"I am a light and the darkness is afraid of me."

Ephesians 5:8-10New International Version (NIV)
^8" For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light."

Starting with a oldie shared by Maria of her small family 5 years ago having some bed snuggles and wrestling.  I love it!  So good to be grounded in LOVE today with so many emotions pounding against me like waves of the Big Lake on the shore.  Hard to keep my footing to catch a breath as the many issues of LIFE have to be dealt with using words and connecting one with the other! 

I found this very moving today, yet I am a bit in the mood to add my own take on this to say that my LIGHT which is Christ in me chases away the darkness, so it could seem that if that darkness is called in Truth - evil, sin, Satan at work then yes - darkness is afraid of Jesus/The LIGHT in me!

Many tears shed this day so far... speaking with my long time friend/sister in law about our differences yet that bond of now family that ties us together as well as the fact that through her I met her brother and my LIFE now as I have lived it as wife to Patrick Gerard Verly and mother of our children for 37 years!  http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html 

Mary loves her animals, and they respond to her gentleness and concern for them!

A river of tears reading how Divine Providence has protected some young friends along with their family of 3 young children and 25 college students in Paris when the attack happened!  They had all gathered for a small party together, and were protected and spared in the midst of all the violence!  Wow!  Finally I shared with Patrick all the LOVE that fills me with such total delight when I watch him with the little ones at mass...sharing our Faith with JOY!  I see what made me fall in love with him and filled me with such powerful emotions over all these years, when I see him holding in his huge arms and hands the grandchildren where the children had always been before!  Pat then affirmed me as being such a mother and wife... that held him strong and joyful in The Church and imparting that to our children.  How I wept!  Hearing his love for me in his voice and that affirmation was so healing and needed in the midst of this period of our marriage of transition on the farm and in our personal lives.  Thank you, Lord!

David took this picture of Luke giving grandma "the Body of Christ" over and over with giggles and huge smiles of delight!

I see a lot of myself in the blind man today in the Gospel.. don't I each day call out to Jesus - "have pity on me!"  Luke18?  Yes, I see how much of a mess I am and my life is in on many planes and I realize that I am blind, weak, sick, lost, alone, and on and on.... Jesus takes pity on me and calls me to him and says to me - "What do you want me to do for you?"  "Lord, please let me see."  "Have sight, your faith has saved you."  Jesus has said that to me over and over and I am reduced to a river of tears and give total glory to God!  That is why it does not sound right to me to say that the darkness is afraid of me, but rather of Jesus/The LIGHT that dwells in me when I die to self so that The Holy Spirit can work in my life!

 Luke, may you always know and LOVE Jesus in His Body and Blood, and then take that LOVE/LIFE/LIGHT out with you into the world of darkness!

It seems that when huge evil happens in the world - like the Paris attacks, and then to see how God and His angels protect those that look to him.  Yet, there were also many in those killed and hurt, who also are His.  It is all so hard and sad, and one thing it does for sure is show us how much we need Him! 

 Luke and Rose in the feed bunk and up close to the calves on the nice weekend.

Jesus, I am dealing with so many emotions this day!  Yet, imagine the blind man, who is also healed by you yet assaulted by all of the world when he gains his sight/Faith!  When we listen to your Word and see the world through eyes of Faith... we are aware of The Truth and know that all the world tells us in the pursuit of happiness are lies!  We do not need to pursue material wealth and to selfishly approach family... limiting to one or two kids so that we can give them all we never had - What?  How can siblings ever compare to stuff?  Allow us to share our LIGHT with all those we meet and most especially with those in our domestic Church/family.  May we share in our homes our Faith with JOY - being open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS!   Jesus, have pity on me a sinner, and sick and weak and alone and blind and selfish and I need you, O Lord!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Rose used to be afraid of the cows and calves, but she has learned to respect them and like them by watching her older sister, Mary.

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

All you Tolkein lovers out there... this says a lot!

She is my role-model and when Pat was praising my motherhood - I give her total credit!  She is with me each day!

Food for thought - after defending my love for Mary over the years...

How I feel right now!

Danielle Rose - A Mother's song - The Crucifixion
Join me in weeping at the beauty and truth of this!

the first song we heard by Danielle Rose at NCYC over 10 years ago.  Now she will be in Ghent on Dec 5th and we are pumped to see her in concert! 


The family bed a few days ago!