Birdie greets the family/15th Sunday of Ordinary - the sower and the seed

 Pat with a wide awake Birdie in his big arms at mass this morning.  She is so much more engaged... looking us in the eyes and smiling and such a very wonderful content and good little girl!

 Checking out her cousin, Joy Jean, is baby Birdie!  Yes, Birdie has met the family members before, but now she is looking with interest at the world around her and greeting us with looks of interest and smiles!

 "That is my big cousin, Joy, and I want to be just like her!"

 Birdie entertained my father at breakfast with kicking and waving her arms and looking all around and making eye contact with her great-grandfather!

 Sharing some time together for family breakfast.  How we love to share mass as a family and then share good old family time with a meal on the porch!

 I sure appreciate how much both dad and Birdie are getting to spend time together most every Sunday now.  She is 9 weeks old and each week she is getting to spend some time checking out my dad and he her. 

It has been years since dad has been around a sweet baby girl on a weekly basis.  A blessing both ways!  Very much a blessing that she is such a good and happy girl!  She sleeps all night already... much like her aunt Ruth and Nancy ahead of her. 

 Some old pictures from our time with my parents in Michigan at the cabin they built as a vacation home for their kids and a retirement home for them.  We had Audrey along this year - I think about 2004.

 Mom and her precious big dogs!  How she loved to have dogs!  Trying to get a taste of her pizza!  Classic picture that she cherished for these last years without a dog.

I picture her with my sister and brother in heaven with all these dogs leaping with joy around them.  A perfect picture of my mom experiencing great JOY!

 Mom, sister in law, Angela, and 3 of my girls in Michigan!  LOVE!!!

 Mass today - Mary and David on the altar and in the pew we were holding Jude some and then Birdie... sharing mass with our family with JOY is our delight!

 Fr Denny is back!!! Our wonderful friend from TEC is our priest again!  We are so blessed to have him as a friend, who kept TEC going in our diocese and how much TEC has meant to our family and our marriage!  An encounter with Christ is always the best thing for anyone!

The first reading from mass today - more from Isaiah 55!
Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

The Word is Christ at work in our lives and how we long to plant the seeds of Faith and Truth!

 Birdie and grandpa!

 Jude reflecting on breakfast shared on the porch. 

 John's Father's Day gift from John - size 13 comfy jazzy socks. 

Yes, the Gospel today is the sower and the seed!  May we be generous in our spreading the seeds of Truth!
“Hear then the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one
who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,
and the evil one comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
Matthew 13

How do we yield much fruit?  By living according to his plan for us and sharing the Truth as given us by Jesus and His Bride, The Church!   We are not to be shopping cart Catholics, we are to follow all that the Church holds out to us!  As dad was just saying; "Life is non negotiable."   

 Eyes for her wonderful mommy!

 A face filled with LIGHT/LOVE/LIFE! 

 Dad watching mass on EWTN and Pat giving him Jesus at the proper time!  "I am not worthy for you to enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed."  "The Body of Christ."  "Amen"

 Dad said a beautiful prayer after receiving Jesus, and it got me teary as he spoke about mom and prayed with her in heaven calling her his "wonderful wife, Nancy."

Jesus, LIFE is such a blessing in our journey!  Our love grows bigger and more with each new life!  May we die to self so that you may live in us.  May we give without counting the cost.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

 Joy came home for lunch with grandpa yesterday... she went to say "Hi great-grandpa" and he greeted her with a smile and licorice!

 Paul stopped to say "Hi!" to my dad and tell him about how he was going to the pasture to spray thistles.  Dad likes to keep up on the farming that day.  Haying happens all summer dad!

 Dad sat out praying for rain clouds for a couple hours - it got dark, but no rain.

 Our prayer space for the summer.  Many prayers said here for family and jobs, and safety in travel, and new life and each one of my kids and their families.  Also many that have died recently and are sick.  A fellow hospice patient, Joseph, has recently joined our prayer list on the chaplet!

How we love our shared prayer time at 3p!  Bless-bless, Deacon Robert and Barbara

Mamastery - Danielle Rose