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Remembering My Leap of Faith

Posted by eph21920 on October 30, 2015 in Begin, Connected, Faith, Family, Grateful

It was one year ago today that I left my home at the time, said goodbye to all I had known for the past 18 years, and started on a new direction in my life. A few of my belongings, a friend of mine and my dog all packed up in the rental car headed to the state where my parents live. Since I was young I told my parents that I would care for them when they got older and I was on my to fulfill that promise. As I remember the day I left, it is with mixed emotions. Of course it was very difficult to leave my friends, family, church, and job that had become an integral part of my life. I had sold my house as well as most of my possessions, or given them away. Even my car was given to my son in college. I was wading out on the water, taking a leap of faith, knowing in my heart that this was the path that God had for me at this point in my life. In some ways it seems so long ago and so much has happened. In other ways, it seems like just the other day. While I have faced many challenges, I have also had many blessings. My parents have struggled with their health, but I am grateful to be here for them and help them get through. I miss my friends and family far away tremendously, but I do my best to stay in touch with them. I also have a new found relationship with my siblings and nephew who are now much closer, every day I learn more about my parents as we continue to grow in our relationship, I have reconnected with many old friends, and have others to reach out to. I own almost nothing, yet all my needs are taken care of. And yes – I am still sure that this is the path God has for me at this point in my life.

I Found God today in reflecting on the leap of faith I took and how He continues to care for me and my family.

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Amazingly Answered Prayers

Posted by eph21920 on October 29, 2015 in Answer, Faith, Family, Prayer, Saint

As I said, yesterday was the feast day for St. Jude – the patron saint of difficult situations. Yesterday right after I went to Mass, I got into the car and got a message from my son that he was told he had one week to find a new job. I couldn’t believe it. Here I was feeling pretty good about praying the novena with my family and being able to attend Mass. When I talked to my son, he explained that his group received a new manager who basically disbanded them. I told him about it being the feast of St. Jude and to start praying right away. He said he would and already had a plan of action. He assured me that he always lands on his feet – which is pretty true. When I spoke to him later in the day, he already had a couple of interviews set up. I said several prayers throughout the day and tried not to worry – even though he just bought a new house for he and his family, including his newborn daughter. I prayed that God lead him to the job that will give them stability. I spoke to him this afternoon and he had just completed an interview that he felt pretty good about. He said it may be difficult for him to try to decide which job to take if he received multiple offers. I was thinking that perhaps God would make it very clear, so that it would not be a difficult decision. The thought was just about to come out of my mouth, when my son said he had another call coming in, so we hung up. We talked after the call. My son works for a very large company and knew a manager in another area. When the manager found out what happened, he spoke to those in authority and made the arrangements for my son to work with him if he wanted to. So – he is able to work for the same company, continue the same benefits, and actually move to a branch closer to his home. I would say that our prayers were answered speedily and in an almost unbelievable way.

I Found God today in amazingly answered prayers.

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Part of the Structure

Posted by eph21920 on October 28, 2015 in Faith, Hope, Life, Plan, Saint

My family and I have been saying a novena – 9 days of prayers – to St. Jude. He was one of Jesus’ apostles – but not to be confused with Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus. St. Jude is traditionally known as the patron saint of impossible causes. We all have asked St. Jude to intercede for us – to pray with us – to bring our petitions to God. Today is the feast day of St. Jude and I was happy to be able to go to Mass bright and early. One of the scripture readings was Ephesians 2:19-22. It talks about how we are part of the household of God with the apostles and prophets as the foundation and Jesus as the capstone that holds the whole structure together. The deacon spoke about this and explained that at the time the scripture was written, arches were commonly used in building and that the capstone is at the top. Without the capstone, or keystone, the structure would crumble. Then he told a story of a perfectly round, smooth rock in among a variety of jagged, misshapen rocks. The perfect rock felt it was better than the others and would certainly be chosen to have an important place in a structure. A builder came and chose the rock, but then he started chiseling it. This pained the rock and it was no longer perfect. When the builder had it to the shape he desired, he added it to the structure and placed one of the other rocks on it. The other rock that was jagged now fit perfectly into the jagged space created by the builder. The point was, even when I think I am perfect, God is still working on me, chiseling away, helping me  – and others – to fit perfectly into His plan and structure. Each of us needs to give another a boost. We need to hold each other up. And when I feel like I am too jagged and crooked to do any good at all, this scripture reminds me that our foundation has been set and I belong in God’s household just as much as the apostles and prophets. Now that is good news.

I Found God today in a reminder of how each of us has a part and purpose in God’s plan.

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Positive Despite Loss

Posted by eph21920 on October 27, 2015 in Death, Service

Today I took my mom to a dentist appointment and got comfortable for the long wait. After a while, an older man came in. I didn’t want to listen to their conversation on purpose, but it was a very small space and it was a beautiful conversation. The receptionist said she was sorry to hear of the passing of his wife. Evidently she had died 6 months ago. She asked how he was doing. He got teary eyed but said he was doing ok. He showed her his wedding ring and said that his wife had put that on his finger 43 years ago and he was not going to take it off. He talked about a conversation he had with his young grandson about his wife’s death and that it was difficult to explain to child. He said his son came for a few days and wanted him to make other living arrangements as he did not like him living alone. So, he is in the process of cleaning out the house. Laughing, he said until then, he would get a cell phone and a fitbit or something so he can show that his heart is still beating. When he was finished with his appointment, he came back to check out. The ladies who worked in the office told him to have a good time where he volunteers. He said he had to tell them about volunteers – they are paid nothing, not because they are worth nothing, but because they are priceless. I admired his great attitude and desire to keep moving forward.

I Found God today in a man who was caring, positive, and persevering, despite a great loss he recently experienced.

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Blessed Day With Friends

Posted by eph21920 on October 26, 2015 in Creation, Family, Food, Friends, Grateful, Happiness, Relationship

I was blessed to spend another day with my good friends. I met them at their bed and breakfast to start our day. Just before I got to the entrance, I spotted a buck grazing right along the road. I took a couple pictures and thought it was a wonderful way to begin. My friends had learned a lot about different sites while talking with the other guests over breakfast, so they had a pretty good plan put together. Off we went. We started by driving up a canyon until we reached the bottom of the fall that fed the stream. We found the parking area mostly empty and got out and hiked a beautiful trail up to the top, taking in the scenery along the way. As we made our way down, there were several people making their way up. We were happy that we had a relatively quiet time of it. Back in the car, we went on a dirt road that followed a ridge along the upper part of the canyon leading through a couple of tunnels. On the way, we saw a red-tailed hawk in a tree overlooking his territory. We stopped to take some pictures and saw his – or her – partner soaring high above, then swooping down. After a few minutes, the hawk in the tree joined the flight. We descended back to the city and stopped for lunch. As we ate, clouds covered the area and it rained the whole time. We talked about what our options were for the rest of the afternoon and perhaps an indoor activity, but when we went out to the car we could see the sun trying to peek through. We decided to try to stick with the plan and headed over to the next hiking destination. There were several cars leaving the place when we arrived. It was still raining a bit, but we were hopeful. We waited a few minutes and it seemed to clear, so we packed up our things and headed out. After walking a little,  clouds rolled back in and it was evident that we would be getting wet. It did start raining on us, but only sprinkled and only for a few minutes. Then the sun came out and it was gorgeous for the rest of the hike. At one point, we saw a rainbow. At the end of the afternoon, we headed back to my parents and witnessed first a breath taking sunset, then an amazing full moon. My brother had cooked a delicious dinner that really hit the spot after a busy day. I said a sad good-bye to my friends as they left. They will fly out early in the morning. I was so grateful that they took the time to come visit, that the weather cooperated, that we saw such beautiful sights, and that it worked out at home for me to be able to spend such a wonderful couple of days with good friends.

I Found God today in the close relationship with friends, the beauty of nature, seemingly perfect timing, and everything working out at home.

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Day With Far Away Friends

Posted by eph21920 on October 25, 2015 in Creation, Friends

Today some very good friends who live far away arrived for a visit. We met when I was working in the church and I haven’t seen them for a year. I was so excited to see them and was teary eyed as we hugged hello. They came early in the morning, so we had breakfast and were able to go to Mass together with my parents. I thought about what a wonderful support they have been for so many years and the different Masses we have attended together. They brought some items that were blessed by Pope Francis during his recent visit that a mutual friend had obtained from his trip to the World Meeting of Families. We tried to get caught up on all the happenings with the kids and friends. It has been a long time, so there was a lot to talk about and we may have just brushed the surface. It was a beautiful day, so we went for a hike in the afternoon. I took them to one of my favorite spots and we went all around, taking in the gorgeous scenery. We talked about how just about everyone enjoys the beauty of nature and how God’s creation touches us all. As it was getting late, we decided to take a different trail back to the car to see some new sites. The sun started to set and the moon started to rise. That made for an amazing backdrop to the already striking scenery. I was really glad we had decided to take the different trail. We found the bed and breakfast they were staying in for the night. It was a lovely old mansion of a house with large bedrooms. There was only 1 other couple staying there, so they almost had the place to themselves. We went out for a delicious dinner and I am very ready to turn in for the night. But, I am excited to get up tomorrow morning and start it over again.

I Found God today having a wonderful day with great friends.

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Long Distance Celebration

Posted by eph21920 on October 24, 2015 in Birthday, Children, Family

Today is my younger son’s birthday. My sister and I called him and left him a voicemail singing “Happy Birthday”. Then I sent him a message on social media. As I was about to text him – making sure I covered all bases – he called. He has several friends whose birthdays are around the same time. For the past few years since he has been in college, I have made a large cake and brought it up to them. This year I was unable to since I live so far away now. So, I found a bakery that is close to them and ordered a cake. It wasn’t quite the same, but I am sure they will enjoy it. He and his friends went out on the town to celebrate. I always tell them to, “Make Good Choices!” I texted them tonight and asked for a picture so I could be sure they were actually making good choices. They did send a couple of pictures and it made me laugh. It was the next best thing to being there.

I Found God today in being able to somewhat celebrate my son’s birthday with him even though I am so far away.

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Many Meals

Posted by eph21920 on October 23, 2015 in Family, Food, Grateful

I have been staying with my sister for a couple of weeks helping her as she continues to get stronger and heal with her broken leg. We have all been very blessed that my brother has been able to stay with my parents during this time. I will be leaving to go back to my parents and I want to make sure that my sister is as prepared as she can be. The other day we picked out some recipes that will be easy to make and off I went to the grocery store. I came back with a giant back of assorted meats, canned goods, and fresh veggies. I have spent the last couple of days cooking up a storm. Each day meant a new meal in the crock pot with the leftovers frozen in individual containers. I also put together ingredients in freezer bags for additional meals, so all she has to do is take out a bag and pop it in the crock pot. Hopefully these meals will keep her fed for a couple of weeks. Today I made the last one – minestrone soup. It was warm, delicious, and made plenty of leftovers. As I cooked, I thought of others who don’t have as much food or assistance when they need it. I thanked God for being where I am and the capability of providing necessities.

I Found God today in being able to help provide meals for my sister.

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Missing Birthdays

Posted by eph21920 on October 22, 2015 in Birthday, Children, Family

Sometimes it feels like time is zipping by so quickly. My children both have birthdays within a couple of days. It can be hard for me to believe that I have a son who has children of his own – but so it is. I miss being able to celebrate their birthdays with them since I moved so far away. I was happy to video chat with my older son, his wife, and my grandchildren tonight. My 2 month old granddaughter changes so quickly. She was talking up a storm as she is finding the noises she can make with her voice and I even saw her smile. The next oldest is in 3rd grade now. He showed me his math homework and said that he doesn’t want to go to school tomorrow because he is having a test on it. But he said he studied already, so he will do well. My older grandson is now in junior high school and going to his first dance tomorrow night. He will be taking his girlfriend. Again – hard to believe. I just loved being able to see them all and chat about important things and just things in general. It made my day.

I Found God today in being able to see and talk with my son and his family.

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Much Needed Massage

Posted by eph21920 on October 21, 2015 in Healing, Life

It has been a crazy hectic few months. I have been busy, busy trying to do my best to make sure my parents have what they need and help my sister get her place in order and meals prepared so she doesn’t have too much to worry about as her broken leg continues to heal. So – it has been pretty physically demanding on me and my poor neck and shoulders have been aching, stiff, and sore. My sister knows a woman who does massage therapy and got me an appointment for today. I laid on the wonderful heated table and did my best to relax as she worked through some of the knots that set up residence under my shoulder blades. It was one of those “it hurts so good” experiences. Tonight my arms felt like noodles, but I definitely wasn’t as tense and tight. I realized that I should probably have this done a little more often to keep myself in the best working condition. It was funny that the “Daily Food for Thought” that I subscribe to said today, “The body is like money, in this sense, it is a horrible master but an excellent servant.” My sister and I have been trying to figure out all day exactly what that means. I often feel that my body really is the boss of me and that I have to fight to try to make it do what I want it to do. Perhaps that is the point – to keep on going even though I don’t necessarily “feel” like it, but also to know my limits and practice self control when it is needed.

I Found God today in a wonderful massage to help my body feel better and be able to function properly.

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