Seeing this picture of my champion for LIFE and Family in the beautiful snowy mountains just gave this early cold winter a new face of JOY and gladness! This Pope was with me for most of our marriage - from just two months of marriage/newly weds til 2005 - 27 of our 35 years! My husband is also my champion for LIFE and raising LIGHTS in our domestic Church/family, and to have these two great men guiding and directing me in the Truth has given me so much! They are the wind beneath my wings! Just yesterday my husband stood up for the raising of LIGHTS in facing down a desire to not attend the First Holy Day of Obligation - The Solemnity of Mary on New Year's Day! Those that were schooled on not allowing this lax attitude to enter into their family worship - reported after that they were filled with "joy and gladness" after going through the effort to be at Church for this glorious feast day! "It is always good to be here, and it is always worth the effort to come and receive the blessings." My husband has seen too often that this letting the days of obligation pass by without the effort to get the family there lays the groundwork for not instilling the Truth of - We love Jesus and His Bride, The Church, and long to be at Church to show our LOVE and JOY at receiving HIM in the Eucharist!
Here is a glorious video we came across that shows all the wonders of our amazing Church - it covers the sacraments in pictures and when you get to the 7 minute mark - be prepared to receive the tearful JOY that we discovered there! Adoramus Te Domine
Two weeks ago we were in the midst of a most wonderful family gathering! With the arrival of Maria and her 3 from El Paso, TX we had all of our grandchildren together! Maria's oldest, Therese, is a total baby lover and adored her new little cousin, Luke! Just give her a baby in the house and she finds JOY and gladness abounding! When she finally welcomed home her new brother, Patrick, 14 months ago after 2 1/2 weeks in NICU after being born dead, and revived... for the entire story I have a page devoted to this miraculous story of healing - http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-story-of-little-lamb-grandson.html... Therese was so wanting to do everything at mommy's side for her new brother that finally Maria told her to get her dolly, Anna, and do it all to her dolly as mom was doing it for Patrick! A girl who truly LOVES LIFE! She has spoken that she wishes to be a sister, yet also loves the thought of being the mother to many! This has been so true of my girls in their listening to their calls - Susan/Hallel would always say to me, when I asked her if she thought she was getting/answering a call to be His Bride - "I am either going to be a sister or be the mother of 10 kids." That about covers it! I know that little Sister Hallel loves little ones and that it is a sacrifice for her to give up having a family - yet, she describes how she ministers to the little ones she comes in contact with on her journys of begging for her food from the poor. I can imagine her reaching out to them, and some are not receiving the LOVE they need in their homes... Hallel can give them some of that LOVE fueled from her time in prayer and study each day of Jesus in His Word and receiving HIM in His Body and Blood!
I came across this lately and it is so true of my Hallel!!! Finding so much LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT in her life of contemplation - these Brides have so much "JOY and Gladness" to bring to this world of suffering!
Jesus, with Your Bride, little Sister Hallel, and many that have sacrificed their own families to be available to the world and the needs they encounter. The world cannot understand the giving up of the earthly selfish needs, yet I learned from this unmarried girl/postulant in The Community of the Lamb... the beautiful Truth of The Most Cherished Cross! STs Basil and Gregory, you show us the path to Truth, and the beauty of wisdom gained through study and prayer... How blessed are we to have little Sister Hallel along with her Community of the Lamb - the time we can spend with them and the ways we are blessed by their prayers for us in our lives. How important were those prayers as we faced John and Patrick! Now we are filled with JOY and gladness as we see the power of Prayer! Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Hallelujah
The two Davids on little Dave's baptism day 1-1-10! Talk about Joy and gladness!!!!
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
For John's cancer story of healing and answer for Faith prayed for... http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/johns-cancer-stories.html
"All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God."
Psalm 98 - A grand Hallel psalm from mass today
My Most Cherished Cross - Champion for LIFE and Family on our wedding day! August 3, 1978
"The world needs LIGHTS!" Patrick Verly to me when I asked if we were being selfish to have a large family - and the answer to all those that wonder why the Church asks us to be open to LIFE/family!
4th daughter, Susan now Little Sister Hallel, being welcomed by her two older sisters - Maria and Nancy. Life is a Gift!
Hallel with her nieces and nephews on her home visit in April - Luke has joined us since, and in June we will welcome #11! Thank you, Lord!
Danielle Rose - Pursue Me - her song for Vocation Discernment
Blast from the past - memories of my childhood are good and warm like them...
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