"Wounded, I will not cease to LOVE." motto of The Community of the Lamb

Sweet burden - Maria carrying her two youngest - 2 year old Patrick and 4 month old Romeo - up for their naps yesterday.  We are entering our last week together, and I hear Therese sounding out words in the front room as mom homeschools the two oldest, and Patrick plays and Romeo naps upstairs.  Joseph left 5 days ago for Georgia for 3 weeks of jumping out of airplanes.  Maria shared that he has found a Catholic family man to share his lonely/away from family time.  "They have 2 girls and are expecting twin girls soon, they went to mass together and share the same outlook on Faith and Family."  An answer to prayer for our Joseph as he is separated from his loving family!

 Therese and David spent the afternoon outside in 40 degree temps and found lots of thick mud to coat themselves in.

 They are actually stuck in the mud and mom had to come and save them and pull their boots out of the thick mud.

 Barely able to walk with the thick mud on his boots, pants and hands.

 Getting the muddy clothes and boots off on the grass rather than in grandma's garage is a plan that grandma likes a lot!

 A January thaw feels good, and the mud comes with the warm weather!  Notice the muddy hands...

 Washing them off before entering the house.  Their hands were so cold that the warm bath water felt hot!

 Hand washing at the hydrant on the house... then powerwashing off the boots and snowpants before they can go in the washing machine. 

After visiting with some last night and reading a sharing by St Theresa of Avila on loving the Bridegroom has got me thinking about how our wounds bring us to Jesus and allows us to humbly accept His LOVE for us, if only we can forgive ourselves for our failures.  What we can witness from how others seem to open up and appreciate our humbly sharing in the same suffering they experience by being disappointed and fail at LIFE.  On the trip home with Ruth and Paul last night we discussed how important it is to have that self confidence in life - allowing us to take our hurts and failures and still go ahead knowing that God loves us regardless and allows us to relate to all that are sick and weak and needing the Great Physician to care for them and walk with them on the journey of LIFE!

From mud to this sweet little guy swimming happily in the bubble bathtub this morning...

Hearing the world around me excited and tooting their horns about "success" when I watch John struggling to find his place and doors closing in his face.  I realize that having that relationship with Jesus, The Bridegroom, and His Bride, The Church, and following the Truths we have placed before us to help us get to Heaven.  We are listening to His Call for us to not be concerned about the things the world tells us is where we find happiness and what we are to strive for... job, big house, nice cars, boats, far flung vacations, nice clothes, a successful spouse and the maybe two children... believe me, this is not where we are called or where we will find lasting happiness in LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!

How's this for a picture of JOY filling our heart with what really matters?

My prayers continue to center much on the TEC retreat going on this weekend involving my husband and son, John.  I think about what is going on throughout the 3 days - so familiar to me after working about 3 or more a year for the last 17 years!  Yet, knowing that each weekend is totally unique and unlike any others, and praying for the personal encounters each one there is having with Christ and His Bride, The Church!  I love The Church totally and unreservedly and love this Catholic weekend in which there are the Sacraments, PRAYER, and sharing of the Body of Christ, one with the other!  Last night I groaned with the depth of evening prayer - recalling the Body of Christ, of which we are a part!  "Christ calls us to an intimacy even deeper than discipleship.  He invites us to become members of His Body, animated by the Spirit of God, living the life of the Gospel to the full."  see www.magnificat.com

"Let us give thanks to the Father
for having made you worthy
to share in the lot of the Saints
in light.

He rescued us
from the power of darkness
and brought us
into the kingdom of his Beloved Son.
Through him we have redemption,
and forgiveness of our sins.

It is he who is head of the body, the Church!
he who is the beginning,
the first-born of the dead,
so that primacy may be his in everything.

It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him
and, by means of him, to reconcile everything in his person,
both on earth and in the heavens,
making peace through the blood of the cross."
Colossians 1:12-14, 18-20

Patrick with Romeo....

Jesus, maybe we are just a big toe in your Body, but that is necessary to balance the body and to kick out of the way those things that try to block our path as we follow after YOU down the narrow path carrying our Most Cherished Cross to find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  Finding humility is hard and difficult to accept that although we are unworthy and small and weak and sick and sinful that you continue to love us and forgive us unconditionally.  May we accept your love and no longer judge or look down upon others that are suffering wounds from struggles they face.  May we return the mercy we have been shown.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke


Her truth cuts like a sword through the lies of this world!

Maria reading the readings from the day in the front room with the two oldest this morning.  Repeating the responsorial psalm with their young voices - "You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek."  Lots of learning and growing to do for them down the path of Faith/Family/Farm/ life. 

Danielle Rose - the Litany of Humility

Peter Mayer - Holy now

A small slice of Heaven...

http://ucatholic.com/saints/archelais-susanna-thecla/  Susan has a saint afterall  - St Susanna has a feast today and she was a super cool virgin!  Take some time to read this post about their lives and death for the Lord.   They also had the gift of healing and would be good to pray to today as they are continuing to love through Jesus in Heaven!