"the word of our God stands forever... like a shepherd he feeds his flock." Isaiah 40

In great-grandma's peaceful light filled bedroom wave after wave of young and old hold her hand and speak kind words of farewell to her.  The tube in her nose is a new arrival and the little ones question "why?"  It is a sign of a change for them and we explain that she is getting some more air to make her comfortable.  "She likes to hold your hand." Nancy tells them, and they reach out for that wonderful "grandma with candy" who always reached out for them to climb on her lap and bring her smiles of LOVE!

We all will face the end of our days here on earth, and with the wonderful help of hospice and her loving large family this is as good as it can be!

Listening to the chaplet of divine Mercy together at one of the quiet times.  This has been a powerful prayer throughout this journey and it was a surprise for her family to discover this prayer said on the rosary beads that they were unaware of and found to be a powerful prayer.  It just seemed so good to share at this part of her journey!

Then we shared Mother Angelica's joyful mysteries just as they are on EWTN at night.  She would sit in her chair and watch this every night before bed, and the words of the Gospel which lead us through the LIFE of Christ and his Mother Mary are such a blessing!  The words from the first reading at mass today Isaiah 40 really ring true for us...

"A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
The rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken...

the word of our God stands forever...”

Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care."

I am especially moved by the Truth that the Word of God stands forever and through it we are led by our Lord Jesus Christ!  The Rosary is such a example of these words which lead us through the LIFE of our Jesus Christ our Savior!  He feeds us in his Word and Sacrament and in the last day mom was anointed by Fr Paul and we shared a small piece of the Eucharist with her.

 The star that Simon welded with now the two lights for the second Sunday of Advent now aglow on The farm where Ruth and Paul and their 5 going on 6 live!  Such a powerful time of the year for Jesus to call Pat's mother home!

 Nancy's middle two snuggling with a movie in grandma's bed this morning.  Now they are over waiting for a ride in the tractor with grandpa!  I am off to see how the hospice care givers are doing for their precious mother this new day.

Ruth's wonderful light filled farm house!  I just told her how much I love the LIGHT that fills her wonderful farm house, and view of all that goes on out there.

The Gospel today is the lost sheep and leaving the 99 to find it!  There are so many prayers surrounding the leaving this world of my dearest mother-in-law, and we are witnessing answers to those prayers for healing and peace! "It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost."  I know that many of mother's prayers are involved in this most beautiful and peaceful and love filled time of ministering to her and to each other!

The newness of LIFE is a precious gift, too!

Jesus, we are so filled with all that you give us a you feed your sheep with a great banquet of LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Johnny loving some Goddaughter time!  Our hearts are full and grateful for our bond of Faith/Family/Farm!  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

Some shoes might have to have some treats in them today.  I told Berna it was St Nicholas today - "That's the Santa Saint!"  Yes!

"The beautiful cycles of life"

6 month old Josephine with her great grandma this morning.  So precious and such a work of art, and as one of her daughters said - "the beautiful cycles of life."  Nancy adores her grandmother and she jumped in the car with her husband and 4 kids and drove from Kansas City to spend some precious time with her.  They are separated by 97 years, yet they are united in their sharing Faith and Family and the wonder of LIFE from conception to natural death!

Sharing smiles and prayers to start the day on the farm. 

The two 4 year olds sharing head bands and now they are out with the chickens getting the eggs and having an adventure.

How I love hospice!  I am reminded of how wonderful it is to give the gift of keeping a loved one in the comfort of their home surrounded by family and prayer and endless hugs!  Life is a gift to cherish at all stages!  The wonderful Gospel for today of the paralytic lowered through the roof by friends for healing and a witness to all gathered that Jesus is truly The Son of God!  We see prayers being answered and our Faith is there for us to persevere.  Jesus, we trust in you.  bless-bless, Barb

"I realized how GREAT God is and I knew that He was worth my whole life..." Little Sister Hallel

A great jolt of a surprise as I looked up to see Hallel looking down at me in the entry way outside the dining room abuzz with the Camp Foley breakfast going on.  This is Simon's year to go as a 6th grader from HRS!

Such beautiful words from my daughter, who loves her life as a bride of Christ!  I just had to pause and marvel at her precious words expressing her great JOY as a Little Sister!   I am a sister because...

"I realized how GREAT God is and I knew that He was worth my whole life.  God created me to be happy and here He has fulfilled my every desire." 

A picture from 4 years ago, that is  a wonderful sunny farm scene.

Mass shared before the breakfast and then we all gathered around Pat's mom...

At home sharing our Faith in the Church that Pat's family has always attended and ours also!

Mary spending quiet time with her beloved great-grandma. 

A smile for Father Paul when he takes some time for anointing of the sick.  She also took the Eucharist from Pat.  No to food and drink, but yes to Jesus!  How she loves him and has her whole life!  Her family gathered around her!  She certainly has born much good fruit!  St John The Baptist shares "the tree that bears good fruit."  Mom!

So much LOVE for such a great lady that has given each of us unconditional love!


Pat shared that Hallel called her grandma from Rome today and told her to not be afraid, but run into the arms of her loving and forgiving Savior!  So filled with faith/family/farm!  This great farm wife and mother has touched us all in our deepest souls!  Nancy and Bill with their 4 little ones will be here in a few hours... all the way from Kansas City to see her grandma one more time!  That is a deep love! 

Mary prays for her Great-grandma daily... how she loves to hold hands with family.


Jesus, thank you for this second Sunday of Advent and all that it holds for us... Faith and Family are what really matters in this lifetime. Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

#SaintoftheDay St. Barbara (3rd c.) was born in Nicomedia in modern day Turkey. According to tradition, after the death of her mother she was raised by her rich and tyrannical pagan father who, because of her beauty and intelligence, guarded her closely, keeping her locked away in a tower to protect her from the outside world. She was educated by tutors and came to reject the false gods she was ta...ught to worship in favor of the true God for whom she yearned and wished to discover, dedicating her life and virginity to this purpose. She developed a prayer life and resisted her father's attempts to have her marry. Believing Barbara to be negatively affected by the seclusion, her father allowed her more freedom to associate with the world. She soon discovered Christians, and, recognizing the Creator she sought, and was baptized in secret. After informing her father that she was a Christian, he denounced her to the authorities under the persecution of Roman Emperor Maximian. She was imprisoned and cruelly tortured, but remained steadfast in her faith. During the night she would pray fervently, and her wounds would miraculously heal. This only subjected her to greater torments, followed by more miraculous interventions. She was finally beheaded by her own father, and afterward he was struck and killed by lightening as punishment. St. Barbara is the patron saint of firemen, armorers, artillerymen, engineers, miners, and others who work with explosives. She is also the patron against storms, lightning, and fire, to name a few. St. Barbara's #feastday is December 4th. #MorningOffering

My patron saint today!  I have heard lately that she is the source of Rapunzel in her tower.

St Barbara is big in Texas - she was in the entry way in the church on base in El Paso!

The time of waiting... gift and cross

Four years ago for Christmas this was the work of art we were blessed with... My girls seem to have their babies in bunches and 4 years ago Rose was 7 months, Berna 6 weeks and Patrick was 2 1/2 months... at 4 they are as thick as thieves, and best buddies!

The three 4 year olds this summer... I think Our Lady has a huge smile and is giggling behind them to see the LOVE and bond of Faith/Family/Farm. 




My 3 oldest daughters are married and open to LIFE, so it seems that one or another of them is usually expecting a new baby.  And they seem to share babies in bunches of less than a year apart.  We are awaiting Ruth's little girl in March to join her two girl cousins born Nancy's in May and Maria's in November!  The childbearing years have been challenging for Ruth and Maria, yet they persevere against some odds!
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/now-stories-of-johns-4-sistersruth.html 


I have shared more here and won't go into it much here today.  Other than to say that as soon as we know of a new life in the family the prayers never stop, and the wait for their safe arrival is especially filled with much anxiety on my part and makes it seem longer and harder.

The next group of 3 boys within a year... they were all 2 for about 6 weeks and now Luke just turned 3.  It was super fun to watch Romeo and Dominic getting closer and having fun playing together more over Thanksgiving. 


A lot of my anxiety stems from my own challenges during my "nest years."
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html
I find myself fretting when I know the girls have a check up or ultrasound, and am hugely relieved when they calmly share that all is well.  I have shared two miscarriages with Maria - with her both times - and that was so hard. "I prayed for my girls to not have to experience that pain, and why would I be with her both times?"  "Who better to be there for her mom?"  "Yes, but...."

Yes, 2 year old boys....


The Gospel is wonderful today in the sense of waiting also.  The two blind men living in the world of darkness for all those years  - possible always, and hearing about this miracle worker and Son of David - the Messiah, the Son of God come among men.  He is passing by them!  Imagine how their waiting in that darkness brought them to the place where they call out and reach out and stumble towards him in the house he had entered.  "Do you believe that I can do this?"  "Yes, Lord."  "Let it be done for you according to your faith."  Their eyes were opened, and for the first time in their lives they could see!  Imagine the feeling of JOY and wonderment to see the world for the first time after all that waiting with hopelessness until they heard of Jesus!

The two Davids and Gus... with almost a 3 year gap from Big Dave to Gus, yet they are very close and share so much time together sharing legos and playing.  How we all love to be together sharing family time!  Knowing that our family is moving so far away is hard, but we trust that we will be blessed with good family time, and the quality will be super amped up by the wait in between.  That is one gift from waiting in prayer and love - that when it happens we are so grateful and happy to share that precious time! 

The two 8 year olds...

The two older girls share a special bond, and are both wonderful big sisters in their growing families.

The two new babies together for the first time.. I have a dream picture of grandpa holding the 3 girls come spring. 


One thing about waiting, for me, is the call to prayer..  My friend, Scott Hahn, shared this today

We are asked to pray the rosary daily for our welfare and help on our journey and the state of this world filled with sin and darkness.  It is so important to me!  I find that it fills much of my afternoon with constant prayer and has now expanded to 10 decades a day!

When I can get to Adoration each week - it is the best hour of my week!


Jesus, in this world of instant gratification and messaging and on and on... it is hard to wait, yet we are reminded at this time of Advent/waiting for your arrival as the answer to all our prayers and needs and our salvation, we are reminded that waiting is such a powerful and important time for us to come to you and get all those things that separate us from your LOVE out of the way!  Lighting the candle in the Advent wreath as we gather to pray each night is so powerful and special and good and right and healing for us.  Thank you, Lord, for bringing us to our knees.  This cross of waiting brings us closer to your LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  "And out of the gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see." Isaiah 29  May our words and actions bring others to see you through the darkness!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Therese in her happy place - with the babies!  How she loves life!

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

Yes!

Yes, waiting, if allowed to, can expand our hearts, minds and souls to receive the healing touch of Christ!

The second coming and our death - "both are certain to come, but are uncertain when." Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is such a powerful image to view when with our beloved Community of the Lamb... in front of the altar in the summer of 2008 Susan told us that she would be going to France to become a little Sister of the Lamb!  Now 8 years later she is Little Sister Hallel and lives in Rome.  Our horizons have been broadened and our family including over 100 more members rather than limiting our family by her vow of chastity - becoming the spouse of her beloved Lord, Jesus Christ!  Some would think that we have been robbed of her having children of her own, but we are so blessed with many to love and many prayers for all that we face on this journey towards heaven.

My handsome husband, who loves LIFE and through his support and encouragement I was open to LIFE through our entire childbearing years.  We did not end up with our dozen children as we thought, rather we have 7 in heaven praying for us and our 5 with us on this journey. 

http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

Such a familiar little dark haired girl - so much like our 4 girls!  It looks like they could be moving far from us on their next post, so we might not be able to see much of her growing up over the next years!  Time will tell...

How we are filled with gratitude to have Advent Season to grow ever closer to our Lord!  The first week of Advent it devoted to being ready for the Lord's return - his second coming!  I loved the meditation on this by Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins this morning.  Jesus speaks to us today of this being prepared for death and our entry into The Kingdom of Heaven today in the Gospel - Matthew 7.  If we listen to "these words of mine and act on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock."  He speaks clearly that we know not the time, therefore we always need to be sticking to the narrow path and do the will of the Father!

Over Thanksgiving Pat was rarely without a baby in his huge arms and a lot of times two!

It was thought provoking to read the meditation about how with each day we draw closer to the - "every day our death and the world's end are nearer than before."  That is definitely food for thought and gives us reason to be vigilant and to always strive to be obedient and humble servants!

Sweet sisters, and I could get really sad thinking that they will be too far away for us to see even yearly!  I am consoled to think that they could live with us for a month or more this winter while Joe is in training.

Babyville!

"But there is a difference between our death and the world's end: the world's end though every generation, one after another, is warned of it, yet only one will be overtaken by it, the rest will have passed away before; but death comes to everyone and none escapes.  Therefore God has given us more warnings of death: age is a warning, sickness is a warning, and the deaths of others that go before us are a great warning.  For the last day none have seen, but almost all men have seen death."  Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J.

Regardless of which we focus on... our death is out there and we have no idea sooner of later.  I have one goal in this journey - to be with Jesus each day here as I carry/drag my Most Cherished Cross and follow after him down the narrow path, and Trust in Him for as he guides and directs my LIFE - Jesus is in control!  If we are striving to die to self and allowing The Holy Spirit to work in and through us... then we will be ready no matter the time or the place - if Jesus should come this very day through our death or his second coming!

Johnny misses his Goddaughter, Josephine!

Jesus, Yes to this!  "Trust in the Lord forever!  For the Lord is an eternal Rock.  He humbles those in high places..."  Isaiah 26/the first reading from mass today.  We need to recall that we are not in charge and get off our high horse before we fall off or are pulled off!  We need to stick to the narrow path and go through the doors that are opened ahead of us.  Follow the LIGHT that is ahead and leave the darkness of sin and death behind.  How can we be misled by the lies of the world when we have The Truth there to fill us with LIFE/LIGHT/LOVE?  We die to self and trust always in your plan for us - where do we find that plan?  Sometimes by doors closing or being humbled, through your Word and partaking of your amazing Sacraments, Prayer without ceasing, the Saints and my go to Mother of heaven and earth - Mary the Mother of God!  How can we go wrong?  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Thank you Grandpa Patrick for leading our family by the Truth that we need to be open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS for the world!  "I am the 4th child in my family and I might not be here without that Truth being embraced and followed!"  Josephine Francis Bandzuch

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

"I am the 5th child in my family and I do thank you, grandpa Pat, for my life in this world that thinks the perfect family has 2 kids!"  Evangeline Mary

Siblings are so much more wonderful than stuff!

The family is our domestic Church where our faith is shared and passed on with JOY!

He is there - LOVE is there on the altar!

http://catholicleader.com.au/news/what-these-11-year-old-children-write-about-eucharistic-adoration-will-melt-your-heart 

Love this!

Faith shared with JOY and as Truth!

JOY is the key to hearts being touched with the Truth of LOVE!

May we always be searching, too!

Danielle Rose - If I touch him

Casting Crowns - Glorious Day

LOVE!