"Every person's life is God's work of art..."

Rose in front of an ocean of applesauce.  Every time she put her finger in it she would sweetly say -"Yum!"  Pat talked to Maria today, and she told him that they have to ration their applesauce because they love it soooooooooooooo much!  It looks like we will be traveling with a van full in their direction in the next year sometime.  I will be flying there and getting applesauce to them on the plane will not be possible, after the birth of Romeo on Sept 9th!

Such a sweet picture...

The cool air is pouring in the window above me here.  After almost 2 weeks of heat and humidity and a closed up house - this is so wonderful!  This morning I read morning prayer with John and Pat before John headed out to work... It was so uplifting and joyous to read - "It is a common mistake to think that God's 'works' and 'mighty deeds' are told only in Scripture.  Every person's life is God's work of art, an expression of his creative love, his goodness, his compassion."  We then shared the Hallel Psalm - Psalm 145 with the challenge to personalize it for all praying it!

Ruth with her 2 year old daughter, Rose, work together on putting the apples through the colander and it becomes applesauce!  We outdid all our past cannings with 154 quarts and a full day of work.  I even had to finish processing this morning! 

Psalm 145

I will give you glory, O God my King,

I will bless your name forever.

 

I will bless you day to day

and praise your name for ever.

The Lord is great, highly to be praised,

his greatness cannot be measured.

 

Age to age shall proclaim your works,

shall declare your mighty deeds,

shall speak of your splendor and glory,

tell the tale of your wonderful works.

 

They will speak of your terrible deeds,

recount your greatness and might.

They will recall your abundant goodness;

age to age shall ring out your justice.

 

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

How good is the Lord to all,

compassionate to all his creatures.

 

Let me speak and praise the Lord,

let all mankind bless his holy name

for ever, for ages unending.

 Yes, I can most certainly put myself into that Psalm of Praise for all the Lord has done for me in my life!  My family, my conversion, my husband, my life on the farm, our family here and in heaven, John's prayer this morning thanking God for allowing him to find Faith through brain cancer, John's healing, the miracle babies we have amongst our grandchildren, our grandson's Patrick's healing, sharing our Faith in The Church with JOY and watching our children and their children embrace the Truth!  The hand of God is upon me and my family and of that there is no doubt in my mind, heart and soul!  I do feel that my life is a masterpiece, and I will Praise HIM for all my days! 

 3 generations making food for the family... it gives grandpa great JOY to have the little ones around him.

 We filled most of our jars again!
I am struggling with some deep feelings of hurt... I just listened to a sharing called Vortex on FB.  Yes, he said things that are hard and upsetting about some messes in The Church, but he says them in such an angry way.  I just know so much LOVE at work in The Church... when I think about the Community of the Lamb, which our daughter Little Sister Hallel joined. They live with the poor and are poor and are loving to a fault!   I also think about Blessed Theresa of Calcutta and her work with the poor.  I think of some amazing young priests, who love and honor everything about The Catholic Church... when I have asked them about the militant movement... they speak of the anger and hate they proclaim when we are called to Love and forgive.  "How can that be of Christ, when it is so negative and filled with hate?" 

 Luke ponders how strong his grandpa is and how he helps with making his wonderful applesauce that he loves to eat!
I, too, feel alone in this Church that I love, love, and love some more.  However, I feel that I am called to share that LOVE with words here and in the way that I have raised LIGHTS for the world by being open to LIFE and by sharing my Faith with JOY!  Yes, there are ugly things that can be dug up in such a huge Church, but looking at that and dwelling on that only succeeds in making us negative and angry.  We are called to LOVE, and forgive, and to give to those around us without counting the cost!  I love and adhere to out of LOVE for the Truth - all that the Catholic Church upholds and asks of me!  I know that The Church is helping me get to Heaven.  I look at the examples of Scott Hahn and Fr Robert Barron - I see how they too love The Church and are trying to build it up by helping those  lost and confused to find the Truth and LIVE the Truth!  Jesus tells the scribes and Pharisees today that above the law is "judgment and mercy and fidelity." 

Jesus, I love you and your Bride, The Church, with my life and all that I am.  How can I question all those in my life that LOVE your Church and share that love loudly and strongly?  I see the young men in seminary that are making your Church strong again, and sharing with JOY and LOVE all the Truth!  We are to love and follow our Holy Father - so how does this anger and dislike help or sustain The Church. 

fi·del·i·ty

fəˈdelətē/

noun

noun: fidelity

1. faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support.

You ask this of us today, and although there are many that hurt you, Jesus, by rejecting some of the Truths of The Church, we are being called to remain faithful by showing loyalty and support from within.  By remaining orthodox and love and honor The Church - sharing that with all we meet most especially those in our domestic Church/family.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke the crazy-Catholic pictured with the 154 jars finally all processed this morning!

Thanks for the reminder... I need to work on this!

 

Small things with great love - by Danielle Rose

Therese loving the Church from the inside with her first cross stitch!  A pattern that her Aunt Nancy made of her patron saint and asked her to make... it took her one day!  So cute and special!  There is so much wonderful stuff to love about the Church - why go and dig up the dirt?  Change it from the inside out!  bless-bless - St Therese and all the amazing Saints are praying and showing us the way from heaven!

One last thing from Nancy's way - her open to life sharings on her blog today are wonderful  - take the time to be uplifted and your horizon expanded... http://www.dosmallthingswithlove.com/2014/08/choosing-open-life-open-waiting.html