Feed: THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY CARD AND GIFT SHOP - AggScore: 45.6

The Specialist

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Samuel was accustomed to getting up early, so farmer's hours weren't a problem to him. He loved to get up before dawn and watch the sun rise over the vineyards on the hilltop. It was so easy to break into prayer when he could bask in the beauty of God's creation. Nature was a gift from God, which revealed the deeper gift of God's love towards him. Milking cows was a brand new chore for Samuel, but since he was used to menial work, he caught on quickly. This particular morning, he joined Zane at the milking parlor to assist in hooking up the receptacles feeding into the ancient milking machine.

Time to Muck Out the Barn

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Author’s Note:  There’s a smell at St. Vincent’s monastery that is reaching the high places in heaven.  And it’s it’s not the sweet aroma of incense, either.  It’s more like the aroma that is found in a cow barn after a long winter.  Ah well, barns can be cleaned, new,  sweet smelling straw can be [...]

If It’s Broke…Fix It

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Adrian seldom got angry. It had never been in his nature, even when he was a young boy. If there was ever such a thing as the "git along gang", he would have been the head honcho. He could always find a way to solve disputes and avoid confrontations. But the story that Samuel had told him about the corruption at St. Vincent's monastery stimulated an anger that he couldn't dispel. "How can anyone violate their vows and desecrate the Lord's house of prayer in such a way?", he thought as he worked in the small garden near the rectory. As a parish priest, he wasn't in a position to do anything to fix the problem. But Adrian couldn't see why the Lord would put this situation in his lap, if He didn't expect him to do something about it. "Oh Lord, show me what you want me to do" was his silent prayer.

Back To the Drawing Board

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Samuel wasn't sure he could trust the priest who sat on the opposite side of a wooden picnic table from him. Children and their mothers occupied the playground, but there was an element of privacy to their conversation. "I'd really like to find out how we can best help you, Samuel. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?" "There's not much to tell, Father Adrian. I joined the order about twenty five years ago, and soon after went to St. Vincent's, where I eventually became a master gardener. A few days ago, I left the monastery, and it seems I was whisked here by a few nice people. I have no idea why I'm here, but your friend Bernardo seems to think I have a mission to accomplish."