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Best in Years

Posted by eph21920 on January 14, 2025 in Friends, Fun, Grateful, Healing, Laughter, Prayer, Struggles

Some friends and I got together for a potluck tonight. Everyone brought something yummy. We all ate and enjoyed conversation and laughter. I talked with a friend’s elderly mom who had a really rough time of it a couple years ago with cancer and other medical issues. She said she felt better now than she has in years. She wasn’t sure if she was going to make it through, but now she feels like she is strong and has energy. I would even describe her as miraculous. When I told her about my son’s back surgeries, she said she would add him to her long prayer list. She had so many people to pray for and hoped someone was praying for her. I assured her I was. At the end of the night, everyone divided up the leftovers and I think left with more than they came with. I feel so blessed to have these friends in my life.

I Found God today in friendship and healing.

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Love of Children

Posted by eph21920 on January 13, 2025 in Baby, Children, Friends, Joy, Love

A friend of mine is going through a particularly difficult time right now. I went to her house today to visit and help her get some things done. Her 2 grandchildren were over as she was caring for them while her daughter worked. The kids are almost 1 and almost 3. It had been a few months since I had seen them and they both had grown so much in that time. Their personalities were developing more as was their energy. But they were adorable and funny and sweet. My friend said that she felt a little better today than the past couple days. I was sure that at least part of that was due to having the children around. I think kids bring a certain sense of joy, love, and optimism – especially when they are of your own family.

I Found God today in the love of children.

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SOLOS and The Dress

Posted by eph21920 on January 12, 2025 in Connected, Family, Grateful, Life, Love, New, Opportunity, Relationship

I have been meeting my son and his fiancée for Mass on Sunday mornings which has been such a blessing. Unfortunately, I’m not good at getting there on time. I was very close this morning. When I walked in, there was a woman speaking and inviting people to “Just come and try it out”, and that’s all I heard. I found my son and his fiancée and sat down. As soon as I did, they both turned to me smiling and said that I had to talk to the woman after Mass. I figured they knew me well enough and said ok. Later, they told me she was inviting people to a group called SOLOS that was made up of single people in their 50’s or older who want to do things with others in the same situation. I did talk to the woman and another who seemed energetic and friendly. They told me of the next meeting where they plan events and I said I would attend. I thought it sounded like fun and a good way to meet new people. I felt grateful and loved that my son and his fiancée were so encouraging.

BONUS: Yesterday was my son’s fiancée’s birthday. She, her mom, sister, and a friend made a trip to a bridal shop to get ideas for a wedding dress. While they were there, she tried on a couple and found the one she wanted. After Mass this morning, she showed me the pictures of her in the dress. It was perfect. She was beautiful. I cried happy tears this time.

I Found God today in my encouraging and loving family.

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Extreme Life Makeover

Posted by eph21920 on January 11, 2025 in Answer, Death, Faith, Family, Home, Life, New, Opportunity, Past

I used to love watching Extreme Home Makeover. It always included a feel good story. So, I was happy to see it was coming back. I watched the first episode tonight and it didn’t disappoint. The story was about a family who lost their husband and father, 3 years ago. He was also a pastor. The family was struggling to move forward. The wife wanted to be able to, but when she tried to go through any of his things, she became overwhelmed and stuck. Her mother had moved in to help and the house had become crowded and cluttered. The sponsor of the show built a new house for the family with a bedroom for each of the 3 kids, the mom and grandma. As part of the process, everything was removed from the old home and the family chose what they wanted/needed to keep to put in the new house. The people surrounding and helping the family were so supportive and encouraging. The wife said she “heard” her husband telling her to let things go. She said she felt that getting rid of his things was like erasing him. But, after many tears, she was able to make the much needed progress. I felt her pain and cried with her every time she started. In the end, the house they put in place for the family was over the top, as in the previous series. But they incorporated pictures and memorabilia of the beloved man all throughout the house, even a carving of his portrait in the table. The woman said it wasn’t just a Home Makeover, but she experienced an Extreme Life Makeover.

I Found God today in the healing of a hurting woman.

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Close to the Broken hearted

Posted by eph21920 on January 10, 2025 in Answer, Bible, Eternity, Faith, Healing, Opportunity, Struggles, Tragedy

Today I watched a video by Dallas Jenkins who is the creator of the Chosen series. He was talking about the apocalyptic fires in Los Angeles and the big question, “Where is God in all this?” I thought he made some good points that gave me pause to ponder. Time and time again in the Bible, people go through difficulties, sicknesses, struggles, and suffering. In the New Testament, Jesus cures some people and not others. Referring to Psalm 34:19, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, saves those whose spirit is crushed.” acknowledges that people will have their hearts broken, that there is suffering. We do not live in a perfect world. And the God we believe in is so much more than we can even imagine. His time, space, and actions are not ours. He has an Eternal perspective. It is impossible for us to see the big picture and equally as impossible to answer “why”? In scripture, God never promises to fix our problems or heal our bodies. But what it does say is that God is ultimately concerned with our hearts. He offers us peace and even joy in the midst of our trials, though perhaps not immediately. We have the opportunity to allow God to heal our broken hearts. Often we are too angry, confused, and push God away. But He is still here and always will be. God’s own Son, Jesus, was tortured and killed. But through that came the end to death and the possibility for everlasting peace and love. It is difficult to struggle and suffer. But through faith, we can hope that God is there to heal our broken hearts.

I Found God today reminded that God is close to the broken hearted.

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Christmas Miracle Rescue

Posted by eph21920 on January 9, 2025 in Creation, Friends, Grateful, Mercy, Miracle, Weather

I received a Christmas card and letter from a friend the other day who gave an update about her family. I was surprised to hear that one of her adult sons was recently involved in a life threatening experience. I chatted with her a bit today and read a couple of articles about the ordeal. The young man is an avid hiker and just a couple of days before Christmas he decided to go to a place in the mountains that he knew of to watch the sunrise. However, after being caught in snow and wind, he lost sight of the trail. He tried to make his way out, but was lost and trudging through deep snow. He became hypothermic and unable to continue. Luckily, he was able to call 911. The rescuers worked in extreme conditions to reach the young man and had to wait for the visibility to clear before being able to hoist him into the medical helicopter. According to the article from the National Guard, “Extreme luck” is how they characterized the sequence of events that led to the recovery seven hours after he called 911. The young man received treatment at the hospital and was released. Even though he is currently suffering from frostbite to his fingers, his mother praised God’s mercy that her son was alive.

I Found God today in an extreme, miraculous rescue and survival.

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Pool in the Snow

Posted by eph21920 on January 8, 2025 in Creation, Death, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Healing, Past, Travel, Weather

A friend of mine flew into the big city near me yesterday. She was staying at a resort for a conference that was to begin tonight. I was going to go see her, but the roads were too treacherous. However, I was very happy to see the roads were clear this morning and I was able to go today. We had not seen each other in about 8 years and hugged and cried when I arrived. We took some time to just catch up and be together. The hotel she was staying at had a beautiful view of the mountain range. We went outside to take a better look. Even though there was snow on the ground, it wasn’t real cold. The sky deep blue and was so clear that it seemed you could see forever. The fresh snow highlighted the different layers and heights of the mountains. It was really and incredible sight. The hotel also had outdoor hot tubs and an infinity pool. After some investigating, we decided to give it a try. We changed into our swimsuits – which she told me to bring – and made our way through the snow covered chairs, starting in the hot tub. The weather was just perfect. The sun was warm, the air was cool but there was no wind. Hard to believe, but after a while it actually got too hot. Then we tried out the infinity pool. It was not as warm, but the view from there was stunning. A mom and 2 kids were also enjoying the pool, while making a snowman on the edge of the water. It was pretty funny. We reminisced about old times and got caught up on our families’ news. We shared our grief over the loss of our parents and talked about the importance of caring for ourselves as part of the healing process. We had a wonderful meal before we hugged and said goodbye. It was such an incredible blessing of a day. God cared for us in all ways – safe travels, unbelievable beauty, exceptional weather, soothing pools, understanding and compassionate conversation. I was so grateful.

I Found God today in an incredible blessing of a day with a friend.

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Card Game

Posted by eph21920 on January 7, 2025 in Food, Friends, Fun

It was a cold, snowy day today. I got my exercise shovelling this morning just in time for the sun to come out and start to melt a little bit. This afternoon a neighbor invited me over dinner. She made a big pot of chili, which was perfect for a cold day. I went over and enjoyed dinner and conversation. Then, she and her husband taught me a new card game called 7’s. It was similar to stacking cards in solitaire, but starting with the 7’s – hence the name. I was just thinking the other day that it would be fun to get together and play games with people. It was a blessing to share a meal, conversation, and laughter.

I Found God today having fun with neighbors.

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Let’s Hear it for the Boy

Posted by eph21920 on January 6, 2025 in Answer, Connected, Creation, Doctor, Dog, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Healing, Miracle

A little over two years ago, a friend of mine almost lost her mother to an illness. It was actually her dog that alerted her to the seriousness of the situation. Luckily, she pulled through. Shortly after that, my friend’s dog had to have emergency surgery as his intestines flipped. The vet didn’t give the dog much of a chance of surviving the surgery. My friend said that when she went back to the vet after the surgery, she heard the song, “Let’s Hear it for the Boy” by Deniece Williams and she knew her dog would be alright. Miraculously, he was. Today was 2 years to the day of that surgery. My friend took her mom to a doctor’s appointment today. Their route took them past the vet. While they were stopped at the light there, the same song came on the radio. My friend said all the events of 2 years ago came rushing right back to her. She found herself incredibly grateful to God for His blessings and His reminding her of them.

I Found God today in my friend’s faith story.

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Epiphany House Blessing

Posted by eph21920 on January 5, 2025 in Family, Home, New, Prayer

Today we celebrate the day when the 3 kings arrived to witness and worship the baby Jesus. The church offered blessed chalk and a prayer to take and bless our homes. I had heard of the tradition, but had never done it. I went home, read the prayer and marked the lintels of my front door and garage door. Then I went to my son’s house and we did the same to his entrance. He is having another back surgery tomorrow, because unfortunately he is still in pain even after his last surgery 8 weeks ago. I thought they could use as much blessing as possible. Sometimes I get stuck in a pattern of the same prayers and it can become too habitual. The caution then is that I’m not actually thinking about what I’m doing or saying. It was fun and meaningful to participate in a new prayer and to share it with my son. Here’s the basic information about this tradition:

The inscription written over the door changes every year. For this year, we wrote:

“20 + C + M + B + 25.”

The Letters C, M, and B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They are also the first letters of the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.” The + signs represent the cross. As we marked the door, we said a prayer:

The three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar followed the star of God’s Son who became human two thousand and twenty-five years ago. May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.
Visit, O blessed Lord, this home with the gladness of your presence. Bless all who live or visit here with the gift of your love; and grant that we may manifest your love to each other and to all whose lives we touch. May we grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of you; guide, comfort, and strengthen us in peace, O Jesus Christ, now and for ever. Amen.

I Found God today in a new and meaningful blessing.

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