"In your light we see light." Psalm 36

Did you know that calves sunbath?  Yes, after some days of cold cloudy rain... they lay in the fresh bedding and bask in the sun.  These cuties are looking with interest at Lilly the dog, who is walking around the yard as I watch and wait for Pat to feed the cows a bale of hay.  I especially like the one with a cornstalk in its mouth... Today is the official start of field work... they are going to start planting corn!  The sun is out, and there is a nice breeze to get the fields just nicely warmed and dry enough after the much needed and prayed for rain!  Thank you, Lord!  Pat has been out early feeding all of his animals, and his lunch pail is packed and by the door.  Join us in prayers for all the farmers, and the good conditions to get the crop planted, and also for a good crop this year, so that the world can be fed!  Pat and his brother are very good farmers, and very efficient too!  Farming is a wonderful life, and each of our children has flourished here, and now appreciates our life here.  It is wonderful to have our oldest daughter, Ruth, so close and very much involved with us on the farm.  I have always felt that she has the life now that she grew up with - as she is one week away from having her 4th child- it is a delight to have them here sharing with excitement and wonder farmlife!  Such a wonderful gift for all those involved!  Once again thank you, Lord!

 Lilly and her friends... they are growing larger than her, but I can still not realize that she is out there... she blends in.  After my time in the creek while fixing fence yesterday... reading evening prayers this really thrilled me..."they drink from the stream of your delight.  In you is the source of life and in your light we see light." Psalm 36
Today the first reading in mass is the stoning/martyrdom of St Stephen.   A sobering reality in this Easter season that we are called to give our all for Christ!  "Lest the Easter season, with its emphasis on life, tempt us to euphoria, the Church today sets before us the example of Stephen, first of martyrs, icon of the Crucified.  The tomb remains the prelude to the glory until the end of time.  Life in Christ is always costly, and always worth the cost."  see http://www.magnificat.com/  In the prayers the refrain is - "Christ our Light, light our way."  The thing about the Truth in our lives - the reality made clear to us by HIS LIGHT... it shines forward into our lives and reveals to us the path to follow.  There are many times in every day that we have two paths before us and we can choose to go one way or the other.  We are not blinded by the brightness of the LIGHT, but are given clear vision and direction to follow in the paths of righteousness!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FbL7eFJGdQ  I just watched this on the priesthood and if you have any questions about how they are bringing light and LIFE into the world... take the time to watch this!

The Cross in the pasture... I was able to wade in the water at the foot of the cross... cool, teaming with life, and rushing down stream of life-giving water to animals and the land!  As I was sharing about LIGHT... I was reminded of reading for the second or third time the Space Trilogy by CS Lewis while John was recovering from his stem cell transplant a little over 2 years ago.  They speak so much in terms of light... especially the first two, which take place in outer space and travel to other planets.  There is the experience of light as they travel, but also of light beings - "eldila."  I would highly recommend taking on this deeply spiritually rooted group of books! 

“But Ransom, as time wore on, became aware of another and more spiritual cause for his progressive lightening and exultation of heart. A nightmare, long engendered in the modern mind by the mythology that follows in the wake of science, was falling off him. He had read of 'Space': at the back of his thinking for years had lurked the dismal fancy of the black, cold vacuity, the utter deadness, which was supposed to separate the worlds. He had not known how much it affected him till now-now that the very name 'Space' seemed a blasphemous libel for this empyrean ocean of radiance in which they swam. He could not call it 'dead'; he felt life pouring into him from it every moment. How indeed should it be otherwise, since out of this ocean all the worlds and all their life had come? He had thought it barren: he now saw that it was the womb of worlds, whose blazing and innumerable offspring looked down nightly even upon the earth with so many eyes-and here, with how many more! No: Space was the wrong name.”

― C.S. Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet  
This is not just a thought on what could be in Space - but it is the reminder to us that we are surrounded by LIFE of the most amazing kind within the context of our faith!  We are surrounded by a spiritual army of the angels, saints, Mary and Jesus!  It is truly a "empyrean ocean of radiance" in which we swim! 

Jesus, today you reminded us in the Gospel - "Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world...  I am the Bread of LIFE; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."  John 6: 30-35  When you speak to us the words of Truth and Life and Light... we are forever changed and filled with knowledge of YOU!  May we cheerfully and joyfully carry forth YOU into our lives - especially those the closest to us in our domestic church/family... those that we love the most we treat the worst.  Why?  May we take steps to change that this day and forward... remembering that you have called us to bring LIGHT into the world.  Jesus, we are at the foot of the cross this day- reminded of the cost of LOVE.  May we embrace our Most Cherished Cross and find eternal LIFE and LIGHT!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Halleluia, Halleluia, Halleluia!

Bless-bless, Barb

1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
2Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. "
Isaiah 55: 1-2  This was the Scripture verse my dad was reading while on an Ignation Retreat at the Cenacle convent in Wayzata, MN in 1970... the Holy Spirit told him to come into the True Catholic Church along with all 12 of his family - wife and 11 children!  It is very much Eucharistic!  We find LIFE in the Bread and Wine - His Body and Blood in the feast of heaven and earth, the Eucharist!  Am yearning for my time spent with HIM today in adoring His Eucharistic body in the monstrance!

"My Lord and My God!"

The crossing that looks like a Cross!

Out fixing fence on a very sunny day - I am feeling the glow in my face and arms now as I sit here tonight.  From up above on the 4 wheeler the rock crossing of the creek looked like a cross.  Just then Pat got a call from his brother and had to leave for home to find something, so I had some time with my feet in the creek... at the foot of the cross!

The water was glistening and a frog jumped ahead of me... the water was surprisingly mildly refreshing as I walked a ways down stream feeling the water running over my feet, and the mud and rocks between my toes.

The moss, the rocks, and the rushing rain water adds up to a work of art in the glistening sunshine!  The gurgling sound of rushing water adds to the peaceful moments filled with prayers and thoughts of the goodness of this gift of time in nature, and time in my inner prayer space... that Cathedral within! 

Cooling my toes in lifegiving waters - the cows and calves use it all summer to quench their thirst and the grasses are given the moiture they need to grow and grow and grow- for all those that mow the grass every week - you know how much grass grows given the proper sun and rain... neverending and that is good when you have cows and calves out on pasture! 

A walk in wet coolness that was unexpected and delightful!  It reminds one of the lamb slain for us that provides us with lifegiving water and blood from his heart!  The creek crossing that looks like a cross - lifegiving water!  Nature/spiritual thoughts centered on a day outside on a 4 wheeler, in a creek, and walking the path along the fence of a pasture.  Bless-bless

The stance... Pat and his shadow...

Sunshine!

"My peace I give to you..." John 14:27

The two older ones are trying to get the ever active 3 1/2 year old David to sit on the fence post for grandma - another attempt to "sit in the clouds."  David seems to be enjoying this immensely!  When don't we love the touch of our family and the time spent with our family as they attempt to guide us?  Well, when it is put that way... there are probably many times that this would annoy us or make us just plain mad!  Good thing for little Dave this is a fun time or play time with his siblings!  Maybe there is a lesson to be learned here, as we deal with those in our domestic church/family.  If we realize that when those the closest to us are trying to help us along the path, and are doing it out of love... then maybe we can be cheerful about them taking us by the hand and leading us in another direction, or even running us that way.  Jesus promises us real peace today in the Communion Antiphon - John 14:27

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you, says the Lord, Halleluia."

In the midst of John's battle with brain cancer, which started almost 3 years ago on Father's Day 2009... we could find that actual peace afforded us by all the prayers that surrounded us!  We were numb and terrified by about the worst thing we could ever imagine, but there was so much peace in the midst of the storm!  Jesus, was in control, and continues to be!  John is down to just a few weeks until he graduates, and on the way home on Saturday he took a job here in Marshall for next year!  We are thrilled to have him return home, as his sister, Nancy, did too!  We have gotten so close over the year battle to regain his new normal, and it just seems right to have him back close by!  We talked about him getting an apartment with an old high school classmate, but for now he wants to start out living at home and letting mom cook his meals etc, and help dad outside when he can.  Wow!  It really hasn't sunk in yet, and I am so grateful to have this door open for John, and for him to walk trustingly through it!  His new boss was so excited for him to say "yes" that he had John over to join with his family for a wonderful supper Saturday night to celebrate! That is really a small town and beautiful start for their working together! I love it and John came home just glowing with the way that he was embraced and his taking the job was celebrated and applauded!  Thank you, Lord!

I just realized that I caught one of those migrating Vanessa butterflies in the background of this picture.  I am off to fix fence with Pat in the windy spring sun this morning.  It will be good, and challanging and I will take the lesson of little Dave in my heart - Find the peace in all situations with Jesus at the center of our lives.

"To be a disciple means to follow the Master.  He ascended the Hill of the Cross and transformed it into the seat of glory, a holy place.  Risen, he invites us to leave behind all worthless desires and seek him in holiness, that is, in love, not for signs and wonders he can do but for the life he gives."  See http://www.magnificat.com/

David on the fencepost... in the clouds!

Jesus, The sky is a blue gleaming jewel this bright LIGHT filled morning, and the plentious grass is so bright flourescent green that it glows and shimmers! There will be those little amazingly beautiful purple wild flowers growing on that hill again.  I look forward to seeing them!  And to do my watching and waiting for my intruiging husband as he puts the big puzzle together - the fence surrounding the back pasture.  The fence that will keep the cows and calves safely upon the pastures for the summer.  Allowing them to peacefully graze and grow healthy and fat on the bounty of the earth!  Thank you, Lord, for answering our prayers for rain, and continue to give us the rain and warmth we need for a good crop to feed the world this summer.  Keep all the farmers safe and bring your PEACE upon the earth.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Halleluia!

Bless-bless, Barb





Psalm 23


A psalm of David.

1 "The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,[a]

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.



5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD

forever. "

"Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about 5,000..."  I will be thinking about John 6 and the feeding of the men on the grass with the foretaste of our heavenly food - the Bread from Heaven - HIS BODY and BLOOD!

Pat just came in and we had the JOY of morning prayer together... this was in the meditation of the day and worth adding...  "I say, break your bread for the beggar and your hungry friend.  For in this you will prove yourself truly a friend if you refresh your friend's hunger with your bread.  Your bread is Christ, your bread is your charity, your bread is your prayer, your bread is your remorse expressed in your tears, by which you wash away not only your own sins but those of your friends.  With such breads the holy prophets claims that he is refreshed day and night saying:  'My tears have been my bread day and night.'  Surely the more he has fed by this bread the stronger he became to bear the burden of others."  Fr Adam of Perseigne (1221)

Heavenly Holiness

My Mary statue on the deck was on a small plaster stand in behind my lilac hedge and the grove... until the elements made it fall apart and I put her on the railing of my deck... I love to look out and see her there, and many times she graces me throughout the day... When I woke up after working overnight - I was thrilled to see the glorious majestic clouds after days of dreary darkness... I went out with my camera and put Mary in the clouds!  I don't think that she will ever leave my deck... I used to ask my son-in-law to make me a stone altar for her to be on, but I have so loved having her there in the sunlight and the rain and the snow... she is always a part of my day there on the deck railing and she truly is there with me in my inner prayer space of the glorious chapel in my soul.  She is there with the beauty of my rosary prayer for family and any prayer intention that is asked of me along this journey of LIFE and LOVE and LIGHT!  You need to be in the clouds of my mind and heart as I look towards heaven where I will be united with your Son, Jesus Christ, with you at his side along with all the angels and saints - including I pray my six children that have gone ahead as well as my sister, Mary and many others - now 2 grandchildren... Alida/Hector and Patrick/Magdelene! 

Beauty on so many levels - inside and out... Jesus, I trust in you.  bless-bless

"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest." Luke 19:38

So amazing to share morning prayer with my husband and son today!  Sharing the 3rd Sunday of Easter at our beautiful church was a gift to begin the day.  Then a call to share Sunday Dinner with the little family was the frosting on the cake!  The readings today in morning prayer spoke to me just as these cloud pictures express the wonder of our glorious world - nature!  "Faithfulness shall spring from the earth and justice look down from heaven.  The Lord will make us prosper and our earth shall yield its fruit.  Justice shall march before him and peace shall follow his steps."  Psalm 85

I just find days like yesterday afernoon with the blue heavens filled with the mountains of white cotton clouds... a sight that draws our imaginations to Heaven, and what a gift we are given on our journies to be reminded of Our God, and how much He loves our world to make it so gloriously wonderful to behold!  And with happy, special gift of God, children to be showcased by that beautiful sky is about as good as it gets!  Wow!  I am just soaking in the Sonlight of LIFE and LOVE! 

Here's the part that I cropped out... they were sitting on the top of my white van - not actually on a cloud... it was fun to look up and let your thoughts take flight!  Mary said that a cloud looked like a mommy holding a baby, and soon that will be the case for her mommy and her family!  We are all very excited and are praying for safety for mom and baby!  Jesus speaks to me when I let my fears take over... It is very much like I allow myself to think I am "seeing a ghost."  Allowing myself to imagine bad scenerios of what could happen with Ruth and the baby... Jesus speaks to me today;  "Peace be with you...  Why are you troubled?  And why do you questions arise in your hearts?  Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.  Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have."  Luke 24

I need to remind myself that Jesus conquered sin and death once and for all - the He lives within me, and within Ruth and her baby... He is in control and I need only Trust!  Thank you, Lord, for coming to me with resurrected body, mind and Spirit... You dwell within me and I am trusting in your LOVE of LIFE to win!

Little Dave helping grandma make crumb crust apple pies for Sunday dinner... such a gift to have a little one in the flour, and it was everywhere!  Thanks, Dave for taking grandma on a trip down memory lane! 

Jesus, Sunday is such a gift day for us to spend with YOU with our family of Faith at Church, as well as with our domestic chuch/family!  So many simple blessings as we gather and share joy, and peace, and LOVE within our family..."The Kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but Jesus uses such familiar, mundane things as signs that his love abides with us always and keeps us in his peace."  see http://www.magnificat.com/  Sharing a special Sunday family dinner is such a wonderful joy and gift!  A tradition that has been passed from one generation to another, and as I too have very fond memories of my big brood - oldest of 11 - gathering around the dining room table for a special noon meal on Sundays!  Then off for naps on this day of rest set aside for us to find the "Peace" of heart, mind and spirit!  Thank you for Sundays!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Halleluia, Halleluia, Halleluia!

My two guys in blue shirts and ties for Church - my heart is bursting by the gift of sharing our faith... talk about JOY!!!

Bless-bless, Barb

"The Kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit; whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by others.  Let us then pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another." 

Romans 14: 17-19

I came across this Catholic artist in The Catholic Digest... her name is Marie Bellet and she has 9 kids, and writes songs about the joys of motherhood and family life... I just went to Utube and watched her sing one song... I got teary as it is very sweetly reminding us of what a gift we have with our families - it is called Ordinary time!  Enjoy!

http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/yuVI_u2nm3E

Sitting in the Beautiful clouds!!

After days of gray dark blanket of clouds and rain... Praise HIM for the much needed rain!  It was glorious to look out and see the wonderful white puffy magestic clouds scattered across the sky taking our thoughts heavenward.  I have always had a thing about "cloud picture" and have been known to put kids and animals on fence posts and tops of pick up with quilt batting under them to get that look of only the clouds - as if they are in the heavens sitting on a cloud looking down upon the wonderful earth below... So when I had a chance to go over to Ruth's to help John watch the kids and make a desert.... I pulled into the yard thinking that the top of my white van could be a good vantage point for "cloud pictures."  And I was so right!  We did try some fence post too!

There is no better backdrop than the heavens filled with the glorious beauty of clouds!  Especially with my wonderful healed son and grandson showcased by them!  Life and our beautiful world is a gift!  Thank you, Lord! 

Peeking at the clouds!

Smiling active brothers in the clouds!  Bless-bless

Hugs are good anywhere, but the clouds make them super special!