On the plane returning to France two years later... Two years before, John and I had decided to go to be with his sister, Susan, as she took the habit of the Community of the Lamb and changed her name to little Sister Hallel! We made that decision just days after his second chemo for brain cancer, and within only 24 hours! We were in shock that the doors had opened for us to go, and the blessings flowed over us like rivers! ls Hallel reminded her brother that he needed to come back and thank Our Lady of Lourdes, so we are returning in July to be with her as she took her first vows as a spouse of Christ! Her dad and grandma joined us!
John loves his sister dearly and was willing and more than able to face the week ahead... walking without assistance and able now to do everything except jump or run very well... cured of cancer or cancer free for close to 2 years now! 
Hallel was so happy to see him! I know that his continued recovery takes time in her prayers every day, and we continue to hear from people that say that they pray for him daily! So appreciated and needed! With that healing and no longer the need to be at his side to fight the battle along with thousands of prayer warriors... I am allowed to return to doing something that I love... TEC retreats!
Loaded down with air mattress, suitcase, towels and all the baggage that goes along for a 60 year old woman to sleep on the floor in comfort... I will work the next 3 days as an assistant to the priest on the weekend as the Assistant Spiritual Director! I love working with the spiritual ends of things, and the weekend includes the sacraments of Reconcilliation and Eucharist... those which gives us our lives with Christ!
The retreat is aimed at 16 yr olds, as that is the age you need to be to attend. But there is no age limit... Pat's mom made a TEC retreat when she was 82, and she is now 92! I have no doubt that if we asked her today, that she would go! If she can go to France for a week, she could make a retreat like this!
My 3 oldest daughters each made a retreat, and each returned home to ask Pat and I to go... My feeling was that I was good with my faith, and really had no desire to do this. But after the 3rd one asked with such sincerity... I could no longer say no! I was changed forever by the experience of PRAYER that I encoutered there! Prayer became so real to me, and something that permeates my whole life! With every breath that I take, and every beat of my heart.... Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!
I see this retreat as a wonderful way to share my faith, and to evangelize... as Christ asks us to put our lamp on a lampstand for all to see! To share and to see the joy that comes from encountering the great love that Christ has for each one of us! I have been so struck lately by the realization that God the Father loves us so much that He wants to do everything with us! 
This is familiar to me, because I have a husband, who wants to do everything with me! Going to town... there is always an invite to me to go, and sit in the pickup for an hour while he is getting parts or whatever. Thankfully I can turn it into rosary time too! I digress and my husband is in here due to some rain now.
Well, my husband has a short rain delay... so I will simply say that I would highly... from the rooftops...shout that all would be so blessed to take 3 days out of your lives and make a TEC reteat! We all come out of a closer encouter with our LORD of LOVE in a better place! He wants to do all of our lives with us! That makes us know that we are desired and loved in all of our unworthiness!
Jesus, it is a wonder and delight to know that I am loved by you, and that you want to be involved in every part of my life! I welcome you, and invite you, and even into those dark corners that I think that I can hide from you! You know every part of me and my life, and there is no point in trying to sweep the ugliness under the rug. May I come to you in the confessional and lay it all at your feet... put all that seperates us away from me! Jesus, I love you and need you and want to walk with you every moment of every day! Jesus, I trust in you! Amen and Halleluia!
Bless-bless, Barb6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits {6 Or the sevenfold Spirit} of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." 11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" 14 The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped."
Rev 5: 6-14 Thinking about the Lamb today!
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