John and Bobbi back in mid November... so much joy when taking their engagement pictures!
They chose the swings as we traveled around our yard and then went over to the farm... some very special keepsakes from the many we took that day!
Today they are off on a special trip for John to introduce Bobbi to his sister, Little Sister Hallel, and her Community of the Lamb, as the woman he is to marry on June 2nd! It has been since high school that Bobbi has known Susan/Hallel, so it will be special for them to spend some hours together tomorrow afternoon!
So much happiness and excitement!!!
It has been so important to me to add Bobbi in my litany of the family! I now add her, Bobbi Marie Therese, with John. When I reach the end of my rosary at Adoration... all 10 decades there gazing upon my Jesus in the monstrance... I spend the time to do the litany of our family filled with the names of so many glorious Saints first, middle, and confirmation! The litany is long and wonderful and lifts us up to our mother, Mary, and the Saints on our daily journey! All the losses are included also, and so the picture is complete!
One of the most healing and powerful talks I have given on retreats is when I ask those present to come forward and to represent my family! All 35 of us! Those losses go to heaven and are gathered there looking upon those left here on earth! With my 7 and the 4 grandchildren it is a virtual army of LOVE and concern for us! I get teary thinking about the first time I gave the talk.. John was also working, and I had him be himself, John... when this two younger brothers, William and Robert, whom I carried for 5 months and are buried at the cemetery as stillbirths went to heaven... I had them each give John a big hug! Wow!!!!
One of the best!!!
A healing for me is naming my losses and praying with them and for them. Daily I am aware of them and their concern for their old mother making up there to be with them. They keep my eyes focused on heaven forever with them, Mary, Jesus and The Saints. I will name them here as it gives me a lot of joy and allows my family of 12 to be complete; Christopher, Thomas, Joseph, Paul, William, Robert and Mary. They were lives no matter how short and how small! They allowed me to find so much love for all LIFE along with our children here with us, who we did not shelter from our joy and then devastation when they died. I have learned that if you share the Cross as a family you discover such a profound level of LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!
HUG!!!
In the Gospel today Jesus calls the Apostles and names them! He gives them endearing names and names that reveal how he loves them and understands how they are going to serve him. Even to knowing the way that Judas will play in his final sacrifice. How he calls out to us and we feel that same way that he calls us to himself and sends us forth!
"Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted
and they came to him.He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons:" Mark 3
"The Mountain" where is that in our lives? We come to him on the mountain when we find Jesus in The Word and Sacrament!
Listen to these beautiful words of Jesus de Conception Cabrera
"If your heart is My altar, I also want it to be the tabernacle in which
I hide... I will cure your wounds with My most precious graces,
and you will alleviate Mine with your love and with your
unknown sorrows... I shall be your sweet secret...
I will guard your soul, mysteriously communicating with it. ..."
Jesus to us, and we burn in our hearts with LOVE!
Black and white by the grain bins just is a tradition and never disappoints! John has that peaceful look that we saw so much of during his battle against brain cancer!
I have been having the powerful experience of going back to Caringbridge to get some of the dates of key happenings in his battle. I came across this amazing personal sharing about his sisters...LOVE!
"I wanted to let everyone know that in this horrible time I have found a true blessing. Throughout my childhood and life I had always prided myself on being close to my sisters. I would brag to friends about how awesome my sisters are, but through this hardship I have, for the first time in a long time, been able to spend time with all my amazing sisters. Sitting in my bed last night I had the realization that these last days laying in a hospital bed waiting to hear the fate of the rest of my life have been some of the happiest, most joy filled days of my life. Laughing and talking with my 4 sisters tomorrow night when Susan comes back to the cities is truly a gift from God. I had always feared I would grow apart from my sisters as I got older but I now know God had a plan to keep us together. Their presence here with me means the world." John on Caringbridge on June 28,2009 in ST Joseph's Hospital in St Paul
I have been having the powerful experience of going back to Caringbridge to get some of the dates of key happenings in his battle. I came across this amazing personal sharing about his sisters...LOVE!
"I wanted to let everyone know that in this horrible time I have found a true blessing. Throughout my childhood and life I had always prided myself on being close to my sisters. I would brag to friends about how awesome my sisters are, but through this hardship I have, for the first time in a long time, been able to spend time with all my amazing sisters. Sitting in my bed last night I had the realization that these last days laying in a hospital bed waiting to hear the fate of the rest of my life have been some of the happiest, most joy filled days of my life. Laughing and talking with my 4 sisters tomorrow night when Susan comes back to the cities is truly a gift from God. I had always feared I would grow apart from my sisters as I got older but I now know God had a plan to keep us together. Their presence here with me means the world." John on Caringbridge on June 28,2009 in ST Joseph's Hospital in St Paul
Shortly after Susan returned from France... and once again that peaceful look surrounded and supported by his entire family and all our prayer warriors!
Always John will have the farm in the background! How I loved this article speaking about how our kids love to return home/the farm!
"I don’t want to create a close family so that I cling tightly, unable to say goodbye: that was never God’s intention or design for the family. He created families as safe places (communities!) to demonstrate the Gospel and grow children into people who will turn around and do the same. I am looking forward to launching our kids into the great wide world and I can’t wait for them to come home and tell us all about it." Hayley Novak
Yes, from the farm and proud!
Jesus, go with John and Bobbi... give them safety on the road and wonderful sharing with family in KC! We are so blessed to have a daughter answering the call to be a "bride of Christ" and to have her Community of the Lamb as part of our family. We certainly did not sacrifice expanding our family by Hallel's celibacy! We are blessed by so many sons, daughters, sisters, brothers and the littleness they teach us in their poverty and humility is so important for our journey as we carry/drag our Most Cherished Cross and follow him down the narrow path. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Hallel's new role of song leader during mass and prayer throughout the day! John and Bobbi will join them for prayer and mass and share the evening meal with them tomorrow! "We will have about 5 hours with her tomorrow! We are excited and I am sure it will be wonderful." John this morning as we shared morning prayer and breakfast before they headed down the road to KC! Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke
A big THANK YOU to everyone at the #MarchforLife today in Washington, D.C.! God bless you! We're praying for you! #WhyWeMarch
I say this along with my 7 siblings and 4 adopted siblings!!! My parents were such a model to me of being open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS and now it is being carried forward by my children into the 3rd and 4th generations!
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html
My hero for LIFE and family and marriage!
https://chnetwork.org/story/sought-lord-found/?utm_content=buffer7074a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Such a great article about coming into The Church!
"But the best part is the healing my son has experienced. He and I both are in love with Jesus and with the Catholic Church. In fact, the first time he came back home after a visit with his dad, he told me that his stepmom took him to Mass in Lumberton, Texas. I said, “Really? That is awesome!” He said, “Mom, the Gospel message was about the weeds and the wheat.” I said, “WOW! That was our Gospel message too, in Austin!” That’s when it hit us: The Catholic Church is the universal Church. And in that moment, the Lord answered my prayer that my son would be able to hear the same Gospel message whether he was at mom’s house or dad’s house. We were overjoyed as we realized that the same Gospel message is given around the world on the same day." Laura Hinson
A paragraph which speaks to one of the reasons that daily I look at the readings of the day read throughout the world from St Peters to Ghent, MN!!!!
Hallel listened to this over and over before she entered! how the tears would flow as I listened to this personal love... the cross!
Saint Augustine: “To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement.”
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