An amazing letter that Little Sister Hallel wrote to her sister, Nancy... Hallel has answered the call to be a little sister and Nancy to marriage!

Nancy read this to me on the phone last night and now she typed it and enclosed it for me to have. I thought that it was worth sharing as it is so beautiful and wise and true. So interesting to me that Susan/ Little Sister Hallel has come to this without experiencing marriage herself... I do know that she has been an observer of her dad and I as well as many that she comes in contact with as she ministers to the poor and takes the Gospel with her as she goes out to serve... I hope this blesses you as it has both Nancy and I and it is sooooooo true! As ST Teresa of Avila was told by the Lord when she saw all these crosses of different sizes and the Lord asked her to choose one. Being the saint that she is... she chose the biggest. "No", said the Lord,"that is for married people!" So true!

Nancy,
Look, I am writing you a letter…aren’t you impressed? Well you should be because both you and I know how often this happens.
I am writing to tell you how extremely excited I am about your engagement to Bill. I have to admit, when I got the news I wasn’t really shocked but that night as it sunk in during adoration and the next day during mass I was so happy. My heart really overflowed with joy for you.
How beautiful to know that you have found your…most cherished cross. While I have never had the experience of being married, from what I hear is that he will truly be your cross. But not your cross as human eyes look at it, as a thing to run away from, as a thing of torture but rather as that which is truly the tree of life. It is only when clinging to the cross that one can truly live, it is the source of all life and of all love. Your marriage and Bill will be this, not something to run away from when it gets hard and when it hurts, but something to hold tight to, especially when it hurts because it is in this that you will find life and love.
Know that it is through your marriage that Jesus wants to show you his great love for you and also that the best example that you can give to the world of Christ’s love is a marriage lived in truth.
So, in other words, know that I am so happy for you and that I love you a whole lot. Know that you are in my prayers during this crazy time of wedding planning; that you may not go crazy but rather learn to love each other better and that you may both have great joy and great peace.
Remember to pray for me too!
God Bless,
You little sister Hallel

Monday of the 6th week of Easter! So much about the light in our lives and how it is the Holy Spirit at work within us!"I am the light of the world!"

What an amazing day yesterday... it started rough as my human emotions of self pity took hold... Poor Barb... no cards or gifts from her children to monetarily show her that she is loved and appreciated. How wrong that was to entertain for even a second! I do know in my heart that my kids love and appreciate me and emulate me! I should be proud that they do not feel that they have to give me things... which I really don't desire or appreciate that much when I get them... but rather they call me and talk to me and allow me to cry to them about this or that. They just expect mom to cry at some point in a conversation... it wouldn't be mom otherwise. I was so blind to the truth and later discovered what I already knew in my heart... the gifts of talking to each of my girls and being able to share with them on the deepest level of myself... my faith values and family values... we are in perfect alignment and that is the most amazing gift that a mother could ever ask for! Then to have them take me to deep and amazing levels that blow my mind! What a gift!

Twice Little Sister Hallel amazed me to my very core yesterday... First off when she called me and we could share about some of the things she is up to. In the midst she told me of another amazing thing that happens on May 13th - the day we are in Rochester for John's tests and results to make sure the the cancer is gone! It is the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima she informed me and not only that but Pope Benedict will be in Fatima, Portugal that day of the anniversary as will Little Sister Marie, the founder of Susan's community. She will be accompanied by about a dozen of her community and there will be no doubt that they will be lifting up John. Praying for him has been very big for them for the last year and many others that they come in contact with. We discovered that when we were in KC visiting Susan and John was treated like a celebrity as we met so many that had poured their heart and soul into praying for John! "That's the John with brain cancer that I have been praying for? He looks so good! Praise the Lord for healing him and answering all of our prayers!" These words and sentiments were repeated over and over in many variations and continue to this day!

Hallel also told me about a wonderful play that they are working on to present next weekend for the second anniversary celebration of their arrival in the US as they opened their first house in Kansas City two years ago! They have broadcasted far and wide that all are invited to an outside celebration where they will be doing vespers and then have a pot luck and this play... She was telling me a bit about it and it sounds absolutely amazing! It is about the woman from Samaria - I absolutely love that story of when Jesus meets her at the well and forgives her all her sins and touches her and changes her... well they take theatrical license and take it much deeper in how Jesus and the women that follow him... Mary, Martha, Mary Magdeline etc... come into her life over and over as they pass through Samaria time and again! These encouters and then the news they bring to her of the resurrection! I told Susan/Little Sister Hallel that I want her to write to me in a letter more about this amazing deep play that they have written and are going to perform... I didn't ask which part she is going to play... I will find out eventually!

Next Nancy arrived home from 4 days in New York City visiting Bill's aunt and uncle that live there to find a letter written to her from Little Sister Hallel about how happy she is for Nancy that she has found her "beautiful cross" and how it will become her tree of life! Nancy read the letter to me on the phone, but I made her promise that she would copy it and send it to me as it was absolutely out of this world wonderful and there is no way that I can remember it or capture it here today. I hope to share it with you all soon. But after Nancy read it to me along with all that yesterday had contained... it was so much more wonderful than I could have ever hoped for. The day was a gift of all gifts!

And to top it off...to have my son here with me... healthy after his last 11 months of cancer/healing... looking and doing well and treating me like a queen... cooking for me and just being so sweet! And for my grandkids to stop in to give me many hugs and kisses and the best gift of all a wonderful picture that I had to share this morning posing with the best dad that kids could ever ask for!

Shame on you Barbara Luke for being a so wrapped up in self pity not to see the truth! And thank you Lord for all the real love that flowed over me in so many ways yesterday... you that wrote me on email and lifted me up! It means the world to me to hear from you as we walk this road of faith and motherhood together!

Jesus, How I love you and how unworthy I am... but I must remember that when we are weak is when you are the closest to us, because we need you! We are not self sufficient... we are nothing without you and your light that shows us the TRUTH! Jesus we trust in You! Bless-Bless, Barb

"A Mother's Love and Tender Care, Spread Warmth and Kindness Everywhere." a quote from a pillow that is on my bed. 6th Sunday of Easter-Mother's Day

Well, it's Mother's Day and I am very moved thinking about all the wonderful mothers that I have had the joy and priviledge to know better over the last year! So many of you have written us on caring bridge... Many of you have come up to me at church and introduced yourselves to John and his family... Some of you have asked me in Wallmart about how John is doing and his family. All of our TEC family has been so much a part of all of this. The most touching and uplifting part of all of this is how many are with us from all over the world! So many mothers and their families that had had their own crosses to bear and might feel like they could share that with us...

I have no delusions that all of us have those hard things... yes, ours has been very public and you all are aware of our every move thanks to my complete openness to the point of some of you thinking...."Too much already!" I admit that I love to be open and share most all of what we are experiencing... that is how I handle all of this and is my form of therapy... to know that you all are along with us makes me feel more brave and trusting!

I do realize though even without hearing from each of you individually that you all have those hard "crosses" in your lives... without them we would not come to the resurrection... it is a very true statement that you come to the resurrection through the cross! What I am saying in a round about way... is that I have added an extra decade of the rosary each day to pray for all you prayer warriors and your needs... some I know, and most I don't, and some only the Lord is aware of... I use the "crown of Thorns" or the 3rd sorrowful mystery to pray for ALL of you! I started saying it for John and his brain cancer, but I already was praying the 5th mystery of the day for John, so all of a sudden it hit me that this was the time for me to be praying for all those that have been so wonderful, and loyal, and life changing, and life giving for John and his family! Every day I pray for all of you, and today it will be extra specially for all of you wonderful Mothers!

I had a special time last evening with my 3 grandchildren that live close by... their dad came and helped my husband with the cows and calves, so I got to take them out to enjoy the day with lilacs and apple blossoms in full bloom... they also wore their rubber boots, so that means that we can walk through the mud puddles - not only walk through them, but go hunting for the biggest and most muddy! After splashing through the biggest the water had gone down the boots and the pants were wet... the next thing you know that wet boots, socks and pants are in the grass and it is down to bare legs and feet in the mud! Too bad that the weather is so cold, because normally in May... it gets hot here and the cool "mud puddling" is a refreshing cool down. Tomorrow after some time getting wet and muddy... we had to head inside to warm up. Today we even have a fire in the woodstove... we think that it is about breaking a record to have the furnace on and the woodstove lit on May 9th! Pat said that he cannot remember a time when all the crop was in and we had to light a fire to keep warm...

Today in the Gospel according to John 14:23-29... Jesus is telling us that the Holy Spirit is with us and we are not alone! Very much today at mass and watching Fr Paul carry the special Word of God high over his head as he had before him and behind him a altar server carrying a lit candle... Looking at the beautiful book containing Christ in His Word! This as much as the Eucharist is Christ and today He reminds us... "I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have told you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. NOt as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled." How powerful and how true... the ways that the Holy Spirit within us makes the words come to life...

John and his family truly experienced this truth... when we went through this experience called brain cancer/ healing.... So often I would exclaim as we read the readings for the day or the morning prayers or evening prayer...how the words would just jump off the page as if it were written just to explain what we are going through... The psalms are so good for reaching within us to share the joy, sorrow, pain or whatever emotion we are experiencing as we walk through life. If you find yourselves in a certain spot on the journey and want to find some wisdom or comfort - look at the psalms... they are amazing as well as the Words that our Lord spoke to us in the Gospels. Once again today one of those 350 times that he reminds us not to worry or to let our hearts be troubled! Just talking to my daughter, Nancy, on the phone... did help me to say that I really expect good news this week in Rochester, and a good reminder to not worry but trust in the good outcome that I fully expect!

So much today that is swimming around in my heart and head! Jesus and your wonderful glorious Mother, Mary most Holy and Humble.... we put all of our emotions and needs and desires into your hands. You are in control and we find peace knowing that and reminding ourselves of that fact with each beat of our hearts, and breath that we take... Beat... Beat... Beat... Jesus, Mary and Joseph... we love you... save souls! Jesus, Mary and Joseph... we love you.. save souls including our own! Amen and Halleluia! Bless-bless, Barb

Those tragedies in life that we cannot understand - The times that we find ourselves saying over and over; "Why Lord?"

It is very hard to write this today... Both Pat and I woke up early and asked each other what we were thinking about. Each voiced that deep sadness we are experiencing at the tragic accidental death of a little almost 4 year old boy. We have many connections to the family, and are just frozen in a state of deep sadness to know how hard it is for this family! So torn as to know how to reach out to them, and so wanting to find a way to take the pain away! There are some times in life.... words cannot be found to help. Today at the funeral the support of a full to overflowing church and the sacrament of the mass are probably the most comforting... the words are hard to speak or hard to even know what we can say!

One thing that has helped me to come to some peace and accept more the death of my 28 year old sister to cancer is to realize that it was her time to go for some mysterious reason that only God knows. In our human minds we cannot understand why Riley would be called to heaven at two weeks from turning 4, but in many ways he is the lucky one and for sure the family here are the ones that are left to suffer and question and ask the Lord - "Why?" Many of us moms shared yesterday at work at the Manor - how often our young ones were outside playing and how accidents did happen and much worse could have happened... It was an accident! And it was the Lord calling Riley to come home and dwell with him where there is no more pain and suffering...

Jesus, we know that you bring these little innocent lambs into your loving arms and heaven without a hesitation! We know that Riley is with you and giving you much joy! Please allow the family and friends to also realize that at this agonizing time of loss and sorrow... You are with them... carrying them as they are weak and devastated.... missing his "happy smile" and "willing hug". Jesus we trust in you! Amen. Bless-bless, Barb

May the Holy Family - Jesus, Mary and Joseph give your family comfort and support. They represent to us the healing and acceptance of those crosses in life as we walk with him. Jesus we trust in You!

Looking ahead to Sunday and Mother's day - Our Lady is our role model and a never ending help to us as women!

On the road to work shortly so once again just wanted to share briefly.... Just received our National Catholic Register... The Culture of Life is the headline of the second section! The top article with a wonderful pic of Mary and Jesus is an article titled...Mother's Day with Mary... where people that are well known in the Church shared quotes about Mary and then reflected on them.... Very wonderful! Fr Apostoli of the Francisan Friars of the Renewal says; "We actually invite Mary' motherhood two ways... First, Christ is living in us spiritually. Second, we become "mothers" of Jesus because the Holy Spirit helps us to bring Christ to come to birth in others by our communicating the word (evangelization), by our witness, good example, teaching others to pray, encouraging others to receive the sacraments, and by prayers and sacrifices for the conversion of people."

Jesus we love you and thank you for the wonderful gift of your mother to help us as women and all those that follow you to help those around us to come to carry you forth in their hearts and lives. Jesus we trust in you! Amen and Halleluia! Bless-bless, BArb

With a minute here and there I have added some pics... My parents were able to attend my Godson's first communion... a picture of them kneeling at mass also of my brother and his wonderful family on that day with their only son, Daniel.... Danny is lucky to have 4 sisters just like John!

Thursday - Happy to hear that a church in Minneota is praying for John on Sundays!

It was great to hear from one of the people I was working with at the nursing home today that they pray for John by name every week at services at the Lutheran Church in Minneota! It means so much to know the faces and details of the actual people that are praying for John! Especially with going into next week... when we are heading to Rcohester for all the tests and scans and meeting with the doctors for results... with the knowledge of the prayer army that is behind us every step of the way! It is great and so badly needed! Jesus we trust in you! I would love to hear more of the prayer support that we are unaware of out there. Please write us on our emails or caringbridge - johnverly! Email addresses are: verlygrl@starpoint.net or barbverly@yahoo.com... WE are trusting and know that the Lord is in control... but it so helps to be aware of the network that we have surrounding us!