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!
St Lucy - Her LIFE for Christ/Big push for CCC, and new baby granddaughter/Christmas program at HRS with 3 1/2 week old baby Thomas as Jesus
Love this sweet happy scene at mass yesterday of Rose holding her new brother in the sunlight and on both sides - brothers, Luke and David are reaching out to touch him. Nothing more wonderful than having more siblings to make your love grow more and to share your life with!
Had a long conversation with oldest daughter Ruth this morning... she shared with me that she left Thomas with Rose in charge while she did some errands in town after dropping Simon off to practice his music for mass. "She even got a bottle and made him some formula when he got a bit crabby. She handled it all well." I can see that she is very wonderful with 3 1/2 week old Thomas Robert.
Rose and I have a tradition of going to visit Our Lady of Guadalupe with all her other roses! It is a very special way of honoring her name. Rose has been so cute over the years with her famous "hearing her name" when she was very young. "I head my name, 'Rose Again!"
Thomas Robert meeting our Patroness of the Unborn and of LIFE and of The Americas! We are so very blessed by honoring the Mother of God, Mary our Mother... given to us at the foot of the Cross for us to take her into our homes and find her Peace, Joy and LOVE!
A sweet one of 7 years ago with baby Luke and 2 year old Patrick on the lap of Therese. Therese is now 13, and without a doubt she was the baker this morning in Fort Lewis, WA...
They announced to the family that they had Lucy's eyeballs for breakfast. How can something so gross be delicious?
St Lucy is one of the early saints which "referred to those who witnessed to Christ with their blood. "Lucy, bride of Christ, by your suffering you have gained the mastery of your soul. You have despised worldly values and now are glorious among the angels. With your own blood you have triumphed over the enemy!" (liturgy of the hours)
From the book On Virginity by Saint Ambrose, bishop (Cap 12, 74-75) You light up your grace of body with the radiance of your mind
You are one of God’s people, of God’s family, a virgin among virgins; you light up your grace of body with your splendor of soul. More than others you can be compared to the Church. When you are in your room, then, at night, think always on Christ, and wait for his coming at every moment.
This is the person Christ has loved in loving you, the person he has chosen in choosing you. He enters by the open door; he has promised to come in, and he cannot deceive. Embrace him, the one you have sought; turn to him, and be enlightened; hold him fast, ask him not to go in haste, beg him not to leave you. The Word of God moves swiftly; he is not won by the lukewarm, nor held fast by the negligent. Let your soul be attentive to his word; follow carefully the path God tells you to take, for he is swift in his passing.
What does his bride say? I sought him, and did not find him; I called him, and he did not hear me. Do not imagine that you are displeasing to him although you have called him, asked him, opened the door to him, and that this is the reason why he has gone so quickly; no, for he allows us to be constantly tested. When the crowds pressed him to stay, what does he say in the Gospel? I must preach the word of God to other cities, because I have been sent for that. But even if it seems to you that he has left you, go out and seek him once more.
Who but holy Church is to teach you how to hold Christ fast? Indeed, she has already taught you, if you only understood her words in Scripture: How short a time it was when I left them before I found him whom my soul has loved. I held him fast, and I will not let him go.
How do we hold him fast? Not by restraining chains or knotted ropes but by bonds of love, by spiritual reins, by the longing of the soul.
If you also, like the bride, wish to hold him fast, seek him and be fearless of suffering. It is often easier to find him in the midst of bodily torments, in the very hands of persecutors.
His bride says: How short a time it was after I left them. In a little space, after a brief moment, when you have escaped from the hands of your persecutors without yielding to the powers of this world, Christ will come to you, and he will not allow you to be tested for long.
Whoever seeks Christ in this way, and finds him, can say: I held him fast, and I will not let him go before I bring him into my mother’s house, into the room of her who conceived me. What is this “house”, this “room”, but the deep and secret places of your heart?
Maintain this house, sweep out its secret recesses until it becomes immaculate and rises as a spiritual temple for a holy priesthood, firmly secured by Christ, the cornerstone, so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in it.
Whoever seeks Christ in this way, whoever prays to Christ in this way, is not abandoned by him; on the contrary, Christ comes again and again to visit such a person, for he is with us until the end of the world.
Excitement is building at Nancy's house - baby girl is due to arrive on Thursday... the day before my family Christmas Camp - Cross Christmas Camp! I will arrive there on Wednesday as Nancy and Bill are having their baby girl. And then Pat will come up on Friday, maybe meet the baby and we will bring the other 5 up to Camp Wapo in Amery, WI for the weekend! It has been over 30 years since I brought 5 kids from 10 to 2 to our family weekend. I have a feeling that I will be saying to myself - "I can do this." numerous times over the days!
Such a happy sweet boy! Ruth informed me that Thomas will be baby Jesus in the 2 Christmas programs at the Catholic School tomorrow. Pat and I need to go the one oclock show as it will have Thomas as Jesus and also it is the only time that Joy will be in the program. She is in preschool so the one during school hours is the only one she will be in.
Grandpa's huge hands holding his sweet new grandson, Thomas! Ruth reports that he is nursing better and sleeping better at night. Both are so appreciated by moms when they are in that first month or two.
Luke was a November 1st 7 years ago so he is about 3 weeks older than his new brother here. We are noticing that Thomas is more awake and looking at mom with such loving looks!
A little remnant of a smile for his beautiful wonderful amazing mother. A picture of "a mother" would be my girls - Ruth, Nancy, Maria, Little Sister Hallel, and Bobbi. Open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS!
Praying with John at the end of Sunday and first hour of Monday as our best hours of the week overlap - Adoration and LOVE for Our Lord and Savior!
A lot of our sharing and prayer was about the uncertainty of what lies ahead after surviving brain cancer 12 years ago... The Psalm for today speaks to our fears.
R. (4) Teach me your ways, O Lord. Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Part of each new day! It allows me to almost "pray without ceasing" as the beads keep my hands from being idle ever!
Such beautiful words today from Blessed Concepcion! Her love makes our grow more!
Her love for Mary makes me smile and rejoice as I share that with her!
Such great words from St Mother Teresa of Calcutta today, too! Such a wonderful reminder that our Faith is built and is found in our domestic Church/home first of all!
So powerful to see how the Lord comes to save us from our sinful ways! Not we ourselves!
The pink gaudete candle is lit this week! 3rd week of Advent and many prayers for LIFE and needs that arise. "Fall on your knees" Yes, Lord!
Jesus, how we love and adore you with all the Saints - most especially St Lucy today on her feastday. Be with all that we are facing to accomplish this week with new life and the big push for our family Christmas gathering! May the prayers for good weather and good health be answered. May we grow in love for you and serve without counting the cost. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
My sweet special nativity from Ruth. They had no baby Jesus, so she made one, along with her pet cow, Carmel with a cow pie, a sheep, and out cat Tom-tom.
Ruth's star shines bright and beautiful as I am lifted up by her wisdom and unconditional love and forgiveness! I learn at her feet as she is Life-giving in her marriage and in her life!
Also a baby chick of her making... so interesting that they now have free range chickens laying eggs around the farm. The main egg gatherers are Joy and Grandpa. Also Mary is now not a sheep farmer, but a goat farmer! Ruth seems to have been in touch with her future 20 years ago. A wonderful family farm now with her 7 children! Bless-bless, Barbara
(Jesus) said, "I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life."- John 8:12
First Communion ~Alfred Guillou
"Those whose hearts are pure are temples of the Holy Spirit."
St Lucy(Santa Lucia)
In Italian, Lucia means "light"
Virgin, Martyr
Sicily ~ 283-304
Patron of blindness and eye problems
Feast Day - December 13 Happy Day, Happy Anniversary to Pope Francis 52 years a priest today!
Happy Day, Happy Anniversary to
Jeff, Fr Spencer and the Johnsons - 20 years in the Catholic Church!
Sentenced to be defiled in a brothel, Lucy asserted:
"No one's body is polluted so as to endanger the soul if it has not pleased the mind. If you were to lift my hand to your idol and so make me offer against my will, I would still be guiltless in the sight of the true God, who judges according to the will and knows all things. If now, against my will, you cause me to be polluted, a twofold purity will be gloriously imputed to me.You cannot bend my will to your purpose; whatever you do to my body, that cannot happen to me."
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