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Shroud of Turin

Posted by eph21920 on April 13, 2016 in Faith, Family, Jesus

Tonight my mom and I went to the church for a presentation on the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud is a 14 ft piece of cloth that bears an image of a man. The man has the same wounds that Jesus Christ suffered as described in the Bible. The Shroud is thought to be the burial cloth of Jesus. The gentleman who gave the presentation was part of the team of scientists who were allowed to study the Shroud in 1978. He also went back to Turin this past summer and was able to get more information. His talk was full of science and went over my head at times, but I followed pretty well. The team did extensive testing on the Shroud and continue to do so. There was so much information that complicates the question of where exactly did the image come from. What I found most fascinating was that there is no explanation for the origin of the image. It is not paint or anything added to the fabric. The markings are actually part of the fibers. The only explanation the scientists have at this point is that the image is burned on to the cloth through something similar to radiation. As I listened, I thought about Jesus actually being wrapped in that cloth (we saw pictures and a copy, not the real thing). And I thought about all the signs and wonders that God gives us to help us believe in Him. Of course there are those who will refuse to believe, but as a friend of mine always said, “What more is God to do?”

I Found God today in a presentation on what could be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ.

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Loving Words

Posted by eph21920 on April 12, 2016 in Faith, Friends, Love

The other day a friend who lives far away gave me a call. I was unable to talk at the time, so I told her I would call her back. But when I tried, her phone was busy. She called again another day and I missed the call. Today as I was getting ready to make dinner, I thought of her and planned on calling her after we ate. About a minute later, she called. It was great to catch up and hear her voice. The best thing was to hear the words, ” I miss you, I love you, and I am praying for you. ” That meant the world to me.

I Found God today in loving words from a far away friend.

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Blessing Through Suffering

Posted by eph21920 on April 11, 2016 in Children, Connected, Faith, Sick

Today out of the blue I received an email that a “Care Page” that I subscribed to had been updated. I recognized the name as that of a family from the church I used to work for. The family had a little girl who was born with a heart defect. She went through multiple open heart surgeries as well as other procedures. The Care Page was a way to let people know how she was doing – especially during operations. The family has other children as well and I was always amazed at how they were able to juggle everything while spending so much time in the hospital. I was also in awe of their faith. The mom even volunteered for events and such as she could. She shared her faith, strength, and loving heart with so many and I am sure she continues to do so. The kids were very sweet, respectful, and joyful. The Care Page was updated as the little girl – much bigger now – was undergoing yet another surgery. I prayed for her and her family and thanked God for the blessing they are.

I Found God today in an unexpected notice that helped me to remember how people can be a blessing to others even though they are going through a rough time of it.

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Recovering Chick

Posted by eph21920 on April 10, 2016 in Faith, Family, Healing, Prayer

My sister and her husband have been spending extra time caring for one of their new chicks. When she arrived and was in the brooder with the rest, she was not eating or drinking and would cry and peep loudly when another chick would bump into her. So they put her in her own box to see if they could help her improve. They nicknamed her “Little Ms. Peeps.” When we saw her yesterday, she would mostly lie in a heap in the box and it was hard to tell if she was even breathing or not. My sister would pick her up now and again and put her beak in the water to make sure she was getting in some liquid. We didn’t think she would make it through the night. I didn’t hear any news about her this morning, so I called my sister this afternoon. To my surprise, my sister said that the little chick was doing much better. She started eating on her own and was even preening herself. After spending 3 full days with the chicks, my sister and her husband will be going back to work tomorrow, so they will have to put Little Ms. Peeps back into the brooder with the rest of flock. My sister was still so worried as the chick was still not drinking on her own, so she started praying that this would happen. Within the hour, Little Ms. Peeps started drinking by herself. My sister and her husband now feel better about leaving the chick with the others and are hopeful that she will make it through.

I Found God today in a quickly answered prayer and renewed hope for a little chick.

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The Chicks Arrived

Posted by eph21920 on April 9, 2016 in Creation, Family, Joy, Life

My sister who lives on a “mini-ranch” got a chicken coop a few weeks ago and has been working on getting it ready. She ordered some baby chicks to be delivered and waited in anticipation. I had no idea that you could mail order chicks, but that is how it worked. The chicks arrived yesterday morning. My sister and her husband picked up the box of 30 newly hatched chicks, brought them home, and placed them in their special “brooder” box with plenty of food and water. We got a few pictures and updates during the day. I really wanted to see them in person and teased my mom and dad that we needed to go visit their new “grand-chicks”. So we headed out to their house today. When we arrived, I commented that my sister and her husband had that new parent look about them. My sister said that they spent the morning taking care of some issues with the little ones. They are keeping the brooder in their basement and I could hear lots of little cheeping before we went down the stairs. My sister got several different kinds of chicks, so they were different colors. She figured some were a day older than others and you could see they were a little bit bigger and more lively. They were so cute. My sister picked one up so my parents could see it up close and pet it’s little head. I picked one up too and held it, but not for long as they are so delicate right now and I didn’t want to hurt it. They grow very fast at this stage and my mom noticed that even in the time we visited it seemed that their wing feathers were growing in right before our eyes. It was fun to meet the new little creatures that are going to bring so much joy into my sister’s life.

I Found God today in cute, fuzzy, entertaining little chicks.

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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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