Friday, March 1, 2019

Sheltering friendship/what God has united/half a snow day/beginnig the day with prayer and mass

A dear sister-in-law/friend/reason for my life here on the farm, Raterra, who has a leap year birthday celebrating with our family and Pat's mom 4 years ago!  I sent this to her this morning to wish her an almost birthday for this year.. she should have an actual birthday next year!

I thought of her today along with some other great friends, who have supported me and been there for me through the thick and the thin with the first reading today from Sirach!
"A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter;
he who finds one finds a treasure.
A faithful friend is beyond price,
no sum can balance his worth.
A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy,
such as he who fears God finds;"
Sirach 6
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

The Lord put her in my life!!!  Meeting at welcome week, and the following summer going "out West" as all flower children were doing in those crazy years!  The Lord got us to a Christian Commune in Bolder, Colorado and we then went in two different directions... me Catholic and Marge to New Age.  Yet, the Lord has kept her in my life!  She invited me to her wedding, where I met Pat and a year later we were married!  Divine Providence indeed, and so many prayers with each new day that she can come to know and love Our Lord and come back to The True Church!

How I long for these following words from Sirach to come to Truth, and I trust that this will come to be with hope and prayer without ceasing!
"A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy,
such as he who fears God finds;
For he who fears God behaves accordingly,
and his friend will be like himself."
The royal treatment - how we love her and she us!  She is stuck with me always praying and trusting that she will come to Jesus and Mary!
 Preparing for Bobbi's shower at Ruth's over the weekend... Luke did the upper windows standing in the sink and grandma did the lower parts.

What a white landscape we witness everywhere here, and more snow coming down now... the kids just got home after only 3 hours of school today!  This day should count, but I got a call from Ruth and the house is abuzz with lots of excitement with more time at home.  Ruth described watching Pat and 6 year old Rose petting a tame fair calf out in the barn... "This new camera in nice.  You can watch what is going on better than the camera that was always moving back and forth!"
The snow piled almost as high as the shed... probably 10 feet high!
 4 foot walls all the way up the driveway and kids getting off the bus yesterday!  When you drive up it you feel like you are approaching a palace with a walled entrance!  It is beautiful for sure, but the least bit of wind and you can't get through it.  A constant job keeping it open in this windy land we live in!
Grandma and Grandpa watch last night included some playing with water in a warm bubble sink last night.  She is growing up so fast... soon this will come to an end until the younger 3 new ones come to visit or grandma is there.

The Gospel today reminds us of how we need to include God in our marriage as he has called us together to become one!  It is impossible to have a happy healthy marriage without including God and that is what being joined in the Sacrament of Matrimony means to us... we will be given the graces we need to die to self and give to the other without counting the cost, which is what is needed to find peace and joy and respect one for the other.

"Without His redemptive love, it is not possible. With His redemptive love, it still remains the most difficult thing on earth. God knows what our hearts need; He stands ready to fill them over and over again, pouring inexhaustible grace through all the cracks and broken places."
Jenny Uebbing
Nancy working on her mission/Catholic Sprouts Podcast!  A 10 minute series on Catholic topics for kids!  She also has a ministry with Catholic wives and helping them to be open to the graces we can receive through Jesus and His Bride, The Church!
https://catholicsprouts.com/

I am so humbled to learn at the feet of my girls and son!  What better for a parent than to see their weak efforts to raise them a lights far exceeding thanks to God answering all our prayers!

Jesus, how we adore you and thank you for pouring upon us all the graces we need to persevere in carrying/dragging our Most Cherished Cross and following you down the narrow path with our eyes set on you, Mary your Mother Most Holy, and all the Saints in heaven forever with You!  May we die to self and serve one another without counting the cost.  May our homes experience a small slice of heaven here in earth as we embrace The Truth that will set us free!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah
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It was a special blessing to pray for Fr Denny for my 7 Sisters hour in the early morning hours in the silent church while Pat was at This Man is you.  Then we shared mass together!  A wonderful way to start a snowy day!  Thinking about getting up at 5:15a was a sacrifice, but so worth it!  Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke

Maria doing a project for Lent that Nancy developed - a Jesus Tree... Love this!

With Lent officially less than a week away, I am a bit behind on my usual preparations.

However, I have successfully completed one project for Lent 2019.

We are going to be doing a Jesus Tree (thanks, Nancy!) for the first time.

I am not a mom who loves daily crafty messes, 

so I decided to mod podge ornaments instead of doing daily coloring by the kids.

I think they turned out pretty great!

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