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A Balanced Day

Posted by eph21920 on December 12, 2015 in Family, Happiness, Life

I was busy all week running here and there getting things accomplished and taking advantage of a lull in chaotic activity in the household. I learned a long time ago that I need to be productive when the opportunity arises. Today the plan was to stay in. I got up earlier than usual and spent good quality time in prayer. As soon as it was light enough, I went for a walk. I enjoyed the Christmas lights that were still on and witnessed the bright pink sunrise. It was a beautiful way to start the day. After breakfast I lit a sweet smelling candle, put on some Christmas music, and got to work. I was able to touch base with some people and got caught up on some things I have been trying to do for quite a while. I even wrapped a few presents. I ended the day watching Mary Poppins with my mom and dad instead of working to the end. I also learned a long time ago that regardless of how busy I think I am, it is necessary to stop, sit, and appreciate the people in my life. I didn’t feel rushed, stressed, or put upon all day. It felt good to have a balance of prayer, exercise, work, and enjoying the people I live with all in one day.

I Found God today in a balance of work and enjoyment.

 

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Relationships vs Tasks

Posted by eph21920 on December 11, 2015 in Love, Patience, Relationship

Today at the grocery store, I came upon an elderly woman who was wearing large dark glasses and using a cane. She was accompanied by a young man probably in his early 20’s with longish hair wearing a camouflage shirt. They were perusing the meat. At first I thought she may be blind, but she could see at least a bit. She was picking up packages and trying to figure out what they were. He was explaining everything in detail. After she made her selection there, she said she needed some bread. The young man told her where it was and walked with her to the bakery. The same thing happened again – she picked up different bags and he explained exactly what it was. I was so impressed with the gentleness and patience of this young man. I was in my usual rush going from one thing to the next to the next – as were most other people there. I thought about how the scene was a beautiful example of how relationships are more important than tasks.

I Found God today in the patience and love shown by a young man to an elderly woman.

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Dance Music

Posted by eph21920 on December 10, 2015 in Faith, Friends, Grateful, Music, Youth

When I am driving in the car, I usually have on a sirius radio station that plays Christian music. Today while I was out and about, they played a song that brought back some wonderful memories. When I worked as a youth minister in a church, I would organize a trip to Workcamp every summer. Our church packed up a group of about 40 kids and 6-10 adults along with tools and necessary personal items for a week’s experience in a new city. We would connect with an organization who worked with people in need and go out into the community to work. Typically we worked doing home repairs. When we returned to the school where we made our camp for the week, we participated in programs filled with faith stories and uplifting music. There was one particular song that was like a theme song. It was played every year and had a specific dance. I remembered dancing along with the big group and how much fun we had. I thought about all the adults who attended Workcamps – some of them for several years. I thought about the strong faith they had and what an impact they made on the kids. They each had their own life struggles and changed my life by helping me to see things in a different way. Their faith boosted my faith. I am so grateful for them all and as I thought about them, I said some prayers for them and their families.

I Found God today in remembering wonderful, faithful people who have made a huge impact in my life.

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Needy and Safety

Posted by eph21920 on December 9, 2015 in Faith, Homeless, Life, Stranger, Trust

This evening I drove my dad to a meeting that was held in the downtown area of the city. Since the meeting was about 2 hours long, I decided to stick around and do a little shopping. I hadn’t really explored downtown in many years. I drove slowly down one of the main streets and looked from side to side to see what kind of interesting shops there were. What I saw was restaurant after restaurant. I took another street and found banks and businesses. There actually was a store or two intermingled. There were also several places where groups of people were just hanging out. I decided to head to another vicinity to see if I could find what I was looking for. At dinner, my mom and dad told me about the problem the downtown area is having with homeless people. We talked about how people are homeless for different reasons – addiction, mental illness, by choice, by chance, etc. And we talked about the difficulty of trying to give assistance to so many for so long. I thought about all the times I was approached by people looking for help while I was working for a church. I found myself alone quite a bit on the weekends and evenings – setting up for events, cleaning up after events and such. For some reason, this is when people would come around. I encountered people who were young, old, of different nationalities, men, women, singles and families. I learned many things through these chance meetings. I learned not to pass judgment on people. I expanded my understanding of the human condition. I realized that everyone has a history that I don’t know about and some of that is reflected in the few minutes they are in front of me. I found that while many people may just be looking for a handout or trying to take advantage, many others truly need help. I learned to be cautious and aware of my surroundings, but to not live in fear. There were many occasions where there was a potential for bad things to happen, but they did not. Ultimately, I learned that I can do the best I can to help others and be safe, but to trust that God has the situation and my well being in His control.

I Found God today by appreciating what I have learned about people in need and being grateful for the safety He provides.

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Open the Doors

Posted by eph21920 on December 8, 2015 in Faith, Forgiveness, Grace, Mercy, Pope

Today I learned about how Pope Francis opened the holy doors at St. Peter’s Basilica signifying the beginning of an Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy. The purpose is to encourage the church to focus on mercy – to offer forgiveness and welcome all to encounter the incredible love God has for them. But then, it goes further. Pope Francis also urges the faithful to go out to the world and show mercy to one another. It seems that once again, the pope is right on track. The timing for this much needed reminder of God’s grace and our responsibility to share it is impeccable. Just reading the words of the pope is energizing. Here are some of my favorite quotes by him for the day.

“To enter through the Holy Door means to rediscover the deepness of the mercy of the Father who welcomes all and goes out to meet everyone personally.”

“We have to put mercy before judgment, and in every case God’s judgment will always be in the light of his mercy.”

“Let us abandon all fear and dread, for these do not befit men and women who are loved. Instead, let us live the joy of encounter with the grace that transforms all.”

I Found God today in encouraging actions and words by Pope Francis.

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A Child’s Faith

Posted by eph21920 on December 7, 2015 in Children, Death, Faith

A friend reached out for prayers for her daughter, son-in-law, and their 2 little girls as they were traveling to visit family. On their way, they were told that a very close uncle had passed away. Evidently he was a very faithful man and shared his love of God with those around him. He had also made a very close connection with the 3 year old little girl. Of course, the mom and dad were very sad to hear the news and were crying. The little girl did not understand why mommy and daddy were crying, so they explained that her beloved uncle went to heaven. The child was so happy for him because her uncle loves Jesus and now he can be with him. Out of the mouths of babes for sure.

I Found God today in the beautiful, innocent, trusting faith that was passed along.

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A Sacrifice

Posted by eph21920 on December 6, 2015 in Faith, Family, Sacrifice

Today at Mass, there were two little girls making their first Holy Communion. Typically, children learn about the Sacrament during the school year then receive their first Communion in the Spring, so this was an unusual time. The priest introduced the girls who were twin sisters. He explained that their father is to be deployed and leaving this week. The mother will be moving to another state with the children so she can be near her family while her husband is away. She will also be giving birth to another child during that time. I thought about two things. The first is how important faith was to this family that they made it a point to celebrate the children receiving Holy Communion in their family faith community while their father was with them. The second is what a sacrifice this family is making. Of course there are thousands of other families who are also making such sacrifices. While the general public debate issues and do their best to go about their lives without fear, this family – and so many others – must live not knowing when they will see their loved one again. And they do this not for themselves, but for the safety and good of others – for us. I realize it happens all around me, but it became a little more evident today.

I Found God today in a reminder of the sacrifice that military families volunteer to make for the good and safety of others.

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Posted by eph21920 on December 5, 2015 in Angel, Connected, Family, Friends, Grateful, Relationship

My sister makes an amazing coffee toffee. She came over for the weekend so together we could make large quantities of the candy for friends and family. I had never done it before, so she gave me jobs and taught me along the way. Of course, she has it all down to a science and I was in awe watching her as she got everything prepared and put together. At one point we took a little break and went to a craft fair where a friend of mine had a booth. I was so glad that my mom felt good enough to come along. We saw lots of crafty things and found my friend who made the most beautiful angel ornaments. The fair was actually at the high school that I attended. It was strange to walk around in there. Some things I remembered, some I did not. It did seem like a much bigger place when I went there. Later in the evening while we continued our candy making mission, the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” came on so we put it on the TV in the kitchen. Believe it or not, this was the first time I have ever seen it. It really was as good as everyone told me over and over again. Even though it was filmed before I was born, it was still very relevant. It is strange how things can change so much, yet the core of our human condition remains the same. I thought about the message of the movie and what a difference people make in the world without even realizing it. My sister and I have been best friends forever. My friend at the craft fair has been a huge part of my life for about 30 years. The relationship I have had with these two people alone has had such an impact on my life. They have helped to make me who I am. And so it is for the other friendships that I have and countless others who I may have only minimal contact with. I am grateful for them all. We cannot underestimate the influence we have on the people around us.

I Found God today in the impact of relationships in my life.

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What Good is Prayer

Posted by eph21920 on December 4, 2015 in Faith, Prayer, Tragedy

Like most people, I have been listening to the news about the shooting in California and taking in all the personal comments that have followed. One particular magazine cover I saw read, “God Isn’t Fixing This”. The article itself was berating particular presidential candidates for sending prayers to the victims and families but not taking any action towards stopping the violence. In this case it was promoting gun control. Of course, there were many arguments that followed by both the pro and con group. I thought a lot about the statement. What about me? I like to think of myself as a prayerful person. But is there something more I can and/or should be doing? I am just an ordinary person trying to get through my own set of events each day. I was happy that today I was able to attend Mass. The priest helped to put things in prospective for me. He said that we can all complain about a certain group of people or attack another’s ideology, but the problems run much deeper than these. And as a society, we seem to be doing our best to keep God out of it. So we are ending up in the classic battle of good vs. evil. What good do our prayers do? They don’t change God – he is unchanging. We can’t talk Him into doing what we want. But if we will cooperate, they can change who we are. We can allow God to give us the courage, wisdom, and faith to overcome our fears and the obstacles we face. This looks different for each individual and can change over time. But each one of us can always do more. For me, for now, that means being more committed to prayer, to speaking to God and listening to Him, and to try to be a positive, loving influence on those around me. At this point in my life I may not be able to change laws or rally for a specific cause, but prayer is the thing I can do. And I have faith that it does make a difference. I also have faith that God and good will reign in the end.

I Found God today in prayer.

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Embrace the Day

Posted by eph21920 on December 3, 2015 in Children, Connected, Family, Life, Present

Today I talked to my daughter-in-law and got caught up on the family happenings. I called back a little later and my grandson answered as his mom was driving. He filled me in on his upcoming birthday plans which of course he is very excited for. He told me about Thanksgiving and how different it was since there were fewer people in attendance than usual. We talked about how things change over the years, but there are still fun celebrations. When my other son and I were there, we had a tradition of playing Monopoly. The players included some of the adults, my older grandson, and the younger kids “helping” one of the adults. Evidently this year, the kids all played and my younger grandson won the game. It was then his turn to talk on the phone and he told me all about it. He was so excited about it that he took a picture of his winnings. He sent me the picture so I could also revel in his glory. I thought about how different Thanksgiving was for me too and how much I enjoyed getting together with my son’s in-laws. I thought about my own words to my grandson – things do change as the years go on, but that doesn’t make them less meaningful. A quote came to mind, “Grow where you are planted.” I don’t even know where I heard it, but it came during a time when I was struggling trying to figure out what my life had in store for me. I took it to heart and tried to stop worrying about the future and live each day to the fullest.

I Found God today in connecting with family and a reminder to embrace each day.

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