The Pat and Barb Verly family and their 5 children, in laws and grandkids along with many prayer warriors have been drawn together by John's cancer... sharing daily for 8 months started this blog- Family Soul Story - Our faith, family, farm and now our cancer journey called HEALING have colored and deepened our world. WE continue to share and depend on the support of our prayer warrior community, that has lowered us into the Lord's presence for His healing!
turn the hearts of the children to their fathers/"John is his name."
My heart leapt for JOY when I walked in from mass at our family camp to see my father there! Looking around for my mother and hearing that she had not been able to make it lessened that joy, but... the King of our family had made the considerable effort to come and the hour and a half to join his family to share CCC 2019!
2 1/2 year old Joy meeting her great-grandpa and he called her "Joy Jean" and knew that she was a farmgirl and loved her kitties and baby dolls. I was so impressed by my dad's calling each child by name - not only the first name but the middle name too!
Great granddaughter, Mary Angela, comes over and my dad asked her about her swimming and what she swims with the team! How the words from the first reading today from Mal 3 rang those Christmas bells for me after the extreme gratitude and happiness I have for my dad coming to be with us!
Speaking about John the Baptist and the coming of Christ after him... "Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, Before the day of the LORD comes, the great and terrible day, To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers..."
Malachi 3
Joy and Ruth getting to sit next to my 94 year old dad and share a bit of themselves with him and he with them!
My heart is so full knowing of how my dad led us into The Church against the tide leaving the Church after Vatican 2 was so misunderstood! Each day since has been filled to overflowing with so much including the Sacraments - I was able to share Reconciliation with dad a week ago, Jesus in His Word, Body and Blood, His amazing Mother Mary, the Mother of God, the Saints and Angels, the wisdom and Truth we follow in The Church! So much to help us with each new day! https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html
New to Minneapolis - 2 years from our conversion! Oldest of 11 and many hearts that turn to our father with gratitude for leading giving us LIFE and most of all taking to heart our Faith journeys also!
John, Bobbi and Jude with my dad! How we are blessed to have him still with us and still sharing his Faith with JOY!
Of course the Gospel reading rings my heart strings for my own son, John, and his being set apart for serving the Lord with his finding Faith through brain cancer! I had the name Luke for my boys through the 4 girls, but Luke faded and with my love for St John Paul II... John came to be the name when we were blessed with our boy after 4 girls and 3 losses... "John is his name."
More from the Gospel today as it does speak about St John the Baptist and also our son, John... He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him."
Luke 1
Our John has done this for many as they see how Prayer works! Surely the hand of the Lord is with him!
John's healing and continuing to long to serve the Lord and bring others to Faith!
Great news! The Lord opened a door for him to work and serve others as an activity director for a memory care unit here in town! May your LIGHT shine forth, O Lord!
2019 was a small year with our Maria missing and her family and our beloved, Sam, and his growing family due to a baby being due soon! Small but joyful and to have my dad there was such a gift! Pat and I were happy to return him to mom after we got this family picture for 2019 recorded. One for the record books with 90+ missing this year.
While we were driving dad home... we still were given some great presents with family pictures by the tree of John with his precious family! Jude's first CCC was the best! He charmed one and all with his happy and sweet attitude!
A sweet smile in this one!
Ruth and Paul's wonderful bunch! It was so cute to hear Simon telling a great-aunt that even though he is 15 now that he loves CCC because he can "run around and be a kid!" How he loved the dance we have after Santa... so great to see the older kids out there and the moms and dads too! I guess that some of my sisters and sister-in-laws got teary eyed watching our Paul dancing with his daughter, Mary. "Imagining them dancing together at her wedding."
Love this one of my dad with granddaughter, Sarah! They have had card games at CCC over the years, and have a special close relationship!
A special project we worked on to make my parents a tree using our handprints. Even with many missing it still is a full tree representing our LOVE and uniting at a family!
The most giant hand of all!! It filled an entire piece of paper - most of us could get 2 handprints on a sheet! We said that his hand should be the trunk and the branches!
George was a gem to share his first CCC! Grandma had to get the boys matching clothes of course, and we have to deliver Hector's to Washington on New Years!
John with new little 3 month old Eleanor! They got her a Christmas dress!
Jude wasn't too freaked by Santa... a nice laid back part smile!
Uncle Paul getting him to giggle with the air toss!
Our kitchen crew for Sunday breakfast! Thanks kids for all your hard work with cheerful attitudes!
In their bumbos eating their pancakes! Jude would reach over and grab stuff off of George's tray... they shared their breakfast and grandma giggled!
This gives you an idea of how beautiful this place is where we gather year after year!
This was our 34th Christmas Camp! How we love it and as a nephew said..."Counting down the days til 2020 camp now. 348 days and counting now til Friday when we gather!
Hi cousin! Let's be friends and grow up together, and let's get together with cousin Hector soon too! We are so lucky to have each other!
Our breakfast spread was grand!!!
Josephine and Jude getting some great time to get to know each other on this glorious weekend!
Packing up on a 40 degree day! The weather was wonderful and there was tubing down the hill and we were thankful for great roads and wonderful time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings!
We traveled together about an hour and then stopped for a last meal together! Now Christmas in just 2 days!
How our kids appreciate their generous father and how he has always given them the gift of this family Christmas!
We are not big gift givers, but instead love to give our growing family the gift of wonderful memories shared! Even the stormy years and years when we got flus or colds at CCC... those are all part of the ups and downs that come with our life of Faith/Family/Farm! The hard times make the good times that much better! There were some sad parts this year, but we had a great camp regardless!
He was tired and fell asleep in the first mile of our trip back home!
Thanks Angela for the crafts and all the work you and Dan do to make our camp beautiful inside and out! We love our Camp Wapo and how each year is different and memorable!
Jesus, we love you and long to share your Truth with all those we meet! May we share that unconditional love and forgiveness you give us with those we come in contact with... but most especially with those the closest to us in our domestic Church/family. May we die to self so that you may live in us and we may be your hands and feet. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
6 years ago before they flew back to El Paso... how we missed them this year, and Pat already has firm fake plans that they WILL be here next year! Talk about counting down the days! Bless-bless, Barb
Too much to share!!! The first breakfast on Saturday - thanks to the cooks!
Two great sister in laws and Godson, Stephen!
So beautiful with warm days for tubing!
Sharing spoon and John's lap!
Family rosary is the best! We miss my parents but carry on this great prayer time together!
So blessed to share our Catholic Faith!
Luke friending my brother during our prayer time!
Luke, Romeo and Dominic in those huge hands 5 years ago! We missed Romeo at camp - Dominic brought a picture of him along so he was included! So sweet!
All of us shared mass before supper, my dad's arrival and Santa and the dance! Sharing our Faith with JOY is the best!
Mass is a familiar place for George and Augustine - each week with their family since birth!
St Joseph church and statue with young Jesus and the two 7 year old girls - Bernadette and Rose Again - missing the other 7 year old, Patrick!
Yes, our supper meal was grilled hamburgers thanks to my sister, Paula and family! So good, and so nice to have such wonderful weather!
FINALLY! A wonderful memory from yesterday of John at a checkup at Mayo a few years back and sharing that Dr Brian had praised John on his recovery from his biopsy through a very touchy part of his brain! So amazed at how much he has recovered and doing with his life. How encouraging and powerful it was to reread that and know that John continues to be a miracle! All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him."
Two Johns!!! John the Baptist and John Verly!
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