Ignatious wrote 7,000 letters of encouragement... me only 4,000 and counting. A goal out there!

Some of my sibs with dad on his 90th birthday... he is now well into his 92 year and I am blessed to have more time with my parents.  After losing Pat's mother about 8 months ago, and some issues coming up along the way for my parents... I am making monthly trips up to spend some days with them.  How I love to pray with them and it seems that we never run out of things to share and ponder on this great journey we share of staggering down the narrow path carrying/dragging our most Cherished Cross and following our Jesus and His Bride, The Church with the goal of heaven forever with Jesus, Mary and all the Angels and Saints!  A huge Saint for us today - St Ignatius of Loyola!

The chapel at the Cenacle convent where my parents were attending an Ignation retreat, and while meditating on Isaiah 55: 1-2 my dad heard the Holy Spirit telling him to leave his Protestant ministry behind and join the Catholic Church with mom and us 11 kids!
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost." 
Yes, very Eucharistic and how we are fed with by Jesus in His Word and Sacrament!

In the gathering space at St Michaels in Stillwater a few weeks back... my parents have found this to be a wonderful community of Faith each week.  My dad, who was a permanent deacon in The Catholic Church since 1976 is now retired. 

It was funny to hear John speak what had crossed my mind and heart when I read to him about this special feast day for our family today..."In the last 15 years of his life, Ignatius led the order (Society of Jesus/Jesuits) from Rome, writing almost 7,000 letters of encouragement and guide his brethren."  "Mom, that sounds like you." said John.

I have published around 4,000 posts here since John's healing from brain cancer and finding his faith! 

http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/johns-cancer-stories.html  That is in 8 years I am over half way there to his 7,000 in 15 years!  I am on the rate of St Ignatius and that means posting daily!  For him to send letters in the 1500s was much more labor intensive and challenging!  All I do is type and push the publish button.  I would not be nearly so dedicated had I lived in 1550!  Although I would long to share as I love, love, love with all I have my beloved Jesus, Mary, the Saints, The Church with all that I am given each day of my journey! 

Venerable Solanus Casey - soon to be Blessed has been with us on our journey and modeled for us how to embrace humility and look to God above all things. 

This was lived out in our ongoing shared Faith in The Church led there by Jesus in The Word!

"Following Christ in obedience to God's will discerned in prayer was central in St Ignatius' spirituality."

My dad heard The Truth through the words of Isaiah and answered with a resounding "Yes!"  I was being similarly led in prayer to come into The Church, and each day has been a glorious gift about which I long to shout from the rooftops each and every day... "Jesus, you are The Way, the Truth and The LIFE!  I am yours and find all I need to go forward down the narrow path each day in The Church built upon The Rock/Peter!" 

My wonderful parents on my dad's 90th!

Lord, I am filled to overflowing with all that you give me each day!  It is so true as you spoke in the Gospel today about the tiny mustard seed, which becomes the largest of plants and birds can rest in it's branches!  I am weak and small and sinful... yet you use me.  I turn to you and long to love and serve you with all that I have... and that isn't very much.  Jesus, I trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

Learning and growing and thanking God for this wonderful man, who led us into The Church!  Yes, he does have an icon of St Ignatius and I am sure he has a candle lit there today. 

The wonderful statues of Mary and Jesus gifted to them when they left his ministry in Manistique, MI!  "How wonderful that we have those blessing our home!" mom to dad the other day.
Yes, Lord, use this humble sharing to spark a fire in hearts!

Jesus, we trust in you!

I am a work in progress, and a long way from that person.  Time for reconciliation it seems.

I am yours!




Yes, that is how I need to ignite my small fire with the wood of the Cross lit by the LOVE/LIFE/LIGHT of Jesus and His Bride, The Church!

The Kingdom/The Church/the peart of great price!

The family on Easter Sunday in KC with Hallel home from Rome!  I had on my pearls from John!


Reading the readings last night before bed...as I was getting dressed for mass this morning I recalled that The Gospel this morning was Jesus speaking about the Kingdom of God, and the Pearl of great price that we sell all to possess.


 I put on my wonderful pearl necklace gifted to me by John a few years back, and he pointed out to me that they were "real" and that they were a sign of his appreciation to me for my being at his side in the battle he fought against brain cancer.  So when the Gospel had been read and Father launched into his homily... I poked John and pointed to my necklace and we both smiled.  Father also reminded us that Jesus comes to us in two ways in the mass - the Word in which he challenges us and teaches us the Truth to live by, and the Eucharist with which he feeds us and sustains us to go forward down the narrow path.  All of this is sharing The Kingdom here and striving to reach The Kingdom forever with Jesus, Mary and all the Saints and Angels!

A picture of JOY on Sunday on the porch on a gorgeous day after sharing The Word and Sacrament of Eucharist... Jesus with us to fill us with Wisdom as he did to Solomon in the first reading today - "understanding so that you may know what is right."  I Kings 3 


When you can see the Truth so clearly with the aide of the Holy Spirit... it is hard not to be totally baffled by what is done in this messed up world!  How can life of precious children be so callously treated - left to die when born alive from an abortion or killed!  How can that be accepted or promoted or allowed?  How is it wise to kill children and protect wildlife and dogs and cats over and above?  I am stunned to see the sad eyed cats and dogs and the voice pleading to save the animals when I know that babies are being murdered.  Is that wise or right in any stretch of the imagination? 

 

I cannot get enough of this new porch, and today was a glorious day out there with a wonderful cool breeze.  The wonderful reflection on Ruth's tongue and groove ceiling. 

With a joking voice and a smile on his face, John said; "This is such a horrible tradition, isn't it?"  Pat was sharing with a cousin that he ran into while we were picking out our rolls in Walmart...how this started when his father died in 1996.  "We would go over to see my mother after mass and share breakfast with her.  Now she is gone so we have started sharing breakfast after mass with Ruth and Paul and their family on the farm."  I predict we will be out here until the snow flies. 

Chocolate doughnut holes, music, kittens and smiles and laughter in the new seating arrangement on the porch/vacation spot in the midst of our crazy farm life! 

Yes, kittens!

Riding around the 9 1/2 foot table adding to the LIFE all around us!


The Church is so beloved to me!  It is there to help us get to heaven forever with Jesus and Mary if only we will accept and believe all that we are given to follow!  No picking and choosing for me!  I look to all those youth that are in love with The church and answering "yes" to calls to the priesthood or religious life, or to a Catholic marriage in which they are open to life and raising lights and sharing The Faith with great JOY!  I am asked to desert the ship of The Church and not go down with it.  But from my perspective there is new and powerful LIFE flowing into The Church and it is being built up stronger and filled with more Wisdom and Truth than ever!   If you too are getting negative input about our wonderful glorious Church.. this might help you see where it is coming from
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead/2016/03/ten-traits-of-catholic-fundamentalism.html
How is leaving our Church now any different than the Protestants that have done so in the past?  The Church is where my heart is, and always will be!  We are asked to make it better and fill it with our LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT as we say "yes" to our path laid out before us.

Susan/Hallel with Romeo... she met him for the first time over Easter and her home visit a few weeks later.  Now they are fast friends!  I am so happy that our little ones have her example and The Community of the Lamb in our family!  They are humble lovers of The Church and The Holy Father and The Truth which will set us free of all earthy attachments - as we sell all for the pearl of Great price - our life in The Kingdom in The Church here and forever in The Kingdom of Heaven!


Jesus, how we long to love and serve you without counting the cost.  We see the Truth in your Church starting with St Peter and all the popes up to this day.  Yes, there have been checkered past, but we continue on always trusting and following all, without hesitation.  May we go forth always praising you and giving you all the honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen and Hallelujah

Some beautiful options are ahead for these two - marriage, brother or priest... they will ask Jesus and he will show them the path laid out for them and it will be filled with Truth and Wisdom and always with Jesus and His Bride, The Church!  Of course, Jesus, would never divorce her or tell us to either!

Therese with her special Godmother modeling for her a wonderful option she too will consider a call!

Danielle Rose - Pursue me

Peter Mayer - Holy now

The Johns on LOVE!

John loves his niece, Mary, and they share their love of the stage.. the last 2 summers they have been in the summer musical together, and that has made them close indeed!  John's smile is bigger and more genuine when he poses with his special Mary! 


After being gone for a couple days it was great to pray with my husband and son on this feast/memorial of St Martha today.  I would like to wish my sister, Marty/Martha, a happy feast day today!  What can we take away from the two Gospels about Martha today - one from John when her brother has died, and one from Luke where she is doing all the serving while her sister Mary sits at his feet?  We can see that in all we do we need to look to Jesus and incorporate prayer in our daily activities.


I was moved to tears by Nancy sharing with me how her prayer life has been transformed after many shared with her how they pray as they are sorting their children's clothes for each child, or mopping the floor for their family... "some days we have to mop the floor after many spills and it is the Holy Spirit telling us that we need to pray more for that intention!"   Wow! 
http://www.dosmallthingswithlove.com/2017/07/key-to-prayer-at-home-parent.html
Attaching prayer to an activity!

John with his 2 youngest Goddaughters!


John and I shared the office and it opened us up to intentions prayed together, and John got emotional about a dream he had in which he pondered LOVE.  "Love is all there is!  Love it what we need to receive and give."  As he was speaking the first reading for today was echoed by St John the Evangelist in I John 4:7-16... John and I were wiping tears at the beauty and Truth of it ringing in our hearts and souls!
 ⁷Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
¹³ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.


The Johns are crazy in love with their Lord and know that he is asking them to give it away without counting the cost!  He loved us so we must in turn love one another!

Princess and pickles...


Jesus, I am so encouraged by knowing that I need to love and serve you in all that I do this day.  May the prayers always be in my heart as I go forth.  Jesus, I trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

Sharing our Faith with JOY is how we pass it on!

Jesus shows us his LOVE in Word and Sacrament!

From John's Gospel today when Jesus asks Martha:"I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?"

We love her and go to Jesus through her loving intercession!

"bear fruit" - "Make me capable of openning the hearts..."

So blessed to have morning prayer/office with my parents to start this morning!  I have it on my phone, but it is a beautiful sight to see them holding their well worn prayer books sharing this gift they have received from The Church along with my dad's ordination as a permanent deacon in The Catholic Church with the first group ordained in the Arch Diocese in 1976.  My mother has joined my dad in morning prayer, and it is certainly a beautiful witness to our family as they lift us up on prayer.  Lord, thank you for all the prayers that help us on our journey of Faith and Family!  Such a powerful witness to us of what you call us to as the seed falls on our good soil and we bare much fruit!  Bless-bless, Barb


A quote from my dad this morning as I sat at his feet...
"Make me capable of opening the hearts and minds of many to the desires for God and for true life without end."  Fr Peter Cameron  How I pray for this to be true of my small ministry here!

Mary our Mother with the Saints, pray for us

I was so charmed by the children praying with Nancy a few nights ago, after a very long day, the exhausted children did not allow Nancy to end prayer early..."What about praying to the Saints?" they all called out to her.  I then heard them each naming the special saints to them - each named for Saints that now walk this journey with them from birth on... St Augustine, St Bernadette, St David, St Luke, St Rose, St Josephine, St Ann, St Simon, St Mary, and after each Saint, their sweet little voices responded; "Pray for us."

Kneeling and genuflecting towards the altar.


After the litany with loud and excited voices shared with them, Nancy announced that it was bed time and there was an actual cheer of gladness, and silence shortly after as they all hit the hay happy and contented after filling their hearts, minds and souls with the love of Jesus for us and His wonderful Mother and all the Saints!  An army in heaven to protect and guide our steps down the narrow path!

Sharing mass as a family on Sunday - two of our daughters with their combined 10 children - a wonderful picture of LIFE in the LIGHT!  Love it!


The words from Jesus to his disciples (us) today about how to those that have eyes to see and ears to hear what he gives to us - The Truth - that more will be given and we will become rich... so true!  Imagine how each night in prayer and having that Faith shared with them with great JOY throughout their day... the seed is planted and takes root and bears much fruit! 

How I love this Truth!  To Jesus through Mary!

Small Things With Love

 

"Each one of them is Jesus in disguise."
-St Mother Teresa

This is true for strangers on the street, but also the little ones running through our homes.
...
These children we love and feed and scold and clean, they are Christ in disguise.

Today, let us keep that fact in the front of our minds, and love them as such.

Nancy has begun this ministry of how we can change our families one small act of love at a time!

Helping on the farm is a hard for this city girl to do graciously at times.  I am always at prayer and it feels good to help my husband at his times of need. 

Lord, go with my dad and I this day to Veterans and give him healing and peace.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

My beads will be in my hand and Mary in my heart and mind and soul as she brings me to her Son!

Celebrating motherhood - the mother of our Mother! St Anne, pray for us!

Ruth and Paul with their newest baby girl, Joy Jean, with the cows and their calves the other night after supper on the beautiful porch.  A picture of motherhood on many levels...


 Pondering motherhood today on this feast of St Anne, who is the mother of our Spiritual Mother of God, Mary the Mother of God/Jesus.  Coming up to the Cities with Nancy Anna and Bernadette Anna on this their feastday.  Happy Feast Day Nancy and Berna, and even for my own mom, as Nancy is a form of Ann! 

A special picture of motherhood... Nancy with her girl, Josephine, and her best wonderful friend Sarah with her twin daughters... the three babies were born just a few days apart!

My mother at her computer writing, which she reminded me that she has sold 90 some articles about the Catholic church over her life-time.  I think that is where I got it... my burning desire to share The Truth with all far and wide! 


I am so blessed to have another few days with my parents thanks to Nancy (my daughter and named after my mom - both names come from Anne, whose feast day is today!) who needed a ride up to the Cities to meet up with Bill and head for KC after work.  We have been talking non stop about all that comes with our huge wonderful family and our journey into the Catholic Church 46 years ago. 
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html

Pat's mother - another Ann on this her feast day- gazing upon the picture of her with her 9 surviving children shortly before her death on Dec 11, 2016.  Lots of reason to hold this day close to our hearts filled with love and thanksgiving for the original St Anne, who brought Mary into the world conceived without sin so that God could enter the womb through her sinless womb!  Anne is hugely wonderful for us and we celebrate with great JOY on this feast for mom Verly in heaven, my mother, daughter Nancy Anna, her daughter Bernadette Anna, and all the other Anns out there or Nancys for that matter! 

Grandma's last birthday here on earth - 97th!  We miss her in our lives and now count on her prayers from heaven for our journey.


Jesus, we love your grandmother and how she and Joachim welcomed your sweet baby girl, Mary, to become The Mother of God!  We love Family and yours is what brought LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT into the world.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

My mother with her new cane... keeping her ability to be at home is important to her and dad!

Happy Feast Day of St. Anne!

O glorious St. Ann, you are filled with compassion for those who invoke you and with love for those who suffer! Heavily burdened with the weight of my troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take the present intention which I recommend to you in your special care. Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen (Prayer to St. Anne)

"carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus"/ St James Feast/Nancy and kids/farmlife is grand!

John and his lovely niece, Mary, holding his two newest Goddaughters, Joy and Josephine.


 After enjoying a wonderful family supper with Ruth and Nancy and their families after a huge job of covering the bale pyramids with tarp and tires... the cows and calves in the pasture in front of the house beckoned photos on Ruth's new porch and cute new loveseat.  Mary always puts a big smile on her uncle's face! 

The farmers with their newest daughter now 4 months, precious little Joy.  Joy is #6 and is the best baby for her busy mom.  Yesterday she was pushed in her stroller by her big brother 3 year old, Luke, from where they were washing the fair calves... only to go back out there with mom and Simon to finish the job.  She fits into the big busy family on the farm so sweetly... giving mom restful nights as she sleeps all night for 2 months already, and even allows mom to work an overnight at the hospital!  She waits for mom to get home in the morning to nurse!

Mary with her dad and her baby sister, whom she has gotten to know very well this summer.  What a busy  and growth filled summer it has been for her!  She got to go to Schoenstatt camp for the first time to start her summer, 4H camp, babysitting her sister a lot, goats for the first time and learning how to show them and care for them, pigs, now calves, and just a sweet smile and good attitude as she helps mom and dad in many ways!  Oh, and she managed to be in The community theater musical, Little Mermaid, with her Uncle John too!  One busy, sweet and talented young lady.  No, she does not have a cell phone!


I am so in love with Ruth's deck... it is helping me to let Michigan go in many ways.  I always loved to take family meal pictures with the lake and beauty out the patio door.  I also would walk through this farm house to take in the sunrise in the morning or the cows grazing in the pasture on either side of the road, or take in the beauty.  I always said that the couch in front of that picture window was my favorite spot to take pictures.  Now I have that view all around me as we share meals and family time in the midst of our busy farm lives!  "This is our vacation."  Ruth reminded me of what we have been saying about this wonderful vision she had and is now real and as beautiful as it can be!  The pictures are pouring forth because I love it so much!

This morning we moved the cows back across the road, so this would not be possible today although we will surely be sharing a family meal. 


It was fun to see that it is St James feastday... happy feast day to my brother, James/Jim/JJ!  The first reading from 2 Corinthians was most powerful and rang like a bell with the Truth that we are called to embrace our Most Cherished Cross and find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT! 
"always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh."
The fact that St James was one of the first ones to martyred - "the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians." St Tertullian

Yes, it was a photo moment that I went a bit overboard with!


When we serve of listen to what Jesus asks of us to do in following him as we carry/drag our cross and go down the narrow path... Yes, it calls for us to die to self and give without counting the cost.  As Jesus says in the Gospel today;
"Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."


Yes, Jesus does serve us in our humble and weak state of mind, and we are asked to return that to those around us... most especially those in our domestic church/family/the closest to us and those that many times we treat the worst!

The BEST!!!  Joy smiles a lot, but when I put up the camera she stops so this one is a gift indeed!


Jesus, it is a gift to be able to spend some time this day to pour out the Truth that I long to share daily as I love love love The Church and long to shout it from the rooftops!  I am filled with so much happiness and excitement with all that Jesus gives us of himself in The Word!  May we share all that we have been given without counting the cost.  St James and all the Saints with our Queen of heaven and earth!  Jesus, we trust in you in.  Bless-bless, Barb

The big farmer holding a smiling giggling Joy in his huge arms and hands after covering the bale pile and stopping to share in a great family meal on the beautiful new porch!  The cows are now across the road finding a better pasture - thank you, Lord, for the rain for the rain allowing the grass and crops to flourish and the streams to give them water to drink!

Mary watching over the two babies while the adults and older kids were covering the bale pile. 

the babies were not the best, but these two....  LOVE!  John sure enjoys and appreciates the wonderful girl his Mary is, and she thinks s lot of him, too!  They are good for each other!

Eating a pickle while Uncle John sings Princess songs...

St Christopher pray for us!

Yes!

LOVE!

After the blossoming of Elizabeth’s faith and her eventual conversion, it seems she could hardly contain herself when she exclaimed, “God is everywhere, in the air I breathe — yes, everywhere, but in His Sacrament of the altar, He is as present actually and really as my soul within my body; in His Sacrifice daily offered as really as once offered on the cross.”  about the conversion of St Elizabeth Ann Seaton!

Nancy's sharing today.. I told her she should compile these and make it her next meditation book.

3 hrs ·

"God has not called us to be successful. He has called us to be faithful."
-St Mother Teresa
Remember these words from Mother Teresa today. Our failures and set...backs and stumbles do not concern our Lord.

He is only concerned with our faithfulness.
So turn to him this morning and ask, "Lord, where do you need me?"
And pray that you have the strength to listen and obey.