Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Potato Soup, Buttermilk Biscuits, AND a Red Ryder BB Gun

Hello out there! I love to cook and lately I just haven't spent much time in the kitchen.
So - Saturday afternoon I got busy! I put my big frying pan on the stove and started
cooking a pound of Owen's Regular Breakfast Sausage. While the sausage was
simmering I got out all the ingredients to make homemade, yes, from scratch, butter-
milk biscuits! I like the recipe that is on the back of the Gold Medal Self Rising Flour
sack. I didn't have any buttermilk so I used the tip I told y'all about in one of  my
previous posts - 1tsp. white distilled vinegar per every 1/3 cup of milk. The recipe
calls for one cup of milk so I added one tablespoon of vinegar to my milk and let
it sit while I whipped up the rest of the ingredients. By the time I added the milk it had
soured and thickened - buttermilk! I don't roll out and cut the biscuits. I wash my hands
really well and then I dust them with flour and grab some dough and shape it in my
hands and place it on the cookie sheet. While one pan of biscuits were baking I decided
to go ahead and whip up another batch! I stirred the sausage that was cooking and then
I took the first pan of biscuits out of the oven and placed them in my little basket that
I lined with napkins. I put the other pan of biscuits in the oven and then I started
dicing up potatoes. My daughter called to see where I was (during this time of year
they know to call first - because I might be in the courtyard!) I told her that I was at
home and baking up a storm! She said that they were going to stop by. By the time
they arrived, a big pot of potato soup was simmering on the stove, my little basket
was overflowing with hot, homemade biscuits, tea was brewing and I was fixing to
bake chocolate chip cookies with pecans! My daughter said, "It's so good to see you
in the kitchen!" She immediately started slicing and buttering biscuits! They all ate
one! My oldest granddaughter began to help me mix up the cookies. I baked one pan
of cookies before they left and they each ate one while they were still warm. I have
to tell y'all - I make really awesome chocolate chip cookies. Jim was working while
all this baking was going on and what a nice surprise for him to come home to a
warm, home cooked meal! I shared with y'all in my last couple of posts about how
tired and drained I've been feeling - I think I just needed to spend some time at home.
Hearing my grown daughter, who has a family of her own, say how good it was to
see me in the kitchen made me smile. Seeing the look on Jim's face when he got home
and saw the basket overflowing with biscuits, a plate of chocolate chip cookies,
and a big pot of soup on the stove made my heart swell. Most of the time it is the
simple things in life that make people happy. I love being a homemaker! Sometimes
I get a little too caught up in all of my ministries and I have to be reminded that my
family still needs me too! And I need them! My heart feels much lighter. My tummy
definitely feels fuller! I made sausage and gravy on Sunday. Jim and I ate buttermilk
biscuits covered in sausage and gravy after Mass on Sunday evening - it was great!
I'm not sure which was better; the potato soup with buttermilk biscuits on Saturday
evening or the buttermilk biscuits with sausage and gravy on Sunday - we enjoyed
both meals and made sure we thanked God, for our many blessings!
On a different note - There is a red-tailed hawk stalking our chickens! That big old
chicken hawk has killed two of them! Yesterday I was helping Jim round up a couple
of sheep to take the sale (that is a whole other story) and I came across a headless
chicken as I was closing the gate - I could have gone my whole life without seeing
that! I guess I will have to get out my Red Ryder BB Gun - watch out you chicken
hawk - I'm ready!
                                                          Blessings to you and yours!
                                                                    Bye for now, Sharla

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

I Cry Out To Him To Show Me The Way

Hello out there! I'm still tired but I won't give up! I will get some rest and tomorrow
I will be ready to fight the good fight! God is good and He is my strength. I know that
it is okay to take a break every now and then but I have to remember my mission. Please
continue to pray for me and for all the precious unborn and all those who stand up for
the sanctity of life! God bless you all - The following poem is the one I wrote about
fifteen months ago.



My heart is so full, I have so much to say,
it is gorgeous outside, the start of a beautiful new day.
This morning I woke with a pain in my heart,
knowing my mission, just not sure where to start!

God has opened my eyes and has touched my heart.
To save the unborn I must do my part.

What should I do, what do I say?
I ask the Lord as I pray.
He fills my head with words to say,
so I write and I write each and every day.

I cry out to Him to show me the way,
How do I make a difference today?
I just don't understand why it's so hard to see,
the horrible death that abortion brings.

What must I do, What must I say?
So I write and I write each and every day.

I send letters to the paper, I write posts for my blog.
I put pictures on face book, and pray for new laws.
I weep for the babies, their innocent lives lost.

What am I missing, am I not doing enough?
Please God help me, please show me the way.
How can I make a difference today?

Then my heart begins to ache,
I know I must speak up!
I know God is telling me, don't you dare give up!
Keep going, keep writing, don't you see?
What you do makes a difference, you are listening to Me!

It matters to God! It matters to Him!
I will write and I will post and I will write again.
I won't give up, I will be their voice!
I will fight for the unborn, because they are babies, not a choice!

                       Precious little babies in your mother's womb,
                 you are not a choice. You are a blessing, a gift from God.
                 I will speak up for you, and I will fight for your life. I will
                     write letters and posts and pray. I will speak up for
                                     you each and every day!



Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Trying to Bring People Together to Pray for the Unborn

Hello out there. I woke up this morning at 2:30 a.m. I could not go back to sleep. I
prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet and I thought about the current 40 Days for Life
campaign. I prayed some more and I tossed and turned. I've had a lot on  my mind.
I always try to be upbeat and write in a positive way but sometimes things just aren't
very positive. Since my posts are from my heart and about what I think and feel -
some days are just hard. This quote came back to me last night as I tossed and turned,

"God has not called me to be successful. He has called me to be faithful"
St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)


This is the fifth campaign we have held in the courtyard at Sacred Heart. There are
many blessings that come with being involved in this peaceful, prayerful vigil. But
there is heartache as well. Praying for a conversion of hearts and letting people know
about all the help that is available is so important. I have to admit - I was very naïve
when I started planning the first campaign back in the summer of 2014. I just knew
that the courtyard would be full of people every hour during the twelve hours a day
vigil. I thought that people of all denominations would come together and pray for
an end to abortion. I was on the phone constantly inviting people and telling them
all about the prayer vigil. Just sign up for one hour a week during the 40 days - it
seemed so simple. I  came across the newspaper article I sent to the Standard Times
inviting people of all faiths to come out and pray. The article came out about two
weeks before the first campaign in the courtyard. I read it and smiled at my positive
outlook. I excitedly told everyone about the campaign and then I invited people to
please call and sign up. This is the last sentence from the article I wrote -
I look forward to hearing from hundreds, no, make that thousands of pro-life
Christians of all denominations! Thank you and have a blessed day!
I received one phone call after that article was published. I didn't give up. I went
and visited churches, gave a short talk and had sign-up sheets. I dropped information
off at churches. I was even on the five o'clock news! My naivety quickly turned to
reality - bringing people together to pray for the unborn, something that seemed so
simple, wasn't simple at all.  But I've found out that anything worth fighting for
takes work and perseverance.
Don't get me wrong, many people do come and pray. I am so thankful for each and
everyone of them. There are many blessings throughout the forty days. The part
that hurts is there could be so many more.
Please pray for me right now. I know that God has put this on my heart because He
knows I won't give up but I'm tired today, my battle armor is rusty and my boots
feel heavy. God bless you all. Please pray for the babies from wherever you are.
                                                                     Bye for now, Sharla

Friday, October 7, 2016

A Famly Picnic in the Courtyard and Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Hello out there! Just a quick update before I go and run some errands. Today is day 10
of the 40 Days for Life Fall Campaign. This past Sunday my family had a picnic in
the courtyard and then we prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet together. It was wonderful.
Our daughter and her family arrived at the courtyard first. Their contribution
to the picnic was drinks and dessert! My daughter made homemade cookies with
white chocolate chips and candy corn on top. Their ice chest was full of 8 0z. sodas,
water, and Capri Sun drinks. Jim and I showed up about fifteen minutes after they did.
We brought homemade au-gratin potatoes, cold pasta salad, and the paper goods. Our
son and his family joined us and they brought a big bucket of fried chicken and some
chicken tenders. We set up an extra table and some chairs and then we prayed together.
The food was delicious. The weather was perfect. We sat down to eat at about 4:00 p.m.
It was such a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. What a perfect way to spend a Sunday
afternoon. After we cleaned up and threw all the trash away I handed out some rosaries
for the children. The youngest played with side walk chalk while the rest of us prayed
the Divine Mercy Chaplet. There was a total of fourteen people and eight of those
fourteen were children! Standing out in the courtyard and praying with my family was
an incredible gift. No phones! The birds were singing and the little ones were playing
and the rest of us were praying - Wow! It was awesome! You know what happened
next? We all went to the 6:00 p.m. Mass together! Another awesome! And you know
what else? My son, oldest grandson, and granddaughter were altar servers! Talk about,
"best day ever!" The only thing that would have made it even more wonderful was if
our son, who lives out of town, and his family could have been with us also.
We all agreed that we need to do that more often. Sometimes we just get too caught
up in the world things and forget that the best things are so simple. Maybe next time
we'll have brunch in the courtyard; donuts, milk, etc. The really neat thing is you can
make it what works for your family. The most important thing is to spend time
together and pray together! I just looked at the clock and I've got to go!
Have a wonderful weekend. Blessings and peace to you and yours! Hug your spouse
and hug your children! God bless you all.
                                                                                Bye for now, Sharla