A slave for Christ treated with Mercy is better than anything in this world!!!! May we give what we have received!

Love this from 5 years ago... Nancy home for harvest riding along with her dad and 1 year old Berna and 2 1/2 year old Gus. 

Nancy was on the 18 month between kids plan until her losses, 2 of which were in the last year.  She is now expecting her 8th including her 3 losses, and just heard the heart beat a couple days ago loud and strong!  LIFE is to be protected and cherished no matter how small!!!

The beans are out and we are working against the weather trying to get the corn out.  A half an inch overnight has brought it to a halt for now.  Prayers for the rain to back off and for the sun to come out is what we long for.   Lots of dark clouds and more rain coming is what we hear...

My little companion, Joy, while mom, Uncle John, and her 5 older brothers and sisters were at the school packing relief packages... 

Grandpa showed up at the same time and Joy and grandpa growled at each other with huge smiles on their faces while they ate lunch together.  Pat "wasting time with family", which he has learned is a good thing and needs to be part of his busy life! 

They made me laugh loud and hard ... it seems that Joy has witnessed her dog growl at the cats when they try to get some of the table scraps, and mimics her growl quite well when she bites her food.  She knows she is adorable shown by her huge smile and light in her eyes, and the smiles we give her in return!  Photo not taken just word picture for today!

Time spent with Joy is time wearing your shoes!  If you take them off she will bring them to you to put back on!  I had heard that she climbs up on the bench to have her shoes put on her, and she did this before her nap here on the DIY bench her mom made and left here...

She thought she would be going on the 4 wheeler with grandpa, but instead she went for her nap!

How do you say "no" to that pleading look?  It wasn't easy...

The two readings from mass today were full to the brim with much to take in and digest!  It was exciting to see that we were going to start reading Galatians for our first reading when I looked at them after evening prayer last night.  St Paul does not disappoint either, and comes down hard on us about getting distracted by false doctrines and gospels which infiltrate our lives.  We start to soften and become more and more inclusive rather than towing the line! 

Something has happened in the last few months that relates to how we hear that deaths happen in threes.... we have lost 3 of our pets, whom have been a huge part of our lives for probably 10 years!  They all died within a months time!  This picture taken over 5 years ago shows the 2 dogs, Lilly and Roger... yes, they were both getting old and had spent a lot of time together over those years, but who would have thought that they would go within weeks of each other? 

Roger depended upon Lilly to be her warmth in the winters!  He suffered a lot this last long cold winter when Lilly had been sent over to the farm for the warmth of the shop at night.  I miss him around here, yet it is nice to not have a dog at the same time.

The two cats that came over to our new place with us... Herbert in the front came as a kitten probably 8 years ago... he disappeared while was at my parents this last time, and adds to the losses of long time pets.  Just kind of big to lose them all at the same time.

I digress!  St Paul writes about being a slave for Christ since he...

"For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it,
but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ."  Galatians 1:12

We can visualize the revelation of Jesus appearing to him on the road, and being blinded through prayer they fell from his eyes as scales.  I pondered my own revelation of Jesus Christ in my own life... I would have to say when Christ protected me and led me to a Christian Commune in Colorado when I was on a path to free love in California!  I had told my boyfriend that I would live with him and that ended then.  I was smoking and had hands laid on me the first night there and i was healed!  I heard the Lord call me to consider religious life...In the Commune we were separated from the men, we had chores, shared the word and prayer, and I thought this is what it is like to be a nun...I want to be a nun!

http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html

Yes, Herbert was snuggly... almost too much so!

When I returned from Colorado and my parents told me that they were joining the Catholic Church with the 8 youngest kids... I told them; "I want to be a nun so I want to be Catholic!"  Every day in The Church has been a gift of more than I can consume in each new day!  Overflowing with his Mercy and LOVE and Jesus in Sacrament and Word!  Then for him to give me His Mother, Mary Most Holy, at the foot of the Cross, and all the glorious Saints of heaven and angels, too!!!  I am so blessed and filled to overflowing!!!

The new Catholics - all 13 of us at "the farm" in 1971!

There is nothing in this world that I want more than to be forever with my Jesus and I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that The Church is helping me get there!  I am not a shopping cart Catholic!  I take it all as solid Truth!  Bless-bless, Barb

Respect LIFE Sunday - Cherished-Chosen-Sent/Feast of the Rosary/"two become one"... I promise unto death!

John and Godson, David, after sharing mass on this respect LIFE Sunday.

After having John living with us for a couple years before he wed in June... I am going through some sadness at missing his companionship.  My large home is empty now, although little Joy is coming to spend some hours with grandma shortly, and we have an open door here to family.  Yet, that day to day sharing of our lives with John filled up some of the lonely times I have when Pat is putting in long hours on the farm.  I am over the moon excited for him, though, and I will adjust and who knows what lies around the corner with aging parents and a large and growing family all around me.

Mary humored grandma after serving on the altar so wonderfully during mass... the navy blue theme beckoned!

I am digesting the theme of Respect life Sunday today... Cherished, Chosen, Sent.  Cherished I totally get and it is my mantra that all life must be cherished and protected from conception to natural death.

Seeing the image of Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe gives me some insight into "chosen".  Our Lady asks us to build up The Church with our "yes" to share with the world her Truth of being open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS!  And after she appeared to Juan, she sent him to those that doubted, and with her tilma and the roses in winter that poured forth to reveal her image ... they believed and the culture that had been sacrificing human beings/much like abortion is doing today was converted into The Church!

May we too shed light on the horror of taking innocent human life in abortion, and may it no longer be a part of our world and our country!   With Judge Kavanaugh we are a step closer to that happening I hope and pray!

Youngest granddaughter, Joy, will soon be coming to spend some time with grandma while her family volunteers at The Catholic School.  She is a delight and gets her way with smiles and sheds sunshine on our world!

Joy was surrounded by prayer from the moment we knew of her in the womb.  We are now praying for 3 new little ones in the womb!  Nancy is expecting her 5th, Maria her 6th and John and Bobbi their first!  So many prayers for LIFE!  Our prayer that they may be chosen to be with us here on this journey called Faith/Family/Farm.  We have many that were chosen to join the Lord and Our Lady in heaven... 7 children and 5 grandchildren.  So many prayers and keeping our eyes focused on heaven where we will be united someday!

In blue with Hallel in France almost 2 months ago as we gathered around her for her final vows!  The readings today about marriage her strongly proclaimed words in English in the midst of 2 hours of French..."I promise unto death!"  Yes!  I promise unto death, and that requires that I die to self..."Wounded, I will not cease to love."

Marriage is like rubbing the rough edges off one another, and that hurts!   In order for peace and love to reign we must not attack back when we are hurt, but love unconditionally!  Lord, help us!

I picked up the phone last night and heard 14 beautiful voices singing me a special blessing on the other end for my birthday!  Many Little Sisters are in KC in preparation for the dedication of the new Little Monastery devoted to Our Lady that the Little Brothers have constructed at the foot of the hill from Lumen Christi/LIGHT Of Christ!

It was as if I had a line to heaven and the angels were singing to me or for me.  Their laughter and joy filled us as Pat and I were together at that moment.  Pat is talking about fake plans to buzz down there if we truly get days of rain over the next few days.  LOVE those Little Sisters, and my husband's love for them!

Hallel's Lamb inside the part we are given/her parents..."Wounded, I will not cease to love."

From the Gospel today... Christ reminds us;
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.So they are no longer two but one flesh. 
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate." 
Mark 10

Yes, Lord, I long to do better at embracing my Most Cherished Cross and finding LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  Jesus, I trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

Our newly weds!  Their love is beautiful to behold!  

I so love that Nancy can share her life with Hallel on a weekly basis!  When they called last night Pat kiddingly asked them about how Dominic acts at Adoration with Nancy each Wednesday.."He's wonderful!!  Because he wanted to come to mass on Sunday, and asked his parents to come.  They all came to share mass with us last Sunday."  LOVE!  Dominic loves to spend time with his Aunt Hallel and her family of the Lamb!

Helping with Hallel's birthday cake a few weeks back!  So wonderful that our family could celebrate with her after being gone for 10 birthdays!

Hallel is a Dominican and Dominic can thank her for is name!  LOVE!  

It is fun to see how much Bernadette has gotten to know her Aunt Little Sister Hallel... seeing that closeness gives me lots of JOY!  Our Mountain in France!  I believe in miracles for sure!

I know that the Feast of the rosary is trumped today by Sunday, but I love it's constant prayer in my life and find my life-line and my strength there in praying for my family, my God children, my husband, my family and Pat's family and The Church!  In our huge families together over 200+ it means so many prayers!  Our Lady is up to the task of taking our needs to her Son, Jesus Christ!  








Our Lady gave the rosary to St Dominic!

 

Childlike - honesty and living life to the fullest/Surprise at 67!!!

On the other side of the camera is humbling and hard... a good reminder to me, right?  A wonderful surprise none the less as I walked into the farmhouse to a loud "surprise!" 

Just back from First Saturday mass with my husband and he headed for the farm... I thought I might get a warmed up pancake with a candle instead I received a wonderful coffee cake made from our apple pie filling made a few weeks back... and all the trimmings including the 6 around me for a birthday picture with my 67 ablaze in front of me!  It looks to be that 67 will be a wonderful year filled with family and faith and farm!!!  My heart's wish indeed!

A better one of the "67" and the singing of "Happy Birthday!"  LOVE the kids around me.... Paul knows what makes me tic! 

A lady at the grocery store asked me how it must feel to be expecting 3 more grandchildren in March bringing our total to 18..."Amazing and crazy and overwhelming all at the same time!"  The memories of being in Michigan with the daughters and all the grandchildren a few years back comes rushing over me, or when we were all together for Hallel's home visit shortly after Joy was born a year and a half ago... Using the shop for our meals while the girls held their babies and the older ones played and rode their bikes around the shop while the adults visited.... LOVE our big wonderful growing family!!!  Thank you, Jesus!

Pat took many... Joy had cried when they took her away from her eggs, but soon the sun came out in her amazing smile!  So delightful and delovely! 

Father Denny's homily was very special to me this day of 67 years!  Jesus speaks in the Gospel of how we are called to be "childlike."  Father used two ways of describing childlike rather than childish... Honesty and "living life to the fullest!" 

With my knee due to be replaced in a month... I am working on being better at living my life more fully.  Ruth and the kids keep me young with canning and helping watching kids so Ruth can help more on the farm... little Joy is my companion while mom helps and the others are at school.  She allows me to step back in time to my own nest years!  How I loved them and find gratitude and thankfulness to share the life Ruth grew up with... now she is living it again with her own family and I may be a part of that often!

Mom Verly's fruit bowls used at the surprise party... Thinking of her as her birthday would have been 99 just 4 days ago now!  She has been so closely remembered by our family as we were all 18 able to go to France and support our Little Sister Hallel for her final vows thanks to some inheritance we received shortly before our trip!  Divine Providence indeed!

The mountain moved to France thanks to mom Verly.... We knew she was celebrating and overjoyed in heaven as she had come to France with us in 2011 when she was 91 to attend Hallel's first vows.  What JOY we had to be there only missing the 7 youngest to hear Hallel proclaim; "I promise unto death!"   United with Jesus and His Bride, The Church!

In France in Trinity Cathedral after sharing Vespers and Adoration!!!  Aglow with his LOVE, and deepening our love!!

It has been a challenging fall with bountiful rains as well as crops to harvest!  My husband is famous for saying; "Rain makes grain."  This year is proof positive that this is true.  More beans than ever and now finally harvested as of two days ago, and then the rains came and gave him a window to spoil me for my birthday. 

Most years of the last 40 in our marriage... my birthday is hardly celebrated due to the harvest time of year.  But mass, two days in a row along with breakfast and supper out yesterday, and a surprise breakfast with family today!  My heart soars with gratitude and JOY!  Thank you, my hard working farmer husband!  Now on to corn!

Hallel and the sunflower at her final vows!!!  The black eyed Susan which blooms this time of year always was special for her as he name was Susan Angela and her birthday was a couple weeks ago on September 18th!

 I talked to her on the phone a few days ago... finally for her birthday as we kept missing each other..."Happy Birthday finally Hallel a few weeks late!"  "Happy Birthday mom a few days early!"  It is good to have her just 7 hours away in KC, and I have fake plans to go there for the dedication of The Little Brothers' Monastery on Nov 3rd!  Then come back and take care of my knee.  Help me, Lord!

Wearing her Lamb over her heart as a sign of her vow unto death to her Spouse, Jesus Christ!  The virgin with her lamp lit!  The Gospel comes to life!

Childlike!!! How I pray that this Gospel message can come to life in me more fully!  Being honest with my husband and family and dying to self so that The Spirit of God may be a work more completely in my life!  Throwing off the selfish desire to indulge myself with sloth and thinking about me over others... living my life to the fullest selflessly and honestly... may I give without counting the cost.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

As a transplant to the farm through marriage - a city girl come to the farm.  May I continue to grow and learn and help out bravely in the year ahead.  Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

Her feast day was yesterday!

On my mother-in-laws death bed... she taught her children the chaplet of Divine Mercy..."what is this prayer that is prayed on the rosary with only one "Hail Mary"?" they all asked!  It was a bridge for those that are no longer in The Church!  LOVE!

"Use the strongest words to proclaim His Mercy, for every word falls short of how merciful he really is."- St. Faustina Kowalska. AMEN!!!
.
Happy Feast of St. Faustina! Our community celebrates this day as a feast because of our devotion to Divine Mercy. Through the intercession of St. Faustina may you know our Lord's tender mercy for you in a particular way this day! We are praying for you!

Stat crux dum volvitur orbis

"The cross is steady while 

the world is turning." - St Bruno

After mass today followed by the Sorrowful mysteries... so True!!  LOVE the Cross the Tree of LIFE!  When we embrace our Most Cherished Cross we find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!!!

"I believe the sacraments

which the Church believeth,

and in particular that the bread and wine consecrated on the altar

are the true Body of our Lord Jesus Christ;

His true Flesh, and His true Blood,

which we receive for the remission of our sins,

and in the hope of eternal life."

St Bruno

Nee 1030, Germany

Died 1101, Italy
Hermit

Founder, Carthusian Order
Patron: those who suffer from demonic possession

Feast Day - October 6

So wonderful to see John today and get a birthday hug!!!  I miss him around here, but am so happy for him and Bobbi and their new little one in the womb!  LOVE/LIFE/LIGHT indeed!

Lauren Daigle - Look up child

"The everlasting way"...not my way..." If I go up to the heavens, you are there" Psalm 139

Baby Bernadette kissing the cross on Good Friday when she was just a year and a half old!  Looking through my pictures to speak to..."the everlasting way" not my way.  Isn't this it?

Just back from praying in the dark church while Pat was at him men's group.  My phone lit up and allowed me to read the office for today.  It seems like a special connection to Father Denny for whom I am praying my hour each Friday, as he came into the Adoration chapel and did the office on his phone when I was in there a month or so ago.  

After about half an hour the lights come on and Father Denny is on the altar preparing for mass while we say the rosary before mass.  His homily on the readings made me nod and smile, especially when he spoke about how we want to follow the everlasting way from the Psalm today, and not my way.

Bernadette now has 3 siblings to meet in heaven... Peter, Maximilian, and Catherine.  Nancy lost 2 little ones in the last year, and now is expecting her 8th child including them. 

 Just as I discovered the Lord's ways are not my ways, and his everlasting way is not my way!  I wanted a large family - 12 - not realizing that 7 would be in heaven keeping my eyes focused on meeting them someday, and 5 here with me.  It makes you cherish those you are given to share your life on earth with!

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

Maria also is expecting her 8th child which includes 2 losses.  I was with her both times she lost them and also with her for a traumatic birth of #3 Patrick while Joseph was in Afghanistan!  Our faith gets us through and asks us to be open to life and raise LIGHTS for this world! 

The words; "Jesus, we trust in you."  certainly are not just lip service for our domestic Church/family!  We trust because we know of his love and "everlasting way"/the narrow path we follow HIM down carrying/dragging our Most Cherished Cross!

With St Therese and Mary our Mother looking on... these two show their joy and delight to be united in Holy Matrimony!

 Now they too will welcome their first child with Nancy #5,  and Maria #6 in March.  Life will change dramatically as they become a family trusting in Jesus and embracing their cross and finding LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  Love will grow more and more with each new member not spread more thin! 

John encountered LOVE/healing from brain cancer, and now longs to share that love with all!!!
When he half-heartedly asked for faith... Jesus showed him the everlasting way... not John's way!

3 more in March! 

Reading Psalm 139 today... we cannot escape His love for us no matter where we go!  He knows us inside and out, so why hold anything back in the confessional but rather leave there washed clean!

"Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; 
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way."
Psalm 139

Watching the vote for Judge Kavanaugh just now and how he might not get confirmed tomorrow because he is pro life!  I am sick to my stomach at the fact that the evil forces are so much at work to destroy this good man for the sake of having the right to take the lives of those lives in the womb!  How did it ever come to this?  So many prayers for the vote tomorrow!

our 5 with their girls a year and a half ago while Hallel was home for her home visit!  It had been 4 years since her last visit during a snow storm in April!  Sacrificing our time with her is hard, but we know that it is the everlasting way for her and for us.  

We have been blessed with her living with the foundation here in KC last year and this year!  Nancy sees her weekly when she has he hour or adoration in Lumen Christi Monastery on Wednesdays.  Her little ones pray with her and are "magnets" for getting Hallel to come and find them after their hour!  LOVE!

The family only missing Hallel at John and Bobbi's wedding at the beginning of the summer!

Just as baby Bernadette kissed the cross... we say "Yes" to the everlasting way the Lord has for each of us.  We know that "My way" is selfish and does not allow us to love as we should... giving without counting the cost.  The motto of The Community of the Lamb; "Wounded, I will not cease to love."  Look to Jesus on the Cross to realize the Truth lived out for us to see and follow.  Jesus, give us the strength.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Pat with oldest daughter, Ruth, in 1980, eating apples under the apple tree.  He loves those little ones!  My champion for LIFE and family!

Today in This Man is You... Pat was very excited to put a truth on his "wasting time with my family."  "I knew that I felt guilty when I would spend extra time with my family when I had work to do, but I do see that we are close thanks to that time spent holding them on my lap while I ate lunch and 'wasting time with my family.'  The guilt is now gone!  It was a good thing!" 

This was announced at mass before we left for France!  Pat wanted to let all know of this beautiful option to be considered in the life of all young people!  May the seeds be planted and no longer look at what I want but what the Lord wants for me as I walk down the everlasting way!  Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke

The 3 girls a year and a half ago... now 2 will be big sisters in March!  Getting the 3 March babies together will be a fake plan for me!  LOVE those fake plans!

Her little way... the everlasting way!

Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face kneeling beneath the Crucified Lord,collecting all the Lord's sufferings that are falling upon her habit as Rose Petals.

PRAYERS TO ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS AND OF THE HOLY FACE:

O Little Therese, so little you were but your sufferings were greater than I can ever imagine. You knew that only through sufferings and weakness that you will be able to become a Saint. Therefore, you encouraged everyone around you to be a Saint and you knew that it was the greatest vocation that Jesus wants us to choose.You taught us that it is a must for us to live holy even in weakness for it is our call to be Saints.

Help us, O Little Therese to trust Jesus in our weakness and littleness. Give us the grace to trust that even if we cannot do great things but by loving Jesus; we can be transformed into Saints that Jesus' wills for us to be. Amen.

Saint Little Therese,Patron of All Saints, pray for us!

Little Therese,you know that many people have neglected the devotion to the Most Holy Face of Jesus.
Millions have rejected or find it difficult to trust in this holy image of Jesus. Some never casting their eyes upon the Face of Jesus and you desired deeply to make this devotion well known by venerating the Lord's Most Holy Face. You shared as much suffering as you could with the Lord and so became an imprint of His Divine Countenance.
Help us poor sinners to draw closer to the Holy Face of Jesus, which you knew was the most powerful devotion in your life.Help us to make reparation to His Most Holy Face which is disfigured by our sins.Encourage us to console and spend time with the Lord's Most Holy Face, and enlighten our souls to know that by contemplating the Holy Face of Jesus, we may be able to have a clear vision of Him in heaven and be able achieve all the glory that Jesus has promised to those who venerated His most Holy Face, Amen.

Saint Therese, Apostle of the Most Holy Face of Jesus, pray for us!






October is the month when we are reminded about the value of praying the Rosary throughout the year.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description.”

#HolyRosary #Catholic

Danielle Rose - True love

Danielle Rose- the Saint that is just me