Thursday, February 25, 2016

HAPPY MEMORIES, TEARS, LOVE AND YELLOW YARN!

Good Morning Out There! A quick post before I head to the courtyard! Today
is Day 16 of the 40 Days for Life Campaign! I wish that everyone who reads this
blog could spend just one hour in the courtyard! I love being out there! Every day
brings new blessings! I have to share what happened last Friday.
One of my sweetest prayer warriors is Mrs. Cain. She is in her eighties and is just
an absolute joy to be around. She brings her crochet hooks and yarn with her and
prays and crochets! She makes the cutest little caps for newborn babies and then she
donates them to our local pregnancy help center.
I don't know how to crochet, my mom tried to teach me the summer before she passed
away from cancer. I remember sitting by her on our couch, I was twelve, and she was
making an afghan for me. The colors were bright yellow and orange, I still have it!
My grandmother was making an afghan for my brother, it was green and white. My
mom taught me the basics. After she died I never tried to crochet again until last Friday
afternoon. I showed up at the courtyard at about 1:30 p.m. Mrs. Cain was praying and
crocheting! I sat down next to her and gave her a big hug! She handed me a crochet
hook and gave me some bright yellow yarn. She told me to just start making a chain
like I remembered. After a while she showed me how to make a circle and start
connecting the rows. We laughed and visited and before we knew it over three hours
had passed. Other people praying in the courtyard stopped by to visit with us as they
were fixing to leave. It was a wonderful day, and it brought back a lot of wonderful
memories. The baby cap I was supposed to be making ended up being a big, bright
yellow doily! Mrs. Cain was so proud of me, and she told me that we would practice
some more on another day out in the courtyard. I enjoyed the day so much, and even
though my mom has been gone for many years, just writing about this brings tears
to my eyes, I will always miss her!
I hope you all have a wonderful day. I'm headed to the courtyard, and I will pop in at
the Sack Lunch Ministry, another place near and dear to my heart!
God bless you all! Hug your spouse, hug your kids, and call your mama and your dad
if you are still blessed to have them here with you!
Every day of our lives is a gift!
I try to make sure that I do something each day to give as a gift back to God!
A smile goes a long way, hugs are great, your children are precious, and please always
pray for your spouse!
A wedding is a day, a marriage is a life time and takes love and prayers, patience
and kindness and most of all, dependence on God!
                                                  Blessings to you and yours, Sharla

Monday, February 22, 2016

SHARING THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES OF THE PRO-LIFE ROSARY!

Good Morning Out There! I'm fixing to head to the courtyard but I wanted to share
the Joyful Mysteries of the Pro-Life Rosary with you first! If you aren't able to come
and pray in the courtyard with us, please consider praying for the unborn and their
families from wherever you are!
The following is how we begin the rosary and continue on:

THE SIGN OF THE CROSS
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

 THE APOSTLES' CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
He descended into hell;
on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.
SAY THE "OUR FATHER."
SAY THREE "HAIL MARYS."
SAY THE "GLORY BE TO THE FATHER."

First Joyful Mystery
The Annunciation
Luke 1:28
And when the angel had come to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women."
(When we pray the pro-life rosary, we add special intentions after each
 mystery/scripture.)
Mary is troubled by the angel's greeting, yet rejoices to do God's will. Let us pray
that those who are troubled by their pregnancy may have the grace to trust in
God's will.
After each intention, we pray one "Our Father", "Ten Hail Marys",
one "Glory be to the Father",  and one "O My Jesus" prayer. For the Pro-Life Rosary
we add "Jesus, protect and save the unborn" at the end, before starting the next mystery.
Second Joyful Mystery
The Visitation
Luke 1:41-42
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice:
"Blest are you among women and blest is the fruit of your womb."
John the Baptist leapt for joy in his mother's womb. We pray that people may realize
that abortion is not about children who "might" come into the world, but is about
children who are already in the world, living and growing in the womb, and are
scheduled to be killed.
Pray one "Our Father", "Ten Hail Marys",
one "Glory be to the Father",  and one "O My Jesus" prayer.
 "Jesus, protect and save the unborn"
Third Joyful Mystery
The Birth Of Jesus
Luke 2:7
She gave birth to her first-born Son and wrapped Him in
swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was
no room for them in the place where travelers lodged.
God Himself was born as a child. The greatness of a person does not depend on size,
for the newborn King is very small. Let us pray for an end to prejudice against the tiny
babies threatened by abortion.
Pray one "Our Father", "Ten Hail Marys",
one "Glory be to the Father",  and one "O My Jesus" prayer.
"Jesus, protect and save the unborn"
Fourth Joyful Mystery
The Presentation
Luke 2:22-23
When the day came to purify them according to the law of Moses,
the couple brought Him up to Jerusalem so that He could be presented
to the Lord, for it is written in the law of the  Lord, "Every first-born male
shall be consecrated to the Lord."
The Child is presented in the Temple because the Child belongs to God. Children are
 not the property of their parents, nor of the government. They -and we- belong to
God Himself.
Pray one "Our Father", "Ten Hail Marys",
one "Glory be to the Father",  and one "O My Jesus" prayer.
"Jesus, protect and save the unborn"
Fifth Joyful Mystery
Finding The Child Jesus in The Temple
Luke 2:46
On the third day they came upon Him in the temple sitting in the midst
of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
The boy Jesus was filled with wisdom, because He is God. Let us pray that all people
 may see the wisdom of His teachings about the dignity of life, and may understand that
this teaching is not an opinion, but the truth.
Pray one "Our Father", "Ten Hail Marys",
one "Glory be to the Father",  and one "O My Jesus" prayer.
"Jesus, protect and save the unborn"

Have a wonderful day!                Bye for now,
                                                                      Sharla

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

IN OUR FATHER'S COURTYARD THIS IS WHAT YOU'LL SEE!

Good Morning Out There! The last week has been wonderful! Just a quick post to
share some uplifting news from the courtyard!
Friday 2/12/16 -
There were people praying in the courtyard all throughout the day! I stopped by before
I went to the noon Mass and this is what I saw:
Four amazing ladies praying the rosary together, another awesome lady praying by
herself, a homeless man sitting on a bench eating his lunch that he had just received
from our Sack Lunch Ministry and another faithful man, my friend, and a member of the
Knights of Columbus, painting the benches in the courtyard! I love the joy and fellowship
that absolutely grabs you when you walk into the courtyard!
Friday evening I stopped back by and this is what I saw:
A beautiful devoted married couple and another very faithful prayer warrior sitting
at the picnic table eating dinner together. A fish fry was going on in the cafeteria,
a fundraiser for the youth trips, and the couple bought dinner for the three of them! I
walked up and gave them all a hug! We visited for a little while and Mrs. Cain, my
faithful prayer warrior, told me that she was at home crocheting little baby caps for
the moms that go to the pregnancy help center. She decided that since she was praying
while she was crocheting, she'd just come to the courtyard and pray and crochet there!
Then she was blessed with a wonderful fish dinner! Don't you just love that?
I have more to share but it will have to be tomorrow!
Blessings, blessings to you and yours!
                                                                   Bye for now, Sharla


"In my Father's courtyard this is what I see,
faithful smiling people looking back
at me.
In my Father's courtyard faith and love abound,
in my Father's courtyard
 prayers go round and round.
In my Father's courtyard this is what I see,
prayerful wonderful people looking back
at me.
In my Father's courtyard you'll feel His healing peace. 
In my Father's courtyard is where I long to be."

Thursday, February 11, 2016

IN MY FATHER'S COURTYARD

Good Morning Out There! The Kick-Off Rally for the 40 Days for Life was great!
Fat Tuesday Pancake Dinner will all kinds of toppings; blueberries, strawberries,
whipping cream, sprinkles and of course butter and syrup. We even had a request for
peanut butter and that was available also! Sausage links or ham was served up on the
side!
Day 1 of our peaceful, prayerful vigil was amazing. So many people showed up to pray!
I had gone into the kitchen to help with the Sack Lunch Ministry and then I walked back
through the hall towards the courtyard. I wanted to make sure that someone was still
out there. I stopped just as I reached the doors and looked through the glass. Tears welled
up in my eyes and I started singing this song that came upon my heart:


"In my Father's courtyard this is what I see,
faithful smiling people looking back
at me.
In my Father's courtyard faith and love abound,
in my Father's courtyard
 prayers go round and round.
In my Father's courtyard this is what I see,
prayerful wonderful people looking back
at me.
In my Father's courtyard you'll feel His healing peace. 
In my Father's courtyard is where I long to be."

God is so good! I feel so blessed! I'm headed to the courtyard, come and join me,
be blessed!
                                                               Bye for now,
                                                                             Sharla

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

PLEASE SAY A LITTLE PRAYER FOR ME!

Good Morning, Good Morning! Hello Out There!
I've been awake since 4:00 a.m. - The Fat Tuesday Pancake Dinner Kick-Off Rally is
tonight! Writing out my list and checking it twice! I'm thinking (6) cans of whipping
cream for the pancakes will be enough? Yes, we are having syrup also, I just thought the
kids might like some whipping cream too! I have the Horton Hears a Who Movie, I need
someone to please set up the movie projector thingy in the gym for me (Thank You)!
We have plenty of tables in the cafeteria but I wanted to set up some table in the gym for
the kids while they are watching the movie (dinner and a movie)!
I'm picking up table cloths for the tables we set up in the gym, I think about 6 of them,
Jim will be there to help set up! I think balloons hanging up on the gates in the courtyard
will be a nice touch! A welcoming entrance! Y'all come and eat pancakes and sign-up to
pray in the courtyard during the 40 Days for Life! 
I probably won't have much time to post in the next couple of days so I just wanted to
say hello and tell y'all to have a great week! I pray that all of you who read this are safe
and warm and know how very much God loves you! I'm always amazed and humbled
when I see that people from different countries take the time to read my blog. Thank
you and God bless you all!
I'm closing with a quote from Dr. Seuss:


 "and even if you can't see them
                 or hear them at all.........
                             a person's a person no matter how small!"


                                                                      Bye for now, Sharla


My conversation with Jim as he is heading out the door. Jim - Now Sharla be careful when you are driving, I know how you are when you have so much going on. Pay attention to the road! I laughed and said for him to say a prayer and ask St. Raphael to watch out for me. Jim - I already did and St. Raphael told me that he does the best he can but you are crazy! I laughed some more, gave him a kiss and reminded him that I needed help setting up the tables! I love my husband! Look out world - here I come! #lovemyhusband

Friday, February 5, 2016

BEAUTIFUL PRAYER FROM POPE SAINT JOHN PAUL II

Good Morning Out There! I just want to share a prayer that was in our Parish bulletin
a couple of weeks ago.


Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

"A great prayer for life is urgently needed,
 a prayer which will rise up throughout the world.
Through special initiatives and in daily prayer,
may an impassioned plea rise to God,
the Creator and lover of life,
from every Christian community,
from every group and association,
 from every family and from the heart of every believer."
 Pope Saint John Paul ll



Blessings and Peace,
Sharla
                                  

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE!

Good Morning Out There! The Spring 40 Days for Life Campaign begins next
Wednesday! So much to do! I love kids! I just have to share some of the things
that have happened the last couple of days. In my previous post I told y'all all
about my oldest grandchild's 10th birthday party and how much fun it was.
I can't believe he is already 10. Life just goes by too fast!
I teach 4th grade CCD classes at my parish on Monday nights. We have been learning
the Ten Commandments and the Corporal Works of Mercy. One of the moms gave me
a sack full of scapulars, crosses, prayers cards, etc. for me to hand out in class. I poured
everything out on the table and told them that they could each pick something out after
they told me one of the commandments or the works of mercy. I called on them one by
one. When they called out the answer I wrote it on the board and then they got to pick
one of the items. They were all so excited, and each child was able to answer correctly.
One of the young men said, "Do not take the Lord's name in vain." Then he asked me if
I would explain exactly what that meant again. I explained it and some other questions
that came up. These children are 9 and 10 years old. They love to learn, and are so
inquisitive.
My 3 1/2 year old granddaughter was in class with us. She wanted to answer a question
also. I asked her what she thought one of the answers was and she shouted out,
"Pray for the babies!" Isn't that great? No, that is not one of the Ten Commandments
or one of The Corporal Works of Mercy but as young as she is, she understood that we
were talking about serious things, and she gave a serious answer! She picked a prize and
that answer went on the board also. Kids do listen, even when you don't think they are.
They are like little sponges just soaking it all in. I love being part of their lives! I try
to cram everything I can into that 1 hour and 15 minutes I have with them on Monday
nights. They love to learn and I love to learn with them!
Yesterday, 25 students from Angelo Catholic School helped us at the Sack Lunch Ministry.
They made the sandwiches, put everything in the sacks and handed them out. They also
decorated A BUNCH of sacks for us! We loved having them help us and we hope they
will come back soon!
I hope you all have a great day!         Blessings, Sharla


Corporal Works of Mercy:
To feed the hungry
To give drink to the thirsty
To clothe the naked
To welcome the stranger
To heal the sick
To visit the imprisoned
To bury the dead

Monday, February 1, 2016

LIFE IS A BLESSING!

Hello Out There! It is a beautiful day! How are y'all doing? I need to write a long post
to share everything that has been going on over the last 12 days! The last post I wrote
was on January 19th! I can't believe it has been that long! I will write a quick (Ha Ha)
summary:
Friday - 1/22/16 - The horrible anniversary of Roe v Wade:
Pro-Life Rosary in the courtyard at Sacred Heart at 4:30 p.m. followed by Mass in
the Cathedral at Sacred Heart. Bishop Michael Sis was the Celebrant and his homily
was wonderful. Drove home and loaded up an overnight bag in the truck and Jim and
I headed to Austin! We arrived at our hotel in South Austin about 11:00 p.m.
(I have to go and get ready for the 6:00 p.m. Mass right now, I will finish with my
summary tomorrow  morning - Lord willing!)
I'm back - it is Monday morning! I will try to finish my summary before I head out
the door.
Saturday - 1/23/16 - Texas Rally for Life in Austin & Texas Catholic Pro-Life Day:
Pro-Life Rosary and Vigil in front of the Planned Parenthood on Ben White Blvd.
from 7 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
Mass of Thanksgiving for the Gift of Human Life at St. Vincent de Paul Parish
celebrated by Bishop Vasquez at 10:00 a.m. - The Mass was beautiful! The sanctuary
was packed, standing room only! Families and youth groups from all across Texas
filled the pews! The choir was angelic; the St. Vincent de Paul Children's Choir,
Holy Family Catholic School Choir and St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School Choir!
Very uplifting to be with so many other pro-life people. Everything was so organized,
even the parking!
The Pro-Life March to the courthouse was really exciting, there were so many people,
it was amazing! Banners and pro-life signs, so many young people, moms and dads,
babies, toddlers, teens, grandparents!
The Rally at the courthouse was great, the speakers were excellent and the music
was too! A really awesome day!
Jim and I drove home on Sunday and went to Mass at 6:00 p.m. Monday morning we
went to Adoration from 5:00 a.m. - 6:00 a.m. and then the regular work week began.
I picked up supplies for the Sack Lunch Ministry on Tuesday and worked on tax stuff
for our family business the rest of the week. I also started signing people up for the
40 Days for Life Spring Campaign which begins next week!
My oldest grandchild, who is also my oldest grandson, turned 10 on Saturday! Where
does the time go? He is almost as tall as me. He has a big heart, a beautiful smile and he
is a really awesome big brother and an all around great kid! Yes, I am a little partial,
but he is a blessing to us all! His birthday party was at their home, they live out
in the country, a perfect party for a boy! BB gun target shooting, yes, there was plenty
of supervision! Chase, hide and go seek, rock chunking, you name it-they all had a great
time! Well, I have a lot to accomplish today so I better close for now. I hope you all have
a wonderful week. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
                                               Blessings and Peace, Sharla