Happy Birthday Dad - I love you!

This picture of my dad with cows is just funny -as we were always city dwellers for the most part.  I do know that dad grew up with gardening in his background, but not livestock.  When we moved to Minnesota, and bought the "farm"in Wisconsin to get us kids out of the city in the summer.... we had a big garden and worked on making the house livable.  Only a pump for water and a neat outdoor shower with sun warmed water in the tank was something that my dad rigged up for us... I always thought my dad knew how to do most anything, and with all the remodeling and fixing up of all the homes that we lived in over the years - he had a lot of experience with most everything and anything!

When my parents moved away from Manistique, Michigan in the last year after 10 years of living there and serving as a permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church there - they were gifted with two "Church" statues of Mary and Joseph for their home.  When I think of St Joseph - I am very much reminded of the spiritual journey and listening to the Lord that my father has done in his lifetime.  It has deeply impacted my own life, and that of my 10 younger siblings! 

He led us to the Church as the head of our family!  I am eternally grateful and fed with this amazing Gift from above! 

So dad... I love you and wish you a wonderful year ahead!  Jesus, keep you in good health, and ever growing closer to Him as you love and serve Him and His Bride the Church!  Bless-bless, Barb

Last Sunday before Lent begins on Wednesday!

Home after mass and filled with sugary doughnuts... the activity is to run back and forth the length of the house - Maria had taken some of my hair accessories and looped them together to form a string for the cats to chase... a lot of fun and exercise for all the young and active kids and critters!

Kitties love the shoes by the door, but not near as much as a colorful string to chase after a 2 1/2 year old and a one year old!  Entertainment doesn't get any better than this!

Fr reminded us at the Gloria and the Alleluia before the Gospel that with lent starting on Wednesday - Ash Wednesday is finally here!  That we should really sing loud and from the heart!

Lent is days away...a calling to a deeper walk - putting away all of our indulgances and denying those things that we take for granted... food, drink, material things- clothes, shoes, electronic devices... but adding to our spiritual lives with more prayer and spritual reading - probably turning off the TV!

In years past we have turned off the TV during Lent - so good for us and the kids - the board games would be set out and the kids would rediscover each other, and the fun of interacting playing games with each other! 

Then we would conscientiously gather as a family for prayer time in the evening... during Lent and Advent we were a lot better about it than other times of the Liturgical year - the old Protestant children's songs were sung - a decade of the rosary shared, and the Bible read, also the kids would shout out requests for the saints that they wanted to read about... John would ask for St Rita as one of his all time favorites... she got a thorn from the crown of thorns right in the middle of her forehead, when she asked to share in the suffering of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! 

Another favorite of the kids was St Maria Goretti - hers was an important message, but a bit delicate with kids as she was murdered by the man, who was trying to rape her and she would not allow it to happen...  Reading about the saints was never dull and usually a bit on the graphic side of things... they are very important in showing us that you can persevere in your faith in Christ no matter what you face in life! 

Lord, thank you for the gift of Lent, and how it makes us appreciate all the blessings that you pour upon us... If we didn't do without and step back from all the wonderful things in this world, and do without than they would not be near as wonderful - we would become tired and bored with the goodness.  May we come to a closer walk with you on this journey called Faith, Family and Farm.  Jesus, we trust in you!  May our houses of faith be built upon the ROCK!  Amen and Halelluia! 

Bless-bless, Barb

"O look at me and be merciful, for I am wretched and alone.  See my hardship and poverty, and pardon all my sins."  Psalm 24: 16, 18

"Moo, moo, moo,moo, moo, Moo Moo!"

Joyfully John is home for the weekend - mom had to spoil him and baked a pound cake.  It came out of the oven and Therese helped me decorate it and the two blue candles beckoned to be added.  Now it became a "birthday cake" and we remembered that every day there are many calves being born - so it is now an calf birthday cake! 

Candles have to be lit twice - which with all the little ones it can never be enough times... the second time we MOOED the entire happy birthday song!  With our surveilance camera complete with sound and the constant mooing we hear now here in the house morning noon and night... it just seemed right to moo the whole thing!  Calving has been going very well... I think that Pat had to help his first cow have a calf today -otherwise they have been having them all by themselves without any mishaps! 

"Moo - moo- moo - moo -moo - moo..."Thank you Lord for the great calving we are having with all the little ones arriving safely into this cold and challanging winter!  Continue to assist Pat with all that he has to be on top of out there.  But his biggest prayer is for nice weather to finally arrive!  Keep all the little ones safe and healthy.  And Happy and Blessed birthday, all you sweet baby calvies!  Jesus, we trust in you!  Amen and Halleluia!

Bless-bless, Barb

One of the earliest legends of St. Francis speaks of a fierce wolf near the town of Gubbio who was eating animals and humans because he was starving. The entire town was afraid to go outside the town walls until St. Francis--convincing the people the wolf's hunger was what caused him to do wrong--met with the wolf, blessed it and is reported to have said, " Brother Wolf, you have done great harm to this region, not only destroying other creatures without mercy, but you even have the brazenness to kill and devour human beings made in the image of God. You deserve severe punishment; but I want to make peace between you and the town, so that they will not be harmed by you anymore and after they have forgiven you, neither men or dogs will pursue you any more." The wolf indicated it would accept these terms, and offered his paw as a sign. St. Francis of the animals said, "I promise that the town will feed you every day; I know that what you did, you did out of hunger." The town promised to do what the saint had bargained, and having adopted the wolf, and fed him until the day he died. (Story compiled from 'the Little Flowers of St, Francis of Assisi, the website of the Franciscan Friars and Catholic Encyclopedia)

Saturday - Blessed Virgin Mary day!

I have a huge devotion to Our Lady, and really she was the first one to bring us to His

Church - my mother, a Protestant Minister's wife, on her journey met some priests and nuns and also met Our Lady!  She came to appreciate her and to know that she was the Queen of Heaven and Earth.  And if you have a devotion to Mary, there is only one place where you can find a home - The Catholic Church!

Along with this sharing today - I am sharing my wonder and joy at the way that Jesus eats Mary's chin out of love!  I have many icons with this depicted, and have seen it with my daughters and their children.  They love their mom's so much that they almost try to eat them out of love!  Too wonderful to see, and to know that Jesus loved his sinless mother this much is very powerful for me! 

My mother yearned to be Catholic, but could see no way with my dad being a minister in the Protestant Church!  But my dad eventually decided that the Lord was calling him and his family to convert.  So thank you Mary for planting the seed in our hearts through my mother and her waiting in love and hope for my dad to come to know the Truth also.  It was and is a beautiful journey for me and our family and now for my own family and grandchildren!  Just as you brought the entire Mexican nation to you through your appearance to Juan Diego... you continually bring us into the Church and a closer walk with your Son, Jesus Christ!

Mary, you watched your Son,whom you knew was God... suffer and die the most brutal of deaths.  You also had the priviledge and joy of holding his tiny body in your arms and feeding him from your body.  You felt his love for you as he tried to eat your chin out of love for you!  Bring us closer to Him this day and every day as you are always there to love and guide us to the Truth!  Jesus, we trust in you!  Bless-bless, Barb

"A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."  Rev 12: 1

An old friend in a new body...

Herbie is so much like a wonderful cat that we had for years around the farm - Tom Tom!  It feels like he has returned to us!

Every where that we went outside - Tom Tom would be there hence he was a cute addition to many pictures for many years..

Herbie is so much like that with his soft white paws and purring no matter what you are doing... even when it involves water!

Here is Tom Tom with little Simon almost 5 years ago...

On a spring day out to enjoy some time around the yard - there he would be in the tree!  Simon loved to have the dogs and Tom Tom run and chase around.  He would even instigate the antics! 

"Come down Tom Tom, I and the dogs want to chase you!"  Tom Tom thought that the view from the tree and the sweet smell of the apple blossoms was just where he wanted to stay!  Now for the new version of Tom Tom - Herbie- and the memories he will provide for the grandkids and the dogs and the apple blossoms!  That is sounding pretty wonderful after this long drawn out winter!  Come warm weather soon! 

Joyfully buried in an avalanche!

Lately in the evening, when I usually do some spiritual reading before bed, I have been at loose ends with really nothing on the go... I was just ready to go on a search throughout my daughter's bedrooms - looking for something to grow with.  The Lord answered my request in a huge way, and I am filled with joy and gratitude! 

The frosty trees outside beckoned us to the front window with Indian braids this morning... Therese was excited to have braids in her hair as they have been reading the Little House books at night and they are in book 2, and have started to read about some Indians in the area... 

I am so blessed to have Maria here with her two kids for these months... her clarity and wisdom is a constant source of understanding to me!  As she was lovingly touching and explaining each book to me last night as the pile grew and grew and became pile after pile....I was overwhelmed in gratitude for the ways that the Lord takes me deeper with the help and direction of each of my children! 

As Maria handed me all these amazing books - little Therese looked at me and said - "Your welcome grandma."  I knew that she knew that they were giving me a great gift and that I should be saying over and over how thankful I was!  I did have her come in her sweet Indian braids today and pose by the piles of books that I am gladly being buried alive in... and I said to her with total heartfelt joy,  "Thank you Therese and Maria and Joe and David for the hours of growth and deeper journey of faith that these books will and have already allowed me!"  Not really.... I merely said, "Thank you for the great books, Therese!"  She smiled ear to ear! 

I think that she already knows the fact that books are a wonder and a path to great adventures and wisdom in our lives here on earth!  Just like anything else - we need to guard what goes into our minds through books... I am sure that she will, with the help and guidance of her parents - make wise decisions.  Sharing the books about Little House on the Prairie is certainly an amazing start! 

I already picked out some books, and devoured one last evening... it is written by one of my early teachers in the Catholic Faith - Thomas Merton!  How I loved to read any and all that he wrote, but somehow this little book called, Praying the Psalms, escaped me back in my early Catholic days!  It is very small and has a great picture of him on the front - more than I have ever seen of him before... I feel like I know him better by having that view of him...

I have noticed about religious orders and the Office that they follow every day - that they focus on the psalms a lot!  In Susan/Hallel's order they read all 150 psalms every week!  You will see them in chapel with the book of psalms reading them, and when we gather in the chapel for prayer we will chant about 5 or more of them every time!  I do know that for me - they are very wonderful, and powerful, and I love them!  Now that my daughter has taken the name with the Community of the Lamb as little Sister Hallel - the Hallel psalms have become like a personal love letter from her every time that they are shared in the mass for the day or morning or evening prayer! 

Today for instance the psalm in mass is Psalm 149 - a Hallel Psalm!  I will see that and exclaim to all that are in earshot around here - "It's a Hallel Psalm today!"  "Let them praise his name in the festive dance, let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.

For the Lord loves his people,

and he adorns the lowly with victory.

The Lord takes delight in his people."

Merton writes this about the amazing psalms -"The psalms are the songs of men who knew who God was.  If we are to pray well, we too must discover the Lord to whom we speak, and if we use the psalms in our prayer we still stand a better chance of sharing in the discovery which lies hidden in their words for all generations.  For God has willed to make Himself known to us in the mystery of the Psalms."

Jesus, I am so overwhelmed with your answer to the prayer of my heart - that I may always be learning and growing in faith and love of your amazing Church and all that it holds!  There is no end to all that we can learn about and the wisdom of those that love you and your Body the Church!  I am filled with such gratitude for the ways that my children love you and lead me closer to you! The prayer of a parent for their children to embrace the Truth has certainly been answered over and over.  I am humbled and overwhelmed by your LOVE!  Jesus, we trust in you!  Amen and Halleluia!

Bless-bless, Barb

"The Church loves to sing over and over again the songs of the old psalmists because in them she is singing of her knowledge of God, of her union with Him.  To put is plainly:  The Church loves the Psalms because in them she sings of her experience of God, of her union with the incarnate Word, of her contemplation of God in the Mystery of Christ."  Thomas Merton