John and I realized that we had no control and that all of our Trust must be given to Jesus, Mary and The Saints, and The Church to get us through this "storm!" Yes, we got humbled to our cores and truly were brought to a place of internal poverty! John met Jesus face to face and discovered that his Faith was all that mattered in his journey of healing and becoming the new John.
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/johns-cancer-stories.html
John's story continues with now a wife and 2 children... He burns to shout from the rooftops his story of finding faith - Jesus and His Bride, The Church, through brain cancer.
Hallel was even able to come now and then to help with John and be involved in his ups and downs brought on by the cancer. This was Thanksgiving when she had driven him to radiation for a week.
It would be contrary for those that are humbled, by realizing that they are not in control of their lives, to be lifted up and exalted in ways that we usually consider by this term. High and mighty? No! What would be exalted in terms of what Jesus is pointing out to us today?
I found this meditation for the day from The Magnificat entitled The Truly Exalted Way by Fr Donald Haggerty as a powerful reminder...
We lose interest in ourselves and have no need to gain anything for self in prayer. Without a desire to seek anything for self or to advance in some manner in our own estimation, a poverty takes hold of us - an ordinary place for prayer. This internal poverty may in time offer us a different treasure. We are beginning to know the drawing power of the divine presence in the poor emptiness of prayer... The desires we take with us from silent prayer to intercede for others in spiritual need. It could be that the truest sign of favor from God is a hidden union with his divine thirst for souls. And this union we can indeed sense more and more every day.
I am off to help get a baby calf home in the cab of the pickup with Pat. He will drive on this windy blowing snow day and I will hold the calf in the front seat of the old pickup. Thus is the beginning of calving usually around here.
I read to Pat the meditation on his birthday in a daily book of Mother Teresa of Calcutta sayings - Do Something Beautiful for God - The Essential teachings of Mother Teresa
For Sept 15th and Pat agrees with his approach of his personal prayer while he is at work each day feeding the world...You can pray while you work. Work doesn't stop prayer and prayer doesn't stop work. It requires only that small raising of the mind to Him: I love you God, I trust you, I believe in you, I need you now. Small things like that. These are wonderful ways to pray and wonderful prayers.
It's small but healthy is our first early calf!
Cute and healthy even though it is a few weeks early...
The day started out with snow blowing all over the place, and a drift I could not drive through. Now it is 45 degrees and melting the roads are prefect now.
Curious heifer watching the activity in the barn while the melting snow gives it a shower with drips from the roof. It seemed as though she liked it when just a few hours before she was in the midst of a blowing snow blizzard. She looks like a calm one that takes it all in stride. Pat breeds for gentleness and sometimes they are like tame pets and follow him around and like to be petted. He loves his animals and cares for them so well.
Pat loves calving and to be brought to his knees - praying while he works.
Sunset last night after a run to the Animal health center...
The farm now where Ruth and Paul live with their 6... love to have the young family there and how they love and serve without counting the cost!
Folded in mom's daily readings by Pope Benedict XVI... how she loved this and held it close to her heart burning with love for Jesus and His Bride, The Church!
Each morning mom read this for 10 years! Now it is one of my special prayer books and I can feel mom looking over my shoulder and lifting up her family and all their needs. "Praying for her family more perfectly from heaven!"
In her slipping mind she would ask dad often where she could find the words of Christ concerning His Church - "Bob, where is that reading about The Church?" "Matthew 16, Nancy."
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Jesus will never abandon his Church, and Pope Francis might not be the best pope ever, but he is our pope! I loved sharing my faith with both my parents and I am so happy to have all that they left behind for me!
Jesus, we ask that you be with the huge job of calving that is on our doorstep. May we be on our knees in our inner chapel as well as when we are at work with the newborn calves getting that first mother's milk into them that is so important for their getting a good start. May we leave our selves behind and lift up those that are in spiritual need of The Truth, the Way and the LIFE! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen
Brother Victor, dad's man, allows me to share in his monastic life! I was in the midst of the many prayer books I read from each morning - 6 now as we are adding some with Lent including a 40 days with Mother Teresa - I Thirst! Bless-bless, Barbara
Blizzarding and now a few hours later there is mud and melting snow across the land.
Casting Crowns - Praise you in the storm
Casting Crowns - Praise you in the storm
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