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Mountaintop Memorial

Posted by eph21920 on July 13, 2015 in Answer, Death, Friends, Love

A friend of my parents from their mountain cabin neighborhood passed away a few months ago. She suffered many years with Alzheimer’s and the husband did such an amazing job taking care of her. Even when she was unable to communicate, he traveled with her, brought her around for visits and made sure she was always comfortable and had what she needed. Plans were made to have a get together and memorial celebration of her life today. The funeral service had already been held in her home state. Unfortunately, my parents were not feeling well enough to make the trip up to the cabin, so my brother and I went to represent the family. Several friends gathered at the home early in the morning where the husband and son had prepared breakfast. I hadn’t seen the family in years, but they still looked pretty much the same and welcomed me with open arms. I had met some of the other people many years ago and recently spoken to a few on the phone. It was nice to see them in person and have a re-introduction. After breakfast, we headed up one of the mountains. It was a funeral procession of sorts with ATVs and trucks ascending as far to the top as was possible. From there, a few of us finished the climb to the top on foot – first up a steep meadow, then straight up some rocks. At one point, the husband showed us the spot where his wife had climbed to just a few years before. She made her way almost to the top, then stopped. So, they sat there and had a picnic. When I got to the top, I could not believe my eyes. We were on one of the highest points around and could see forever. I spent a few minutes just taking in the scenery all the way around, then brought my attention to the memorial that had been built several years ago. It was a large mound of rocks with a flagpole in the middle. Evidently there was a flag there too at one time. The rocks had names of passed love ones on them, including one other friend. The husband and his son carried up the large rock that they had made just for the occasion. It was a beautiful work of art engraved and painted with the woman’s name and pictures of her favorite flower and bird. As they started to work on placing the stone, we heard a rumble of thunder. There was a storm building just over the next mountain. I said a prayer for safety as the men continued to work, and that was the last thunder that we heard. They rebuilt the memorial a bit and found the spot to put the rock near their friend. Once the stone was placed, each person sprinkled a bit of the ashes and said a few words. Before we made the climb, the husband found one of his wife’s lipstick hidden inside one of the ATV pouches. He brought it up and placed it behind the stone. Those who did not make the trek on foot drove to a place where they could see most of what was happening at the top. Then came time for the descent – almost as tricky as going up. But, we made it all the way down the mountain and to the home well before there was any hint of rain. I thanked God for working that out. Back at the house, there was a feast and remembrances. I enjoyed the conversation and hearing stories of the wonderful woman. I know she will be missed tremendously. I decided it was time to head back to the city and started my good-byes. All the people sent their love to my parents and hope they would be able to make it up soon. I agreed. When I got home, I shared all the pictures with my parents so they could feel a part of the day.

I Found God today in celebrating the beautiful life of a family friend and all that was included in that – loving friends, a mountain climb with amazing scenery, remembrances and answered prayers.

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Taking Action

Posted by eph21920 on July 12, 2015 in Opportunity, Service, Stranger

Recently, when I was out for my morning walk, I noticed that there is a lot of litter on the grass next to the sidewalk – especially along the main road. I thought that it would be a good idea to just grab a bag and go along my route picking up trash. But that is where is stopped – a thought. Yes, I continued to take the route and continued to think about what a good idea it is, but don’t really want to be touching garbage. Besides, the city probably has “people” who will come and clean it up. The other day as I was walking along the main street, I came upon a man walking towards me. He had a bag in one hand, and the other hand had a glove on. I wondered what he was up to. Then I saw him pick up a bottle and put it in his bag. I passed him and said good morning, still wondering what exactly he was doing. Was he picking up stuff to use, or to recycle? Did he have to do community service? I can be so skeptical and judgmental it is awful! Today on my walk, I went a different direction and headed up a long hill. I spotted the man again pretty far ahead of me – bag in one hand and glove on the other. We were walking about the same pace, so I watched him for a while. When he came upon any piece of trash, he would stop and pick it up. This man was doing exactly what I thought I should have done. He took the action that I did not. In the end, I thought of many reasons why I should not and that won out. I was humbled by the man’s actions as he made this little section of the world a little bit nicer. I guess I need to continue working on taking action when I feel God’s promptings.

I Found God today in a man taking action and making a small positive difference in the world.

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A Quick Response

Posted by eph21920 on July 11, 2015 in Answer, Family, Problem

A few months ago, my brother moved to the area with but a few belongings and his dog. He is spending some time at the family “cabin” up in the mountains. When he arrived there a couple weeks ago, he discovered that the water cistern was leaking and that water was running out from the top and down the mountain side. He talked with the water company and got the incoming water turned off. They were waiting for the water level to drop enough to get in the cistern to fix the problem. This morning my brother called to announce that he had run out of water. He called the small water company that is responsible for the area and left a message. It being a Saturday, he figured he might hear back on Monday. So, he started packing things up to head back to our house. My mom and dad were starting to become discouraged when the phone rang about 15 minutes later. It was my brother again. A man who works for the water company, who my dad has known for many years, had just come by the cabin. He got the water running back into the tank and made an appointment to get in there to find the problem. My brother was happy he could stay there and take care of things. My parents were happy especially for the prompt response. I was happy because they were happy.

I Found God today in a quick answer to solve a problem.

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Relationships and Laughter

Posted by eph21920 on July 10, 2015 in Friends, Grateful, Happiness, Jesus, Relationship

Over 20 years ago, I worked with a group of people at a local retailer. Some of us became pretty close and kept in touch – mostly through one particular person. We called one of the guys “Fr. Jim”. I guess we always thought he would make a great priest. He did in fact become a priest, and I think a pretty great one. He lives a couple hours away, but was in town tonight, so we all got together for dinner. We got caught up on what was going on in our lives. Then we all spent the majority of the night laughing. We laughed about old times. We laughed about current times. We laughed about animals. We laughed about politics. I was so grateful to go out, enjoy the time with friends, and laugh.

I Found God today in relationships and laughter.

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A Story of Forgiveness

Posted by eph21920 on July 9, 2015 in Faith, Forgiveness, Healing, Struggles

Today I came across a moving video from a young man who was bullied in high school and able to forgive those who tormented him. He held onto the truth of who he is in God. Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BotF8PjxOIU

I Found God today in the story of a young man able to forgive so he can move forward with his life in a positive direction.

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Psalm 121

Posted by eph21920 on July 8, 2015 in Bible, Faith

A couple weeks ago I came across the TV show “American Ninja Warrior”. I was first taken by the incredible athleticism of those trying to make it through the obstacle course. Then I heard some of the stories of the contestants and got hooked. There are so many stories about the obstacles that the people are enduring themselves. The competition is a way for them to overcome those hurdles and make it through – in their lives and in the event. Tonight one of the favorite women competed. I noticed she had a scripture written on the outside of both of her legs – Psalm 121. I looked it up after the show. It is very fitting and made me chuckle. The woman did not make it all the way through the obstacles, but made it far enough to move forward in the competition. The scripture is about how God watches over our every movement. My favorite line that seemed so applicable is, “He will not allow your foot to slip”. I thought it was very meaningful for her to have found such a perfect scripture and to share it so profoundly.

I Found God today in a very fitting scripture shared in a TV competition.

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Remembering Workcamp

Posted by eph21920 on July 7, 2015 in Faith, Grateful, Happiness, Service

Each year, the church that I used to work for has a group of teens and adults participate in a Group Workcamp. I knew they would be headed out soon and they have been on my mind. Today I saw a couple pictures and posts from 2 of the wonderful ladies that I know who are at the camp right now. This is the first year for one of them going as the parish youth minister, since she took over the job. As I looked at the pictures, I remembered what great experiences I had when I went. Yes, it was very hard work. And most of the time, the residents of the home we fixed up were super appreciative. And I was blessed to help young people – and adults too – grow deeper in faith. I miss being there with then. So I prayed for them and for the whole camp.

I Found God today in thinking about a group of youth and adults who are truly sacrificing so much to benefit others.

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No More Monitor

Posted by eph21920 on July 6, 2015 in Answer, Family, Grateful, Humor, Problem

After my dad passed out a few weeks ago, the doctors never really found a reason for the episode. They wanted to check his heart further, so he has been wearing a heart monitor for a little more than 3 weeks now. It consists of 4 electrodes stuck on his body connected to a monitor. The monitor transmits the information to a cell phone which in turn sends it to the main office several states away. He has to keep the cell phone on his body at all times to keep the connection, otherwise the phone beeps at him. It would also beep at him for other reasons – some having nothing to do with the monitor. The whole system has kept him from getting a good night’s sleep. He also had a bad reaction to the stickers that irritated his skin so that it was difficult to find a new place to put them when they were changed. He was able to get new ones, though, that helped with that problem. Never the less, I heard him up several times last night. Finally, I heard him on the phone at 4:00 am, so I got up to see what the problem was. The cell phone had beeped several times and gave the message that there was no connection to the monitor. My dad was on the phone with the main office of the device to find out what to do. After trying a few things, the woman said there was in fact no longer a connection and that she would send out a new device to be received tomorrow. Now, my dad was to have only 4 more days to wear the monitor and asked the woman about that. She said that it would just need to be extended a couple of days, but suggested calling his doctor to see what he recommended. Since the system was no longer working, my dad happily removed the electrodes and we all went back to bed. Of course, this had woken my mom as well. I woke a couple hours later at my normal time, but decided to go back to sleep. The next thing I knew, I heard a knock on my door. It was my mom wondering if I was OK. I said yes, and asked what time it was. She said it was 9:30. I could not believe I had slept that long. I popped up and went out of my room. I spied the clock that said 7:30. My mom had read the clock wrong. We laughed about it and just started our day. Later, my dad called his heart doctor and explained the situation. The woman he spoke to checked with the doctor and called back to tell my dad that he felt he had enough information and that he did not have to wear the monitor any more. The was great news! I am really hoping that everyone is able to get a good night’s sleep tonight.

I Found God today in the good news that my dad no longer has to wear a device that has been such a hindrance to him.

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Amazing Endurance

Posted by eph21920 on July 5, 2015 in Family, Humility, Music, Teacher

Today my mother and I were talking about her musical background. She is an outstanding musician – especially as a pianist. I asked her if she had taken piano lessons her entire life. She said she started taking lessons when she was 6 years old. She would go to the woman’s home and play. When she would make a mistake, the woman would hit her on the head. This went on for 4 years without my mother ever telling her parents. Listening to the story broke my heart. Then she decided she was not going back any more, but she still did not tell her parents. She continued to practice and left the house at the right time, but did not go to the woman’s house. She kept the dime that she was to pay the woman in a safe place. After a few weeks, the woman contacted her mother and told her that she had not seen the little girl. Her mother confronted her and she told her the story. She also gave her back all the dimes that she had been storing away. Needless to say, she never went back. She got a new teacher that taught her many new things that she was not learning before. In the upper school grades, she had an amazing nun for a teacher that brought her all the way through high school. She also learned to play the organ and to accompany a choir. Once she was married, she traveled a lot through the military lifestyle, and started having children. The weekly lessons stopped, but she continued learning through courses. She also accompanied several choirs and played for churches. Eventually the student became the teacher. She taught preschool music lessons and piano lessons. She showed patience and loving kindness as opposed to what she endured as a child. Even in her later years, she got a teacher that she visited and played for weekly until the elderly teacher passed away. She said she learned something new from each one. I said I thought it was amazing that she had such a horrible experience when she started out, yet kept at it. She said it is just a part of her. She has to play the piano. Later, she played my favorite Clair de lune. It has been a struggle for her as her Parkinson’s and arthritis progress. Last time she played it, she said she didn’t try so hard but just “let go” and her fingers went to the right keys. It was beautiful.

I Found God today in the gift of music that my mother has and the endurance and humility she has shown as it continues to be a part of her life.

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Independence

Posted by eph21920 on July 4, 2015 in Connected, Happiness, Life, Tradition

Happy 4th of July! At the promptings of a very wise priest, I read the Declaration of Independence. I may have read it in full at some point in my life, but I really don’t remember. Of course, those beautiful words are near the beginning, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Then it goes on to describe the oppression that the people were under at that time from the British government. I pondered the word, “independence” for a while. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as, “the freedom to organize your own life, make your own decisions, etc. without needing help from other people” We are born totally dependent upon our parents to take care of us. From there I think we are in a constant battle. We want freedom, and at the same time, we want to be taken care of. The reality is that we are always dependent on others. Even if we become a hermit and live totally off the land, we would still need the companionship of other people. We need the work done by others to get our food and the things we need. We need the love and encouragement of friends especially in difficult time. And yes – we even need those who we disagree with to teach us how to love and respond in a proper way. I know in my own life after a difficult time, I tried for years to shake myself off and move on taking care of things all by myself. I was exhausted mentally, spiritually, and physically. I realized I had to let people in and allow them to help. While I prayed a lot, I also had to let go of trying to control everything around me and allow God’s plan to unfold in my life. I became happier and healthier. Then, I was able to help others physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In the state of our country, I hope that we are all not trying so hard to be “independent” that we forget how connected we really are and how desperately we all need each other.

I Found God today in remembering that we are interconnected and that is is good to be dependent on Him.

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