The Pat and Barb Verly family and their 5 children, in laws and grandkids along with many prayer warriors have been drawn together by John's cancer... sharing daily for 8 months started this blog- Family Soul Story - Our faith, family, farm and now our cancer journey called HEALING have colored and deepened our world. WE continue to share and depend on the support of our prayer warrior community, that has lowered us into the Lord's presence for His healing!
Greeted by our youngest granddaughter, 7 month old Regina Maria, after an early morning trip up to Delano with hubby and farm boy , Big Dave. It was surgery day for 9 year old Bernadette to have her tonsils removed, so we were needed.
My wonderful husband, Farmer Pat, loves LIFE and has set the motto our family lives by - "open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS!" Our greatest JOY and our LOVE grows more with each new LIFE!
He makes my heart skip a beat with his beauty inside and out!
He is a magnet for the kids, and one of the parts of him that I love the most is his arms always ready to welcome the children! We are now expecting our 23rd grandchild!
This morning at my swim aerobics I visited with a friend, and we shared how we both experienced "many losses" in our childbearing years and how wanting to meet those children someday keeps our eyes focused on getting to heaven at the end of this journey on earth!
As we approached Nancy's home, my hubby offered to allow me to go and visit a sister, and her daughter, who is laid up with an injury from a fall with her 2 small girls. I was taken by surprise to even consider this when I thought I would be busy with Nancy's other kids. Pat had come along last minute and suddenly I could make a half hour trip to visit my sister and her daughter. Thanks, honey!
Bernadette on the way to the hospital - Nancy brought along Gina, who is still nursing.
6 year old JoJo went along to my sister's home to play with her 2 granddaughters. A nice time to share with my granddaughter.
Time in the pool while we visited. It was special to visit my sister and niece, who needs to meet the surgeon today in regards to her knee injury after a fall. Fun to catch up on some of my siblings and their lives.
Pizza and shows together...
Tired out on our trip back.
Regina back home with mom and Bernadette after her surgery is done - now rest with lots of water and ice cream and popsicles.
Gathered around Berna and welcoming her home again minus her tonsils.
Wearing grandpa's hat.
George is 3 now.
Patriotic bales in the ditch by Cottonwood.
Berna with an ice cream bar and the others get one too!
Time in prayer at mass this morning... remembering many prayer needs that I time to time forget about... and alcoholic, a man accused of abusing his daughter, mental illness, a young boy with many healthy issues, a young father with recurring cancer, and young man with homosexual and mental illnesses... Lord, hear my prayers for these you have put on my heart. Like the potter in the first reading today - remake them according to your healing LOVE and Mercy!
A cute elderly man that holds his ball cap in his hands as he walks around the church doing the stations and visiting Mary and Joseph.
LOVE it when the cows are in the pasture in the middle of the yard - a beautiful sight!
The hunk and the adorable smiley baby Tom with the cows as a backdrop. Both with dimples showing! Pat has passed them on to our kids and and now our grandkids!
Always need to take more than one!
When he saw his daddy come close - he almost jumped into his arms!
LOVE this happy one! Thanks, Paul for posing for me!
Tom hanging out with the farmers.
Now pretty pretty mommy makes him smile so sweet! He loves his mommy!
The cows were there but disappeared in the bright sunlight.
Eucharist in the sunlight.
Matchy matchy with mommy getting Gina to smile big with grandma
Hubby bringing home the quadtrack - a Big Farmer!
Ruth shared that this guy is now moving on his own all the way across the house, and proud of it too! Watch out here comes Tom Tom!
Wonderful words today from St Mother Teresa of Calcutta!
More beautiful words today about LOVE - agape! Selfless love is truly when we can find "ecstasy"
Dad's man, Brother Victor, today is about the Holy Spirit and dad and I share that experience very deeply! Dad was baptized in the Holy Spirit as a Protestant Minister and then prayed over me! The Holy Spirit led us into The Church - all 13 of our family 50 years ago! We are eternally blessed and grateful! How we love with no reservations - The Catholic Church! United in our Faith and Family! Bless-bless, Barbar and the 53 - 34 with us and 19 in heaven!
A sweet picture of my parents a few years back after dad comes home after a few days in Vets for some procedures. They were so close and were together in their own home for 70 years and 8 months until mom died in a day after a fall. Dad then came to live with me on the farm for the last 6 months of his life, and then joined mom in heaven! Only apart for 7 months.
Today being the Memorial of St Joachim and Ann - the parents of Mary the Mother of God, and grandparents to Jesus... it just seems right to begin with my parents and the heritage they left for me, my children and now grandchildren... bringing all 13 into The Church 50 years ago and then modeling loving and following Jesus, Mary and The Church. Thanks so much mom and dad! Each day since has been a gift and JOY!
A cherished picture from 5 years ago... Paul, Mary and baby Joy with the cows and calves out on pasture and Ruth's beautiful porch! We are reminded today the truth that with each new LIFE our LOVE grows more! We are now expecting our 23 grandchild and my parents are up to 60 great grands! These words today from Proverbs 17:6 Children's children are the crown of the elderly, and the glory of children is their parentage". We are so grateful for the great parentage our grandchildren are blessed with, including the prayers of their wonderful Aunt Little Sister Hallel for each of them. Hallel talking about her days spent in prayer as a Contemplative nunNow Hallel talks about how she feels about not having children of her own... "Having children is a good good thing, and we can see that and then give that back to the Lord and then he gives that back to us a hunderd fold..." Listen and learn!
Finally found my mothers' wedding and mother's rings! We thought they might have been stolen, so this is a huge relief to discover in the bottom of a box in the garage full of bathroom supplies.
Powerful times sharing prayer with John in the middle of the night for another young man, who had surgery on Monday for a recurrence of a possible cyst where his original brain cancer had been - after John's battle 13 years ago, healing and now the new John. He asks the Question; "Why was I spared?" The answer he has come to is to share his story of finding his faith through brain cancer, and praying for those that are in the midst of the battle!
Matt | Journal (caringbridge.org) Matt came through surgery well and is now awaiting the results of the biopsy. The prelminary results look to be no cancer and so we continue to pray!
John's Spirit Juice Video to share his burning desire to share his story of healing and faith found as he faced his life in the balance - now the story continues with wife and children!
Farmer Pat went with me to mass this morning to pray for rain! We are getting so dry and with the crops and the cows and calves needing water in the creeks to drink and grass to eat... it is all drying up before our eyes. The words from Jerimiah this morning speak of how we turn to the Lord in our need for RAIN!
For your name’s sake spurn us not, disgrace not the throne of your glory; remember your covenant with us, and break it not. Among the nations’ idols is there any that gives rain? Or can the mere heavens send showers? Is it not you alone, O LORD, our God, to whom we look? You alone have done all these things. Jerimiah 14
So many times in the 44 years of our marriage as a farmer's wife, we have been on our knees praying for rain and rejoicing with the "million dollar rains!"
Summer jammies and big smiles as we received a "million dollar rain" 35 years ago! That is the title of this picture in our family archives! I am sure that the girls were dancing around in the mud puddles with great glee!
Hallel driving us home to the farm from KCK- Lumen Christi Monsatery/Light of Christ!
2 years ago Pat and I and grandkids went for a weekend with Hallel and The Community in Kansas City! Hallel came home to the farm to spend some time with my dad, who was living his final months with us on the farm!
Her coming home was totally dictated by the Holy Spirit - it was a surprise to all of us! Little Sister Judith just realized that she could have her home visit which happens once every 3-4 years, and the next thing we knew she was with us coming to the farm!
Her goodbyes from the others before we left for the farm - Big Dave was along and is taking it all in!
Singing "Happy Birthday, Big Dave!" How Pat loves to bring grandkids along to share in the life of the Little Brothers and Little Sisters!
LOVE to wear my blue apron and help out making the American meal for the Little Brothers! They have all now returned to France for the gathering of the entire Community of the Lamb at Saint Pierre, France in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains! The first will return in the first week of September. I might go and have some time there to hold down the fort, but my summer is filling up fast with fairs and grandkids.
Tonight I head up to Nancy's for grandma time - Nancy called with these words - "Mom, I need you!" How a mother loves to hear those words at any age! I am needed as 9 year old Bernadette is having her tonsils out tomorrow, and the other 5 will need me to be there.
As they suffered from infertility until they were blessed with Mary Immaculate... Anne is invoked by infertile couples and women in childbirth. Medieval painters favored the triad of Anne embracing her daughter Mary and grandchild Jesus.
We need patrons so that we can pray enough for our grandchildren and lead them in ways of loving Jesus, Mary, the Saints and The Church!
Brother Victor today says some sweet wonderful things about St Joachim and Anne!
May our conduct be worthy of our children and grandchildren! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
My mother read daily meditations by Pope Benedict XVI for 10 years and has left it behind for me each day! So much beauty and Truth both my parents left for me! Bless-bless, Barbara and the 53 - 34 here with us and 19 in heaven.
Seek the Truth and humbly ask Jesus and Mary to help us embrace our Most Cherished Cross and find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!
Grandpa happy to have Tom in his big farmer hands to begin mass shared with 2 of our children and their families! How we love to share our Faith as a family and then to gather on the farm for a shared meal - grandma and grandpa spoil with fruit, doughnuts, and even ice cream treats for dessert. So much JOY and LOVE and even PEACE! It all equals a happy time shared to begin our week.
I went out with Pat to move the cows and calves to the next pasture on a hot summer afternoon yesterday. I went down to find some sink holes with some water left in the pasture. Soon the calves came down to stand in the nice water in the shade of a willow tree.
I even had my toes in the water, too. We are in very much need of rain!
A lot of the creek looks like this where cool rushing water was just a month ago. We even are having some mysterious bite injuries on the legs of some of the cows across the road from the farm, and we are wondering if it could possibly be a large snapping turtle that is being protective of the shrinking water in his bog!?!
We have to keep a close eye on the water supply for the cows and calves, as it is shrinking to some pools here and there.
The most lush green grass is on the banks of the only water in the pasture.
I kind of watched them come towards me...
Now the calves joined me in the creek until Pat came to pick me up after he checked the fence to make sure it was working to keep them in the pasture and safe.
Yesterday I could hear the thunder in the morning, but it "went north" reported farmer hubby. The Gospel today promising us that if we ask we will receive - reminds me of many summers that we have had masses for rain, and had those "million dollar rains" that have saved our crops when things were drying up. We are getting to that point now. Many prayers for rain!!!
"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened..." Luke 11
Lord, send us rain for the cows and calves, our gardens, and the thousands of acres of beans and corn!
People around us at mass have watched Tom getting bigger and bigger with each new week. He is now 8 months old and such a sweet happy and good boy!
The Psalm 138 today from mass speaks of how we love to come to worship and share our Faith each Sunday! I, too, am beginning to make it to daily mass before I go to the Y for swim aerobics.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name. R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me. Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise. When I called you answered me; you built up strength within me. Psalm 138
Jude and Joy waiting to do shopping for our Sunday Brunch shared on the farm. Jude loves to pick out all things chocolate, and Joy is such a sweet girl to help us, and show Jude the fun of shopping with grandma and grandpa for our Sunday Feast! Yes, Tom fell asleep in daddy's arms for mass today.
Pat waving to Fr Tony....
Ruth's beautiful porch for our feast - Tom getting some yogurt from his pretty pretty mommy.
Lil Dude indeed.
Beautiful table on Ruth's porch on the farm. A beautiful morning shared after receiving Jesus in Word and Eucharist.
So beautiful and how we love to share our Faith/Family/Farm!
A new tradition has begun with ice cream bars after brunch - especially good in the summer time. Jude picked them out - as they were topped with chocolate and his mom's favorite M and Ms!
Beautiful sunflowers from Ruth's amazing garden - she puts me to shame!
Suns to reflect our JOYFUL times together on Sundays - 17th Sunday of Ordinary Times - I emailed Hallel in France to discover if she is safely in Saint Pierre today. Getting there involved having to juggle flights and not leave on the day they had planned, but rather yesterday instead. It is 7 hours later there, so it is already 10p!
From John and Bobbi's wedding on June 2nd,2018 which was 4 years ago - their 5 Godchildren dressed alike in their sweet fluffy pink dresses!
2 year old Birdie Barbara wore one of them to mass today, and brought up "fairy wings" to be a "fairy" after we shared our meal! Of course, grandma had to get a picture or...
or 2 pictures...
or 3 pictures... and
even 4 pictures
Along with one taken from behind - pretty in pink! How special to now see their daughter wearing one of the special dresses from their wedding for their Goddaughters - 4 of them! It is so fun to see her being happy and comfortable at her cousins' farm home! Thank you, Lord, for our big and growing family - each new one brings more LOVE for us to share! Jesus, we trust in you! Please send us rain! Amen and Hallelujah
Goddaughter, Josephine with older sister, Bernadette and Rose by Our Lady and St Therese! How we love our Saints! Bless-bless, Barbara and the 53 - 34 with us and 19 in heaven to keep our eyes on reaching heaven forever! How I think of them at mass! I know they are adoring our Lord with us!
Good Sunday!
______________________
"Sunday is the core of our civilization,
dedicated to thought and reverence."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
This Hymn can be sung to the tune used for
The Glory of These Forty Days
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer.
That calls me from a world of care
And bids me at my Father's throne
Make all my wants and wishes known!
In seasons of distress and grief
My soul has often found relief ,
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.
______________________
A Sunday well spent
brings happiness and content.
___________________________________________
Sunday, July 24
For this joyful occasion, the Holy Father has granted Plenary
Indulgences to grandparents, the elderly and all the faithful who participate
in one of the following "motivated by a true spirit of penance and charity."
~ By participating in a solemn liturgical celebration on July 24th,
either in person or watching virtually “uniting themselves spiritually
to the sacred functions of the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly,
offering to the Merciful God their prayers, pains or sufferings of their lives,
especially during the transmission, through the means of television and radio,
but also through the new means of social communication.”
~ By devoting adequate time on July 24th, to actually or virtually visit
those who are elderly and in need or in difficulty
(such as the sick, the abandoned, the disabled and other similar cases).
__________________
Gaining a Pleanary Indulgence is significant because it is the remission
of the punishment for all sins committed from the day of baptism.
The indulgence can be applied to any deceased person you wish
but it cannot be applied to any living person, except yourself.
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