I am borrowing from Nancy's family blog today to start my sharing... Yes, her kids all take after their dad in many ways. but they all have Nancy's beautiful brown eyes and dark complexion. Each one of our 12 wonderful grandchildren here with us and the two in heaven are a gift beyond measure. The most important thing of all is that they are being raised to be LIGHTS to the world! Pat set this as the capstone of our marriage and it is now being carried forth into our extended families - being open to LIFE and raising them as LIGHTS! http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html I shared at great length our marriage story on this page if you wish to delve deeper.
Now the 3... they will be coming for a few days on the farm at the beginning of the week. The weather will be "calving weather" according to my husband and I foresee many little ones with calf pictures in my future. We made it through the coldest night of the winter with 2 healthy new calves this morning! Thank you, Lord!
I was so excited last night to read the Gospel for today and discover Lazarus and the rich man from Luke 16! Even before we started morning prayer this morning, and before Pat went out to take care of our two new calves - we read together the Gospel in all its power and Truth! Then we read together the amazing Meditation of the day by Pope Francis. He pointed out that the rich man has no name in the story. "Think of it: the rich man in the Gospel has no mane, he is simply 'a rich man.' Material things, his possessions, are his face; he is nothing else... Those who run after nothing become nothing." Reading this we all were convicted and there was an intake of air as we realized that all those things in our lives that we enjoy and pursue are robbing us of our identity as followers of Christ and living as he did - a servant to all!
Now sitting up in all their differences yet definitely siblings that love each other.
The first reading lends itself to the idea of how we are deprived of LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT if we follow the lies of Satan and the world...."Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from The Lord. He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, But stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth. Blessed he who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord. He is like a tree planted besides the waters, that stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not the heat (nor the cold) when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit." Isaiah 17:5-10
I see her mom reflected in her eyes... my zesty special 2 year old Bernadette!
Having my mother-in-law on hospice now has reminded me of why I love the end of our lives so much, and the gift we are allowed when we face it with the help of hospice to walk into the sunset with peace and Joy! To meet all the needs of the patient and family - most importantly to realize that all that it comes down to is Faith and Family and for us the Farm -which is a lifestyle and not just a job. John was praying this morning while we watched Pat ushering the new calves and their mothers to a spot in the barn reserved for them..."For all the new life we are blessed with... both nieces and nephews and the baby calves here healthy and safe." Life is all around us this time of year, and when things go well due to the hard work of our farmers and the answer to many prayers, too, we are in awe of the gift of LIFE! Well, I digress a bit, but I am trying to share that facing the end of our days gets all the "nothing" we have been distracted with like possessions and vacations and "sumptuous feasts," and "purple garments," and all the "I need this" or "I want that" or "I deserve this" or "I am what matters and nothing else is important." All the lies of Satan that distract us from listening to Jesus in His Word or The Church, which is there to help us get to Heaven... not picking and choosing what we will believe or follow, but taking it all to heart! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE The Church and have no reservations on what she asks me to do in my life!
Sweet 3 year old Augustine has eyes so brown that I cannot see mom in them reflected, but I know she is there, too! He will be 4 in May and is a very wonderful farm boy growing up in the city. I am a city girl come to the farm and it is a wonderful thing to have my farmgirl daughters loving the farm from afar and making sure their kids can come and fall in love with it like they did!
The newest member of Nancy and Bill's family is a gem! Dominic is now 8 months and such a happy and healthy boy!
Jesus, there is so much this day that is filling me to the brim and overflowing about The Truth that I have found in my life with you and your beautiful humble gentle Bride, The Church! I am eternally grateful that you called my entire family to come to your Church 43 years ago! We swam against the tide of those leaving and misunderstanding the changes after Vatican 2. It just speaks volumes of how your Holy Spirit was at work in our lives! http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html Tomorrow is my dad's 90th birthday and I am filled with so much love and gratitude that he listened and heard your call! Bless us with more special time with this wonderful and humble and wise disciple of yours, O Lord. He and mom have modeled for me how we trust in YOU for all that we need and you provide for us in most miraculous ways. How about the 9 bedroom in Kenwood by Lake of the Isles you provided for our family of 13 to live in when we moved to the Twin Cities?!? With a ballroom in the 3rd floor, no less! Yet, dad opened our home to those that were down and out, and we watched how to recognize and give without counting the cost to those in need! Now our horizons have broadened by The Community of the Lamb - the poor in our midst including our daughter... yet, they go and beg for their food from the poor to share The Gospel of Truth and LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT with them. Mindbending and powerful! You do call us to be the poor man begging at the gate, O Lord, and covered with sores... as we recall that we are nothing without YOU to fill us with all we need... your Holy Spirit. Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen
Now some from Maria's blog - 5 year old David with his brown eyes and long lashes and heart filled with Jesus!
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
Yes... we need to be forgiving as we have been forgiven.
Another great one!
Onward armed with the Fruits of the Spirit!
Tobymac - Lose my soul
Sanctus Real - forgiven
The dogs licking the sores of Lazarus as he suffers in this world but not in the next!!!!
Looking for some tbt pics of my dad for his 90th - getting "The Blessing song" on my birthday years back - "God is blessing you now."
Found a great one!
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