"when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain..." John 16

A morning at the farm as our cattle are going to market today.  Hormone free.. the meat will be traveling to Europe. Grandma will be watching the kids and running for things they need. 
A beautiful day with Rose, Luke, and Joy as we put clothes on the line and had some time to hang out while mom was out on a 4 wheeler watching for heat.  A group effort and this old grandma prefers time doing the housework and child watch to rolling under fences and walking among the cows and calves in the muddy pasture.

Joy seemed to love the wonderful weather... feeling the warmth, smelling the fresh mowed grass and the clean fresh clothes on the line, and listening to the birds sing and her brother and sister running around and playing in the sand box. 


Hanging out with sweet little Joy, who is 8 weeks old today... the Gospel jumps out to me as Ruth just went through the birth of her 6th child!  Jesus said to his disciples:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn,
while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.
When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived;
but when she has given birth to a child,
she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy
that a child has been born into the world.
So you also are now in anguish.
But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy away from you."  John 16
So true!!!  And Ruth was just sharing that her C-section incision was a very big reminder of the pain we women experience in order to bring LIFE into the world.  Yes, we have the closeness and JOY of feeding and nurturing and caring for all the needs of the new little one.  Soon the pain is long forgotten with the happiness of a new member in our family!

Rose and Luke pushing their sister around keeps her happy while grandma puts clothes on the line.  Talk about stepping back in time... many times with kids and grandkids out by the clothesline in this same grove!

Off for a stroll/Joy ride!  The lush green grass feel good for our bare feet.  It is the best to have their young family bringing so much LIFE to the farm!

Joy is one lucky little girl to grow up on a big family full of exciting times on the farm!

Today a lot of excitement with the pile of sand they will need to pack in under their new porch!  Soft and moist and fun to dig in for the kids!  Super fun to have a playmate, right Luke and Rose?


Lord, as mothers and grandmothers we are so blessed to have the privilege of bringing new life into the world!  Being open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS!  http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html  Sitting here in the farmhouse that I raised my family in, now made new with Ruth's vision of being able to see the farm and her canning kitchen... now the new porch will add that outdoor space that she loves to use for meals and family gatherings!  To have my oldest daughter living the life she had here growing up now for her own kids!  The best!  Truly we are celebrating our Faith/Family/Farm on this glorious day in which we are watching our cattle go to market after the men have worked hard to raise them to feed the world.  Jesus, we thank you for all that you give us with each new day in The Church, and foremost that we share our Faith as a family united in our goal to get to Heaven forever with You, Jesus, Mary and the Saints!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Luke by the sandbox with a dog, a cat and a tractor (toy) and the corn coming up... the great life of a farm kid. 

Joy growing big and sweet.  Ruth reports that she puts herself to sleep at night, and only gets up once to eat.  Such a wonderful new addition to a great farm family!  LIFE is a gift!
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

Soon this will be packed for their porch to rest upon, but great to play in now!

They are forever blessed to have a new baby sister!  thank you, Lord!

St Philip Neri today... he was a joyful priest...St Philip Neri was noted for his ability to be cheerful and to laugh from the depths of his burning love for the crucified Christ and to win over hearts for Christ by the quality of his joy.
As my husband is known to say; "You win more with honey rather than vinegar."

And he loved Our Lady with me!!!



http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/how-a-nuns-home-is-helping-women-freed-from-sex-trafficking-57471/  A good article and another reminder that nuns living out their lives would be so much better for these women and girls as they would be there living with them and not a staff or hired workers around the clock!  Plus the sisters would have their prayer and the love of their spouse to help them in their ministry with these women that have become shells of themselves after all the abuse they have faced in sex trafficking.  A very powerful paragraph;
“One of the things I think you have to understand: human trafficking is not a problem. Human trafficking is a symptom,” he added. “We live in a society where we determine who has the right to be born. We live in a society where we get to decide who dies and when, with our elderly. And now there’s some recent things about Planned Parenthood, we’re talking about selling baby parts and making $52,000/week on baby parts.”
“For God’s sake, we have so devalued the dignity of human life that by and large as a society we see human life as a matter of profit, pleasure or possession,” he said. “Human life has become a commodity. Human trafficking is one more aspect of that.” Kevin Jones - EWTN

Lines full, and baby enjoying a glorious day... this is your world on the farm, Joy! 

"Jesus himself is what we call "heaven." Benedict XVI Happy 6th birthday Augustine!

Augustine talking to the two Daves a few weeks back now... today Gus is 6 and he is celebrating in KC with his parents and grandparents from Pennsylvania.  How we loved having all the grandkids together for our Hallel's home visit.  The weather was perfect all around us and within us, too!  The kids put in huge days playing happily together with rare arguments, and lots of smiles as we basked in the sunshine and shared prime Family time.  These three went from legos to bikes to playing in the sand to eating our meals in Pat's new shop. 

Gus in the center surrounded by the rest of the grandkids (15 total).. he is the oldest of 4 in his family and has an exciting year ahead as he begins his school career as he attends Kindergarten at Sacred Heart Catholic School just a block from his home.  Nancy feels that it is a lot like the wonderful Catholic School here that she and her sisters and brother attended through 8th grade.  Now Ruth's 4 oldest will be going there, as Rose will start Kindergarten also this next school year!

Boys will be boys!


It is in actuality Ascension Thursday, but we will be celebrating it on Sunday.  Reading the readings for Easter Thursday of week 6, and also the readings for Ascension... lots to rejoice with today!  Pat and I both were touched deeply by the words of our Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI...
The meaning of Christ's Ascension expresses our belief that in Christ the humanity that we all share has entered into the inner life of God in a new and hitherto unheard of way.  It means that man has found an everlasting place in God.  It would be a mistake to interpret the Ascension as the temporary absence of Christ from the world.  Rather, we go to heaven as to the extent that we go to Jesus Christ and enter into him.  Heaven is a person: Jesus himself is what we call "heaven."

So wonderful and appropriate to find this glorious prayer of how we enter into Jesus/heaven by Gus's patron Saint., St Augustine!

My lilac branch that I brought in during Holy week has long since died, but I just couldn't put away my wonderful butterflies and crosses yet, so I got this beautiful hibiscus and continue to smile at the sight and memories that flood me with JOY!

A reminder of the small slice of heaven we have been given with each year of our journey!  Sharing our Faith as a family on the farm is so amazing and the gift we were given by all being together for Hallel's home visit 3 weeks ago was something that was so perfect and wonderful and such a gift!  I continue to rejoice to the highest heavens which is what we do every time we say our Little Sister Hallel's name!  Yes, it is where we get Hallelujah!


The Psalm for the Feast of the Ascension is so filled with that kind of JOY!  "Shouts of JOY!"  Trumpet blasts and singing praise, sing hymns of praise as we clap our hands!!!  LOVE it!  Psalm 47 rocks with so much Praise and worship of "the king of all the earth is God!"

Out to see Our Lady, who is with me each day!  How I am spoiled to have this wonderful mother and role model to me of how to say "yes" to all that is asked of me.  She takes my needs to her Son, and I receive the answer according to his plan for me to get to Heaven forever with Jesus and Our Mother, Mary Queen of heaven and earth!

Ruth and I switched our statues... mine is on the deck now outside their bedroom, and this little admirer has been there for a week or more! 

"All you peoples clap your hands, shout to God with cries of gladness, for the Lord, the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over all the earth.  God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord."  Psalm 47
When you see a part of God's creation that is this beautiful it is like a shout of JOY!


Jesus, how we long to come to heaven forever with you and your Mother and your Saints.  May we praise you with all that we do and say and reflect that you dwell within us and we are yours!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Pat and I are missing our baby girl and her family.  Yet we know that they are finally together as a family and love that!  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

Jesus I am yours!

Nancy's patron Saint

Peter Mayer - Holy Now

"My buddy is Romo." Dominic all the time. Traveling with St Paul!

Romeo, Patrick and Dominic in a row.  Romeo will be 3 in September, Patrick will be 5 in October and Domo will be 3 in a few weeks in June.  How they loved the beautiful week we shared as a family brought together by Hallel's first home visit in 4 years!  The weather could not have been better.  Imagining how much different it would have been with the cold and wet we have had for the last week or more.  Not nearly so fun!

The girls now include 3 girls in the last year to grow up together!  They have almost caught up to the grandsons now... just one more and they are equal.  Until this year we had twice as many grandsons than granddaughters, and all those boys was something new for us after our 4 girls "and then you had that boy!" 

The big boys had so much fun on bikes, and swimming and catching frogs and playing in the gravel pile... lots of wonderful outside playing together and getting to know their Aunt Little Sister Hallel and fabulous faith/family/farm time!  It was all as perfect as it could be!  Tomorrow Gus, on the left, will be fabulous 6!  He will go to Kindergarten this year at the Catholic School just a block from his house!  A big year lies ahead for Augustine William!  Happy birthday sweet boy!

Hallel with Maria's family in the bright sun we had for her visit at the beginning of May.  Now Hallel is in Rome and Maria is in Washington State.  A treasured memory!


How I have loved reading the progression in Acts of St Paul as he, led by the Holy Spirit, shares The Truth far and wide with all who he comes in contact with!  I have always rejoiced in knowing that just like you and I, St Paul never walked the earth with Jesus.  Yet, the Holy Spirit ablaze in him reveals Jesus to many as they "become believers."  Jesus is traveling with St Paul on his journey as he is with you and I!  The Hallel Psalm from mass today fills me with the JOY that I experience each day in The Church on as I travel down the narrow path carrying/dragging our Most Cherished Cross and following after our Jesus! 
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Yes, Lord, I am a maiden in your eyes and you shower your unconditional love upon me!  May I give it to those around me in return!  Jesus, I trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

So love to see my kids and kids in law all together enjoying each other!  Nothing better!

Except maybe the two buddies, Romeo and Dominic, having so much fun playing with their Aunt Hallel! Love this so much! 

Beaten with rods and chained in a dark prison cell... praying and singing hymns to God

One of our parting pictures of cousins at little Dave's First Communion a week ago.  The two boys and their family are now living in Tacoma, Washington.  They are just an hour away from Joseph's brother and will be spending their 4 day Memorial Weekend with family!  A very special part of their being stationed out there. 

The first reading today from Acts 16 today where Paul and Silas were beaten with rods and then chained to the floor in a dark inner prison cell... wounded, bleeding, in the dark and dank and chained to the floor... how do they respond?  "At midnight they were praying and singing hymns to God while the other prisoners listened..."  Blow my mind!!!  Talk about The Holy Spirit dwelling within and setting them on fire with the Love of Christ!  Such a lesson on the small things we face and how our love for Jesus should well up within us and give us JOY to accomplish sharing his LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT. 

the two Davids a week ago... they both have received Jesus in his Eucharist within 2 weeks of each other!

I am struggling with what I should do as far as daily Eucharist.  I know that it would be a wonderful way for me to start my days, but I also know that it is good to pray morning prayer with my two men before John heads to his job in Tracy and Pat to the farm with a "bye Honey, have a good day."  For now I am opting to pray and make breakfast for my men, and feel that sharing prayers in our domestic Church/family is allowing the Holy Spirit to minister to our needs and give us the ability to die to self so that Jesus may live in us.

Luke shows grandma his favorite kitten... soon she will open her eyes and get cuter.  I am at Ruth's using her internet as ours is non existent due to my big Cottonwood tree and the rain. 


As I was pondering Paul today... I recalled Jesus being scourged as I did the sorrowful mysteries in Adoration.  I pray each decade remembering my 5 children and their families and Communities.  So powerful to pray for each of them on down the line, and then I had to add one for Pat/The Crucifixion/5th sorrowful every day as he is my Most Cherished Cross and through the Sacrament of Matrimony lived out each day we are crucified to self so that we can go forward down the narrow path carrying/dragging our Most Cherished Cross and following after Jesus through the intercession of Mary, my daily companion and helper.

Joy meeting her first baby kitties!


Jesus, we yearn to come to give you all the praise and rejoice with JOY at all you give us to face all the difficulties pain and suffering that comes to us in our day to day lives!  May we trust and give our all over to you.  Come Holy Spirit and fill us with LOVE on fire to lead us into prayer and hymns to YOU alone.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

Wow!

come Holy Spirit!

St Rita... "stay at my home"

Hallel surrounded by 5 of the 15 grandkids on one of her last days here over 2 weeks ago.  By this time the kids had played so hard for days in the beautiful weather we enjoyed for her 5 days on the farm, that it was a special quiet time to sit and lean and kneel and lay and listen to Aunt Susan/Little Sister Hallel read to them books.  Special close time to be cherished with their Aunt, who is a nun and lives most of the time in Rome, Italy for these last 3 years. 

Grandma and Hallel with all 15 on such a glorious sunny day... we have finally bright sunlight today after days of cold and rain.  The sunny green and lush after almost 3 inches of rain is taking me back to this Saturday morning two weeks ago when we recorded our all being together!  This only happens every 4 years so it is precious indeed, and I continue to love to share them as I write here and pour out my heart.


Today is the feast of St Rita, to whom we pray for impossible cases.  She has come into our home when the kids were young.  We would gather in the evenings and read from the book of the Saints, and she with her thorn in the middle of her forehead, was one of the ones that John would ask for..."Read St Rita!"  So this morning John and I and Pat sharing morning prayer we shared our joy that once again she is with us!

May 22nd is the #feastday of St. Rita, the famous patron saint of impossible causes (and of the sick, wounded, lonely, abused, and difficult marriages). Her life exemplified the words of St. Paul, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Cor. 4:17). Read how her virtue amid terrible trials made her heaven's patron saint for the hopeless:


Isn't it so important to have her in our homes and our lives?  Don't we all have those that need her intercession and we at times too?  Yes!  The words of Lydia in the first reading today from Acts 16.. after she had embraced the Faith and been baptized, she "prevailed" that the disciples "stay at my home."  Reminding me of Mary and John at the foot of the Cross and Jesus telling him to take her as his mother, and so he brought Mary into his home!  So, too, are we called to bring the amazing Saints into our homes, and so we have with each new day... the excitement builds as we see who is specially ministering to us that day!

Hallel with her newest niece, Joy Jean Jellybean!  All the prayers that surround each one of us... we are now 25 members in the Pat and Barb Verly Family!  And of our extended we have reached over 200 when you put our families together.  On they way driving back to KC 2 weeks ago today, I went down the list of new babies expected... 3 new ones in the Cross side, and 2 more on the Verly side, plus all the new births in the last year!  I told her about the weddings, and the divorces, and the cohabitating.  Lots to add to her prayer list, and such comfort knowing of her prayers in front of Jesus each day in mass and adoration.  Yes, we miss her being a part of our life, yet her prayers are priceless to us. 

She definitely had a baby girl in her arms a lot during her time here!

Many of the grandkids bear Saint names and that is very special for them.  We have a Bernadette and Therese, Dominic and Augustine, Rose and Mary and Simon and Luke... really all names go back to the Saints and there is delight when they hear their names read during mass.  Evangeline is for the new Evangelization and her patron saint is St John Paul II!  The lives of the Saints and their amazing stories are shared in all of our homes.. they "stay in our homes!"  I would safely say that The Saints are very important to us as we live and share our Faith with JOY, Hope, Love, Peace, and all the fruits of the Spirit!

 Feeding her Josephine her birthday cake!

 So precious and cherished to have this stunning picture with the tabernacle behind of our family all together... only missing Joseph!  A treasure to fill our hearts and souls with LOVE/LIFE/LIGHT!

Now with the baby girls!!!  The best!


Jesus, how we are lifted up and given so much for the journey when we take your Mother and The Saints into our homes!  They are there to help us and intercede for us as they stand at your feet in heaven giving you all the honor and glory!    St Rita, we look to you this day as an old friend from our journey of Faith/Family/Farm.  Asking to share in the suffering of your Jesus in order to help those that seem to be in impossible situations.  May we love and serve you, my Jesus, without counting the cost.  May we die to self so that we may become the Saint that you are calling us each to become.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

The view that greeted me when I came out of the chicken house today... basking in the sun and keeping their feet dry...

Yes, with 3 inches of rain there is standing water around... my feet got really wet! 

"How do we get out of here without getting soaked?"  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

The Lamb is very much a part of our faith journey with our Family/Community of the Lamb!

Big things happening at the farm today... Ruth's cement for her porch is getting poured!  The sight of the boys out helping with the paving landscaping yesterday evening!




She is so black and white... LOVE!

Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me

Danielle Rose - the Litany of Humility