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Parkinson’s Caregivers

Posted by eph21920 on October 21, 2016 in Answer, Connected, Grateful, Hope, Knowledge, New, Struggles

A couple weeks ago, my sister and I went with my mom to a Parkinson’s support group. We all learned so much. At the meeting, a woman who heads the Parkinson’s caregiver group invited me to attend their next session. I was glad to be able to go to the group today. As with the other group I found, each person has their own story and their own particular situation. However, we all have even more in common as we are all caring for a person that has Parkinson’s. The people were all very committed and concerned with taking care of their loved one and keep them at home as long as they can. At the same time, they were realistic about the strength and energy that requires. My mom’s home physical therapy is about to end and it is imperative that she keeps on moving. She has experienced one place for therapy that was pretty good and we were going to contact them again. Today I learned about some other exercise classes specifically for those with Parkinson’s that my mom should be able to attend. I also was given information about how to learn more about the disease and what might be expected in the future. It was almost an overload of information, but it is just what I was hoping for. I was so grateful to meet the people, have discussions about some of my concerns, and get so much information.

I Found God today meeting and talking with people who share the struggles and concerns of caring for one with Parkinson’s.

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Small World

Posted by eph21920 on October 20, 2016 in Connected, Life, Past

A couple of days ago, I was contacted by a young woman I knew from the church I used to work for on the other side of the country. I was surprised to find out that she is now married and lives in the same city as me. We made plans and met for dinner tonight. I recognized her right away and met her husband. He is in the military and was super polite. She didn’t know that I lived in the same place as her. It was just perfect timing that she would contact me after they moved here. We said grace before we ate and then got caught up on everything that was happening with her family, my family, and the people that we mutually knew. We talked about all the different sights to see in the area and how different it is from the east coast. I remember her most as a young high school teenager. But to see her now a young adult and a wife wasn’t really that much of a stretch. She was still a very sweet young woman who was more mature than the last time I saw her. It was so good to meet up with her. It shows what a small world we live in.

I Found God today connecting with a young woman after a few years.

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World of Opportunities

Posted by eph21920 on October 19, 2016 in Family, Grateful, Job, Life, Opportunity

My younger son graduates from college In May with his Master Degree in Computer Engineering. Recently, there was a career fair at his school and he put in several applications and talked with several people. In the past week he has had a couple of interviews and one company even flew him out to Seattle. Another company will be bringing him to Massachusetts next week and he will have a video interview with yet another company. There is a lot going on right now in his life as he is discovering that he will likely not have to worry about getting a job, but his decisions will have to be focused on where he wants to work. The world is his oyster and I am excited for him. We talk often especially as new developments occur. I encourage him to weigh out the pros and cons of each possibility. And I encourage him to pray and allow God to move his heart. God has a wonderful plan for his life and if he can follow His promptings, he will make the right decisions. I am so grateful for our relationship and that I can be a part of this exciting time with him, even though we are miles apart.

I Found God today in my relationship with my son and the wonderful opportunities that are coming his way.

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Painting the Garage

Posted by eph21920 on October 18, 2016 in Family, Grateful, Happiness

Several days ago, my dad decided to paint the garage. He spent a few days moving shelving, stored holiday decorations, and tools to paint behind them. Then things had to go back in place when the paint was dry. He realized early on that he had started a very big job that would take him quite a long time to complete on his own. My nephew works for a painter and has a lot of skill and knowledge, so my dad reached out to him. He came over the last 2 days and was able to finish the job. My dad was happy, relieved, and very grateful. I enjoyed seeing him, feeding him, and catching up.

I Found God today in my helpful nephew.

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Counteracting Stinking Thinking

Posted by eph21920 on October 17, 2016 in Answer, Bible, Faith, Joy, Life, Peace

I have been meeting with a priest on a somewhat regular basis as he helps me along with spiritual guidance. We talked about things that have happened recently. I told him about the caregiver’s support group that I started to attend. I explained how wonderful it was to listen and talk in this group of people who have a unique understanding of one another. I don’t feel like I’m crazy or a terrible person for some of the thoughts that run through my head. Others feel or have felt the same way. A while ago the priest suggested an Ignatius retreat that I have been doing my best to follow. It involves reading and pondering certain scriptures. Doing this has really helped me to get on the right track – especially being able to let go of situations that I have no control over and to allow God to be God. One epiphany I had was that reading the Bible – the truth of God’s love for us – is counteracting the “stinking thinking” going on in my head. It is liberating and results in more peace and joy.

I Found God today realizing the power of the truth of His Word.

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Back For Dinner

Posted by eph21920 on October 16, 2016 in Answer, Connected, Food, Hope, Struggles, Youth

I have been volunteering with an organization that works with youth in foster care. Each month the youth and adult volunteers meet at a local church and use the big kitchen to cook a meal together. We have been hosting different groups of people who have enjoyed the dinners. There is one young man in particular that has been on my mind and I pray for him often. I saw him for a couple of months, then he kind of disappeared. I knew that he had been having some difficulties as it was nearing the time when he would be “aging out” of the foster home. Today was the date for the next event. When the adults gathered before the kids arrived, I asked the leaders about the young man. I was told that he did have to leave his foster home and was now living in a half-way house of sorts. The facility has programs to help youth in these situations become self sufficient. One of the leaders said she had called to invite him to the dinner, but was unable to get in touch with him. After a few minutes the youth arrived. The first one through the door was the young man I had been thinking about. It was great to see him and each adult took their turn in telling him so. His face lit up and you could see what it meant to him. As we prepared the food, he just naturally fit back in and took charge of cooking the vegetables for the fajitas. He is a very good cook and has been encouraged several times to pursue that gift. He said that he is going to school and currently looking for a job. It was wonderful to talk with him and see that he is doing OK. I thought it was also telling of the value of the program for this young man to make his way back.

I Found God today touching base with a young man who has been on my mind.

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A Little Mama

Posted by eph21920 on October 15, 2016 in Baby, Children, Connected, Family, Happiness, Love

Today I got some pictures of my granddaughter. My parents and I commented on how she is looking more like a toddler now and less like a baby. She was holding a baby doll in a couple of the pictures. In one she was hugging it and in another she was holding a bottle in it’s mouth. I have only raised boys and have been around them and their friends who were mostly boys, so for me it is super sweet to see this little girl develop. It is evident that she loves her mama and her mama is being a loving role model. Seeing the pictures really warmed my heart.

I Found God today in some sweet pictures of my granddaughter.

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No Explanation

Posted by eph21920 on October 14, 2016 in Answer, Connected, Faith, Friends, Hope, Life, Struggles

Today I heard from a friend whose husband had open heart surgery. Even though they did everything that they were told to do to avoid such a thing, he now has an infection in the wound. She pondered this and shared her thoughts. She likened this particular instance to life in general. How often do we think we are doing the right thing for the right reasons and yet, things don’t turn out the way we want. Or worse – sometimes bad things happen. As she cried out to God as most of us do – “WHY did this happen?” – she came to the conclusion that God doesn’t always owe us an explanation for the reason that things turn out the way they do. But God does ask us to trust Him and lean on Him particularly during these times. It was an enlightening message that really touched my heart. Perhaps because I have felt this was so many times. Yet, if I look back at every difficult situation that I have been through, God has brought me to the other side in such a way that I could not have imagined. He has always provided me what I need, when I need. It is not always in a huge way. Sometimes it is in a small comment someone makes or a song that comes on the radio or a scripture verse that I read that show me He really does have my life in His hands. Those moments give me hope and help me to remember how much He loves me and those around me.

I Found God today in a faith witness that touched my heart.

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Much Needed Relief

Posted by eph21920 on October 13, 2016 in Answer, Doctor, Friends, Grateful

A friend of mine lives with and cares for her aging mother. Her mother is in a lot of pain that is prohibiting her from getting up and about. My friend has been pursuing different doctors and options to see what can be done to help. I heard from her today. She got her mom to a pain management specialist who gave her a shot right in the office. Afterwards, my friend had to stop at the store and figured her mom would wait in the car. Instead, her mother went into the store and walked around the whole thing. Evidently she had not even been into the store in over 5 years. It was such good news to hear that they were able to find something to give immediate relief and allow the mom to be rejuvenated.

I Found God today in relief for a woman in pain.

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Got the Message

Posted by eph21920 on October 12, 2016 in Answer, Fun, Happiness

I was just tired today – perhaps it was the weather. So I sat down in front of the TV tonight and flipped through the channels. There was a new show on that I had seen the previews for. It was a sitcom about a family with a son who has special needs. I hesitated to watch as I thought it might be just silly, irresponsible, and disrespectful. But I watched the show and found I was wrong – at least for this episode. The disabled teenager spent the day with another person and the family was left to figure out what to do while he was away. The bottom line was that their lives were so wrapped up in the life of the boy, that they didn’t know who they were. They then felt guilty having fun without him. This was one of the things we talked about in the caregivers group yesterday. The show did put a funny spin on it, but the message was clear. It is important for caregivers to have a life of their own away from those they care for. It is truly beneficial for everyone concerned. I thought it was interesting that this message was confirmed in this way.

I Found God in a message confirmed.

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