The Doctor of Grace is smiling down - Happy Anniversary and Feast day!

Today is Nancy and Bill's 4th anniversary!  When I saw it was St Monica yesterday - the mother of Augustine, and always the day before her son... I thought - "Oh, it is Bill and Nancy's anniversary tomorrow on the Feast day of St Augustine!"  Four years of marriage have a lot to show in this beautiful picture of all Nancy's hopes and prayers coming true for her!  So much to show for those 4 years with 3 wonderful blessings/children in your arms!  Such a picture of JOY!

On a special get away with Dominic less than a month old to Picture Rocks in the upper peninsula in Michigan.

It speaks volumes of how important their getting married on the Feast day of the Doctor of Grace - St Augustine - in naming their first son and oldest child, Augustine!  So also wishing Gus a happy feast day today! 

At breakfast with Pat and John this morning there was much to celebrate as it is also John's feast day!  When he was being confirmed with his frequent statements that; "I don't know what I believe, because my faith has never been tested."  His sisters encouraged him to take St Augustine as his patron saint.  This morning when I wished him a happy feast day - "Well, should I call you St Monica."  "Yes, I guess you could, because I certainly prayed and cried to the Lord for your conversion and finding Faith."  Pat and I have noticed that every morning in prayer that John thanks the Lord for his brain cancer bringing him to find Jesus and His Bride, The Church!  We are humbled and filled with wonder and awe and gratitude!

I am borrowing these pictures from Nancy today... this one was taken on Dominic's baptism day at Basilica of St Mary, where Pat and I were married 36 years ago!

Pat and I are forever grateful that we are able to share our Faith with JOY with all of our children here on earth with us!  Dominic's baptism was a source of the utmost of celebration and JOY for all of us!  We were all able to gather around him in support - except for Joseph in Texas and Hallel in France, yet they both were totally with us in Spirit and in Truth!  Yes, I want to ask St Augustine for his prayers and assistance through LIFE, but I also feel that he is very much smiling down upon us in how important he is in our journeys of LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  I feel that John's taking him half-heartedly as his patron saint certainly was a part of his conversion/change of heart/metanoia/finding faith and healing/coming to recognize the Truth that has set him free! 

I know John would agree with St Therese here... he has fallen head over heals in love with Mary, the Mother of God!  That brings tears to this mother's/St Monica's eyes to see his love of The Mother of all!

In morning prayer we were so blessed by Psalm 139!  Pat read it and we all marveled in how we are seen by God and loved endlessly even with our imperfections!

Psalm 139

¹ O Lord, you have searched me and known me.

² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from far away.
³ You search out my path and my lying down,
    and are acquainted with all my ways.

If I take the wings of the morning
    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me fast.

For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.

    My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

¹⁷ How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
    I come to the end^[a]—I am still with you.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any wicked^[c] way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.^[

Walking into their very bright future putting Jesus and His Bride, The Church, first in their lives and all the rest will fall into place.   This does not mean that life is a bed of roses, but rather that we die to self so that Jesus can work through us.  For a young mother at home with 3 - 3 years old and younger... there is a lot of self-sacrifice, and we all know how hard that is.  But there is much beauty and joy to be found in allowing LIFE to come and raising LIGHTS!  Nancy has a series of posts going on in her blog lately about being open to LIFE - it would be good to take some time to read Nancy's sharing and another mom the other day - great and heart-opening sharing...

http://www.dosmallthingswithlove.com/

Jesus, we are filled with so much gratitude at how you love us, know all we have deep within, know our faults and weaknesses/our sinfulness and love us still, have mercy without end if only we lay our burdens/sins at your feet and ask for forgiveness in the healing sacrament of reconciliation, how you have a perfect plan for each one of us that will bring us to LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT to answer our every prayer and hope - if only we place You first and foremost in all that we do in LIFE, if we stay faithful to You and Your Bride, The Church, we will find YOU - The Way, the Truth and the LIFE!  There is so much that fills us with overflowing gratitude this day and every day of our journey with YOU.  May we Praise YOU with each breath that we take and every beat of our hearts!  As the Hallel Psalm from mass today speaks for our hearts, minds and souls - "Every day I will bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever.  Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable."  Psalm 145  May your love pour down upon Nancy and Bill on this day and forever!  Bless all marriages as they strive to love as you love us - without counting the cost!  May we carry our Most Cherished Cross and follow after you down the path you have laid out before us.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke the crazy-Catholic

"Generation after generation praises your works

and proclaim your might.

They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty

and tell of your wondrous works."  Psalm 145

A powerful statement when looking at the world this day and age... St Augustine help us to make a difference!

Reading this - I now know that St Augustine was at work in John's coming to Faith through brain cancer! 

 

Danielle Rose - Psalm 139

Walk on water by Danielle Rose

"This is the storm and Jesus is in control" Hallel to us when we called about discovering John's tumor in his brain.  "Jesus, we trust in YOU."

 A special one from Maria today of Joseph working out around the house with the help of his boys and the cheering on of his girls/wife!  Soon another boy to join the happy family portrait!  Safety for Maria and Romeo - due by C-section on September 9th!

John and Hallel in Kansas City about a year ago... John just called from work to say that he got a call from "Sue"/Hallel in France for his feast day today.  "How was she?"  "Silly like usual.  I was giggling in my office and it was great!"  It is nice to get these little contacts with her, and how her brother loves to hear from her! 

Baby kitties take 3

Cookie just had her 3rd batch of kittens!  She had 5 kittens in the neighbor's window well, and Ruth and Rose found them a couple days after she suddenly got skinny - she had her kittens while they were up at the State Fair over the weekend.  The kids were very excited to come home from school yesterday and find them in the basket in the house.
Luke can crawl up to them and stand up by the basket.  He has to be watched, but is in love with the kittens.

Dave had to show me his favorite little boy kitten - he will look a lot like our Herby big kitty here on the farm.

Kisses for his new special pet.

 Rose gets a turn and is learning how to be gentle and pet them with her finger.

Mary isn't brining kittens for show and tell this Friday - she is bringing her rabbit, Beverly.  I think she will be a hit in 3rd grade show and tell.  Our life is rich thanks to many animals and the babies are so sweet and hard to keep your hands off of them.  Bless-bless, Barb

St Monica - another weeping mom making tomato messes

 I am sitting here waiting to process the next batch of jars after Ruth and I filled 3 canners with spaghetti sauce - I am splashed with the graphic red of tomato all over my clothing and feel that I have been though a bit of a battle! We started with 4 pails of tomatoes at 9a and by 2p had it all in jars and Ruth and I divided to process some at both of our homes. Rose is very interested and helps out as much as a 2 year old can.  We made a total of 61 quarts!  We have quite a assembly line process and the pile of tomato coated pans, pots, scrapers, buckets, jars, lids, kids, husbands,and...

 We use the blender a lot for spaghetti sauce, and it is very loud and it too gets coated with tomato that flies every which way too.  Rose was very cute - covering her ears when grandpa used the blender and grandpa would smile and play with her!  There is a lot of JOY in the kitchen when we very systematically can our food for 6 families!  This day thinking about St Monica - a mother that was persistent in praying and weeping and hoping and working to make food for her family - which was a lot more work in those days!

 Rose wanted to help turn the paddle with the help of her mom again today.

 The heat of the hot tomatoes fill the air, and I am wiping tears from my eyes after cutting a couple dozen onions.  I am also known as crying easily whether happy of sad in my lifetime.  Just ask my husband or my kids... "Mom, is crying, so what else is new."  Many times today when we did morning prayer we heard about the tears of St Monica for the conversion of her son.  I am sure that she shed tears of JOY at his change of heart!  My tears do not change whether happy or sad... I would say that I have happy tears from the heart much more than sad.

 Luke was very good playing and crawling and trying to stand by grandpa's leg, and crawling up the stairs with Rose and laughing and laughing at her.  He was happy to go home for a late nap with mom.

 Here is my basil plant in the garden by my house... it was great fun to use it in our spaghetti sauce today.  No, the grasshopper did not go in too!  He just adds to the pretty picture. 
How wonderful if all our children could say this someday about our prayers and tears for them;  "Graciously you heard her, and you did not despise her tears when they flowed down from her eyes and watered the earth beneath, in whatsoever place she prayed.  Graciously you heard her." St Augustine about his Mother, St Monica.

Rose looking over a days work - tomatoes growing in the garden this morning are now in jars to put on spaghetti... Ruth says they have spaghetti once a week at her house!
Jesus, thank you for these days shared with family and for all the fruits of our labors that are so appreciated by the 6 families.  As a mother of a large family by today's standards and looking at the mothers of my husband and I... my mom fed 13 - 3 times a day, and Pat's mom fed 12 - 3 meals a day... so much work!  Both of them had gardens and put up food for their very large families.  That puts the role of a mother and the work it takes to raise a family to a whole new level!  It is so wonderful to gain this family canning time from Pat's mom and now with my children and their children!  One of my favorite times shared working together.  Jesus, seeing the answer to many prayers - some tears... I thank you and am grateful that we share our Faith joyfully in You, Jesus with your Bride, The Church.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

 Bless-bless, Barbara Luke the crazy-Catholic... I think St Monica would be a crazy-Catholic/mom too! 
"Give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates."  Proverbs 31:31
"Her children rise up and praise her; her husband, too, extols her." Proverbs 31:28

 My two pails then Ruth brought two more!  A grand total of 61 quarts!

Grandpa having fun with cute Rosie tosie!  It can't be all work!!!

Jesus friend of sinners by Casting Crowns

So beautiful!

Casting Crowns - Glorious day

So sweet - it was her 104th birthday yesterday!

Tomato Wednesday tomorrow

Yesterday was a big big apple day, and tomorrow we switch to tomatoes.  We will be doing spaghetti sauce in the morning.  We have learned to leave them on the plants until we are ready to can, so we will only find out in the morning how much we will have. It seems like I have at least 2 pails of nice big tomatoes  and Ruth usually has that many too.  That will be a huge batch of spaghetti sauce, and will be yummy on my spaghetti squash that we are starting to eat now.  I am so glad that I have Ruth to help me, and Pat when he is around too.  Pictures and more to share tomorrow... Jesus, we trust in YOU.  bless-bless, Barb

"Every person's life is God's work of art..."

Rose in front of an ocean of applesauce.  Every time she put her finger in it she would sweetly say -"Yum!"  Pat talked to Maria today, and she told him that they have to ration their applesauce because they love it soooooooooooooo much!  It looks like we will be traveling with a van full in their direction in the next year sometime.  I will be flying there and getting applesauce to them on the plane will not be possible, after the birth of Romeo on Sept 9th!

Such a sweet picture...

The cool air is pouring in the window above me here.  After almost 2 weeks of heat and humidity and a closed up house - this is so wonderful!  This morning I read morning prayer with John and Pat before John headed out to work... It was so uplifting and joyous to read - "It is a common mistake to think that God's 'works' and 'mighty deeds' are told only in Scripture.  Every person's life is God's work of art, an expression of his creative love, his goodness, his compassion."  We then shared the Hallel Psalm - Psalm 145 with the challenge to personalize it for all praying it!

Ruth with her 2 year old daughter, Rose, work together on putting the apples through the colander and it becomes applesauce!  We outdid all our past cannings with 154 quarts and a full day of work.  I even had to finish processing this morning! 

Psalm 145

I will give you glory, O God my King,

I will bless your name forever.

 

I will bless you day to day

and praise your name for ever.

The Lord is great, highly to be praised,

his greatness cannot be measured.

 

Age to age shall proclaim your works,

shall declare your mighty deeds,

shall speak of your splendor and glory,

tell the tale of your wonderful works.

 

They will speak of your terrible deeds,

recount your greatness and might.

They will recall your abundant goodness;

age to age shall ring out your justice.

 

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

How good is the Lord to all,

compassionate to all his creatures.

 

Let me speak and praise the Lord,

let all mankind bless his holy name

for ever, for ages unending.

 Yes, I can most certainly put myself into that Psalm of Praise for all the Lord has done for me in my life!  My family, my conversion, my husband, my life on the farm, our family here and in heaven, John's prayer this morning thanking God for allowing him to find Faith through brain cancer, John's healing, the miracle babies we have amongst our grandchildren, our grandson's Patrick's healing, sharing our Faith in The Church with JOY and watching our children and their children embrace the Truth!  The hand of God is upon me and my family and of that there is no doubt in my mind, heart and soul!  I do feel that my life is a masterpiece, and I will Praise HIM for all my days! 

 3 generations making food for the family... it gives grandpa great JOY to have the little ones around him.

 We filled most of our jars again!
I am struggling with some deep feelings of hurt... I just listened to a sharing called Vortex on FB.  Yes, he said things that are hard and upsetting about some messes in The Church, but he says them in such an angry way.  I just know so much LOVE at work in The Church... when I think about the Community of the Lamb, which our daughter Little Sister Hallel joined. They live with the poor and are poor and are loving to a fault!   I also think about Blessed Theresa of Calcutta and her work with the poor.  I think of some amazing young priests, who love and honor everything about The Catholic Church... when I have asked them about the militant movement... they speak of the anger and hate they proclaim when we are called to Love and forgive.  "How can that be of Christ, when it is so negative and filled with hate?" 

 Luke ponders how strong his grandpa is and how he helps with making his wonderful applesauce that he loves to eat!
I, too, feel alone in this Church that I love, love, and love some more.  However, I feel that I am called to share that LOVE with words here and in the way that I have raised LIGHTS for the world by being open to LIFE and by sharing my Faith with JOY!  Yes, there are ugly things that can be dug up in such a huge Church, but looking at that and dwelling on that only succeeds in making us negative and angry.  We are called to LOVE, and forgive, and to give to those around us without counting the cost!  I love and adhere to out of LOVE for the Truth - all that the Catholic Church upholds and asks of me!  I know that The Church is helping me get to Heaven.  I look at the examples of Scott Hahn and Fr Robert Barron - I see how they too love The Church and are trying to build it up by helping those  lost and confused to find the Truth and LIVE the Truth!  Jesus tells the scribes and Pharisees today that above the law is "judgment and mercy and fidelity." 

Jesus, I love you and your Bride, The Church, with my life and all that I am.  How can I question all those in my life that LOVE your Church and share that love loudly and strongly?  I see the young men in seminary that are making your Church strong again, and sharing with JOY and LOVE all the Truth!  We are to love and follow our Holy Father - so how does this anger and dislike help or sustain The Church. 

fi·del·i·ty

fəˈdelətē/

noun

noun: fidelity

1. faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support.

You ask this of us today, and although there are many that hurt you, Jesus, by rejecting some of the Truths of The Church, we are being called to remain faithful by showing loyalty and support from within.  By remaining orthodox and love and honor The Church - sharing that with all we meet most especially those in our domestic Church/family.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke the crazy-Catholic pictured with the 154 jars finally all processed this morning!

Thanks for the reminder... I need to work on this!

 

Small things with great love - by Danielle Rose

Therese loving the Church from the inside with her first cross stitch!  A pattern that her Aunt Nancy made of her patron saint and asked her to make... it took her one day!  So cute and special!  There is so much wonderful stuff to love about the Church - why go and dig up the dirt?  Change it from the inside out!  bless-bless - St Therese and all the amazing Saints are praying and showing us the way from heaven!

One last thing from Nancy's way - her open to life sharings on her blog today are wonderful  - take the time to be uplifted and your horizon expanded... http://www.dosmallthingswithlove.com/2014/08/choosing-open-life-open-waiting.html 

154 quarts of applesauce - Pat and I with help from Ruth, Rose and Luke

Luke learning from the king of applesauce, grandpa Pat! 

I have to say that Pat tries to make more and more from one year to the next.  He does help me a lot, so I can't complain too much.  I said that I thought we might make about 100 quarts today... thinking that would be the stars.  Well, 11 pails later and about 12 hours of work... the count is 154 quarts!  I am tired, and glad that applesauce is done for this year.

 Ruth giving Rose a lesson on how to turn the stick in the colander.  She did a pretty good job too.

 Rose stepping into Dave's shoes - Dave started school today, so Rose is ready to learn and help out.

 They start at 2 around here!  Ruth helped out until a late nap time and then Pat and I finished up... it is 12 hours since we started picking apples and I am not even half through processing our 154 quarts yet.  Some might have to wait til morning.  I am done at 10p!

 Rose is growing up before our eyes, and she is learning about the farm and canning just like her mommy did over 30 years ago.  I on the other hand, learned at a 28 year old bride - city girl come to the farm...  Getting a canner as a wedding gift from Pat's brothers and sisters was kind of a no brainer that my life would be full of making food for our family - now 6 families!

 Rose eating fresh applesauce for lunch - it was apple growing on the tree just a few hours before - that's fresh and yummy!  Rose kept sticking her finger in the big pot, put it in her mouth, and say "Yum" as she licks it off.

 Ruth putting the sauce in jars as Rose watches and tastes it and says "Yum" every bite!

 That big container holds about 30 quarts when it is full to the brim...

 Another cute one of Luke and grandpa...

 Soon you will be helping too, Luke.

 The jars are getting full, mom!

 Luke looks cute with a lot of the jars before he heads home for a late nap.  Thanks for helping and looking cute Luke.  "Thank you for yummy fresh applesauce for lunch, grandma."  You can eat it every day for the next year too Luke!

This is not a picture of all of them - there were almost 50 processed or in the canners when I took this.  A river of applesauce!

The cows in the pasture by the house, while I was picking the apples they mooed and mooed - they begged for apples!

All these beautiful apples are now in jars!  The cows did get some apples off the ground..

 These pails were filled up 3 times - almost 12 pails of apples!

As Ruth asked - "Do we have jars for the other things we have to can?"  We will be doing spaghetti sauce in a few days.