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!
Anniversary of Mary's death/St Thomas/Doing our work=PRAYER/Dad sees baling up close!
Pat and Paul gave my dad a front row seat to their raking ditch hay and baling it just around the corner from our home! Dad did not hesitate getting into the van and watching them bale as he has been curious about it after knowing how much of our summer is filled with cutting hay, raking it into winrows and baling it into round bales. Hundreds over probably that many hours. Pat had been out most of the day raking and Paul than baled it before sundown.
Ready to head out from our yard!
Pat ahead raking it into a row that Paul drives over and picks up in the baler.
The shadow of our van cast on the new tight bale that is pushed out after a lot it picked up and rolled together by the baler.
Paul's baler at work in the wide ditch. No hay left behind!
The evening light on the beautiful bean field so clean and healthy and growing wonderfully thanks to timely rains and heat and sun! Pat off on the other side of the ditch raking the hay and Paul following baling.
It is like a dream to share my life with my father after all these years of being a city girl come to the farm. I will be married to my hunky farmer 42 years in a month!
I had to pinch myself that my father was experiencing first hand our big farm job of the summer putting up hay!
Such an emotional day is July 3rd! The feast of St Thomas, the doubter and the Apostle, and the anniversary of the passing of my sister, Mary, from cancer at age 28 in 1986. Yes, that was 34 years ago now, but it most powerful for me as I also discovered that the 14 week baby in my womb was dead just a short time before she died!
As I wrote to my siblings this morning along with this picture..."Mary, mom, and my son, Thomas, at the feet of Jesus today. 'My Lord, and my God!' Mary and Thomas, in the womb, gone 34 years today. Jesus, we trust in you. Bless-bless."
I always have stages of my memorials - Mary with flowers from my garden and a candle and my wall of family including her Goddaughters, Nancy and Susan/Hallel. Yes, both of my girls have their Godmother praying for them more perfectly in heaven now joined by their grandmother, Nancy!
Mary was such a big part of my farmlife and family! She lived with me while I was on bedrest during my 2nd pregnancy of Nancy. She fell in love with the farm, and then found her farmer, Gerry, and they had Audrey, who was 20 months when her mother died.
The ties run deep and I know that this day is overboard for me in my emotions and all! https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html
Deacon dad, Robert, baptizing Nancy in 1982 while her Godmother, Mary, holds her. She had helped me at home and with Pat milking cows so that I could be on bedrest with toxemia during pregnancy!
Audrey's baptism day with nieces including Ruth and Nancy, who knew and loved this special Aunt!
Added Mary with Audrey on that same day it appears now.
Pat, my mother, Mary and Audrey at CCC about 7 months before Mary died. She is wearing a wig as her lost her hair fighting the enemy cancer! She told me that she would willingly spend her days in a wheelchair if only she could live with her husband and child... it was not in the Lord's plan.
I thought the bean field was so beautiful last evening while my father and I watched Pat and Paul do their dance called raking and baling.
Jude wishing his buddy cousin well. How I love to think my 3 one year old boys could be together in the end of the summer!
My father doing the "work" today - we pray with our all morning and evening with a sincere and prayerful rosary and chaplet at 3p on the porch watching the clouds overhead!
Daniel 3 from morning prayer spoke of our work of prayer surrounded by God's nature and work in this farm prairie land all around us - today I have fake plans to cut a few corn stalks to stand up by dad to show him how high the corn has grown! He cannot go out to stand in the field so I will bring it to him as he so wisely suggested! Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. * Praise and exalt him above all forever. Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord. * You heavens, bless the Lord. All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord. * All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord. Sun and moon, bless the Lord. * Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Every shower and dew, bless the Lord. * All you winds, bless the Lord. Fire and heat, bless the Lord. * Cold and chill, bless the Lord. Dew and rain, bless the Lord. * Frost and chill, bless the Lord. Ice and snow, bless the Lord. * Nights and days, bless the Lord. Light and darkness, bless the Lord. * Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord. Daniel 3
I have been eying this painting watercolor I did in 2014 on this day in Michigan of the fond memory I have of walking down the beach of Lake Michigan in the summers with my younger sister, Mary, under may shoulder as we talked and walked and looked for fossils together! I wanted to add mom painting in the sand dunes and the other 9 kids...
Hay getting picked up by Ruth and Paul while I was painting!
The full rack left while they are off to pick up the next one.
Mom added in the sand dune painting, baby Carol at her side, and the other 5 boys and 3 girls too! It felt good to be watercoloring on this day of thinking about mom and Mary together in heaven and also how I am usually in Michigan now and that is where I paint!
The baby was painted by my mother of baby Mary! I took a picture of it years ago and it is especially special today to add to my growing memorial. As dad said when he came out after his shower and nap - "It is growing more and more." Yes, I am getting carried away, and today runs very deep for me!
6 years later it feels more complete and that is healing for me!
Dad coming out for breakfast to see Mary on her anniversary in heaven with mom!
Giving her a blessing. Dad shares that he shed many tears at the passing of his 28 year old daughter..."I felt like I failed her and didn't pray enough for her healing." The Lord wanted her dad, and someday we will understand as mother does now!
Jesus, so many emotions are filling me this day! How I am blessed to be sharing our work of prayer with my father today! We are going to be out looking at the clouds as we pray with the help of your Mother, Mary most Holy, and our prayers will be uniting with mom, Mary and Thomas and all our dearly departed. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Ruth bringing a load of hay... I am not called upon to pick up hay this year much as Simon is now driving and taking my place. Bless-bless, Barbara
St. Thomas, the doubting apostle who put his hand in the side of the risen Christ, pray for us! July 3 is the feast day of St. Thomas the Apostle. He is believed to have preached the Good News to the Persians and Medes, and to India, where he evangelized and was eventually martyred in 72 A.D.
O God beyond all praising
Cat Stevens - mom's opening hymn for her funeral
Eagles wings - we sang this at Mary's funeral and it made me cry then and every funeral since remembering saying goodbye to my sweet sister 34 years ago!
7 years ago today in Michigan! Memories run deep indeed! How we miss our wonderful Lake Michigan!
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