Oh, my Therese... she gets grandma and her obsession with capturing pictures of my family to use and share with all far and wide! She helped me get the girls ready and arranged them here and there for pictures with the cows and calves and playhouse and Ruth's flower garden.
I am so happy that Therese now has a baby sister, who is the only other girl now with 4 brothers. How she loves to share her love of dollies and all things girl that her brothers just don't care about. Yes, T and Evie have some likes in the building and outdoors that might not have developed as much as they have without the dad and many brothers influence. Therese sets her mind to things and she can accomplish and shine very brightly!
Her hand there as she helped set up this cutie at Ruth's amazing playhouse. You certainly have someone to look up to Therese in your Aunt Ruth, who has no limits in what she can do if she sets her mind to it!
The amazing cabin/fort that came from T's imagination and was accomplished with a lot of work from the family. Now she made garden beds and has started to get some produce!
From the inside looking out...
Grandchild #2 is Mary, who is now 13 and #3 is Therese is now 11. They have always been good friends and enjoyed spending time together. Now that they are tweenagers, how I pray that they will continue to be close.
Mary will be having her last year in Catholic School as she is going into 8th grade. She is having a week called Beloved at Schoenstatt this week. I am looking forward to hearing about her time there growing in her faith. A year ago in France and then Rome she has been pondering a possible call to being a nun. How I pray that each one of my grandchildren with include that amazing option when they are asking the Lord to reveal his plan to them. The beautiful plan for Mary Lanoue formed by the LOVE of her Savior, Jesus Christ. And the beautiful plan for Therese formed by the LOVE of her Savior, Jesus Christ.
The same can be said about these 3 all within 6 months of each other and continuing to be close and good friends! The Lord has a special plan for each one of you, Rose, Patrick and Bernadette! Ask him and He will show you, and always know that religious life or the priesthood are wonderful options of being totally His, and serving Jesus, Mary and The Church!
Today St Paul in 2 Corinthians on this feast of St James speaks about how we are to die with Christ so that we can than live with Him!
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
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.
2 Cor 4
In order for us to die to self we need to see that all of the afflictions, perplexing times, times of persecutions, and when we are knocked off our high horse... there is a purpose and a reason and we are brought low/humbled so that we can give control over to Jesus!
The 3 little girls with grandpa.... so much in love with him and his love for ALL LIFE!
Just a reminder of the Litany of Humility, which is exactly what St Paul is speaking about here!
The Litany of Humility
For Private Use Only.
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, etc.
From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred to others,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,
From the fear of being humiliated,
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
From the fear of being calumniated,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being suspected,
Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, etc.
From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred to others,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,
From the fear of being humiliated,
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
From the fear of being calumniated,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being suspected,
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase
and I may decrease, etc.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Talk about dying to self!!! Jesus make me humble so that you are the LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT within me! Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase
and I may decrease, etc.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should,
The Missionaries of Charity - St Mother Teresa's order pray this prayer weekly!
A picture of LIFE!!! The 18 in various stages of growth and responses.
The Gospel reinforces our need to die to self and be HIS!!!
" 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." Matthew 20
Jesus to us and Apostles John and James, whose mother asked them to put one his right and his left in the Kingdom... For me, I am just wanting to get there and may I be tiny and the servant of all if only I know that I am with my Lord, His Mother, Queen of heaven and earth, The Saints, today St James, and a reminder of how much I love my patron Saint - St Luke, and all the Angels and Saints in heaven forever! If I am that last of all... so long as I can enter LIFE eternal and meet my 7 along with my dead and ALL in LIGHT everlasting!
Cat bomb!!! You can only imagine how much LOVE we have for each and every one of these precious ones! Also our eyes are focused on heaven where we have 7 children and 5 grandchildren to meet someday. As Therese said years back; "Mom, we are going to need a big van for all those kids!"
Jesus, how our love grows with each new member of our family weather they join us here or you in heaven. LIFE is truly a gift and should be protected and cherished from conception to natural death no matter the cost. May we die to self so that you may live in us and we may become your hands and feet. St James lead us down the narrow path as we carry/drag our Most Cherished Cross and follow Jesus from death into LIFE eternal and everlasting. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
My pink nursing smock that I had just butchered chickens in... hidden behind all kinds of sweetness.
Birthright has been a part of my marriage from the beginning. I was learning how to do a pregnancy test and discovered I was pregnant with #1 daughter, Ruth Ida! The beginning of a most amazing time spent in this wonderful organization and the beginning of my family from which flows so much LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT - embracing my Most Cherished Cross to find Jesus in me!
Called to be His Bride?
Her vocations song...
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