Answered Prayers, Always Hope, Encouraging Blooms, and Screened In Back Doors

Hello out there! It is a beautiful, breezy, blue skies kind of day! Jim fabricated a
screened in back door for our back porch. I can feel the cool breeze all the way
into my office! He designed it, ordered the material, cut the material, and welded
it out. I helped stretch the screen out! And I helped him hang the door up - doesn't
it look awesome? Made in Texas!

Two of our children have requested one - he says it is a one of a kind, never
again, type of thing! His work is really slow right now so the next quarantine
item on the list is a huge plant stand, with shelves that will fit on our
fireplace right in front of the window that is blessed with the morning sun!
I have a Christmas Cactus - actually two since I had to divide it into two pots
because it was getting so big. My cousin gave me this plant over four years
ago. It was a small plant and I took good care of it. It grew and I repotted it
and moved it to the back window. I kept waiting for the beautiful blooms that
I had seen on her plant. I knew it needed sunlight and I thought the morning
sun from that window would be the best. I raised the blinds higher hoping
that might help my plant produce blossoms. On the third Sunday of Easter I
saw a red reflection on the back window. I walked over to my plant and sure
enough it had finally blossomed! I hollered and yelled for Jim to come and
look at the beautiful red blooms. He couldn't believe it. He helped me pick
up the plant and turn it around so that the blooms would be where I could see
them. That's when I came up with the idea of a plant stand where my
Christmas Cactus would be able to sit up higher in the window and get more
sunlight! Jim said, "Let me get through with this door and I'll think about it."
I went outside and rummaged through some of his metal and he told me to
get out of there before I hurt myself! Anyway, back to my plant. I never gave
up that someday I would see it bloom and that made me think of when I
pray. I'm not sure when, where, or how God is going to answer my prayers,
but I always know that He will answer them and when He does the blooms
are spectacular. Sometimes the answers are not what I expected but I never
doubt that He'll be with me all the way!
I finished my 20th  radiation treatment last Tuesday (4/21/2020).
 I didn't want to do radiation. I didn't think I needed it.
And to be quite honest, I was worried about the cost. Still am!
 I felt like the lumpectomy and that my lymph nodes were clear was good
enough for me. I remember telling God, yes, instead of asking Him, I was
telling Him how I didn't need radiation and that I really needed Him to let
the doctor know that it wasn't necessary. I told my family and close friends
that I wasn't going to need it. I walked into the doctor's office that day. I
listened to him tell me how good my reports were, and I threw my arms into
the air and exclaimed, "Yay, no radiation!" The doctor looked at me like I
had lost my mind and said, "Oh no, you are having radiation treatments!" I
kind of mumbled, but...And the doctor went on to tell me why I had to, and
he called their office while I was sitting there and made the appointment
for me! He told me that he would see me in three months and patted my arm
as I walked out the door. By the way, this happened on Ash Wednesday. I
slowly walked out to my car and I started to laugh. God knows me so well.
I can almost hear God telling my doctor - "Be short, to the point, and do not
let her get a word in!" I keep waiting for my energy to bounce back - I'm
starting to realize that it may be more of a slow crawl. But the blooms I saw
on Sunday gave me hope and filled my heart with joy! Because I realized
that God gives us the blooms when we need them the most! He is always with us!

Blessings to you and yours,
Sharla

A Prayer for All of You, Near or Far, Wherever You Are!

Hello out there! It is 11:24 pm and I am determined to share this post before
midnight! Today is Divine Mercy Sunday! The following prayer is the
Divine Mercy Chaplet - it is a prayer for the whole world!
Near or far, wherever you are, I pray this prayer for you and your loved ones.

 It is really beautiful when we sing this Chaplet. (I'm singing this as I'm typing)
The refrain goes like  this:
For the sake of His sorrowful passion,
have mercy on us and on the whole world.

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.

It is a beautiful, peaceful prayer. I find myself humming or singing it a lot.
I also pray  it if I wake up during the night.

Many blessings to you and yours during the entire Easter Season!
                                                             Bye for now, Sharla

During all Times, Open our Eyes to the Light of the World

Good morning out there! It's a beautiful chilly morning.
Today will be my 17th radiation treatment! Yay! Only 4 more to go!
(Including today). I give thanks each day and offer up prayers on my
way to the treatment center, while I'm there, and on my way home - so
many people to pray for and so many things to give thanks for! I guess
you never know how something will effect you until you've gone through
it. I'm doing really well but my get up and go mode has got up and gone!
I know my energy level will come back and I'm really taking this to time
to reflect back and to ask God's guidance for whatever lies ahead.
I love sharing God's scriptures/His words, the rosary, prayers, and stories
with all of you!
Blessings and peace, near or far! Blessings and peace, wherever you are!
 May God keep you and your families in the palm of His hands.
I've shared the daily rosary with you several times but this one is a
little different - it includes beautiful pro-life and pro-family reflections
after each scripture. Hug your spouse, hug your children and grandchildren!
Call a friend or text a message! Reach out to one another!




I'm going to list the five Luminous Mysteries for the Pro-Life Rosary.
The scripture that goes with each mystery is included and a reflection
follows the scripture. I've written all the prayers that go with the rosary
in other blog posts. I will copy and paste the prayers following all the
mysteries. Just scroll down and you will find the step by step, prayer
by prayer guide to pray the rosary.

The First Luminous Mystery:
Baptism Of Jesus
And when Jesus was baptized,...the heavens were opened and He saw
the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on Him, and lo,
a voice from heaven, saying
 "This is my beloved Son," with whom I am well pleased."
(Matthew 3:16-17)All are called to become adopted sons and daughters of God through baptism.
We pray that children in the womb may be protected, so that they may be born
and welcomed into the Christian community by baptism.

 

The Second Luminous Mystery:
Wedding At Cana
His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you."...
Jesus said to them,  "Fill the jars with water."
And they filled them up to the brim. (John 2:5-7)Let us pray for strong marriages, rooted in the Lord,
and open to the gift of new life.

The Third Luminous Mystery:
Proclaiming The Kingdom
"And preach as you go, saying "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."
 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.
You received without pay, give without pay."
(Matthew 10:7-8)Let us pray that these first words of Jesus' public ministry may be heard by all.
May they know that the Lord calls them to conversion, and may they experience
life-giving repentance.

The Fourth Luminous Mystery:
Transfiguration
And as He was praying, the appearance of His countenance was altered and
His raiment became dazzling white. And a voice came out of the cloud saying,
"This is My Son, My chosen; listen to Him!" (Luke 9:29,35)May the eyes of all people be transformed, that they may see each and every
human life  as a reflection of the glory of God Himself.

The Fifth Luminous Mystery:
Institution Of The Eucharist
And He took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it and gave it
to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you."...And likewise
the cup after supper, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the
new covenant in My blood."
(Luke 22:19-20)
Let us pray that parents who sacrifice the babies for the sake of themselves
may learn instead to put themselves aside for the sake of their babies.

Praying the Rosary of the Unborn has been a life altering experience for me.
I've always been  pro-life, but ever since I began praying the
"Rosary of the Unborn" my heart has been touched in way that made me
realize that just saying "I'm pro-life" isn't enough.
The scripture from the Wedding Feast at Cana, where Mother Mary says to
the servants, "Do whatever He tells you."
I take that to heart, and I know in my heart that He is telling me to be a voice,
to speak up for the unborn babies and their families.
The scripture from the Transfiguration, God says
 "This is My Son, My chosen; listen to Him!"
This blog is my way of speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves.


The steps and prayers for the daily rosary:


1. Make the Sign of the Cross and then say the "Apostles' Creed."
2. Say the "Our Father."
3. Say three Hail Marys' (Before you pray the (3) Hail Marys' ask for the
virtues of "Grace, Hope, and Love")
 4. Say the "Glory Be to the Father."
5. Announce the First Mystery -
6. After each mystery, you will pray
(1) Our Father, (10) Hail Mary's (1)Glory Be (1) O my Jesus and when you
pray the Pro-Life Rosary you add "Jesus Protect and Save the Unborn"
I personally add that to all of my rosaries now.
Then you go to the next mystery, after it has been said you repeat:
(1) Our Father, (10) Hail Mary's (1)Glory Be (1) O my Jesus and
then "Jesus Protect and Save the Unborn"
After you have prayed all five mysteries with the prayers that follow you will
close with the "Hail Holy Queen" prayer. Make the Sign of the Cross and
you are through with that days rosary.
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.

O My Jesus

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. 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.

A Prayerful Hymn of Peace

Good morning out there - it is cloudy and a little cool this morning. The weather
app on my phone shows a cloudy week with sunshine on Easter Sunday. I think
that is a beautiful sign - the sun will shine when Jesus, the Son of God,  rises from
the dead.
Be a light in this dark world! Call friends and family, especially those who live
alone. Texting is fine but it is really nice to hear someone's voice - so make a call!
God is good and He is always with us-through the good days, the bad days and the
downright ugly days. Keep on praying and reach out to others. We need more faith,
hope, love, kindness, and compassion in our world.

 I love the prayer of Saint Francis - (The following is from a hymn we sing during
Mass - "Prayer of St. Francis")
Make me a channel of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring your love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord, and where there's doubt, true faith in you.


Make me a channel of your peace. Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness - only light, and where there's sadness ever joy.


O Master, grant that I may never seek so much to be consoled, as to console.
To be understood, as to understand. To be loved, as to love, with all my soul.


Make me a channel of your peace. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
In giving of ourselves that we receive, and in dying that we're born to eternal life.


                                                                Blessings and Peace, Sharla

Trust in Jesus - He is Always with Us!

Good morning out there - today is Palm Sunday. Jim and I watched a live streamed
Mass with Father Mike Schmitz (YouTube) at 9:00 am this morning. I miss going to
Mass and I am thankful for being able to watch a LIVE Mass on our television.
EWTN has wonderful programs and we have been watching weekday Masses on the
EWTN channel. Several of our local parish priests are also live streaming Mass and
I'm sure that in your city your priests are doing the same - they are all working hard
to make sure we get to participate in Mass even though we are not able to be there.
Search and find a live televised Mass, turn your phones on silent, and listen to
God's word, pray the prayers, sing the songs, and feel the peace - God is with us!


Last Wednesday I started posting the prayers and scriptures for the daily rosary. I
have done this before in blog posts. I know how important prayer is and wanted to
re-share the beautiful mysteries of the rosary with everyone. I will continue to share
scriptures and prayers because we need to reach out to one another with faith and
hope and encouragement. I've taped the "Image of Jesus - Divine Mercy" picture to
our front door. It faces out so that whoever walks up will see the picture of Jesus.
If you go to Divine Mercy (Let's Seal the Doorposts) on YouTube you can down
load the image. When I took a picture to share with you I noticed that the glass from
the door shows the reflection of our oak tree in the front yard. I was going to crop
the picture but realized the green life of the tree leaves were in a way, symbolic -
God is with us! We have to trust in Him - in good times and in bad times - God is
always with us. How to pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary and the prayers
that go with the rosary are below the picture. Blessings and peace to all of you!
If you do not have a rosary and would like one - I would be so happy to send one
to you! Leave me a comment with your address and I will mail a rosary to you!

The Glorious 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 Glorious Mystery is The Resurrection -
"Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised;
He is not here. Behold the place where they laid Him." (Mark 16:6)
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 Glorious Mystery is The Ascension -
So then the Lord Jesus, after He spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and
took His seat at the right hand of God. (Mark 16:19)
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 Glorious Mystery is the Descent of the Holy Spirit -
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. (Acts 2:4)
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 Glorious Mystery is The Assumption -
"You are the glory of Jerusalem!.......You are the great boast of our nation!.....
You have done good things for Israel, and God is pleased with them. May the
Almighty Lord bless you forever!" (Jud 15:9-10)
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 Glorious Mystery is The Coronation -
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon
under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Revelations 12:1)
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."
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.

  The family that prays together, stays together!
I know y'all can do it - At least pray one decade!