To receive you need to believe this is Jesus, and if you do why would you be anything but Catholic?

"to the ends of the world, their message is heard." Psalm 19

 The north wind is blowing strongly against the house this morning.  I look out and see that the barn curtain has been raised to keep the cold wind from blowing on the calves that have just been treated and vaccinated.  Our only semi-house-pet cat is in and snuggly - a sure sign that there is damp cold weather outside.  When the weather was fair and wonderful - he would quickly eat and go right back out. 

 Due to some rain overnight and a land sale this morning - the quad track is parked in the yard... the end of tillage is in sight.  All agree that it was a very good summer and fall, and now for prayers that winter will not be too harsh.  The more cold and snow and wind makes for a lot of miserable work for Pat and Paul with the livestock. 

 Pat heading out yesterday after doing some work on the chisel plow.

 It seems that our glorious weather could be finally coming to an end.

It is baking day today.  I brought in 2 pumpkins, now baked and ready.  The neighbor just brought over a dozen duck eggs, which will make it even better I am told.  "My wife says that it makes cakes more fluffy and good. "  It seems that I am on a pumpkin pie cycle - as soon as we are eating the last one of the batch... I am making the next batch.  Pumpkin pie certainly tastes best when fall is in the air.

 fun artwork by the grandkids!

Most days I have read the readings already a couple times in The Magnificat...the readings read/and preached about at every mass from St Peters to every church across the world... before I go to bed and in the morning following morning prayer shared with Pat.  I admit that my blog is truly a journal of my life in many ways, but foremost I yearn to share The Truth gained from The Word each day in the light of The Saints, Our Lady, The Sacraments and The sacramental/prayer.  There are many strong messages I have received in my life thanks to The Holy Spirit speaking through my Father and my Most Cherished Cross/husband, Patrick.  I burn to share these far and wide! 
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html  ... the story of my dad
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html  ... now that of my husband

 A few had to show their faces in the house for a fall centerpiece!

Today is the feasts of St Simon and St Jude - two of the apostles who were sent out to share the Good News far and wide and were martyred for their Faith!  St Paul reminds us today in Ephesians 2 that we are part of that "temple sacred in the Lord; in him you are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."  Ephesians 2:22  We are built into this holy dwelling place for The Holy Spirit upon Christ Jesus and The Apostles and prophets.  It is thrilling to consider rubbing elbows with all the amazing apostles - two especially this day, and a namesake for grandson, Simon!  Happy Feast day sweet Simon Lanoue!

 Kids and dogs and cats and cows and calves and farmers and farm wives... all sharing our Faith in The Church, our openness to LIFE and raising LIGHTS for the world as our Amazing Wise and Holy Catholic Church asks of us!

Jesus, may we always know that The Holy Spirit is in us and may we die to self so that You in your Spirit may live and work through us.  We long to share The Truth without hesitation and no matter the obstacles and persecutions we may face.  We are yours - All you Saints, Our Lady Queen of Heaven and earth, and Apostles - please intercede for us and for the whole world in their need.  We are truly never alone, but have a spiritual army always there with us in the battle against the lies of the devil and the darkness of sin and death which blinds them to the LIGHT/LOVE/LIFE/Jesus and his Bride, The Church.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

 The crop is out, the bales are put away, the cows are home and their calves are in the barn - now they can feed the ones in their uterus for healthy calves come March.  The cycle of LIFE on the farm.  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

 Jahosephat is in more now.  More soft snuggles are on the schedule.

Yep..

Pope Francis is sharing The Word's importance in our lives... so true!

Food for a change of heart.

Learning at the feet of the Saints...

The Saint that is just me - Danielle Rose

Newsboys - we believe

Patrick looking much improved with his haircut!!  This marks the day 3 years ago that I flew home after a month with Maria and family for the birth of Patrick!  I arrived at home in time to welcome our next grandchild, Bernadette, in a couple weeks - November 13th!

Soon Bernadette will join Patrick and Rose at 3!  In this one Patrick and Berna look every bit the same age - just a month apart!  So fun!

"All creation is groaning in labor pains..." Romans 8

 I hope Maria forgives me for going back 3 years ago... with the first reading from Romans 8... I just had to go back and check out this day.  It was my last day staying with Maria and her family after my week or so turned into a month on the base in El Paso.  Patrick had come home!  And he gifted grandma with this precious photo in the sunlight... content and peaceful to be finally in the arms of his loving family after weeks in NICU!  http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-story-of-little-lamb-grandson.html

I imagine that next week we will get to Romans 12, but while I was staying with them we had the feast of St Teresa of Avila on the 15th and this verse was used in morning prayer and was so perfect for what we were facing with Patrick!

Rejoice in hope, endure in afflictions, and persevere in prayer.

 I recall that Maria and I were at mass on the Feast of St Teresa of Avila - Patrick was in NICU making strides towards a full recovery and health.  The reading from Romans 8 touched us deeply after sharing the traumatic birth for both Maria and Patrick! 
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains... In the same way, the Spirit comes to the aid in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but The Spirit intercedes with inexpressible groanings.  And the one who searches hearts knows what the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the Holy One according to God's will.  Romans 8: 22, 27
Both Maria and I were wiping tears at these powerful words we had just experienced on such a deep level!

 An amazing card we received from The Community of the Lamb early in John's healing from brain cancer... They along with many friends lowered him into the presence of Jesus through prayer!  In our weakness we were ministered to by The Holy Spirit at work!

 This is granddaughter, Therese, about 3 years back when she was 4 making cards and putting some money in them to hand out her car window to the homeless.  El Paso being warm year round - there tend to be many living on the street and as we would go downtown to Divine Providence Hospital each day we would see many begging along the streets. 

 Her heart is for the poor!  Can you imagine a small hand reaching out to these sad people with care and concern and some dollar bills for their needs? 

 A friend on FB shared this package to make and have in your car for those homeless you come across.  It was so special for her to share this as it was her birthday, and she was encouraging us to consider giving to those in need!  Wow!   I want to do this!

 I was gone during harvest 3 years ago to be with Maria and her family - awaiting/welcoming/praying for healing of our sweet little Lamb, Patrick Joseph.  I spent some time a lot of days having some fun painting.  I came across this one of our two places and the farm of our future!  There seem to be many labor pains in coming to the place where we will be a united Farm Family!

Lord, we are called to bear a tiny seed to the world that can grow til it grows to be a plant where birds can rest in its' branches.  May we share that Faith without ceasing and persevere in prayer no matter what we face in our lives.  We are carried forward as The Holy Spirit cries out to Jesus for our transformation from lives centered around the world to the Spiritual realm.  May we always love and serve you without counting the cost - most especially in our homes/domestic Church.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

   St Barbara is a big deal in El Paso... her statue is in the gathering space of the church on base.... reminding me that we are all called to be Saints no matter the resistance we get for sitting at the Lord's feet like Mary at times through our days.  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

What is the story of St Barbara?  She was locked in a tower by her father when she wanted to give her life to Jesus as his bride. 

"Barbara lived in the 4th century and brought up as a heathen. A tyrannical father, Dioscorus, had kept her jealously secluded in a lonely tower which he had built for that purpose. Here, in her forced solitude, she gave herself to prayer and study, and contrived to receive instruction and Baptism in secret by a Christian priest. "

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=166

May we spend our days locked in our towers of life - praying and studying our Faith and never hiding The Truth!

Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me

St Therese pray for us!

Patrick today on his mom's blog...

Younger brother, Romeo....

Older brother, David.  Miss my family!

Mary did you know?

Released from bondage and led to water!

 So wonderful to have John home for the weekend sharing in the livestock end of the farming!  Able to share breakfast, The Gospel and morning prayer from the Office together before he headed out for his job in Tracy armed with some of mom's lasagna for supper tonight!  Together we marveled at the reading from morning prayer this morning... how it spoke of Hallel and her Community of the Lamb!
Jeremiah 15:16  When I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart, Because I bore your name, O Lord, God of hosts.

This so beautifully describes how beginning the night before they mendicate/chew The Gospel... they truly do "devour" The Word and they become Christ knocking on the door of the poor!

 I am still tingling with great JOY and praise at the special time we had praying with another young man in the battle against brain cancer!  In the midst of a pro-life breakfast we - John, Matt, granddaughter, Mary, and I gathered together to thank Jesus and Mary for listening to our prayers and healing them.  Both were released from bondage and led to life-giving waters... John received his answer to find Faith in his life!

Today in the Gospel Jesus heals the woman who for 18 years had been crippled/bound by Satan "was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect."  Luke 13  As a farming family the message of Jesus to the leader of the synagogue when he finds fault with Jesus healing on the Sabbath... "Does not one of you untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering?"  Yesterday, we too had to do a big family job on Sunday - vaccinate and implant the cattle.  We are called to care for the earth and feed the world and that calls for family work shared on Sunday!  Just as John prayed, we also served a need in caring for the animals we are placed in charge of.  Leading them to health and much needed water and care to become all they can be!

 Wonderful to have John close by, working for the Church, sharing his story whenever he can, having a ministry of prayer - paying forward the mercy and LOVE he has received from Jesus, and helping out when we have big family jobs to do!  When he first moved out... I missed him sorely, but now I am happy for him to be on his own and sharing his LIGHT.  It seems like such a good fit with mass every day and eating at the Catholic School at noon... it makes me smile at how perfect it is for him!

 Some bale pictures in the last evening...

 I am smiling today also at a new post Nancy has put on her blog this morning - adding 21 more cross-stitch Saints to the 40 she shared a couple weeks ago!  http://www.dosmallthingswithlove.com/2015/10/21-more-catholic-saints-in-cross-stitch.html

I read her enthusiasm as well as the 300+ who have ordered her patterns, and it makes me so happy!  I am truly a Saint Geek!  I love, love, love them and I learned to love them right along with my kids in my nest years!  We had a fun children's saint book, and during lent and Advent we would read about them before we went to bed at night during family prayer.  The kids loved it and would call out for some of their favorites... St Rita, St Maria Goretti to name a couple.   What did they teach us?  No matter what you face in life - you can persevere!

 The Saints certainly have many that were in bondage... yet they found freedom to share their LOVE of Christ and his Bride, The Church, even in prison or on their way to sacrifice their lives.   I imagine this woman, who had been bound by Satan for 18 years, stood up and walked forever more to the life-giving waters of Faith in Jesus and a firm member of The Church!  I am sure that she shared her Faith in her Domestic Church/family and raised LIGHTS to show The Truth/The LIGHT to the world of sin and darkness around her.

 No matter what we face as far as hardships, suffering, persecutions, misundertandings, humbling experiences... we always know that we are loved, forgiven and we carry that forth and share it with those around us!  We stand upright for The Truth even in the face of those that put us down and don't understand.

 Thoughtful Rose... there is so much to contemplate each day of our lives with Jesus, Mary, and The Church!  There is so much that each day is full and brimming over!  May our JOY and LOVE always reach those around us!  If love accompanies seeing the many things God has done for us, the soul is gladdened, the heart is touched with tenderness, and tears begin to flow.  St Teresa of Avila  How the tears begin to flow!!!!  Happy or sad the emotion is very deep and powerful.

 Out to watch a gate... the cows in the pasture in the morning sun on another glorious fall day! 

 Over the weekend these lucky heifers were chosen to join the herd and have many years of raising a calf each year ahead of them.  Pat and Paul will care for them and watch over them and yes... pray for them each day.  Prayers with Pat always include - "for the cows and calves that they stay healthy and fertile."  We certainly realize on the farm that we have much to do ourselves, but our Faith is also first and foremost.  It is in the Lord's hands...

 Such a wonderful day and so much joy at the clothesline - lots of jeans for John and Pat after working with livestock both days. 

 A sign of wonderful weather and farmwork shared. 

 The station that Maria made us for the grove when she discerned out of the Poor Clare monastery after 5 months discerning her call in 2004!  This is - Jesus Falls the First Time.  So blessed by the journeys of all our children and the prayers we receive from them as well as our 7 in heaven.  We must need a lot of prayers!

Jesus, I am filled to overflowing with all the blessings of this day!  The words of St Paul to the Romans 8:12-17 reminding us that we have received a Spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba, Father!"  We are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.  The suffering part is hard, yet there is a measure of that each of our days... may we give without counting the cost. 
The Psalm today #68
The Father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.

Blessed day by day be the Lord,
who bears our burdens; God, who is our salvation.
God is a saving God for us;
Our God is the God of Salvation.
No matter what we have to suffer, O Lord, you are there to assist us on the way and to remover our bondage so that we may walk erect no matter what we have to face.  May we carry/drag our Most Cherished Cross and follow after you down the narrow path.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

 Bless-bless, Barbara Luke of the clothesline

Down to the mailbox with two dogs and a cat and cows in the pasture... never alone!

God's timing in our lives...

Released from bondage - we love you with all we have Lord!

Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me