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Friend in Uganda

Posted by eph21920 on May 18, 2016 in Grateful, Joy, Poor, Sacrifice

A friend of mine is in Uganda with a mission group. I saw pictures and videos today of her group, the work they are doing, and the people there. The villagers were so joyful – especially the children. There was a lot of celebrating with music and dancing. One picture told the story of the children playing soccer with a water bottle as they did not have a ball. Another picture showed my friend and the crew putting up a brick wall as they are building a two room house. The villagers were all smiling in the pictures and videos. They do not have much, but they have joy.

I Found God today in the generosity of my friend and the missionaries and in the joy of those who have very little.

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Feeling Good at PT

Posted by eph21920 on May 17, 2016 in Happiness, Healing, Music

I have been going to physical therapy for a few weeks now working on rehabbing a hip that I threw out doing Zumba. I am realizing that my body is not what it used to be. There has always been music playing in the background, but I have been so focused on what they are doing to me that I haven’t paid much attention. Today as I was finishing some of my exercises there, I heard one of my favorite songs over the speakers. A Christian music station was playing. It made me very happy and I am sure people thought I was smiling for no apparent reason. I have been recovering slowly but surely and feel like I finally turned the corner. That made me happy too.

I Found God today as I feel like I am recovering from an injury and hearing some of my favorite Christian music in a secular business.

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Overcoming Obstacles

Posted by eph21920 on May 16, 2016 in Answer, Happiness, Life, Struggles

My mom and I watched one of my favorite shows, “Dancing With the Stars” tonight. My sister watches as well and we text comments back and forth as the show progresses. Tonight each of the 5 contestants that were left gave a brief story of their life. Not surprisingly, each of them had a struggle to overcome. Yet, they each were able to take the energy they had from their challenging times and turn it into a drive to make a more positive outcome. In other words, instead of being stuck in their mess or being angry, fearful, or destructive, they chose to move forward in a positive direction – to make their lives and the lives of those around them better. My sister and I talked a few days ago about struggles. We decided that everyone has challenges. It is life. But when we are in them, we can feel like we are the only one who is having a hard time of it. You may think someone else has it better off than you, but once you get to know their situation, you find that they just have a different struggle. Tonight’s stories reiterated that. It was uplifting to see them give so much energy to progress in a positive way. And it was a good reminder that we are all in this together.

I Found God today in stories of overcoming obstacles and making positive changes.

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Fear to Courage

Posted by eph21920 on May 15, 2016 in Answer, Faith, Priest

Today the Catholic Church celebrates Pentecost – the day when Jesus’ Apostles went from hiding and locked in a room to throwing themselves into the limelight. After they received the Holy Spirit, they went from fearful and uncertain, to overjoyed and eager. They were filled with God’s love and couldn’t wait to tell everyone about the amazing life – and afterlife – that is possible by following Jesus. The priest at church today said that it was 23 years ago that he celebrated his first Mass. He said he always felt a connection with the Holy Spirit and from the time he decided to pursue the priesthood, he prayed that his first Mass be on Pentecost. And it was – even though he had nothing to do with the scheduling of his ordination and such. His homily was beautiful and touched my heart. He said that the reason things aren’t going so well in the world is because WE aren’t doing anything about it. He reminded us all that as Baptized and Confirmed Catholics, God has given us the Holy Spirit and everything we need to make a difference in the world. But too many times we are afraid, or feel like our faith is just between us and God. He challenged each one of us to pray and ask God what He wants us to do and then do it. Fear and meekness can be overcome by courage and zeal, just as it was for the first Christians.

I Found God today in a reminder that I do have the Holy Spirit within me and I should not allow fear and worry to interfere with God’s path for my life.

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Insightful Words

Posted by eph21920 on May 14, 2016 in Answer, Bible, Faith, Trust

I worry a lot. I don’t want to. I want to trust that God has everything in his hands – which He does. As I think about events in my life – both good and bad – I can see that when I trusted God and moved forward, He has always been there to help lead and guide me. Many times things turned out completely different and better than I had anticipated, like I had it all figured out. Today I read a scripture that was shared with me and it really touched my heart, Luke 12:22-34. The words that spoke to me most were:

Can any of you by worrying add a moment to your life-span? If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest? Notice how the flowers grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass in the field that grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?

So, so true. And so easy to read and hear, but not so easy to do. But I am working on it.

I Found God today in words of trust and faith that touched my heart.

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A Warm Day

Posted by eph21920 on May 13, 2016 in Weather

Today was a beautiful day in the mountains. It was finally warm and mild enough weather to spend quite a bit of time outdoors. I sat and soaked up some sun. I went for a couple walks. At one point it was so quiet that I could hear the wings flapping of a large bird as it flew up above. I watched the sunset. My dad has not had his camera out for quite some time, but he got it all set up this afternoon. We both spent some time together taking pictures of the beautiful sunset as the colors went from pastel blues and pinks, to yellows and oranges, to almost fluorescent pink, orange, and yellow. It was so nice to be outside without getting cold.

I Found God today enjoying the warm day and natural beauty.

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Helpful Worker

Posted by eph21920 on May 12, 2016 in Answer, Grateful, Happiness, Knowledge, Patience

The other day my dad was having some trouble logging into his bank account. He tried different things until he got locked out. Today we went to the bank to get it resolved. The young woman there was very helpful, patient, and knowledgeable. My dad was so happy to get it corrected and was so impressed with the bank employee. When we got home, he shared with my mom how helpful the woman was and how she was able to answer all his questions.

I Found God today in a very accommodating worker and how happy she made my dad.

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Lilies

Posted by eph21920 on May 11, 2016 in Creation, Family, Joy

My brother sent my mom some white lilies for Mother’s Day. They were in a very large box in tons of wrappings. Once my mom and dad got it all undone, my mom followed the directions to the letter. Soon the huge flowers started opening. Every day a few more would pop. The fragrance at this point is amazing. You can smell them as soon as you step into the house. My mom changed the water in them again today as per the directions. After that, you could almost sit and watch them bloom. Over half are open now and there are still a few to go. My mom just loves them and I think we will be enjoying them for a while still.

I Found God today in the joy that flowers bring.

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Family Ties

Posted by eph21920 on May 10, 2016 in Answer, Connected, Family, Grateful, Relationship

My daughter-in-law’s mother is so thoughtful. Today I opened a package that she sent me. It was a lovely bracelet with a medal of Mary the Mother of Jesus on it. She also sent a clipping from a local newspaper that had my son’s name in it. The article listed those in the area who were on the Dean’s List at their colleges. The fact that she noticed his name and took the time to cut it out and send it to me meant so much. We talked later this evening and I thanked her profusely. She takes care of my granddaughter during the week while her mom and dad are at work. And she is able to attend events that my grandsons participate in. She caught me up on all the family news. We exchanged notes, as she does not get on any social media, which is the main way I stay in touch being so far away. I loved talking with her and I am so grateful for our relationship.

I Found God today in a thoughtful and loving woman and I am grateful for the family tie.

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Artful Apron

Posted by eph21920 on May 9, 2016 in Children, Family, Happiness

I have started a little apron collection as I spend a lot of my day cooking in the kitchen. I received one for my last birthday and a couple for Christmas. They are each unique and have a story. Today I received a Mother’s Day package in the mail from my son and his family. My grandson made a picture of my favorite football team which was imprinted on to a white apron. It is so cute and I was very surprised. It might just become my new favorite.

I Found God today in a fun, thoughtful gift from my family.

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