Rich in graces thanks to The Church!

When I am at mass - there are often times that I am united with my Little Sister Hallel in France!  She knows how much I love her and miss her and she has reminded me that we are together in the Eucharist.  Heaven comes down to earth as Christ appears to us in His Body and Blood.  It fills me with great wonder and awe and LIFE as I bow low and recognize HIM as the Body is lifted - "My Lord and my God."  I say.  Then as the Blood is elevated - "My Lord and my God."  When we join together in the "Our Father" I hold my hands as I have seen the Community of the Lamb, and always feel Hallel there joining with me.  And when the Gospel is presented... I gaze with great LOVE upon Christ in His Word, and smile with the deepest heartfelt JOY.  I have watched Hallel glow like the sun when the Gospel is processed in to be read.  The smile on her face is huge!  How she loves the Word/her spouse - Christ!  This is what a large part of her call into the Community as they mendicate - chew the Word and take it into themselves to be shared with all those they come in contact with.  So this evening I will be having some time with my Little Sister Hallel at mass with great JOY and peace and LOVE.  Jesus, I thank and praise you for all that many blessings and graces I receive through your Bride, The Church.  Jesus, I trust in YOU.  Amen and Halleluia

Bless-bless, Barb

35 years is a lot!

Starry eyed could be a description of this picture taken on our honeymoon 35 years ago.  It is a picture of two people that are in love and have many hopes for the future.  The picture has changed a lot and the future has been revealed to show us all the questions we had about children and family and work and ups and downs...

Yes, the picture looks very different - yet there is a peaceful look there and a JOY there - knowing that no matter what comes we have our shared faith and daily prayer to get us through it.  Just in this year we faced our grandson, Patrick's traumatic birth - born dead and brought back to life and totally healed!  We fall on our knees before HIM and thank HIM for his great mercy to us.  That big hand on my shoulder is there to guide and protect me, and is reminds me much of the Lord Jesus Christ and how his hand is upon our lives.

I am filled with the deepest LOVE when I have watched those big hands hold our little ones with such total devotion and caring!  He loves all LIFE and has led us very strongly and openly into LIFE - he is my Champion for LIFE! 

Those hands continue to reach out for the new little ones, and our prayers continue to surround them.  Ruth's new little boy in her womb is now surrounded by our LOVE!  Jesus, thank you for your great LOVE for us.  We come to you on this our anniversary of our Sacrament of Marriage.  Bless us and keep us ever on your path to LIFE carrying our Most Cherished Cross.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Halleluia

Putting our Faith first will keep our eyes on YOU, O Lord.

"We thank you, O God, for the Love You have implanted in our hearts. May it always inspire us to be kind in our words, considerate of feeling, and concerned for each other's needs and wishes. Help us to be understanding and forgiving of human weaknesses and failings. Increase our faith and trust in You and may Your Prudence guide our life and love. Bless our Marriage O God, with Peace and Happiness, and make our love fruitful for Your glory and our Joy both here and in eternity. "

 

 

Promoting LIFE at all times... in the parking lot to the Pro-LIFE booth at the Fair

This wonderful sight greeted us as we left the special group that John talked to last night about his call from death to serve the Lord by sharing his story of Faith/healing... sunset at the Lake in Sleepy Eye on a beautiful evening.  We shared evening prayer on the way in the van on our hour trip to Sleepy Eye.  What a joyful delight to have the first psalm in Evening prayer - Psalm 30 - it was exactly John's journey in the a psalm of "Thanksgiving!"  I wowed over and over, as he read it, and then found myself looking at the road through tears that were streaming down my face.  I want to share the whole thing, but I will hit on the highlights...
"I cried for help, O Lord my God,
and you healed me;
and kept me from the grave.
I called to you, Lord;
I begged for your help:
What will you gain from my death?
What profit from my going to the grave?
Are dead people able to praise you?
Can they proclaim your unfailing success?
Hear me, Lord, and be merciful!
Help me, Lord!
You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance;
you have taken away my sorrow and surrounded me with joy.
So I will not be silent:
I will sing praise to you.
Lord, you are my God;
I will give you thanks forever."  Psalm 30

John helping out at the fair yesterday morning with the talk he was to give later in the day going around in his heart, soul, and mind.  What a beautiful reminder as we prayed evening prayer together - Psalm 30 was a gift of the Holy Spirit to John - telling him without a doubt that he is being called to share loud and long on the healing he has been given.   "YOU have restored my LIFE!"   John sings from the rooftops as he has found the newness of LIFE he asked for when he half-heartedly prayed for Faith!  John sees more clearly that his LIFE was spared so that he could witness LOUD and Clear - "I was looking into the grave, but no I was brought to LIFE to share the Truth that can set others free!"

Rose watching mom, dad, Simon and Mary bringing in their calves to the ring yesterday morning.  Pat shared a great story with me this morning before he headed into the fair for the day.  He is the true servant that as the Fair Board Chairman - he is the one that is out in the parking lot parking cars for the busy hours each evening.  "I saw this family with 5 kids park and I told them that that was great to see."  They told him that they never hear that, but get ridiculed by others for having so many children.  "I told them that I know many families with only two kids and years later they say that they should of had more.  Give it some years of craziness, but there will come a time when you will be very blessed and happy that you have a large family and were open to children."  Pat is my true champion for LIFE, and he truly does live it and promote it without hesitation!  If you want to read more about this... I shared the whole story in my page devoted to our marriage - http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html  It seems appropriate to be sharing this on the eve of our 35th wedding anniversary tomorrow!

I had the honor of working a shift in the CCL - Citizens Concerned for LIFE booth yesterday afternoon.  This year there is a petition to sign about the fact that internet abortions are now taking place.  A girl/woman goes on line and communicates with the doctor about her pregnancy and desire to terminate it.  The doctor then prescribes some medication that she will take at home and abort the baby alone at home - she will never see a doctor.  An older gentleman, who came and signed the petition, spoke about how in his days back alley abortions were frowned upon and this seems to be going back to the darkness and aloneness of this whole scenario.  Something you can always count on is that the culture of death is always coming up with ways of killing the innocent LIFE of the womb!  Lord, help us to fight for LIFE without counting the cost.  LIFE is to be cherished no matter what!  There is no LIFE too small nor too ill or damaged - we can learn so much from our Crosses - our illnesses, weakness, hurts/pains, hard times...it is through the Cross that we find LIFE eternal!

Lord, how can LIFE not be cherished and protected and promoted at all times?   There is so much darkness that the LIGHT is no longer allowed to shine and reveal the Truth that will set us free!   Free as "you have taken away my sorrow and surrounded me with JOY.  I will not be silent: I will sing praise to you.  Lord, you are my God; I will give you thanks forever."  I have been so blessed by the last 35 years with my Champion for LIFE - Patrick Gerard Verly!  Such a voice for LIFE in the midst of the confusion and lies of Satan - destroying the beauty of Family and the openness to LIFE that our Church calls us to.  My Most Cherished Cross - I have embraced him and found LIFE in abundance with our 5 with us and the 7 angels in heaven looking down over us and praying for us.  What loud cheering and support must have been going on up there as Pat stood in the parking lot at the County Fair humbly parking cars and witnessing to the beauty of LIFE and family!   Please, Lord, we know that you are hearing our pleas to end the taking of innocent LIFE by the horror of abortion.  May we work ever harder and without counting the cost to respect ALL LIFE and protect it no matter how small.  Jesus, we Trust in YOU.  Amen and Halleluia

Bless-bless, Barb

"Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection,
implored your help or sought your intercession,
was left unaided.

Inspired with this confidence,
I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother;
to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in your mercy hear and answer me.
Amen."
Memorare

Mother of God, Mary Most Holy, brought LIFE into the world and shows us how to fight darkness and the culture of death with Christ in His Word and Sacrament of LIFE, also asking for her intercession through constant prayer! 

 

"The world needs LIGHTS!"  Patrick Verly 35 years ago at our engagement weekend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVqR6kTu8lE  Go Light your world by Kathy Trocolli

 

 

Beef show - early, fun and family - also Dogma...

First in the beef show this morning were the Discovery kids and Simon and Mary glowed with their parents there at their sides.  Mary showing her heifer, Snow Crystal, and Simon showing Cherry.  It was great fun for the kids, who both looked relaxed and happy out there.  It helps when the calves you are showing are equally relaxed and they almost looked to have a smile on their faces also.  If a calf can smile - they were!

Simon is probably the least relaxed out there, so to see his sweet smile on his face is very special.  It truly is a family event for these little ones showing beef for their first few years, but it doesn't end either.  The older ones are out there with parents, aunts, uncles, older siblings...

Hence Johnny was out blowing Cherry shortly before the show.  She seemed to like it a lot, and could tell that John has done this many times before.  I might be heading with John this afternoon as he goes to give another sharing of his story talk.  I am torn between the kids showing pigs in the pig show this evening, and this chance to hear John and pray with him and a large crowd of people that want to share in his journey called cancer/healing/Faith/now what Lord?

Mary talking to the judge looks cool and confident. 

Today is St Alphonsus Liguori's feast day.  Every day in The Church is a day of celebration as we join with the special Saint of that day along with the Sacraments of LIFE and healing that are available to us.  I just opened my new Magnificat for August - see www.magnificat.com and was really touched by an article by Fr John Cameron, who is the editor, about dogma.  I always struggle to find the right word to describe the teachings of The Church or the Truths that they hold out to us - helping us on our journey to get to heaven... Dogmas!  "A dogma is a truth formally revealed by God that has been proposed by the teaching authority of the Church to be believed as such.  The dogmas of the Church concern the Person of Christ, salvation, the Blessed Trinity, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church and her Sacraments, the Last Things, etc.  'All the dogmas of the Catholic Church are stamped with the name of Christ; they would express each and every aspect of his teaching, they would bring the living, redeeming, ruling, judging Christ before our eyes according to all the dimensions of his historical manifestation.' Fr Karl Adam"

Lord, we are falling on our knees asking that you give us the Truth in our hearts, minds and souls as we follow the narrow path carrying our Most Cherished Cross.  May we not go astray or find ourselves wandering around in the darkness.  The Church dogmas are "lights along the path of faith; they illuminate it and make it secure."  Catechism of the Catholic Church  We do not need to question the Truth but follow after it whole heartedly and without reservation!  May we take the LIGHT of Truth within and become LIGHTS for the world around us.  Jesus, we Trust in YOU.  Amen and Halleluia

Bless-bless, Barb

"The modern world has a weird aversion to dogmas and doctrines.  Yet, 'doctrines are powerful agents of transformation,' writes Fr Robert Barron.  'They have, for too long, been bottled up.  It is as though we were in possession of vaccines to cure the most dreaded diseases of humankind and refused to allow them to be used.... Doctrines... are to move believers from errant, sinful consciousness to a renewal of soul; they are to draw them through death into LIFE.  Their purpose, in a word, is... soul-transforming.' "

Soon a new name will be added to the list - Family is a gift along with ways that the family can grow together in LOVE and sharing - like our beloved County Fair!

Rose watching the show spots her family and is excited to point them out to grandma!  Before we know it - it will be your turn little one.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiypaURysz4  Holy Now by Peter Mayer

Little boy in the womb showed his first calf!!!!   Looking good - join me in praying for his and Ruth's safety.  Lord, we place them in the palm of your hand and trust in YOU.

 

 

Family fairtime 2013!

Little 15 month old Rose is starting to walk at the fair.  I found her barefoot and smiling out in the beef barn for lunch today.  Both Simon and Mary are showing a small calf tomorrow morning at the beginning of the beef show.  They are still in Cloverbuds, so there is not much pressure on them to have everything just so.   It was nice to see the two there very quiet and peaceful.  It is nice that they have each other.  They have been side by side in their little red barn, so this is just a new location but the same old friend at my side.  It will be the beef show in the morning and the pig show at night.  Pigs are new for our family,  but Ruth's husband, Paul, grew up showing both in 4H.  So the kids are expanding their horizons following in their dad's footsteps and shownig both beef and pigs.

Farmer Bob made the kids some balloon hats.

A cute Holstein steer looked like he wanted to join us for lunch.  Sorry - it's more like you will be lunch for someone in the not too distant future!   "You can't be serious."  says he with those pleading eyes of his. 

Farmgirl Rose looks pretty natural in the barn.  You have many years ahead of you around there, Rose.  With your new little brother coming - that could be another good 20 years of showing beef and hogs for your family.  It does fly by though.  Now we are starting over again with the grandkids, we put in our 20+ years and now after a few off we are back at it again.  We love the fair and it has been huge for family time in the summer!  Now grandpa is the Chairman of the fair board, and that means he is here most every waking hour of the day and night.  That must mean that he loves it, right? 

And he LOVES to share it with his little granddaughter, Rose Ida.  He loves to share the fair with his family - the best of family/farm/fair time!  Thanks, Pat, with all your hard work we have wonderful fair memories year after year, and generation after generation!  The county fair is definitely a tradition that is well worth all your time and energy.  You are a man, who puts much effort and work into something that you value and LOVE!  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Bless-bless, Barb

The story of the flower in my hair.  I was working with photography in the open class yesterday.  A friend from years ago was busy with putting out potted flowers out around the fairgrounds.   She popped in suddenly and held this flower out to me and told me that it had broken off, but that I needed to have it for my hair.  "You always had a flower in your hair, Barb.  You need this!"  So sweet and such a step back in time.  Yes, I did always wear flowers in my hair and still will from time to time- I even wore it into Walmart last night when I ran errands.  Thank you, friend, for recalling my youthful days of wife and motherhood. 

Simon and Mary Lanoue will be in the show ring tomorrow morning with their small black calves.  They will have help showing since they are in Cloverbuds 4H. 

 

 

 

The fair begins today

I had to start with this great picture that Mary entered in open class and took the top picture for kids 15 and under - she is just 7!  It was taken in Michigan with Nancy's wonderful camera!  Great JOB Mary!  I, on the other hand, did only fair with my pictures and that is always humbling to look at them through other people's eyes.  I also got a real dose of humble pie this morning from another source, and I have that queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach that comes with knowing that you misstepped and blundered over someone's feelings.  I will keep this short today - realizing that sailing away with my thoughts and feelings seems to be not in the best interest always.  Today being the feast day of St Ignatius of Loyola marks it as a special day for our family also.  My parents were on the Ignation Exercises Silent Retreat when my dad heard the Holy Spirit tell him that they should become Catholic.   So I have a lot to thank St Ignatius for, and I do hope that someday I will be able to experience the Exercises - "shove the searcher into the center of the Gospel and leave him alone there with Christ, with the Triune God who speaks to him."  Fr Hans Urs Von Balthasar (1988)

Another of Mary's pictures that she got a blue ribbon on at the fair!

Lord, today brings with it the sadness of using my words to unknowingly add to the hurt of another.  I am reminded that words not to be taken lightly.  Jesus, I am reminded this day by St Ignatius that more time needs to be spent in prayer - asking for your will to be shown to me and that I may be obedient to God's will for me!  I continue to thank and praise you for all your blessings upon our family since my parents heard your call into The Church 42 years ago.  It was just about this time that I was living in a Christian Commune in Colorado and starting to consider a call to be a sister, and my parents were at the Cenacle Convent in the midst of the Ignation Retreat - my dad was reading Isaiah 55:1-2 - in his silent prayer time the Holy Spirit spoke to him and told him that he should become Catholic!  So huge for a Protestant minister and his wife and 11 children!  I shared this story on my page about the 13 becoming Catholic, so I will not go at great length here.  Lord, how I love to share my story, and yes I am looking at the world through my eyes and that can be selfish if not watched closely.  Help me to be more considerate and to walk in other's shoes no matter how tight and uncomfortable that may be.  May I take up my Most Cherished Cross and follow after YOU - not counting the cost.  So grateful for Your unconditional LOVE and forgiveness.  Jesus, I trust in YOU.  Amen and Halleluia

Bless-bless, Barb

"Come to me heedfully, listen that you may have life."  Isaiah 55:3  The next verse after Isaiah 55:1-2 describes just what came to us when we listened to the direction of the Holy Spirit and came into The Church - we found LIFE eternal!  Here are the two verses ahead of this... so Eucharistic now that we know the food from Heaven - Christ's Body and Blood!

"The Lord says, 'Come, everyone who is thirsty- here is water!  Come, you that have no money- buy grain and eat!  Come!  Buy wine and milk - it will cost you nothing!  Why spend money on what does not satisfy?  Why spend your wages and still be hungry?  Listen to me and do what I say, and you will enjoy the best food of all.' "

 

Lord, we hunger and thirst for YOU! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO_YUOAA1HU 
Danielle Rose singing Small Things with Great LOVE