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Cemetery and Visitation

Posted by eph21920 on May 31, 2023 in Bible, Connected, Death, Faith, Family, Life

Today my mother and I made a trip out to the cemetery after her haircut. It was a beautiful day and we had not been able to get out there for Memorial Day. We were greeted by many large flags on poles at the entrance that weren’t there before. We drove around to the place where my dad’s grave was located and saw that every headstone was adorned by a small American flag. It was a sight to behold. We added some red, white, and blue flowers that I had bought for the holiday. My mom talked to my dad and we said some prayers. By the time we got home, my mom was exhausted. I should have known that was too much in one morning. At the same time, she was too wound up to sleep. I sat with her and put on a meditation to try to help her calm the anxiety. One that I found was based on scripture. We listened to that and prayed. Today the Catholic Church celebrates the Visitation. That is when Mary the Mother of Jesus ran “in haste” to help her much older cousin Elizabeth. As I prayed for calm and peace for my mom, I felt a connection to the Visitation story. Here I was with my mom, doing my best to help her. I know God hears me. I know He promises to care for widows and orphans. I trust that He is.

I Found God today in beautiful morning followed by connecting with the Visitation story.

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Staying Connected

Posted by eph21920 on May 30, 2023 in Answer, Connected, Faith, Life, Prayer

I saw a quote today from TobyMac that I thought was a beautiful reminder of how important it is to remain connected to God:

“When Job had everything, he prayed. When he had nothing, he still prayed. Prayer isn’t about your circumstance. It is about who God is.”

I Found God in a reminder of the way we stay connected to Him.

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Back Home

Posted by eph21920 on May 29, 2023 in Family, Grateful, Home, Struggles, Travel

Today my son and I picked up my other son and his family from the airport. We needed 2 cars to fit everyone. The drive to the airport was not bad as it was nice and early. There were more people on the highway on the way back, but traffic was still moving so it was ok. My daughter in law and granddaughter slept most of the way while my son and I chatted. They had a very long and difficult couple of weeks after the sudden death of my daughter in law’s mother. We stopped and got them all food before going to their house. Once there, we were able to exchange long, tearful hugs. After such a stressful time, I was glad they were all home, safely together.

I Found God today in safe travels.

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Blessed Friendship

Posted by eph21920 on May 28, 2023 in Connected, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Life, Relationship

Today I was so fortunate to visit with some friends from out of state. I met the woman through our church and youth ministry. Her husband was raised here, so we were able to reminisce about what the town was like many years ago. We shared challenges of caring for parents and we shared joys of new life in grandchildren. We talked about delving deeper into faith and how we are doing that at this point in time. We also talked about our relationship with God and His guidance. Just as we are connected through very interesting circumstances, so too is our life journey. Even though we’re not sure where one path may lead us, we find we are very blessed when we follow with faith and hope. We were only together for a couple of hours, but it seemed our conversation covered eternity. It was such a blessing and so uplifting to visit them. I am so grateful for our friendship.

I Found God today in a blessed friendship.

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Take the Day

Posted by eph21920 on May 27, 2023 in Answer, Begin, Faith, Life, Plan, Present

I chatted with a neighbor today whose mother had recently died. We exchanged sorrows for a while, then moved to grateful that the sun was shining. He said we should, “Take the day for what it offers.” I liked that thought. It’s a reminder that each day is full of unforseen possibilities. I may have an idea or plan for my day, and I can move in that direction, but it may not turn out the way I thought it would. Ultimately, I am better off if I trust in God’s day and participate in all that He offers. Each day is a new beginning, and that in itself is a gift.

I Found God today in the gift of each day.

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Returned

Posted by eph21920 on May 26, 2023 in Family, Grateful, Home, Life

After working in the Florida Everglades for the winter, my brother was happy to be finished. While he was there, he pretty much wore out his little camping trailer. Constant heat and humidity left it in pretty poor shape. Before he left Florida, he purchased a new one. After he picked it up and tested it out, my brother made his way here. I got the tour of the new trailer, which seems to better fit his needs. It was good to see him and hear some of his stories. We were glad he made it safely and that he and his dog were doing well.

I Found God today seeing my brother again.

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Teamwork

Posted by eph21920 on May 25, 2023 in Connected, Family, Friends, Generosity, Grateful, Life

Since my son has been away for the funeral, his roommate and girlfriend have been taking turns caring for his dog. Today was our turn. My son’s girlfriend dropped off the dog bright and early this morning. She followed me all over and was clearly confused as to what was happening. Then I had a dentist appointment, so I left her with my sister and mom. A little while later, our friend came over to be with my mom and my sister went to work. When I returned from my appointment, we all went out for a walk. In the afternoon, my son made it back into town and picked up his dog who was very happy to see him. I spoke with my other son who is also away for the funeral with his family and we coordinated their return flight. Later, my mom and I went for a ride to his house. I had pulled his trash can down to the curb yesterday, so brought it back up. Then I checked his mail and the house. He has cameras, so could see me and texted me. That was especially fun for my mom. This day was a good example of how we all need each other and how each of us has something to offer, no matter how small it may seem at the time. I am very grateful for the giving people in my life.

I Found God today in teamwork.

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Longer-gevity

Posted by eph21920 on May 24, 2023 in Life, Sick, Struggles

A couple of days ago, my friend’s mom completed her cancer treatments. My friend shared a video of her ringing the bell. It was too cute. Today, I met with my prayer group. One of the men found out that he had cancer several months ago. He declined treatment as the doctors couldn’t promise him much more time, and of that he would be feeling terrible from the medication. Since he wasn’t feeling particularly bad, he decided he wanted to live his life out without intervention. Tonight he and his wife joined the prayer group via Zoom. He was spry as ever and said that he intends to be around at least until next year. It is uplifting to see positivity and continued life through illness.

I Found God today in people living through their illness.

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Trust In

Posted by eph21920 on May 23, 2023 in Answer, Children, Connected, Life, Trust

Today I was happy to go for a walk at the park. This park had a couple of playgrounds for children and a large astroturf field. As I walked past one playground, a man was encouraging a toddler to climb on the structure, taking him through it step by step. The child accomplished the task and proudly exclaimed, “I DID IT!” followed by the man, “YOU DID IT!” This child trusted that the adult was leading him safely through the obstacles. A little further on I saw a woman walking toward some stairs with a toddler following just behind her. When they reached the stairs, the woman stopped. The little boy caught up, stopped next to the woman, and without looking up, reached up his hand for hers. He trusted that she was right there and would guide him safely to their destination. Further on, I reached a small parking lot and saw a toddler running to the sidewalk. Then I saw another one who looked exactly the same as the first run to the sidewalk. Twins. Their mom was following right behind until she realized she forgot something in the car. She told the boys to stay there while she went back to the car for a second, then she met them on the sidewalk. They watched and waited until she was with them and told them they could continue on. They trusted that she would come right back and she trusted that they would listen to her. Finally, I walked past the giant field. I watched a large young man and a tiny young woman practice what looked like cheerleading moves. He would throw her up in the air and try to catch her by her feet so she was standing straight. Then she would balance on one leg. Then she would jump and he would catch her before she reached the ground. Each of them had to trust that the other had the correct instructions, knew the plan, and would do their part so they would both be safe. Honestly, after I saw the first little boy with the man, the trust message hit my heart loud and clear. I guess God thought I would forget, so He repeated the message over and over again. By the time I witnessed the cheerleading team, I was practically in tears and thanking God for making this impression on me. I get it God – you will lead me safely through the obstacles, you are always there to guide me safely to my destination, you will not leave me, I will wait for your instructions and follow through on my part as you follow through on your part.

I Found God today in His message on trust.

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More Missions

Posted by eph21920 on May 22, 2023 in Bible, Connected, Faith, Friends, Past, Travel

Our friends returned from yet another mission trip and stopped by today. This time they visited Turkey and Albania. They had stories to tell like always. But what fascinated me the most was the biblical history of the place. They met a man in Turkey who gave tours of the area including cities such as Ephesus, Tarsus, and Antioch. He said that Americans typically come to the sites with their own preconceived ideas of scripture. But the man and those who live there have a different perspective. Things that may not make sense to us, can make perfect sense to them as they are the culture to which it was written about or for. It was additional verification of the Bible and it’s message. I think it would be amazing to be there and hear another viewpoint of the scripture stories.

I Found God today in my missionary friends.

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