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Led By Faith

Posted by eph21920 on March 4, 2025 in Faith, Forgiveness, Grace, Healing, Life, Struggles, Tragedy

Today I started reading the book, “Led by Faith, Rising from the Ashes of the Rwanda Genocide”. It is a story about Immaculée Ilibagiza who survived the Rwanda genocide by hiding in a pastor’s tiny bathroom with 7 other starving women for 91 terrifying days. Her first book was called, “Left to Tell” in which she highlights the horrific details of her experience. However, through it all she clung to her faith in God. Not only that, but she found the strength and grace to forgive those neighbors and friends who murdered her family and many other neighbors and friends. This is a topic of her second book. In the introduction, she wrote, “As I stumbled through the aftermath of the holocaust, I learned that finding the Lord is not enough; we have to keep Him in our heart always. We need to constantly discover God anew, trust Him in all things great and small, and make sure that He remains part of our daily life.” Those words truly resonated with me. A big part of the reason I write this blog almost every day is because I know how important it is to remind myself to keep my eyes on God – in gratitude, trust, love, and faith.

I Found God today in an amazing story from a faithful woman.

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Tootsie Rolls

Posted by eph21920 on March 3, 2025 in Food, Generosity, Grateful, Happiness, Stranger

I saw a quote today that said, “When a child gives you a gift, even if it is a rock they just picked up, exude gratitude. It might be the only thing they have to give, and they have chosen to give it to you.” I thought the same thing is true with the elderly. I was reminded of an encounter I had the other day. I went to a retirement facility to donate a couple boxes of puzzles. My parents really enjoyed doing them, but we accumulated more than there is really room for. When I arrived at the facility, the person at the front desk came to help me bring the boxes in. An elderly gentleman wanted to help too. I pulled out the lightest box to give to him and another employee was right by his side as he carried it in. Once we set the boxes down, I thanked him for his help. He held out his fist, so I gave him a fist bump. One of the ladies said he had something to give me. Slightly embarrassed, I held out my hand and he dropped in 3 crumpled mini tootsie rolls. I wondered how long they had been in his pocket. But, I smiled and thanked him and told him they were my favorite. His face beamed. The woman smiled and nodded in approval. It was a brief, seemingly insignificant moment. But, it was memorable for me and he was clearly very happy.

I Found God today being grateful.

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Answered Prayers

Posted by eph21920 on March 2, 2025 in Answer, Faith, Family, Friends, Healing, Sick

I’m happy to talk with my siblings on Zoom every week. For a long time now, my brother has been telling us about his neighbor who has been in and out of the hospital with C-dif. He was taking care of the dog and trying to keep it from getting too lonely, although it was clearly stressed. He said everyone in their circle of friends was very worried about the woman and asked for prayers. I had been praying for her for weeks. Today my brother reported that she was home now and doing much better. We were all very happy to hear that.

I Found God today in answered prayers.

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Baby Violet

Posted by eph21920 on March 1, 2025 in Connected, Creation, Grateful, Happiness

I feel like I have never been a very successful plant person. Now I take care of all the plants in the house. I’m so grateful that my mom taught me how to take water and fertilize each plant. This morning I saw that 2 of the 3 orchids are blooming. That made me smile. Then I came to the African Violet. It hasn’t been looking very well. I watched several videos and read articles and concluded that I have been over watering it. After learning what to do, I repotted it. Upon doing so, I found a baby one underneath, so I potted that one too. We will see if they survive. Even though I don’t feel like I don’t know what I’m doing, I really enjoyed the challenge and getting my hands dirty. And it’s exciting to think that I might be growing a little baby plant.

I Found God today seeing plants flourish.

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Treasured Friendship

Posted by eph21920 on February 28, 2025 in Answer, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Life

This morning I read the scripture Sirach 6:5-17. It was all about the different kinds of friendships. This is what it said to me:  Speaking kindly to people will lead to many friendly relationships and can dissuade those who disagree with you. Having many acquaintances is good, but be careful of who you trust. Some friends will be there for you when everything is going well, but will disappear when you are struggling. Some friends will stick around only for their own benefit. Others may gossip about you. But a faithful friend is a true treasure. That is someone who you can confide in and who is always there for you and with you, in good times and in difficulty. We are blessed if we have that kind of friend. And that is actually the kind of friend we have in God. He is a treasured, faithful friend.

I Found God today grateful for friends.

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In Touch

Posted by eph21920 on February 27, 2025 in Family, Happiness, Life, Relationship

A memory popped up today on social media with my nephew just before he joined the Navy. He used to live close and we saw him pretty often. After he joined the Navy, he got married. He and his wife live in another state and it is “normal” not to see them so much, but I miss him. I had asked him to touch base when he could and was so happy to get a phone call from him this evening. We just caught up on life and talked about the future. It was so good to hear his voice.

I Found God today catching up with my nephew.

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Chip Off the Old Shutter

Posted by eph21920 on February 26, 2025 in Family, Happiness, Love, Relationship

I have realized that when I sort through a stack of papers at the house, I need to go through them one at a time, as I never know what kind of treasure I will find. Today I found a letter that my dad wrote to a photography magazine in 2009. He wanted to gift my brother with a subscription. In his letter he talked about how he enjoyed the magazine. He then asked about the gift subscription he wanted to send my brother who he described as a “click off the old shutter”. I chuckled and sent a photo of it to my brother who enjoyed it as well. It warmed my heart to remember how my dad was so proud of my brother’s talent.

I Found God today remembering my dad’s pride.

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Go Outside

Posted by eph21920 on February 25, 2025 in Answer, Grateful, Happiness, Healing, Life, Struggles

I have been going to physical therapy as my back has been not cooperating with me for some time now. For me, it is difficult not to just push through pain to do what I would like to do. But, I am trying to live in that balance between full speed ahead and not being able to do much because of pain. I realize my body, mind, and soul need to rest and rejuvenate. I appreciate the approach that the therapists take. One in particular is very good at giving everyone a pep talk while working with a patient. He also tells a lot of dad jokes to make everyone laugh. It is tight quarters in the place and there is very little privacy, so everyone can hear what is being said to someone and anyone who chooses to will participate in conversations. There is, however, a great deal of respect so I have not felt uncomfortable. Today the therapist talked about the importance of going outside, getting fresh air, taking a walk, perhaps doing so by yourself to decompress after a busy day, laughing, being around people who lift you up. He is a huge advocate for doing things that helps to get your mind into a positive space, which helps your body get into a positive space, rather than just taking more medication. I am always interested in what he has to say and am grateful for his perspective.

I Found God today in good advice to be healthy.

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Kind to Myself

Posted by eph21920 on February 24, 2025 in Answer, Forgiveness, Grief, Healing

As I was listening to the radio today, I heard an introduction to the song, “Kind to Myself”, by Tenth Avenue North. The singer explained that we are so quick to put ourselves down and get frustrated with our own behavior. However, God sees through all that and loves us the way we are. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to better ourselves. But how we talk to ourselves and think about ourselves is huge. By recognizing the negative thoughts, we should dismiss them and focus on the positives and God’s love for us. It was “funny” as I had found a quote by Lisa M. Hayes on a paper that said, “Be careful how you are talking to yourself because you are listening.” I think part of grieving is to be able to forgive myself for my own inadequacies and faults as I tried to care for my parents perfectly. The quote sounded so profound to me and I had just hung it on the refrigerator to remind me to be kind to myself.

I Found God today reminded to be kind to myself.

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Sisters Baptized

Posted by eph21920 on February 23, 2025 in Children, Faith, Grace, Happiness, Stranger

This morning after Mass, I stuck around in the church for a little while as I waited for a later meeting. I was sitting in the back row taking in some of the hustle and bustle as people made their way out of the church and visited with one another. Then I noticed a gathering around the Baptismal font. There were several adults and 2 little girls dressed in beautiful white dresses. I actually noticed them when I was walking in the parking lot at the beginning of Mass and wondered if they were making their first Communion. I was close – they were about to be Baptized. I felt I was far enough away not to be invading their privacy or space, so I decided to watch. There were others in the church too, getting ready for a different event. When the deacon arrived to begin the celebration, the younger girl – about 3 years old – took refuge immediately in her mother’s arms where she stayed. The older girl – about 6 years old – stood at attention and seemed to be really taking in every word that was said. The deacon was great with them and made the words of the prayers come alive with his voice inflections. It all sounded like a big story rather than just words being read out of a book. When it came time for the Baptism, the older girl bent over the font as the deacon poured the water over her head 3 times – in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The younger girl remained safe in her mother’s arms as the mom held her head over the font. After the water was poured, the little girl exclaimed, “I did it!” There were hugs all around. The deacon welcomed the girls into God’s family and assured them they will always be a part of it. Everyone in the church clapped. The celebration was full of joy and I was happy to see it.

I Found God today as young sisters were Baptized into God’s family.

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