"The Lord has given me a twin..." LS Hallel

I was transported back to France in my mind yesterday as Therese, my almost 3 year old granddaughter, and I worked on a picture- watercolor of her Godparents and her.  Since Hallel is in France - I asked her if she would like to be in France with them - her Godfather is Fr Mathias, a diocesan priest!  So we made them all in France and they were playing together with a kite, a ball, and sailing a boat on the creek that runs through the land there... Both of her Godparents although they are religious- love little kids and would just love to take an afternoon of "play" with their precious little Goddaughter!  It was fun for us to imagine and in grandma Moses fashion put on paper in her little memory book that she will be taking with her to Georgia in a few weeks!  I wanted to share with you how hilly and roungh that the land is there...

It was at one time a farm on the Southern border of France and Spain - in the foothills of the Pyrannies Mountains... When we were there it was August and the creek bed was dry and there was dry look to the grass and the vegetation... But just like wanting to imagine spring after this long and brutal winter.. I wanted to imagine St Pierre in spring time with the creek full of water and the grass green and lush... They do not get the snow and cold like we do... the snow they get only lasts a day or so, and the rains would be what gives them the moisture they need.

Hallel has been going through another deeply moving Cross with another member of her community and her family... Much like the shock we all went through with the discovery of John's brain cancer and the return of Susan/Hallel to be with all of us along with all the prayers and support of the community - including the traveling companion of Little Sister Benedict... One of the little Sisters from France discovered that her sister had been in a nearly fatal car accident on Sept 11 of last year.  She had hit her face on the steering wheel, and all the bones in her face were broken... She still is unable to talk or move her right arm and the left side of her face is paralyzed...

Using pictures of her vesture - taking of her habit in August... Early on Susan/Hallel asked me to pray for Clair-Marie... and I did everytime that I said Hallel's decade of the rosary for the day - being my 4th child... the 4th decade is hers... I would remember her at that time.  I have a strong conviction to pray now more than ever after all the outpouring that we were so overwhelmed with for John's healing/cancer journey!

Hallel's face was a total picture of JOY!  "At mass the day of my birthday (Sept 18th), I received a gift; I found out that Caire-Marie and I are born the same day and the same year.  The Lord has given me a twin- I had no choice but to pray for her nonstop."  How powerful is the feeling that when you were entering the world - half way around the world another little girl was being born and now you are tied together in prayer!  I will take it a step further-  as a mother I can do that - Susan for some unknown reason came out weighing 2 pounds less than the others - just barely 6 pounds.  She was healthy in every way, but small and precious, I have since thought that maybe the placenta wasn't doing quite the job of the others, but it makes this idea of her being a spiritual Twin even more special and deep for me.

The mass that followed the veture - Hallel brought up the cup...  Thinking of Claire-Marie in prayer all the time... Hallel was shocked with joy when she was asked to accompany her sister to visit her for the first time after the accident!  "I was so happy I almost cried, but at the same time I felt like she had made a mistake in choosing me ( I really don't speak French all that well, I never know what to say, I am too shy, Am I really going to be a help?)"

"I fought with this for a long time until I realized that the Lord had chosen the poorest sister, because then it would be certain that it was Him working and not me.  Also I saw that I could bring nothing to this family (not a great speech to make them feel better), the only thing I could do is carry Jesus with me and pray."

"Meeting Claire-Marie was a great gift... She looks at you with one eye, because the other is covered with a bandage, and when she looks at you - she really penetrates right through you, but at the same time it is a look full of tenderness and peace.  Her sister shared that before the accident she didn't have this same tenderness in her look.  She is like a little Lamb.  You can see that the Lord is truly doing a great work within her."

"We often spent time with her just reading the Bible.  Her face is disfigured because of all the bones in her face were broken by the steering wheel.  And even though she has this face not like any other - she is at the same time so beautiful.  It is hard to put into words just how amazing this couple of days were.  It was truly a moment not of sorrow, but of great hope. I even made her laugh once!   I even invited her to ST Pierre for our birthday and she nodded her head, "Yes!""

I know that Susan/Hallel and all of John's sisters felt similarly about the cancer in John's brain, and how it transformed his faith and him into a humble and trusting man of faith in prayer, and the power of the Cross... and the healing to be found there!  Jesus, thank you for all the ways that you touch our lives, and remind us that you are in control!

The Crosses that come with life are so hard and painful - yet when we embrace them we are made more yours... as when we are weak and suffering we turn into your arms open wide to us, with your nailsarred hands reaching to pull us close to your heart burning with LOVE for us!  Be with all those that are suffering and forever changed like Claire-Marie and John.  Thank you for this special calling they have received from you in this life!  May our prayers always rise to you like incense.  Jesus, we trust in you!  Amen and Halleluia!

Bless-bless, Barb

"We adore you , O Christ, even when confronted by crisis or catastrophe, Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

We adore you, O Christ, in accepting that God works in the ways we least expect, Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world."

see http://www.magnificat.com/

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!