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Finding Barley

Posted by eph21920 on October 20, 2015 in Answer, Connected, Life, Shopping, Struggles

Today I needed to get some shopping done for my sister to help her get some meals prepared. It is always hard going to different stores, but since I have stayed with her for the past couple of weeks as her broken leg continues to heal, I have been getting to know where to find things in her local supermarket. We decided to make some beef and barley soup in the crock pot, but I had a hard time finding the barley. I looked in the aisle with the rice and found everything else. As I continued down, I found quick cooking barley, which would not work in the recipe. I went down the next aisle and found a bag of barley on the bottom shelf all the way in the corner. I was surprised that it was so hard to find. As I went down the next aisle and stopped to peruse the shelves, an employee of the store was struggling trying to help an elderly man find an item. “It should be right here.” he insisted. I thought I heard the man say, “I just need barley.” The employee headed off to find someone else to help and I asked the man if he said he was looking for barley. He said he was. I was happy to show him just where I found it in the previous aisle. But, that was not the kind he was looking for. His wife needed quick cooking barley. We headed over to the next aisle and found the box that I had spotted before. The employee appeared again and I showed him where I found the items. The elderly man was very grateful. I thought it was funny that I had to go through that little exercise to find that specific item for the gentleman.

I Found God today in the ability to be helpful.

 

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Our Amazing World

Posted by eph21920 on October 19, 2015 in Creation, Family

My younger sister is between jobs at this time, so we have decided to spend one day a week doing something together and enjoyable. Today was a free day at the museum of nature and science, so that was our destination. It was very thought provoking as we basically made our way through time. We walked through the “beginning” of Earth and Darwin’s theory of evolution. The statement that struck me was, “99% of all species that have ever lived are now extinct”. I thought that was pretty bold. We continued on the journey through the different eras and saw remains of the different animals of the time periods – some tiny, others huge. It was hard to imagine the place we live in being overrun by dinosaurs. We also went through the Egyptian display and saw some mummies – creepy. I found it interesting that it was the normal practice for thousands of years until Christianity entered the society. And we made sure to get through the space exhibit. A man was showing the planets in our solar system and then beyond. He said that scientists now believe there are more planets than grains of sand on all the beaches of Earth. Another bold, mind boggling statement. At lunch, my sister and I talked about a current mindset that thinks that religion and science do not co-exist. I think that is an absurd thought. Many of the most prominent and influential scientists believed in God – Copernicus, Keplar, Galileo, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein. Our world has order and structure. At the same time, it is incredibly complex. We – human beings – seem to think we have things figured out, yet we are always learning more about the incredible world we live in. I personally think it takes more faith to believe that all of creation just came into being on it’s own – the uncountable grains of sand on our beaches to the infinite stars in the sky – than to believe in a Creator.

I Found God today in pondering the amazing world we live in.

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Stunning Sunrise

Posted by eph21920 on October 18, 2015 in Connected, Creation, Family, Joy

I haven’t been up to see the sunrise in quite a while, but this morning I woke at just the right time. I wasn’t really sure if the sun was already up as I knew it would be a cloudy morning and it did not seem to be particularly bright. It didn’t really matter – I was in the mood for a long quiet walk either way. I grabbed my phone and pulled on my sweatshirt and gloves to stay warm in the crisp autumn air. As I opened the door, I noticed a brilliant orange gleam – it was the sky. The sun was just making it’s way above the horizon. The clouds were a brilliant orange and the mountain range was glowing red and pink. I hurried to one of my favorite viewing spots on a hill and took a few pictures. The brilliant colors didn’t last long and I felt blessed to have seen such a gorgeous sight. I did take my long walk and when I got home, I was excited to show my pictures to my sister. She had just seen some pictures that our brother-in-law had taken at the same time, only about 50 miles away. He captured the same beautiful colors that I saw, only with a different background. Later in the day, my brother and dad came home from the cabin. My dad looked so relaxed and happy – I was grateful for that. My brother told me that he was outside early this morning and saw an amazing sunrise. He said he could see a far off mountain range with vivid oranges and reds. I showed him my pictures. He had seen the same brilliance, only another 50 miles away in a completely different direction. I thought it was pretty awesome that the 3 of us all experienced the same joy of the beautiful sunrise, even though there was quite a bit of distance between us. I am sure there were thousands of others who enjoyed it as well.

I Found God today in the beauty of the sunrise and being able to share the experience with others.

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Better to be in Heaven

Posted by eph21920 on October 17, 2015 in Death, Eucharist, Faith, Family, Grace

Tonight at dinner, the conversation with my sister and mom reminded me of a video clip I had seen from the HUMAN movie. This is a collection of videos of people telling stories of their lives. We found it on YouTube and watched a clip that started with the man saying, “The magic moment that I had with my grandfather…” It was beautiful. Afterwards, my mom said that as soon as she saw those first words, she remembered her own magic moment with her grandfather. She told us the story. Her grandfather lived with her family after her grandmother passed away. He worked in the coal mines when he lived in Germany and suffered from “black lung disease” for a long time. He was mostly deaf and only spoke German. My mother thought about how lonely it must have been for him. She remembered the day when she was about 10 years old and her grandfather gave her a big hug and told her that it was better for him to be in Heaven. Of course, she argued with him, but he was insistent. My mom attended a Catholic school and the next day during Mass, a priest came and collected a consecrated host. My mother noticed this happening and recognized it as “viaticum” – Communion that is brought to someone who is dying. She told her friend that she thought the priest was bringing it to her grandfather. When she got home from school, her grandfather was no longer there. She learned that he had passed away and that the priest had indeed gone to the house, anointed her grandfather, given him the Eucharist, and was there when he died. My mom, sister, and I cried. It was sad for sure, but also a story of the gentleness and mercy of God as He prepared my mother and her grandfather for his entry to Heaven.

I Found God today in a beautiful story of passing from this world to the next.

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Back to the Cabin

Posted by eph21920 on October 16, 2015 in Family, Grateful, Happiness, Healing

It has been a wild summer for sure with too many medical issues happening back to back. I barely remember back to June when my parents and I were packing up to head to their cabin in the mountains for a little get away. We didn’t make it that day, and since then it has been one thing on top of another. The summer has come and gone without being able to spend any time up there. Today my sister had a doctor appointment to check the status of her broken leg. It was good news and bad news. The doctor said she is healing very well and could see new bone growth filling in the breaks. Unfortunately, she will be unable to put any weight on that leg for at least another 5 weeks. But, she spent most of the morning getting around on her walker hopping on her good leg – in and out of the doctor’s office, to lunch, and to the DMV to get a handicapped placard. She is getting stronger every day. We made our way to my parent’s house where my brother has been staying to help my parents while I have been with my sister. When we got there, my dad met us at the door. He had been to a couple doctor appointments since his pacemaker was implanted and expressed concerns about what he was feeling. Today he was happy to announce that he has decided that everything is working the way it should be working and he is not going to worry about it any more. He and my brother packed things up and headed up to the cabin for the weekend while my sister and I stay with my mom. It was so wonderful to see him full of energy and enthusiasm. I am very happy that he will actually be able to enjoy the place that he loves to be.

I Found God today in the happiness of my dad as he looks forward to a weekend away.

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Generous People

Posted by eph21920 on October 15, 2015 in Friends, Problem

I have been staying with my sister who broke her leg and trying to take care of some housework for her. We have been talking the past couple days about home improvements she would like to do. Of course, the list is longer than the time and finances. A friend of hers has been wanting to help her out. Today she got a call from her friend’s brother who is a plumber. He and his son, who is also a plumber, came over and replaced the leaky kitchen faucet. Then they checked out the toilet that has not been working properly. They said it really just needs to be replaced, so they are coming back in a couple of days to take care of that too. It was so nice of her friend and his family to be so generous to provide the items, their time, and their talents to make my sister’s life a little easier.

I Found God today in generous, considerate people.

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Found Lost Phone

Posted by eph21920 on October 14, 2015 in Problem, Stranger

It was a beautiful day outside today, so my sister and I decided to spend some time outdoors. We went to a local park that had a small lake. We stopped on the way and got some lunch so we could enjoy a picnic with a view. I loved spending a warm day in October in my shorts, barefoot in the sand, and sticking my toes in the water. We started following a dirt trail with the water on one side and a rocky, rooted hill on the other. We stopped to admire the scenery and as I looked around I saw a cell phone on the ground in among the rocks and roots. My sister picked it up and saw that it was still almost fully charged, so we figured it was lost not too long ago. We made our way back to the main paved path that was just up the hill and looked around. There were only a few cars parked here and there, and a smattering of people. We stayed in the area for a bit to see if anyone would come back looking for the phone, but no one did. We asked some people that we came across if they had lost a phone, but still no luck. My sister had the great idea to drop the phone off at the park ranger station at the entrance, so we headed out. We stopped at the little house and my sister brought the phone to the woman running the post. I could see them having the conversation and my sister clapping her hands. When she returned to the car, my sister told me that the woman said the people who lost the phone left just a few minutes before. They left their name and a phone number where they could be reached. It felt good to know that they would be reunited with their phone. I am sure they will be really happy. My sister and I talked about how much information we all have on our phones and how terrible it would be to loose them. We also were amazed at how incredible it was that in that large park, we would just happen to choose that small part of the trail, stop at the exact spot and take a look around right where the cell phone was.

I Found God today in being able to help someone find a valuable possession.

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Peaceful

Posted by eph21920 on October 13, 2015 in Family, Life, Peace

Today was pretty uneventful. My sister is able to work from home on her computer, so after spending last week working part time, she dove back into full time this week. She was very tired yesterday, but did much better today. I puttered around the house doing things that needed to be done, cooked, and took a walk in the beautiful weather. I chatted with my other sister on the phone about her job search and working at her farm. My nephew who is enjoying his first real job went to work this afternoon. My sister and I talked to my parents and brother tonight. My mom went out to lunch with friends. My dad and brother went out for Chinese – I do not like that type of food, so it was a treat for them. I was happy to hear that they were doing well and just enjoyed their day. So, while nothing particularly exciting happened, it was nice that it was quiet and non-chaotic. I even took a nap.

I Found God today in a peaceful day.

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An Awesome Therapist

Posted by eph21920 on October 12, 2015 in Grateful, Healing, Humility

Since my sister broke her leg a few weeks ago, she has been visited by an occupational therapist. When we first saw him, it was at my parents home. Since that first time, he has been caring, humble, and respectful. He has encouraged my sister the whole time and helped her solve problems with only her safety in mind. When she was getting ready to move back to her house, he met us there and walked through several issues and concerns. My nephew was living at the house on his own for the first time and when we got there, the house was in a shambles. The therapist never batted an eye or made a comment. He even made the effort to have a conversation with my nephew and remembered it the next time he saw him. Now that my sister has been home for a week, the therapist felt that she has made great progress and is good to go, so today was his last visit. He sat on the floor as usual and gave her some final words of advice and reassurance. He also let her know that she can call him if there is anything else she needs help with. As he worked with my sister, she knew and trusted that he always had her well being as his top priority. We were sad to say good-bye to him, but grateful for all we learned from him in many different ways.

I Found God today in a very caring and humble therapist.

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A Good Day

Posted by eph21920 on October 11, 2015 in Faith, Family, Healing

This morning my sister got all ready and we both went to church. When we have gone out until this point, we have used her wheelchair so she doesn’t have to slowly hop her way around on crutches or the walker. But today we brought along her walker which seems to be the easiest device for her to maneuver. Everyone was very patient and helpful – opening doors, finding us a good place to sit, and even having Communion brought to her so she didn’t have to try to make her way to the front of the church. I loved being able to share the worship time with her. The other day, we were talking about how we – people – are always searching for that “thing” that fills us, makes us joyful and complete. I have noticed that for the most part, when we discover that we can have a relationship with Jesus Christ – God in the flesh – our searching comes to an end. When the priest was giving his homily, he mentioned how at one point Jesus asked his apostles if they were going to leave Him. They responded that there was nowhere else to go. They knew that He was the one to lead them to eternal peace and joy. So true, I thought. We can try all kinds of “things” to fill the void in our hearts – I have tried as well – but only God can provide the deep comfort and love that we crave. My sister did her best at standing and sitting at the appropriate times. By the time we got home, though, she was pretty exhausted and ready to rest. However, the physical therapist came over before she had a chance to. She brought my sister a different kind of walker that she can use to carry things around with. Come dinner time, my sister and I cooked together and she even set the table. She is doing such a great job. Later we talked to my parents. My brother is staying with them while I am with my sister. They had a good day as well. They all went to church early and then out to breakfast. In the afternoon, my mom and my brother went to a concert. They were all doing very well. I was so glad to hear that.

I Found God today in continued improvements and a good day all around.

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