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!
Major Joseph and his Amazing Military family!/Observing ALL The Church gives us with all our hearts and souls!/Cally the wild cat!
3 days ago Captain Joseph was promoted to Major Joseph at a breakfast celebration served to 200 by his wife, Maria, and her children! I envisioned that they would all be dressed up for the occasion, and that I would get a special family picture. Maria then informed me that there would be a intense workout afterwards so they would be dressing warm and casual as it was taking place outside on a cold day in Tacoma - Fort Lewis, WA! Only 28 degrees.
The original that I received was so great! I shared this with my siblings and Pat's as it is a huge accomplishment and a wonderful family picture of our military family! One sibling called them "amazing." And that is so true!
Cropped closer for appreciation of their faces and still the flag as a backdrop to accentuate that Major Joseph has been in the military for over 10 years now with many advancement in rank, 2 deployments, and passing his Law boards and now a lawyer in the Army - JAG!
So excited to add their wonderful amazing family picture to my wall of family! All 33 represented here along with the painting I did of our many losses - my 7 and the 6 grandchildren.
My wall of family gives me so much JOY! I love to see with my eyes the reality that we are united in our Faith/Family/Farm!
Of all things that struck me in the readings from mass today it was the words of Moses to the Isrealites about “This day the LORD, your God, commands you to observe these statutes and decrees. Be careful, then, to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul..." Dt 26
All that The Church asks of us we with no resevations say "Yes!" We are not shopping cart Catholics, who pick and choose what we believe or will follow! We totally LOVE, love, Love All we are asked to follow or to do in our lives! Yes, we do observe ALL with all our hearts and souls!
Hallel with us and my dad 2 years ago when she was here on the farm for her home visit! Such a gift to have her here sharing her religious life with my dad's! She a professed nun/ Bride of Christ and dad a Permanent Deacon for 44 years! My cup overflows!!!
The "family picture" taken 2 months ago at our family Christmas - we all attended 8a mass and "Filled up the Church" with our family! I even had Hallel along in picture form so that I did not have to add her later! We all know that she is with us in spirit and we are united in The Eucharist!
Danielle Rose - See you in the Eucharist
What JOY fills my heart, mind and soul! The silver Mary and Jesus eating her chin out of love is from Rome. We gave it to Pat's mother, and was returned to us at the time of her death 5 years ago. The gift from our parent's weekend in KC - The Lamb of our Community of the Lamb - "Wounded, I will never cease to LOVE." How Pat and I in our marriage have lived that out time and time again, and within our family wounds/the Cross that comes with our 33 we call family here on earth together. This Truth must be lived out over and over again!
Sunbathing between Mary inside and out! The story of my wild cat now tamed and living his old years in the house warm and comfortable!
This is "Cally" and I first started to notice him on my porch a few years ago. I named him Cally as I thought that he looked to be Calico, but as a male he only has the grey, black and white on his face and chest. Slowly as I fed him outside... I would reach out and get a small pat on his head until he ran away from me. Slowly I broke down his fear and defenses. Some days he would stand and allow me to pet him for a few minutes and he seemed surprised by how much he liked to be stroked and rubbed.
Eyes of love for me. When the weather got really cold - I hesitantly encouraged him to come in and get warm. I shut the door to the rest of the house so that he could lay on the kitchen floor on some soft blankets with the kitten, Iggy, I had brought over from the farm to be spoiled by me. He was very scared at first and I could not figure out where he totally disappeared to. I than saw that he was hidden in a cupboard on the end of my kitchen that had no door on it. He crawled in there and hid out of sight.
Old Cally now in his favorite spot sunbathing with Our Lady and Jesus.
Slowly he got more and more friendly and less fearful. He now follows me around and meows to be petted. He has the run of the house and has some favorite soft warm places to nap. He will jump on my bed and lay next to my leg to be close to me. Yes, he is not that friendly to Pat, and he really would not care for him to be rubbing on his leg. When my house is full - he prefers to be outside or out of sight somewhere.
I do not think anyone else has petted him, and I wonder if he has ever been a pet of loved or petted. I will be taking my pet, Iggy, in to be neutered in a week and I would love to do that for Cally too, but I know it would be almost impossible to get him in a cat carrier and put him through that. It just feels good to have him warm and well fed and cared for by me.
I never knew that I was such a cat person... I guess I know now where Ruth and her kids got their love of cats!
In Ruth's mudroom as you come in from the garage and aptly named - she has this "oh, Lovely mud" on her wall! Rubber boots are soon going to be needed as we are getting into the 50s next week!
Watching Cow TV at the farm yesterday - I had fun capturing Pat pulling a calf - taking pictures of the process on Cow TV!
Putting on the chains on the calves from hooves coming out first.
Ready to pull...
An easy pull...
Out safe
Nice gentle mother cow licking her calf clean - it was a heifer! "That will be a good pair to keep and even show at the fair." shared farmer hubby Pat.
Dad today in the Office of Readings!
Christ is the same yesterday, today and for ever!
St Mother Teresa of Calcutta should be able to teach us about humility!
Her Missionaries of Charity pray The Litany of Humility each week!
Litany of Humility
Author: Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val y Zulueta
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honored,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being approved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
Charity
Charity is patient, is kind; charity does not envy, is not pretentious, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, is not self-seeking, is not provoked; thinks no evil, does not rejoice over wickedness, but rejoices with the truth, bears with all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor. 13:4-7).
To have Charity is to love God above all things for Himself and be ready to renounce all created things rather than offend Him by serious sin. ( Matt. 22:36-40)
Cardinal Merry del Val was the Secretary of State to Pope Saint Pius X (1903-1914)
Danielle Rose - the Litany of humility
Mom and Pope Benedict XVI today - how we need that island of peace in the chaos of LIFE! Today suddenly we are taking grandkids up to spend some time with their cousins at Nancy's house. Yikes! Thankful for our movie van - so that I can still enjoy my chapel on wheels with the beads traveling through my fingers and time to visit with hubby, too!
No rain today, but now warm weather! We are ready with our rubber boots!
Come Holy Family and make our homes as yours! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen
2 years ago Augustine got glasses and grew up in his mother's eyes!
The Manistique MI lighthouse with Lake Michigan ice abounding .
It is all there in The Church! Jesus in Word, Body and Blood - We are so blessed! Bless-bless, Barbara and the 50... 33 here and 17 in heaven including our parents - Robert, Nancy, Anna, and Gerard! LOVE the 50!!!!
Mary 5 years ago with another Snowball calf! Mary's pet cow!
Yes, I am small and weak and need Jesus! I will always remember when I had my hip replaced and Hallel called me. "I am so weak and I am ashamed of how little I can do." "Mom, when we are weak is when we turn to Jesus." "Then I always want to be weak, because I want and need Jesus!"
Dominican Salve Regina - the same tune the Little Sisters sing at night prayer! LOVE!
Ginny Owens - If you want me to
Danielle Rose writes her music in front of Jesus in Adoration!
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