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Being in Relationship

Posted by eph21920 on April 16, 2025 in Connected, Faith, Family, Friends, Grateful, Life, Relationship

Many days I have the opportunity to talk to only 1 or 2 people. And I am typically quiet in groups of people. Today was an exception. When I went to physical therapy for my back this morning, the people there were quite chatty, so I joined in. We talked about raising children, enjoying the outdoors, and even faith. I have been going there for a couple of months now and have found that the majority of the time, people are very respectful of other’s opinions and personal stories. It seems to be a culture they have created. When I got home, my brother called and we talked a bit about his upcoming plans as he makes his way back from his winter hideout. Then I went to a neighbor’s house and met a couple new people there. More chatting. When I got home from there, another neighbor came over who is caring for her ailing husband. I was happy to be a listening ear for her and to share some of my own personal experiences. Later I talked with my sister on the phone. We talked about the upcoming Easter weekend and potential plans. As I thought over my day, I became more grateful for the relationships in my life. I remembered a program I watched in which the author Edward Sri said that God didn’t have to create any of us. But He did because God desires to have a relationship with you. With me. With each individual person. It makes sense that we humans have the desire to be in relationship with one another. It is life giving. I felt blessed with my own personal relationships. I also felt humbled that the God of the universe makes time for me and my feeble prayers and distracted life.

I Found God today in relationships.

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Spiritually Motivated

Posted by eph21920 on April 15, 2025 in Faith, Hope, Life, Plan, Priest, Youth

I was at the Newman Center today and got to chatting with a couple of brothers who were touring the college campus. They talked about their family of 11 children and the colleges that some of them had attended. It was important for them to have a source of spiritual stability and support, which is why they were visiting the Newman Center too. One of them confessed that he thought he may be called to the priesthood. It was very encouraging talking with these 2 young people and showed there is always hope for the future.

I Found God today talking with spirituality motivated young people.

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Religious Programming

Posted by eph21920 on April 14, 2025 in Faith, Hope, Jesus, Laughter, Lent, Life, Peace, Prayer

As I started making my Easter candy in the kitchen today, it was too quiet in the house. So, I started listening to some music. I listened to the Christian Contemporary channel that I like for a while. Then, I switched to classical. Neither were really what I wanted, so I decided to turn on the TV. I flipped through a couple channels hoping to find some light entertainment. Then I remembered EWTN. I had not put that on in quite some time. I figured they may have some good shows during Holy Week. When I turned it on, they were praying the Divine Mercy, so I prayed along. During the time I had the TV on, I prayed 2 rosaries – 1 was in Lourdes, listened to Mass, heard a young woman tell the story of her converting from Protestant to Catholic, and watched Fulton Sheen talk about Judas. Each time I thought I may put on something else, the next show caught my attention. To finish the evening, I watched an interview with Joe Piscopo from my era of Saturday Night Live who was hysterical, and an interview with Dallas Jenkins who is the creator of the Chosen which I love. At one point in my past, this would have all been way too much boring religious programming. Today, the familiar prayers brought peace, the conversion story was encouraging, the talk about Judas was thought provoking, the first interview made me laugh, and the second was inspirational. I felt it was a good way to begin this Holy Week. Oh, and I finished a batch of coconut truffles.

I Found God today immersed in Him.

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Being Done

Posted by eph21920 on April 13, 2025 in Answer, Grateful, Grief, Healing, Life, Problem, Struggles

I listened to a great homily by Fr. Mike Schmitz this morning before I went to Palm Sunday Mass. He talked about something that I have struggled with. Fr. Schmitz admittedly looks forward to being “done”. He anticipates what the outcome will be and gets nervous or anxious not knowing. When it is done, he can move on. I can be like that as well. I look forward to a task being completed and can be cranky or overwhelmed as I work towards that end. Fr. Schmitz pointed out what Jesus did as he prepared for his crucifixion and death. He gave thanks. Even on the worst night of His life when he would be betrayed, left alone, and killed. He gave thanks. He knew what was about to happen, but He gave thanks. I have heard this advice before. When things don’t feel right, give thanks. There is nothing better to bring you back to the present moment than being grateful. As I continue to go through papers and memorabilia that my parents have saved, it can be pretty emotional and draining. There are times when I just want it to be done. But I know there is value and even healing as I go through this process. As I start to thank God for my parents, their experiences, and the things in my own life, it helps me to become more present in the moment. Being grateful has a way of changing my mindset.

I Found God today in a reminder to be grateful.

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Encouraging Wisdom

Posted by eph21920 on April 12, 2025 in Answer, Faith, Friends, Hope, Life, Past, Present, Struggles

This morning I had brunch with some new friends from the church. It is an organized group of older, single people who get together for a meal or events a couple times a month. You can just participate in whatever you would like. One of the ladies I talked with is the oldest at 89 years, but is as sharp as a tack. She told me a little bit of her history. Her earliest years were spent in an orphanage run by Catholic nuns. She remembered when adults would come to adopt. All the kids would line up and the new parents would look over each child. She was never chosen, so she felt she was too ugly. After the orphanage, she spent time in different foster homes and also some time with her biological father. She said those times were very difficult and confirmed her belief that she was ugly and that nobody wanted her. That thought was immediately followed by her explaining that her past made her who she is today, but it doesn’t define her and she doesn’t dwell on it. Her love of the Catholic faith remained. She also found the love of her life and was married for over 60 years when her husband died. She has 4 children, but still lives on her own in her house. This woman was respected by everyone in the group and was such an encouragement.

I Found God today in encouraging wisdom from an older woman.

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Joyful Auto Shop

Posted by eph21920 on April 10, 2025 in Car, Joy, Life, New, Service

Perhaps like many people, I dread finding an auto shop. I have had my current car for 2 years and figured it was time to get an oil change and get it checked over before I take it on the road this summer. I did my research and decided on the one that received the best reviews as well as the best in the city awards. The people seemed friendly enough when I made the appointment and I dropped my car off early this morning for the day. I noticed their schedule of hours on the door. Saturday and Sunday read, “Day of rest and family time”. The man who checked me in was super friendly and asked if I needed a ride. My son was coming to get me, so I declined. A few moments later, their shuttle driver asked if I would need a ride. I thanked him and declined again. My son arrived and took me home. Early in the afternoon, I hadn’t heard anything, so I gave them a call. The gentleman said they were working on it and he would call me back when they had finished inspecting it, which he did. He talked about the things that would need attention in the future, but gave me peace of mind that the car looked good for any road trips I was planning. He asked if I would need a ride back to pick it up, which I did not. My son brought me back over. When I walked in, the same gentleman greeted me by name and went over the paperwork. He gave me a packaged cookie from a local bakery, wished me a happy road trip, and sent me on my way. My car had been cleaned, and on the seat was a card with a photo and biography of the person who worked on my car. There was a candy attached to it. I have never had such a joyful experience at an auto shop in my life. If they were looking to retain customers, they certainly did a good job.

I Found God today in a joyful experience at the auto shop.

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Spiritual Friend

Posted by eph21920 on April 9, 2025 in Answer, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Grief, Healing, Life

Over the past couple of months, I have been reducing the amount of visits I have with my Stephen Minister. It has been a couple of weeks since I have seen her, so we got together today. The first thing she asked me was , “How is your Lent going?” This is one of the reasons she has been such a blessing in my life. She helps me to be spiritually grounded. I thought about the past month and shared some struggles and joys. As I have prayed about what I should be doing with my life, what came to mind was that this time is for healing. So, I have been trying to be patient with myself and take each day for what it brings. Continuing to clean out my parent’s house is a big task within itself. There are times when the treasures I find bring me to tears. And there are times when I am grateful to think about my parents in their lives other than when they weren’t well. Reflecting on all of this with my Stephen Minister did help me to see things in a more spiritual light. She has been an incredible blessing and I am glad that we will be able to remain friends.

I Found God today in the blessing of a spiritual friend.

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Extreme Fasting

Posted by eph21920 on April 8, 2025 in Faith, Food, Friends, Lent

I visited with a friend today and noticed that he was looking very slim. I commented to that fact and he said he had dieted for a while which worked, but like most diets, when he stopped being so particular, the weight came back on. For Lent this year, he is fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays. On the rest of the days, he usually will eat just one meal. It is no wonder that he is so thin now. But, more than that, the extreme fasting takes tremendous discipline. I was in awe of his sacrifice and I pray that he will be extremely blessed for his efforts.

I Found God today in extreme Fasting.

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Affordable Housing

Posted by eph21920 on April 7, 2025 in Answer, Friends, Grateful, Happiness, Home, Life, New

A friend in my prayer group had been on the waiting list for subsidized housing for the elderly for 2 years. A couple months ago she was notified there was an available apartment and she was able to move. Today the prayer group met at her new place. It was very cute and cozy. Her outside window faced the courtyard which was just starting to green with the Spring weather. She was very excited and grateful for the place and told us all about what she had learned – both the things she enjoyed and the challenges. There was a true sense of community, which was something she had been missing. She even has a small garden plot to grow whatever she wants. It seemed to be a good fit for her and it was good to see her happy.

I Found God today in a happy friend who found affordable housing.

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Talking With My Aunt

Posted by eph21920 on April 6, 2025 in Connected, Family, Grateful, Relationship

Going through my parents memorabilia got me to thinking about and missing my mom’s sister. I feel a special bond with her as we share a birthday. I had not talked to her in quite some time, so I gave her a call today. We chatted for a while and reminisced. She will be turning 90 this year, but sounded as clear as she had in the past. It even seemed that she was able to hear me better than in some previous phone conversations. She told me that the phone was connected directly to her hearing aids, and that really helped. She was visiting her son in Florida and enjoying the warm weather. She talked about the joy that she gets from her great grandchildren, even though it’s hard to believe she is that old. And we talked about the challenges of trying to reduce the amount of “stuff” in a house. It was good to talk with her and I was grateful for our conversation.

I Found God today talking with my aunt.

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