"... sought to touch Jesus" Luke 6

The three grandsons will all be 2 in a few weeks!  How fun to have the 3 girls having babies in groups!  We will have another group this year with Nancy's Josephine, then Maria's Evangeline, and finally Ruth's baby in March yet to be determined, but according to the pattern it should also be a girl!  Love to pray for and surround with love each new life!  How we pray without ceasing that our country can come to a place of seeing LIFE as a precious Truth that must be protected and cherished from conception in the womb to natural death!

In a few months these two will both be 4 along with Maria's Patrick... These two are as close as sisters and can argue just like sisters, too.

There is much that fills me with such happiness and joy as I reach out to touch Jesus in our family time!  The fact that we share our faith as a family and the same values when it comes to being open to life and raising LIGHTS.  The Church holds out to us the Truths for finding true happiness in our lives, and this is how we can touch Jesus and be healed through Jesus in The Word and Sacraments. 

The procession of Family walking to Mass on Sunday morning!  Pat said; " I have never walked to church before," and the next thing you know all were sharing this experience on a most glorious day in KC!

Bill and I drove to meet up with them as they arrived at church!

Grandpa and the two little girls after mass.

A happy Josephine brings many to adore!

Hanging out with the new Saint Teresa! 

Now Nancy's camera...

A powerful sermon sharing her words from her National Prayer Breakfast speech!

But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself.

And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts.

By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems.

And, by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. That father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion.

Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.

A great family picture with the new Saint interceding for ALL LIFE from heaven!

I had just been told by the person behind me that I had toothpaste on my shoulder through mass.

 How I love this special keepsake of all of us together sharing the wonder of Jesus on the altar and now having received him into us... joining with the angels and Saints rejoicing around the throne of Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

The Hallel Psalm from mass today - #149 gives words to the praise that we all share as a Family of Faith in Jesus and His Bride, The Church!

Sing to the Lord a new song

of praise in the assembly of the Faithful.

For the Lord loves his people;

he adorns the lowly with victory.

The Lord takes delight in his people.

We love the Saints and sharing their stories was huge for our kids growing up to see that we can persevere no matter the cost or the cross we are given on this journey!

Fist pump for St Teresa!

The 13 at the neighborhood pool in KC...  Each one is a gift from God and our love only grows bigger not stretched more thin!

Jesus, how we reach out  to touch you each day of this journey and we find you always there for us to heal and minister to us in Word and Sacrament and Prayer without ceasing and Your Mother of God always there to care and guide and intercede, the Saints to intercede and show us how to follow you down the narrow path... "power came forth from him and healed them all."  Luke 6:19  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Ready to swim!  Now the kids are back home and the 3 older ones here are in school. Lord, we lift all those starting a new year at school to you and ask that they learn and grow in their knowledge and love of you foremost.  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

So blessed!

Meals were big and crazy, and we had a lot of teamwork going on.  Thanks, Nancy and Bill for letting us come and overwhelm for a few wonderful days called Faith and Family and Fun!

Now we are back on the Farm!

It was a lot of silence as they ate with gusto! 

Love it!

Sweet corn again this time in KC... "save life rather than destroy it." Luke 6

Yes, I have big plans to add the only missing one... Little Sister Hallel, to this picture of our kids taken just before Maria drove off to Missouri and Ruth back to Marshall.

John and his Goddaughter, Josephine joined us for the Labor Day morning prayer on our phones.  She is starting to reach out for things and seemed to enjoy our singing and praying.

We bagged and froze 15 quarts of sweet corn from our neighbor's farm.  Bernadette says that it is very good and sweet!  Our hearts are full of many reminders of St Teresa of Calcutta at how we are called to save life rather than destroy it from St Luke today as Christ heals on the Sabbath!  Yes, we are called to protect and cherish all life from conception to natural death!

They got stuck on the tractor page for a long time!  Praying for safe travels and more wonderful family time soon when we gather for another wedding in our family.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

"We are made in the image of God." St Teresa of Calcutta reminding us of the precious value of ALL LIFE!

So filled with JOY at the miracle that Pat and I could be with our entire family on this most glorious Day- the 22 Sunday of Ordinary time/A fabulously beautiful day in Kansas City/ the Day that St Teresa of Calcutta was Canonized in Rome!  The family answered my heartfelt wish at giving me family pictures galore!  We started with Pat and I with our 13 grandkids - soon the picture will be outdated as Maria will welcome her 5th in about 7 weeks!  Then we will welcome Ruth's 6th next spring!

All but Hallel, and the two in the womb that we welcome into our hearts and surround with our prayers and love!  This was taken just after they had walked to and from mass!

Love Nancy's beautiful camera and that I am invited to use them!

The inside stairway one is great, too!  Thank you, family and even Josephine awoke for this one!

I am so excited and happy and overjoyed at these wonderful special keepsakes that will be cherished for years to come! 

Mass was so special to share as a family on this 22 Sunday of ordinary time!  We shared in the glorious day that St Teresa of Calcutta was canonized!  Her words of wisdom came to us from the pulpit - "We are made in the image and likeness of God ,and all life is to be cherished and valued and protected and given the utmost of dignity!"

After mass filled with Christ and the beauty of His Bride, The Church!  Thank you, Lord!  Jesus, we trust in you. St Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us!  Amen and hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke and all my family except Hallel in France, who might appear mysteriously in some of them soon!  We know she is with us in spirit, and I love to see the picture complete with my eyes as it is in my heart!

"fools on Christ's account"... the narrow path called open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS!

I picture much of this happening in KC this weekend... with the 13 grandkids all together and Gus has gotten his own trampoline.  I am sure there is a lot of laughter and some tears here and there.  How we love to know that they are strengthening their family bond!  How we love to think, hope, and pray that our girls and their wonderful husbands are forming life-long friendships to face all that the world tries to throw at us!  According to the world's standards we are "fools on Christ's account" as we swim against the tide by being open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS for this world of death/darkness!
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

We are so grateful for the wedding we are invited to attend today.... it is right on the path to KC and gave Pat, I, and John the message that we are to join the rest of our family all gathered together at Nancy's home in KC!  Last minute packing and checking all fences are locked and all electric fences working and all bales put away and all the canning jars filled with lots of goodness in the trunk, and morning prayers shared, and The Word in our hearts, minds and souls - reminding us that there we are called to be "fools on account of Christ" and to place our Faith foremost above all else!

Sometimes we fall and it hurts, but we are lifted up by prayer and worship and Praise HIM from the depths of our soul... HE is in control!  Love to see the Hallel Psalm 145 of total praise in mass today!
The Lord is near to all who call upon him!


Jesus, we love and praise you in the good and the bad and the ups and the downs and we embrace our Most Cherished Cross and follow after you.  Jesus, go with us this day of travel, celebration and prayer.  Jesus, we give all the control over to you and thank you for answering our heartfelt prayers!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Anticipating the meals we will share and have been shared.  I think we can touch upon how it was for our mothers.... Pat's mom had 12 to feed each meal plus a hired man, and my mom also had 13 to feed.  Yes, we will be 22 strong, but it is still a glimpse of having an overflowing table at meals!  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke and all my family soon to be together under one roof, only missing our Little Sister Hallel!

The sign is still on my barn and I still embrace it with all my heart! 




Tomorrow is the big day - St Teresa pray for us!

Danielle Rose - Small Things with Great LOVE

Morning Glory - Take delight in the Lord, and he will grant you your heart's requests. Psalm 37

A watercolor I painted while I was in KC for the birth of Josephine in mid May... "I am with you in spirit." I reminded Nancy this morning as Ruth and Maria and their families are all gathered there for a huge FAMILY time!  They are probably wrapping up their lunch for 19 people just about now.  Pat, I and John are putting in a big day getting ready to go to a wedding tomorrow and then on to KC and join the family - all but Hallel - tomorrow night and Sunday!

I had to smile seeing the morning glories going crazy at Ruth's house/formerly mine/and the farm, too!  They always take over my flower bed year after year, and it just seemed special to see them again.  They will soon be gone once and for all as Ruth plans on a porch covering this spot, and I did miss my Mary garden under the old worn out pine tree,  but it is truly becoming their home/farm, and we are happy with that. 


The morning glories speak volumes of my heart's song of praise this day as my prayers were answered for our family to all be together.  We will see if we can get Hallel on the phone and then it will truly be True!  I called Nancy to line up a neighbor to come and take our picture after church on Sunday morning, and for sure Hallel will be added!  I always love to see the picture of my heart's wish to see us all together.

Kitten and morning glories on a spectacular day!  See what I mean about taking over?!


A line from the Psalm for today - #37 really speaks of my wellspring of JOY that I hold in my heart this day...  Take delight in the Lord, and he will grant you your heart's requests.  I can tell that Pat, I, and John are all feeling this same delight at this unexpected chance to be together.  Pat was reminding us that this will be as big as Michigan, and the meals are going to be huge productions!  We are up for it!

When I see this on Ruth's wall complete with her own pictures from her beautiful camera... I melt with delight inside at how we value the simple farm life and The Truth - LIFE does get messy, but the cleanup is so much nicer than... especially bubble sinks for the little ones!


Carry this forth into our spiritual journey... We are weak and sinful, but when we lay our filth at his feet and are humbly sorry we are washed clean and go walking and leaping and praising God!

The simple things in life can add JOY...  Today in the Gospel we are reminded of the peace and JOY that comes to us when we encounter the Bridegroom!  He is present on the altar and in the tabernacle.  How I love to fit in Adoration during the week, or just stop in the beautiful church and my eyes and heart are drawn to the tabernacle of shining gold in the sunlight!  Jesus, I love you and delight in you and thank you for granting my heart's request!


Today in I Corinthians St Paul reminds us that The Lord "will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts..."   May we all yearn only for Jesus for he is The Way, The Truth and The LIFE!

Ruth always has to have her projects - it looks like quilt squares for her kids and Godkids! 

David's loving art work over the patio door... so much love and hearts in that kid's heart!

Apple picking for the girls - I bagged up 12 bags of apples to bring to them and lots of our canning to share, too!  We can for 6 families, and it is a labor of love!


Jesus, you spoil me, and I am forever grateful!  Such an exciting weekend with the Cannonization of St Theresa of Calcutta!  Also that is has worked out for all of us to be together!  I am filled with so much JOY and happiness.  I pray for safety in travels and in the pool... guardian angels watch over all!  We celebrate with The Bridegroom and his Bride, the Church as we are able to share mass together!  So blessed to share our Faith together!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

I had to go back and find this treasure... in Michigan 2 years ago with the girls and all the grandkids... we have added two since and two more to come!  Yes, meals were crazy huge and a production, but it was wonderful and delightful!  We will have our husbands and John to add along with the new arrivals... our picture will not be complete without Hallel and the two in the womb.  I love that I always need to update, and I am determined to get those, too!  Just ask my kids!




St Peter's Square for the big day!

"Become a fool!"

Redo!!!!  Except this time John will be there, and the husbands, too!  I love this picture more than I can say... I love the life part of it with the two boys crying for their moms and the looking, grimacing, looks of "I wish this would end," and little Josie's head band slipping off... LIFE in picture form! 


I am thrilled that the Lord has answered a prayer from the recesses of my heart!  I had some sadness knowing that our 3 girls would be together this weekend along with their families... all 19 of them!  It just felt like we should try to go, too, but how?  We have a wedding on Saturday, and we finally got around to looking at where it is, and realized that it is half way to KC!  The next thing we know John, Pat, and I are talking about going there from the wedding and spending a few days, including going to mass Sunday morning with all 22 of us!  How I love that picture in my head, heart, and soul!

Another precious picture of LIFE with 13 little ones - 11 and under!  The sign on the barn is still there!  Family Time is the Best!  Looking out there today in the bright sunlight on these words made my heart sing today - realizing that those thoughts and prayers about being together as a family is coming True!  We will all be together minus Hallel and I long to give her a call while we are all together and filling her in on the new LIFE in the womb to be praying for, and all the other family news!  That would truly be a heartfelt prayer come true!
Smiles of gritted teeth?  Josephine slept through the entire thing.  It is so cute to see John excited to get a chance to spend time with his new Goddaughter, Josie, in an unexpected way!  He missed this week we had together in June as he was a Catholic Heart Work Camp.


Today in our amazing first reading from I Corinthians - St Paul tells us to "become a fool" for Christ!  The world's wisdom is so much vanity and rubbish, and we need to leave it behind and look for the Truth through The Church and The Word and placing our Faith first and foremost in all that we do and say and work and play and sing and watch and write and read and spend time with family when we are gifted with it, and forgive and forget and long to be forever in heaven with Jesus, Mary, all the Saints and the Angels!

Mary answered her mom's phone this morning and shared that she is excited to go for their big trip to spend time with family.  Her and Therese, although a couple years apart are close and enjoy playing with and caring for the younger ones - especially the babies!  Her parents told them about expecting a new baby at family prayer time a few weeks ago.  Mary jumped up and ran and shouted "My prayers are answered, my prayers are answered!"  She had been praying and hoping for a new baby, and it had come true!  It is a time of great JOY and many prayers without ceasing! 

I can't get enough of these, and I forsee a photo shoot with the husbands and John, Pat and I and Hallel might have to be added to make the picture complete!  It won't be in front of our red barn with these words of Truth, but rather in Kansas City at Nancy's home, but those words ring true and that it why they have not been changed... Family time is the Best!  We are thrilled to have this unexpected gift of all being together - with a phone call to France on Sunday that could indeed be True!

To be honest I smile inside when I am ridiculed for believing what I know to be The Truth given us by The True Church!  Today we see the first pope, St Peter, being a fool for Christ!  He is told by Jesus to lower the nets for a catch, when he has caught nothing all night.  So many fish are caught, and he sees the Truth - this is The Son of God and he just worked a miracle for me!  What does Peter come to realize - "I am a sinner and I am unworthy!"  "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."   A full dose of humility and shame wash over him... he became a fool for Christ!  All pride and vanity vanished into the air!  As John prayed this morning as we shared prayer - "Keep me humble, Lord, it is so miserable but I know it is what I need to go forth and serve you and love you in others."

Out to the mailbox with the animals... two dogs and two cats... in the shade of our glorious cottonwood tree - I revel in this Truth on our cute barn!

Pat's mother enjoying the fabulous weather yesterday, reading her daily devotions - one by soon-to-be St Theresa of Calcutta, and having some lunch... not noon meal but that something sweet with coffee between noon meal (dinner) and evening meal (supper). When she gets up from her afternoon nap, she enjoys something sweet for lunch, and I smile knowing that this is part of my farm heritage thanks to her, and my life as a farmwife for these last 38 years!

We will be together on Sunday when St Theresa will become a Saint in The Church!  I know that she is storming heaven for the respect for LIFE!  Lord, help this country to realize that ALL LIFE is to be protected and cherished from conception to natural death!

All the granddaughters!

Jesus, I long to be with you always, and being your fool suits me just fine.  I just ask that my sharing your Truth could make a difference in this world.  I long for the culture of death to end and for LIGHT to fill the hearts, minds and souls of those, who have accepted the lies of Satan.  How can LIFE be so disrespected and taken without any thought?  Each life is a gift to be honored and cherished and protected and to be raised as LIGHTS in homes/domestic Church which place you first, Lord!  Jesus, may we humbly be your fools in how we see that through embracing our Most Cherished Cross we find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT/ True Happiness!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

The absolute BEST!  Yes, LOVE must start in our homes!

Nancy added her other two now to her header!  Love it!

Danielle Rose - Small things with great love

Danielle Rose - If I touch him


Borrowed this from Julia today...  So miraculous that it happened!