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Avoided Accident

Posted by eph21920 on April 8, 2016 in Answer, Faith, Grateful, Prayer

I was so happy that we were able to stay overnight at the cabin. Even though it was a somewhat restless night for all, we were able to take in another gorgeous day. In the afternoon we got everything packed up and ready for the trip home. Just as I was about to put the car in drive, I got an overwhelming sense that we should pray for a safe trip home. So, we took about a minute and thanked the Lord for the enjoyable couple of days and asked for protection on our way home. Then we headed out. About half way home, we came to the small town that has quite a few stop lights. As we came up to one, we notice several people in front of us turning into a restaurant parking lot and driving around the building. I realized that there had been an accident up ahead involving at least 3 cars. It had happened only a short time before as the police were not yet there. The people were getting out of their cars as were others who were nearby and I assume had witnessed the crash. We were several cars back, so we followed suit and drove through the parking lot to keep traffic moving. If we had not delayed our departure by saying that prayer, would we have been part of that accident? Perhaps. We thanked God that we were not involved and prayed for the well being of those who were.

I Found God today in an inspired and answered prayer.

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Getting Away

Posted by eph21920 on April 7, 2016 in Creation, Friends, Grateful

It was a beautiful day today. What made it even better was the fact that both my mom and dad felt well and we were able to make a trip to the cabin. There is something about crisp, mountain air that is rejuvenating. And getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city puts me in a different frame of mind. Although there was plenty of cleaning to be done, I frequently went out on the large deck to see if I could spot any animals. No luck. My parents invited a friend over later in the evening. He showed us plenty of pictures and videos of the wildlife that he often sees right around his house. That was almost as good as seeing them for myself. Their friend has come to the house to check on things and take care of things that need to be done when no one in the family is able to. As he was leaving, he told my dad to make sure he called him when he needed anything done. He said he is always glad to help.

I Found God today in a little get away and a very helpful friend.

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Expanding the Farm

Posted by eph21920 on April 6, 2016 in Creation, Family, Joy

Today I got caught up on posts from my sister’s website. She and her husband bought a 10-acre “mini-ranch” last year. They spend all their spare time fixing the place up. First it was inside, then it was outside. My sister planted a large garden last year while her husband cut shrubs and tall grass and put up fencing. After a year of experimentation and experience with the climate, they are ready to expand. My sister has prepared seedlings so they will be ready to plant once it gets warm. They bought a chicken coop and are excited to get their chicks any day now. There were some beehives left on their property, so they did some research and decided to take up beekeeping as well. They got new hives and suits in preparation for the bee delivery next month. Everything they do is organic. Honestly, I don’t know how they are able to keep up with so much, but they love it. I think it is great that they both show such concern for the environment and for nature. I learn a lot from them.

I Found God today being inspired by my sister and her husband.

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Beautiful Ending

Posted by eph21920 on April 5, 2016 in Death, Faith

My mom and I have been reading a book based on the life and writings of St. Therese of Lisieux. Today my mom read about her death. It was described that her breathing became weak and labored. She looked at the crucifix and said, “My God, I love you.” Those with her thought that was the end until suddenly, she raised her eyes which looked full of life and shining with an indescribable happiness. Then she closed her eyes and died. My mother said that this is almost the exact description my aunt gave about my uncle when he passed away. She said his breathing became very slow and shallow. Suddenly he opened his eyes and looked at the crucifix in his room. He had a look of happiness on his face and my aunt said she knew he was seeing Heaven at that time. To me, it shows that there really is life after death and each of us are given a chance to be with God at the end – whether we are a saintly nun, or a family man.

I Found God today in a beautiful insight to the last minutes of life.

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Hearts United Forever

Posted by eph21920 on April 4, 2016 in Connected, Death, Eternity, Trust

My mom and I are happy that Dancing With the Stars new season has begun. We watched it tonight. Each competitor told about their most memorable year and incorporated that into their dance. There were some very moving stories – both happy and sad. The story that touched me the most came from Doug Flutie – former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback. He said that his father had been ill for a while and in the hospital when he died of a heart attack. Flutie said that less than 1 hour later, his mother gave his father a kiss and collapsed. She, too, then died of a sudden heart attack. This happened in November and Flutie’s emotions were raw and real. He said that his mother literally died of a broken heart. She wanted to be with her husband, and so she was. To me, this is an example of extreme trust in God. She trusted that her spouse of 56 years had gone to another place. She trusted that she would join him. Doug Flutie and his family, while heartbroken themselves, trust that the love their parents showed to the family and to one another will carry on in this life and beyond.

I Found God today in a beautiful story of never ending love.

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Divine Mercy in Pandora

Posted by eph21920 on April 3, 2016 in Answer, Connected, Faith, Jesus, Mercy, Music

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday and I have been looking forward to it. A very good friend gave me the “Diary of St. Faustina” many years ago. It has only been within the past year that I have started reading it, just a little at a time as there is much to contemplate. St. Faustina had actual conversations with Jesus and from her we have the image of Divine Mercy. In the picture, Jesus is standing, approaching us with one arm extended and the other one near his heart which is emitting white and red rays of light. He invites us to come to Him just as we are, and to accept His love and mercy. I started saying the novena to the Divine Mercy on Good Friday and actually made it all the way through – which is amazing for me. I went to Mass and then to a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration which included the Chaplet to Divine Mercy. I guess I expected an overwhelming sense of God’s presence, love and mercy. It was peaceful. No thunder or earthquake. Part of me wondered if I had gotten myself all excited for nothing. I guess that is where the trust comes in. Even though I did not experience a huge – something – I trust that my intentions and prayers have been heard and will be answered in due time. Later I spoke to my son who plays music for Mass. He said they sang “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever”. I remembered that being one of the favorites when we were involved with youth ministry. After I hung up with him, I put on my Pandora station. That was the first song that played. I smiled and took it as God’s little way of saying that He is here and He is listening.

I Found God today as I learned more about Divine Mercy, prayed, and experienced a “coincidence” that made me smile.

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Not Too Much Trouble

Posted by eph21920 on April 2, 2016 in Mercy, Shopping, Stranger

As I was out and about this afternoon, I pulled into a busy shopping area. At one of the busiest intersections was a seemingly homeless man sitting with his backpack and carelessly holding a sign that I could not read. Across the road from him a young woman was jogging his direction. I thought that was a strange place to be running as there were no sidewalks and tons of cars. She made her way across the street and handed something to the man. She waved to him as she crossed back over. This young woman evidently had parked her car somewhere in the packed parking lot and went through the trouble of navigating the hectic traffic just to give something to this man. She could have decided it -he- was too much of a bother. She didn’t. She showed mercy.

I Found God today in a generous and merciful young woman.

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What Is It About Flowers?

Posted by eph21920 on April 1, 2016 in Creation, Happiness, Joy

I got a bouquet of cut spring flowers for the table for Easter. My mom knows how to prepare them and arrange them so they look like they came straight from the florist. This time, however, I thought I would “help”. I told my mom that I usually just cut the ends off and put them in a vase. She said that would be fine – as she humored me. So, that’s what I did. They looked pretty good – for about 2 days. Then some of the more delicate flowers withered up. My mom did some surgery and the flowers that remained looked better than before, though they were sparse. Today at the grocery store, I went down an aisle close to the florist and saw a woman handing out free bouquets. She would ask people if they wanted some free flowers to take home. Everyone said yes as it brought a smile to their face. She offered one to me and I followed suit. I stuck around for a bit just to watch and everyone who got the flowers was grateful and joyful. Not one person turned down the offer. What is it about flowers? I brought my bouquet home and let my mom work her magic. She trimmed them down and added them to the meager arrangement that was left from Easter. They are beautiful.

I Found God today in the beauty of flowers and the joy that was spread by sharing them.

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Prayer at Dutch Bros

Posted by eph21920 on March 31, 2016 in Faith, Life, Mercy, Prayer

Today I saw a story about some employees from Dutch Brothers coffee who gave comfort to a grieving woman. When the woman drove up to the drive-thru window, she was in tears. She said that her husband had passed away. The young men at the window immediately took her hand and prayed with her. The person in the car behind took a photo and you can see the guys with their heads bowed. You can also see other employees extending their arms, though they cannot reach the vehicle. It was such a beautiful example of showing mercy as I was just learning about. You can see the full story here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNV0X3n3HE4

I Found God today in a wonderful act of mercy.

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Be Merciful to Others

Posted by eph21920 on March 30, 2016 in Faith, Mercy, Prayer, Relationship

Tonight I met with the group at the church for the final session of the retreat I have been doing. To finish, the speaker talked about making a plan to help live what we learned over the past 10 weeks. One of the biggest points to take away from the retreat was to be merciful to others. I always struggle with large concepts and was happy that this was broken down into something tangible. The author explained that the characteristic that sets people apart from other living creatures is that we have a yearning for God. Each one of us experiences a deep loneliness and long for someone to really know and love us. We keep ourselves very distracted so we don’t have to be alone with ourselves and face this fact. Between cell phones and computers, work and sports, sometimes drugs and alcohol, we do what we can to stay busy or to try to find happiness. But ultimately, we each have a sense of emptiness and loneliness that can only be filled by a relationship with God. So, how do we “be merciful to others”? We can do this by acknowledging the dignity of each person through simple things like allowing someone to go in front of us in a grocery store line, to ask someone how they are doing and then really listen to them, by being joyful and patient and helping others to do the same, by praying for others. And as a bonus, when we act merciful, it makes us more compassionate. I thought these were all great suggestions and things that I can work on. I really enjoyed the retreat and will definitely try to be more merciful to others.

I Found God today in the final retreat session and a commitment to be more merciful.

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