Fake plans can bear gifts...

On the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes John and I made a fake plan to have supper at his home - "Mom, all I want for my birthday is that you come and cook me a meal at my home."  Since then our plans have shifted about 3 times, and finally last night we were able to celebrate in his apartment in Tracy.  Our dear friend, Jean, made John this amazing cake and included the woman John loves above all others - yes, even above his earthly mom, Our Lady of Lourdes.  I gathered some criticism for taking many pictures of this work of art, but John and I were both happy that I captured this wonderful heartfelt Mary before she was demolished for our consumption! 

I think that Jeanie cake is so special to all of us, but I also think that Jean has a deep love for her too and also knows how much Mary means to John since his journey called brain cancer/healing/finding faith!  http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/johns-cancer-stories.html

If you go to the page I have devoted to John's cancer stories - you will see that I borrowed this picture from there.  John healed and so enthralled with love for Our Lady of Lourdes as we found ourselves there for the second time - in July of 2011 for Susan's/Hallel's first vows!  John was slain with love for his Spiritual Mother and has never recovered!

Many times since I have seen that sappy grin of LOVE from John when we pray to or mention Our Lady!  Last night before we took our first bite of Jeanie cake - "But we didn't pray to Our Lady first!"  "The cake said; Mary pray for us.  Amen."  "OK."

It was such a blessing that we had our first fake plans to celebrate on her feastday, and it was so special that Jean went ahead and made this special cake for us to devour on John's late birthday celebration!  She sensed how much of a gift that was for John and his old mom!  Thank you, dear friend, Jean Schmidt!

The first time in Lourdes - August 2009 with a sister under each arm!  John had just had his biopsy to discover his rare brain cancer which left him unable to walk on his own.  This so portrays the Cross to me with John's arms outstretched around his sisters to walk!  It gives a new meaning to the idea of the Cross - that we are carried forward by the Cross rather than carrying it or even dragging it.  It gives a new meaning to how we are called to be there for our brother in his need - actions rather than words!  This comes across so powerfully in the readings of today!

Final prayer from morning prayer today;  God, Our Father, you have spoken into the chaos of sin the one all powerful Word of Salvation, your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  Teach us to put our faith in the constancy of your Word and not in the multiplication of our own.  Through, Christ our Lord.  Amen

The 27th Psalm was so great to use for John's 27th birthday card with the painting I made on his birthday in KC..."I have asked of the Lord one thing; one thing only do I want: to live in the Lord's house all the days of my life, to marvel there at his greatness and to ask for his guidance... When you said 'Come worship me.' I answered, 'I will come Lord."  John shared that he continues to ask the Lord to show him the path ahead.  So we continue to lift that intention up and TRUST!

Today in the Gospel Jesus gives us the simple and awesome prayer that we each repeat numerous times daily... the Lord's Prayer!  It is all to be taken in and digested and not just mindlessly repeated... for me the phrase that I make myself pause and say with meaning is "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."  I know how those angers and resentments can creep in and we can hold onto them and nurse them.  We are called to forgive and our own forgiveness depends upon this... this is critical for our spiritual welfare! 

It was wonderful to get to mass this morning!  I think I will be able to make adoration shortly and that is such a gift!  The best hour of the week!  Talk about going to the desert/mountaintop all in one!  I feel the excitement welling up within me to spend this precious time at the feet of my Jesus in the monstrance!

Jesus, thank you for the small gifts that you bless us with through our wonderful friends of Faith!  It is hard to make plans and to gracefully accept that they are made to be changed with the shifts and changes in our lives.  It is hard to shift gears for this old heap.  May I gracefully listen to the Spirit calling unto me to die to self and to give without counting the cost.  Guide and direct John as he continues to ask you to direct his life and allow him to share his story of finding faith through brain cancer.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen

We got out the good dishes and the wine glasses to celebrate, but foremost was this wonderful cake with Our Lady and John and I are so happy to have some pictures to remember this always!  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

We also love Our Mary of the Americas - Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Mercy is so powerful and so hard!

Natalie Grant - Burn Bright - from the day you spoke at the gathering at the Daur's this summer - this song was sung and means so much, John.

Lincoln Brewster - Made New

Newsboys - We Believe

Natalie Grant - Alive

Love your neighbor as yourself... What would that look like?

Yes, I got some grandma time over with Ruth and Paul's kids while they were working cattle on Valentines Day.  No, don't feel sorry for them....

They were doing what they love sharing - farming - for their special day!  Paul sweetly wrote this; "Took my sweetheart out for beef today! Nothing says romance like working on the farm together! Love you Ruth!"  I can see how this love of farming is such a deep and wonderful bond for Ruth and Paul!  It is so wonderful to know that they will bring their family here into this wonderful home and live the farm life together!

 Mary and David went out to bring in the two sister bunnies for some time in the house.  Mary also did her science fair project on her chickens - when she was judged the person said that they had never seen a project about chickens and if eating peanuts can make their eggs weigh more.  These kids are getting a lot of knowledge about the farm, and they are thriving on it!  It is so wonderful that they are learning about the farm and loving it!

Bunny goes from sitting in a cold cage next to her sister to this... lots of love and attention.  Maybe a happy medium would be nice?  So cute and soft that it is hard to resist...

The first reading from mass today is from Leviticus 19 and it sets out for us the commandments and rules to live by from God to us...  the final line is one we have heard repeated in the Gospel - Matthew 22:36-40 - Love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus 19:18
We have all read this numerous times and have that fleeting thought of how hard that would be - knowing how we cater to ourselves and whine and get defensive when attacked our questioned or when things are pointed out to us that we have done wrong in the eyes of others, on and on. 

The bunnies come in.  Mary has gifted the black one to David now...

David and his bunny taking a Sunday afternoon nap... at least one of them is.  I would say that his bunny hasn't been this warm and snuggly for a very long time - maybe since last August!

Mary and her animals... For a girl to be sharing time with a soft bunny is kind of fun and not the normal really.  Mary was sharing how she came over to say goodbye to her pet cow, Snowball, a couple days ago.  They were loading up 7 cows for slaughter who were not pregnant this year when they preg checked them.  We were all sad to know that Snowball was one of them.  The day they were loading them on the truck Mary and David came over to watch and say goodbye.  "David cried more tears than I did.  Dad warned us that we couldn't come over and be crying a lot... we just had to be strong."  Yes, she is learning about life and death on the farm.

David and Luke took naps, while the others attempted to have some quiet time on a snowy Sunday afternoon.

Rather than dwelling on how hard it would be to love my neighbor as myself ... I would like to try to picture what it would be like to do that for others, but most especially for those closest to me in my domestic Church/family.  I have always been baffled by the fact that those we are supposed to love the most we treat the worst! 

That darn I pad just can go from one thing to another - "STOP!  Grandma wants quiet rosary time!"  I think the bunnies agree.

If in my world I loved my neighbor as myself, what would that look like?
I would care for their every need - if they had a hurt, I would get some Aleve or Tylenol and have them lay down and rest and put their feet up.  If they had a desire for something to snack on, I would be getting that for them sooner than later.  I would cook all their favorite foods, and be sure to have the fridge stocked with all they like.  I would watch what they want to watch on TV and would certainly not complain or find fault if I loved them as myself.  I would never judge them or criticize them.  The world would become a peaceful place indeed.

A soft moment to capture - way too many pictures when there are cute soft bunnies around the house!

Such a powerful Gospel today - Pat and I got very quiet as we read Matthew 25:35-46 - the sheep and the goats and much of the Corporal works of Mercy laid out as necessary for us to do to our neighbor - what does loving our neighbor as ourselves look like?
Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

The Corporal works of Mercy; which are designed to relieve bodily needs of others....

1. To feed the hungry.
2. To give drink to the thirsty.
3. To clothe the naked.
4. To harbor the harborless (Presently interpreted as Shelter the Homeless).^[7]
5. To visit the sick.
6. To ransom the captive (Presently interpreted as Visit the Imprisoned).^[8]
7. To bury the dead.

and then the Spiritual works of Mercy

1. To instruct the ignorant.
2. To counsel the doubtful.
3. To admonish sinners.
4. To bear wrongs patiently.
5. To forgive offences willingly.
6. To comfort the afflicted.
7. To pray for the living and the dead

These are designed to relieve Spiritual suffering

Works of mercy?  The bunny doesn't look too sure about that.

Reading a meditation on this Gospel - who better than Blessed Teresa of Calcutta?  Listening to her sharing of a young novice spending hours with a dying man in the gutter half eaten by worms!  "Mother, I have been touching the Body of Christ for 3 hours!"  What really was so powerful of her sharing was how she described this to the novices before then went out into the streets - "During Mass you have seen with what care and tenderness the priest touched the Body of Christ changed into the Bread of LIFE.  Do the same in the home of the dying destitutes."

A wonderful Valentine's meal as a fund raiser for Catholic work camp this summer in Tracy.  Thank you, John!

Jesus, I have so far to go in treating those "neighbors" in my life as I treat and love myself.  Yet, I long to die to self so that I can love, forgive and show mercy as you have to me!  I am so far from reaching this goal!  May I never grow discouraged or give up.  I am yours and am nothing without you.  I trust in you and place myself into your hands.  Amen

The youth going this summer shared this with us from Catholic Work camp 3 years ago.... very powerful indeed! 
Lots of good feedback and gratitude that John said "yes" to this position as DRE in Tracy/Milroy/Walnut Grove.  Thank you, Lord!  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

Snowy and cold heart of stone... may mine melt and warm to be a loving and forgiving heart of Mercy filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit!

We are called to take up our Cross and follow you, Jesus!
Let's admit it - loving our neighbor as ourselves would look like The Cross!

May I become You, my Jesus!

We are all called to be saints - may we never weary and take all the help our amazing Church is there to help us get to heaven forever with Jesus, Mary, Joseph and all the Saints and Angels!

Come Holy Spirit!

Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me

Unspoken - Start a fire

Toby Mac - Me without you

"rose again..." "we said my name!" Rose Lanoue

It was a big day at the first mass of Lent this morning for the Lanoue bunch... Rose reminded her parents over and over that she had heard her name in the mass..."We said 'rose again.' " she repeated over and over.  Where is that?  For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day...  It takes paying attention and a sharp little cookie to pick up on that, right?  Ruth also mentioned that Paul - Letter of Paul to the Romans was the second reading and Luke was the Gospel today.  It truly does make it personal and special to name your kids great names of The Church! 

Ruth did a great job in remembering that it was Valentine's today and dressed her kids and herself in special red.  They even stopped and got the great-grandma and grandma special flowers.  David missed this, so...

He got his own one with great-grandma.  He also got to spend the night with grandpa and grandma and got to sleep in what soon could be his room here on the farm.  Excitement is building as we are getting closer to the remodel coming to an end and then there will be the gradual move.  We will be here through calving but come spring work we should be moved and switch places with Ruth and Paul.  Exciting times indeed!

Valentine's flowers as we all gather for doughnuts and sharing the Eucharist with Pat's mom on this cold snowy first Sunday of Lent.  The Gospel today from Luke 4:1-13 - the Temptation of Christ in the desert for 40 days.  What struck me today was how Christ had the first Lent at this time... the parched desert of our lives with all the thorns and hungers and thirsts and pain and darkness of sin and endless hours of silence and prayers and time to time the beating sun and the winds blowing the sand in our eyes and our mouths... our miserable existence when we are away from Jesus, or the time we take to dig deep into our lives and die to that selfishness that nags and lies to us constantly!  Many times we are tempted by the devil and cave in to sin.  The final line of the Gospel really struck me today...When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.  Luke 4:13
We know that Jesus was without sin, but the devil kept after him and did not give up easily.  He had him at a very weak place in the desert - hungry and thirsty and weak, yet he always kept his eyes, heart, mind and soul on his Father in heaven!

Happy Valentines Day, Great-grandma Anna!

There are calves to implant today.  That could mean some grandma time so that Ruth can come over and help out.  John is treating his dad and I to a Valentine's meal in Tracy tonight.  I feel very loved and special after my husband surprised me with roses and the Lanoues with a sweet daisy plant.  Then I so am loving my new ring...Thank you, Pat!

My roses with a watercolor I did while I was away and missing my farmer. 

I missed my farmer a lot!

Jesus, we know that we do not fare as well when tempted by the devil over and over on this journey, yet you remind us in the Gospel today that The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart...
We can gain so much courage and the ability to say "no" to the sins that allure us.  May the Word/The Truth be planted in our hearts and souls and bear the fruit of The Spirit...  Galatians 5:22-23New International Version (NIV)
²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Lord, how I long for these amazing fruits to dwell in my domestic Church/family and true LOVE, The Cross may be embraced to find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  I long to be forever in heaven with you, O Lord, and I pray that all our families will be there with us.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Rose looks like a living Valentine and so she is!  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

Yes, Lord!  True LOVE is found in your Cross and suffering - spotless Lamb for me!



A good reminder - two steps forward and one step back in the dance of LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT if we are lucky that is!


"God assumed from the beginning that the wise of the world would view Christians as fools...and He has not been disappointed....If I have brought any message today, it is this: Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for Christ. And have the courage to suffer the contempt of the sophisticated world."  Antonin Scalia - rest in peace

Danielle Rose - True LOVE is the Cross!

Chris Tomlin - Good Good Father

Casting Crowns - Broken Together

Valentines colors and love - had to share again.  Bless-bless

"Follow me" - "walk in your truth"

Yes, that is a Belgian cookie almost 2 months after Christmas!  An unheard of occurrence in our home, but thanks to a container forgotten in the freezer they were a surprise yummy treat.

The big reminder for today is in the Gospel when Jesus calls to St Matthew - "Follow me."  St Matthew was a tax collector and sinner... I think that the sinner part describes me to a "t" too!  Jesus, in His Word is so powerful for shining a LIGHT on my sins and weaknesses.  How I need to come to the Dear and Glorious Physician to be healed and put on the path of Truth!  Psalm 86 from mass today speaks of our journey down the narrow path to LIGHT/LOVE/LIFE!
Incline your ear, O Lord; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you.
You are my God!
Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O Lord, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

It is very sweet how Rose now says her name  - "I am Rose Ida Lanoue."  She told great-grandma this and they had to tell her about her great-great grandma Ida Louwagie for whom this family name has been carried on down the generations.  Ruth was born on what would have been Ida's 90th birthday, so there is a special meaning there.  St Rose of Lima is Ruth's patron saint from confirmation, so when they considered naming their baby daughter Rose they struggled with a middle name.  Rose Ida just fit... especially after Ruth Ida Rose being loved and familiar.  Now they call Rose a little mini Ruth.  I do have to say that Rose is much more zesty than her mom was at that age. 

I am feeling the pull to get into Reconciliation these days.  Lent does have that effect on me, but I also see that if I get there more often and go to my wonderful Physician that I can make more progress with digging deeper and maybe not falling back into bad sinfulness that I struggle with time after time.  It is miserable to face Jesus through the priest and confess my sins, but it is more miserable to constantly be weighed down by them and not throwing them off and walking ahead down the path of Truth. 

Jesus, your Church is amazing and we are gifted with such grace to follow you by embracing the wonderful sacraments we are given to help us towards heaven forever with you.  May we make the time to fall on our knees in the confessional and lay our burdens at your feet, and may we receive your heavenly food often in The Eucharist.  The Sacrament of Marriage is our daily help, too, giving us the grace we need to die to self so that you may live in us and so that we may return the Mercy you have shown us to those closest to us in our domestic Church/family.  Jesus,  we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

Lord, hear my prayer.

"Hail Mary" brings me to a place of peace and joy!

I love the Saints so much!  Don't get me started... I could go on all day!

For Ruth, Paul, and their wonderful farm kids!

This patience in the face of all frustrations is so needed and prayed for!

I came across this and found it quite an insightful sharing.  Our grandson, Simon, struggles with a type of autism and he certainly has a beautiful sensitive heart!  We love you, Simon, and know that Lord has great plans for you to touch the world with His Truth. 

Unspoken - Call it grace

Unspoken - Start a Fire\

third Day - Soul on Fire

Francesca Batistelli - Free to be me

Newsboys - Guilty
I guess I am in the mood to be lifted up by Christian music today...

The Afters - Broken Hallelujah

Just went to Maria's blog and found this gem.  Therese is such a wonderful giving and loving older sister to Romeo!  This sweet picture brings tears to my eyes... guess I am kind of emotional today, but what is new about that? 

Romeo has on the hat I wore while pregnant with Maria 34 years ago!  Had to share...

Snowball went to the pasture in the sky yesterday.  She will be missed by her friend, Mary.

Coming soon to our barn - calving begins in a few weeks!  Bless us with a good year, O Lord!

John just turned 27 and 6 weeks later Brad will join him!