"A Schoenstatt Sister told me that 'Heaven will be perfect happiness'."/Election day prayers/A servant attitude

Grandpa doing fun things with Jude and Birdie - chips topped with whipped topping is fun!  All in purple for the Vikings game.

The days have gone by with nothing from me other than in my inner temple where there is so much I long to share.  Sunday is a struggle with internet and John with the kids come to watch the game so I have to offer it up.  Monday was full of this and that and not time to share.  I did have a deep tearful sharing with Ruth and Tom in her kitchen, tough.

Jude and Birdie sharing water colors with grandma.

Ruth and I were sharing about the Sunday Gospel and the homily that Fr Shawn gave us - he pointed out that the words of our Lord about Heaven are Truth!  Being in God's presence will be our ALL and marriage is not really a thing there.  He shared that his priesthood models for us this prefect union we will have with Jesus.  Ruth shared a very beautiful jewel she was given by a Shoenstatt Sister to her when she was there for girl's camp about 25-30 years ago.  

"Our kitten Blacko had died while I was at camp, and I asked Sister if he will be with me in heaven.  She shared that 'heaven will be perfect happiness', and if that means that you will see your kitten, or husband, or children to find that happiness it will happen."  That was so sweet and beautiful!  

Birdie talking and painting...

John reading with to his arm full of kids on Sunday.

13 months apart and soon to be big brother and sister in a few months!  John is overwhelmed with the Lord's plan for him now 13 years post brain cancer!  Now with wife and children when that was doubtful due to all the chemo and radiation he endured to be healed along with his hundereds of prayer warriors, Blessed Solanus Casey, Our Lady of Lourdes, and St JPII!  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: John's cancer stories 

His Spirit Juice Video - the story continues with wife and family!  

The kids bring their swim suits for some playtime in the jacuzzi with bubbles and scrub brush and washing themselves and the tub!

They sure are fun for grandma to watch.  

A tradition for those that come to visit.  Even the older ones like their time in the "hot tub"

Felix the 2nd comes in to watch and be watched from a safe distance.

Now they are busy washing the tub!  

My Michigan bathroom with the Manistique, MI lighthouse where we had a cabin on the Big Lake Michigan for 15+years!  How I miss it to the point of having a Michigan beach bathroom on the farm in Marshall, MN!

Watercolors I did while sitting on the beach over the years - the earliest are dated 1997 which was the first year my parents built their retirement/vacation home on Lake Michigan.  The waves were done by my mother when I was a child going to Grand Traverse Bay each summer while we lived in Flint, MI.

Painting by my mother of my brothers on the beach, and photos of us over the years!  

Love my Michigan bathroom!  Especially with the many grandkids that enjoy my tub!  Thanks honey for suggesting this when we remodeled - I now have 3 wonderful new bathrooms!  

Now my house is prefect!  It is huge but we fill it up regularly - like in 2 weeks we will have 3 Little Sisters and 3 Little Brothers here!  So excited!   

Time with my sweet Tom yesterday with his dog, cats and kittens on the other side of their patio door.  He is so entertained and happy with his life with mom, dad, 6 older siblings and so many animals and coming and going of equipment.  Prayers to keep him safe and happy and healthy!  

Talk about the biggest sweetest smile!  

Banging on the window gets the dog's attention, and grandma can stop taking pictures because this is as good as it can get.  

He has the cutest double cow lick!  

Helping mom put away her food - in the orange and apple drawer - taking a bite out of an apple.  A few minutes before he had been helping her put dishes in the dishwasher - or was it the opposite?  Taking them out of the dishwasher.  Ruth is truly blessed to have this sweet gift - #7 Thomas Robert, who will be 1 on the 19th!  The next day his Aunt Little Sister Hallel will be here to shower him with hugs and kisses!  

Tom adores his farmer grandpa, Pat!  

6 years ago!  Therese with her brand new baby sister, Evangeline Mary, who was just 6 on November 1st!  Therese had 3 brothers and then she was very excited to have a baby sister.  They now have a new sister, Magdelene, who is #7 child for Maria and Major Joseph!  4 boys and 3 girls 

The mass as Jesus is our food and drink - "Body and Blood"

With the change of the time - the daylight is coming through the windows on this dark, windy, rainy day.  

They kept the tractor ripping through the night to work it before the rain makes it impossible.  Keeping an eye on the weather is part of a farmer's job when dealing with Mother Nature over which we have no control.  

Nourished with Jesus in His Word and Body and Blood.  Such a wonderful start for the day!  

Today dad in his Prayer of The Church - Morning prayer!  This battle prayer is appropriate for this very important day of our elections.  So many of our morals and values are trampled underfoot and we are looked down upon when we uphold them.  Lord, may we elect those that will fight for what is right and good!  

Jim Muchlinski wrote this great front page aritcle about Ruth and Paul's project right across the street from Holy Redeemer!  I love the way he shared about how Ruth and Paul invision it's use for bringing families together at both happy and hard times of loss just as the Parsonage had done close to 100 years ago.  The openness of the dining and living area truly shows that heart of the gathering in this home.  

The rest of the story...  Way to go Ruth and Paul!  

Sharing mass as a family - 16 of the 34.  Yet we are united in The Eucharist with all 34!  Delano - St Maximilian Kolbe for Nancy's family, Kansas City, KS - Lumen Christi/Light of Christ Monastery with Hallel and her Community of the Lamb, and Dominican Church on Campus at University of Virginia in Charlottsville, Virginia for Major Joseph and Maria and family!  

Danielle Rose - See you in the Eucharist

Going downstairs for caramel rolls instead of going to Ruth's wonderful home on the farm.

Jude close to grandma.

Birdie wearing the pink dress that Bobbi has from her wedding - she had their 4 Goddaughters wearing these pink dresses - now it fits her own daughter.  Very special!  

On their wedding day with 4 Goddaughters and Godson, Big Dave!  

A wish and a prayer come true - their own true Verly girl/daughter now able to wear this dress that means to much!  Her hippo was soft and played with grandma during mass - good distractions all around me when I sit in the midst of family.  As I said to a friend one Sunday when Nancy's family of 8 were here - "I am distracted quite a bit by the 23 family all around me."  "But it is a good thing." responded my friend.  "Yes!"

Oh Tom!  You are such a gift and symbol of new LIFE and LOVE and you certainly are a glorious LIGHT of JOY!  

Breakfast after with family and friends!  Tom with his Godmother!  Yes, Simon and Mary are his Godparents!  Simon was confirmed and an hour later he and Mary became his Godparents in his Baptism!  

John is Mary's speech coach and they are constantly throwing around ideas.  How they love Speech!  

Mary got her first deer!  Yes, she does everything with so much class!  We are proud of your hard work and passion for so many interests Mary!  

Mom's book she left behind for me - Pope Benedict daily meditations.  How he loves The Church and shares his LIGHT for us to embrace Jesus, Mary and The Church!  Mom read this book each year for 10 years and now this is my second year of each day being amazed and blessed.  It allows me to feel close to my mother, who brought the 13 into The Church along with dad 50 years ago.  Each day since has been the greatest of gifts to me!  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: The amazing story of the 13 becoming Catholic! 

"May my life be a continual prayer,

a long act of love."- St Elizabeth of the Trinity

 

"Love draws its object into itself;

we draw Jesus into ourselves;

Jesus draws us into Himself.

Then carried above ourselves into love's interior,

seeking God, we go to meet Him, to meet His Spirit,

which is His love, and this love burns us, consumes us,

and draws us into unity where beatitude awaits us. 

Jesus meant this when He said: 'With great desire

have I desired to eat this Pasch with you.'"

From Collected Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity, vol 1, pg 100

 

St Elizabeth of the Trinity

France ~ 1880-1906

Carmelite nun, writer, mystic

Patron of sick people and loss of parents

Last words:

"I am going to Light, to Love, to Life!"

Feast Day - Nov 8

 

 

"By our actions we tell Him of our love."

St Elizabeth of the Trinity
________________

"Jesus gives His cross to His true friends

so He can come even closer to them."

St Elizabeth of the Trinity
_____________

 

"O my God, Trinity whom I adore,

help me forget myself entirely
so to establish myself in you,

unmovable and peaceful 
as if my soul were already in eternity."

 St Elizabeth of the Trinity

St Paul speaks to us today from Titus 2 about how we are to live as Christians, and Luke 17 about what we are obliged to do as followers of Christ with an attitude of a servant - ‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.’”  

It was a bit hard to understand, yet these beautiful words by Cardinal Thaun make me long to have the attitude of a servant!  Not the number of years I live, but the LOVE I have with each new day!  

Jesus, I long to love and serve you with my life - may I die to self so that you may use me to your honor and glory!  May I do better at being as St Paul asked us older ladies to live!

Similarly, older women should be reverent in their behavior,
not slanderers, not addicted to drink,
teaching what is good, so that they may train younger women
to love their husbands and children,
to be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers,
under the control of their husbands,
so that the word of God may not be discredited...  Titus 2 

I have a long way to go, O Lord!  Jesus, I trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Rain is cold and blowing, yet we welcome moisture after a drought year.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 54 - 34 with us and 20 in heaven.  

God is in this story 

Danielle Rose

Salve Regina - Hail Holy Queen