am able to put my circumstances in God’s hands, there have been numerous times when I am amazed at how they are resolved. I may think I know how I would like a situation to be, but sometimes it ends up so much better than I ever anticipated. One example is my mom’s last stay in the hospital. I was preparing for the worst and just hoping that she would be able to come home. I figured I would do my best to handle whatever condition she would be in. Not only did she come home, she has been thriving gradually but steadily – even with some setbacks. At physical therapy today, she was able to move and maneuver in ways I didn’t think she would be able to. She felt the same way and was amazed at how much she could do. Moments like that make me incredibly grateful.

I Found God today reflecting on how His ways can be more life-giving than I anticipate.

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His Ways

Posted by eph21920 on March 28, 2017 in Faith, Hope, Life, Struggles

I read a Bible reflection today and there was one line that struck my heart, “God’s ways are not our ways”. This is so true in so many ways, but especially when I am hurting or very unhappy. I can’t understand why God is putting me through such an ordeal. However, if I can just hang on, hope, and trust, I am able to look back and see the benefits of what I think to be a terrible thing.

I Found God today in a reminder that He works quite different from me.

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Helpful Sales People

Posted by eph21920 on March 27, 2017 in Answer, Family, Grateful, Problem, Shopping

My dad purchased a new bed a few weeks back so he and my mom could be together, yet each have their own mattress and their own movable frame. There have been some problems with them and my dad has been having to move the mattresses every night to keep them in the right place. The salesperson who sold them the beds called the other day to see how things were going and had to leave a message. This afternoon, my dad was able to speak with him. He really wanted to help get the problems resolved, so we went down to the store to talk with him further. He showed us a different base for the mattresses that should be helpful. The manager came over and we spoke with him too. He looked at the pictures we took that showed the issues. Both the salesperson and the manager were super friendly and helpful. When all was said and done, they will deliver new bases for the mattresses along with a new mattress for my dad – all at no extra charge. I was pleasantly surprised and my dad was satisfied.

I Found God today in truly helpful sales people.

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A Beautiful Family

Posted by eph21920 on March 26, 2017 in Children, Family, Relationship, Stranger

There was a lot of activity during church today –  a little more than usual. We sit in a back section for several reasons and have a first hand view of all the commotion. Mostly it comes in the form of parents and children. At the beginning of Mass, I noticed a particularly large family with the husband carrying a car seat, a bunch of kids following along, and the mom bringing up the rear. The dad went back and forth a couple of times with assorted children during the celebration. After Mass, we went out for lunch as we usually do. Once we got settled, who should happened to be seated just behind us was this particular family. My dad had a perfect view and enjoyed watching the mom, dad, and five children. The kids were 2 boys and 3 girls – just like my family. My dad commented that he saw them making the sign of the cross before eating. They were seated with 2 boys and dad between them on one side of the booth and 2 girls with mom between them on the other side. The baby was on the end. This arrangement allowed the mom and dad to be directly across from one another so they could converse while having access to all the children. I thought that was pretty smart. None of the children had electronic devices. They were all very well-behaved except for when the baby enjoyed making a high-pitched squeal to get everyone’s attention – successfully. This was followed by “SHHHH” coming from I think every other member. When we finished our meal, my dad said he just had to go over and chat with the family. He told them that our family was also made up of 2 boys and 3 girls. The mom said that they actually had 2 other older sons who were not with them. They talked a bit before we left. This family left quite an impression on us – particularly on my dad.

I Found God today in a beautiful family.

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Becoming Men

Posted by eph21920 on March 25, 2017 in Children, Connected, Family, Life, Opportunity, Plan

My son called me bright and early this morning. We talked about his plans after college graduation and started to put some things in place. We actually spoke several times during the day as we worked out some details. Later in the morning, my sister came for a visit. She also received a call from her son. This is the second time she has spoken with him since he left for Navy bootcamp 3 weeks ago. She was ecstatic. They talked about his graduation which is only 3 weeks before my son’s. The boys are 4 years apart in age and spent a few years living in the same house, so they are pretty close. But we would never have guessed that they both would have important graduation events so close together. It is an exciting time for them both.

I Found God today as my sister and I realize together how our boys are becoming responsible young men.

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