Glorious evening with granddaughter, Mary!

Mary found this special heart tomato in the garden tonight...

Mary broke them apart and she popped one in her mouth and then one into grandma's... that is a love tomato, and was the beginning of a wonderful time together...

We went over to find Snowball in the pasture... more to come... Bless-bless, Barb

Fall adventure into the LIGHT!

My arms just holding my newest grandson in the midst of the family storm of love... I was off on a wild adventure into the beautiful fall farm countryside, as I traveled from Marshall to Kansas City. 

Sweet Baby Gus at 4 months... smiled his wise baby smile knowing that he is my delight and joy...  "Goodbye Grandma!  I love you and give the little sisters a smile from me!"

Walking down the early morning streets of Kansas City for mass in the cool morning - we had a little cute friend.  He comes out when he sees the little sisters in blue walking down the street.  He seems to quietly enjoy their company, and be at peace with them.

Jesus... the LIGHT greets us from the church on the hill!  We climb the mountain to find our fill of the feast of heaven and earth! 

After mass in the bright sunlight within and without.. on the hill is the old Belgian rectory that has been the home for the Community of the Lamb in the heart of our country.  Soon it will be taken down to make room for the little monastery of the Lamb.  They are putting down permanent roots in our country!  Praise Him!  They have been told that they are a "lighthouse on the hill" giving LIGHT to many in darkness!

A time of big and exciting changes - as the Lumena Christi - Light of Christ is the name of their new little monastery to be built... starts to take flame and ignite the heart of our ailing country!

The large old lighthouse on the hill will soon become a beautiful low and humble monastery called Lumena Christi - the LIGHT of CHRIST!  We will miss our home away from home, but look to the LIGHT!  Jesus, we trust in you!

Had a delightful afternoon interlude with little sister Martine - we were sitting on the front porch of a cute little place and I did this watercolor of a icon I had found... the Lamb that heals!  As we walked through a house given to them for the little brothers to live in while here... I found this small icon with writing underneath in Latin... Martine translated it for me and at first I thought it to be Isaiah 55:1.  Then she said that she thought they were words of Christ from John 7!  She was right, but when we compaire the two verses - we were both very touched to have them so similar.  Words coming from the mouth of Christ is so powerful, and to hear him saying the words that my dad read when he was led to join the Church with his family of 12 is out of this world!

Isaiah 55:1

"The Lord says, 'Come, everyone who is thirsty -here is water!' "

I am filled to overflowing by the LOVE and LIGHT... my time at his feet in Adoration in the chapel that will be replaced in the new monastery. 

Bathed in the LIGHT... I am warmed and surrounded by HIM and His MOTHER OF HEAVEN and EARTH!  May all the pointless and meaningless things that try to pull me away from you fade into nothingness in the LIGHT!  Jesus, I trust in you!  Amen and Halleluia!

Bless-bless, Barb

Pat reflects on the old ice cream scoop... he is washed with many fond memories of his family sharing ice cream... that his mother gifted the little sisters 3 years ago, when they came to Minnesota to visit - shortly after they had first come to the U.S.  Our lives have been changed forever - our daughter, Susan/Hallel told us in front of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Kansas City in June 2008 that she would be joining them - becoming a little sister of the Lamb - Little Sister Hallel! 

We bid farewell to our Home in Kansas City - soon to be replaced with the new little monstery - Lumena Christi!  Our prayers are with your work and may your light shine ever brighter to those poor and lost!

"happy is he who is kind to the poor!"  Proverbs 14:21

Psalm 112

"Happy the man who fears the Lord,

who takes delight in all his commands,

He is a light in the darkness for the upright:

he is generous, merciful and just.

The good man takes pity and lends,

he conducts his affairs with honor.

The just man will never waver:

he will be remembered for ever.

Open handed, he gives to the poor;

his justice stands firm for ever.

His head will be raised in glory." 

I watched the little Sisters give food to an alcoholic woman, who came to their door looking for food.

St Vincent de Paul, pray for us on this your feast day!  May your prayers intercede for the building and raising up of "Lumena Christi!" 

Still in the beautiful storm...

The waves have stopped washing over me for the moment - as I am in an empty house... Pat jumped in with the little family (Maria, Joseph and their two kids) to head to Missouri early!  Nancy, Bill and Gus are at mass praying for grandma.  Soon they will return, and we will enjoy a midday meal together before they head back to home in Plymouth and I head out to Kansas City!  As you can see I made attempt after attempt at pictures of the grandkids together... this was before Gus arrived, as grandma was up making beds... kids kept appearing on the beds I was working on them so finally I lined them up for a mug shot! 

After Gus arrived... and before the sun set ... we made numerous attempts at the 6... with 6 under 6 years old... it is a challange, but a joyous challange!

The two 3 year olds with bare feet get "a greeting,  and it's so wonderful to see you again" hug after the cousins arrive!

This morning the sendoff was recorded in a picture... how those are cherished when the visit is so short and sweet!

Grandpa will be traveling and spending the next day with his baby Dave!  How he is looking forward to a day of seeing the countryside, the army base where Joseph is stationed in Missouri, and having his arms full of long missed grandkids! 

So with joy in my heart and excitement as the storm is approaching to carry me up and spin me around... I lift up myself and totally submit to the strength of the winds and the waves as they wash over me!  Crazy amazing storm called FAMILY... take me under and cover me with LOVE!

Fair thee well, Grandma!

Baby Agustine is a gentle beautiful swim in the deep deep pool of LOVE!  Jesus, be with all of our family today as we travel in many directions always aware of the love and prayers of one for the other!  Jesus, we trust in you!  Amen and Halleluia

Bless-bless, Barb

A whirlwind kiss for baby Gus!

Just back from church... I must go and be taken washed clean with love and life!

The Beautiful STORM!

Just got up to the whirlwind called - Patrick Verly!  It seems that so many important things have been going on while I slept after an overnight at the nursing home.  Kids and grandkids will arrive here shortly, mass, bonfire, and then off to Kansas City tomorrow!  I am ready to be picked up and carried by the cyclone! 

Jesus, thank you for the beautiful STORM of love that life with family is!  Jesus, we trust in you!  Bless-bless, Barb!

The paintbrush of the setting September sun

It was so FUN tonight at the clothesline... seeing the sun shining on the screen made by the sheet... the paintbrush of the sun painted a picture of FALL! I am off to bed to rise at 10p, and head off to work for the night.  I am just a clothesline kind of girl...Those sun dried sheets will smell mighty good too... wish I could stay in them, and rise with the morning sun, instead of heading out into the pitch black night!  I am not a night person by any stretch of the imagination... Jesus, I need you!  Jesus, we trust in you!  Bless-bless, Barb

Joyfully sharing His Wounds!

All too soon fall is here... I love anything fall, but not having tomatos to can this year is just reminding me that we had a short and crazy summer - weather wise!  Roger seems to be bowing to my St Francis statue - the man, who had an affinity with animals and also had the stigmata on his body - the wounds of Christ - sharing in his suffering!  Today is the feast day of a modern day saint, who also had the stigmata wounds - St Pio of Pietrelcina or otherwise known as Padre Pio.  It is also a huge day for birthdays today - my brother, Jim, and my Goddaughter, Erika!  I also just realized that it is my brother-in-law, Craig Miller's birthday today too!  Happy and Blessed Birthday to you all, and how special to have this day mark the feast of this wonderful Saint!  How we can learn from him and ask for him to intercede for us... especially in times that we are wounded in our lives... for he shared this with Christ willingly!

Our Lady of the clothesline... she is a symbol of my wonderful life... Today I am washing and hanging out the sheets off the beds upstairs... Joseph, Maria, Therese and David will be here tomorrow from Missouri!  Our arms will be full!  The sun is bright and beautiful... I rejoice in the coming together of FAMILY!  I serve overnight at the nursing home tonight, and pray for safety for one and all!  Then on to Kansas City next week?  Life is a wonder, and a JOY, and kind of crazy too! 

When Gus was here a few weeks ago... I was working on his 3 month pictures... he wasn't too sure of what he thought of Ernie... there were lights flashing and Rubber duckie song too!  His big brown eyes look a bit worried, and later he did cry too!  I had an exciting time yesterday calling France and talking to a "daugther" - little sister Stephanie!  She has lived in Kansas City mostly for the last 3 years and will be returning here, so her English is wonderful!  She could relay the message to Hallel that we wanted her to call home to get all the latest information and prayer requests... as well as a belated birthday wish! 

She called just before she was going to bed, and reported that she will be staying in France for another year... there is a new postulant, who is from the U.S., and Hallel is needed to help her with French, and all the ways that they are called upon to adjust to this radical life!  Marie arrived in France the same day that Pat, John, Pat's mother, and I did in July... I had met her while visiting KC the day that Nancy had Augustine.  She was shocked to find the rustic and poor life that they embrace in Saint-Pierre!  I am sure that by now she has come to some acceptance of the life, and sees the value of embracing poverty,chastity and obedience in the way that they do.  She shared with me that she had spent a lot of time at his feet in Adoration - "asking him if this is where he wants me."  She has decided to stay, and they need Hallel there to help her adjust and learn and grow! 

Pat helped daily with great delight while we visited them... the building behind is new, and built fairly high up in the foothills of the Pyranies Mts... they do a lot of the work themselves, and build all of their simple furniture too!  Hallel informed me that she and Marie and two other little sisters are on a "construction crew," and are working on some buildings in two different villages.  This appeals to Marie as she worked as a construction engineer in the world before she entered.  Hallel has discovered since she entered that she has quite a bit of her dad in her... she loves to work hard, and to fall into bed exhausted each night... after putting in a physically demanding day!  She also has discovered that she loves to do carpentry, too!  It is so interesting to see all of these gifts come to the surface, and fill her days, that we would never have known here.  That is to say unless her dad had discovered it, and put her to work on the farm!

So much simplicity and beauty in France - the inner soul, and all the time that is spent with HIM and in HIM... it seems to pour out into all that surrounds you there!  The way that they take the Word into themselves each day in mendicating the Gospel... it allows them to be Christ knocking on the doors of the poor, as they go out on "mission" - begging for their food from the poor!  The Gospel today is pertaining to St Pio on his feast day!  Luke 9: 18-22... "The Son of Man must suffer greatly..."  We stand from the outside, and look at their simple and hard lives, and feel that it would be a suffering to not have a comfortable piece of furniture to sit on, for example... but when I asked Hallel about this, she looked at me very surprised, like the thought had never occurred to her..."Who has time to miss that?"  She is on her knees with her Lord in Adoration, song, prayer and Eucharist during the day , and working hard to carve out their humble dwellings for their growing community, with the rest of her time.  Plus share her light and joy with a new woman, Marie, from the U.S!  Thank you Lord, for allowing those in the U.S. to meet, and love this amazing community of the Lamb! 

Jesus, so much joy today after sharing with our daughter, who has answered your call to follow and carry your cross.  She finds great joy in giving up of the pleasures and comforts of life.  They seem to be so much fluff, and useless to think or worry about... what lesson we can learn from her, and such strength we could gain if we denied ourselves all of the pleasures and trappings... that we have convinced ourselves are necessary and needed!  Give me new strength and understanding of your cross, and your wounds... may the physical discomforts that come to this almost 60 year old body, remind me that I am weak, and that I am allowed to share in a small part of your suffering... may they make me smile, and not frown and complain!  Use me to your honor and glory... this day forward!  Jesus, we trust in you!  St Pio, pray for us ,and show us how to carry His Wounds that will heal us!  Amen and Halleluia!

Bless-bless, Barb

"When Jesus wants to make me understand that he loves me, he permits me to relish the wounds, the thorns, the anguish of his Passion.  When he wants me to rejoice, he fills my heart with that spirit which is all fire and he speaks to me of his delights.  But when he wants to be delighted, he speaks to me of his suffering, he invites me in a tone which is both a request and a command to offer my body that his sufferings may be alleviated.... I want nobody but Jesus, I desire nothing else (which is Jesus' own desire) than his sufferings.  Allow me to say it, since no one can hear us, I am ready even to be deprived for ever of the tendernesses which Jesus lavishes on me, I am prepared to bear his hiding his beautiful eyes from men as long as he does not hide from me his love, for this would cause my death."

St Pio of Pietrelcina (1968)