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Gift of Music

Posted by eph21920 on November 27, 2015 in Children, Family, Music

Music has always been a large part of my son’s life. This afternoon, he had gone to lower level of the house and I heard him singing. When he came back up, my mother asked if he would play the piano and I encouraged him to sing along. For the next half an hour he played and sang. He gets better each time I hear him. I thought about when he was at home before going to college. He used to play the piano or the guitar and sing all the time. I have missed hearing that. I could have listened to him all night.

I Found God today in the gift of music coming from my son.

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Celebrating Thanksgiving

Posted by eph21920 on November 26, 2015 in Family, Food, Fun, Grateful, Laughter

It was a frigid, icy, snowy morning. We knew it would be like this, so my sisters and I got up early to check the weather and decide if they wanted to attempt to make the hour and some drive to celebrate Thanksgiving today, or postpone. They decided to go for it. For the past many years, my son and I celebrated Thanksgiving with my other son’s wife’s family. We all had our regular dishes to bring to contribute to the meal. My daughter-in-law’s mother would always make the turkey, so it has been a long time since I have done it. This year I found a recipe that I wanted to try, and everyone was coming here, so I volunteered to make the turkey. My younger sister arrived just in time as I was preparing the turkey to get it into the oven so she gave me a hand. Turns out the recipe was one that she wanted to try, so she had fun shoving the herbed butter under the skin. My other sister and her son arrived safely a little while later. This was one of the first times that my nephew drove on icy conditions and he did a great job. One of my brothers called to video chat just as we were starting to eat. My dad fixed a spot for the tablet so he could see everyone and we talked while we ate. He showed us his old cockatiel who was still chirping away and his huge aquarium with the large fish that he has been nurturing. Then he headed over to a friend’s house to have his own meal. My other brother is out on the road living his dream. He is currently at an RV park in the South. They had a potluck Thanksgiving celebration there, so he made his sauteed green beans and joined the festivity. He sent some pictures and we also were able to video chat a bit until the internet was too sporadic to tolerate. I got pictures of my new granddaughter and thought of everyone there. The day was filled with a lot of laughter, food, and relaxation. I was especially grateful for the well being of my parents, safe travels, seeing my son and his cousin enjoy each other’s company, the perfectly cooked turkey, lots of great food, and the close relationships of my family.

I Found God today in celebrating Thanksgiving with my family in many different ways.

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Long Awaited Reconnection

Posted by eph21920 on November 25, 2015 in Children, Connected, Humor

I didn’t sleep too well last night – had a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. Then I was awakened  at 3:30 by a text and again at 4:30, but that was OK. I had asked my son to keep me posted as he traveled. I was very excited to see him – it has been almost a year. I got up at sunrise and walked off some of my energy. After eating breakfast and getting dinner in the crockpot, I headed to the airport. He told me that his plane had landed just as I was trying to figure out if I should park or not. It was perfect timing. I looped around to come back into the arrival pickup area. My son called and told me where he was, but I drove through without seeing him. I started my loop again and called him back. He again described where he was and the names of the airline signs that he was near. I went through one more time and still did not see him – or the airlines he was referring to. Then it struck me. There are two different places to pick up passengers – I was in the wrong one. I called my son again as I came back around and headed to the other area. This time, what he told me made sense and I found him right where he described. It was typical for him and me. I am usually late or lost, and even when I made it on time I had to drive around for way too long before we connected. It was so great to see him and hug him. As we headed home, we laughed about how some things never change. It is funny how you can go so long without seeing someone you love and when you get together again, it seems like only yesterday. I look forward to spending a few days with him.

I Found God today in the humor and joy of connecting with my son after a long time.

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Everyone Loves Bindi Irwin

Posted by eph21920 on November 24, 2015 in Fun, Humility, Love

So, we watched the season finale of “Dancing With the Stars” tonight. Bindi Irwin took home the mirror ball trophy, which was not surprising in the least. From the beginning it was evident that there really is something special about this girl. And as the weeks went on, we got to see more of who she is. Of course, everyone has a story and hers is wrapped around her father, Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter. She was only 8 years old when he died tragically. There were several emotional tributes to him during the show and I knew if Bindi was about to dance, I had better get out my tissues. But, at only 17 years old, Bindi proved to be much more than a sad teenager. She is the epitome of joyfulness. In short, everyone was drawn to her and loved watching her. Why does everyone love Bindi Irwin? She is sincere, passionate, genuine, grateful, humble, selfless, determined, confident, loving, and inspirational. She is able to take difficult situations and turn them into areas of hope. She is everything good that we want to be a part of – and be ourselves.

I Found God today in a beautiful witness.

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King of the Universe

Posted by eph21920 on November 22, 2015 in Answer, Bible, Faith, Hope, Jesus

Today my mom, dad, and I took a drive to their cabin in the mountains. We were all so happy that everyone felt up for the trip. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful drive. We went to church in the small town near the cabin. Today the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The parish that I worked for until about 1 year ago was named Christ the King, so it has special meaning for me and many friends. I thought about the celebrations we had when I was there and how much I enjoyed them. The priest at the little church was excellent. He spoke with conviction, hope, and love. He talked about how important it is to remember that through all the chaos of this world, that God wins in the end. This was the message from today’s scripture readings. We must try not to panic or despair, but move forward in faith, hope, and love – knowing that in the end, God will win. One other point he made that stood out for me is that God knows our hearts. We may try to put on a show for others, or try to get away with things perhaps when no one is paying attention, but God knows our hearts. It was convicting, but so true. At the end of Mass, we said the prayer to St. Michael the Achangel, one of my favorites. It was a reminder that there IS something that I can – and should – do instead of slipping into worry and despair. It doesn’t get me off the hook of doing what is right for others, but praying with conviction is effective. After all, God is more powerful than anyone or anything. He is the King of our universe.

I Found God today in a beautiful drive and a reminder that Jesus Christ came to help us understand that He – God – is the King of the Universe.

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No More Cancer

Posted by eph21920 on November 21, 2015 in Answer, Faith, Healing, Sick

Today I received a beautiful note. After reading the return address, it took me a while to realize who sent it. The letter was from a friend’s mother. She found out over the summer that she had cancer. She is a fairly young woman about my age and eats a very healthy diet, so the illness was a surprise to her and her family. In the note, she said that she did very well throughout her treatment and found recently that there is no longer any sign of cancer. She did not even need to have surgery. She talked about how important and uplifting it was to receive to many prayers, visits, and cards. She said, “Being reminded on a daily basis of how much people care was very strong motivation for staying positive and inspired an attitude for healing.” How beautiful is that. Her brother sent her Psalm 103 and she shared it in the letter. My favorite line was, “Bless the LORD, my soul;
and do not forget all his gifts, Who pardons all your sins, and heals all your ills, …” I felt a particular connection with those words considering all my family has been through. Even though there has been a ridiculous amount of physical ailments, people are bouncing back time after time. I know God’s hand is leading us through. I feel blessed to be able to pray for people and see what amazing things God can do.

I Found God today in the healing of a friend.

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Off to a New Adventure

Posted by eph21920 on November 20, 2015 in Begin, Family, New, Travel, Weather

It has always been my brother’s dream to tour the United States after he retired. This summer he bought a camping trailer and it was his intention to head South for the winter. I was so happy that he stuck around here for a few months. He stayed with my parents often, which allowed me to be in other places from time to time. He was a huge help. But it did delay his travel plans. He has encountered a few unexpected challenges the past couple weeks as he dealt with snow storms. Today was the day he decided it was time to take the plunge and begin his new adventure. My dad was up early to make sure that he got an early start to avoid any further weather issues. I took some pictures and we all prayed together. I thanked him for being such a blessing and gave him my advice to, “Make good choices!”. My brother finished packing up, hitched up the camper, harnessed his dog in his pick up, and headed South. He called this evening to let us know that he made it to his first destination safe and sound. I pray that he continues to be safe and enjoys the journey ahead of him.

I Found God today in a safe beginning for my brother as he starts a new adventure.

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She Will Walk Again

Posted by eph21920 on November 19, 2015 in Answer, Family, Healing

It has been a long three months for my sister. None of us ever anticipated that she would break her leg, go through surgery, rehab, therapists, walkers, and wheelchairs. She has done a great job of taking care of herself – doing her exercises, trying to stay strong, have a good attitude and stay safe. There have certainly been times when she has been frustrated and tired of hopping around with a therapeutic boot on. Three months of not putting any weight in the leg has been quite an experience. She had an appointment with the orthopedist today who said the magic words – the leg is healed and she can begin to walk again! I am so happy for her.

I Found God today in the healing and progress of my sister.

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Laughing the Night Away

Posted by eph21920 on November 18, 2015 in Friends, Healing, Laughter

Tonight one of my closest friends came over. We had not seen each other for quite some time. We had dinner along with my parents and brother. We caught up on recent events and reminisced on some in the past. I showed off pictures of my kids and their kids. But, as usual, we spent most of the time laughing. We laughed about an iceberg in the parking lot, nibbling pets, and the effects of getting older. She always brings a sense of joyful energy into a place and you never know where the conversation will lead. My dad joined in by telling one of his recent stories. It was truly wonderful to spend the night with everyone laughing and catching up with a good friend. Also today, my dad had his pacemaker checked. It has been 7 weeks since it was implanted. He had a difficult time for the first couple of weeks and couldn’t seem to get sufficient answers to his concerns. The nurse he saw today clearly explained everything and made an adjustment. At the end, she suggested he go dancing. Having this appointment helped my dad to feel pretty good about the whole thing.

I Found God today in laughter, a good friend, and great news for my dad.

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Prepare to be at Peace

Posted by eph21920 on November 17, 2015 in Answer, Faith, Peace, Saint

At one point today I could feel myself losing my inner peace. There is so much turmoil in the world, on the news, on social media, and it is too easy to get sucked up into it. It breeds fear and despair. I feel that there is not much I can do to make a difference in the big problems that we face. Then little things started to bother me – for no reason. Luckily, I realized it was happening and knew I needed to do something about it. I reached for my phone to put on my “Jesus Jams” but came across a quote by St. Frances de Sales that was shared by a friend of mine. It read, “In the morning, prepare your soul to be at peace. Take care throughout the day to remember that resolution and to reaffirm it. Should you become disturbed, do not lose heart and do not be pained by it, but, having recognized the situation, calmly humble yourself before God and attempt to restore your mind to peace. Say to your soul: “Now, friend, we have made a misstep, let us proceed more carefully.”And each time you fall, do the same thing. When you are at peace, make good use of the time, making as many acts of humility as you can, however insignificant they may be. For, as our Lord says, he who is faithful in little things will have great ones entrusted to him (Luke 16:10; Matt. 25:21-23). Above all, do not lose your courage, but be patient, watchful, and ready with a spirit of compassion. God will hold you in his hand, and if he lets you stumble, it will be only so that you realize that you would collapse entirely if he did not hold you, and thus to make you tighten your grip upon his hand.” These words truly spoke to my soul.

I Found God today in beautiful words at the perfect time.

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