Taking what LIFE gives us and making the best of it - remembering the new covenant of His Blood!

The drought is getting very depressing - day after day of heat and wind.... watching the grass and crops die, and the creeks dry up.  Day after day - the first thing Pat prays for is abundant rains.  It goes so much further than the crops for Pat with his 120 cows and calves out on pastures - the calves were weaned just 4 days ago now because the grass is running out and the water is getting scarce.  They could have had more time on their mothers if there had been rain for the pastures.  Now they are in the barn and Pat has to feed them feed from the corn plant as well as ground hay - all those bales he put up early in the summer are now being used already!   Pat does not seem to be overly anxious or upset by these two months without rain.  Knowing that there is nothing he can do about it except pray and leave it in the Lord's hands allows him to just take what comes at him with each day and make the best decision he can under the circumstances at hand.  This is a lesson for all of us in LIFE - first of all knowing that in everything in LIFE that God is in control, and we need only trust and take what we have before us and make the best decisions we can under those circumstances.  We are the new wineskins and we are filled with the new wine - the saving Blood Jesus shed for us on the Cross showed us the way to find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT by embracing our Most Cherished Cross!   John helped shed light on this Gospel today - he was recalling a discussion he had with 3 of his fellow seminarians last year about this exact Gospel - "The new wine is the Blood of Christ and we are the new wineskins blessed with the new Covenant with God through Christ our Savior."  Wow!  John admitted that he very much misses his seminarian brothers as he continues to look for the path the Lord has for him.  This mothers heart is sad at this time, and yearns for him to be in seminary.  It is hard for me to let go and trust, but I try not to let John know of my struggles with his decision.

Making sure the gate is locked really well!  These bawling calves would be out and looking for their moms in a moment if they had a chance.  Yesterday I was putting clothes on the line just after Pat had fed them and there was about 5 second intervals of silence while they all were eating.  This being the forth day they are getting tired of calling for mom and starting to lose their voices.

Jesus, we are not in control of what comes to us each day of our lives.  There is so much that is out of our control, and all we can do is give it up to YOU.  From the first reading today in Colossians 1 - "For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things  for him, making peace by the Blood of his Cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven."  Yes, Lord, we are filled with so much gratitude as we recall what you have done for us through your Cross/death for the sins of the world, and in asking us to follow after you carrying our Most Cherished Cross!  Yes, that is where we suffer death to self and find LIFE in YOU, O Lord!  May we love and serve YOU in all we do and say and don't say and work and play and pray this day and forever!  Jesus, may we "serve the Lord with gladness; come before him singing with joyful song." Psalm 100 - a grand Hallel psalm from mass today!  We are the flock that you tend, O Lord, and if the pastures dry up and the creeks are dry - you give us water from the Rock and manna from heaven and care for us!  May we go forth and give the Mercy to those in our domestic Church/family according to the Mercy YOU have shown us over and over again - unconditional LOVE and forgiveness flows over and around us - the Life-giving water from the Rock, Jesus Christ!  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barb

We received news yesterday that Hallel and all those coming from France should now be in Kansas City!  We are preparing to go there and join with them in celebration of the Little Monastery in a week. 

"Know that the Lord is God;

He made us, his we are;

his people, the flock he tends.

Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.

 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

his courts with praise;

Give thanks to him; bless his name.

Come with Joy into the presence of the Lord.

 

For he is good,

The Lord, whose kindness endures forever,

and his faithfulness, to all generations.

Come with Joy into the presence of the Lord."

Psalm 100 from mass today - a Grand Hallel psalm!

Ruth trusts that the new baby will be welcomed by her current baby... Trust, wait and see.  Please join in praying for the continued safety of Ruth and her little boy!  The Lord is in control and we trust!

Casting  Crowns - Come to the Well

Now that I have discovered how easy it is to put these on my blog so that you don't have to leave it to listen to music - I just thought I would add this one more.  Holy Now by Peter Mayer!  It truly is a reminder that we can even find HIM in the midst of the drought and all of life's struggles and pain - Our Most Cherished Cross becomes a thing of Life-giving beauty!