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Invitation to Serve

Posted by eph21920 on August 4, 2015 in Answer, Begin, Food, New, Opportunity

A while ago, the church had a ministry fair of sorts. Some of the ministries were represented by tables of information and sign up sheets. I restrained myself from the youth ministry and religious education section because I knew the commitment would be more than I can give at this time. I came across the ministry that provides meals and receptions for those attending funerals. I thought that would be a good match at this point. I cook a lot now, so I might as well share it. I chatted with the people at the table and signed up on the clipboard. I did not hear anything back and wondered if I ever would. Honestly I forgot about it – until today. I got a phone call to see if I can help prepare a small reception for a funeral on Friday. I said I could and got the details. I very much look forward to my first volunteer opportunity at the parish.

I Found God today in an invitation to serve.

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Swim Down

Posted by eph21920 on August 3, 2015 in Baby, Children, Humor

My daughter-in-law is very, very ready to give birth to the little one she has been carrying. I talked to her tonight as she told me how she is doing. It seems like it has been a long waiting process and a lot has happened in a few short months. We are all ready to meet the little girl that we have been doting over even while she is still in the womb. My daughter-in-law told me that her two older boys are making a “Finding Nemo” reference as they tell the baby to “swim down” so she can come out into the world. I thought that was hysterical and we laughed and laughed.

I Found God today in the humor of little boys.

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Patience and Computers

Posted by eph21920 on August 2, 2015 in Answer, Family, Patience

My dad has some very old computers that have files, pictures, and information on them. He has been wondering how he would be able to get the information off and into an updated computer format. My brother was at the house and spent most of yesterday and today working on the challenge. He is a computer programmer, so he knows a lot about it. I enjoyed watching them debate and discuss what could be done. My brother would walk away for a while and then think of something else to try. I was especially impressed with his patience – not only in trying to solve the problem, but in the discussions with my dad. In the end, they ordered a device that will help transfer the data from an old computer to the new.

I Found God today in the patience shown by my brother.

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Shared Words of Wisdom

Posted by eph21920 on August 1, 2015 in Answer, Faith, Hope, Trust

My mom finished her second week of voice therapy and is doing a good job practicing at home. Now for one of her exercises, she reads inspirational quotes out loud. I am sure this is dual purpose – it helps to strengthen her voice AND her spirit. I have enjoyed listening to them as well and try to motivate myself. Today in the mail my mom received a prayer book with some quotes from Fr. Padre Pio, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.” Also today I came across a quote shared by a friend that made an impact on me. “There are only two days in the year when nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do, and mostly live.” Dalai Lama. These were some really great words of wisdom that I hope to keep in mind.

I Found God today in the words of wisdom share by spiritual people.

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Healing of Sorts

Posted by eph21920 on July 31, 2015 in Answer, Healing, Prayer

Last night I said that I was sure my mom would have a wonderful night sleep and wake up refreshed this morning after attending the Healing Mass. In reality, that does not happen very often. But when I saw my mother this morning, she said she had such a good night sleep that she had not had in a very long time. She was energetic and ready for the day. I smiled to myself, knowing exactly what I had written after she went to bed. When she read it later on in the day, she thought it was pretty funny and interesting too. We thanked and praised God.

I Found God today in a healing of sorts for my mom.

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A Healing Mass

Posted by eph21920 on July 30, 2015 in Faith, Healing, Struggles

Tonight my mother and I attended a “Healing Mass” at our church. The priest was visiting from New Jersey and here for a Catholic conference. He was very charismatic in his words and prayers. The majority of the people in the church were very enthusiastic as his energy was contagious. One thing that really struck me were the 3 things he said we can know from the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. First, that act freed us from our sins. If we repent from them, we are truly forgiven. Second, we have the opportunity to be free from sickness as well. Christ healed people in the scripture and so did His disciples. He wants us to be whole and well. Third, if we are following God’s path for our life, Satan cannot walk that path with us. Satan always tries to pull us off the path, so we need to remain faithful to prayer. He also said that he has read the Bible over 30 times and assured us that he has read the end in which Christ and those who follow Him will win. We know that our world is in a shambles and that evil is all around us. In order to make a difference, we need to separate ourselves from those terrible acts, be a beacon of God’s love, and pray, pray, pray. At the end he prayed over people. As my mom and I waited in the long line, we saw a couple of people who were overcome and fall to the ground. My mom was already weary from the long service and not sure she was up for that, so we decided to leave. Honestly, I was surprised that she had made it that far. I know she will sleep well tonight and wake up refreshed.

I Found God today in a charismatic priest.

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Changing Perspective

Posted by eph21920 on July 29, 2015 in Answer, Car, Family, Life, Problem

Yesterday I had a long conversation with my sister who was having one of “those days”. You know – the kind where nothing seems to go right, decisions seem to be all wrong, work is crazy, the responsibilities of life are overwhelming, and to top it off she had been teaching her son how to drive. It is a lot to juggle. I prayed hard for them last night and all day today I made them my focus. She called tonight with a migraine (not surprising) but cheer in her voice. She had a good meeting at work, things calmed down a bit, and to top it off her son got his drivers license. Even though it is difficult to have a teenage driver in the house, this should alleviate a lot of stress. He also registered for his first semester of college. It was great to hear that this day brought a much different – and better – outlook.

I Found God today in an improved life perspective.

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Holy Communion Delivered

Posted by eph21920 on July 28, 2015 in Eucharist, Friends, Home, Jesus

My dad had been struggling to make it to church, so when my mom’s friend comes over, she has been bringing Holy Communion. She brought Communion to people who are home bound and in the hospital, so she has permission to get the consecrated hosts from her church. She came over this morning too and brought the Eucharist without any prompting from my mom. We sat around her while she got ready and opened her little prayer book. My mom, dad, and I listened as she read the scripture. We prayed together and received Holy Communion. It was a very personal moment with Christ in a very private, yet comfortable setting. My dad says he always feels better after receiving Communion. We were very happy that the friend is able to do this and she is very happy to do it.

I Found God today in a true friend of my mom’s and in Holy Communion.

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Love of His Kids

Posted by eph21920 on July 27, 2015 in Children, Family, Life, Love

Today, my parents and I went to the lawyer’s office to talk more about estate planning. It has been weighing heavy on my dad’s mind. The lawyer was patient and caring as she listened to the story of the family. My dad wanted her to have a good idea who we are and such to help her make recommendations. As my dad described his children, I could see his eyes welling up with tears. He was so proud of each one and brought up their individual talents and strengths. I welled up too as I listened to his words, and kept trying not to look at him too long so I could keep my composure. I just continue to gain respect for both he and my mom. I imagine that this is how God must feel about each one of us – total and complete love despite all our differences.

I Found God today in the love my father shared for each of us kids.

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Nature Heals the Weary Spirit

Posted by eph21920 on July 26, 2015 in Creation, Family, Healing, Music

Today was a gorgeous day. I got up early early and met my sister and her husband for breakfast. Then we went for a hike. We started at the top of a canyon and followed the trail along the ridge. We stopped at several overlooks to get a good view of the canyon walls and flowing water at the bottom. It seemed that everywhere I looked I spotted wildlife – bunnies, a lizard, and even a fish jumping out of the water. As we continued, we went down to the bottom of the canyon and followed the creek. It was so quiet and serene – just the sound of the trickling water and an occasional bird. We spotted deer tracks, but no deer. When we made our way back up we were pretty hot and ready to take a little rest. We came upon a resting spot with a bench engraved with the quote, “Nature heals the weary spirit. – Stefan Michalak” True, true. We then followed another trail that passed a large picnic area with a gazebo. It was set up for an event and there was a young lady sitting inside the gazebo playing her viola. She was playing a piece from Bach that my brother-in-law loved. It was glorious listening to the music surrounded by the beauty of nature. The morning truly rejuvenated my spirit.

I Found God today in several instances and ways of experiencing nature.

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