The Pat and Barb Verly family and their 5 children, in laws and grandkids along with many prayer warriors have been drawn together by John's cancer... sharing daily for 8 months started this blog- Family Soul Story - Our faith, family, farm and now our cancer journey called HEALING have colored and deepened our world. WE continue to share and depend on the support of our prayer warrior community, that has lowered us into the Lord's presence for His healing!
I know this is an unusual one to share on my parents' 65th wedding anniversary, but it is a precious one to me. Not only because my newest grandson, Dominic, is just a few days old and meeting my parents for the first time. But mostly because it is in photo form the lesson I learned so well at the feet of my parents... that LIFE is a most precious and beautiful reflection of God's LOVE in the world, and we are to be willing to be open to LIFE and to raise LIGHTS for the world! On this feast of Our Lady - Saturdays are devoted to her- it just seems so right to ponder the way my parents modeled for us - accepting LIFE and forming a domestic Church filled with The Holy Spirit's direction down the narrow path. I am forever grateful and changed by our conversion to the Catholic Church 42 years ago! http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html Here is the story!
Yes, that is a bowl of tea John is drinking while we were in France in August of 2009... just shortly after John's second chemo for brain cancer... he got better instead of sick from the chemo and within 24 hours we headed out to France where Susan was to take the habit and become Little Sister Hallel! Whenever we are with the Community for breakfast - we have a bowl of coffee or tea! Another funny story we have from this time was having Krusties pancakes each morning! Susan had mentioned that they had pancakes one morning "and they weren't Krusties" in a letter, so I thought it would be fun to send one of those huge packages of Kristies to them for Easter - it only takes water to make them. Well, it cost a lot of money to mail it, and then when we get there months later... the first morning they take me down the hall to a kitchen and hand me the exact unopened package, along with a frying pan and I make Krusties for us each morning we are there! It felt strange at first, and I felt a bit foolish to have sent it in the first place, but it became a joke as the week went on, and now is a fond memory of our time in Saint Pierre. It reminds us of our Hallel to share Krustie pancakes for breakfast, and combined with prayer this morning that she might possibly come to KC in a month, when they get their orders, and sent to where they are needed.... it just seemed appropriate!
Nancy with Hallel just moments after the amazing mass/ceremony in which she took her habit and came out transformed before our eyes! I have been praying for a "real hug" soon... and in a little over a week she will now have 3 new nephews to meet! How I long for her to cross the ocean soon!
And Our Lady of Lourdes... how she blessed us and is definitely all tied into John's healing journey! He has fallen head over heels for her!
So beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"I had them pour water on my head, because that is where I need the healing!" John after coming out of the bathes at Lourdes with the droplets of water clinging to the hair that is now gone as is the cancer within!
Nancy, Hallel and I just after we had been in the baths for the intention of John's healing!
Our group - we all went into the baths for John's healing!
Walking with the help of his sisters, and falling in love with his Spiritual Mother. "It was a very good day, mom."
This reminds me of Jesus carrying his Cross - so powerful for the humbled and broken John walking with the help of his two sisters.
The two sharing such powerful coming to Faith times in their lives - John finding Faith through the battle of his life against brain cancer, and Hallel answering her call to become a Bride of Christ in The Community of the Lamb! So intertwined one with the other, and combining to make it too amazing and powerful for words! Add to that the relationship of Nancy and Bill that was developing throughout and then their marriage and now 4 years later - 3 beautiful little ones!
Sharing a meal in France was always a special work of art!
Sharing the clean up was part of sharing the meal together.
John at the beef show at the fair just days after his biopsy that gave him ataxia on his left side, and the answer to his question about what kind of cancer this was - PCNSL! http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/johns-cancer-stories.html The page devoted to John's story.
Jesus, there is so much we are blessed with on this journey, and it is never a dull moment, if we only put you and Your Bride, The Church, first and foremost in our lives! We know not when Hallel will be able to be close by and we can get a real hug, but it will be so amazing and such a gift after the wait! The first time she meets her 3 new nephews will be the best!!! It is certainly hard and a sacrifice to not have her in our day to day lives, yet what JOY will fill our hearts when we can see her and share with her closely once again. As they say so truthfully - "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." I am forever grateful that I still have my parents sharing my life, and for the wonderful example of looking to the Holy Spirit and following the call and direction He has given them in LIFE! I am changed and filled with so much wonder and awe to have come into The Church with my family and now to share all of it's wisdom and Truth with my family/domestic Church! It was so good to share Krusties this morning and prayer and thankfulness! I will never cease to praise YOU, my Lord and my King! From the amazing first reading today - I Corinthians 1- "It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, so that, as it is written, Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord." Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Hallelujah
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke the crazy-Catholic thanks to my parents! Happy 65th mom and dad... I hope there are more ahead to celebrate together!
Sharing a visit at the feet of their wisdom and LIGHT! I am so blessed!
Together in a window frame - so precious to me!
Psalm 33 - from mass today
Our soul waits for the Lord,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
My parents sharing the Rosary with family at Christmas camp!
Family prayer asking Holy Mother of God, Mary, to intercede... the best and so powerful!
Hail Mary - hear and answer our heartfelt prayers.
So amazing is LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT in picture form!
unposed...
posed!
Holy Now - Peter Mayer
Matt Mayer - your grace is enough
Look who just stopped in for a quick visit... Zesty brown eyed curly haired Rosita! She was helping her daddy and grandpa farm this morning.
She takes me back to my own little girls - so blessed!
Keeping up to dad, or is it the other way around?
A parting prayer to Our Mother of Heaven and earth!
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke the crazy-Catholic thanks to my parents! Happy 65th mom and dad... I hope there are more ahead to celebrate together! 
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