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Million Miles Away

Tonight I watched the movie, “A Million Miles Away”. It was the true story of a man from Mexico who grew up traveling from place to place and working on farms with his family. His dream was to be an astronaut. His family made sacrifices so he could go to school and he earned a Master’s degree in engineer. After decades of work,  perseverance and additional sacrifices made by his wife and children, he finally achieved his goal and was on a flight crew of the space shuttle Discovery. It was an inspirational movie. When it finished, I wanted to learn more about the gentleman – Jose Hernandez – so I read more about him. I also watched a video interview with him. The movie seemed to be very true to his life. His family and community fully supported him in his endeavor. His father shared his recipe to accomplish what you want. That played a huge part in his life. He was asked about his faith. He replied that science and religion can coexist. Science explains how things happen. Religion explains why. He went on to say that when he was in space, he would look out one window and see the beauty of Earth, which is actually just a small microcosm of the universe. And when he looked out the other window, he saw everything else – the rest of space, which is perfectly aligned. As a scientist, he said he wasn’t sure he could explain all of that, and there has to be something else out there that we don’t understand – God. The movie was inspiring, the man was equally so.

I Found God today in the story of perseverance and faith of an astronaut.

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Living Vicariously

A friend of mine has been travelling recently. We are in a group text with several other friends. He went to Africa before Christmas and shared pictures from there, including wildlife he saw on safari, which was very exciting. Now he is in Guatemala for a friend’s wedding and is again keeping us in the loop. He sent beautiful photos of the landscape and the wedding. He also happened to catch a volcanic eruption on video, which was amazing. This morning there was a video one of his friends took of him landing after parasailing. I love that he’s enjoying himself and that he is sharing his adventures with us. I feel like I am living vicariously through him.

I Found God today sharing my friend’s adventures.

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God’s Life Directions

Today I visited for a while with an older couple that I know. The gentleman recalled the things he had done that kept him very busy after his “retirement”. He was just wondering what he should do next when he received the scary news that he had cancer. There was some period of time that he didn’t know if he was going to make it through. He said he talked to God and told Him that if he would die, then God would have to take care of his wife. After that one-way conversation, the gentleman started getting better. He said he didn’t hear a voice or anything, but he knew what his next mission was – take care of his wife. Since his recovery, she has been hospitalized and currently has a hard time getting around. He is doing a very good job of taking care of her.

I Found God today in my friend’s story of God’s guidance.

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Message to Pray

I was so happy to be able to spend some time in Eucharistic Adoration this morning. There was almost an overwhelming sense of peace as I was aware of God’s Presence in that moment and in my life. While I was there, my son texted that he will be having a final interview tomorrow for a job that he would really like. It would be in the place that he wants, pay that he needs, and work that he is familiar with. He has been struggling since he injured his back again and feels this job is what he and his family are in desperate need of at this time. I prayed before the Eucharist and put the situation in God’s hands. I encouraged my son to do the same. His message came at the perfect time and I was grateful to be in the chapel when I received it.

I Found God today in a perfectly time message for prayer.

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Adventures in Time and Space

My dad loved science fiction and had many old books. Today I was looking at one of them; a 1954 paperback, “Adventures in Time and Space”. I was also listening to a classical radio station. As I was looking through the book, a selection of Holst, The Planets came on. I always think of my dad when I hear that symphony. I smiled and shared the experience with my family. Then, the theme song from the old sci-fi series “Lost in Space” came on. It was too much. I was laughing out loud in the house by myself and thinking of my dad playing tricks. The other day at my prayer group, one of the gentlemen who knew my dad and is a physicist talked about how God exists outside of time and space. It all just came together. I hope and pray my dad is having his adventure outside of time and space as well.

I Found God today thinking of my dad in a humorous way.

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Sharing Encouragement

I do love TobyMac. I saw him in concert many years ago on the side of a mountain during a Christian music festival. The energy of his music is vibrant, and the lyrics are real and uplifting. He went through a very difficult time a couple years ago when his son tragically died. I have admired his perseverance and continued faith. I follow him on social media and today his message struck my heart, “And then I realized the season I wanted to skip became the soil God used to grow me.” I could relate to this feeling and was grateful for the encouraging words. While we don’t feel it or remember it in the moment, we are never alone in our struggles. God is always there, yes, and there are other people who are going through hardships. And there are those who are on the other side of a particular crisis and can encourage others. I am grateful to see the past couple years of my life in a more positive light at this time and definitely realize that I have grown through the pain.

I Found God today in an encouraging message.

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Yolanda Renee King

This morning I saw an interview with 17 year old Yolanda Renee King who was in town for an event remembering her grandfather, Martin Luther King Jr. She was incredibly well spoken and her looks even resembled her grandfather. During the interview, she talked about how important it is to choose the option for peace and not violence, to choose love for one another instead of hatred. She said that her father, who is Martin Luther King Jr.’s son, did not push her into the public spotlight. Instead, she chose to speak up and speak out for what is good and possible. She talked about the importance of voting on both the national and local levels, reminding us of the freedom that we all have to do so. And while many of the topics were serious, she was still a teenager and described how she likes to hang out with friends, eat, and listen to music. I was very impressed with her poise, her message, and how comfortable she was in front of many cameras. I am sure she will make quite a positive impact in our world.

I Found God today in the well spoken granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr.

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More Coffee Trees

Years ago, my sister who worked at Starbucks got a coffee tree from them. She managed to get some cuttings to root and created several new trees. There are 2 of them in my house, 1 belongs to my sister and 1 to me. Today my sister helped to repot mine and we found out that it truly needed it as there were so many roots. It is just over 6′ tall so it was quite a project. It looked pretty happy when we were done with it. Then my sister took some cuttings off her tree to try to grow some more. She has done a lot of research and passed along information to help care for them. It was another fun day with my sister getting our hands dirty and hopefully making a positive difference in the plants.

I Found God today spending time with my sister and plants.

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Sister’s Weekend

My sister came today for her birthday weekend. We had fun at the antique shop where she found a beautiful handmade purse with lots of pockets. It was just what she was looking for. Then we went out to lunch. After that we watched the football game. It was a nailbiter all the way through, but our team finally won. After dinner, we had her favorite cupcakes that she actually bought for herself. It was fun spending the day with her.

I Found God today spending the day with my sister.

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Stained Glass

As I was visiting a friend today, her daughter-in-law stopped over. She talked about an art class that she’s taking, learning to make stained glass. She told us all about the process, which is more complicated than I imagined. There is a pattern to make, an outline to follow, and sottering involved. I got lost when she was explaining wrapping the colored glass. It is even more challenging for her as she has an eye condition in which she sees doubles. The corrective glasses that she wears are effective for most daily living activities. However, for such intricate close-up work, she really struggles. Evidently her instructor even suggested starting over with her project. But, she is determined to finish what she is working on. I admired her patience, tenacity and perseverance.

I Found God today in a woman’s perseverance.