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Bigger Than Myself

Posted by eph21920 on November 8, 2016 in Answer, Connected, Prayer

As I contemplated how I was going to vote, it felt like such a heavy burden. Talking over the issues with family and friends, I felt a little better as I am likely not casting “the deciding vote”. Yes, I must vote my conscience and vote responsibly, but it is not all up to me. When I went to drop my ballot yesterday, I encountered several others doing the same thing. My view got a little bigger. Of course, there are polls and statistics, but when I am in contact with real people, it is quite different. There is more a sense of camaraderie. My parents and I have been praying a novena for this election along with many others – I know several. And I have been saying little prayers all during the day. There are many groups of people who have been praying in a organized manner today and tons more praying individually. I have been seeing inspiring messages on social media all day. I am but one of probably millions who have been inundating Heaven with pleas for the outcome of this election. The bottom line is that whoever wins this election, God is not surprised, He is still in charge and He holds us in the palm of His hand.

I Found God today trusting in His plan for our world, which us much bigger than anything I can imagine.

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I Voted

Posted by eph21920 on November 7, 2016 in Uncategorized

I received my ballot in the mail a few weeks ago.My parents and sisters and I have been pouring over the information regarding the way too many things we have the opportunity to vote for. I filled out my ballot except for the choice for president. I left it blank for a couple of days as I continued to fight with my inner struggle. Today was the day. I made my choice and sealed the ballot in the envelope before I changed my mind. My parents had completed theirs too, so I decided to take a nice walk to the drop off site which is not far from the house. As I walked through the complex, I came upon an older gentleman in his motorized wheelchair with his companion dog. I announced I was going to drop off my ballot and he said he had done so a couple of days ago. He laughingly suggested I vote for his dog. When I got to crosswalk at the busy intersection, I was joined by a man also holding ballots. I told him it was a painful process for me, but I knew I had to vote. He agreed and said how much better it was, though, then having to stand in line at a school. He spoke with an amazing British accent. I wanted to ask if he was an American citizen, but couldn’t come up with a polite way of doing so. As we approached the ballot drop box, a young man took a selfie of him dropping off his ballot. I dropped mine in and told the man I was walking with to have a great day. “Cheers!” he said in his awesome accent. I was just about home when I was met by a neighbor. I told him I had just voted. He lived outside the country for several years and this was the first time he was able to vote again. We talked about the candidates and how difficult it was to decide this year. It will be interesting to see just how the whole thing plays out. He said he isn’t going to turn on his TV now until the weekend as he doesn’t want to watch whatever ridiculous thing will happen. Might not be a bad idea. My parents and I have been praying a novena for this election. Now that my civic duty is done, I can rest assured that no matter who wins, or what happens, Jesus Christ is the true King and God’s will be done.

I Found God today being able to let go of my vote.

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Praying For All Souls

Posted by eph21920 on November 6, 2016 in Death, Faith, Family, Prayer

On Wednesday, the Catholic church celebrated All Souls Day – a day when people remember and pray for their loved ones who have died. Today the cathedral had a memorial prayer service and choir concert that I took my mom to. Each family was invited to light a candle representing those who have passed away. As I lit the candle, I thought particularly about my mom’s brother who died a few months ago and my dad’s sister who passed away last year. The scripture readings were full of hope and faith and included the classic Psalm 23. Several people were able to sign up ahead of time and had the names of their loved ones read out loud. The music was just beautiful. The voice of the first solo woman reminded me of my mother’s and I could picture her singing. Later, my mom said she had both sung and played the piano to that particular piece. Several times during the music I would close my eyes, listen, and pray for family and friends who have died. I also thought about those who perhaps had no one to pray for them and prayed for them as well. At the end of the service, the director thanked everyone for coming and said she hoped it helped people to pray for those who have died. I know it did for me.

I Found God today in a beautiful prayer service that helped me pray for those who have died.

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Getting Around Craft Fairs

Posted by eph21920 on November 5, 2016 in Connected, Family, Fun, Life, Shopping

You know it’s November when the craft fairs begin. I saw a sign at one of the local churches the other day and told my mom about it. Last year we went to a fair that was held in the town community center. My mom doesn’t have the stamina to walk through an entire fair, so we brought along a small, transport wheelchair. It was challenging right off the bat as the parking lot was rubble. When we got inside, the place was jammed packed with barely enough room for one person to get through the lined up tables that were too close together – let alone a wheelchair. But, we managed through. This year after I saw the sign, I looked up information about the different craft fairs that were being held today. My mom wanted to go, but neither of us wanted to have the same experience as last year. We chose 2 that looked promising and headed out the door this morning with the wheelchair in the trunk. We had time to visit both the fairs and had a very pleasant experience at both. There was plenty of room and it was not overcrowded, so it was not overwhelming. We had ample room for the wheelchair and time to look over the different items. We found several gifts and even some things for ourselves. At lunch we were joined by another older woman and her daughter who she was living with. We had a great conversation and I was able to invite the daughter to the caregiver’s group that I have been going to. All in all we had a great time together and a very enjoyable day.

I Found God today enjoying an outing day with my mom.

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Just to Chat

Posted by eph21920 on November 4, 2016 in Family, Happiness, Love, Relationship, Youth

I love my nephew. He and his mom lived with us for a couple of years when he was a toddler. When they moved away, he would come and spend some time during the summer. We have always had a great relationship. Now that we live closer, I do see him from time to time, but not as much as I would like. Today I got an unexpected phone call from him. He told me about a new job he was working and what he plans to do for the next few months before he heads off to the Navy. It was great to just chat with him and it made my day.

I Found God today with an unexpected call from my nephew.

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Living Saint

Posted by eph21920 on November 3, 2016 in Generosity, Humility, Love, Sacrifice, Saint, Youth

I never met Mother (now Saint) Teresa of Calcutta, but there are plenty of writings about her unassuming presence. She was small in stature, and later in her life she was worn by her work and sacrifice. One would probably not pick her out of a crowd as a woman who “looks” like a saint. A friend of mine has been working with a woman who is a foster parent to teenagers in particular. As she gets to know her, she said she is truly a living saint. She loves each youth that comes into her home and offers them a safe place to live. At the same time, she has a firm hand when needed to try to keep them on the right path. She gives her all to the kids. When someone meets her, they may not think she “appears” to be a saint, but she lives her life simply to help improve the lives for kids in a difficult situation. That is what a saint does.

I Found God today in an example of a living saint.

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Cubs Win

Posted by eph21920 on November 2, 2016 in Happiness, Joy

I like baseball, but I wouldn’t say I am a huge fan. But I did hear about the Chicago Cubs “miraculously” making it to play in the World Series this year. I saw the highlights from each game. When I found that they were playing the 7th game of the series tonight, I just had to watch history in the making. I always root for the underdog and love to see it when they beat the odds. I just knew the Cubs were going to win. It was a nail biter of a game all the way through. The rain delay after the tied 9th inning was ridiculous. Then came the 2 runs by the Cubs and the emotions intensified. After 1 run by the Indians and 2 pitchers in the bottom of the 10th inning, it finally happened. The final out was made and the team erupted along with the fans. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years. As the players were interviewed, they all said the same thing. Through their tears they said that the team would never quit and that they were always there backing up one another. I was overjoyed just watching them.

I Found God today in the sheer joy and camaraderie of a hard fought win.

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Praying With the Saints

Posted by eph21920 on November 1, 2016 in Death, Faith, Grief, Prayer, Saint

Today I went to the caregivers group that I have been attending. When I first met the people there, one gentleman told us that he was caring for his wife who had a stroke that left her in a bad way. He said he was used to her taking care of him and now it was the other way around. Typically he is pretty quiet, but comes up with profound honest words of wisdom at just the right time. Today he was visibly upset and told us that his wife had passed away a few days ago. He was met with love and compassion by every person there. He said he was not going to allow himself to feel guilty for his imperfections. He was told that he was a loving husband – he was there for her always doing the best he could. We encouraged him to keep coming to the group. My parents and I went to church tonight to celebrate All Saints Day. I thought of the man and his wife and lifted them up to the intercession of all the Saints in Heaven. I prayed for comfort and peace. I prayed for her especially during one of the songs that prayed for all those who have died to be with God.

I Found God today being able to pray with all the Saints, especially for those who have died recently and the gentleman from the group and his wife.

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Not So Scary Halloween

Posted by eph21920 on October 31, 2016 in Children, Family, Food, Fun, Grateful, Past

When I was living in my old house, Halloween was a pretty busy night. I lived in a good neighborhood that was frequented by many trick-or-treaters. I used to make hot apple cider for the adults as I handed out the candy. Two years ago, a very good friend and I made our trek from the east coast to the wild, wild west as I moved to be with my parents. On Halloween that night, it was cold and incredibly windy. There was an accident on the highway that brought the lanes to a complete halt, so we consulted the GPS, went over the median to the other side of the highway (as did many others) and turned around. We had a hotel reservation and were confident that the GPS would get us there. At one point we drove down a road with fields, sporadic houses, and hardly any one else driving. The wind howled, the leaves pelted the car, and it was a bit freaky. We were glad when we arrived at the hotel even though there seemed to be many costumed people there. Last year on Halloween, my mother had a stroke. My parents often say that I didn’t know what I was getting into when I moved in with them. I laughingly agree and say it’s probably a good thing as I may not have come. She has been through a lot in the year, but is doing amazingly well. My parents live in a duplex community and do not get any kids on Halloween. This year I was determined to celebrate and have a little fun. Typically for me, that means food. We started this morning with pumpkin pancakes that we made faces out of using apple chunks, raisins, and berries. They were festive and delicious. I also made apple slices drizzled with melted caramel and chocolate, and chocolate candy corn bark. My dad and I stopped at the store and bought a bag of candy – just in case. Of course, we bought all our favorites. In the evening I went for a walk around the neighborhood of houses adjacent to the complex to see them decorated with blow-up figures, spider webs, and graveyards. There were several costumed kids playing outside. I came across one little band of very young children accompanied by an older one who was taking them trick-or-treating before it got too dark or late. It was a very cute scene. In all, I was happy it was a not so scary Halloween this year. Even though we didn’t get any kids at the door, it was rather enjoyable.

I Found God today enjoying a Halloween that was not so scary.

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Sitting Up Close

Posted by eph21920 on October 30, 2016 in Faith, Jesus, Life, Priest, Relationship

Today we went to church in the little old town near the cabin. I love going there. It is a small old church with a small tight knit, yet welcoming community. My mom was unsure about walking in the line to receive Communion, so she talked to the people there before Mass started. They sent her to sit up in the front pew and the priest would give her Communion right there so she wouldn’t have to walk at all. You get a different perspective sitting in the front. The priest is a very vibrant man with a big voice. That was even more pronounced sitting so close. One of the scripture readings was the story of Zacchaeus. The homily the priest gave was very powerful and I know I won’t be able to give it justice in this blog. He talked about how Zacchaeus was a swindler and made himself very rich off the backs of the less fortunate. Yet, for some reason, when Jesus made his was to the town, Zacchaeus had to see him. He was so determined that he climbed up a tree to catch of glimpse of Him. The scripture tells us that Jesus intended to pass through the town, but Zacchaeus caught His eye. Jesus went to his house where Zacchaeus basically made a public confession about his evil ways and promised to make amends. His life changed forever when he encountered Jesus. When he reached out, Jesus showed up. I thought about my own encounter with Jesus that I experienced at a retreat many years ago. I was overwhelmed by a feeling of love, joy, and peace. That set me on a path that I would never have anticipated. I knew I couldn’t live my life without a relationship with Christ. The priest then asked the question, “What is the difference between those who are committed to faith and those who vacillate?” He said that those who are committed realize that they need God. That struck me as well. I remember a time when someone said I was, “Holier than thou” as I was going to church when we were out camping. I was taken aback and said that I wasn’t “holier”, but perhaps I was needier. I found myself welling up with tears more than once during the homily. Maybe it was because we were sitting so close and felt more present. Maybe it was because I was reminded just how much my relationship with God means to me.

I Found God today remembering how much I need Him.

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