Saturday, May 31, 2014

Good Morning out there! It is beautiful outside and the temp is great! I just got home after walking at the KOA, if you live in San Angelo, you know where that is, if you don't, it is a great place to walk!
The first thing I saw when I drove up was my little cardinal couple, I love those birds! They were hopping around (yes, hopping) in the green grass topped off with the light morning dew! My grandkids know how much I enjoy watching these birds, whoever spots them first will yell, "look, it's the red bird and his wife!"
As I was walking, I was praying the Joyful Mysteries of The Rosary. I want to share the Pro-Life Joyful Mysteries with you. It doesn't matter whether you are Catholic or not, the scripture is from the Bible, and the intention that follows is pro-life, as Christians, this is for us all. Whoever wrote the intentions for the Pro-Life Rosary sure put their heart into it. I hope you will take the time to read these, thank you for reading my blog. Bye for now, Sharla




First Joyful Mystery
The Annunciation


Luke 1:28
And when the angel had come to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women."


Mary is troubled by the angel's greeting, yet rejoices to do God's will. Let us pray that those who are troubled by their pregnancy may have the grace to trust in God's will.


Second Joyful Mystery
The Visitation


Luke 1:41-42
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice: "Blest are you among women and blest is the fruit of your womb."


John the Baptist leapt for joy in his mother's womb. We pray that people may realize that abortion is not about children who "might" come into the world, but is about children who are already in the world, living and growing in the womb, and are scheduled to be killed.


Third Joyful Mystery
The Birth Of Jesus


Luke 2:7
She gave birth to her first-born Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the place where travelers lodged.


God Himself was born as a child. The greatness of a person does not depend on size, for the newborn King is very small. Let us pray for an end to prejudice against the tiny babies threatened by abortion.


Fourth Joyful Mystery
The Presentation


Luke 2:22-23
When the day came to purify them according to the law of Moses, the couple brought Him up to Jerusalem so that He could be presented to the Lord, for it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every first-born male shall be consecrated to the Lord."


The Child is presented in the Temple because the Child belongs to God. Children are not the property of their parents, nor of the government. They -and we- belong to God Himself.


Fifth Joyful Mystery
Finding The Child Jesus in The Temple


Luke 2:46
On the third day they came upon Him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.


The boy Jesus was filled with wisdom, because He is God. Let us pray that all people  may see the wisdom of His teachings about the dignity of life, and may understand that this teaching is not an opinion, but the truth.


As Catholics, we pray one "Our Father", "Ten Hail Marys", one "Glory be to the Father", and one "O My Jesus" prayer after each intention. For the Pro-Life Rosary we add "Jesus, protect and save the unborn."


Have a wonderful day, my motto for today is: Be Pro-Life, the only other choice is death!



Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Our Family Foundation - Our Faith

Good Morning out there! We have been blessed with so much rain the last couple of days! The lake levels are way up, and the ground is saturated, hooray! Thank You, Jesus!


My husband and I will be married 31 years next week! I think about all the things that have changed during our marriage, different jobs, different homes, all the different stages of our children's lives, and now we have 8 amazing grandchildren, Gifts from God! So many blessings, so much love, and I am so thankful!
The one thing that has stayed the same all of these years, is our Parish home, Sacred Heart Cathedral. This is where we raised our children, this is where we grew as a family. Many wonderful memories are from when we were at Mass. Not only did we celebrate the joy of Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, and Weddings, we also mourned the death of many loved ones at Funeral Masses.
We didn't, and don't just attend Mass, we were, and are involved. My children became Altar Servers just as soon as they could. My husband has been an Usher for years, and I have been honored to serve as a Lector, a Commentator and humbled to serve as a Eucharistic Minister. Many times over the years I would be standing at the front of the Cathedral waiting to Lector, and Jim would be standing at the back where the Ushers are, but I could always spot him in an instant. I remember one time he was in the balcony, and I looked up and saw him, my heart stopped for just a second and I just thought how blessed I was to be married to such a wonderful man. Even though we rarely sit together, we are together, a wave across the church, a smile, a feeling, we are always together.
We have seen many children grow up at Sacred Heart, from babies, to toddlers, then teens, then young adults. We have always enjoyed the holidays when many return home and attend Mass.
This past Sunday Evening in Mass, I was at the front, Jim was at the back, and young married couples with small children, and babies on the way were everywhere. So much new life! My heart was so full, so many of these couples I had known at least one of them since they were a small child, and now they have families of their own. Our children and grandchildren are at Mass with us most times, at Sacred Heart, our home.
Today I pray that each of you will be blessed with a home like ours, and that no matter where you sit or stand, you will always be together.


                                       You are God's chosen race, his saints;
                                        he loves you, and you should be clothed
                                       in sincere compassion, in kindness and
                                       humility, gentleness and patience.
                                       
                                        Bear with one another; forgive each other
                                        as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has
                                        forgiven you; now you must do the same.


                                        Over all these clothes, to keep them together
                                        and complete them, put on love.


                                        And may the peace of Christ reign in your
                                        hearts, because it is for this that you were
                                        called together as parts of one body.
                                        Always be thankful.


                                        Let the message of Christ, in all its richness,
                                        find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise
                                        each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your
                                        hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired
                                        songs to God;


                                        and never say or do anything except in the name
                                        of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
                                        through him.


                                                                 Colossians 3:12-17

Friday, May 23, 2014

Good Morning out there! Yesterday I received an email from 40 Days For Life to click on their link if I wanted to see some of the babies saved during the Spring 2014 campaign. The pictures of these smiling mothers holding their sweet, precious babies is truly a miracle. These mothers are so happy that they chose life for their babies, and they are thankful that there were people praying outside the abortion facility. The faithful, peaceful, prayerful presence of these pro-life individuals helped these mothers make a life decision that they will always be thankful for. If you want to see some of these moms and their babies go to www.40daysforlife.com


Father Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life wrote the Devotional for
 Day 41, April 14, 2014 - You can download the whole thing if you go to :
http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2014day41print.pdf


This is just part of the devotional:


Intention:
Pray that the witness of 40 Days for Life bears fruit, and that we begin again each day  to
storm the gates of hell until God welcomes us into the gates of heaven.


Scripture:
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. On this rock I will build my church;
the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
-Matthew 16:18


To read the Reflection and Prayer click on the pdf download I listed above.


Have a blessed and great day!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Good Morning out there! I wish that everyday I could think of something to say that would make an impact for the Pro-Life Movement. I realize that it doesn't work that way though. There is no way I can make someone else feel the heaviness that weighs on my heart when I think of all the abortions that take place everyday. Sometimes I wonder if this blog makes a difference. But then I realize that I have to be persistent, because just maybe, if there is even a small chance that it will help someone, I have to continue. I would love for this to be a more inter -active blog, for you to comment and send ideas, or information. I'll have to get someone to help me figure out how to change my blog to be able to do that. In the meantime, I'll stay the course. Have a great day!


                                        You both precede and follow me,
                                         and place your hand of blessing on my head.
                                                             Psalm 139:5


                                  If we really fully belong to God, then we must be at his
                                   disposal and we must trust in him. We must never be
                                  preoccupied with the future. There is no reason to be.
                                  God is there.
                                                     Blessed Mother Teresa


Our 40 Days For Life prayer group at Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Angelo, Texas prays this prayer after we pray the Rosary of the Unborn:
                                                       Prayer to End Abortion     


                                Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,    
                               and for the lives of all my brothers and sisters. I know
                              there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion, yet
                              I rejoice that you have conquered death by the Resurrection
                              of Your Son. I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
                                                       Today I commit myself
                                                          Never to be silent,   
                                                        Never to be passive,
                                               Never to be forgetful of the unborn.
                                                     I commit myself to be active
                                                     in the pro-life movement,     
                                             And never to stop defending life
                                         Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
                                               And our nation once again becomes
                                                  A nation with liberty and justice
                                                     Not just for some, but for all.


                                                Through Christ our Lord. Amen!
                         

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Hello out there! I hope you all have a blessed, and peace filled Sunday.


1st Day: Conception: Of the 200,000,000 sperm that try to penetrate the mother's egg cell, only one succeeds. At that very moment, a new and unique individual (baby boy or baby girl) is formed. All of the inherited features of this new person are already determined.


                                                       God is love.
                                                       1 John 4:8


                                    It is love that asks, that seeks, that knocks,
                                    that finds, and that is faithful to what it finds.
                                    St. Augustine
 


                I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars
                that you have established..... O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your
                name in all the earth!
                                                              Psalm 8:3,9


                                            The more I study nature, the more
                                             I am amazed at the Creator.
                                             Louis Pasteur









Friday, May 16, 2014

Great News!
I just received an email update from the 40 Days for Life 2014 spring campaign:


11 abortion workers quit including one doctor, while people were faithfully praying in front of the abortion facilities!


728 babies were saved from abortion!


The 40 Days For Life campaigns started 6 1/2 years ago. These are the amazing blessings that have happened during these campaigns.
Over the past 6 1/2 years:


101 abortion workers have quit their jobs at these facilities!


8,973 babies have been saved from abortion!


There have been 3,039 local 40 Days For Life campaigns.


625,000 - That's right six hundred twenty-five thousand people participating in these campaigns!


17,000 Churches have participated!


539 Cities have participated!


24 Countries have participated!


Please check out the 40 Days for Life website for more information.


www.40daysforlife.com
www.40daysforlife.com/briefing


Read the book: 40 Days for Life by David Bereit and Shawn Carney
Great, inspirational and very moving book you can read all at once or as a 40 Day Devotional.


                                     So God created humankind in his image,
                                     in the image of God he created them.
                                                    Genesis 1:27


                        
                                          

Thursday, May 15, 2014

                 God has given each of you some special abilities;
                  be sure to use them to help each other, passing on
            to others God's many kinds of blessings.
                             1 Peter 4:10



                    
                    The nicest thing we can do for our
                     heavenly Father is to be kind to
                     one of his children.    
                                    St. Teresa of Avila


                       Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
                                  Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his
                                   presence with singing.
                                  Know that the Lord is God.
                                  It is He that made us, and we are his; we are his people,
                                   and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with
                                   thanksgiving, and his courts with praise.
                                  Give thanks to him, bless his name.
                                   For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever,
                                   and his faithfulness to all generations.
                                                        Psalm 100
                                                      


                     


                         

Monday, May 12, 2014

Good Afternoon out there! I hope that all  Moms had a wonderful  Mother's Day. I just added three pictures, I meant to add them yesterday but didn't have time. There is one picture of Mother Mary that is absolutely beautiful. The picture is of a statue of Mother Mary in a Grotto outside St. Mary's Church in Praha (Flatonia, TX). The other two pictures are of St. Anne and Mother Mary as a child. One picture was taken inside the St. Mary's Church in Praha. The other picture was taken at St. Mary's Catholic Church in High Hill (Schulenburg, TX). My husband and I visited these churches last summer. These are two of the Painted Churches between San Antonio and Houston. I hope that we get to visit the other ones this summer. I think there are five or six of these beautiful, old Catholic Churches known as the Painted Church Tour. Here is some history on one of them:


St. Mary's Catholic Church - "Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: - was originally established in 1860, and the church and the community of High Hill, Texas enjoy a recorded history dating back to
the mid-1800s. I'll post information about the other churches later.


To see the pictures, click on view my complete profile. Have a great evening!


                                    For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;
                                                then we shall see face to face.   
                                       Now I know in part; then I shall know fully,
                                                       even as I am fully known.
                                       And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
                                                        But the greatest of these is love.


                                                             1 Corinthians 13:12-13

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Good Morning out there, I have a link to Rachel's Vineyard - Post Abortion Healing under my Pro-Life Resources tab. I am going to list some of the weekend retreats they offer. I clicked on the  Dallas Website- www.racheldallas.org and there was a beautiful picture of Jesus comforting a woman, and this scripture:


     "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak
        tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the
       Valley of Troubles into a Door of Hope..."       Hosea 2:14-15


Retreat Dates and Cities:  (There are many more cities in Texas that hold these retreats)


Dallas, TX (English)                                                        Ft. Worth, TX (English)
Fri. 8/8/14-Sun. 8/10/14                                                   Fri. 7/25/14-Sun. 7/27/14
Fri. 10/24/14- Sun.10/26/14


Dallas, TX (Spanish)                                                        Ft. Worth, TX (Spanish)
Fri. 6/13/14-Sun. 6/15/14                                                 Fri. 5/9/14-Sun. 5/11/14
Fri. 10/3/14-Sun. 10/5/14                                                 (This Weekend)


www.racheldallas.org                                                    www.racheltx.org


All retreats are confidential, please click on the website for all the information. If  you, or someone you know is in need of post abortion healing, they offer these retreats in so many states and countries, please just click on the Rachel's Vineyard website and you can find out all the information you need.
www.rachelsvineyard.org




                                                    And God heard them,
                                             for their prayer reached heaven,
                                                     His holy dwelling place.

                                                         2 Chronicles 30:27

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Good Morning out there! I added two more links under my Pro-Life Resources tab.
 I wanted these two websites to always be readily available. The first one is; Love is Waiting-It is a blog about couples who are in the process of adopting, or who have already adopted babies and or older children. Their stories are inspiring and heart warming. The second one is; Children's Hope International, the adoption agency the couples are using.
 I hope you take the time to look at these websites, and maybe share them with other people you know. Have a great day!


                                 Love is patient, love is kind... It always protects,
                                 always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
                                                       Love never fails.


                                                  1 Corinthians 13:4,7-8

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Good Morning out there! Just a quick reminder that Life Walk 2014 is this morning. My family will be there to walk, strollers and all!  This event is a fundraiser for the Pregnancy Help Center here in San Angelo, TX. I have their website listed under my Pro-Life Resources tab, so if you want any information about what all they provide, just click on their name and it will / should go straight to their website.


Today is also very special for our family. Two of my grandchildren will receive their First Holy Communion tonight. They are so excited, and we can't wait for Mass!
Have a wonderful, blessed weekend! Ours will be busy, but a joyful, great kind of busy!


                        Then taking a cup he offered a blessing in thanks and said;
                        "Take this and divide it among you; I tell you, from now on
                         I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the coming of the
                         reign of God."
                         Then, taking the bread and giving thanks, he broke it and gave
                         it to them, saving; "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 22:17-20

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Hello out there! I just finished reading several of the adoption stories on the
love is waiting adoption story blog. The web site is - http://loveiswaitingadoptionstory.blogspot.com
These couple's stories are wonderful! The babies and children are precious. One family is in the process of adopting three brothers. I hope you have time to read some of the stories, they will make your day!
 I also want to remind y'all about Life Walk 2014 for the Pregnancy Help Center here in San Angelo. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. and the walk begins at 9:00 a.m. this Saturday, May 3, 2014
behind Freedom Fellowship Church on Chadbourne St. This is the first of two fundraisers the Pregnancy Help Center has each year. My post on Tuesday details many of the free services that they provide.
Don't forget to check out the Catholic radio station, 91.5. Tune in from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. for Catholic Answers, they take phone calls and answer all kinds of questions. The Devine Mercy Chaplet is at 3:00 p.m. (Listen to this while you're picking your children, or grandchildren up from school), it is really beautiful. There is great programming all through out the day!


                                   Your love must be sincere. Detest what is evil,
                                   cling to what is good. Love one another with the
                                   affection of brothers. Anticipate each other in
                                   showing respect. Do not grow slack but be fervent
                                   in spirit; he whom you serve is the Lord. Rejoice in
                                    hope, be patient under trial, persevere in prayer.
                                                      Romans 12:9-12