Friday, February 27, 2015

A Quiet Moment in the Courtyard, Listening to God

Brrrrrr, it's cold this morning! Hello out there! The roads are icy this morning, so we will
have a late start at the courtyard! Since I don't have to head out so early, I want to share
what has been happening at our 40 days vigil.
On Tuesday, my husband attached tarps on two sides of one of the canopies we have out
at the courtyard. That really helped to block the wind that day. He also lit two small propane
heaters and sat them in front of the open side. We sat chairs inside and put some blankets in
there. We hung up all the pro-life signs and he headed off to work. I really didn't think many
people would come and pray because it was so cold, I was wrong. People who were signed
up for certain hours showed up to pray, people just dropped in to pray.  There is know way to describe how thankful I am for these devoted pro-life warriors! The sun came out for a little
while in the afternoon, and some people sat outside of the warming area, all bundled up,
and prayed.
Wednesday morning I was ready to go! I arrived at the courtyard at 7:00am
and started setting the chairs out and hanging up the pictures and posters that we take
down at night. I put a clean sign up sheet on the clip board and made sure that the daily
devotional page from 40 Days was in the prayer books. One of my dearest friends, Candi
stopped by to help me set up. She stayed for awhile, and then told me she would be back
so that I could go home. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining, and there were
little ladybugs all over the posters and the planters. I was so happy to be outside and
enjoy the sunshine. I prayed and I sang the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Candi came back and
sent me home, I told her that I would be back so that she could go to the noon Mass. It
was such a beautiful day, I just knew that lots and lots of people would be stopping in
to pray! People did come, one at a time at first, and then two or three. A  young man who
attends college came at his regular time. Two ladies who have been praying during the
 40 Days for years came and prayed. I left for a little while during this time and when I
returned, Candi was there. She and I were the only ones left, and she helped me
get some pro-life brochures together to take to St Mary's youth later on that evening. I
think it was about 4:15 or so when she was leaving. She has been such a blessing to me,
such a wonderful friend, always seems to know just when I need her to stop by.
After she left, I sat down at the picnic table underneath the oak trees. I prayed and told
God that I thought there would be more people that day. I sat there quietly, and prayed
it was so peaceful. I heard a noise and looked up to see two squirrels chasing each other
up and down the oak tree. I smiled at their playfulness. One squirrel ran off, and the other
one came closer to me. I looked down at him and said, "Are you here to pray with me
today?" I heard a bird singing in the tree above me, I looked up and birds were flying in
and out of the trees. Something caught my eye, and I glanced over and saw that same little
squirrel sitting on the fence that surrounds the courtyard. He was sitting up straight,
his little paws together and his headed tilted upward, his little mouth was moving and I
laughingly exclaimed, "You are praying with me!" I thanked God for the quiet, peaceful
moments. I felt like God was reminding me that I am never alone, He is always with me.
So I sat there and prayed, thanking God for this quiet time I had alone with Him in the
peaceful courtyard where birds sing, squirrels play, ladybugs fly and people come and pray.
A few moments later people started arriving, one sat here, and one sat there, hugs and
prayers, fellowship everywhere.
What happened that day will forever stay in my heart, a reminder from God to be still
and know that He is always with me. God is always with you, be still and quiet and listen.
Stay warm and be safe, if the roads are icy, stay at home and pray!
Blessings to you and yours!                Bye for now, Sharla

Monday, February 23, 2015

Praying in the Courtyard

Good Morning Out There! Today is Day 6 of the 40 Days for Life Campaign.
The first five days of the campaign have been great! I've really enjoyed being
back in the courtyard, being with my fellow pro-life warriors! The prayers,
fellowship, smiling faces, hugs and friendship bring so much life to the courtyard
at Sacred Heart. The concrete slab is coming to life with side walk chalk colored
pictures and thought provoking expressions drawn and written from the children
who come with their parents to pray. St Mary's Confirmed Faithful painted signs
to hang on the gates and fence around the courtyard. The signs have been painted
with bright colors and messages written from the hearts of the young adults who
made them.
Please pray for the unborn and their families wherever you are, God hears all of
our prayers.
The following prayer is in today's devotional from 40 Days for Life:
Jesus, open my eyes to your presence in the life of every child. Open my heart
to joy in the birth of every child, a birth that reflects the joy of your own birth
in Bethlehem. As you shared life in the womb of Mary, so now send your
protection upon every child still in the womb, and grant to their mothers the
strength and joy that comes from welcoming the gift of life.
We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.
If you would like to read the daily scripture, reflection and prayer during the
campaign, please go to www.40daysforlife.com
They also share stories about different campaigns in the United States and other
countries. I hope you all have a wonderful day! I'll check in with y'all in a
couple of days and give you another update. I post pictures and information on
our local face book page if you would like to follow it:
40 Days for Life - San Angelo, TX


                                                     Bye for now, Sharla

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Please God, Give Me the Words Guide My Hand as I Write This Verse

Hello out there! I hope you all are having a great week!  The spring 40 Days for Life
campaign starts next week! I am busy trying to tie up all the loose ends! Having said
that, I have to share my nervous feelings about everything falling in place.
Signing up to be the coordinator for the San Angelo 40 Days for Life Campaign helps
keep my focus on what I want to do, what I believe in with all of my heart. But in all
honesty, I'm not an in charge type of person, I'd much rather someone else say,
"This is what I want you to do...." but for some reason I am the coordinator. I pray for
guidance, strength and wisdom daily to do the very best I can to bring awareness about
the help that is available for young ladies and women in a crisis pregnancy. I pray for
ways to bring more people out to pray for an end to abortion, because I know that with
prayer all things are possible! The following prayer is one that we pray daily during
the 40 Days for Life:
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.
I love this prayer, and I'm going to highlight how I pray that God will help me to
live my life everyday, not just during the 40 Days for Life campaigns.


 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.


Please pray for me and all the coordinators and participants of the 40 Days for Life
campaigns. Please pray that God will guide us, give us strength, courage and
perseverance, and please pray for our families. Thank you


                                                           Bye for now, Sharla

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Those Valentine's Day Commercials are just Crazy, I Would Like Some Chocolate, Please!

Good Morning out there! Just a quick post before I dash out the door! I just have to ask this
........does anyone else think the "Hoodie-Footie" Valentine's Day commercial
 is goofy? I just can't imagine walking around my home in one of those outfits! I mean
really? How in the world are you suppose to wash dishes, cook, do laundry, and all
the other things that are necessary in something that a newborn or small baby wears?
You certainly aren't going to take out the trash, or throw scraps to the chickens in that
get up! If you are that cold turn up the thermostat, or go scrub the tub, either one will
warm you right up! Anyway, I just had to get that out!
If you are going to buy me something, I LIKE CHOCOLATE! No, I don't need it, but
I sure like it.  Oh, don't buy me one of those 4' bears either, where in the world are
you going to keep that thing?
Thanks for letting me vent! Those commercials drive me crazy!
I hope y'all have a super great day! Give your spouse a kiss, tell them Happy Valentine's
Day, turn some music on, twirl around the kitchen while you're cooking, and hug
your kids! And most important - Thank God for a new day!
                                                         Bye for now, Sharla

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

"Lead Me Lord, by the Light of Truth, To Seek and to Find the Narrow Way"

Good Morning out there! A quick post to say hello and I hope you are all doing well!
I woke up this morning with a whole list of things to do running through my mind. I'm
trying to plan out my day so that I can accomplish all that needs to get done. I'm on my
second cup of coffee so that should help!
The 40 Days for Life Spring Campaign begins next week, starting on Ash Wednesday!
I've been advertising on my face book page, and I have a face book page for the campaign;
40 Days for Life - San Angelo, TX  (If you ever want to check out all the information, or
see the pictures that I post!) I've also been calling people who participated in the fall
campaign to see if they would like to sign up again. Most people are signing back up! We
had a table in the Vestibule at church this past weekend with sign up sheets and flyers.
I made a back-drop of pictures from the fall campaign and had it on the table. I went to
Hobby Lobby on Friday and bought one of those cardboard tri-folds that you use for
presentations at school. I downloaded a bunch of pictures that I took during the fall
campaign and had them developed at Walgreens. I taped the (2) informational flyers
about the campaign, one in English and one in Spanish, on the middle section of the
tri-fold. Then I cut out different shapes, colors and sizes of colored poster board and
taped them all over the tri-fold, and then taped the pictures on there. It turned out really
well. I wanted people to see all the different families, friends, and rosary groups that
participated. The pictures showed children playing, sidewalk chalk pro-life messages
and slogans and smiling, happy faces! A picture is worth a thousand words! I can tell
people all day long about the fellowship that happens during the 40 days, but the back-
drop I made, really shows it! Everyone enjoyed looking at the pictures, and several
people signed up! I'll be on the phone again today, but not until I finish up some book
work for our family business!
I better get busy, I just wanted to check in and say hello! I hope your day is full of
blessings. The sun is shining here, so I'll open up the windows in a little while and let
the fresh air in.
I'm going to close with a quote from Blessed Mother Teresa:
"God has not called me to be successful, He has called me to be faithful."
                                              Bye for now, Sharla