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Long Lived Intimacy

Posted by eph21920 on February 6, 2015 in Family, Intimacy, Relationship

My mom has not been feeling well for quite some time, so it has been a while since she has done any regular household shopping. Today she had enough energy for a quick trip to the department store. She picked up a few things including new underwear for both her and my dad. When we got home, I made myself busy in the kitchen as they went over the purchases together and talked about them. They discussed how nice it will be to have new underwear for various personal reasons that they shared with one another. I chuckled a bit, but realized the beauty of the intimacy that they still have after over 60 years of marriage. Then they decided to listen to a recording and both fell asleep. When I looked in the living room, my dad was sleeping reclined on one end of the sofa. My mom was lying with her head at the other end and her feet resting on my dad’s lap. I was again made aware of the depth of their relationship. I talked to them before I wrote this and they thought of these things as nothing special and even somewhat silly. I, on the other hand, felt blessed to see the natural affection that is still present in their marriage.

I Found God today in witnessing the deep, intimate, life long relationship that my parent share in situations that seem to them to be simple and normal.

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Responding to Responses

Posted by eph21920 on February 5, 2015 in Uncategorized

As I got this blog up and running, I wanted to make sure my friends knew about it. So, I sent out many emails inviting people to take a look. I spent much of the day going through the responses of those who sent back a note. I admit I did get a little thrill every time my phone made that jingle sound meaning I had received another email or text. I can see how people can get addicted to social media! Since the “big move” I have missed being with so many people on a regular basis. Hearing from several friends felt great. Even though it took only a minute or two to jot a few lines, I was very appreciative that they made the time to do so.

I Found God today in ongoing friendships despite a long distance and in their thoughtfulness.

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The Newest Family Member

Posted by eph21920 on February 4, 2015 in Baby, Family, Joy

Today I got one of the best surprises ever! My older son sent me the first picture of my newest grandchild – as an ultrasound. My daughter-in-law is 12 weeks along now and has been struggling with morning, afternoon, night – well ALL the time sickness. So it was wonderful to see that the little one is doing well. It was truly amazing to see the tiny head, hands, tummy, and feet. I shared the pictures with my parents and we were awestruck at the sight. Even though this person is so small that my daughter-in-law can barely feel any movement, it has all the necessary biological components to make it who it is. He or she is a unique, one of a kind individual. As I pondered this, I realized that he or she also has a soul. God has placed traits, talents, and tendencies in this newly created person. There is a purpose for it’s life and he or she will impact those around him or her unlike anyone else in the world. I think it is all very incredible, and very joyful, to contemplate. And I look forward to meeting the newest family member in person in the near future.

I Found God today in seeing the miracle of a tiny new unique person who is growing in my loving daughter-in-law, and I pray things continue to go well.

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Extraordinary Series of Events

Posted by eph21920 on February 3, 2015 in Connected, Family, Opportunity

My sister has several talents. Among them is her ability to make an amazingly delicious specialty candy. For a few years now she has been making it for family, co-workers, and friends. It has gotten to the point where people are ordering it in advance. We (her family) have been telling her she should try to sell it and thinking of ways to make that happen. Today she connected with someone who is going to help her get a business going. This is how it happened:  A few years ago, she had a young woman come over to take care of her pets when she would be gone. They had lost touch as she no longer has the animals. My sister also has a unique talent of painting animals. The young woman remembered this and got in touch with my sister to do a painting for a friend of hers as a gift. As they caught up, my sister told her about the candy. The young woman said that the person she wanted the painting for happened to have an industrial kitchen. Long story short, my sister made a batch of candy and met with the owner of the kitchen today. He was very impressed with the confection and is going to help her launch the product to the public. She was so excited when she called me to tell me the news and I am elated for her.

I Found God today in an extraordinary series of events that led to a great opportunity for my sister. As a priest friend of mine used to say – you just can’t make it up.

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A Vision Fulfilled

Posted by eph21920 on February 2, 2015 in Faith, Family, Humility

This evening I watched the big game. I was so happy to see that the vast majority of the commercials had a positive message. It seemed that there was a concerted effort to make the game more family friendly. Even the half time show was void of moments in which you would need to shield your children’s eyes. The game itself was an amazing turn of events that escalated as it got closer and closer to the end. And then came the game winning interception. As they kept showing the young man who caught the ball, it was obvious that he was overwhelmed, which was understandable. He was a rookie player who did not receive a lot of previous attention. Then I saw him looking up and pointing as if thanking God. At the end of the game the reporters finally caught up with him and asked what was going through his mind. He said that he had a vision that he was going to make a big play during the game, and that his vision came true. He said he could not really describe how it felt and you could see it was almost more than he could take. He said what a blessing it was that he was able to be there.

I Found God today in a more positive focus of an international show and in the humility, faith, and sincerity of a young, new champion.

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In The Beginning

Posted by eph21920 on January 30, 2015 in Begin, Birthday, Connected, Death, Family, Friends, Joy, Tragedy

So, this is the new beginning to my daily “God-sightings”. Since my decision to start a new blog at the beginning of the year, it took me a while to figure out where to post, then how to use a new program, a new format, and decide what to say. Hopefully from here on out, it will be smooth sailing. I hope you enjoy the ride with me!

Quite honestly, as the end of 2014 approached, I was having a difficult time keeping a daily blog. (If you have not yet, I encourage you to read the “About” page.) I had recently moved across the country to be back with my parents and give them a much needed hand. This was a complete change of lifestyle for me. The hustle and bustle of the holidays came and I celebrated in a very different way from many previous years. I missed my friends and family who were far away, but at the same time enjoyed the family that was now in the same area. I thought it would be nice to take a break and not try to record God’s work every day. But in these few short weeks, there has been no lack of His presence (of course). And I as I found Him, I also found myself wanting to write again. So – I will begin by sharing just a few of the experiences over the past few weeks.

My sister’s birthday was approaching and we planned a celebration for her. The day before the party, she thought about a friend of mine whose birthday is the following week. She thought about asking me to call and invite her over, but then got caught up in other business. I had been playing phone tag with my friend and we had not connected since I had moved back. The next morning as my sister was driving to the house, my friend called. She just happened to be in the neighborhood! So, she came over and we all caught up on life, shared pictures, laughed like crazy, and had a great time. She really added a lot of joy to the celebration.     I Found God in the joy of celebrating my sister and a continued friendship even after a long absence.

The brother of my son’s close friend passed away unexpectedly. My son was in the hospital room at the time of his death, along with several other friends and family members. They had all gathered to usher the young man to his next journey. Later, as my son was visiting the family, they received the phone call from the hospital and were told that they were able to use the young man’s kidneys to transplant in two different people. One of them was very ill and hypersensitive. They had been awaiting a perfect match. Through the tragedy, the family was able to find comfort in the fact that the death of their loved one was able to bring life to two people who may not have had the chance.    I Found God by being made aware of the fragility of life and the ability of a grieving family to find comfort in a tragic situation.

A long time friend reached out after my return. First, she offered me a job in the family owned business. While I did not feel it was the right fit for me, I was so appreciative of her thoughtfulness. We got together and I saw some of their kids I had not seen in years. We shared pictures of those who were married and now had children of their own and wondered how time went by so quickly. Even though we did not stay in good communication while I was in a different location, when we did connect we just picked up where we left off. It was such a blessing to be able to have a night out and have real woman talk with a close friend.    I Found God in the deep friendship of a close friend.

The other day, it seemed like my mom, dad, and I were ultra-connected. Every time one of us would say something, another one would exclaim, “I was JUST thinking that!” Even to the point where my dad was out getting the car fixed and called when he was about to head home. He told me that he was looking at buying a new car. While he was telling me this, my mom said, “I bet he was looking at buying a new car.” It literally went on all day and we thought it was hysterical.    I Found God in the existence of connecting on deep level and the laughter that accompanied it.

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