Mom on my heart and mind/"Nancy, you are not far from the Kingdom" Jesus

 My mother with me at 2 months... their first child and obviously much loved for dad to take this most precious and intimate picture of his beautiful wife adoring her first child.  The aging seems to have a halo over my head, and make it a testament of how my mother loved life and was open to welcoming children over and over... even 4 adopted siblings!

The Gospel today seemed to proclaim the Truth for this mother of 12 including my brother, Lincoln, who died at 3 days and my sister, Mary, who died at age 28 from cancer...
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:28

Nancy loved God with all her heart, mind and soul!  She said "yes" to selfless giving of self to this huge family, she shared The Truth in articles and books evangelizing her Faith to all the world!  Her love for Jesus and His Bride, The Church, blessed me every day since we entered The Church 48 years ago!
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html

 The best picture of my wonderful parents over 25 years ago at my Goddaughter's wedding!

We know of mom's love for us, and we also witnessed her burning love for God and Jesus and The Church!  Her message for the Sacrament of Marriage of being submissive to our husbands saved marriages!  She was so intelligent and love The Word so much that she did a Bible study of the entire Bible!  This can all be found on their web site - CatholicDiagramTeacher.com

 Nancy Vercoe Cross...

Seeing her following the most important commandments without fail over her 90 years.  Yes, she was human, but she was humbly aware of her faults and weaknesses and often took advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  My sister, Paula, shared that just hours before her passing in the hospital the priest anointed her and she was actively involved in the Sacrament!

 Mom and I in 1952

My mother was a big introvert for sure, but she answered the call to teach and to guide with her love and knowledge of Jesus in Word and Alive in The Church!  She and I and dad shared this Truth deeply and I was so blessed to share with them the same eternal LOVE for Jesus and His Church!  Her Favorite saying was from Pope Benedict XVI lately...
"What moved me all the more was that, in this last period of his life, he learned to let go and to live out of a deep conviction that the Lord does not abandon His Church, even when the boat has taken on so much water as to be on the verge of capsizing," the pope emeritus concluded.

 Mom on one side and I on the other...united in the most important part of my life - How I will miss my best friend, who taught me and loved me and shared with me all that really matters in this world!

I have tears rolling down at this point, but that is nothing new!

My mother loved the Big Lake and this takes me there and remembering her sitting in the sand dunes painting out of the wind.  This was obviously a very windy day with white caps.

It is very interesting that I have a deep love and longing for the Big Lake, and that is where I water color a new painting each day.  My mom instilled that in me!  No doubt!

Yes, the other Commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself... Mom did not socialize easily, but I see this lived out in her as she opened her home, our family, and our lives were enriched when her and dad brought in the 4 adopted children!  It was a big powerful expanding of our love!  I have been communicating with the 10 remaining and my heart is full and my head is spinning!  No easy feat, yet we are united in our love for our mother!  As some of my siblings told her on her death bed... "Thanks mom for loving me and giving me a good life!"

 More of mom's artwork in my home!  A windy day indeed!

Seeing how my mother lived out these commandments... Jesus is then saying to her...
"Nancy, you are not far from the Kingdom" as he said to the scribe in the Gospel today.  It was very powerful to pray for mom's soul on my trip home a day ago... watching pairs of swans on the water in fields.  I pray for my dead on The Chaplet of Divine Mercy and I have a decade for my sister, Mary, and Brother, Lincoln, so to unite mom with them there for the first time was very powerful and the tears were flowing!  I know that mom needs my prayers as does my sister and brother, and they can count on me!  I especially love when I am traveling back and forth in my chapel on wheels!  Such a powerful time for me!

As the Gospel of Mark continues today...
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

 I posed for this artsy oil painting around Easter.

Jesus, how I am overwhelmed by the gift I have been given by my mother of my LIFE and then my LIFE in The Church!  How I long to die to self and live out these most important commandments of loving you with our ALL and our neighbor as ourselves!  May I give without counting the cost!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen

 Still Michigan... unfinished from her sketch book

 A picture of the snow we got yesterday...  At least it is frozen so they can haul manure today.

 Snow outside while Ruth homeschools!  "We are having religion class now.  Next we are going to plant seeds for our own plants for the garden this spring."  Making the most of a challenging situation.  The kids also are out helping more too!  Bless-bless, Barb

Mom is getting ever close to the center with our prayers and sacrifices for her!

 Time with Pat yesterday on the road.

 A beautiful picture of St Joseph with the Holy Family!  LOVE!

 Picture of mom's painting of sister, Mary, as a baby.

 The icon she painted on barn wood of the Holy Family... yes, that is snow!

Picture of a painting in Michigan of my brothers, Jim and Phil, and sister, Mary...

The Afters - Well done my good and faithful one!

Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me

Danielle Rose - Wonderfully made
 One thing we would discuss with so much sadness was how LIFE has become so disrepected!  I know mom is at work in heaven along side STJPII and ST Mother Teresa trying to end this horrible LIE of Satan!