No longer shall the sound of weeping be .../Homeschool in the barn

 Dad kneeling in prayer over his wife of 70+ years!  Two of my sisters looking on... I am realizing how blessed we have been to have our wonderful loving parents, who led us on the most amazing Faith journey, and gave us the gift of Faith and Family!

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 Dad and mom together for their final farewell!

I talked to dad today on the phone... the tears were held in check by both of us as he shared;
"I overslept this morning and I felt Nancy's hand on my arm and her voice saying, 'Robert.'"
"Lonesome is a  feeling that I am starting to wonder about.  I talked to the administrator about my kids coming in one at a time to see me."
"I am getting out earlier for meals so that I can sit at a table and eat in the dining room.  Only one person per table.  The first time I missed getting a table so I had to eat in my room."
"I am well!  I have no feelings of being sick at all."
"It was a wonderful day we had for Nancy."

 Fr John Drees saying the prayers and blessings at the gravesite for mom and just the kids.

Much of the words from Psalm 30 today speak of our weeping becoming JOY.  I am not quite at that point yet, but I must say that the overwhelming appreciation and gratitude for mom and dad always listening to the Holy Spirit in guiding our journey through LIFE is definitely a great source of the wellspring of JOY and LIFE everlasting at the end of the narrow path as we carry/drag our Most Cherished Cross!

Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R.    I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
“Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.”
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R.    I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

A lifetime his good will... this speaks to me of my mother's life.  My sister and I were just sharing about when mom donated her kidney to her sister 45 years ago... there was a scary time where mom was in danger.  "We could have lost mom 45 years ago, and it is so powerful to think of her life being saved and now making it to 90 seems like a wonderful gift!"  To consider how my mother and dad had brought us into The Church just a few years before and how we have shared The Church's blessing us each day since!  All that my mother has written and published and shared with me and the world in evangelize The Truth!
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 Soon to be 13 year old granddaughter, Mary, learning from her wonderful grandpa and father how to assist in pulling a calf!  As dad put it..."Mary getting lessons in pulling calves in Farm Homeschooling."

So many people are sharing about their close family time due to the current virus concerns in the world!  I see for many that this is bringing them closer and sharing Faith as a family during this Lent like no others!  I see that not being able to attend mass and receive Jesus Body in the Eucharist brings a hunger and desire to come to Him and receive Him!  Father Todd mentioned yesterday the example of Japan and not having the mass for 200 years!  "When priests could come there representing Christ they found a vibrant Christian Community!"  Wow!  And we have only a few weeks of months!  May we truly recognize Christ in the Eucharist!

 A healthy calf!  Good Job Mary!

Mary is having powerful LIFE experiences on the farm.  Yes, there is life and death we see, so many payers for the work we are called to do calving out 170 cows!

 Family time in the barn... all made possible by this time out of school and work other than in the home!

 Such a cute calf!  That one will have a special place for Mary as it grows up on pasture with her mom this summer, and growing up in the herd. 

 Love this!  The family gathering and breaking down the barriers with a Zoom conversation!  Even Minnie Mouse was a welcome participant!

 7 of the 10 with dad and mom...  Weeping is also a theme in the first reading today from Isaiah 65, and the coming of JOY!

Thus says the LORD:
Lo, I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight;
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and exult in my people.
No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
or the sound of crying;
No longer shall there be in it..."

Such a beautiful picture of what lies ahead for mom and for each one of us if only we turn away from sin and embrace our loving and forgiving Savior, Jesus Christ with the help of Jesus and His Bride, The Church!  Recalling all the beautiful Truth that I was lucky to share with my parents over my 68 years!  I am the lucky one to have all that most precious time with them!  I am eternally grateful for my husband allowing and encouraging me to spend time with my parents over these last few years especially!  Thank you, honey!

 We love you mom and dad! 

Jesus, how we have been blessed by your Holy Spirit guiding our journey to find the True Church!  May we die to self this day so that you may live in us and we may be your hands and feet and voice of Truth as our parents were and their legacy continues in all that they wrote and shared with the world!  Mom, we know of your love and prayers continuing to shower down on us from heaven and we pray that we may be united in the Truth as a family.  We are eternally grateful for your message of coming to Jesus with the assistance of his Mother Mary, and that Jesus will not abandon His Church.  How you loved Jesus in His Word, and so each day we come to Jesus as He speaks to us in the Word of God with you!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen

Church in our home - Joy getting a blessing!  May you always hunger for Jesus sweet Joy!  We are overwhelmed by sharing our Faith as a family - soon to be 30 of us!  There is nothing better in this whole wide world than sharing our Faith with JOY!  Bless-bless, Barb

LOVE this... Ruth teaching her kids how to crochet!  She learned to crochet from her grandma Anna Verly when Ruth was in High School... dozens of afghans since and her kids have watched her crochet while she does anything sitting down!  LOVE

 Showing grandma his stitching in this period of staying at home with his family!

 Gus also learning from his mom how to cross stitch... St Maximilian Kolbe!

 Gus was surprised by a quick First Communion at the last mass for a while at his parish!

Confession and First Communion in a superman sweatshirt!  LOVE Jesus always and now hungering for him in this fast!

Another amazing verse from Isaiah!  LOVE the Lamb!  How we are thinking about our nun in KC - not being able to be a part of saying goodbye to grandma!



Hail Mary, full of grace. Our Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen