The Pat and Barb Verly family and their 5 children, in laws and grandkids along with many prayer warriors have been drawn together by John's cancer... sharing daily for 8 months started this blog- Family Soul Story - Our faith, family, farm and now our cancer journey called HEALING have colored and deepened our world. WE continue to share and depend on the support of our prayer warrior community, that has lowered us into the Lord's presence for His healing!
I have some purple crocus that come up as soon as the snow banks are gone, and there they were in the sunlight today.
Rose ran out in her bare feet in the greening grass to pick them, and...
Grandma emptied a small maple favoring bottle to put them on the new window sill. Had to get some special shots of the first flowers of spring with sweet Rose washing her bare feet off in the big new farm sink!
So much excitement is found in the small things around us as we bask in the warmth of, what looks to be an early spring! We all know that Minnesota can hold many wintery surprises for us yet.
My day has flown by today, and my rosary is calling me along with a small nap. The readings for today speak of how we are to look to the cross for healing using the story of Moses, who put the serpent on the pole for those, who were bitten to look at and find healing. Don't we all wish that God had just got rid of those horrible snakes instead? The deadly snakes were still there and they still terrorized and bit them, yet they could look upon the bronze one on a pole and be healed... They still had to endure the attack and deadly bite, which is what I hate to think about. So true of our own sins as we are attacked and hurt sin - unless we look to the Cross... Jesus, takes the venom away and although bit we will live!
Now I grabbed Ruth's wonderful camera and wow!
How does looking at the Cross change our sin into LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT? We are asked to look to the Cross and follow after Christ in finding healing for our weaknesses and dying to self so that The Holy Spirit can help us to embrace the good and become Saints - we are all called to be saints!
Happy with her sweet sign of spring on the farm. She is outside with mom and grandpa as they work on bedding and checking on the new calves. We have had 3 new calves today so far.
Paul's picture of the two girls out with the bottle calf, Hillary, yesterday. I think the kids are going to really enjoy their life on the farm!
Jesus, we are told by you to take up our cross and follow you... today we are told to look to the Cross to find healing from the deadly bite of sin and death! It seems that the Cross is of such importance to us on this journey. Not only do we carry/drag it down the narrow path, but gazing upon it will heal u so of the poison inside of us! May we embrace and gaze upon our cross and find healing and LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen
"When you lift up the Son of Man, than you will realize that I AM..." John 8:30
You are our Salvation, O Jesus! Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
10 for a farm lunch yesterday including John!
Filling up the farm house with family is the best!
a comfy spot and a greening pasture!
Rubber boot weather with the spring mud.
The Easter tree will have leaves in the next few days!
Clean patio doors, a mild day and Ruth's great camera= some artsy pictures which led me to the lilac bushes...
After 60 and 70 degree days they are just about ready to open up leaves outside!
Now inside in the new kitchen they should put out leaves in the next day or so!
The Easter branch is much smaller this year, and awaits the decoration that comes with Lent/Easter 2016!
Two women charged with adultery - one guilty and the other innocent, both forgiven and The LOVE brought into the LIGHT! Yesterday the amazing Gospel of John 8, and today the story of Susanna from Daniel 13! Early on this became the namesake of our Susan Angela now Little Sister Hallel. A virtuous woman, who resisted evil, and was falsely accused of adultery... her beautiful heartfelt prayer - O eternal God, you know what is hidden and are aware of all things before they come to be: you know that they have testified falsely against me. Here I am about to die, though I have done none of the things with which these wicked men have charged me. The Lord answered her prayer and sent wise Daniel to trap the men in their deceit! They in turn died for the evil they attempted to do to this virtuous woman of God. A great story which reminds us that no matter what we face we will be held close to the heart of Jesus and His LOVE for us whether here or in eternal LIFE!
A quiet house with a foggy day outside this morning.
Now filled with LIFE in the LIGHT!
The words of Jesus today in the Gospel which resonate with me... I am the LIGHT of the world. Whoever follows me will have the LIGHT of LIFE. John 8:12 This is so very well portrayed in the story of Susanna and the wisdom of young Daniel in saving her innocent life. And there is the story of yesterday of the woman caught in the act, who was also saved from certain death and brought into the LIGHT of Christ! There is much hope that she turned her life around and led others to the Truth and unconditional LOVE she found in Christ Jesus!
Pondering the foggy day today.
Jesus, it seems that we are always close to your heart whether falsely accused of wrong as we embrace humbly our Most Cherished Cross! Or if guilty of the most ugly and horrible sin we are still forgiven and asked to go forth and sin no more - to have a change of heart! May we become totally and fully yours and die to self so that you may live in us. "Wounded, I will not cease to love." May we live this out in our domestic Church/family amid the ups and downs of family life. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen
The girls - Ruth with Mary and Rose head out to help with the cows and calves on this foggy wet day. Lord, keep the cows and calves healthy in this challenging weather. Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
Selfies are challenging with Ruth's huge camera! At least Mary is all there, and she is the most important part.
With the current political situation this could be an answer!
Looking out on a beautiful day and watching David riding his bike down the driveway while the angel seems to love the change of young kids and new life bringing a bright future to our farm! Ruth and Paul working so hard and with passion for farming and informing the whole world about the importance of agriculture to feed the world! It is wonderful to see that passion and love of farming as a way of life and not just a job on to their 5 children.
The newly remodeled main floor is starting to take shape - found this couches here in the living room.
The amazing large table came up and then the refrigerator, freezer, dishes, and food for the kitchen. Now all we wait for is the stove, carpeting in the bedroom and we are able to get back to semi-normal living... Semi as Pat and I will be here enjoying the new place while Ruth and Paul slowly move their things over. We are all excited and ready for the change!
A view of the kids out enjoying a beautiful day on the farm... adds to the warmth of the spring sunshine.
Many powerful readings on this 5th Sunday of lent - in a week Palm Sunday and then Easter the following Sunday! It is crazy exciting to think that we could gather for the first Easter here in Ruth and Paul's home... it is looking hopeful for that. One verse that really grabbed me today was St Paul in the glorious reading from Philippians 3:8-14... Forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus. I have been told that I dwell too much in the past, and I have defended that over and over in what I feel is my message/what our marriage and family is based on - being open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS! I feel that St Paul is speaking of the sins which we have struggled with to leave behind, yet holding onto the Cross that has brought us to the Truth/LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!
Great shared fun- double bubble sink- for Ruth's two youngest, who came in dirty after an afternoon of play. The huge farm sink is already getting a lot of use for dishes and kids. It was just fun to have the house filled with family life as they are excited to make this farmhouse their own!
The Gospel - The woman taken in adultery is so powerful to listen to and to see how Jesus with all wisdom and understanding reminded those present and we ourselves that we are none of us perfect and without sin! Can you imagine if someone pridefully picked up a stone to throw - in other words, announcing "I am perfect and without sin." No! We all have our dirty little secret sins that we are ashamed of, but what could be more humiliating than to be found in the act of adultery? It is a big sin, and it out there for all to scowl at and look at you with disdain! We are not asked to do public confession rather we are given the gift to coming to Jesus alone in the priest and telling him our inner darkness and sin and hear his words to us - "You are forgiven, go and sin no more."
We oooed and aaaed over the amazing LIGHT we have in this new remodel and vision of Ruth and Paul! Farmlife honored inside and outside!
Jesus, your Mercy is overwhelming to us... we are filled with so much thanksgiving for all your unconditional LOVE for our weakness and guilt. We need your Spirit to assist us in going forward and to what lies ahead and to sin no more! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen
Worn out after a big day on the farm!
It is so nice to have some quiet Sunday time today after mass with only Pat and then communion with his mother this morning. Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
The queen in residence in her sun room with company on a wonderful day!
A borrowed picture of the spontaneous gathering yesterday at moms... Wow! A picture of great worth and of just a fraction of those that are Family.
May we find this freedom offered us this Lent and always in The Church!
A 4 year old in a bubble sink? Ruth has put in a huge "farm sink" in her new kitchen, and after sharing supper on the farm last night I had the joy of doing dishes for the first time in the sink. Grandpa asked Rose if she thought she could get in the big sink... well, that is all it took for almost 4 year old Rose to show grandpa that she could.
Rose is one that loves to help out, so when grandma started to wash the dishes... she showed that she could help, too...
Then she joined the dishes in the next sink!
She also had to show grandma the cute clothes shoot door from my old cupboards! How fun for me to see one of the small doors used again! It just is a cute hidden secret door so that all the dirty clothes from the main floor can go down the shoot!
Rose the clothes shoot model with those sweet brown eyes so full of excitement at the adventures of changing houses... so that Ruth and Paul can live on the farm with their growing family!
One more for good measure because my cupboard door is so sweet along with granddaughter, Rose Ida! Grandpa can't stop saying how much she is growing up and how she loves to sit by him in the tractor and talk about the cows, calves and the farm! We all know that a good way to describe the farm is "never a dull moment." I have to say, though, that we had almost 2 days off from calving, and overnight we had 2 calves healthy and happy to be here in this beautiful spring weather!
Such wonderful weather! It reached into the 60s yesterday and Pat's mom and I had some time out soaking in the sun on the deck. We even had a robin sing to us from the tree, and a fly land on the deck railing in front of us. Two true signs of spring for sure!
The readings from mass these days are those hard ones of Jesus and the Pharisees, who want to arrest and kill him. Pat and I both agreed that these are not our favorite readings. We had just shared morning prayer together... we have found, over the years, that The Magnificat is a good fit for us morning and evening prayer. A part of our shared prayer is our intentions for our farm, family, those in need that have asked of our prayers, and our extended family. At that time and in my hour of adoration - I place each member with Jesus and beseech him to come to life in their hearts, "that we all may be together in heaven someday."... between our two families we are close to 200 people! One person, whom I love dearly, is deeply into New Age and rejects Christianity... getting wind that I was praying for her to know Jesus she became very defensive..."Are you asking for that out of judgment or out of love? If it is love, I can somewhat accept that." I have never really given the motivation for my earnest prayers much thought, but when put on the spot I can honestly say that it is out of my love and concern for her eternal soul! I do see that being judgmental is not as we should be no matter where someone is in their faith life. Sugar attracts flies more than vinegar.
The sink looking out on the yard this glorious spring morning! Mary stands under the pine tree reminding me that she is stable and always with me interceding to her Son in the midst of all the changes going on in our lives. It is so wonderful to have Saturdays devoted to Mary, my Spiritual Mother of God! She gives me peace, joy and love as she brings me to her Son, my Lord Jesus Christ. There is no doubt that she brings us also to The True Catholic Church as there is no other place to be if we truly understand her wonderful motherhood and gift of helping and loving us and caring for us and her wonderful rosary prayer which gives me so much time on my knees in my inner chapel!
Jesus, I am yours and am so thankful that I have your Mother with me each moment of each day. I am so filled with unending love for The Church always there to guide me and help me along the path to forever in heaven with you, Jesus, Mary, St Joseph, the Saints, who I am crazy in love with, and the Angels! You give us so much to help us... How I love to devour your Word each day... even the ones that are hard. One lesson today is that unlike the Pharisees, who judge with close minds and hard hearts, we are to be open with LOVE to all that you show us each day... Your face in the poor and downtrodden and sick and wounded. May we have your heart and be your hands and feet as we take weak small and unsteady steps down the narrow path carrying/dragging our Most Cherished Cross. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen
The plan is to clear out the old trees and put a porch with a roof and big table to enjoy the meals outside just as they have in their home 3 miles away - soon to be the home of Pat and Barb with an open door always to family that comes and goes and all others in need for that matter. Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
Reminds me of the robin that sang in the tree for us yesterday... small and weak and humble is good!
So many Saints with their wisdom and intercession from heaven to help us on our stumbling journey!
Another jewel from the wonderful newsletter from the Little Brothers in KC;
We meet Juan and Laura at a soup kitchen. They confide in us their concerns: no work, health problems and nine children to feed! "It's hard..." This is their first day in this soup kitchen. They admit to us that they left the Church, but our presence before them at this very moment of their life touches them. They suggest giving us a ride to our house and, while doing so, asks us many questions. That same evening they return for Mass. Since then, they have come back every Sunday and wish to rediscover the Church of their baptism.
The Hail Mary - from Luke 1.. The Word leads us to her intercession in prayer with every breath that we take and every beat of our hearts!
