The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary

Hello out there! I hope you all had a wonderful day. Just a quick post before I
turn in for the night. I want to re-share the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary
with y'all again. I copied them and I am going to paste them below along with
some prayerful examples! I pray that your families are safe and warm and that
the little ones have said their prayers and are tucked warm and snug in their
beds!
Let's get started with the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. I'm going
to post all the prayers again and then I will follow with the mysteries.
After you have  been praying the rosary on a daily basis for a while,
the different mysteries/scriptures  will remind you of different things you
need to pray about or people you need to pray for.
At least that has been the case for me.
Example: The First Sorrowful Mystery is The Agony in the Garden
and that brings to my mind people who might be going through an extremely
difficult time. Praying the rosary helps to keep my focus on family members
and friends that I need to pray for.

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.

Now that you have the prayers of the rosary, the next step is teaching you how
to pray the rosary.
Since today is Tuesday we will pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.
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 Sorrowful Mystery is The Agony in the Garden-
He was in such agony and He prayed so fervently that His sweat became like drops
of blood falling on the ground. When He rose from prayer and returned to
His disciples, He found them sleeping from grief. (Luke 22:44-45)
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 Sorrowful Mystery is The Scourging at the Pillar -
Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him scourged. (John 19:1)
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 Sorrowful Mystery is Crowning With Thorns -
They stripped off His clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about Him.
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on His head, and a reed
in His right hand. (Matthew 27:28-29)
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 Sorrowful Mystery is Carrying of the Cross -
And carrying the cross Himself, He went out to what is called the
Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. (John 19:17)
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 Sorrowful Mystery is The Crucifixion -
Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit",
and when He had said this He breathed His last. (Luke 23:46)
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.

If you would like a rosary and don't have one, please contact me at
adopted.blessed@suddenlink.net  and give me your address.
 I will be happy to send you a rosary and a pamphlet on how to pray the rosary!

                                                                             Bye for now, Sharla

God's Goodness and Amazing Grace

Hello out there! It is a cold, overcast, somewhat icy, sometimes drizzly kind of day!
I have to tell y'all about how well the St. Francis Sack Lunch Ministry is going!
We are half way through our fifth week of re-opening this wonderful ministry.
New location, new name, same awesome volunteers plus many new awesome
volunteers and a whole lot of God's goodness and grace!
I am serious! Everyday is amazing - people drop off supplies; chips, fruit, crackers,
cheese, lunch meat, bread, decorated sacks, coats, socks, waters, coffee and the list
goes on and on! Janice and David only have to pick up a few things when they
go to the store now, only one shopping basket instead of two big honking carts!
We started off with just a few people finding their way to us and each day we would
serve a few more. It has been wonderful to see all of "our regulars" the ones who
used to come - so glad they found us once more! The first three people we served today
we had never seen before. They are all so grateful and appreciative for such a simple
meal. Yesterday, John, one of our faithful volunteers, picked up forty brand new, lined
trench coats from the Salvation Army (they gave him a super-great deal) and we gave
everyone of them away today! I wish you could have seen the looks on their faces as
we helped them find the right size for them. It was a very humbling moment when two
young men came in and they were shivering. Literally shivering, their faces red, thin
shirts and wearing flip flops. They were so thankful for the coats that went all the way
to their knees. We were also able to give everyone a couple of pairs of brand new
socks. We didn't really think we would see that many people today because it was
so cold and wet outside - that just reiterates the need for this ministry. One man, who
had just put on a coat and was waiting for his lunch exclaimed to Ken,
(another amazing volunteer who dropped by just in case we needed help, and we did)
he said, "Look what God gave me!" Ken smiled and said something like, "Yes, it is
a gift from God." Stephanie handed out cups of coffee for those who wanted coffee
and we all worked together in peaceful accord. Everyday we pray that God will
send those who are hungry to our open door.
We don't have a board of directors and our ministry is supported totally by donations
and the kindness and goodness of everyone who helps out. So, if you are wondering
who is in charge of this ministry, God is. This is God's ministry and as for all the many
volunteers and the people who support us with the gifts they bring, we are all blessed
to be a part of God's amazing grace!
Life is a gift - go out and share your gift with others - be a light in the darkness! We
may not be able to help everyone but if we all help someone our world will be a
better place!
                                                                  Blessings to you and yours!
                                                                                 Bye for now, Sharla

Praying and Praying Some More....

Good morning out there - Another shooting - this one took place at a high school.
The only thing I know to do is pray. I'm going to share some different prayers with
y'all today. Let us all pray for each other, pray for our children and our grandchildren,
pray for these evil acts of violence to end.
Please, dear God, have mercy on us all.


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.


The Divine Mercy Chaplet:
This prayer is for the whole world. 
The refrain goes like  this:
For the sake of His sorrowful passion,
have mercy on us and on the whole world.
How 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 and then 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. End by making the sign of the cross and saying Amen.


The Guardian Angel Prayer:
Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
To whom God's love
commits me here,
Ever this day,
be at my side,
To light and guard,
Rule and guide.
Amen.


The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary:(I've copied the prayers and
put them at the bottom in case you don't know them).
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.
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.


Please know that you and your families are in my prayers. Reach out to
others and be a light in these dark times.


                                                                           Bye for now, Sharla

Looking Forward to Lent!

Hello out there! I hope that y'all have had a great week!
Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday!
Lent is a really good time to reflect and listen to God. I'm really looking forward to
the season of Lent this year. I've been thinking about things I want to do for others
during this time. I also want to slow down a little bit and pray more. I'm going to give
up putting cream in my coffee during Lent. I think that will help to remind me each
morning that I want to begin my day with prayer and scripture and that I need to focus
on what God wants, not what I want. I am also planning on getting up a half hour earlier
to begin my mornings by reading the daily scriptures and gospel in my Magnificat.
I want to get in the habit of beginning my day like this - as of right now;
I do this sporadically. Many times I wait until I'm ready for bed and then while I'm
reading the scriptures something will jump off the page and I think,
"I should have read this earlier!"
I'm also going to make a point of doing something for someone else every day;
little acts of kindness each and every day.


The following scripture is after the Prayer for the Morning in my Magnificat -
Matthew 7:7-8
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.


The readings for today are from:
Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 (Old Testament)
1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 (New Testament)


I want to share this reading with you -
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians
Brothers and Sisters:
Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,
do everything for the glory of God.
Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or Greeks
or the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in every way,
not seeking my own benefit but that of the many,
that they may be saved.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.


The Gospel reading for today is from:
Mark 1:40-45


I think it's neat that Valentine's Day falls on Ash Wednesday this year or I guess it's
the other way around - Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine's Day!
I found this picture and blessing on Facebook -

Happy Valentine's Day!

Pray for each other and always lift each other up. Little things mean so much -
hugs, holding hands, smiles and laughter, making a special dinner,
and Jim has a sweet tooth so I bake a lot!
Be kind and say thank you and ask about each other’s day.
Marriage is a lifetime - make wonderful memories along the way!

May you be blessed during the season of Lent!

Bye for now, Sharla

Give Food to The Hungry, Be a Voice for the Weakest Among Us, Be Thankful for Your Family!

Hello out there - I hope you are all doing well! The sun is shining and it's not too windy,
and it is a beautiful day! I haven't had the time to sit and write! I have so much to
share and I know that I will not be able to remember everything. This is what I'm
going to do: I will just start telling you about whatever pops into my mind first. That
means nothing will be in order and it will probably be one of my crazy posts!


Hooray, Hooray - The St. Francis Sack Lunch Ministry opened it's doors on
Monday, January 22, 2018. All of our volunteers/friends have been so excited and
we have had plenty of help! The men who bought and delivered water to us before,
arrived bright and early on our first day with several cases of water! The wonderful
group who has donated supplies to us in the past (The Good Samaritans of
San Angelo) went shopping and delivered most of what we need for at least  2-3 weeks!
We have only had to buy bread, lunch meat, and cheese so far! Several people have
donated different items and we are so grateful and thankful for everyone's generosity!
The people we used to serve are slowly but surely finding us at our new location and
they are spreading the word. We pray that God will send those in need to our open
door!


I was blessed to be able to go to Austin and participate in the Texas Rally for Life
and Texas Catholic Pro-Life Day on Saturday, January 27, 2018. Jim was not able
to go with me this year because he had to work and I almost stayed home - I'm so
glad that I didn't! I called one on my best friends who now lives in Austin and
I picked her up and we had a great day! There were several people from San Angelo
and the surrounding areas in Austin and I just knew that there would be an article
in Sunday's newspaper - much to my dismay - there was not. I wrote a letter to the
editor of the paper and explained my grievance. They had printed several articles
about the women's march and included pictures also. I told them that pro-life events
need to be printed as well.
The following is the last paragraph from my letter to the editor:

"My point is this; conservative, pro-life people of all ages exist and we are very active

 in our communities, in politics, in everyday ordinary life events, and we vote.

 I took so many pictures yesterday and the joyful, smiling, life minded youth and people

of all ages grab your heart. I posted my pictures on my Facebook page and you can bet

that most of the people that were there did the same thing.

The media seems to ignore us, hoping that we will just quietly go away.

Please let your editors know that we are out here whether they give us coverage or not –

we are here, our voices are strong and loud, we care about the sanctity of human life

from conception to natural death, and we are not backing down."

I received a very nice reply from the editor and she invited me to write about my

experience and submit some pictures of the youth for the Viewpoints Section for

the upcoming Thursday's edition. Bless her heart, she had no idea who she was

asking to write a column! I immediately replied that , "Yes," I would love to!

I knew that I wanted the pictures of the youth with their big joyful smiles to go with

the article and then I had an idea. I knew that the Holy Spirit was telling me to not

only submit their picture, but to include their experience - their stories! And let

me tell you - things just took off from there! I'm going to post the link but some

of you may not be able to read the article online so I'm going to copy and paste all

of it for you. The newspaper worked really well with us and our pictures and  our

stories were published - our voices were heard!

The following is the link for the online story:
http://www.gosanangelo.com/story/opinion/readers/2018/01/31/austins-anti-abortion-rally-life-uplifting-experience-san-angelo-marchers/1081539001/


This is the final draft I submitted to the newspaper: (You will love the youth's stories,
their perspectives, what the experience meant to them.)

The Texas Rally for Life and Texas Catholic Pro-Life Day 2018 were held in Austin on Saturday, January 27th. I drove to Austin and met up with one of my friends and we went to the Mass for the Gift of Human Life at San Jose Parish (we sat in the balcony because it was so crowded). I wish you could have heard the children’s choir, their voices were angelic. The Texas Catholic Pro-Life Day has grown so much that they now celebrate Mass at two different parishes.  The other Pro-Life Mass was held at the St. Louis Parish. After Mass, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then drove to where the march was going to begin. They had a Ministry Fair at 12:00 p.m. and then the March for Life to the south steps of the Texas State Capitol began at 1:00 p.m. I love seeing the youth; their smiling faces, the signs they carry (many homemade) the joyful atmosphere gives me hope for our future. This is the third march and rally I’ve attended in Austin and I’m still amazed at how uplifting the experience is. This was my friends first time and she loved it! It’s wonderful to see so many people from different ages, races, ethnicities, and religious organizations and people from all across our big state of Texas and beyond marching peacefully together. The positive atmosphere is because we all believe in the sanctity of human life. We may have different reasons that motivate us; but the one thing we all have in common is that we are pro-life! Why do we march? The answers to that question are below.

 This is my reason: I was blessed to have been adopted at birth. I want people to know that there is a life option out there. My husband and I promote adoption for the human babies, the weakest and most innocent among us. I know how important one life really is and the impact that one life can make. We have the most beautiful picture of “life” in our home. This picture tells a story; it is a picture of three generations; it includes me, my son and his five children, and my daughter and her three children. We are in the front yard of our family home (some sitting and some standing – there are eleven of us) with our big oak tree in the background. The caption above the picture says “Adoption Saves Generations.” To get the full impact of this, I have to tell you about the other picture that was taken. We all stepped away and the next picture shows only the bench, the rocking chair, and our big oak tree and nothing else. The caption above this picture says “Without me, this is what you would see.” Talk about emptiness – that picture gives you a sick feeling because it is a stark reminder of what abortion truly does – it ends lives, generations of lives. It destroys families, it hurts women and men, just talk to one person who regrets their abortion and that conversation will break your heart and remain in your memory forever.

 I am honored to share the following stories from some of the youth and one of the sponsors from San Angelo that were also in Austin on Saturday. Each person’s experience is so unique and their perspectives are all powerful.

  “I want to protect babies; I marched for them, prayed to God, and showed my sign to everyone there. I wanted to show them that abortion is horrible. The Mass at St. Louis of France was great-I like that there were so many priests and the church was pretty. The walk was long, and I was tired, but I wanted to do it to save the babies. I was speaking for them. At the rally, the governor gave a really good speech. He said that we were doing good and that Texas is the most pro-life state. He talked about his daughter, who he adopted. If I can, I want to go again next year.”  (Tabitha – 6th grade)

“My experience at the March for Life in Austin was extraordinary and eye opening!    It’s amazing to see just how many Pro-life supporters there are.  In my small community everyone believes as I do but as I looked around I realized that we weren’t the only ones!  The number of people from all walks of life…young and old…of all faiths… marching side by side in peace.  The sheer number of people my age was amazing!  Seeing this gives me hope that one day my generation will abolish abortion.   Even though we don’t know who these babies were, who they could’ve been, or their background…we were marching for them because they didn’t get to live the lives they deserved and I felt the love from these babies as we marched. These babies could have been the person who cured cancer…the president who figured out world peace…the next pope…a person that we could look up to and have faith in. This could’ve been the spouse of my own child…the spouse that God had created for them. The highlight came from the speakers…our Texas leaders…who are determined to fight for the unborn…to maintain the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death!  Governor Abbott and prolife leaders are here to create and promote a culture of life.   We are Prolife…WE ARE Pro-love!!”                                                                              (Samantha – St. Mary’s Catholic Church in San Angelo)

“Attending the Pro-life March for the first time was nothing like I expected it to be. In my mind, I was picturing yelling and spitting but there was nothing but love. The whole phrase, pro-life = pro-love made sense at that very moment. There we were, marching for a purpose. You could feel the empowerment flowing through the air. There was no end or start to the community that we came together that day to make. Through- out the day one question was asked a lot. "Why do you March?" And I really couldn't find an answer. I could never find the right words to explain such a hard feeling, until now. I marched for the ones who didn't even get a chance to crawl. (Serena – St. Mary’s Catholic Church in San Angelo)

“Making our way to the capitol steps we are met with a crowd of pro-choice protesters. Initially our 1st time attendees might be timid about yelling, chanting and praying with the group, but as soon as our students see this group, my heart is filled with pride as our young students yell at the top of their lungs  "WE ARE...THE PRO-LIFE GENERATION!!!!" For the past 4 years we've taken our Confirmed Faithful Class to the Texas Rally for Life and every year I'm amazed to see their "ah ha" moment.”   "Pro-life means Pro-Love"                                                                                                           (Lisa – Catechist – St. Mary’s Catholic Church in San Angelo – Confirmed Faithful)

“I wanted to show my support for the pro-life movement; I believe that abortion is immoral and that there are better alternatives, such as adoption. This year, the crowd was mostly young people; teenagers and college age adults like me. The media is skewed and does not accurately tell about us.” (Max – ASU student) 

I want to close with one more story – “Once upon a time fifty or so years ago, a baby girl was born and she needed a home. Never knowing the circumstances or the reasons why, her birth mother couldn’t keep her, she had to say goodbye. This baby girl was three days old when a loving family came and took her to their home, now this baby girl had a family of her own. With love and joy and happiness this baby girl grew up, she never met a stranger and her heart was so full of love. She loved to hear the stories about her special day, the day her family came and gave her their name.”  Yes, that baby girl was me and I’m so thankful for my life and the lives of my children and grandchildren and the generations that will come and that is “Why I March.”

They printed it all - except for a few words! They also published the pictures and there was one of the youth that was in color!

I wrote back to the editor and thanked her - telling her that they went above and beyond what I expected!

Well y'all - I think that is enough for this post! Have a wonderfully, blessed day!

                                                                                      Bye for now, Sharla

Oh! This is super important - our oldest grandchild who also happens to be our oldest grandson turned 12 last week! We had his birthday dinner and celebration at our home on Tuesday evening! Lots of food, fun, and fellowship! The cousins always have a great time together and the adults do too! Jim and I watched as our children and grandchildren drove away and when we walked back inside he said, "We are so blessed!" Yes, we are - I love the laughter that fills our home - our home is full of life and love and I pray that wherever you are, near or far, your home is too!