Thursday, September 27, 2018

Praying for the Unborn and Feeding the Hungry - God is Good!

Hello out there! The rest of this month and next month is going to be busy. An
awesome kind of busy, but probably a little crazy too! Yesterday was the first day
of the fall, 40 Days for Life Campaign. Prayers, and banners, and visiting with
amazing people, and swatting mosquitoes, oh my! When I drive up and see
people praying in front of the grotto I feel like my heart will burst! Their prayerful,
faithful witness is a huge blessing! Y'all pray for the unborn from wherever you are!
All of our prayers make a difference!
Here is the link to find out more information about 40 Days for Life:


http://www.40daysforlife.com


Our prayer vigil is at St. Mary's Catholic Church by the beautiful and peaceful Grotto.
The vigil times are from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.  Monday - Sunday (9/26/18 - 11/4/18)!


 Love them both, the mother and the child.

The St. Francis Sack Lunch Ministry is a blessing to so many! We are handing out
between 70 and 80 lunches a day. Multiply that times five days a week! Yep -
between 350 and 400 lunches a week! We are so very thankful for all of our hard-
working and devoted volunteers and for those who drop off supplies and donate
money to this  ministry. Water angels, bread angels, fruit angels, etc.
We are a totally self sufficient ministry (by the people for the people)!
God is in charge and we depend on the generosity of His people to keep this ministry
going! By the end of the week our pantry looks bare! I dropped by the sack lunch
ministry to leave the month of October and November calendars for the volunteers.
Janice took me to the pantry and we discussed what was needed to finish out the
week. Our diminishing supplies weighed heavy on my heart as  I dashed over to
St. Mary's to help my husband put up another banner and then I dashed off to the
hardware store to get some mosquito spray. As I was driving back to St. Mary's I
sent up a prayer that went something like this -
God, we know that this is your ministry and we are doing the best we can,
but......we need some food! I can't think right now because I have too much on my mind
so I need you to take care of this. Your will be done. Love you, Amen!
I arrived at St. Mary's and sprayed for mosquitoes and took a picture of our banner
and shared it on Facebook with a message to come and pray! I called Jim and told him
that I had to run by Trudo's Religious Store to leave some of the 40 Days for Life
Pray to End Abortion buttons and then I would be home. I planned on just running in
and dropping off the buttons and running right back out (that never happens). My
very dear friend was in Trudo's. She and her husband help with the sack lunch a lot!
We visited for a while and I told her about our pantry and how we needed fruit and
peanut butter crackers for tomorrow and guess what? She told me that I should have
called her in the first place and that she would pick those items up and drop them
off early tomorrow morning! I hugged her, said my goodbyes and walked out the
door. She came out right behind  me and I walked over to her and told her how she
was an answer to my prayers. God is good - He is an awesome God -All the time!
Once again, He has made sure that we have what we need to feed His people.
I hope y'all have an amazingly blessed afternoon!
                                                                          Bye for now, Sharla


Thursday, September 20, 2018

Not Quite Fall - So I Decided to Move it Along!

Hello out there! I love this time of year! It feels like fall weather!
I couldn't wait any longer! The fall and Halloween decorations are out and about
at the Ynostrosa Hacienda!
Busy week but I wanted to say....(probably a little early ….)


Happy Fall, Y'all!


For all of y'all


Scatter some leaves and
give thanks to God!

Bye for now, Sharla

Monday, September 17, 2018

Just Sing, Sing a Song!

Good morning out there! We have been blessed with rain! Thank you, Jesus!
Re-sharing part of a post I wrote back in January (tweaked a little bit) - my heart
feels the same way today - but going to Adoration this morning helped so much!


I know my mission - it is heavy on my heart:
Please pray that God will guide me and direct me
on this journey I have chosen, the journey He has
placed on my heart. I wouldn't be being honest
if I didn't say that sometimes I get discouraged and
need a push - Jim always has my back and knows
when I've reached that point - he helps me get back on track
and I am so thankful for that!
Our journeys aren't always easy and the roads aren't always
straight. Sometimes the obstacles in front of us seem more
than we can bear - but if you let God lead you and really
trust and rely on Him - the journey will be amazing all the way
to the end.

May God bless you all every hour of every day!
Near or far, wherever you are -
 I pray that the path you take is full of sunshine and roses,
 little rain puddles and the songs of birds.
 I pray that your days are full of children's laughter and great big hugs.
 But most of all.............I pray that your day is full of love!


I am fixing to walk out the door with a song in my heart -
Sing, sing a song, sing out loud, sing out strong -
Don't worry if its not good enough for anyone else but you..
just sing, sing a song!

Blessings to all of you!
Bye for now, Sharla

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Did You Know? Wow! That is Incredible! What a Miracle!

Good morning out there! I wrote a post four years ago - on September 10, 2014 -
The title was:
Babies are Babies No Matter How Small!
Please God Help Us Save Them All!

I am going to re-share this information that is so important!

Did you know?

Day 1: Fertilization
The sperm joins with the egg to form one cell. This single cell contains the complex genetic
makeup for every detail of a new human being. The child's sex, hair and eye color, height
skin tone, etc. After fertilization, nothing new is added but oxygen, nutrition, and time.
1st Month (1-4 Weeks)
Did you know that a developing baby's heart begins to beat at just 18 days? Isn't that
amazing.  Muscles are forming, and arms, legs eyes, and ears have begun to show.
2nd Month (5-8 Weeks)
By six weeks the jaw forms, including teeth and taste buds. The baby begins to swallow
amniotic  fluid, and some have been observed hiccupping.
The kidneys begin to function. Fingers and toes are developing.
At seven weeks a baby's chest and abdomen are fully formed.
3rd Month (9-12 Weeks)
The baby now has fingerprints, turns his or her head, and opens and closes their mouth.
The sex of the baby can already be determined.
4th Month (13-16 Weeks)
This little baby is growing, and will be between 8-10 inches in length, and weighs about
one-half pound by the end of the fourth month.
His or her little ears can hear their momma's heartbeat, and external noises.
5th Month (17-20 Weeks)
This little one is growing bigger, and moving a lot. Some babies have been seen sucking
their thumb during a sonogram at the fifth month.
6th Month (21-24 Weeks)
A baby's oil and sweat glands are functioning, this little one is growing rapidly and his or
her lungs are becoming more developed.
7th Month (25-28 Weeks)
This little baby boy or girl now recognizes his or her mother's voice. They exercise by stretching and kicking as they grow even bigger. They can use their senses of hearing, touch, and taste. They can even open their eyes and look around. If the baby is a boy, a son, this is when his testicles descend from the abdomen into the scrotum. What a miracle a new life is.
8th Month (29-32 Weeks)
Now the baby's skin will thicken, with a layer of fat stored underneath. This helps with insulation and provides nourishment. He or she will swallow a gallon of amniotic fluid per day. The mom will be able to feel an elbow or heel, sometimes a little rear end, as her son or daughter kicks and  moves in this cramped area. (I remember that my daughter had the hiccups a lot, it was such a funny and neat feeling. I know my son was doing flips in my stomach!)
9th Month (33-36 Weeks)
He or she will gain one half pound per week, and they are getting ready for birth. The bones in his or her head are soft and flexible to more easily mold and go through the birth canal. Did you know that ninety percent of our development happens in the womb?

 Babies are babies no matter how small!
 Please God help us save them all!
                                                            Bye for now, Sharla



Friday, September 7, 2018

Lead Me, Lord, By the Light of Truth

Good morning out there! It is the beginning of a beautiful new day!
Cloudy skies and little rain puddles everywhere!
In my last post I shared the article I sent to the newspaper. They published it
in yesterday's viewpoints section of the paper - it is also online. They only cut
a little bit - my article was long. If you would like to read the article online -
Here is the link:



Please share my story - we have to reach as many people as we can to share the pro-life
message.


I have to go now - it is going to be a busy day!


But wait! I want to share some pictures of Saint Mother Teresa first!




 
Gifts from heaven babies are
Gifts from God above
Love them, protect them,
Sing songs of joy!
New life! New Life!
How precious they are!



Wednesday, September 5, 2018

I Will Not Give Up! I Will Write and Write Each and Every Day!

Hello out there! Many of you have read the story I re-posted:

http://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/06/to-abortion-rights-advocacy-groups-at.html
On Monday evening I decided to send this story to the newspaper - I sent it directly
from my blog and asked if they would be interested in publishing my thoughts in
the Viewpoints Section that is in the newspaper on Thursdays. I received a reply
saying that yes, they would be interested if I re-wrote my story as a letter for the
newspaper and not in Blog format.
I woke up early on Tuesday morning, grabbed a cup of coffee, my glasses and got to
work. Two hours later I had re-written my story - deleted some and added some more.
I am hoping and praying that it will be in the newspaper tomorrow.
Since I am impatient, something I need to work on, and I know many of you do not
receive the Standard-Times.....I can't wait! I'm sending you what I turned in.
I also said many prayers as I rewrote this article because the unborn babies weigh
so heavy on my heart.
Please God, please give me the words,
 please guide my hands as I write each word. Amen.


The following is the article I sent to the Standard Times: (The picture is just for y'all)



There are several stories in the news right now about the hearings in the Senate on the
Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. The following is my pro-life viewpoint:


I’ve spent years investigating, researching and reading one article after another, all with the hope of helping people understand how precious life is, and how horrible and life-ending abortion is.                                       On my blog http://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com , I’ve shared statistics, stories, prayers, scriptures and my tears – praying that God would help me to type the right words – words that would touch hearts and minds.

Recently there has been so much coverage about people who just don’t get it.

A June article in the Standard-Times made me realize that it is time for me to get serious – and stop worrying about offending people. The following are the first two paragraphs of the article:

   Austin - Abortion providers and abortion-rights advocacy groups sued Texas on Thursday, seeking to overturn dozens of the state's abortion regulations, some of which are decades old.  

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Austin, argues that state lawmakers have slowly worked to "chip away at abortion access" by passing incremental legislation that slowly increases "the burdens faced by people seeking to end their pregnancies."  
Basically, the news says people care about women's rights, (unless you are an unborn baby girl - then you are discriminated against) or you are being forced into prostitution, many times underage, (then your pimp, or sex trafficker is protected so that they (the abortion provider) can get their money for your abortion) or an unborn baby is "a choice" and people are worried about being able to end their pregnancy (you know, the baby; ending a pregnancy is aborting their baby), terminating a pregnancy is ending the life of a baby. If people are that into making abortion easier then at least be honest - call it what it is - the ending of an unborn baby's life.


If you are truly for women’s rights, have you talked to someone who has had an abortion and regrets it? I have, and their grief, their tears, will stay with you forever. The women I talked to were never given any other options, just pushed to make the appointment so that they could get on with their lives.


Saint Mother Teresa said (and this is not an exact quote but probably pretty close) you will never have peace in your country as long as there is legalized abortion.
It makes sense - if it's okay to kill an unborn baby because of whatever reason you decide - how can there be peace? If we, as a society, view an unborn baby as just "a choice" then what exactly does that say about us as a society? When people view each other as on object instead of as an individual what does that say about our society? I see so many sad and lonely people out there. Suicide rates are sky rocketing, drug addiction, alcoholism, murder.....you name it – this is what happens to society when people turn their backs on God and His word.

I can furnish statistics, facts, and quotes all day every day, but if people don't care, then it doesn't matter. Sometimes being brutally honest is the only way to get people's attention. I just know that I am tired of reading about the selfish, unfeeling, and down-right apathy of people. For over 45 years abortion has been legal in the United States - where is the outrage? Over 60 million babies, baby boys and baby girls, sons and daughters, have died brutal deaths. Why? I can give you all kinds of answers to that question but I'm sure you already know them and if we are honest - they all stink.
Millions of babies have died because of money, selfishness, apathy, ignorance, manipulation, force, scandal cover-ups, abuse cover-ups, poverty, social standing, embarrassment, discrimination (too small, not a boy, not a girl, not perfect, not the right time) infidelity, and not one of these excuses justifies the killing of an innocent baby.


We need to be concerned about all the propaganda that pushes sexual promiscuity at young ages – read some of the information that is on Planned Parenthood sites and in their brochures. Read some of the articles in “so-called” teenage magazines. Promiscuity is not liberating, it is demeaning and harmful because this type of behavior turns teenage girls and teenage boys, women and men into objects instead of individuals who need love, respect, warmth, laughter, truth, and commitment.

We need to hear more about adoption and work together to make adoption more affordable. I was blessed to have been adopted at birth and I will speak up for the voiceless until I draw my last breath because every baby deserves the right to life.

Did you know...that at the moment of conception, when we were smaller than a grain

of sugar, our inherent traits were already set. Right at that moment - a boy or a girl,

a son or a daughter, brown hair, blonde hair, red hair, the color of our eyes, or

dimples in our cheeks, maybe a cleft in our chin, tall or not so tall, from that very

moment of conception - how amazing is that? 



“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
 that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The Declaration of Independence
 























Saturday, September 1, 2018

Praying the Stations of the Cross in the Desert - A Peaceful, Nature Filled, Prayer Garden (Lizards Included)

Hello out there! How are y'all? It has been two weeks since I've written a post!
I wont' bore y'all with my everyday busy-ness! I have wanted to share these amazing
pictures I took at a prayer garden we visited in Tucson, Arizona back in July.
The beautiful Santa Catalina Mountains are the backdrop for the
Santa Catalina Catholic Church and the prayer garden they have next to the church.
Let me go back to that day - grab a cup of coffee, a glass of lemonade, or a cut of hot
tea and settle down somewhere comfortable. Are y'all ready? Let me tell you a story.....
On Thursday morning, July 19, 2018, Jim and I were leaving Tucson headed in the
direction of Phoenix, AZ. I was looking for a Catholic Church where we could stop
and maybe catch a noon Mass. I found one that looked like it was close by and
before I knew it, we almost missed the exit! Jim turned down the road and we found
this beautiful church out in the desert. We were told that the chapel was open and
we went inside to pray. I couldn't concentrate because I kept thinking of that desert
garden I had seen out to the side of the chapel. I whispered to Jimmy that I was going
outside. (I'm going to include a bunch of pictures).

I walked through the opening and immediately to my left I saw this amazing sight:

This is the scene where the disciples were asleep while Jesus was praying.
My heart jumped and I walked over to the disciple I thought would look like Peter
and I patted his hand. I think about how he must have lamented over his denial of
knowing Jesus and then I think of all the times I am not listening.
I prayed, "O Lord, how many times am I asleep when I should remain vigilant?"
(Look at the attention to detail on these sculptures)

I walked back to the trail and followed it to the right. Along the path were the Stations
of the Cross. I wish I had begun taking pictures at the First Station of the Cross but I
didn't - I started with the Fourth Station. Before I begin listing the Stations of the Cross,
I have to tell you about one of the signs that was posted along the path, "Watch out for
snakes!" I immediately thought of the devil because of the symbolism. But I did watch
our for snakes, a lot of lizards, small and not so small ran out in front of me! It was hot
outside, but the beauty of this desert garden grabbed me. I walked down the path and
prayed and sang, took pictures, and sang some more. Jim needed the quiet, solitude of
the chapel to concentrate on his prayers and I needed the amazing beauty and peace of
nature to concentrate on mine. Jim came to the garden and found me. He probably
followed my voice!
I really wish I had a picture for each Station of the Cross - The pictures that I did take
are breath taking.

The First Station of the Cross - Jesus is Condemned to Death
The Second Station of the Cross - Jesus is Made to Bear His Cross
The Third Station of the Cross - Jesus Falls the First Time

The Fourth Station of the Cross
Jesus Meets His afflicted Mother
(Doesn't this picture break your heart?!)





The Fifth Station of the Cross
Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry His Cross



The Sixth Station of the Cross
Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus


The Seventh Station of the Cross 
Jesus Falls the Second Time



The Eighth Station of the Cross
Jesus Speaks to the Women of Jerusalem



The Ninth Station of the Cross
 Jesus Falls the Third Time


The Tenth Station of the Cross
Jesus is Stripped of His Garments


The Eleventh Station of The Cross
Jesus is Nailed to the Cross






The Twelfth Station of the Cross
Jesus Dies on the Cross


The Thirteenth Station of the Cross
Jesus is taken down from the Cross


The Fourteenth Station of the Cross
Jesus is laid in the Sepulcher
The Fifteenth Station of the Cross
The Resurrection!
He is Risen!



Thank you for walking down the path of the Stations of the Cross with me! I felt so
at peace after spending time with Jesus in the desert - what a gift!
I have one more picture to share. This statue of "Our Lady of Life" was out in front of
the chapel.
This statue really touched my heart - Mother Mary and Baby Jesus - A unique and
heartwarming statue that goes with the beauty of the desert. I look at this statue and
think about a baby in their mother's womb.


Jesus Protect and Save the Unborn!


Blessings to you and yours!
Bye for now, Sharla