Snowballs for Mary/Lunch with the Verlys on their porch/Praying with Jesus..."Follow me."

After my hour of prayer I had the joy of stopping in to see the Verly family!  They served me wonderful lunch out on their newly stained deck and Jude joined us at table!!   He was wide awake and so quiet and sweet in every way including some smiles for grandma!  We had wonderful breezes and Jude's guardian angel was busy keeping the helicopter seeds from hitting him directly as they poured down all around us.

The setting sun last evening the kids picked snowballs off the snow ball trees and our Lady got a pile of them including a couple to adorn her head thanks to David.

There was talk of a snowball fight between the boys and girls, but mostly they just spent some time together with Our Lady until the mosquitoes chased them inside.

Gnats under the girls' hair we are noticing they like to be sneaky and bite them there.  Also getting word of gnats getting in the throats of chickens and killing them!  Never heard of such a thing before, but we are on the look out.

Grandma had so much fun with these two last night!  2 year old Joy enjoyed smiling and touching George and he loved to smile and coo at her!  Joy is starting to spend some time around babies with two baby cousins close by for the summer.

Red barn in the background and two adorable sweet little ones hanging out together.  How can grandma not get carried away with too many pictures trying to capture this precious moment?

Another one!!  George is such a sweetheart and we are all so in love with this happy smiley little guy, right Joy?

 Pat keeps saying that these hot windy days are a month too late.  Yes, we are finally able to plant, but it is about a month later than ever.  There is no knowing how this summer will turn out for the farmers.

 Lord, we place it all in your hands.  You are in control!

Many prayers for the farmers as they have to fit in planting between the many rains we have had.

 Porch meals are how we feed 11 kids and their moms and then take meals out to the men in the fields.  Lettuce that had been growing just minutes before we ate... so fresh and full of goodness for healthy happy kids and families!

 These two girls are getting to be friends and that is so fun to see.  They are about 10 months apart and when Evie gets here... she will be right between them... 3 girls in 10 months!

They loved playing in the tub together last night while grandma washed their hair and kept an eye on them.  Sharing family time is what makes us happy this summer!

John, Bobbi and I were just talking about the schedule when Maria and kids are here in a few weeks.  Unfortunately Bobbi will be back at work, so she and Jude will spend time with us in the evenings.  I am leaving that all in the Lord's hands and know that His Plan is the best!  All he asks of us is that we follow Him, and that is all I want to do first and foremost!

 As I was praying for Fr Denny today... I sensed that something was going on over and above the usual.  A wedding was happening in the afternoon.  I was asked to leave the church by the photographer for the reveal of the bride to the groom.

It made me sad as it seemed that the knowledge that Jesus was there in the tabernacle was ignored and it was viewed as a beautiful space for the team of photographers to get the great shot of a lifetime!  Praying the sorrowful mysteries for Fr Denny and Fr Todd spoke of the many ways we forget about what Jesus has done for us and how hurt He must be when we reject his LOVE!

 Jesus is present!!!  It is more than a beautiful space!

 Asked to move to the very back corner so that I wouldn't interfere with "the moment" of the groom seeing his bride for the first time in her gorgeous wedding dress... I did not want to leave my time in front of the Tabernacle where he dwells in a powerful and real way!

Reading these fabulous words from the readings for today in the Office..
St Hilary, bishop, preaching on the Trinity
We receive the Spirit of Truth so that we can know the things of God.  In order to grasp this, consider how useless the faculties of the human body would become if they were denied their exercise.  Our eyes cannot fulfill their task without light, either natural or artificial; our ears cannot react without sound vibrations, and in the absence of odor our nostrils are ignorant of their function.  Not that these senses would lose their own nature if they were not used; rather, they demand objects of experience in order to function.  It is the same with the human soul.  Unless it absorbs the gifts of the Spirit through faith, the mind has the ability to know God but lacks the light necessary for that knowledge.

 Jude at the table in his chair!  Enjoying a beautiful noon  with breezes and spinning seeds from the maple trees above.

St Hilary continues:
The unique gift which is in Christ is offered in its fullness to everyone.  It is everywhere available, but it is given to each man in proportion to his readiness to receive it.  Its presence is the fuller, the greater the man's desire to be worthy of it.  This gift will remain with us until the end of the world, and will be our comfort in the time of waiting.  By the favors it bestows, it is the pledge of our hope for the future, the light of our minds, and the splendor that irradiates our understanding.

 Family time in the city in the summer...

The Gospel today is Jesus healing Peter after he denies him 3 times by asking if he loves him 3 times!  "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,
"Do you love me?" and he said to him,
"Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."
Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go."
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me."
John 21

Yes, our lives end with many times us as helpless as little Jude is at the beginning of his life.  My nursing home work was filled with changing pads/diapers, naps and helping to feed them as well as getting them dressed for the morning and bed at night.  Jesus, was talking too about being taken into captivity and to his death.  How we need to give the control over to him and follow after his example and direction on this journey carrying/dragging our Most Cherished Cross and following him down the narrow path with heaven forever at the end with Mary and Jesus and all the Saints!

 Many helicopters landed but none on Jude... John spoke of his guardian angel keeping them away.

 Great family time with this peaceful little guy!  In a couple weeks we will have the 3 baby boys together for the first time!

The pasture by our house - Pat moved them into greener and more lush pastures!  WE have 4 sets of twins out there so lots of babies!

 After such a muddy wet and cold spring with lots of snow and rain... this fills us with so much JOY!
Bless the LORD, all you his angels,
you mighty in strength, who do his bidding.
Psalm 103 today - the angels are watching out for us all!!

 Moms and babies in the wind on the hilltop with so much lush grass to eat and plenty of water in the creeks to drink!

Jesus, how we love you and want to follow where you lead with no hesitation whatsoever knowing that we you leading us to LIFE eternal.  May we give without counting the cost and trust in your plan no matter the hardships we encounter along the way.  

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us. Psalm 103

Our sins are forgiven and we are washed clean by your blood!  May we never forget your sacrifice for us and ignore your presence in front of us!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Halleujah

"You are my new cousin and I love you and am so happy that we can grow up sharing our Faith/Family/Farm!"  Bless-bless, Barb

Very close to reality around here!

Breathe in me O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.

– Saint Augustine

Working on his talk for TEC!

Danielle Rose - the saint that is just me

Laura Story - Blessings

Take me into the Holy of Holies - kutless

Lauren Daigle - Dry bones come alive