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!
Those that put their trust in our prayers.../"The LOVE you had at first..."/ "Lord, please let me see" the LIGHT of LIFE!
This picture makes me giggle for many reasons... Mom having the weed bouquet coming out of her head, our hippy looks throughout, our youthfulness, mom and dad's first grandchild now they number 34, and 58 great-grands!
The knowledge that mom and dad are now gone in 7 short months is still quite raw and hard for me to grasp as reality! Today dad seemed to remind me on this Monday that he would lift up in prayer our family first and middle names and how much we depend on that!
Dad underlined and pointed out this intercession from morning prayer today... Dad took very seriously his "work" each week on Monday - even 4 weeks ago today when he had recovered enough to pray with some help from me.
The day before on Sunday morning he had passed out and appeared to be dying! As it turned out he was giving us a warning that our days were down to the end as he passed peacefully away on Friday, 5 days later! I marvel that he still was able to pray and only needed some small help from me! I, too, have a hobby of knowing all the names of our huge combined families reaching over 250 with the dead that I add from my family and others.
Maybe I don't pray on Monday as dad did, but each time of Adoration on Thursday morning at 4a - I placed each one in the monstrance with Jesus! The last few weeks I have had the great JOY of adding our newest grandchild in the womb, and those prayers are much needed with a scare we had a few weeks ago.
Our two youngest grandchildren on Saturday... Jude is the youngest of the 3 boys in 6 weeks and Birdie is now 6 months! I am given the gift of spending some time with them each day between John leaving for his job and Bobbi getting home from her's. The gap grandma is my job. I am very famous for getting little ones to take naps on my watch. The way I look at it... they are in need of that rest time and grandma's rosary is calling out to her!
A kitten has all their attention!
The 3p prayer time my father and I shared the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy each day... I am attempting to continue with that... even yesterday I sat bunded up on the porch next to where dad would sit and prayed out loud! We had some singing of phrases we shared at the beginning and end of the Chaplet that can bring me to tears. The cat comes and prays with me as he did this growing season on the porch together.
Baby farm girl, Birdie, is getting to know her daddy really well. As John does her daycare until he leaves for work after school.
It was really interesting to find Revelations as our first reading at mass today... One phenomenon that really gives me so much happiness is that St John talks about how "the love you had at first" for Jesus and His Church has faded... well, I can say that I am still head over heels in love with Jesus, Mary and The Church - every single day since all 13 of us came into The True Catholic Church 49 years ago! I think of my early "romance days" at The Farm reading Thomas A'Kempis, and Thomas Merton, and doing modge podge and caligraphy on pieces of wood, and living with Sisters behind the enclosure and discerning my call to be a nun, and going to daily mass at The Basilica...
Today I have been given 3 daily meditations from my parents... 2 from Brother Victor-Antoine from dad, and one from Benedict XVI from mom, The morning and evening prayer in The Magnificat which hubby and I try to do together, now dad's book of prayer of The Church, where he continues to teach me with his pointing out to me the beauty and Truth to be found there! Then to be able to pour my heart out here each day... how I burn to share my LOVE. love, love for Jesus, Mary and The Church with no reservations! I love it ALL!
Well, some things never change - while I watch sweet Birdie Barbara... I am always on the look out for pictures to cherish and share! She reached for my shawl, so it became a head covering with her adoring The Immaculate heart of Mary and the Sacred heart of Jesus! Nothing better!
The Gospel today was also a special gift! The healing of the blind man, who called out to Jesus in his darkness as he was told that Jesus was passing by. May we also share with all the LIGHT of LIFE they may receive from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!... All we need do is call out to Him, and...
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, please let me see.” Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.” He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God. Luke 18
When we see these miracles happen... in this day and age too... we are aware that Jesus is still answering our heartfelt prayers for healing and for Jesus to be in control of our lives! I cannot share enough the stories of prayers answered for John and for grandson, Patrick... even now we are in the midst of prayers for our 20 grandchild in the womb!
The wind beneath my wings - seeing joyful life with a side of uncertainty... if it weren't for the cross in our life - the good things would not be near so good. All happiness would be boring eventually. We need to struggles and suffering to make good be really good!
The LIGHT and the quilt and the three with dolly, Jude, make it special for an old grandma.
I ponder how limited many families are these days going back to even when Pat and I were in our Engagement weekend... All the other couples were going into marriage with the Plan to limit their children to at most 2! We were the only couple that said we were open to a large family - we said 12 - as it all turned out according to His Plan - we have 5 with us, and 7 keeping our eyes on heaven! Not quite how we hoped, but the pain of loss which we shared as a family led to a deep love for one another, as we realize just how precious life is in our family and in the BIG PICTURE! We all LOVE LIFE from conception to natural death and all of us in our own ways promote this Truth in The Church and the world around us!
My father in the last week of his life. Popsicles were something good for him, and I loved to see him come back... not knowing that it would be so brief.
Back to prayer with me... I do miss this now, but he continues to share with me as I am now given his prayer book, and all that he shows me each day!
Jesus, how I am overwhelmed by your LOVE for me! Each new day you gift me with more than I can ever truly share with all around me! May I die to self so that your Holy Spirit may use me to your honor and glory. My inner temple is filled with your LOVE/LIGHT/LIFE if only I embrace my Most Cherished Cross and follow you dragging it down the narrow path keeping my eyes focused on heaven forever with you. I am yours, O Lord! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Two weeks ago on a cold day... much like the day we had mom's burial 7 months before. In the middle there was an entire growing season that dad and I shared on the farm. It seemed to be a long time, but now too short! A taste of how time is a puzzle, and a reminder that we should take each day and appreciate it for the time we have with family and The Lord and Our Lady and our guardian angel and All the angels and Saints! That is a lot to celebrate and fill our days with happiness! Bless-bless, Barbara
Cold and windy picture on the day of my dad's funeral mass. It feels so good that there was a lull in covid at the time, so that all of my siblings made it there for all or part of our time. Now with the closing down of Washington and other states... it looks like our fake plans for a Verly Christmas in January is threatened, and we are praying and hoping!
St Gertrude looks amazing!
"All the blessed in heaven hold palms in their hands,
to tell us that every adult who is saved must be a martyr
either of blood or of patience." - St Alphonsus Ligouri
"O God of love, my Savior,
eternally sweet and tender,
heart and soul I thirst for You! You fill my soul; and yet the more I taste of You, the more I hunger.
The deeper I drink of You, the more I thirst.
Come, Jesus! Come, Lord!"
St Gertrude the Great
Germany ~ 1256 – 1302
Benedictine nun, mystic
Patroness of West Indies
Advocate of devotion to the Sacred Heart
Feast Day – November 16
O Sacred Heart of Jesus,fountain of eternal life, Your Heart
is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary.
O my adorable and loving Savior, consume my heart with the burning fire
with which Yours is aflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love.
Let my heart be united with Yours. Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things.
May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen.
at the Virgin Mary’s feet; it seems like I get younger and I tell her
the facts like they really are.” St Giuseppe Moscati
Italy ~ 1880-1927
Physician, Medical Professor, Miracle Worker
Advocate of devotion to the Sacred Heart
Pioneer in field of biochemistry whose research
led to the discovery of insulin as a cure for diabetes Must see film:St Giuseppe Moscati: Doctor to the Poor (2007)
Feast Day - November 16
"And if for the truth's sake you should
sacrifice yourself and your life, be strong in your sacrifice." -St Giuseppe Moscati
The Jesuit Giovanni Aromatisi had been Prof. Moscati’s friend for several years. He had a good knowledge of his habits and was his spiritual counselor. ... “He was used to visiting our Gesù Nuovo Church. He heard and served my Mass many times. The cult of the Holy Sacrament was at the centre of his life. Each time he served my Mass, when he looked at the Eucharist, he had such a light in his glance, that my eyes could hardly bear it. At the moment of Holy Communion, I had to lower my eyes. He has often prescribed a ‘Eucharist cure’ to young boys suffering from physical weakness, as a source of every strength.”
My husband and I have a growing devotion to St Giuseppe
and never tire of introducing him to others!
We heartily encourage you to get to know him and ask for his intercession! Consider giving your Doctor a DVD of St Giuseppe's life for Christmas! - Janette
Happy Feast Day Saint Gertrude the Great 1256-1302 Feast day: November 16 Patronage: West Indies, travelers St. Gertrude was a Benedictine nun and mystic writer. The characteristic of St. Gertrude's piety was her devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She showed sympathy towards the souls in purgatory and urged prayers for them. She is therefore invoked for souls in purgatory.
Our two youngest grandchildren on Saturday... Jude is the youngest of the 3 boys in 6 weeks and Birdie is now 6 months! I am given the gift of spending some time with them each day between John leaving for his job and Bobbi getting home from her's. The gap grandma is my job. I am very famous for getting little ones to take naps on my watch. The way I look at it... they are in need of that rest time and grandma's rosary is calling out to her!
A kitten has all their attention! 
Baby farm girl, Birdie, is getting to know her daddy really well. As John does her daycare until he leaves for work after school. 
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