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!
Nancy has returned home and now Billy is back this morning. I am so happy to think that their family is all together again! My picture taking has come to a screeching halt, so I am delving into my oldies with great joy and abandon! My two little ones with a dairy calf in the barn before we stopped milking cows.
Today in the Gospel Jesus challenges us to interpret the present time... just as we can predict the weather we also with eyes of faith can look at the world around us and listen to the winds of the Holy Spirit in our lives and proceed down the narrow path carrying/dragging our most Cherished Cross.
The world tells us that we need to just have 2 children and put our own needs ahead of our husband and children. What does the Holy Spirit tell us through the wisdom of our Church, The Word of God, and our hearts? To be open to LIFE, die to self, and raise LIGHTS!
Me with daughter #2, Nancy Anna, in 1982. I have shared with Nancy that if I had not had the miscarriage between Ruth and Nancy that she would not be here today. She is in the midst of a similar situation as she just had a miscarriage about 6 months ago, and now is 2 1/2 months pregnant. She wrote eloquently about the pain of loss affecting her outlook in this post - http://www.dosmallthingswithlove.com/2015/10/because-miscarraige-change-everything.html
The two Davids on Little Dave's baptism day - January 1,2010 The world tells us that The Catholic Church is behind the times and doesn't understand what we need for a happy life. What does the Holy Spirit through the wisdom of The Church tell us? The Truth that will bring us happiness here on earth and to Heaven forever with Jesus and Mary and all the Saints! That as parents we are to bring our little newborns into The Church and to share our faith with them always and without hesitation. No, we do not leave it for them to decide when they are old enough. We share the Truth of our Faith with them from the beginning of their lives!
The 5 gathered around first grandchild, Simon, in early 2005.
The world tells us that it is a woman's right to take the life in her womb if it is an inconvenience for her. The Holy Spirit tells us that there is a life there from conception to natural death! Sharing the many losses as a family we all have a profound respect for all life and for each other!
My sister, Mary, with her newborn daughter, Audrey, in The LIGHT in 1985. Mary died from lymphoma when Audrey was 20 months old. So many questions of the Lord... why? She is Godmother to Nancy and Susan/Hallel... "Mom, why is my Godmother in heaven?" "She is there praying for you and watching over you, and you are called to pray for her soul. You are called to prayer for her, and that is a wonderful powerful call." We cannot understand but need to go on Faith til we meet again in heaven someday.
John and Susan/Hallel being silly in Assisi while Susan was studying for Rome for a year, meeting The Community of the Lamb there and a few years later discerning a call to join them...
The day she told us she was entering The Community of the Lamb in front of the altar to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Kansas City. Both the foundress, Little sister Marie, and the founder, Fr Jean Claude were there for this life-changing occasion in our family!
The world tells us that we need to be successful and make a lot of money and get married and have the two kids and lots of stuff and big vacations and accomplish, accomplish, accomplish. Jesus tells us to leave it all behind and follow HIM!
This was the small prayer space that Hallel left behind in her room when she left for France on Sept 11, 2008. I wept at the personal wooing and love Our Lord showed her in this verse... "I belong to my love, and his desire is for me." Song of Songs 7:11 http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/susan-angela-agneslittle-sister-hallel.html
Simon feels the Spirit at work in our lives - "We are all family!" he exclaims as we share breakfast over at Ruth's. Simon was only 3 at the time!
A special time with The Community that had just come to the U.S. for the first time to open a foundation in Kansas City came to see us on the farm! October of 2008... 7 years ago - our lives are forever changed and enriched by them! The world tells us to hold close to all that we want in this life - Jesus tells us that if we leave all we love behind that we will receive back 100 fold! So true, with our giving Hallel our blessing to go and be removed from our day to day lives. We have received so many more in our family and their prayers are the wind beneath our wings!
St Peregrine had this vision in his healing from cancer - Jesus reaching down from the Cross to heal him... this is the crucifix at St Joseph's hospital where I wept and prayed for my 20 year old son, John, who suddenly developed brain cancer - lymphoma!
Many feel that we can only rely on medicine to cure, and that is used by God. But for us to have Mary the Mother of God with us and all these amazing Saints, along with the thousand of prayer warriors... we found peace in the midst of the storm, and healing! http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/johns-cancer-stories.html
John's cancer brought the family together - July 2009.
On this day October 23, 2009 we had just heard that John's cancer was growing back through the chemo, and were looking at whole brain radiation... in our desperation we cried out for prayers and support in this new storm! Bishop LeVoir wrote us these words; "When in overwhelming times of need repeat these words - 'Jesus, I trust in you.' " Once again Jesus stood up and rebuked the winds of the storm and we found peace enter our hearts, minds and souls.
Blessed with a visit with Hallel before she was to return to France... John was now cancer-free!
There is such a blanket of prayer surrounding any needs that come along in our family - we call Kansas City or France or Rome right away to enlist their prayers in front of Jesus in the mass and Adoration!
Nancy's two oldest a few years back.. they have a brother, Dominic, now, and baby in heaven and one on the way. Gus prays that this baby can be healthy and born to share their ups and downs in life as a family, who is open to life and serious about sharing their faith and raising lights for the world!
Therese and Big Dave are just a few months apart and very close... Each day I thank God that we share our faith as a family! We are bound together in The Truth, The Church, The Holy Spirit showing us the same place in our inner chapel.
Over Pat's shoulder is a small sign that Maria places by the crucifixes over the years - including the one in her brother's room when she left home to discern her call with The Poor Clares for 5 months... This is how one loves. So very powerful to read it as we gaze upon Christ on the Cross, and realize that he asked us to take up our Cross and follow after him. This is so contrary to everything we see and hear around us! How can it be that we are called to suffer and die? Yes! May we listen to the Holy Spirit and interpret the present time... Is Jesus calling us to do that hard thing? Is he calling us to not indulge in that pleasure or material thing? Is Jesus showing us that we are to reach out to that miserable poor person?
My parents with great-grandson, Dominic. They have since had half a dozen new great-grands and our family - The Cross Clan is now over 100 - 106! I marvel to realize the spiritual journey my parents took us 11 kids on in 1971... we swan against the tide of those leaving The Catholic Church after Vatican II! My dad has always listened to the Holy Spirit speak to him! Isaiah 55:1-2
Visiting Maria at the birth of her 4th with her and her 6th child - 2 in heaven after miscarriage and I was with her both times! How I prayed that none of my girls would have to experience this, but how can I not realize how losses make us love life and hold it precious that much more? You hear of many that are not willing to face the pain of loss and call it quits. The phrase - "Jesus, I trust in you." comes to mind and heart when both Ruth and Maria continue to have children after ruptures... so many prayers and trusting in Jesus! http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-story-of-little-lamb-grandson.html
Powerful prayer ministry John shares since his healing and coming out of cancer as the new John! He has tried many jobs in the world and the doors have closed... he is now working in The Church and sharing his story and LIGHT - touching many.
Just out of the baths in Lourdes in August 2009... he fell head over heals in love with Our Lady! So many struggle with Mary the Mother of God being someone to look to.. our Spiritual Mother, who cares for our needs and brings us to Jesus and him to us!
Lord, you are The Way, The Truth and the LIFE! We are called to leave the world behind and to interpret the present time with the help of The Holy Spirit living in us. We are called to listen to your Word each day and find our path laid out before us! We are called to die to self so that we may listen and follow and carry and drag and suffer and pray always without ceasing and live as you would have us! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
I was told by a sister that I now have a Little Sister Hallel because of my own consideration of a call in my life! So amazing! Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
His preaching brought many to The Truth!
So many amazing quotes of my favorite Saint!
We both read the Bible and the Lives of the Saints with the kids. How they loved the Saints and it taught them that we can persevere with The Truth no matter what we face in life! The Word is huge for them, too! Hallel admits that it was through the love for The Word in The Community of the Lamb that cemented her hearing his call for her to be His Bride, a little Sister of the Lamb!
Danielle Rose - Litany of Humility
Talk about contrary to the world... how can anyone pray for this? We are called to be humble over all else, and we need to ask for it!
Danielle Rose will be in Ghent on Dec 5th! I am so excited to see her!
Casting Crowns - Broken Together
Stick with marriage - it is hard but worth the fight!
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