Preparation, Lights, Snowflakes and Joy!

 Hello out there! The weather has been wonderful during this first week of Advent. Cool mornings, sunny days, star filled nights and the winter wind blowing the leaves from the trees. I'm wearing my fluffy red sweatshirt that says, "holly jolly" in white letters and that is how I feel today! I looked back on some of my blog posts from previous December years. Although each year is full of different activities the thread that holds each story and every memory together is love. 

Our home is full of twinkling lights, an Advent Wreath and statue as a centerpiece on our kitchen table. Nativity Scenes, my snow family set, and memories fill our home. We even have a leg lamp! We went to see that movie, A Christmas Story, when it first hit the theaters, the day after Thanksgiving in 1983! And we've watched it almost every year since then! 

Tomorrow is the Second Sunday of Advent

Some ideas for gifts, meals, activities, reflections and peace during this season of preparation!

1. Gifts - I'm not a crafty gal. I love to bake and write stories and I do like to make snowflakes (the kind you cut out from folded paper)! My older grandkids usually ask for gift cards. That's fine, but it's not very personal. I decided that I would hand write a couple of their favorite recipes with their name at the top and signed from, "The Nana" and add a favorite memory or story about them. I'll probably pick a cute folder to put the recipe, story and gift card in - that will be from, "The Pa"! Maybe tape a picture of us from Christmas past on the front. Definitely tape one of my snowflakes on there somewhere!

Use your gifts and talents to make your gifts extra special!

2.  Meals - I made a big pot of potato soup earlier this week. My new favorite topping is "Crispy Fried Onions" the kind you put on top of green bean casserole - Yum!                                                                  Taco night can be a fun way to get your family involved - Cook the meat and get everyone to pick their favorite toppings; cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, taco shells, tortillas, and/or chips!                  Buy a chuck roast and cook in oven or crock pot - makes great burritos for busy nights or add vegetables for a more traditional meal; potatoes, petite carrots, mini bell peppers, jalapenos, etc.

3. Activities - It sure gets dark early! Go outside and look at all the stars, find constellations, look at the moon, etc. Buy a holiday themed puzzle - I've learned to look at the box and make sure I'm getting the kind with regular pieces! The puzzles with weird shapes just aggravate me! We all like to work on the puzzles. Designate a "Movie Night" and pick a family favorite, make hot cocoa and popcorn! 

4. Reflections and Peace - Begin and end your day with prayer! Daily devotionals full of scripture, meditations and prayers are a blessing for every day of the year! We're a Catholic family and the daily devotional we use is, "Magnificat' and "The Word Among Us" is another great devotional. Be honest with yourself and with your family - write out a budget for gifts and stay in those guidelines. 

The following scripture is from the evening prayers in our Magnificat on the Second Sunday of Advent

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage our hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word. Amen.

Peace and blessings to you and yours during this beautiful season of Advent!

 Jesus is the Reason for the Season! 

Count your blessings everyday and give thanks to God - He loves us all so much!

Bye for now, Sharla

A Stranger Wearing a Red Bandana Mask Printed with Marijuana Leaves

 Hello out there! I have to share this memory that I thought of yesterday.

Back in February 2021 - right after "Snowmageddon" - I was headed to our son's home to help take care of our grandchildren. I left on a beautiful, cold but sunny, Sunday afternoon. There was still snow on the ground in most places. As I drove through Big Spring I decided to pick up pizza to take with me for dinner that night. I pulled into Little Caesars and placed my order. The young lady at the window asked if I could pull forward and wait until my order was ready. I drove out into the parking lot, turned off the engine and decided to roll down my window and get a little fresh air. I noticed a young man as he walked past my car. He turned to me and said, "Hey there, do you have any spare change for a hungry traveler?"  I smiled at him and replied, "I sure do."

The young man had curly, shoulder length, brown hair and wore a red bandana printed with marijuana leaves as a mask. (The mask mandate was still in effect at that time.) He had pulled the bandana down to his chin as he spoke to me. He asked me where I was from and then told me he was from Tennessee. My response was, "Tennessee, son, what in the world are you doing in Big Spring, Texas?"

I still remember his excitement as he told me about his trip to Grand Canyon National Park. He and some of his friends traveled out there to camp out, and see the stars. He asked me if I had ever been and I told him that no, I had not ever been there. He told me about their first night and he raised his arms in the air and said, "It was like Simba in the movie the Lion King." I smiled as I listened to him describe the beauty of the night skies and how he hopes that he can go back someday. Then he told me that his van had broken down and the delay on getting it fixed, etc. I handed him some money and told him to be careful and that I hoped his van would be fixed soon. He took the money, smiled at me and said, 
"Thank ya darlin, you have a blessed day." I watched as he walked back to Little Caesars and as he opened the door to go in, a young lady was coming out to bring me my order.

I smiled and thanked God, because I realized that I was supposed to meet that young man that day. I pray that my eyes and heart will always be open to the people and angels God sends my way. I knew yesterday that this was a story I had to share. I hope this brings a smile to your face and touches your heart ! May you be blessed with angels along your life's journey.

Peace and blessings to you and yours, 

near and far, wherever you are!

Bye for now, Sharla

Many Blessings during the Season of Advent - A Time of Preparation

 Hello out there! Good morning blessings to all of you, near and far, wherever you are! The season of Advent begins this Sunday! I love this time of year. The dark nights are lit up with Christmas lights galore. I wrote a post last November, "How Advent Should Feed Our Lives." I'm going to re-share that this morning. I hope the message will be a blessing to you and yours!

The following post/story is from November 13, 2022

How Advent Should "Feed" Our Lives

Hello out there! It's a little chilly outside right now but the sun is shining and it is a beautiful day!

I was invited to give one of the talks at an Advent Retreat yesterday. The topic / theme they asked me prepare for was "How Advent should "feed" our lives!" I prayed and wrote notes and prayed some more and looked up scripture and then God helped me put it all together! The retreat was wonderful and definitely, "Full of the Holy Spirit!" I decided I would tweak my notes a little bit and share the message with you. 

I 've always thought about how Advent is a season of preparation. When we are prepared for something, a trip, a family gathering, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, etc. we are more at peace. At least I am. I like to have a plan A, B, C and sometimes I wish I had a plan D! Because you always have to be prepared for the unexpected!

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away and then we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent, just two weeks from today, Sunday, November 27th. Oh my goodness, how time flies.

I looked ahead in my Magnificat at the readings for the First Sunday of Advent. I'm going to read a couple of the scriptures from the morning prayers.

Romans 13:11-12

It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Wow! Throw off the darkness and put on the armor of light! 

 I love this time of year. I know that it can also be crazy, hectic, and stressful! But I have learned through the years to take things as they come. As you all well know, our plans, our ideas, our dreams, don't always work our like we had hoped, planned or prayed for. 

But  through all things, God is with us. So I want to share some memories and ideas that have helped me to grow in my faith, to be fed, during the season of Advent - a season of preparation.

My husband Jim and I have been married 39 plus years. This will be our 40th season of Advent. As I look back through the years, I see how my faith has grown. I now understand that the Season of Advent is not just about decorating our homes and buying gifts for Christmas but about changing our hearts and minds, about focusing on our relationship with God. What are some ways we can do this within our families and in our homes - in this world where everything is so commercialized?

First things first - Our lives are not Hallmark Movies! Oh, don't get me wrong, I like those movies. I like movies with a happy ending but those movies are entertainment, they're not real life. Our lives are complicated, some days are great, and somedays are not. And while some Advent seasons have been less complicated than others, the journey is different each year.

So what do we need to do to be "fed" during this season of Advent?

We need some really good road maps to guide us along the way. The Word of God feeds us. Instead of hollering out, "Hey Google, or Siri or Alexa"  how about "hollering" out to God! I'm pretty sure everyone has a good Catholic bible or a regular bible - if not - get one! The "Magnificat" and "the Word among us" are both great daily devotionals! Pick which one works for you. They both have the Catholic Mass Readings for every day of the month and daily meditations. The Magnificat also has morning prayers, evening prayers, and stories about the Saints. There are also several aps for your phone; Laudate, etc. Begin your day with scripture! My husband is really good about this - he gets up really early and reads the daily Mass readings, prayers, and meditations from our Magnificat. Let me be honest - I'm not quite as diligent. But my day is better when I begin with the scriptures. Jim will say, "Sharla - make sure you read the meditation for today" or "Make sure you read the readings because there are some hard names in the first reading and you need to be ready!" (I'm a reader/lector at Mass)  Thank you Jesus, for my husband, who helps keep me on track!

I am so thankful for my faith - and as a convert - I am so thankful for my CATHOLIC faith! I've learned through the years that making things more simple, and thinking about what really matters, has been a huge blessing for me.

Keeping things simple and focusing on what is important brings me peace and that peace "feeds" me.

Pick a couple of different nights and go outside and look up at the stars and the moon and reflect on God's creation. If your children or grandchildren are with you, they will love this. I love looking at the evening and night skies! Sun rises, sun sets, listening to birds singing, stop and find joy in the moment.

Count your blessings! Smile and give thanks to God! And share that joy with your family! 

This is the time of year when many of us feel like "Martha" - Let's be like Mary, also!

Luke 10:38-42.

Mary and Martha. On their journey Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him to her home. She had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and listened to his words. Martha, who was busy with all the details of hospitality, came to him and said, "Lord, are you not concerned that my sister has left me to do the household tasks all alone? Tell her to help me." The Lord in reply said to her: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and upset about many things; one thing only is required. Mary has chosen the better portion and she shall not be deprived of it."  Luke 10:38-42 (Saint Joseph Edition of the New American Bible)

It is important to prepare and get ready for family gatherings but if you take the time to be like Mary, also, you'll be much happier! Ask for help! Don't try to do everything by yourself. Use paper plates, plastic cups, and good plastic silverware. And if you don't have time to bake a pie from scratch - pop a frozen one in the oven! Or ask someone to pick one up from the bakery!

Back to today - Thursday, 11-30-2023

I pray that during this season of Advent, this time of preparation, you are filled with peace, hope, joy, and the light of Christ.

God bless you all!

 Peace and blessings to you and yours,

 near and far, wherever you are!

Bye for now, Sharla

Prayers for Peace - Prayers for Families

 Hello out there! I wrote a post about six years ago - I re-shared it last October. I'm sharing it again today. Prayer and Peace - Faith and Hope - Forgiveness and Love.

Please God, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

A Praying Kind of Day!

 Hello out there! The weather forecast is...it finally feels like fall! Cool mornings, shorter days, cool evenings, hooray! I wish this was going to be one of my crazy all over the place stories but sometimes my heart just says, "Pray! and share a prayer!" There is a lot of sadness in our world right now. I found a post I wrote five years ago. I'm going to copy and paste it below. The prayer is for people all over the world. 

And as always,

Peace and blessings to you and yours, near and far wherever you are!

May God have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Just thought of another prayer I want to share! The Saint Michael Prayer!

St. Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle.

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,

and do thou,

O Prince of the heavenly hosts,

by the power of God,

thrust into hell satan,

and all the evil spirits,

who prowl about the world 

seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet - A Prayer for People All Over the World

Hello out there - The news at home and abroad and all across our world has been so
heartbreaking.  The violence is never ending and sometimes you feel really helpless.
People all over the world need our prayers. Things change yet they stay the same.
The following is a post I wrote last summer - I'm feeling today like I did then.

  
Because of all the fighting/wars and terrorist attacks that are going on, I worry about the
people in many of the countries I see come up on my blog stat section. I hope that they
are ok. I just want them to know that I am praying for them and for their families.
I don't know their names, I don't know what they look like, but for some reason, they
read my blog. I have seen a large increase in people from different countries reading my
posts.  I place my hand over the map each day I see their country listed and pray for
them and I place my hand over the map each day I don't see their country listed and I
pray for them. I pray for their safety and well being.
There  are so many wars going on in our world right now, so much violence, so much
evil - We need to turn back to God.

Dear God, please watch over all these countries where war has broken out.
Please God, protect the innocent people and their families. Please protect us
all from the terrorist's plots, attacks and threats.
Thank you, God, for our many blessings. Please be with all those who are in
need. Please God, show us and guide us to how we can best help others.
You created us all, please help us to love our neighbor,
care for one another, and to pray for those who seek a better life.
 In Jesus Name I pray, Dear Lord, Amen.
As a Catholic, I pray The Divine Mercy Chaplet. This prayer is for the whole world.
It is really beautiful when we sing this Chaplet. (I'm singing this as I'm typing)
The refrain goes like this:
For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
If you listen to your local Catholic radio station, they sing the Divine Mercy Chaplet
at 3:00 pm each day.
To pray The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy:
(It is easier to keep up with if you have a rosary, but if you don't,
 you can count on your fingers.)
1. Begin with the Sign of the Cross, Pray (1) Our Father, (1) Hail Mary
and The Apostles Creed.
2. Prayer - (Pray this 1 time) Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood,
Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ,
in atonement for ours sins and those of the whole world.   
3. Pray this refrain 10 times:
  For the sake of His sorrowful passion,
 have mercy on us and on the whole world.
You repeat steps (2) & (3) for a total of (5) times.
4. Conclude with (3 times)
  Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One,
 have mercy on us and on the whole world.
5. Make the sign of the cross and say Amen.
This is a beautiful, peaceful prayer. I find myself humming or singing it a lot.
I also pray it if I wake up during the night.
May God Bless you and keep you safe wherever you are, wherever you live.
May God help us to love and care for one another.
                                                 Bye for now, Sharla
                            

Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael and Faith, Fortitude, and Prayer

 Good morning out there! I began writing this post at 5:12 am - I've been awake since about 1:15 am.        I tossed and turned, I prayed, I read for a little while and at 3:45 am I got out of bed and hit brew on my coffee pot. Jim gets the coffee ready for us the night before, so in the morning we just hit brew and the wonderful aroma of coffee fills the air. At 4:00 am I sat down at my computer and did some book work and drank my cup of coffee. Some days just begin earlier than others and that's okay! 

Today is the Feast Day of the Archangels; St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael -

Psalm 104:3-4

You walk on the wings of the wind, you make the winds your messengers and flashing fire your servants.

Revelation 12:7-12

War broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

"Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night. They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;               love for life did not deter them from death. Therefore, rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them."

 These scriptures are in our daily devotional, "Magnificat" which is full of morning prayers, evening prayers, stories about the Saints, and scriptures for daily Mass. Another scripture for today is from    Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14

As I watched: Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; His throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him.

The court was convened, and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued,        I saw One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, He received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.

I hope you all have a blessed day - Put on the Full Armor of God and remember that He is always with us! Some days I'm able to say, "Jesus, I trust in You!" and I mean it with all of my heart. But some days I say very humbly, "Jesus please, help me to trust in You." and He does!

Peace and blessings to you and yours,

near and far, wherever you are!

Bye for now, Sharla

My Blog is Full of Memories Near and Dear to My Heart

 Hello out there! Fall is almost here! Hooray!

The following blog post is from four years ago. Oh my goodness - how time flies! The seasons change, years pass, but memories, whether good, bad, happy or sad remain with us. I'm so thankful for my blog because it helps keep our family memories alive. Stories that our children and grandchildren will be able to read and pass these memories on. Stories of faith, hope, perseverance, family time, holiday traditions, meal times and Mass times - and that through all things - God is with us.

I wrote this post back in September 2019:

Good morning out there! How are y'all doing? A quick post before I dash out the
door! Alas, I have much to share but only a smidgen of time so I'm going to post
a couple of things that warmed my heart and made me laugh!
Yesterday I called Jim as I was leaving the beauty shop (cut and color - long overdue!)
I told him that I was going to the grocery store but I was going to stop and get
gas first because I was running on fumes! He told me that he was on his way to
fuel up his truck and welding machine. We hung up, I pulled into Stripes (gas station)
and Jim pulled in right across from me. I got out of my explorer and laughed. I
walked over and gave him a hug and then he immediately went and filled up my
gas tank while I talked a mile a minute. We continued the discussion as he filled
up his tanks (truck and welder) and then I went to the store and he headed back
home. We've been married for over 36 years now. Our life together has been an
amazing journey filled with love and laughter, joy and tears, kindness and respect,
thousands of prayers, and our faith in God guiding us along the way!

Have to share this also:

  I have way too many pictures on my phone! I've uploaded them, or maybe it's
downloaded them onto my computer. Anyway, I started deleting them off of my
phone. I came across a 36 second video from our oldest grandson's birthday
in January 2018. This video is hilarious - the only thing I can figure out is I must
have been going to take a picture, hit video instead, and then got distracted.                                             I have the phone in my hand and my son, daughter, two or three of the grandkids,
 and myself are all in the kitchen. There are at least three, maybe four conversations
 going on at once and you can only see the floor, tops of the kids heads, etc.
 We're pulling something out of the oven and I'm laughing like a hyena, we're running
into each other - Good memories and so "us"! I'm thankful I came across that video -
it's definitely a keeper!

                                                                      Peace and blessings to you and yours,

                            near and far, wherever you are!

                                                                                  Bye for now, Sharla

And.. it's almost fall, y'all!

Almost Fall, Y'all - St. Peter the Apostle - Being Thankful

 Hello out there! My weather report for today is - I can feel and see that fall will soon be here! The temps aren't quite as high and the days are getting a little bit shorter. This morning there was dew on the ground and a cool/almost chilly breeze in the air. I love this time of year! I'm ready to start baking beer bread and fixing spicy chicken and dumplings, chicken and rice soup, stew, etc. I'm going to bake some chocolate chip cookies when I'm through with this post! We're having left overs tonight!

This past Sunday, August 27th, the scriptures from the Gospel reminded me of a heartwarming memory/story I'm going to re-share with y'all today. Let's start with the Gospel!

Matthew 16:13-20

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

(When I write down scripture passages they either come from "Magnificat" (our daily devotional and Mass readings) or our family bible, "St. Joseph Edition of the New American Bible") 

Now I'll share the story. Jim and I don't travel often but when we do, we always visit Catholic Churches a long our route. I copied part of a story I posted back in December 2017. I'll paste it below - We visited St. Peter The Apostle Catholic Church in Joplin Missouri. I'll add the link to the whole post below that because it has a story about an old cemetery we visited while we were in Little Rock, Arkansas - so much history.

Our final destination was Branson, Missouri. We had arrived in Branson on Thursday
morning. Now for the last day - We left on Saturday morning (closer to noon) to head
home. We decided that we would drive as far as we could and if we got too tired we
would stop and spend the night somewhere. We had about a ten and a half hour drive
ahead and that would not include all the stops. Our route would take us through
Joplin, MO, into Oklahoma and then Texas. We had only driven about an hour when
we stopped in a little town and ate lunch. I told Jim that I would like to stop at another
Catholic Church before we left Missouri. I looked on my phone and found, St. Peter
The Apostle Catholic Church in Joplin, MO. We missed the turn off and had to drive
quite a ways before we were able to turn around. I looked at Jim and said, "I know it
will be a blessing!" He looked at me and shook his head kind of like, okay but we
still have a long way to go. He might have been thinking something else but that was
my interpretation. We finally made it to the church and it was beautiful! The church was
built in 1905. Here is a picture of the outside and of the doors! I love the symbolism
of the doors!

I took a bunch of pictures of the inside of this church! I will share some more of them

with you tomorrow. I have to tell you about the "neatest story" now. I held my breath

as I pulled on the handle of the door and it opened! Jim and I were walking around

and looking at everything. Jim was at the back of the sanctuary and I was up by the

statue of Mother Mary when an older gentleman walked in. He sat down in the back

for awhile and then I saw him out of the corner of  my eye when he moved to the first

pew right in front of the altar. He took a hymnal and opened it and began to sing

"Amazing Grace" - took my breath away! He had a beautiful voice and he sang from

his heart and the words echoed throughout the sanctuary. I quietly joined in and then

he sang the second verse. By that time, I was choked up and just listened to this

faithful man singing his heart out to the Lord! I walked to the back to be with Jim.

In a little while the gentleman walked to the back so that he could leave. I said to him,

"You have a beautiful voice." He replied, "I like to come in here and thank God

for another day." We said goodbye and he left. Jim and I left soon after. We both

felt like we had been given this amazing gift.

That's all for now. I have to fix dinner! Hopefully I will be able to finish tomorrow!

                                                                Blessings to you and yours!

                                                                                 Bye for now, Sharla



Sometimes I think about the gentleman we met that day. How he took the time to stop and thank the Lord. We are so blessed to have the freedom to worship when and were we choose. This man was a veteran and we thanked him for his service. So wherever you go to church, please remember to give thanks to God for the freedoms we have and for all our service men and women and their families. 

If you have time and would like to read the whole story - click on the link below!

https://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/12/part-one-road-trip-vacation-full-of.html

Peace and blessings to you and yours, near and far, wherever you are!

Bye for now, Sharla

Be a Good Example for Your Family

 Good morning out there - almost afternoon! The temp at 11:58 am is 92 degrees with 35% humidity. I can always tell when it's humid outside because my hair poofs out like I'm back in the 80s. The expected high for today is 98 degrees. Yee haw! I watered all my outdoor plants and topped off my regular birdbath, my redneck birdbath, and my oblong goldfish pond/birdbath/water for all animals great and small! And...I was blessed to have an orange dragonfly swoop up and down around me as I filled up the assortment of birdbaths! 

Today's date is special to me - my mom's birthday. She passed away when I was twelve and I've been thinking about her a lot this week. Her name was Martha and everyone called her Marty. We were members of a Methodist Church and my mom was a very faithful woman. She was a wonderful example for me. She had cancer and died a little more than three and a half years after her initial diagnosis. I learned many life lessons from her. I remember when one of our neighbor's husband died. Mom and I went to the store and she purchased a large can of coffee, a package of foam coffee cups, a canister of powdered creamer, and box of sugar cubes. We only knew these neighbors by sight and would wave when we saw them outside. My mom explained to me that it's important to reach out to those who have lost a loved one. She and I walked across the street with our bag full of things needed to make coffee for all those who visited. My mom taught me how to mourn with those who mourn. My mom and our neighbor became friends. One of my friends, had to have her appendix removed and was in the hospital. My mom and I went to the flower shop and she bought a pillow corsage and then we went to the hospital to visit my friend and her mother. She loved the corsage and they pinned it on her pillowcase. My mom took me to visit the sick. We hardly ever missed going to church on Sunday morning. There were times I know my mom didn't feel like getting ready but she did and we went to church. My mom taught me to persevere when things are tough. She was a beautiful woman and I miss her still.

After Jim and I were married I converted to Catholicism. I know my mom would have approved - she would have been glad that Jim and I were committed to raising our family in a faith filled home. I had been raised that way and understood the importance of our going to church together as a family. My dad enjoyed going to Mass with us when he would come and visit.

Today is the Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. I love that my mother was born on this special day and that she was named Martha. The scriptures below are from my post last year on this date:

Mary and Martha. On their journey Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him to her home. She had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and listened to his words. Martha, who was busy with all the details of hospitality, came to him and said, "Lord, are you not concerned that my sister has left me to do the household tasks all alone? Tell her to help me."  The Lord in reply said to her: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and upset about many things; one thing only is required. Mary has chosen the better portion and she shall not be deprived of it."       Luke 10:38-42 (Saint Joseph Edition of the New American Bible)

Back to today's date!

In my Magnificat, today's Gospel is from John 11:19-27

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died].  When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home.  Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise." Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world."

When my mom died, our church family and friends reached out to my dad, my brother, and me and the rest of our family. Life is a journey. Let's walk with each other through the good times and the bad.

The following is one of my favorite hymns. I know it by heart and sing it often:

The Servant Song by Richard Gillard
Verse:1,6
Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too.
Verse:2
We are pilgrims on a journey, we are travelers on the road;
We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.
Verse:3
I will hold the Christ-light for you in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear.
Verse:4
I will weep when you are weeping; When you laugh I'll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow til we've seen this journey through.
Verse:5
When we sing to God in heaven we shall find such harmony,
born of all we've known together of Christ's love and agony.
Verse:6
Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too.

Peace and blessings to you and yours,

near and far, wherever you are!

Bye for now, Sharla

My mom cut this out of a magazine and it was tucked inside her bible.

Scriptures and Faith - Life is a Journey

 Hello out there! I hope you are all doing well, near and far, wherever you are! As I begin writing this post at 3:56 pm on Monday afternoon, the temperature is a steaming hot 103 degrees! The weather app on my phone says that it will cool down to 102 degrees at 7:00 pm and by 9:00 pm it should drop to 94 degrees! Please stay hydrated! I pray for everyone who is dealing with this extreme heat! I think about all the people who work out in this weather, those who live on the streets, the elderly, and the list goes on! My prayer list gets longer every day.

I love the scriptures from Mass last night. The first reading was from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 55:10-11

Thus says the Lord: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.

The second reading was from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans 8:18-23

(I'm not going to write this one down - look it up if you have time!)

The Gospel reading was long and it's one of my favorites so I'm going to write/type it all out! 

Matthew 13:1-23

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such Large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

The disciples approached him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the  mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted, and I heal them.

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and hear what you hear but did not hear it.

"Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

I pray that my eyes will always be open to the path God has for me. I know that there will be detours, and potholes, and probably a flat tire or two on my journey. And where we live...the potholes are "big honkin" potholes! But I also know, that God has been and will continue to be, with me through it all! God has blessed me with my husband and we travel this road together. During this journey, my glass is not only half full, my cup runneth over. I am thankful for our children and the laughter and hugs of our grandchildren, the phone calls, visits and all of our adventures. I pray that my eyes will always be open to the beautiful sun rises and sun sets, the moon and the stars, and that my ears will be open to the melody of the singing birds, the sound of wind blowing through the trees and the roaring thunder before the rain. I pray that I will be a light to others and that God will continue to guide my hands as I type these words.

Peace and blessing to you and yours,

 near and far, wherever you are!

Thank you for reading my blog!

Bye for now, Sharla

Hot Weather and Hens - Mass and Scripture - Families and Light!

 Good morning out there! I'm writing this post at 4:44 am. I woke up about an hour ago and decided instead of tossing and turning, praying and thinking, it was time to get up and write a long overdue post! Summer weather is definitely here! H O T hot! My computer monitor says that it is 83 degrees right now! I think the high today is supposed to hit 109. If you work out in this weather please stay hydrated! Our chickens do not like this hot weather - most of our hens are on strike. I can't blame them! Yes, they have plenty of water and shade, but with temps this high it is hot in the shade also! Enough about the weather and non-laying hens.

Last night Jim and I went to the 6 pm Mass at our parish. I wish you could have seen all the families!  The children and the babies, the mothers and the fathers! Grandparents! Young adults, so many people at Mass! Oh my goodness - that just does my heart good! Step into the light! I love our parish family! The scriptures from the Prophet Jeremiah - wow! I'm going to share them right now!

Jeremiah 20:10-13

Jeremiah said: "I hear the whisperings of many: 'Terror on every side: Denounce! Let us denounce him!' All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. 'Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.' But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O Lord of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!"

That scripture really grabbed me - A lot of things are going on in our country that don't make sense to me. I will pray and pour my heart out to God and trust in His mercy, His timing, and His love for us.

The following scriptures are from today's morning prayers in my Magnificat:

Ephesians 5:14-15

Everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it say: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light." Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise. 

Lamentations 3:22-23

The favors of the Lord are not exhausted, his mercies are not spent; They are renewed each morning, so great is his faithfulness.

I'm headed to the kitchen to grab a large mug of coffee and get ready for the day! It's my grocery shopping day and I have a long list! 

I hope you all have a blessed day! Take care of yourselves and your loved ones during this heat wave and always! Hug your spouse and hug your kids and thank the Lord for a new day! Go out and be a light in this dark world ! 

Peace and blessings to you and yours, near and far, wherever you are!

Bye for now, Sharla

Through the Years...Celebrating 40 Years - Thanks be to God!

 Hello out there! Hope y'all are having a great day! Jim and I have been working in the yard this morning.  I haven't mowed in a long time. But today, I got on the riding lawn mower and vroomed all over the front and backyard, while Jim was weed eating the fence lines, around the trees, etc. Tomorrow is our 40th anniversary. We are going out to eat tonight with a couple who have been our friends for at least 38 of those years. Tomorrow is also their wedding anniversary and they will celebrate 57 years of marriage!

My goal is to post several, positive marriage memories during this month. I'm calling them my "Through the years..." memories. Life isn't always easy and sometimes the road is tough, but if you both live out your vows, and make sure that God is your guide, you'll be blessed! It definitely helps if both husband and wife have the same view of the "Death til you part" kind of marriage.

I copied a part of a post I wrote on June 3, 2016:

I want to think about the vows I made on a Saturday afternoon many years ago.

I promised to love my husband for better or worse,

 for richer or poorer, 

through the good days and bad days,

 in sickness and in health

 until death do us part.     

                             

  I have been blessed with a good, God fearing man. Jim is my knight in shining armor and always stands by my side.

 A wedding is just a day - but a marriage is a life time and it takes work. Like a
garden, you have to lovingly tend to it.
 Love, patience, kindness, forgiveness, and communication are a must -
but most important - you need to make sure that God is right in the center, right there
with you and then everything else will fall into place.

This sign is on our back porch.

The only thing I would add is - 

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

Peace and blessings to you and yours,

near and far, wherever you are!

Bye for now, Sharla

Through the Years: There's no Place Like Home

 Hello out there! Good morning! I'm super excited about this month! Jim and I will celebrate 40 years of marriage this Sunday, June 4th! I've been married more than two-thirds of my life! Wow! How amazing and awesome is that?! I was nineteen when we got married. I'm going to try and share as many of my "Through the years..." marriage posts as possible this month.

I looked back to my posts from June 2015 and found one of my many favorites. Jim and I had gone on a trip to celebrate our 32nd anniversary. The story is below:

Friday, June 19, 2015

There is No Place Like Home!

Good Morning Out There! Today is Friday and I hope you all have a really
great day, a day full of blessings! In my previous post, I wrote about the vacation
that Jim and I took. I told you about the beautiful Cathedral Shrine of Our Lady
of Guadalupe in Dallas, TX. Today I'm going to tell you about our trip to
Jefferson, TX, the Catholic church and the priceless (to me) pictures we bought
at an antique store.

Jefferson is a beautiful little town, full of history, and northeast of Dallas.
They were having a corvette show on main street that Saturday morning. Jim and
I walked up and down the street looking at all the old and new, shiny and
colorful corvettes. Proud owners sitting in chairs behind their cars, or polishing
them with a rag, telling people all about the statistics and stuff. In the distance,
over the top of a building I spotted a bell tower and told Jim that I bet that was
where the Catholic church was. So we started walking towards the church, and
sure enough, the beautiful old white church with the bell tower was
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. We went up the steps and through the
front door. The priest was inside making sure everything was just right, he was
fixing to go out of town and so there would be a visiting priest celebrating Mass
that Saturday evening and the next morning. He told us to take our time and that
he was going to lock the front door, so if we would please go out the side door
when we were through and just make sure it locked behind us. Jim and I walked
up and down the inside of the church admiring the amazing stained glass windows.
The windows told the story of the Life of Jesus. One window pane was The
Annunciation, the next was The Visitation, The birth of Christ, scenes from the
Joyful Mysteries. Then there was the pane showing the Wedding at Cana, one of
the Luminous Mysteries. The Crucifixion and the Pieta were two more of the
beautiful, but heartbreaking stained glass panes. The entire church was so breath-
taking. Jim and I knelt down and prayed, and even though we were the only ones
there, we whispered when we wanted to point something out. Finally we walked
out the side door and made sure it was locked. We walked back around to the
front of the church and checked the Mass schedule and decided that we would
come back for the 5:30 p.m. evening Mass that night. I took a picture of two
signs they had at the side of the church.

                                        PREGNANT AND NEED HELP?
                               (Mujer Embarazada y Necesita Ayuda?)
                          The Catholic Church sees the birth of each baby as
                         God's unfailing love. We offer immediate & practical
                                 help to any woman faced with crisis pregnancy
                                                           888-300-5112
The picture next to the words is the beautiful, "Madonna of the Streets"

                                             Society of St. Vincent de Paul
                                        Immaculate Heart of Mary Conference
                The Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers tangible assistance to                                 
                                       those in need on a person to person basis.

We walked back to our truck, both of us realizing what really matters, what is
really important, and what and who God cares about. Taking care of one another,
carrying each others burdens, lending a helping hand. We passed an old antique store
and walked in. In one room, high upon a shelf, dusty and dirty, were two old pictures.
One was the beautiful "Madonna of the Streets" and the other was a picture of Jesus
I had never seen before, his face in the middle, and small scenes of his life all around
the edge. I told Jimmy, "We have to rescue them, and take them home." Jim smiled
and reached up and carefully handed them to me. The owner commented on how
beautiful they were, and that she had never even noticed them. She carefully wrapped
them up for us, and $35.00 later they were safely tucked in the backseat of our truck!
That evening Jim and I did go to Mass at The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
We walked through the doors, dipped our fingers in the Holy Water, made the Sign of
the Cross, genuflected and knelt down to pray. There truly is no place like home.
                             May your day be full of blessings! Bye for now, Sharla