St. Monica and St. Augustine, Please Pray for Us!

 

Faith, Intercessory Prayers, Scriptures, and Christian Warfare

Hey Y'all - I wrote the following post back in June of 2021. Today is the perfect day to re-share this story and the beautiful scriptures and prayers! Peace and blessings!

 Hello out there! I've been doing some research for this post - I've jotted down notes, scriptures, and websites. Saint Monica and Saint Augustine, type their names in the search bar and you can find all kinds of information.

 Intercessory prayer, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Patron Saints, and fighting against the evil and wickedness of this world. The topics for my blog today!

A quick story that will explain why I'm writing about St. Monica and St. Augustine: Jim and I were in south Dallas on May 29th. We were going to his cousin's funeral and had arrived early. We like to visit Catholic Churches when we are traveling. I looked up Catholic Churches in the area. St. Augustine Catholic Church was only a couple of miles away. We drove to the church and hoped the doors would be unlocked, they were. We walked inside and it was so peaceful and beautiful. We were the only ones in the church. We walked up to the front pew and knelt. A feeling of peace washed over me. Tears began to flow down my face, I looked at Jim and said, "This is where we are supposed to be." I began to pray for all the people who have asked for our prayers for their children, their loved ones who struggle with alcoholism, drugs, failing marriages, etc. I asked for St. Augustine to please pray for them, for him to intercede on their behalf. I thought of St. Monica and how she prayed so diligently, so fervently for her loved ones. I asked for her intercession for the mothers and fathers who are praying so hard, whose hearts are breaking. Isn't it amazing how God leads us to where we need to be?

The scriptures I share in my blog today are from our family bible, Saint Joseph Edition of the New American Bible.

Christian Warfare:                                                                                                                           Ephesians 6:10-17

Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. Our battle is not against human forces but against the principalities and powers, the rulers of this world of darkness, the evil spirits in regions above. You must put on the armor of God if you are to resist on the evil day; do all that your duty requires, and hold your ground. Stand fast, with the truth as the belt around your waist, justice as your breastplate, and zeal to propagate the gospel of peace as your footgear. In all circumstances hold faith up before you as your shield; it will help you extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, the word of God. 

Assiduous Prayer:   ( I looked up the word, assiduous - it means, diligent, steadily attentive.)                 Ephesians 6:18-20

At every opportunity pray in the Spirit, using prayers and petitions of every sort. Pray constantly and attentively for all in the holy company. Pray for me that God may put his word on my lips, that I may courageously make known the mystery for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may have the courage to proclaim it as I ought.

I am guilty of thinking, "I know that scripture" so I will just glance over it. As I typed the scriptures from Ephesians, I read them over and over. It made me think about Paul, and how he worked so hard to share the gospel, the faith and determination he maintained. The following is the last four verses in his Epistle to the Ephesians.

Conclusion:                                                                                                                                  Ephesians 6:21-24

Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will keep you informed as to how I am and what I am doing. I have sent him to you for the very purpose of giving you news about me for your hearts' consolation.                                                                                                                        May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ grant the brothers peace and love and faith. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with unfailing love.

I don't think I've ever read those last four verses - They are so full of hope and love - The final verse, "Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with unfailing love."  I say, "Amen and amen"!

The St. Michael Prayer is one my family and I repeat on a daily basis - and sometimes, this prayer is prayed multiple times!

                                                                         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.

I looked up Saint Monica to find out more information about her life. I typed in her name and several links popped up. The following information is from this link:

Angelic Warfare Confraternity

Dominican Friars, Province of Saint Joseph

The Tears of St. Monica 

St. Monica is a Patron Saint of:

Alcoholics

Conversion

Mothers

Wives

I'm going to summarize what I read: Monica was married to a pagan, Patricius, he had a violent temper, and did not treat her very well. Her mother-in-law lived with them, the link said she was cantankerous. These are my words, and if that wasn't bad enough...her oldest son, Augustine was living an immoral life. St. Monica prayed and her tears flowed for her family. She had two other sons. Her husband and mother-in-law finally came to know and believe in the Lord. Her husband, Patricius, died one year after he was baptized. He died in 371.  If you don't already know the rest of her story, go to the above website, it is very thorough. It does say that almost all we know about St. Monica is in the writings of St. Augustine, especially in his, Confessions. 

As I read about St. Monica I thought about how she continued to pray and pray and pray. She never lost hope that her prayers would someday be answered.  We must pray without ceasing for our loved ones - God hears us, and our tears have not gone unnoticed! Pray for one another. It isn't always easy and sometimes our prayer needs to be for ourselves - to be able to continue praying, for perseverance and strength in dealing with situations that break our hearts.                                          

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

COME, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

Galatians 5:22-23

In contrast, the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patient endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, mildness and chastity. Against such there is no law!

BUT WAIT! Read what comes before verses 22 and 23!

Galatians 5:13-21

Proper Use of Freedom: (Wow and Amen!)

My brothers, remember that you have been called to live in the freedom-but not a freedom that gives free rein to the flesh. Out of love, place yourselves at one another's service. The whole law has found its fulfillment in this one saying: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." If you go on biting and tearing one another to pieces, take care! You will end up in mutual destruction! My point is that you should live in accord with the spirit and you will not yield to the cravings of the flesh. The flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh; the two are directly opposed. This is why you do not do what your will intends. If you are guided by the spirit, you are not under the law. It is obvious what proceeds from the flesh: lewd conduct, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, bickering, jealousy, outbursts of rage, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you, as I have warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

I had to get out my dictionary and look some of the words in the above scriptures up!

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit:

Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord

I went to LoyolaPress.com/catholic-resources and found the definition for each one of the gifts. I wrote them in my notes but I'll let you look them up!

I will close with the following scripture from Isaiah:

Isaiah 11:2-3

The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.

                Pray without ceasing!                

Peace and blessings to you and yours!

Bye for now, Sharla

The "Cutest Little Percolator" Coffee and Memories!

 Hello out there! It is H O T hot outside! My computer screen shows the temp being 108 degrees at      5:38 pm. The weather app on my phone is showing 106 degrees! Same forecast for tomorrow - give or take a degree! Excessive heat warning until 9:00 pm tomorrow evening! There are some clouds outside that look like they could have some rain in them. I told Jim that I prayed and asked the Lord to bless us with some rain, a little reprieve, even though we don't deserve it! His response was, God says it will rain on the just and the unjust. So, there you go - we have a chance of rain after all!

I looked up the exact verse and it is in the Gospel of Matthew 5:45 but I'm going to share verses 44-46 to get the full meaning:

Matthew 5:44-46

But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?

I'm trying not to pay too much attention to the news. Gloom and doom and a whole lot of crazy going on in our country right now. Praying! And Praying!

I decided I needed to share a sweet memory that is near and dear to my heart. Jim and I are both coffee drinkers. He usually makes the coffee at night; pours water in the reservoir and adds the coffee to the basket and then whoever gets up first just has to push the brew button! I fixed it up night before last. He was drinking his coffee when I walked into the kitchen. I poured coffee into my mug that says, "Embrace the Mess" and took a sip and my eyes almost crossed it was so strong! I immediately said, "Oh my gosh, that coffee is strong! And you didn't even warn me!" His reply was, "You made it!" Anyway, I had to add some extra sugar and cream - Wowzers! He fixed the coffee last night and this morning when I took my first sip, it was just right!

The following post is a story I shared in January 2015: (The sweet memory)

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

The "Cutest Little Percolator" I Received at My Bridal Shower, Many Years Ago

Good Morning out there! Wait, I have to go get a second cup of coffee before I
begin! I'm back, with a hot cup of coffee, a little cream, a little sugar! I was going
to write about something else, but I've decided to share a neat story instead.

I really enjoy drinking coffee in the morning, my husband does too. It all started
with a gift I received at my bridal shower many years ago!
When Jim and I got married, I was 19 and he was 27. I wanted to be the perfect little
house wife! I would get up and make breakfast every morning before Jim would head
off to work. He has always been a welder, so oatmeal or cereal just aren't a good
breakfast when you have a physically demanding job. I would fry up bacon and
eggs, and fix toast with butter and jelly. Well, I received the cutest little 4-6 cup
percolator as a gift at my bridal shower, so every morning I would make coffee.
I remember asking Jim what he took in his coffee, and he said "milk and sugar."
So it began, every morning, no matter what I cooked for breakfast, Jim and I had
one or two cups of coffee, we both added milk and sugar. As the years came and went,
so did the coffee makers! Large percolators, Mr. Coffees, the percolators were my
favorite because I liked the bubbly, gurgling noises they made! Jim stopped putting
milk in his coffee, you never know what I want in my coffee, sometimes cream,
sometimes not, always sugar (use to be real, then Equal, now Splenda). Anyway,
no matter what we ate for breakfast, we always had a cup or two, of coffee! We prepare
the coffee the night before and set the delayed brew button, that way, when we wake up
the coffee is ready. I always say it is like magic! I love waking up to the smell of a
fresh pot of coffee! We use Folgers, not the flavored foo foo kind!
About five years ago, Jim and I were taking a walk. We were talking about all kinds
of things, and we both stated that we were glad we didn't smoke cigarettes, and
he was glad he had stopped dipping many years ago, and such. Anyway, Jim said
the only thing we both had to have, was coffee in the morning. Then he said that it
was all my fault! I said "What do you mean all my fault?" Jim replied that I made
coffee every morning and set a cup for him on the table with his breakfast. So he
figured I must be a big coffee drinker, and he didn't want to hurt my feelings since
we had just gotten married, so he drank it! Well, I started laughing hard, you know,
the kind where you double over laughing. When I stopped laughing like a hyena,
and got my breath back, I told him that I just knew he drank coffee since he was
older than me. Both of  my parents drank coffee, my grandparents drank coffee,
his parents drank coffee. Besides all that, I got the cutest little percolator for a gift
at my bridal shower, and so that must mean that you drink coffee once you're
married! Well then Jim started laughing, not like a hyena, but pretty hard. So when
he stopped laughing, he said to me, "You mean all these years we've been drinking
coffee, it wasn't because you were already a coffee drinker, but because we received
a percolator as a wedding gift?" To which I laughingly replied, "Pretty much!"
I really enjoy my cup of coffee even more now, because I think back how Jim would
drink it, not because he was a coffee drinker, but because he thought I was.
I hope your day is filled with blessings, go and make some happy memories with
your loved ones!
I'm going to close with a couple of scriptures that I love:

Genesis 2:21-24
So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he
took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said: "This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called 'woman,' for out of 'her man' this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs, it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries. Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to love's forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.
                                                 Bye for now, Sharla

A Reality Check - It's Time to Wake Up

 

Hello out there –

On July 1^st of 2013 an article was published on the front page of our then, local newspaper, the Standard Times. I read the article and was so deeply disturbed that it lit a burning fire in me to write a response. I emailed my heartfelt letter to the newspaper and they published it in the Viewpoints section on July 4^th of 2013. Many people commented on my article and told me that I should write more articles like that. I laughed and told them that I wasn’t a writer, I was just so appalled that the words came tumbling out.

Looking back I see how God guides us to use the gifts He has given us. I also see His timing in opening my eyes to the gift of being able to write from my heart, a gift I didn’t even know I had until I wrote that one letter, and then the words kept coming, and the desire to write more was constantly on my mind. Several times I pushed it aside with the excuse that I was too busy, etc.

I turned fifty, the Big 50, at the end of December 2013. About a week later another upsetting story was in the newspaper. The same emotions I felt back in July hit me with such force, the words that came to my mind would not go away. I sat down, wrote a response, emailed it the newspaper, they published it, and I received the same encouragement to keep writing.

On a Saturday morning, March 22, 2014, I finally had the courage to try something that I truly knew nothing about – I started a blog. I wasn’t on Facebook, I had a flip phone and the only text messages I sent were one word responses; yes, no, okay, why? Yes, I had help setting up my blog: https://www.adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com

If you are familiar with my blog, you know that I’ve been writing pro-life/pro-family/pro-faith stories for over ten years. I’ve written over 500 stories/posts for my blog. I’ve written numerous letters to our local newspaper, and newspapers in other cities and other states. I’ve written letters to people in office, clergy, etc. I do my homework before I write letters or articles. I look things up, I make phone calls, I pray, and then I sit down and write.

Yesterday, The New York Post shared the following information:

Free abortions, vasectomies will be available to DNC attendees in Chicago.

Planned Parenthood (Should change name to No Parenthood – my opinion) shared a picture of the “PP” mobile, and the address to perform these services. They are “free” but not really, because our taxes are paying for them. PP receives mega tax dollars.

I didn’t realize that Planned Parenthood offered vasectomies. Just a thought, you might want to check out the doctor’s credentials before you have that done. Some day you might want to have children, think about your future! Look up the word, “Eunuch” – yep, better check out those credentials.

I am deeply disturbed by the liberal lefts ideology: Their push against having a family, their ideas for population control and their verbal attacks on people with Christian values, Catholics, other Christian Denominations, Jewish people, pro-life people and basically against anyone who has one iota of common sense in our country right now!

I wish I was sharing a different message on this beautiful day that the Lord has made. It’s Sunday and I didn’t want to write this story today. But when I woke up, the first thought that came to my mind was the DNC – Democratic National Convention needs to be concerned about the real problems in our country. Stop pushing abortion and apparently vasectomies too! Why don’t you do something to help the men and women who want to have children, if you’re really “pro-choice” and not just “pro-abortion” why don’t you tell them about the help that is available for mothers and their babies! I didn’t read anything about there being people from pregnancy help centers on hand (who don’t receive any tax payer funding – private donations only) or anyone offering free sonograms. Wake up America – we have real problems on our hands!

Those were the thoughts in my head before I even threw the covers back – so I got up, complained about it to my husband, he poured me a cup of coffee and I’m in my office typing my little heart out.

Please pray for all of our leaders. Please pray for peace. Please pray for our families. Please pray for the unborn. (not necessarily in that order)

I’m going to fix a much needed cup of chamomile tea now that I’ve shared this message that God put on my heart.

And as always,

Peace and blessings to you and yours,

 near and far, wherever you are!

Bye for now,

Sharla

St. Mother Teresa, please pray for us!

 

The Second Joyful Mystery, The Mysteries of Light and An Armadillo Too!

 Hello out there! I just pulled a pan of brownies out of the oven. Thank goodness I set the timer! I was in my office writing this blog post and kept hearing this beeping noise... it finally dawned on me that it was my oven timer! I've been craving some chocolate - I'm glad I didn't burn the brownies! Jim is too!

Today is The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Revelation 12:1

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon beneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

Luke 1:39-45

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

I love this scripture and the story it tells. I close my eyes and can see Elizabeth and Mother Mary greeting each other. I can see the joy in their faces and the bond they share. About two and a half years ago I had pneumonia and a horrible cough. I couldn't sleep and didn't want to wake up Jim so I grabbed a blanket and went into the living room and settled in my recliner. I began praying the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. When I came to the Second Mystery - The Visitation, I closed my eyes and meditated on how that greeting must have been. I wondered about the village they lived in and how the women must have gathered together to cook and take care of their children, the comradery they must have shared. I finally fell asleep as I prayed the soothing and repetitive prayers of the rosary.

Hope you enjoy the following story and The Mysteries of Light!

Sharing a post from two years ago - this story/post could fall under a couple different categories - you decide!

You might be Catholic if...

You might be a Redneck if...

Or - you might just be visiting The Ynostrosa Hacienda - Life with Nana and Pa!

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Armadillos, Granddaughters, and The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary

 Good morning out there! Today's weather report is as follows:

It is 88 degrees right now at 10:46 a.m. (CST) - The high temp for today is expected to be 104! Check out the weather difference in the "Blast from the Past" post added below this story! 

I went for a walk earlier this morning and was praying the rosary. Today is Thursday so I prayed the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary - The Mysteries of Light! I will share a post from April 2017 which includes all the prayers and the scriptures for this beautiful rosary.

Wow - this is my life - I'm in my office typing this blog post and one of my granddaughters runs in to tell me that there is an armadillo in Pa's barn! I jump up and grab my phone so that I can get a picture. I go outside and Jim tells me that the armadillo is over by his big toolbox. I slowly walk toward the side of the toolbox and take a picture! Two of my granddaughters are right behind me. Jim tells us he's going to catch the armadillo and let him loose in the field behind us. The girls and I walk towards the roll up door and wait. Jim puts on gloves and grabs that armadillo by the tail and turns toward us - we all run, (not Jim) screaming, out of the barn! Then we convince the girls to take a picture next to their Pa holding the armadillo before he let's it go! There is always some kind of excitement at Pa and Nana's Hacienda! If I wasn't writing about the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary - this would be labeled as one of my "Redneck Posts!" I'll have to think of a great title!

Back to the reason I started  writing this post! I hope you enjoy the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary!

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Day Five - Thursday - Praying The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary

Good morning out there! I opened the back door to see why our dogs were barking up a storm and a very cool gust of air blew in. It is 49 degrees outside at 8:54 a.m. on this gorgeous sunny morning. The high today is supposed to reach 90 degrees.

You've got to love West Texas weather!

We are on day five of our "Pray the rosary on a daily basis" schedule! Today we will go over the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. You will love them! 

The following are the prayers of the rosary -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.

Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and
lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for
us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be To The Father
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Hail, Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope,
to thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our
sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears; turn, then, most gracious
Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us, and after this, our exile, show unto us
the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises
of Christ.

Let's get started!
1. Make the Sign of the Cross and then say the "Apostles' Creed."
2. Say the "Our Father"
3. Say three Hail Marys'
4. Say the "Glory Be to the Father."

5. Announce the First Mystery -
The First Luminous Mystery is The Baptism of Jesus -
After Jesus was baptized, he came directly out of the water. Suddenly the sky
opened and he saw the Spirit of God descend like a dove and hover over him.
With that, a voice from the heavens said, "This is my beloved Son.
My favor rests on him." (Matthew 3:16-17) 
 Then say the "Our Father"
6. Say (10) Hail Marys'
7. Say the "Glory Be to the Father." Then say the following prayer -
"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all
souls to Heaven, especially those in  most need of Thy mercy."

8. Announce the Second Mystery -
The Second Luminous Mystery is The Wedding at Cana -
His mother said to the servers, "Do whatever He tells you."...
Jesus told them, "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them
to the brim. (John 2:5-7)
 Then say the "Our Father"
 Say (10) Hail Marys'
 Say the "Glory Be to the Father." Then say the following prayer -
"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all
souls to Heaven, especially those in  most need of Thy mercy."

9. Announce the Third Mystery -
The Third Luminous Mystery is Proclaiming The Kingdom -
"As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without
cost you have received; without cost you are to give." (Matthew 10:7-8)
 Then say the "Our Father"
 Say (10) Hail Marys'
 Say the "Glory Be to the Father." Then say the following prayer -
"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all
souls to Heaven, especially those in  most need of Thy mercy."

10. Announce the Fourth Mystery -
The Fourth Luminous Mystery is The Transfiguration -
While He was praying His face changed in appearance and His clothing
became dazzling white. Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
"This is My chosen Son; listen to Him." (Luke 9:29, 35)
 Then say the "Our Father"
 Say (10) Hail Marys'
 Say the "Glory Be to the Father." Then say the following prayer -
"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all
souls to Heaven, especially those in  most need of Thy mercy."

11. Announce the Fifth Mystery -
The Fifth Luminous Mystery is The Institution of The Eucharist -
Then, taking bread and giving thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying:
"This is my body to be given for you. Do this as a remembrance of me."
He did the same with the cup after eating, saying as he did so: "This cup is the
new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you." (Luke 22:19-20)
 Then say the "Our Father"
 Say (10) Hail Marys'
 Say the "Glory Be to the Father." Then say the following prayer -
"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all
souls to Heaven, especially those in  most need of Thy mercy."
12. Say the "Hail, Holy Queen" after all five decades are completed.
13. Make the Sign of the Cross and say Amen.

I hope that you have been able to follow the steps and I really hope that you
have begun to pray the rosary! There is so much turmoil and hate in our world
right now. I truly believe in the power of prayer and I know that God will
answer us.
                                                            Ask, and you will receive.

Seek, and you will find.

Knock, and it will be opened to you.

For the one who asks, receives.

The one who seeks, finds.
The one who knocks, enters.     

  Matthew 7:7,8

And as always, 

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

Bye for now, Sharla

Family, Food, and Faith - Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

 Good morning out there!

  This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!

Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus

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)

I love this story! It always resonates with me. So many times I've been like Martha when I needed to be more like Mary. Through the years, as our family has grown, I've learned to serve joyfully and I've also humbled myself and learned when it's time to be served.

My husband and I have been married forty-one years. We make a great team! We try to keep meals simple when our adult children and grandchildren are with us. Thankfully, no one is picky! A big pot of freshly cooked pinto beans, ground meat, grated cheese, tortillas, fruit, chips, lemonade, tea, and we are good to go! A large roast with lots of veggies is popular as well! They all love the big breakfast meals their Pa cooks up! Jim and I have a certain rhythm as we work in the kitchen together to feed our hungry bunch. I peel and slice potatoes while he cooks chorizo and refries beans. Half of us like chorizo and beans and the other half like chorizo and scrambled eggs. Jim makes the best fried potatoes - the grandkids love them! I like it when he cuts up an onion and fries that with the potatoes. Grated cheese, hot sauce and sour cream are always on hand. Sometimes we have pico de gallo (chopped jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic) too! I'm a big fan of paper plates! 

The motto in our home is: If you leave here hungry - it's your own fault! Thank you Jesus!

This past week our home has been a revolving door of family and activities! Yesterday, after everyone had left and Jim and I had cleaned up the kitchen, we both took a much needed nap! 

We are thankful for our many blessings! 

Jim and I went to Mass last night. Our parish is the one thing that has not changed through out our married life. Our faith in God is our family's foundation. Every time we step through the doors, it's always like coming home. I married a devout Catholic man and I'm so thankful that I converted over thirty-seven years ago. Faith is the fabric of our lives. 

The following story is one I shared last year on this date. Thanks for reading my stories - I pray that they bless your day!

Saturday, July 29, 2023

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: 

Our neighbor, who lived across the street died of a massive heart attack. 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 to pay our respects to his widow and the teenage children he left behind and we gave  them the bag full of things needed to make coffee for all those who visited.           My mom taught me how to mourn with those who mourn. 

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. 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 was battling cancer but she still thought of others and wanted me to understand the importance of friendship.                                                                                  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. She always looked so pretty and we always dressed up.                                                                                            My mom taught me to persevere even 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! July 29, 2023

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
The following is the refrain - look up this beautiful song to sing all the verses.
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

Adoption Saves Generations

 Sharing an important story I wrote in October 2017. 

Hello out there! No weather report today just something I have to share, right now!

Are you ready for my commercial to promote adoption for the human babies!
No, it won't be on television because we don't have the money for that - but I
just saw another commercial about the Humane Society and all the tears for the
animals and I just decided that I have to do what I am able to do. 

So let me start at the beginning - Adoption is a loving life option - and you know what?
Adoption doesn't just save one life - but generations of lives! The pictures you see are
of me as a baby, my cousin (who was also adopted) and I at Christmas time,
me as a young mother with my precious son and daughter. Flash forward
quite a few years and you see me and my son and daughter all grown up. The next picture                      you see is three generations - eleven people - because I was blessed with life. Now look at the
picture of just the chairs - they are empty - because the grim reality is this is what you
would see without me. Emptiness! My son and daughter would not be alive and my grandchildren wouldn't be either.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't take care of our animals, but I'm asking this....
if you support the Humane Society - do you also support the Pregnancy Help Centers or Pregnancy Resource Centers? The places who help mothers and their babies, born and unborn.
What type of messages do your t-shirts promote? Are there any messages about the gift
of life for the human babies? I pulled out my Merriam-Webster Dictionary and looked
up the word humane
1: marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for others
The last sentence said on the Humane Society commercial was,
"Become a humane hero and save them."
 I agree, but I'm talking about the unborn babies.
 Isn't it time we start asking the question - Why is it so hard to speak up for the
human babies? If you agree with me - pass this on - or try to think of a way that you can
become involved in speaking up for the unborn.
My name is Sharla Ynostrosa and I approve of this ad because this is my story!

Watering my Plants, Hoeing some Weeds, Singing a Song and More!

Hello out there! It's 3:05 pm and after I give you my weather report, I'm going to share some scriptures from the Gospel of Matthew with you! I was outside this morning, watering all of my plants and topping off my bird baths - the sky was and still is a vivid, bright blue with white clouds dotted all throughout the sky. Some wind gusts here and there, another beautiful sunshiny day! It is 93 degrees right now and the high is expected to reach 94! 

Watering my plants, hoeing some weeds, singing a song - that sounds like the perfect title to me! 

Today's Gospel Reading from Matthew really hit home with me today:

As I worked outside, I heard the bird's chirping and singing their songs. I watched as they flew in and out of the trees and stopped to get a drink from the multiple bird baths we have:

(1) The bird bath next to the statue of St. Francis of Assisi, (2) The "Red Neck" bird bath out by the oak tree, (3) The oblong, stock tank bird bath that is also home to four goldfish.

Not only do our neighborhood birds have a place to get a drink and take a bath...the deer, squirrel and other thirsty animals stop by for visits too!

Matthew 6:24-34 

Jesus said to his disciples:

 "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."

I had read the scriptures for today before I went outside. And as I watched the birds, and thought about the nests they have carefully crafted in the branches of the trees, stopping by the bird baths for a drink and quick splish splash, and saw the droppings on the ground from the deer that had visited the night before, I thanked God for everything. He is always with us. The scriptures from Matthew remind us...But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.

Jim and I sit on the back porch most evenings. We've been blessed to live in this home for thirty-three years. Our children were young when we moved in here and I prayed that it would be our forever home. Our grandchildren love to come and visit and we are blessed with so many memories. The walls in my small kitchen seem to move back and make room when we are all gathered here. As our family has grown we have added a table in the living room and out on the back porch. The motto in our home is: "If you are still hungry when you leave, it is your own fault! Thank you Jesus! We have plenty to eat!"

Like most families, we have had our own financial struggles. Through the years we've had to budget, cut this out and that out, and learn the difference between needs and wants. But those struggles have helped us to be more thankful, taught us to be more frugal, and that prayer and depending on God is the answer to everything! 

Here are a couple of money saving hints that I have learned along the way:

1. It's always cheaper to eat at home than eat out. 

2. Buy a coffee pot, a large can of Folgers Coffee (or whatever brand you like) and make a pot of coffee. Add the water and coffee the night before and hit the on button the next morning. Not only will you save a bunch of money, you can actually enjoy drinking a cup while you're getting ready for school, work, errands etc. You'll also save on gas that way! 

3. It's okay to skip a manicure and or pedicure. It really is! That's one of those, need/want things! There was a couple of years that I didn't even spend money at the beauty shop. My bathroom was also known as "Sharla's Cut & Color" - I trimmed my own bangs, I colored my own hair, (the only time my hair had a slightly red tint) and I trimmed Jim's hair too! 

4. If you usually eat out for lunch - stop! Fix a sandwich, cut up some fruit, grab a yogurt, etc. and you will save money!

 Pray together! Pray before meals, pray before bed, pray before you leave the house! 

The hard times have only brought Jim and I closer together and more importantly, closer to our Lord. We celebrated 41 years earlier this month. Through it all, the good and the bad, the richer and the poorer, when we are sick and when we are healthy, the happy and the sad - God has been right here with us!

This picture was taken about three years ago - Our statue of Mother Mary in our front yard. There is a story that goes with the straw hat in one of my older posts!

Pictures of some of the things I bake in my kitchen! And a picture of the wind chime Jim made for me years ago!

Hug your spouse! Hug your kids! Simplify your life!

Peace and blessings to you and yours, near and far, wherever you are! Bye for now, Sharla