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To Be 110

Posted by eph21920 on May 23, 2016 in Answer, Doctor, Grateful, Joy, Life

In preparation for my dad’s appointment with the cardiologist today, he put together his chart of blood pressure readings that he takes on a regular basis. It does seem to fluctuate and has for quite some time. He also has been recording his pulse and feeling it on his wrist with his finger. To him, it feels like it skips a beat or has a double beat. This has also happened for quite some time. He has been feeling anxious about that and other things recently. He sent in his pacemaker information a couple of days ago. It still amazes me that it can capture so much data and be sent to the clinic through an electronic connection. Those receiving the information called back to let him know that the device is running properly and there has been no evidence of any abnormalities. My dad made some notes about these things and others that he wanted to discuss. His appointment was with the NP he saw last month following his bout of vertigo. She went over his concerns and his records. She assured my dad that everything is working well and that he is in very good health. He asked about his dizzy spells, which many times are attributed to anxiety. She recommended exercise and meditation. Another doctor told my dad that he could in fact live to 100 year old. He asked the NP what she thought of that. She said that she wouldn’t be surprised if he lived to be 110. She told my dad not to worry so much and to enjoy life. My dad was very happy to hear what she had to say and was just elated the rest of the evening. It was great to hear the words from the NP and to see the difference it made in my dad.

I Found God today in uplifting words that helped my dad to have a more positive outlook.

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Giving Youth a Chance

Posted by eph21920 on May 22, 2016 in Answer, Homeless, Hope, Opportunity, Youth

Today I helped with a spaghetti supper to help support foster families. This particular activity focuses on the teenagers. I learned more about one particular woman who is a foster parent. In the past, she ran a homeless shelter in the city. She encountered several teenage boys looking for a place to stay. She wanted to find out why this was happening, so she did her research. She found that many of the young men came from foster homes. Once they “aged out” of foster care and left the homes, they had a hard time making it on their own. The concerned woman decided to do something about the problem and started fostering teenage boys. She has 4 boys in her home all the time. She is strict, but loving, and does the best she can for the young men. Now in her later years of life, she has had over 150 youth go through her home. She spends her life completely for the betterment of teenage boys who have had a very difficult childhood and whose future can be bleak.

I Found God today in a completely selfless woman who is giving youth a chance at a better life.

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Royal Gorge

Posted by eph21920 on May 21, 2016 in Creation, Family, Fun, Grateful, Happiness, Life

When my son and I made arrangements for him to visit for a few days, I wanted to do something fun that my parents would also enjoy. They hesitate going out on new adventures and it causes some anxiety. I had always wanted to take the train ride through the Royal Gorge. I thought this would be an activity that everyone could do – the drive wasn’t too long, the train ride itself was pretty short, there wouldn’t be a lot of walking, it was at a good time so we wouldn’t have to leave too early or get home too late. When my sister and nephew were over for a visit, they said they would like to go and we talked my parents into it as well. The next day I spent quite a lot of time on the phone with the woman to make reservations. I wanted to make sure I understood the seating options and what accommodations could be made for my mom who has a hard time getting around. I thought we had it all worked out sufficiently and assured my parents that it was all going to work out fine. Then I started praying for good weather. Today was the day. It was a very nice drive to the area and the weather was perfect. When we arrived, we picked up the tickets and a wheelchair for my mom. My big strong son wheeled her over the railroad tracks and dirt to the lift that they had waiting for her. It was like a little open air elevator that went right up to the train door so that my mom would not have to try to navigate the steep stairs. It was a hand crank and I was impressed with the girl who turned it. I was happy that we got seats with a view of the river that ran the distance of the gorge and the train ride. The scenery was beautiful and we saw several rafts riding the rapids. At one point we could see the infamous Royal Gorge Bridge up above. Everyone had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the day. I was so glad that my parents were able to make the trip as well.

I Found God today in a beautiful and fun adventure and grateful that my parents were able to participate.

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Fun With Chickens

Posted by eph21920 on May 20, 2016 in Creation, Family, Fun

My sister got some baby chicks 6 weeks ago and my mom and dad and I were able to see them the day after they arrived. They were so tiny, fragile, cute, and fuzzy. This is my sister’s first venture with chickens, so it is a whole new experience. She and her husband got the coop prepared and moved the chickens in last week. My son and I were able to visit this evening. We have been having a rather cold streak here, but today was warm and breezy. My sister decided it was time to open the door to the coop and let the chickens outside for the first time. We positioned ourselves in the run so we could see what would transpire. Once the door was open, there was a lot of curiosity. The chickens came just to the edge of the ramp that led to the great outdoors. You could see lots of little heads looking out and peeking around the corner. They all wanted to see what was going on, but no one wanted to be the first one out. Finally one bird put her foot on the ramp, possibly by mistake. I am pretty sure the chickens were pushing one another. Once both feet were on the ramp, the chicken found a plant growing right next to it, so she tried it. It must have tasted pretty good, as she went back for more. Another bird saw what was happening and thought she should try it too. In all, about 6 of the 34 chickens actually made it outside the coop. Then I went in to see them up close. Some of them came right up and wanted to see what I was. I could even pet some of them, but they did not want to be picked up. They grew so much in 6 weeks and had a good layer of feathers on them. They were so curious and fun to watch and interact with. Who knew?

I Found God today having fun with chickens and appreciating their personalities and antics.

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Authoritative Dad

Posted by eph21920 on May 19, 2016 in Answer, Family, Life, Shopping

I was out running errands today and stopped by Target. There were those huge red round cement balls in front of the store. As I was driving in, a mom and her kids were walking out. The older girl jumped up on it like leap frog. I have always wondered if they actually have a purpose, or if they are just there for people to play on. I parked the car and as I was walking to the entrance, a man and little girl came out. The little girl headed straight for the large red balls, but dad had a tight hold on her hand. She got closer and stretched and reached as much as she could, but dad was doing his best to keep her away. Then she started whining and digging her heals in. Her dad was insistent that she was not going to climb on them. Her retaliation got a little louder and to me it looked like it could turn into a full blown tantrum. When the father realized that his coaxing was not effective, he turned around and picked her up. He calmly told her that he said she was not going to play on the big ball, and to tell it goodbye. Instead of the screams that I was sure would follow, she said goodbye to the ball and they were on their way. I was so impressed with the stable, calm, persistent nature of this dad. Even though it was a small thing, he set the boundary and stuck to it. The little girl obviously respected her dad.

I Found God today in the persistence and calm authority of a dad that was met with a respectful daughter.

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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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