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Wonderful Women

Posted by eph21920 on December 13, 2016 in Connected, Death, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Life

I had lunch with a friend today. As we talked about our current state of life, our children, and our grandchildren, it was rather remarkable what a similar path our lives have taken. It was so good to be able to talk with each other who really understood the highs and lows and the emotions of specific situations. We get each other. This evening another good friend came over for dinner. We usually laugh a lot, which we did. But we also had deep philosophical conversation – much to the surprise of my parents – and somewhat to our own surprise. It’s just where the evening led. One particular thing that my friend talked about really stuck with me. She said she knew a girl whose father had cancer. The girl prayed and knew that her father would be healed due to her prayers. Unfortunately, the man passed away which left the daughter angry, bitter, and no longer faithful. My friend tried to explain to her that isn’t the way prayer works. People have died since the beginning of people, and they will continue to do so – more often as time goes on and we all get older. She said she has learned to pray in a different way, asking God for strength to get through things, or to help others in their struggles. She doesn’t always let people see this side of her, but it is one of the reasons she is such a good friend. We get each other. I felt incredibly blessed today to have these two wonderful women in my life.

I Found God today spending time with friends who understand me.

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Bringing Down the Pressure

Posted by eph21920 on December 12, 2016 in Answer, Doctor, Family, Life, Problem

Recently, my dad has been having some problems with erratic blood pressure, so we called his cardiologist last week. We spoke to the nurse on call who we have found to be a very helpful service. She talked with his doctor, gave us some guidance for the weekend, and made an appointment to see him today. We always enjoy seeing this particular doctor. He is humorous without being annoying and realistic without being negative. He gives us a good medical explanation to help us understand what is going on and gives us more direction. When my dad takes his blood pressure, he does worry about it being high. That of course pushes up the number. The doctor explained that it takes on a snowball effect. He told my dad to try not to worry so much and even suggested saying a prayer while he was taking the reading. The bottom line is that my dad is likely reacting to a medication that was added last month. That has since been stopped, but will take some time to get out of his system. The doctor agreed again with my dad that in general he is in pretty good health and could very well live to be 100 years old. My dad felt better immediately. He followed his direction and this evening his blood pressure came down considerably.

I Found God today in a positive doctor’s visit and outcome for my dad.

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Uplifting Despite Hardships

Posted by eph21920 on December 11, 2016 in Food, Grateful, Life, Youth

I spent some time this afternoon with a group of young people who came to the church to help pack Christmas food baskets for people who are in need. The event was organized by the group who works with teens in the foster care system. I had met several of the kids before as I volunteered to help with the events. There was also a large group of kids I had never met. The majority of them lived in group homes as there are not enough private foster homes. I could not imagine trying to grow up in that environment. Talking with the coordinator gave me a whole different perspective as she told us stories about these kids and others she had contact with. Due to the lack of housing, she once had to place and 8 year old child in a group home. She met a 14 year old boy who had escaped his violent country by hitching a ride on the top of a train. He didn’t sleep for 3 days, because if he did he would fall off the train. Some others lived in a refugee camp for 10 years before they were able to leave. Other refugees looked very much younger than they actually were due to malnutrition. Most of them didn’t know if their families were still alive or not. These were horrific situations in my opinion and my heart broke for these kids. The youth that I met were real people who have had to deal with conditions that were forced upon them by others. But, they enjoyed being helpful. They laughed and played games. They loved pizza and candy. They were grateful. It was uplifting to work with them and prompted me to pray for each of them regularly.

I Found God today in a group of uplifting teens despite their difficult circumstances.

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Go Play Outside

Posted by eph21920 on December 10, 2016 in Children, Family, Fun

My dad was trying hard to feel better today. We went out for a little walk. Then, since it was a warmish day, we put some Christmas lights on the bushes. At lunch we talked about how being outside, getting fresh air, and moving makes you feel better. We talked about how moms used to tell their kids to go outside and play. My mom said when she was little, they would play outside all the time. In the evening they would play hide and seek. My mom’s father’s bakery where the family lived was “home” for the game where everyone would be “safe”. I thought it was a wonderful memory.

I Found God today in a wonderful memory my mom had of her childhood.

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Sicky Day

Posted by eph21920 on December 9, 2016 in Answer, Doctor, Family, Sick

Neither one of my parents slept well last night. Neither one felt real good today. We spoke to some doctors, ate light, and napped. Despite that, we all got through and were even somewhat productive. We were all glad when the end of the day came and we could just go to bed.

I Found God today making it through a sicky day.

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More Than Physical

Posted by eph21920 on December 8, 2016 in Answer, Faith, Family, Life, Mary

Today is the Solemnity of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. That is a lot of words that basically means it is the day that the Catholic Church celebrates the fact that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was born and lived completely void of any sin. It makes sense that the person who would carry the Son of God within her would be pure. The weather outside here was frigid and snowy all day, so my parents and I did not venture out. Instead, we stayed inside – each with our own very important tasks to do as we prepare for Christmas. I found that EWTN was airing Mass this afternoon, so we all stopped to watch. It was full of traditional music and Gregorian chant. My parents loved it and it was a peaceful break to the busy-ness of the day. For me, it helped me to re-focus my thoughts and heart on the spiritual. I remembered something that I read in a handout I received from a caregivers group – “What if we didn’t treat just the physical needs of people, but the spiritual as well.”

I Found God today in a reminder that there is more than just what we experience physically.

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Back on the Wii

Posted by eph21920 on December 7, 2016 in Family

My mom and dad are trying to do more exercising. It is particularly important for my mother. Movement is the best way to keep the Parkinson’s Disease at bay. With the weather so cold now, unfortunately we are unable to go outside for a walk every day. They have a Wii that they used all the time a few years back and decided to get it out today. My dad and I replaced all the batteries in the remotes and the board and got the game functioning again. I got my mom set up on it and put a chair in arms reach so she would be stable. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after a few minutes she got the hang of it again as she walked on a tightrope and did the ski slalom. She played a bunch of games and even did better than me on a couple. Her perseverance never ceases to amaze me.

I Found God today in my mom’s determined attitude.

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Exchanging Love

Posted by eph21920 on December 6, 2016 in Children, Hope, Life, Love, Opportunity, Struggles

Each time I go to the caregiver support group, I came away with a little more knowledge and a little more inspired. One of the women is taking care of her mother who has dementia and Parkinson’s. She is very committed to her mom and always talks about how much she means to her. Today she said again how much she loves her mom and doesn’t want to see her in pain. She said that her mom gave her a chance at life and she wants to do everything she can to see that now her mom has the best quality of life. She told us that she was adopted as a sickly newborn. She had physical problems from the beginning and had multiple surgeries by the time she was only 2 years old. Even through that, her adoptive parents stayed with her and loved her. Now she has the opportunity to do the same. It was beautiful.

I Found God today in a beautiful example of the exchange of love.

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Bored No More

Posted by eph21920 on December 5, 2016 in Answer, Family, Grateful, Knowledge, Patience

My travelling brother has been in one location for a couple of weeks now – not completely by his choice. He has been having a problem with the propane in his trailer and is working out how to get it fixed. Besides that, there has been bad weather in his area. He called this morning bored with the same view, the rain, and the inability to get outside. He and my dad got talking computers and that was that. My dad was having trouble getting some information from the weather station they installed at the cabin. Unfortunately, I am not much help when it comes to technology – especially an Apple product. I am more of a PC kind of person and they run completely different. In any case, my brother patiently walked my dad through the necessary steps to accomplish what he wanted to do. After the hour long conversation, my brother e-mailed the information to my dad so he would be able to do it again. All the while, I was impressed with my brother’s patience and grateful that he was able to help my dad in a way that I cannot. It’s a good thing he was bored.

I Found God today in my patient and helpful brother.

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Pancake Paradise

Posted by eph21920 on December 4, 2016 in Family, Food, Past

Today my parents and I made a day trip up to the cabin and back. We got an early start and stopped for breakfast. My parents had frequented this particular restaurant quite a bit, but I had never been there before. When we arrived, the place was packed. Evidently, it was the favorite of many people in the area. My parents were surprised at how full it was and said that the restaurant had even expanded their seating capacity. We ordered my parents “usual” called the 2x2x2 – 2 buttermilk pancakes, 2 eggs, and 2 meats. I don’t usually eat that much in a sitting, but it was delicious and I cleaned the plate. A few years back, my dad found that one of his magazines invited readers to share their experiences in “pancake paradise”. My dad wrote to the publication about the restaurant. The article was published and my dad brought it to the restaurant the next time they stopped. The owner said that other people had brought the article to his attention and thanked my dad for the review. He asked my dad to sign the piece and he put it on display in the front window. He even gave my dad a free meal in appreciation for the rise in business due to the compliments. When we finished our meal today, my dad spoke to the owner who remembered him and the article. He showed my dad where it was still in the window. It raised my dad’s spirits to know that his action made a positive impact.

I Found God today in the positive impact my dad made a few years ago that was still meaningful today.

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