The yield - a boy who loves his Mother!

Four years ago the Gospel for John's day of transplant of his stem cells/seeds back into this wiped out body was the sower and the seed, well now 2 days later that is the Gospel from St Mark 4 today!  I was overjoyed to see it last night when I read the Gospel for today before I turned out the light.  All night long I would wake and think of our great time together with our son last evening!  I would think of this picture I shared of him, and marvel that he has born so much over the last 4 years since he was left for dead and brought back to LIFE!  His immunity was wiped out and the soil was sterile as after a long cold brutally arctic winter we are now experiencing, and with the spring and under perfect conditions the seeds/ his own stem cells were planted into him.  What has been the yield?  It has been so much for his family to have the new John with us to brighten our days and world!  The yield has been revealed in his completing college, starting a job selling life insurance - if anyone could say to others ..."You never know what is around the corner just look at what happened to me!" it is John with all sincerity and Truth behind him!  Then he heard a "call" in the midst of that first summer out of school - "John maybe I have saved you to be my priest?!?"  and John entered seminary to discern his call and in just about 6 weeks the doors flew open for him to enter St Paul Seminary!  A mother fell on her knees with such gratitude and happiness  and hope!  He loved the community-prayer life he was surrounded with there, yet the studies were very difficult and he just did not have the heart to put behind the 6 years of study necessary to go forward at this time.  Last night he admitted to us that he still has this thought in his heart, and is wondering what form it could take...

A card I made for John to celebrate his new birth 4 years ago!  The verse from the 23rd psalm is, of course, so true of John's journey and story that he burns to share - he will not be silent!  As Pope Francis told the youth in Brazil at WYD - "make noise!"  John heard this and took it totally to heart, as his only true heart's desire is to share the miracle of his healing and finding Faith far and wide!  I just found John's webpage for the job he truly loves and longs to do - speak, not be silent, and make noise - http://verly002.wix.com/thelightturnedon  Why the light turned on?  Well, not only did his lack of faith turn into a infusion of the Truth/LIGHT, but in one of the scariest points in his treatment- the full brain radiation - the technician had accidentally bumped the light switch and apologized, but for John it was an answer to his prayers that he can trust because Jesus is in control in the midst of the storm.  Just at this time Bishop LeVoir wrote us on our caringbridge site - "When you feel overwhelmed by things - repeat these words -"Jesus, I trust in you." " I have never let a day go by without saying this over and over... well, you know that!  It was huge for us to get that reassurance, once again!  Thank you, Lord, and your wonderful Mother at your side!

I was very sad that seminary only was for a year, and then after meeting with Bishop LeVoir, who had also taken some time off early in his discernment... John decided to get a job in the real world and just keep on asking for direction.  It was a hard process with a lot of hearing that they were hiring someone with experience, but we had him here at home and that was a gift for me and his dad and Ruth's family, who lives just 3 miles away.  He looked at insurance, once again, and then an opening working with 4H which had been very big for our kids growing up here in Marshall on the farm.  This is the off season, the paper work season for 4H, and John is starting to realize that he might not be actually working with youth much - more just setting up their programs.  It is a very farm oriented area and big into livestock, which John has a lot of experience with.  He is not really meeting people there or finding that amazing fellowship that he experienced at the seminary last year, so we were looking at some options and praying about it with him last night!  He IS, however, finding lots of opportunities to speak and not be silent and make noise about his story at retreats and speaking here and there!  Tonight he will be back here in Marshall... I might let Pat watch the 5 for a while and sneak in there to listen to him! 

I absolutely squealed with delight when I walked into John's office and saw this beautiful image there!  How often has John just suddenly said somewhere - like Facebook - that he loves her?  Just a few days ago on Jan 17th he wrote this out of the blue - "I Love Our Lady!!!!!!!!!"  and guess what?  20 people agreed with him and one wrote - "Me too!"  Pat and I overheard him talking to an old classmate from school while he was in the seminary about Mary.  It was awe inspiring to hear him share from the heart about how much he loves her and looks to her and needs her to be with him on his journey.  I could tell by the answers from his end that his friend was asking the usual questions about how we can look to her so much - isn't it worship?  John was very knowledgeable and assured when he shared about the gift we have in Jesus loving the woman, who said yes to giving him human life, and then that Jesus gave her to us as our Mother from the Cross!  We each need to take her into our homes and find that we can be modeled and formed and loved into being a "holy family" like they had when Mary, Joseph and Jesus lived together.  Just imagine how great that is!!!

So much has happened in the last 4 years since the seed was planted!  There has been a bountiful harvest, and much of it we are not even aware of!  There has been some feedback and tears from his sharings, but much is unknown to us or even to those that have heard the words!  We pray that the Word can fall on fertile and rich soil, and not be choked out by the rocks of life nor the weeds and thorns of our "worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke out the word, and it bears no fruit."  Mark 4:1-20
Lord, how we are continually reminded of the growth of our new John.  We are thankful that he continues to live and not be silent!  Psalm 30 says it all!!! 1"I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit. 4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." 7 By your favor, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed. 8 To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication: 9 "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!" 11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.  "  This is John's story!  We shared this in evening prayer as we traveled together to one of his speaking engagements!  We were blown away by it - truly the scriptures have come to life over and over in his journey!  Look at the paralytic lowered through the roof by his friends and family!  On and on with such joy in our hearts!  Talk about Your Word bearing thirty, fifty, a hundred fold!  Jesus, you are walking among us healing to this day, and You in your Word are ministering and coming to LIFE in each of our lives, if we only have ears to hear!  Jesus, you gave us your Mother to accompany us, but most especially to be with us in our homes!  How we need a loving and caring Mother to dwell in our domestic Church/home!  May we embrace her with LOVE and feel her loving caress on all we place in her loving arms - our loved ones and those that ask our prayers!  May we join with John in shouting for all to hear -

"I Love Our Lady!!!!!!!!!"  Jesus, we know that you honor her and love her without reservation!  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Luke and Rose love their mommy, and will soon learn of their wonderful spiritual Mother as they grow and develop!  They love their mom so much that they want to eat her chin... Just as Jesus did to his Mom!  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

These are my favorite icons - Jesus eating the chin of his most wonderful Mother!  I have seen the children of my daughters do this to them - they love them so much they want to eat them!

"I love you MOM!  Help me save the world, and help families to have me in their hearts!"

Matthew West - hello, my name is... child of the one true King

 Be God's by Danielle Rose