"Peace to this household" Jesus/St Francis love of creation/creatures reflects so great and loving a God!

Perfect for the feast of St Francis today!  Ruth's wonderful fall display and kids with the cute kitten!  St Francis would approve of how the animals are loved and cared for on our farm!  No wonder I take way too many pictures.  My theme is LIFE is good and make the best of it by dying to self and giving without counting the cost!

One is never good enough and the dog now a part... Luke will be 5 in a month and Joy is 1 1/2 now.  The kitten's name is Cookie for the record!

Older sister Mary is now 12 1/2 and models for her younger siblings love and care for animals.  I remember when Rose was about 2 she was deathly afraid of cows and calves, but watching her big sister, Mary, she soon was brave and would go and chase the calves when we were working with them.

We all know those extreme animal lovers, and Mary Angela is one of them!  Reading about St Francis today and how he loved all creatures almost to the extreme... why?  "St Francis' love of creation was neither sentimental nor superficial.  He understood in true humility what glory lies in being a creature of so great and loving a God..."  see www.magnificat.com

Mary is earning a reputation in the neighborhood as a hard worker and reliable in caring for animals when people are away!  It seems that her path ahead will involve working and caring for animals, and respecting and helping them as God intended.

Ruth makes her home a work of art with hard work and a vision... the truck with beans from our last field which should be finished today!  Then on to corn!

The words from the Gospel today to those he sends out to proclaim the Gospel/disciples which we all strive to be in our domestic Church/family!!!  Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'  Luke 10 

Peace is so important in our homes!  It needs to start with us which means that all division that comes at us must end there and not lead to anger and division and frustration and knee-jerk reactions and hatred and back talking and justifying me and hurting those around us and all that is not peace!   We must shake the dust of that insult, injury, harsh words, swear words, criticism, slander, false accusation, hurt, any thing other than forgiveness... shake it from us and proceed to give without counting the cost... dying to self as our savior/The Lamb slayed for us did and we are to follow after Him!

6 year old Rose brought out music to join us as we posed with her mom's hard work!  She grew the marigolds in her garden and transplanted them in pots for her Fall arrangement!  

Is not the most important place for peace to begin in our own homes?  Yes, it must begin there and is of foremost importance there!  May we proclaim by our actions and our lives and our work and our prayer and our words and our works and our families...'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'  May others see our lives and be brought to Jesus!  As St Francis did and Pope Francis looks to him for direction with the poor and rebuilding The Church.  May his prayers be answered!

Ruth grew everything in her garden!  LOVE!  Dancing kids are fun too!

Jesus, may peace be our goal this day and always.  May our homes be a small slice of heaven as we die to self so that your Holy Spirit may reign supreme and fill us with all the fruits of the Spirit.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Lord, how I long to be fruitful in the ways of the Spirit in my day to day life.  Lord, I am yours and long to become more yours with each new day.  Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke

"May the burning and most sweet power of Your love, 

O Lord Jesus Christ, I beseech You, absorb my mind that I 

may die through love of Your love, Who were graciously 

pleased to die through love of my love." - St. Francis

Dancing Rose Again, the farm girl, who loves her life as a middle child animal lover mini mom!  Where Rose Again?  About 4 years ago she heard her name at mass..."rose again" from the Creed.  LOVE!  

Farm life is a gift!  Bless our farmers with safety and health!  

To all our good and holy priests: We love and thank you!
-Laity

Yes!! This is my Truth!!!

THE FIFTEEN PROMISES OF MARY GRANTED TO THOSE WHO RECITE THE ROSARY:

The Blessed Virgin Mary promised to Saint Dominic and to all who follow that" Whatever you ask in the Rosary will be granted." She left for all Christians Fifteen Promises to those who recite the Holy Rosary.

Imparted to Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan:

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.

2.I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.

3.The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice,decrease sin, and defeat heresies.

4. The Rosary will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for the souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire for eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.

5.The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.

6.Whoever, shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.

7.Whoever, shall have a true devotion for the Rosary, shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.

8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during thier life and at their death the light of God and the plenititude of His graces; at the moment of death, they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.

9.I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.

10.The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.

11.You shall obtain all you ask of me,
by the recitation of the Rosary..

12.All those who propagate the Holy Rosary, shall be aided by me in their necessities.

13.I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during her their life and at the hour of death.

14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.

15.Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

longing to share the Love/healing he was given!

St Francis prayer EWTN

Meditation of St. Francis of Assisi

Let everyone be struck with fear,

the whole world tremble, 

and the heavens exult 

when Christ, the Son of the living God,

is present on the altar in the hands of a priest!

O wonderful loftiness
and stupendous dignity!
O sublime humility!
O humble sublimity!
The Lord of the universe,
God and the Son of God,
so humbles Himself
that He hides Himself
for our salvation
under an ordinary piece of bread!

See the humility of God, brothers,
and pour out your hearts before Him!

Humble yourselves that you may be exalted by Him!

Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves,
that He Who gives Himself totally to you
may receive you totally!

St Francis of Assisi

Deacon, Founder, Stigmatist

a.k.a. - "the little beggar"

Italy ~ 1181 - 1226

 Founder: Friars Minor (Franciscans)

Co-founder w/St Clare: Order of Poor Ladies (Poor Clares)

Founder :  Third Order of Penance (for laity)

Started Eucharistic Adoration in Italy

Feast Day - October 4

When you hear his call do not hesitate... do not look back/TRUST! Windy day adventure with JOY!

This girl just had her 18 month check up and passed with flying colors.  She also just had two shots in each leg!  Hard to tell with her sweet smile and love of...

Swings!!!  The leaves were blowing all around her and the meaning of fall was evident as the wind is strong and those leaves are goners... falling into her hair and everywhere!

My day has evaporated in the hot winds.  Joy's time with me this morning and our adventures with the kitty in the corn field where she lost her shoe unbeknownst to grandma... we found it half way back, and no wonder she was fussing as I pulled her along by the hand.  Then lunch over to grandpa and some rides in the trailer bother Dave redid for the fair and even grandpa jumped in for a time around the yard!  He would do anything for his Joy Jean Jellybean!

Soon the corn will be in the bins!  This hot wind is what it needs to dry down first. 

The Gospel today is a tough one Pat and I agreed.  It is where Jesus tells 3 different people not to hesitate when he calls them, but to drop everything and go forward proclaiming the Gospel trusting in Him!  I have seen this happen in the lives of me and my children.  I heard the call to enter religious life and that is what brought me into The Church when my parents left behind Protestantism and came into The Church... all 13 of us!
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html

Little girl in a corn field in the wind... the rustling corn leaves was quite loud today.

I went ahead with discerning the call to become a nun, and in the process the Lord closed the door when the sister, who was directing me shared that she was leaving being a nun and getting married!  I was shocked and my call evaporated.  Not to be, and soon I met Pat through his sister, Marge.
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

Looking for the kitty...

I see what the Lord is telling us... it is not up to us to say..."I want to discern a call to religious life but first I want to travel the world, or spend more years and money on continuing education, or obtain a nice car and apartment... no, it is now to discern and as John took a year to discern the seminary and came out saying that the prayer time and men he met was something he will always be happy about, but the priesthood was not for him.  Now we see that Bobbi was the plan and her prayers through the 10 years including brain cancer, seminary, and girl friends is a testament to her undying faith and trust in John being the love of her life! 

Yet, that year of seminary planted in John a love of prayer, and those years at home after he and I would share the office in the mornings whenever possible.  His love of being a Eucharistic minister and serving at church came from that year, too.  The Lord called and he answered and all else was put on hold.  You cannot go wrong if you ask him and follow him! He will open and close doors have no doubt of that!

Where did that kitty go?

I have two daughters that discerned religious life... one is now married with her 6th child on the way, and one is a professed sister of the Lamb!  Both listened to His call and dropped everything to follow after him and both have had their lives deeply touched by their experiences!  Maria discerned for 5 months behind the enclosure of the Poor Clares and came out disappointed that she had not been called in that way.  Yet, it deepened her prayer life and the Stations of the Cross and embracing that Cross in her marriage life/domestic Church/family has very deep roots back to those months of asking the Lord to show her his plan. 

I was enlightened by a sister at a retreat recently that I have a Little Sister Hallel because of my call to be a nun!  Yes!!!  I pray each day on Hallel's decade that each one of my grandchildren will consider this wonderful option to be a spouse of Christ!  And I made it a point to expose my girls to nuns in habits and sent them to Schoenstatt camp each summer, now Mary has gone for 2 years!  Nothing could be better than to be all HIS!!!
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/now-stories-of-johns-4-sistersruth.html
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/susan-angela-agneslittle-sister-hallel.html

There you are kitty.  This corn sure isn't sweet corn!!!

Yes, the Lord knows best!
"I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
Luke 9

Life may seem crazy and uncertain at times, but if we pray and look to Jesus in the Word and Sacraments and pray without ceasing asking Our Lady to intercede for us... we can trust and know that His will is going to be in us and show us the path he has just for us!  For me it was coming into The Church, having my nun years of mass daily, prayer, and trusting.  Meeting Pat and hearing the Holy Spirit speak through him..."No it is not selfish to want a large family... Open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS for the world, because the world needs lights!"  Then to have the ups and downs of the childbearing years with 7 in heaven and 5 with us... not my plan but yours, O Lord!  Jesus, we trust in you.  bless-bless, Barb

Driving Joy and Katie the dog around the yard... pulling them with the 4 wheeler on a windy warm day... she eventually fell asleep.

Grandpa jumped in for one time around and now is off combining our last field of beans for the year!  Bless the farmers and keep them safe!  

LOVE all the colors and the few toys at grandmas are special... with all the other 5 now at school it looks like Joy and I will be enjoying each others company while mom and dad work and farm.  I will be getting a new knee in about a month... Wed November 7th!  YIKES!  

John working on a book and yearning to speak forges ahead down the narrow path!

Danielle Rose - Pursue me

Mom's 99th birthday in heaven/Feast of the Guardian angels/Evidence of fake plans and promises to come

All her children together a few months before her passing... this is a precious keepsake.

My weary husband getting short on sleep in the midst of a challenging, but bountiful harvest, and I shared morning prayer in the dark this morning.  Seeing October 2nd/feast of the Guardian angels today we both thought of his mom, who would be having her 99th birthday today!  She is missed and was a huge part of our day to day family life here on the farm.  She left this world a couple months short of 2 years now on Dec 11th, 2016.

I had a doctor's appointment today making plans to have my other knee done in a month.  How I wish they were fake plans!  I had the gift after of having wonderful time with Jesus in the monstrance!

 I smiled when I put a newly married couple in the family that I have been praying for them for 7 years in the monstrance with Jesus for the first time since their vows!

 Our new lives in the womb are placed there each time... so many prayers surround them from the moment we know they are in the womb!  Cherishing all life from conception to natural death... knowing of the time we had with Pat's mother and now she is in heaven with all of our little ones, who we loved and prayed for for their brief lives in the wombs of myself and my daughters!  We now have 12 to meet in heaven someday!  They keep our eyes and hearts focused on heaven forever!
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

Nancy saying goodbye to her beloved grandmother.  Such an example of selfless and unconditional love!

"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven..."  Matthew 18
Recalling mom's last couple years on hospice this was lived out by her so gracefully.  We can learn from her in ways of embracing the child/being humble when we must depend upon others for our needs.  Very hard to do for sure.

The 4 farm wives in our farmhouse remodeled by Ruth and full of her young family now.  Mom taught this city girl all I know about being a farm wife!  She was a wonderful loving and patient teacher, and I do see that being a transplant makes me fall short of all it takes to be so giving and offering to help out with a willing heart and mind set.

A story from my early days of just being a few months married... mom came to help me harvest a garden that had been planted before we moved into our home after our marriage on August 3rd, 1978.  There were some potatoes to dig and she asked me if I had a potato fork.  I said "sure" and went into the kitchen and got a fork out of the drawer.  I took it out and handed it to her.  She took it and dug in the ground with and then said; "Actually a potato fork is a large tool."  I imagine when I handed it to her she wanted to laugh in my face realizing how I knew nothing!  That was the first but not last testing of her patience and kindness with this weak and ignorant city girl come to the farm.  i am still learning, too!  

Love this so much!!!  She loved little ones... my husband carries that forth much like his mother!  My hero for Faith/Family/Farm!

Most masses Pat will be holding a little one during... they love to be held in his big strong arms!

Pat with Evangeline Mary when she lived with us a year and a half ago.  He had the touch and misses her to this day!

My sweet companion, Joy, watching grandma make apple kuechen with our pie filling for her brothers and sisters school snack...

The table is set for her first tea party!!!  

It still sits there ready as the calves got out and Ruth had to get right home with the kids... Fake plans are what we laugh about and make adjustments on the fly!  Hopefully in the next few days we can actually have an after school tea party Joy!?!

 Pat coming in the truck with a load of beans to put into the bin... lunch and company for a load!  He didn't have to get it out of the mailbox on his way by... I just set it there while I waited and took the perverbial pictures...

Mirror fun!

 "Bye Honey!  Stay safe and thank you for working so hard to feed the world!"

The worked all night long to take out this field across from our place ahead of the rain.

Extra wide "monster tires" on the combine this year due to the muddy conditions.  We have only one field left, and then on to corn.  

Jesus, it is such a blessing to have that time with you in prayer in front of You in the monstrance!  The best part of my week!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and hallelujah

 This girl loves to smile and get her way with sweetness and light!

There really is a tea party in your future Joy and grandma will record it of that you may be sure!  Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke

So good for weak and clutsy me!  Love this!






LOVE this!!  The angels are real!!! 

  "It was during the Mass at 6:30 in the morning, at the moment of Consecration.  A dazzling light suddenly shone forth...I had the feeling that this adorable splendor was that of the Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.  Struck to the heart I could only repeat, 'My Lord and My God!'

      At the same moment there appeared the outline of the angels in prayer before the shining Host.  They were kneeling all around the altar in a semi-circle, their backs toward us.  There were eight of them… They did not have wings, but their bodies were enveloped in sort of a mysterious luminescence which clearly distinguished them  from humans.

      Amazed, not believing my eyes, I opened and closed them, rubbed them, but nothing changed.  All eight were there to adore the Most Blessed Sacrament in an attitude of great devotion. ...

      At the moment of Communion, my guardian angel approached me to invite me to advance to the altar.  At that moment, I clearly distinguished the guardian angels of each member of the community close to their left shoulders, and of the height a little smaller than each.  Like my guardian angel they gave truly the impression of guiding and watching over them with sweetness and  affection.  This scene in itself opened my eyes to the profound meaning of the guardian angel, better than any theological explanation, even the most detailed.  After dinner I gave a complete account of this vision to the Bishop…  Had they not chosen the Feast of the Guardian Angels to show the example of adoration and to reveal their readiness to lead us to the Lord? ~ Sr Agnes Sasagawa

St Therese with us! Lead all your children to follow the way of Jesus.

I love this picture taken in Rome in the rain!  It reminds me of Ruth and Paul's wedding picture heading to the St Peters to have their wedding blessed just days after their wedding almost 15 years ago.

I am sharing it today to wish my special 10 year old granddaughter, Therese, a special feast day... pink shirt and purple umbrella, St Therese of Lisseux is celebrated today.  Therese is homeschooled and they had studied ancient Rome last year, so I know she was having literally the time of her lifetime!

I just spent way too much time finding this gem, but it was worth it!  LOVE!

Ruth and Paul days after their wedding in St Peters!

Young Therese by the grain bins about 7 years ago... you can tell that I have been looking through old pictures, right?

The best of all!!!!  St John Paul II, my hero for Family and LIFE blessing Ruth and Paul's marriage... Paul's request of him..."Please bless us with a happy healthy family."  Prayer answered!

Today in the Gospel Jesus tells us..."Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest."  Luke 9

As a family that is open to life and taking seriously of sharing our faith with JOY and raising them as lights for the world... this is a testament to the large families we have even in the face of loss and uncertainty!

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

Therese and Mary by their patron saints in the Ghent church where we celebrated John and Bobbi's wedding.  So Beautiful and they each are holding the baby girls from 5 years ago... Mary holding her sister, Rose, and Therese holding baby Bernadette.  LOVE!

Daughter Maria had a profound experience as she traveled to Rome to study for a year... she read Story of a Soul by St Therese.  That experience led her to consider cloistered life and after returning she entered the Poor Clares for 5 months to discern her call.  Not to be, but she named her first daughter after this great amazing Saint, and Therese reflects her deep spirituality!

http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/now-stories-of-johns-4-sistersruth.html

Wishing Bobbi a glorious feast day!  St Therese is her patron Saint and it shows in her humble loving ways!  John is very blessed to have you wait for him and pray to him over those 10 years!  I am sure that St Therese and Our Lady were huge in those prayers!  

Pictures by my niece, Bridget!  LOVE them so much.. this one says it all!!!  Look to Mary and St Therese and your journey will be amazing no matter what you face!

These words from Job today after he had lost all are such a reminder of how we are called to unattached to worldly and humble in his sight!

"Naked I came forth from my mother's womb,
and naked shall I go back again.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
blessed be the name of the LORD!"

Yes! Why try to hide anything from him?  He knows all of our ins and outs and ups and downs.  Naked before our Lord we stand.  May we trust in him and give our all to him... these words from St Therese are so comforting and remind us of his unconditional love for us!

 "Don't drag yourself any longer to His feet. 

Follow that first impulse that draws you into His arms.  
That is where your place is." - St Thérèse of Lisieux

Therese in the Catacombs in Rome!  You can see the depth of understanding in her eyes!

This girl has a heart for the poor as from an early age she would pass out a handmade letter to them with a few dollars inside and the words; "God bless you." to the homeless.

Eating french bread in Lourdes!  Her favorite food is bread with butter!  Humble and sweet as they come!  Stay always pure and sweet Therese!  Don't let the lies of the world about sophisticated grown up beauty make you change..."In a society that idolizes the surface of youth, while forcing children into artificial adulthood, St Therese might seem foolishly childish, but in fact she teaches the real wisdom of the child: trustful willingness to be led, taught, and raised to maturity according to God's plan rather than her own."  See www.magnificat.com

With St Bernadette... another amazing Saint, and a granddaughter named after her and looking up to her! 

Jesus, how we long to leave the world behind and walk humbly with you down the narrow path to finally reach heaven forever with you, Mary,and all the Saints, today we recall and ask St Therese to give us her wisdom and assist us!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

She can say it best, so I will leave it to her!

Hear our prayer!

John would agree with that!

How John knows that love and wants to share it!

Let's ask her to pray for the Church, for young Catholics and their vocational discernment - that they put God first in their lives, and for the Synod of Bishops next month.
St. Therese - a young person who chose God.