Calving begins early/I want to be a sheep... Baa, Baa, Baa, Baa

Early but healthy is our first calf with Joy this morning.  It is the year of the Ms before their number - her name is Minnie and she will be M1!  Joy will be 3 in a month and looks like she is a farmgirl in the line of her sisters ahead of her.

So begins the spring mud - Joy took a tumble in the mud and grandma had to come and rescue her while the older kids were helping with the implanting of the steers and heifers from last year.  Lots of muddy clothes and boots!

David and Luke ended up in the shower in the shop getting the mud off and having fun, too!  How we are grateful for some nice weather to start our calving this year and more nice weather ahead.  So many prayers and lots of watching our cow TV from here and the farm.

Grandma to the rescue!

It has been a morning with some medicare physicals and it was nice to see that things are going pretty well for this old woman.  It is always a bit scary to face yourself and so I am thankful for a fairly good report.  We all know that things can change around the corner, so we take today with some gratitude and continue to pray.

I had my rosary in hand while my vitals were checked and feel that those prayers without ceasing are huge for me keeping my inside peaceful and calm.  There were many questions about anxiety and depression and I know that My Mother of heaven and earth helps me deal with those flashes of worry and trouble that come with this journey for me.  Real true HELP for the journey!

A memory from 5 years ago with Pat's mom and sister, who is a Leap year baby.  She had a birthday this year!  She is in Seattle with her daughter and family, so no family time with her this year.  Pat's mom has been gone for 3 years now, too.  Seeing her house across the street from the hospital today for my mammogram always makes me sad and miss her.

The Gospel today is that one!!!  The sheep and the goats!  How I want to be a sheep and it calls me to reckoning on how well I do at caring for others and giving to those in need!  As I read it I think about Hallel and her Community of the Lamb and how they visit the prisons, go to eat at soup kitchens and lovingly share their love and the Gospel with the Poor.  There is a precious story in the Community of them begging and the person giving them a glass of water.  This Gospel comes rushing to LIFE!  It is a blessing for them to allow the poor to be sheep also!

My parents sharing The Eucharist on Sunday a few weeks ago.  Mom is not up to going to mass with dad and I so he brings Jesus to her and they share the prayers of The Church... the Collect and the prayer after Communion together along with the Gospel.

Todays needs to be read and pondered and prayed over as to how we can live it better as "sheep!"
Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”
Matthew 25:31-46

Lord, how I long to be on the narrow path to heaven forever carrying/dragging my Most Cherished Cross and finding LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT/heaven forever with you, my Lord!  May I never turn my back on those in need weather it be of body, mind or spirit.  May I share without any selfishness and always give.  May I die to self so that you may live in me.  May I become your hands and feet!  "Wounded, I will never cease to love and to serve."  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen

 My most Cherished Cross with 1 year old George, who cried when he left him to come back to the farm this weekend.  How he loves those little ones and they love him in return!

 Then charming baby Jude, who will be a year in 3 1/2 weeks!  He is such a sweet and good boy, too!

 Family job on a nice day.

Many hands working together on the farm.  Grandma gets to have the young kids in and out of the house - lots of mud was
found!  Bless-bless, Barb

Minnie and Joy

John's story of finding faith through brain cancer

Danielle Rose - Hail Holy Queen

Salve Regina - Gregorian chant

Zach Williams - Rescue story