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A Smokestack

Posted by eph21920 on March 29, 2016 in Answer, Family, Grateful, Happiness

Today my mom had a doctor appointment about 25 minutes away. It seemed like we would never get there. As we headed down our normal route, there was some road construction and the traffic was backed way up. After waiting a while, I made a u-turn and took a different route. That seemed to work out OK. I intended on dropping my mom at the front door so she could go right in. When we arrived at the office – which is right next to the busy hospital – there were 2 small transport buses parked on either side letting people out. We were actually stopped behind another bus waiting for their turn to pull in. There was a little juggling of the vehicles so the bus in front of us could make his way into the entrance, but that was it. The parking lot was jam packed and behind us at this point, so I got as close as I could and my mom got out. I made sure she made it across the street safely to the sidewalk where the door was. Then I headed through the hospital parking which was just as crowded. I went around the block to try it again. I drove through the lot of the doctor’s office and there were still people waiting for someone to leave so they could park somewhere. Then I spotted the parking garage and figured it was probably my best bet. I was happy to see some open spaces – until I saw the “Reserved For . . . ” signs. So I continued up, and up, and up to the roof. By this time, I was elated to find a parking spot up there. As I walked to the elevator, I saw a large smokestack in front of me protruding up from the other side of the parking garage. I looked up and saw that there were 4 crosses painted along the top. My frustrations vanished and I could feel myself smile. To me, it was a little reminder that God is in every situation. Oh, and my mom’s doctor appointment went great.

I Found God today in a reminder that God is in every situation.

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Hearing From a Friend

Posted by eph21920 on March 28, 2016 in Connected, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Happiness, Youth

Today I heard from a friend that I haven’t seen in over a year. I was blessed to have him work in youth ministry with me. He was always one that I looked up to and knew that I could count on. I always admired his quiet, yet strong faith and his desire and ability to share it with the youth. He caught me up to date on things that were going on in his life. Hearing from him really made me happy.

I Found God today touching base with a friend and remembering the impact he had on me and on the youth he worked with.

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Easter Weekend

Posted by eph21920 on March 27, 2016 in Faith, Family, Food, Grateful, Jesus

Happy Easter! Yesterday was Holy Saturday. I read a few things and listened to a few things and watched a few things. All of them spoke of how Holy Saturday on a Christian level is a day of silence. We remember that Jesus is in the tomb between death and Resurrection. I thought of this pretty often during the day and imagined being there, in the dark, in the silence, with Him. It was strangely peaceful. My sister and her son came just in time for dinner. My teenage nephew found the candy making supplies and got creative. He experimented with different objects to see what he could make out of the chocolate melts. He actually made a chocolate cup with a handle that was amazing among many other things. Then we put together a Blueberry French Toast casserole so it would be ready to pop in the oven for Easter breakfast.

This morning I got up and headed to the kitchen to do the rest of the preparation for breakfast and decorate the dining room table with Easter trinkets and candy. The Blueberry French Toast was delicious. It was like eating dessert for breakfast. We headed to church and I was a little surprised that my dad went as he is still re-gaining his strength from his recent hospital episode. The church was packed of course and after standing for quite some time at the beginning, my dad started feeling dizzy. He made it through the Scripture of the apostles going to Jesus’ tomb and finding it empty. Then I brought him home to rest and put my nephew in charge. As I went back to church for my mom and sister, I was thinking how I would have really liked to receive Communion on Easter. When I entered the church, the last few people were getting in the Communion line so I joined them. I was so grateful. When we got back home after church, we raided the candy basket, got dinner started, and had some lunch. By that time my dad was feeling better. We were all very happy about that. We made a leg of lamb for dinner with a recipe I found. It was to be cooked in a hot oven for a bit, then turn the oven down and cook it for a longer time. We could smell it cooking after not too long. It turned out that my sister, who is unfamiliar with the newer oven, thought she turned it down, but had not pushed the correct button. We were afraid it was ruined. However, it turned out beautifully. We were all surprised and thankful. During the day we had fun looking at and sharing pictures and video chatting with family. It was an all around wonderful weekend.

I Found God today in so many ways to be grateful, especially in the Resurrection of Jesus and His hope and promise of eternal life.

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Suffering Stations

Posted by eph21920 on March 25, 2016 in Faith, Jesus, Lent, Prayer, Sacrifice, Struggles

Good Friday. My mom and I went to the church today to pray the Stations of the Cross. At each of the 14 stations, there was a meditation about a particular element of suffering that Jesus Christ endured as he carried his cross to the place of his crucifixion and was ultimately put to death. Each station also included a personal prayer that correlated with the particular element. Even though the church was full of people saying the same prayers, it felt very personal to me. We asked for help to undergo the sufferings that we feel in life – physical ailments, missing loved ones, watching others go through hard times. We prayed for faith and the ability to trust God with all the situations in our lives. We asked for help to love more and be more compassionate. Generic prayers, perhaps, but I felt as if the words were written for me alone. My mother felt the same way. I think that is one of the blessings of being in relationship with God. He is everywhere, available to everyone, all the time. Yet, when I pray, it feels very private – just me and God.

I Found God today in remembering the suffering Jesus Christ endured through His crucifixion, which helped me to trust that my own sufferings are beneficial.

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Look of Love

Posted by eph21920 on March 24, 2016 in Faith, Jesus, Lent, Love

I always look forward to Holy Thursday. Maybe that is strange. But to me the day offers so much symbolism and meaning to contemplate. I went to Mass this evening and the scripture readings included the story of Jesus’ last supper with His apostles. At the meal, Jesus washed the feet of his friends. He served them and we are asked to do the same. At church, the priest reenacted Jesus’ actions by washing the feet of 12 people. He had them lined up at the ends of the pews down a couple of aisles. I was sitting 2 rows back from one of the ladies, so got to see it up close. The priest came to the woman, knelt down, and poured the water over her feet. As he was drying them, he looked at her. But this wasn’t just any look. It was a deep, penetrating look of love. I even felt it. I watched her as her eyes welled up with tears. I looked at the young man who was an altar server standing behind the priest. He was watching the interaction also and getting teary eyed. I wondered if the woman was a particularly close friend of the priest. But as he moved on to the others, he did exactly the same thing and his look of love to each one was as if Jesus Himself was there. It was a beautiful thing to be present for.

I Found God today in a look of love.

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Safe From Snowstorm

Posted by eph21920 on March 23, 2016 in Family, Grateful, Travel, Weather

We had quite the snow storm today. The wind was blowing so hard there were white out conditions. On several occasions, I could not see the houses across the street. I watched as one white car carefully made a turn onto a side street and immediately disappeared. I was particularly worried about my sister. She has a new demanding job and has been sick the past few days. I figured she would try to go in to work. I texted her, but did not hear back. There were no pictures or comments on social media, so I knew she probably made her way in. Finally in the afternoon I heard from her. She did go into work and they shut down early. She said she had to dodge cars that were stuck all over the roads. The road leading up to her house had huge drifts that she was unable to maneuver, so she was in a hotel. She had a headache from concentrating so hard, but was doing ok and grateful that she made it that far. Her husband had also gone to work and met her at the hotel. I was so glad that they were both there warm, safe and sound.

I Found God today in safety for my sister and her husband.

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Reassurance

Posted by eph21920 on March 22, 2016 in Answer, Doctor, Family, Grateful, Healing

My parents and I spent the day at assorted doctor’s appointments today. My dad had a follow up with his primary care doctor after his hospitalization. Then both my mom and dad went to the cardiologist. My mom then went to pacemaker clinic to get her information from the last 3 months downloaded – which still boggles my mind. They both got some questions answered there. On the way home we stopped at the hearing aide office where my dad got his devices cleaned and picked up some supplies. At all of our visits, there was a lot of discussion, a lot of patience, and a lot of good news. It was an exhausting day all around, but well worth the weariness to know that my parents are both doing well at this point in time. We can all rest a little easier and get back to normalcy.

I Found God today in reassurance that my parents are doing well.

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Finally Haircut

Posted by eph21920 on March 21, 2016 in Grateful

I have needed a haircut for a while and have even had a couple of appointments set up. Unfortunately, I had to cancel them due to circumstances beyond my control. It has been quite a hectic week and I was glad to actually be able to go to my appointment today. The best part was the shampoo. It was not just a shampoo – it was a massage and calming treatment. In a matter of minutes I went from somewhat stressed to a puddle. I could have laid in that shampoo bowl all day. It felt great to have a few minutes of pampering.

I Found God today in a wonderful de-stressing massage.

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Palm Sunday

Posted by eph21920 on March 20, 2016 in Bible, Faith, Jesus, Love, Mercy

Palm Sunday. Today my parents and I watched the Mass on TV celebrated with Pope Francis. It was beautiful, of course. My dad commented on all of the crowds who were there in person from all over the world. The faith really does unite people. Regardless of what language you speak, the celebration of the Mass is the same and you know what is going on. One thing that touched me was the Psalms that were interspersed throughout. Although they were written hundreds of years before Jesus Christ was born, they described His suffering and death. When Jesus was alive, He said that He came to fulfill the prophecies. These are just some examples. Another thing that struck me was during Pope Francis’ homily. He was talking about how Jesus was passed back and forth to assorted people before he was sentenced to death. No one wanted to take responsibility for Him. The Pope said that he thought about all the marginalized and the poor and how no one wants to take responsibility for them. Jesus was there too – He understands and will be their companion if they allow Him to be. Another remark that moved me was, “Even at the height of His annihilation, Jesus reveals the true face of God, which is mercy.” Certainly God could have stepped in and wiped out everyone who had any part of killing His Son. But He did not. Instead Jesus showed forgiveness and love. This goes right along with the reading that my mom and I have been discussing. Funny.

I Found God today as I listened to His messages during the celebration of Mass.

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Merciful Love

Posted by eph21920 on March 19, 2016 in Faith, Family, Love, Mercy

My mom and I have been reading a book based on the writings of St. Therese of Lisieux. Today my mom read a particular paragraph to my dad and me. It talked about how in Therese’s childhood, she was very emotional and anxious. Her faith was based on God’s Justice. She worked hard to build up her merits, sufferings, and sacrifices – even before her first Communion as a child. As she grew older and closer to Christ, she came to realize that there is another side to God – His Merciful Love. We talked about how my parents grew up with the stereotypical nuns for teachers. My mom and dad also learned about God’s Justice and how a person must behave to be in His good graces. Unfortunately, they did not hear much about God’s Merciful Love. I reflected on this and thought how difficult it is to remain faithful with that kind of understanding. I do think that many people feel that God rejects them, is angry with them, or even hates them based upon their behavior. They fear God’s Justice. But the reality is that God also offers each one of us His Merciful Love. He is not waiting or expecting us to be perfect. None of us would ever have a relationship with Him if that were the case. But God wants us to go to Him, to be with Him, talk with Him, and yes – listen to Him as well. He has so much love to give us if we will accept Him. And the beauty of it is – we can do that right now.

I Found God today in the realization of His Merciful Love.

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