Keeping our hand to the plow - The HOMEWORK of the Chrisitan LIFE!

 They day started out powerfully with much heartfelt prayer and sharing with my very busy farmer-in-the-midst-of-harvest.  So amazing that we could do morning prayer plus I could read tearfully this most amazing meditation in The Magnificat to him... The Year of Consecrated LIFE - The Homework of the Christian LIFE;
Cherish the desire to give one of your children so that God's love can spread in the world.  What fruit of conjugal love could be more beautiful than this?  St John Paul II

 I recall 2 years ago... we were heading to Kansas City to see Hallel here in the U.S. for the dedication of The Little Monastery - Lumen Christi/Light of Christ .  She called the day before we were to leave and asked us to bring some applesauce - "Little Sister Marie likes our applesauce."  We had no apples that year either, so I told Susan/Hallel that we didn't have any to bring.  Well, the next morning we found some we could get at the golf course and made 40 quarts and took them with us.  The Lord wanted his special Little Sisters to have applesauce and in a day we had 40 quarts to bring to KC!  They are one of our 6 families we supply with applesauce!  It is so wonderful to have their prayers, example and embracing of a life of Faith in our lives!

 I now have my table cleared and usable again... More from this amazing meditation which speaks of the blessing it is to encourage our kids to consider a call.. I know that both Therese and Mary are knowing that they will spend some time with the Little Sisters discerning when they are older.

 Luke and Rose like to help grandma wash all those jars of their wonderful applesauce...

As all parents know, they form their children in more ways than they could ever imagine.  The Gospel as it is lived at home shapes the lives of faith of the children.  Fidelity to Sunday Mass and the frequency of confession and family prayer draw a family together in Christ, sometimes for generations.  These are the families which best prepare a young person for a vocation to the consecrated life.  I could not have said it better and Pat and I were both wiping tears this morning as we shared this beautiful insight to how we were able to have our Little Sister Hallel and her wonderful Community of the Lamb in our lives!

 Such a picture of crazy amazing LIFE - kids, cousins and kittens make for FUN!

 Running free through the long grass on a cool glorious fall evening!

I must share the last paragraph of this meditation by Father James Sullivan -
Consecrated life is one of generosity, of responsibility, of attentiveness to the needs of the other, of compassion, and of being engaged with the world around them.  Very often, these are the virtues first learned in one's family, from one's parents.  We can pray along with St John Paul II:  "I pray that you, Christian families, united with the Lord through prayer and the sacramental life, will create homes where vocations are welcomed." 

Believe me - you will not be sorry and will receive so many graces and blessings and your family will grow a hundred fold!

 Kids and kittens, almost hidden in the tall grass, on the move with delight!

Kids and kittens are so fun!

 

Today in the Gospel Jesus tells us to put the hand to the plow and don't look back - in regards to the work we do at home sharing our faith... we turn off the TV and gather in prayer before bed, we do morning prayers before we rise in the morning, we go to mass each Sunday and share our faith as a family and with JOY, we embrace The Truth that The Catholic Church holds out to us and do not pick and choose what we believe or follow! 

Mary with purry Kateri by the beautiful cottonwood tree with the setting sun.... a picture of soft contentment and compassion.

 The two sweet loving females - like to get some attention - Mary named the other one Pocahontas.

 Kitten time!

Rose on the move with a kitten in her arms!  A study of joyful motion!

Jesus, I am filled with so much gratitude for how we are blessed by our Little Sister Hallel and her Community of the Lamb!  As a Benedictine sister said to me - "You have your Hallel because you listened to the call in your life."  So true!  I looked at religious life for me and thought it would be wonderful, yet it was not to be for me but for my sweet 4th daughter!  To be able to have that in our family is such a gift!  I now see that the HOMEWORK is going on in our daughter's families, too!  And each one of their children will listen to your call, and look for the special plan you have for each one of them.  We will not look back but always go forward down the narrow path following you and carrying/dragging our Most Cherished Cross!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

 One of the few harvest pictures I have managed to get - harvesting beans across the road.  Pat's prayer of thanksgiving this morning for wonderful weather and things going well!

 Luke loading out canning rings today.

 Smiling Luke, cat up the tree, clothes on the line - Luke had to identify each piece and found two of his, too - dogs on the ground and wonderful shadows on this glorious day!  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

Digging into tomato soup and applesauce for a wonderful farm lunch...  this is why we do the work!  Even dad stopped from hauling manure to eat with us!  The best!!!

Today is the feast of St Jerome, who translated the entire Bible into Latin!  Wow!  His quote, which Hallel would totally agree with - how she loves Jesus in His Word!  I beg of you brother to live among these books, to meditate upon them, to know nothing else. to seek nothing else.  Does not such a life seem to you a foretaste of heaven here on earth?  St Jerome

Cute, and probably true!

St Jerome seems to be to the point!

Danielle Rose- Pursue me, Lord