Brighter than the sun in the sky, and more than all the stars in the Heavens

Love is... such a beautiful sight in this star filled heavens of our beautifully remodeled Church!  Looking out on the sunny day outside glistening on the turning golden leaves in the tree of our grove... such brightness and beauty - too much for our human eyes to gaze fully upon the sun/Son!  Our weak and humble human eyes, heart, mind and soul cannot take fully in the LOVE that is poured upon our undeserving selves. 

John and I were gifted with being able to attend the first Saturday mass and confession.  Our hearts are full and we are so grateful that we could share this today.  We both left sharing that reconciliation is a most amazing gift that we should take advantage of more often.  How I longed to get there, and am deeply touched by how Jesus loves and forgives me!  Basking in the brighter and more luminous LIGHT that fills us after we are washed clean in the sacraments!

 Beautiful roses for Our Lady this day...

 Ruth with her two youngest making cookies for dinner yesterday... fills the house with memories of our nest days.

 I planted miniature Indian corn this year... fun to harvest them yesterday and open up the packages - as Simon says about husking corn - but each one truly was a surprise to what I would find inside... fun!

The LIGHT on the flowers in the darkened Church in the full stream of sunlight...
This feast of St Francis of Assisi is pulling at my heart strings - knowing of his tie to our Pope Francis, how Maria heard a special call to consider religious life in Assisi from both Francis and Clare, and also how Susan/Hallel has a tie to the Franciscans through their Spiritual Father Director,  Fr Jean Claude.  St Francis is very much a part of our journey of LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!

The sight that John and I witnessed on our way home - Ed combining and Paul driving the grain cart on the fly down the field.  Lord, be with the farmers and keep them all safe.

Lord Jesus, you fill our world with all that is bright and beautiful.  May we come to you and lay all our burdens at your feet - knowing that we are so unworthy, yet you come running out to us as The Prodigal Son and place the robe on our shoulders and the ring on our finger, and serve us the feast of Heaven and earth at your table!  May we joyfully serve others without counting the cost as we are shown by You how we are to follow your example.  Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barb

Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me

50 of mom's family a week ago at her 95th celebration!

I just borrowed some better pictures of harvest from Ruth's blog - http://familyfarmexperience.blogspot.com/

a great one!!!

Reminded each day that The Cross brings us to LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT

The beautiful lone cottonwood tree at Ruth and Paul's is starting to show it's fall colors in the setting sun... and the two smiling little ones add to its splendor.

 

Sharing our struggles as a family reminds us each day that through our crosses/hardships we are made better, kinder, more humble, loving, generous, compassionate, less selfish or self-centered, and just plain better Christian people and children!  Once again we are reminded that through the Cross we find the ability to die to self so that The Holy Spirit may come and dwell in us and bring us to LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT! 

A wonderful photo from Michigan - where my heart is captured and held captive by its beauty and memories of Family weeks shared! 

 

Today in the Gospel, Jesus asks us firmly to "listen to His Words."  There are many ways to do this, and many ways not to do this.  May we turn off a lot of the noise in our lives and listen to HIM!  Our attention is grabbed by pain and suffering, and that is necessary to pull us back to our knees. 

The story of Job - the first reading at mass these days is a firm reminder of how a life of wine and roses is not to be expected or even hoped for.  We are to embrace our Most Cherished Cross and accept our death of selfishness and self-pity!  I do fall into this too easily - "Poor me."  Where does it get me but all bound up in my own misery and unable to reach out to those around me - most especially those in my domestic Church/family- the ones that I treat the worst and am supposed to love the most!

Another Michigan fall picture shared...

 

Lord, I am needing to be reminded this day of how I am weak and need you.  I am a lonely mess of self-pity if I allow myself to think - "Poor me."  Instead I should be saying - "Yes, I am nothing without YOU and I am here to take the gifts you give me and share them with great JOY with those the closest to me in my domestic Church/family. I deserve nothing better than to die to self so that you may live and do your healing and ministering through me this day.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

This is the beauty I am blessed with in my day to day world!

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

"Have you entered into the sources of the sea, or walked about in the depths of the abyss?  Have the gates of death been shown to you, or have you seen the gates of darkness?  Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?  Tell me, if you know all:  Which is the way to the dwelling place of light, and where is the abode of darkness, That you may take them to their boundaries and set them on their homeward paths? "  God to Job and to me... reminding me that I am nothing without God!

Beauty on the farm...

The afters - Broken Hallelujah

So blessed by the Truth that dwells in these words this day and always!

Treasures of the day

One of my favorite treasures from today... some flowers brought by a friend by the wonderful picture of mom from the parish directory this year...

 Cutting the cake before the guests arrive.

 Fr Paul stops in...

 with Johnny.

 With her brother and extended family.

 With 3 of her girls - Daughter, Raterra, and two dau-in-laws, Rita and Barb

John jumps in...

Such a great lady sharing her light with friends and family!

 

I left to mail Hallel's birthday package along with about 30 toothbrushes from her dental hygienist aunt Raterra.  There are minimal things that Hallel needs or wants and toothbrushes to use and share with the Community is a great gift!  Thanks Aunt Raterra!  Then I remembered that it was Thursday... Adoration!

There is where my true Treasure lies!  So blessed to put each one of my and Pat's family in the monstrance with Jesus.  How exciting to add the new ones - Romeo now that I have seen him and know him.  And knowing that my God-daughter is expecting a baby... it is always so exciting to put them with Jesus for the first time, and forever after.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Bless-bless, Barb

Happy Birthday, mom!

Farm-wife, guardian angel is 95 today!

Working on a quick card for my dear Mom Verly - it is her 95th birthday today!

 

It is the feast of the Guardian Angels today, and I do feel that my Mother-in-law, Anna, is responsible for my life here and knowing what it takes to be a farmwife. I continue to learn at her feet, and some of the lessons of life she has shared with me continue to give me guidance on my journey.  Most precious - "Take a nap every day."

Happy Birthday dearest Mom Verly!  Thank you for all your loving wisdom, and showing me the beauty of life on the farm!  Jesus, hold Anna close to your heart burning with love for her.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

 The girl cousins minus my 3...

 A farm present - Ruth brought her farm eggs from her chickens!

I know she and the kids picked many eggs over the years - Ruth has 12 laying hens while mom Verly had about 200!

4 grandsons in 2 years growing up together... 3 years ago she had 5 great-grandsons born in 6 months - 2 sets of twins!  Family is right there under Faith!

Psalm 95 for this occasion...

Come let us praise the Lord!

Let us sing for joy to God who protects us! 

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and sing joyful songs of praise.

For the Lord is a mighty God...

He rules over the sea, which he made;

the land also which he himself formed.

He is our God;

we are his people he cares for,

the flock for which her provides.

Bless-bless, Barb

Luke 11 months and Rose 18 months older = 29 months...

Both born on the first of the month - Luke in Nov and Rose in May 18 months apart... today is a birthday of sorts for the two of them.  It was fun to go outside with jammies on after their baths and grab a few fun pictures.  The playhouse railing is a spot to linger...

 Cute kitty times were had by Rose,

 and Mary...

Luke likes to play kitty on the floor.

 Nothing cuter than red flyer pictures in front of the newly painted red barn with Lanoue Family Farm sign.

especially when you get both kids to look and smile at the same time! 

 With grandma by the silo...

 Sandwiched by pumpkins is a must for the fall...

Super de duper!!!  Getting ready for next month - Luke will be one and Rose 2 1/2!

Bless-bless, Barb, Rose and Luke in a selfie by the silos on a warm evening .  Mom and dad off teaching Faith Formation while grandma hangs out with the kids.  That is right order. 

Pumpkin year celebration of St Therese!

Therese holding her newly baptized brother about a week ago in the golden LIGHT of the Church!

Giggly picture of Rose and Roger by the many pumpkins I have this year.  That is not usual for me, so gathering the almost 50 pumpkins from my garden just now and placing them all over the place was a fun project, and having Rose here yesterday to add to the JOY was a gift.  I have heard from Maria that the 3 dozen jars of applesauce, spaghetti sauce and tomato soup have arrived to El Paso in the car of a great friend from the NH.  We compared notes before I left and found out that they were going to visit family the day I was flying home... so they so nicely said they could bring some canned and fresh stuff down for Maria!  Thank you!  Among that haul was some pumpkins for Maria and the kids... they got it all home yesterday.  Thank you, dear Maria and husband!

A trunk full are now scattered around the house - it really look s like fall around here!

It is always delightful to come to the first of October and find it to be the amazing special feast day of St Therese! 

 Having just had over a week with my granddaughter, Therese, I am going to liberally use some of my great and many pictures of her today as I share quickly...  There is so much wisdom and Truth that comes to us from this humble simple woman - St Therese! 

It is such a blessing to have this promise from above as we trust in Jesus and navigate this world looking to Jesus and his Bride, The Church!

 How "T" loves her siblings and her precious new brother!  Maria reported that he is up to 8 lb and 9 oz now and his face is filling out... "he is getting cuter." 

It is such a strong reminder today of being a child filled with awe and wonder and trusting in all that the Church upholds for us.

It was a beautiful sight to see how Romeo was so peaceful and content surrounded by so much love!

"It is sufficient to acknowledge one's nothingness and to abandon oneself like a child to God's arms."  St Therese

 First mass with his family - St Michael defend us in battle!

 In awe of all the LOVE! 

"How good he is to me... how divinely lovable he is when not wanting to allow me to attach myself to any created thing.  He knows well that if he were to give me a shadow of Happiness, I would attach myself to it with all my energy, all the strength of my heart, and this shadow he is refusing me; he prefers leaving me in darkness to giving me a false light which would not be himself!..."  St Therese

 So lovely!

 A hint of a smile on all 4!

 The Sacred heart and the Immaculate heart bring LIGHT and Truth and forgiveness and LIFE everlasting and LOVE beyond telling into this humble home.  In two days Joseph leaves on a venture into his future filled with HOPE and on the wings of our prayers.

Therese and I shared a special bond when I was able to do her hair each day. How I love to be given the gift of sharing that with my granddaughters after having 4 girls with long hair!  This time "T" shared that she enjoyed it too!  We really got into doing braids...

French braids for the baptism with both Patrick and Romeo in white!

Jesus, may we learn to be humble and trusting as a little child - learning this at the feet of ST Therese - this day of celebration of her "little way."  Jesus, may I take up my most Cherished Cross and follow after YOU - not counting the cost.  May I die to self so that you may live in me!  Come Holy Spirit and be my guest.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barb

"Jesus does not so much look at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them."  St Therese

 "How happy I am to see myself as imperfect and to be in need of God's mercy."