Heartfelt sympathy...

Our hearts are so heavy for the tragic loss of one of John's classmates - all  13 years from Holy Redeemer through high school... Pat remembers him fondly as being one of the active members of teen talk and Fr Kucera calling him "Diesel." WE are shocked and saddened at the death of Ben Dirckx... we send sympathy and prayers!  Jesus, Mary and Joseph - come Holy Family and minister to Ben's grieving loved ones.  So many questions and sadness... All we can do is cling to you!  Jesus, we trust in you!  Amen

A night at the nursing home then hit the road!

Our prayer is for good roads for one and all as we join the Thanksgiving traffic and head to Pittsburg/Uniontown, PA in the morning... I will work the night at the nursing home and then crawl into the back seat for a sleepy ride.  Pat and John will be at the wheel and navigating!

We are looking foward to seeing the country and discovering more about our new son in law and where he was born and raised.  So we will possibly be touching base possibly on a lap top in the hotel, but it might be definitely hit or miss.  We are happy and excited to have had Thanksgiving over the weekend with family and now for an adventure... hopefully with good roads and safety for one and all! 

Wishing you all good food and wonderful time with family and loved ones!  We have so much to be thankful for and we are filled with joy and peace and happiness!  Life is rich with the ups and the downs... the crosses that bring us to LIFE! 

Thanksgiving 2009 over at Mary and Layne's... the Verlys gathered and will be tomorrow too!  Happy Thanksgiving to our wonderful big amazing FAMILY!  May Jesus bless you all with his love and life in the year to come!  Jesus, we trust in You!  Amen and Halleluia! 

Bless-bless, Barb

"In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."  I Thes 5:18

"We trust the holy signature inscribed upon our temples." Morning hymn

John is home!  He laughed and snuggled with the new kittens! How wonderful and joyful it was to have him come down this morning for shared breakfast with his dad and I and to share the morning prayer together... This was how we faced each day over the year with his battle with brain cancer!  I found my voice raised in rejoicing with each amazing word and to start our prayer with this Hymn...  How often I have been amazed at the feeling of God's fingerprint being so evident when we look at our lives and His direction and control of each part!  This last phrase just grabbed me and wouldn't let me go!...  "We trust the holy signature inscribed upon our temples."  Morning hymn 

After the kittens were safely put away... he had to snuggle with his Lilly too!  He had even given her a shower/bath when he was home a few weeks ago,so that he could bring her in to snuggle this winter!  It looks like Hallel is happy to see her Johnny too!

As usual John and Susan/Hallel are so tied together!  We just opened a letter from Susan last evening - our first one since she left for France on the 4th of July... so you can imagine how precious that is!  We do get a few calls here and there, but this was a pure delight!  Then to have John here today and to be able to share the letter with him too!  It is such a cute letter speaking about how she is working with the novices with her wonderful Little Sister Judith... It sounds like they have much to learn all the way from how to tell when water is boiling to starting the fire without smoking everyone out!  She is also getting her French drivers license with "a stick."  She sounds pretty proud of that accomplishment after a crazy experience the two of us had with our stick shift and a truck keeping us from going backwards into the ravine!  Guardian angels were around us that time... talk about knowing that that holy signature was inscribed on our temples!

Hallel with her Goddaughter, Therese, who will be coming to live with us in a few days... the baby kitties are for her!  Grandpa is determined to spoil his grandkids!  This was taken a year ago on Thanksgiving - the week that Hallel was here to drive John to radiation!

One thing that Hallel shared in her letter had to do with a "cow."  You need to know that she loves cows and when we redid her bedroom back in 2000 when she was 13... she wanted a border with cows on it around her bedroom... it was pretty funny when she was Snowqueen and they came and woke her up with a movie for the crowning... they found her room with yellow walls and a cow border, and a picture of Jesus, Mary and the Pope.  Then when they went to look at her "wheels" - she took them to show them Mama Bluey - the old blue mininvan that she drove to school with John!  A far cry from the others, who had huge TVs and entertainment systems, and very fancy cars... I think maybe Susan had a clock radio with an alarm on it in her room.... 

Walking home from Mass on Thanksgiving day a year ago..

Back to Hallel and her cow... She had told me that they had decided that her feast day would be Nov 1st - All Saints Day - as she had chosen the name Hallel meaning praise and Joy for our God as her name with the Community of the Lamb.  "It just makes sense that my feast day would be the day that we remember all the saints that are standing around his throne filled with extreme praise and joy!"  So the day after - Nov 2 - she said that little sister Judith was looking out the window intently and then she said the most surprising thing..."Hallel, a cow."  "All the sisters rushed to the window and I ran out the door.  There was a neighbor's steer calf, who had got out, and was really 3 yards away.  I tried to follow him, but I think that he hopped back over the fence.  He came to wish me a happy feast day, but it took him a while to find me... so he was a little late."  He arrived the next day on all Souls Day - all those souls we pray for.... are all rejoicing as they receive our prayers for them to be with our Loving and Forgiving Lord and Savior! 

Hallel has many fond (?) memories of cows and calves - growing up with helping her dad with calving and showing them while in 4H... this was a loving touch of home in southern France!  It is so fun to know that she is very aware of the "holy signature" on her temple...I love to "see" and "hear" how our Lord touches our lives!  I am so delighted today to have John here in body and Hallel here in her cute and fun sharing letter!  It couldn't be better for me and my delight as a blessed mother!  Thank you. Lord!

John with his burned face and head and ears from radiation!  It has been quite a year and we are forever changed by it!  We certainly see His holy signature on our temples!  Now we enter the phase of having our daughter, Maria here with her two little ones!  We are filled with wonder at how our journey continues to play out in front of our eyes!

John and Hallel are so close to each other!  It was such a gift for them to share this hard step that we had to take to save John... radiation!  The one thing that we vowed we would never do... we were forced to go into that after John's cancer came roaring back through the chemo! How we had to trust and walk into the "valley of darkness."  But John was always so brave and trusting and hopeful and peaceful... he was to me as David facing Goliath! His youth and health in every way but the cancer in the middle of his brain - caused him to be called a "rock star"with every procedure and how he sailed through them!  All the prayers!  John truly knows that he is healed as a result of them!

Lord, how amazing to have this wonderful "family time" in its unique way!  It is all such a gift and a little slice of Heaven here on earth! These cozy days by the woodstove with our son and his dog and his baby kitties, while the snow swirls around outside... Such warm and joyful and peaceful feelings of FAMILY and HEALING... we are forever changed and blessed by the "holy signature inscribed upon our temples."  Our lives are so touched and blessed to have you always in control!  Jesus, we trust in you!  Amen and Halleluia!

Bless-bless, Barb

"In God's hand is the soul of every living thing, and the life breath of all mankind."  Job 12:10

St Andrew Dung-Lac and all the Vietnamese Martyrs pray for us!

Sunrise to sunset with kittens in the middle...

 

It was very beautiful morning with the sun shining all golden and sparkly on the little bit of snow and ice on the branches...

It was a glorious morning light and Mary seemed to be shimmering peacefully with her feet in the snow and the "6 little angels" protected by her blue cape...  They are always with their mom... helping her on her journey!

Letter from Hallel in the mail today... she is happy and busy!  Thank the Lord for our kids finding their place in this world!

Went to get 2 kittens for our grandkids that are coming to be with us while their dad is at basic training... Had to take Mary (4) and David (2) to pick them out! 

So soft and lovey... Davey likes this one! 

And how about this one grandma?

They had to stop at their house so that Simon could see them when he got off the bus from Kindergarten!

Mary has to show her teddy bear that is home for a overnight from preschool... She needs to write a story about what they did together... Teddy went to pick out a kitten for little cousin Therese and David.

David is getting attached to that kitten.... He cried when grandma brought it home!  Come and visit them at grandma's house... little David!

Pretty view as I was leaving with the setting sun....

A beautiful sunet to end a great day!  Jesus, we trust in you!  Bless-bless, Barb

Black and White...

My title is not having to do with the black and white pictures that I am using from Nancy and Bill's wedding... they were taken by her cousin Bridget Schwegman.  I just thought that if I am talking about how I view the world and my faith as black and white with no gray areas... why not use B&W to illustrate my sharing today? 

Before turning out the light last night, I was reading a pamphlet that we were given at the retreat a few weeks ago..."Marriage: a communication of life and love".  I had mentioned that I went to the site -  http://onemoresoul.com/ previously and would encourage once again that you visit it...  Something that grabbed me while I was reading was the statement that one of the women sharing made about how the Church and the Bishops and priests had failed couples because they had not taught them why contraceptives were wrong and why the Church takes a stand for openness to life with every act of the marital embrace...

 I don't know if it is because I am a convert and chose the Catholic Church as a 21 year old college student, but I have always seen clearly that life is an amazing gift and it always bothered me to prevent it in any way!  I am not saying that I understood the total theological basis for what the Church teaches us about being open to life and never taking it or artificially preventing it, but I always knew that it was selfish to prevent... To me the Life and Love could not be seperated and it was so obvious to me that we are to cherish every part of life!  I have since had to come to grips with people like my daughter, Ruth, who needed to wait til her uterus healed a year or more before she could try again!  But even though she thought that artificial means was the only way... she learned the natural route and even is now an instructor in Creighton Model method!  Getting that second opinion after being told by her doctor here... no more...she was told that she needed to heal first and then try... David is here as a result of her waiting naturally and then trusting! 

It makes me so sad to think that our Church and the truths that it upholds would be taken as nothing... it is so sad that when we have all we need for happiness, and a holy life is right there for us to take... and hold close to our hearts!  In the pamphlet... "Yes, I was 19 and I knew that the pill was a gift from God and Humanae Vitae was a real crock.  The pill was going to eliminate pregnancy, marital disharmony and world population problems..."   I am just sick at the tought of how these lies have been taken hook, line and sinker! How did it ever happen? 

How can it happen?  How can people think that life is something to be taken so lightly or that they can play God and decide when and if they will have children?  How can they think that they want to have kids that can have all the "things" that they never had?  These are people that grew up in families with many siblings, and they limit their family so that they can have stuff instead of brothers and sisters!  How can anyone ever feel that this could be more desireable than the family... family which will be with you here on earth and then in heaven?  How did these terrible and stupid lies ever get to be accepted and followed by so many?  All I know is that I only questioned for a moment on our engagement weekend....ALL the other couples there were saying that they were only going to have two kids, or even none due to the state of the world.

 It made me question, if we were being selfish to be open to life and to want a large family.. which we had both had the gift of growing up in.  I had watched my parents be open to life.... to desire and embrace each child!  They even listented to the Lord's prompting and took in 4 siblings, who had lost their parents in an automobile accident!  We went from 7 to 11... yes, there were many things about it that were very hard, but it was one of those crosses that becomes the "tree of Life" for all of us in our family! 
  My terrifically wise fiance- husband to be... did not hesitate a minute when I asked him, if we were misguided in our desire for a large family.  Without hesitation he told me; "The world needs lights!" Immediately I was at peace and "knew" the TRUTH - the Holy Spirit - was working through him!  There was only that one moment of doubt, and then it was black and white to me... I could not and would not prevent life!  I think that we all know our story.... and that we did not get all our children here with us on earth... The 5 we have here with us are that much more precious after the losses... and I needed those 6 in heaven to keep me always aware of their prayers and support and the need to be united with them someday! 

"The world needs lights!"  That is a tall order that we took very seriously!  You do not just casually have children, and you do take them to Church, and not only that but have the "Domestic Church" alive and well within your home...  We realized the first time that we shared on our first date... what we valued in life and were looking for in a mate... Our Catholic Faith was the most important thing to us!  Pat shared the amazing fact that he had told his sisters and himself early on that he would not marry anyone that wasn't Catholic!  They were appalled at his narrowmindedness, but I thought and continue to think that this is amazing and not only that but what we should encourage our kids and other youth we come in contact with to do likewise!  It eliminates so much of the struggle, and unites you with the most important thing there is... Our Faith!  To share that is such a strong foundation and the children that are welcomed can sense that and feel secure and loved! 

The next topic was FAMILY!  We could see from the beginning that there was total truth in the respecting of LIFE!  We could see that family was a gift, and we had both been blessed mightily with the value of each and every member... the more the better!  There was never any doubt in the Wisdom of our amazing Church.. we did NFP (Natural Family planning) after we were married about 5 monthes, because we hadn't gotten pregnant yet, and I wanted to find out how we could work on getting pregnant... after I undersood what was going on with my body more... It is truly eye openning to chart and to watch your body and understand how it all works- God'd handiwork is so amazing and truly reveals the wonder of God and The Truth of His existance when you look at the wonder of creation and most especially the human body!

It makes me sad to read a Bishop having to appologize about how he dropped the ball in informing couples about how they should not use artificial contraception and teaching them the truth of LIFE!  To me it is obvious as the nose on my face that this is a glorious and holy thing - LIFE - not to be taken into our own hands and selfishly cast aside!  It baffles me, and makes me wonder why! 

Lord, How can I help others to KNOW the TRUTH?  It is all so obvious that there is LIGHT for our paths that lead to embracing the wisdom and truth of FAMILY!              "At the end of a long night of sleeplessness or suffering, sunrise brings hope for the day to come.  At the end of the long night of death and sin, the rising of Christ, the Sun of Justice, brings joy and hope for the life to come.  In the light of the resurrection, we see and live anew, knowing that all is in and from God's hand, returning all to him with thanks and praise."  Morning prayer... see http://www.magnificat.com/

I was prevented from sharing on Sunday... the Gospel was Jesus on the cross with the two thieves... Luke 23: 35-43... I love to read the repentent thief and how this is the interchange between Christ and him...  He said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."    One of my favorite and most awe inspiring faith journies ever is Scott Hahn's.... he was drawn into the Catholic Church by the Truth that he encountered while trying to prove that we were of Satan!

He writes about the Good Theif..."I love this thief because he had real faith, but a faith that began immediately to produce real works.  But those works that the thief produced were really the works of God in him.  And that's what they are for us....They are what the cross made possible... And the thief, he found the front door in the glory, and so no one can be without hope.  For when we look at Jesus, and we hear his word for forgiveness, and we realize this is not generic forgiveness, this is not some pardon thrown out for anybody, it is given to somebody who in himself was not worthy, and all he had to do to get it was to acknowledge his own unworthiness, and stand up for the truth that set him free, and confess that Jesus Christ is the KING.  And he was with Jesus Christ in paradise that day." 

Jesus, we love you... help us to follow your path and illumine your truth for all those that we come in contact with.  May we know that you are there with arms stretched wide on the cross...You overcame death and sin...in an forgiving embrace... so that we might see and hold close in our hearts the Light and Life that is shown us by your all wise and amazing Church!  Holy Spirit come and dwell within us... so that we can yet "see" and "hear" and "know" the Truth that will set us free! Life is to be cherished, welcomed and noursihed and fed!   Jesus, we trust in you!  Amen and Halleluia! 

Bless-bless, Barb"The daybreak from on high will visit us!"  Luke 1: 78              

"Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things.  It consists in accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us.  It consists in accepting and following the will of God."  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Getting ready to sell the calves...

Pat has sold his calves... one feeder took his heifers and another took his steers.  They are now separated in the barn by a gate and he needed me to come out and sort off some small ones this morning.  I make it fun by bringing my camera along and capturing my favorite subject... farm life!

While Pat went to the shop to get some tools to move a fence... Lilly entertained me with her frantically licking calf noses under the fence! 

Pat got back and we moved the fence... I think it's cute to see the calves interested in what he is doing... "Look!  Here's the guy who feeds us and cares for us... isn't he the most interesting thing you ever saw in your life?"  They seem to be saying...

A cute snowy heifer with some other cuties looking at her through the fence... they are already starting to look like they are putting on their furry warm winter coat... Too cute!

He had just fed the cows and they look like they are all at the bunk eating... they must be hungry!  Most of them are feeding two... the new calf they will have in a few months, and so the cycle begins all over again.  That is why Pat is emptying the barn and having some other guys feed the calves til they go to market... he needs the barn for calving starting about Feb!

Lick, lick, lick... Lilly has gathered a whole circle of steers that are getting their noses licked systematically!

The interested crowd has grown..."He is so interesting don't you think, and he's cute too!"

Out to burn the garbage at sunset... Pat is grinding hay to feed the cows and calves...  kind of an interesting action shot...

The end of another always interesting day on the farm... the cycle of life is continuous and always something new and different to learn about... Have no fear.. I will gladly share what little I know.  Much like my Catholic faith... there is always more to learn and to share.  Jesus, we trust in you!

Bless-bless, Barb

"The Church is the same today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

The apostles, too, experienced fear and mistrust, depression and failures.  In spite of all this, Christ did not rebuke them.  He simply told them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?"  (Luke 24:38)

Jesus' kind words are also appropriate for our fears today.  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta