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Puppy Party

Posted by eph21920 on February 22, 2025 in Dog, Fun, Grateful, Joy

A friend of mine breeds standard poodles. She has had several litters of puppies at her house. I had heard about them and seen photos and videos, but had never been to her house to see them in person. She currently has 2 puppies about 6 weeks old. Part of raising them is to get them socialized and used to interacting with people. My friend had a “puppy party” today and invited me to come. When I went into her house, it was clear that it belonged to the dogs. There were 3 adult poodles that were away in their own room and 2 puppies that were in a large fenced in room off the entrance. After they all settled down a bit, she let the puppies out. There was a boy with a black coat and a girl with a light apricot coat. The boy was full of energy and mischief. The girl was more careful and calm and loved being held and stroked. They were beyond adorable. Other people came as well. A woman who is the host home for the puppies mother came for a visit. The host homes keep the poodles until it is time to breed them. Then if they become pregnant, they go to my friend’s house to give birth and stay until the puppies go to their new home. Then the mother dogs go back to their host home. When the mother dog came into the room, she was so excited to see her human. After a while, she came and sat by me. She was black with a couple white spots and was just beautiful. When I petted her, I was surprised that her coat was so soft. I guess I thought it would feel wirey. A younger couple also joined the group. They brought their poodle who was the older sister of the puppies. She was excited to see her mom again. But, the mom didn’t really reciprocate. She was more concerned what was going on with the puppies. After a while, the adult dogs were separated and the puppies were brought into the large play area by themselves. We played with them by encouraging them to explore. They got a treat when they did what we asked such as go through a tunnel, stand on a platform, get into the ball pit, etc. They played til they got tired. I learned so much about poodles that I had no idea I didn’t know. It was so much fun playing with the puppies and watching the interactions of all the dogs. I’m sure I was smiling and laughing the whole time. It was a joyful puppy party. I once again feel blessed and grateful for the friends I have in my life.

I Found God today in a puppy party.

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CeCe Winans Concert

Posted by eph21920 on February 21, 2025 in Faith, Friends, Grateful, Joy, Music, Stranger

A friend of mine used to work for Compassion International and now volunteers for the organization. This group uses individual sponsorship to support children living in poverty and dire circumstances. A couple of weeks ago, my friend asked if I wanted to volunteer with her at the upcoming CeCe Winans concert. I love the gospel singer and had read the information on the company, so accepted the invitation. The concert was tonight. When I arrived, I met many of the other volunteers. We were given the training as to how to hand out the sponsorship packets during the intermission. I put on my volunteer vest and filled the pocket with the information of children needing sponsors. Before the intermission, CeCe herself talked about the organization. Then they showed a heartfelt video and the representative gave the details of how to sponsor a child. I and about 20 other volunteers went up and down the aisles, giving the packets to those who were interested. I helped people complete their information and thanked them for their generosity. After I turned in all my things, I was able to enjoy the rest of the concert. It was like a good old fashioned praise and worship session, which I haven’t been to in years. I was reminded of the concerts and retreats that we attended when I was a youth minister when I got my first taste of praise and worship in this kind of venue. It was beautiful to be surrounded with hundreds of Christians from all walks of life, all singing and praising God. I was grateful my friend thought of me and reached out.

I Found God today praising Him with hundreds of others.

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Priestly Support

Posted by eph21920 on February 20, 2025 in Friends, Grateful, Joy, Past, Priest

I was so happy and grateful to talk to a priest friend of mine today. I haven’t seen him in years, but he has always been a great support for me and my family. Today circumstances seemed right to actually talk on the phone. During the conversation I asked him about a ski trip that he went on. He said that he has had a bit of a cold, but he did go with 4 other priests. One of them was almost 90 years old and had a couple of surgeries recently. But, my friend talked him into going. He said the 2 of them skied a little and relaxed together a lot, just enjoying each other’s company. He also told me about a couple other older priests that he visits. As I listened, I remembered how very thoughtful he is and what a big heart he has. I thought about how wonderful it is that the men have such a strong bond and community. And I wondered if my friend realized how many people appreciate his support. It was such a blessing to talk to him and to listen to his words of encouragement and wisdom.

I Found God today speaking with a supportive friend.

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Long Phone Call

Posted by eph21920 on February 19, 2025 in Answer, Connected, Friends, Grateful, Life, Present, Relationship

I had some things on my mind today and felt I needed help making sense of it, so I reached out to a friend. She called me almost immediately and we talked for over an hour. We shared similar experiences and she did, in fact, help me to sort out the things in my mind. I felt so blessed to have friends that are caring, available, and present.

I Found God today in a good friend.

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Nostalgia

Posted by eph21920 on February 18, 2025 in Connected, Friends, Fun, Grateful, Happiness, Past

I have been seeing little nostalgic videos and commercials for things I used to love to play with like the Easy Bake Oven, Barbies and Sit N Spin. They are funny and but bring back fun memories. Today I stopped by a store that sold all kinds of vintage clothing, records, and collectibles. There were things that I used to own such as troll dolls, unicorns, and jean jackets. I was looking for a place that I may be able to sell some of the items in the house. Looking around at all of the things sparked happy memories. Tonight I had dinner with some friends who I have known for a long time. They started talking about junior high school and realized we all went to the same one. It was brand new when we went. I remember that school experience pretty well and much of it was joyful. It was a fun day being nostalgic and I thank God for those happy memories.

I Found God today in happy memories.

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Hosting Prayer Group

Posted by eph21920 on February 17, 2025 in Friends, Grateful, Happiness, Home, New, Prayer

I have been getting together with my prayer group for many years. We take turns meeting at each other’s homes. All this time I have never had them at my house. We would occasionally have the neighbors over for a short visit, but in general my dad wasn’t comfortable having people over. I think it took too much energy from him. After he died, I asked my mom if she would like to host the group. She agreed. But when the day came, she got more and more anxious about it, so I cancelled. At our last prayer session, I offered to have everyone over. Today was the day for the group to come to my house. I actually enjoyed preparing and straightening up. When everyone arrived, the first thing they saw were the 2 pianos. One person asked if anyone plays duets and I was able to tell them about my mom’s friend who would come every week. Then I happily shared family photos. After our prayer time, we went into the dining room for refreshments. The big wall in that room is dedicated to my dad’s photos. It is how it has been since the last time he arranged it. I proudly explained what each photograph was, where and when it was taken. Each one has it’s own story. My friends appreciated it as well since I have talked so much about the house and the pictures, they got to see it all in person. It was such a blessing to have friends over and to share what is so important in my life.

I Found God today hosting my prayer group.

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Rest

Posted by eph21920 on February 15, 2025 in Answer, Connected, Faith, Rest

I have been busy this week and pretty physically active. This morning I felt it. My body and back were aching and I was moving pretty slowly. With the many options of the day before me, I prayed and asked God what He would have me do. As I sat silently, I was aware of the word “REST”. So, I decided to take it easy on my body instead of pushing through. At breakfast, I read the daily meditation from Jesus Calling. The first sentence was, “Come to Me with all your weaknesses: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Rest in the comfort of My Presence…” It was a very quiet, peaceful day at home as I did necessary things at my own pace, read some, and even watched a movie. My body definitely felt more at ease.

I Found God today resting.

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Perfect Love

Posted by eph21920 on February 14, 2025 in Connected, Faith, Family, Grateful, Love

Early this morning I started receiving Happy Valentine’s texts from a group of friends. There were some funny and some sweet. I was again grateful for their friendship and the way everyone is so supportive and caring of one another. Later I got a reminder of photos I took last year. They were of my mom. She got some flowers and cards from her children. I remember she wanted to give some to my dad. So we found her little ceramic bouquet and she placed it with the photos of her and my dad. Those photos and memories of the love they shared brought tears to my eyes and made my heart ache. But, I pray the love they had here has brought them together now in the presence of perfect LOVE itself.

I Found God today in love.

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Love and Faith

Posted by eph21920 on February 13, 2025 in Connected, Faith, Family, Friends, Grateful, Healing, Life, Love, Marriage, Relationship

Today a friend shared with me a story about his sister and her husband. It was an article published in the AMAC magazine. Theirs was a a beautiful love story. From the time they met when the woman was 16, they knew they were meant for each other. She waited for him to complete his military training and then they were married. What was most obvious and encouraging to me was their faith. The couple wrote a book together about finding God’s purpose for your life and designed a retreat around the book. They produced faith based, award winning movies. At one point, their home and all their belongings were destroyed in a fire. But, the couple remained together and faithful. An ending quote from the husband summed up their relationship, “You have to make room for love in your life. Otherwise everything else is meaningless. Loving God and loving people. We love in a world that is searching for divine love.”

I Found God today in a beautiful story of love and faith.

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Blessing of the Deacon

Posted by eph21920 on February 12, 2025 in Connected, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Past, Peace

Today I was surprised to learn that one of the deacons from my parish was moving out of state. This particular gentleman has been such a blessing to me for many years. I met him when I took my 4-year Bible Study class. He was in my small group for 2 of those 4 years and I got to know him and his wife. He was so knowledgeable and faithful. I wasn’t too surprised when he said he was studying to become a deacon also at that time. Unfortunately, we had to finish the course via Zoom because of COVID. That disconnected everyone. But, during that time, my friend became a deacon and was assigned to my church, so I did get to see him. He was a huge support to me as I was caring for my parents. He also led the rosary and was present for both of their funerals. I was sad that he had to leave. But I also felt how very blessed I was to have his caring, peaceful, and understanding presence in my life.

I Found God today remembering the blessing of a deacon.

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