Blessings During This Advent Season

Good morning out there - Today is the Second Sunday of Advent!
I love this time of year - The decorations, the lights, the music, and all the Christmas
baking! This year I am also spending more of my time doing something really special.
I'm following an Advent Spiritual Exercise work sheet. This includes daily prayers,
scriptures for the day, and spending more quiet time with God. And listening!
Sometimes we need to be still and truly listen so that we can hear what God is
trying to tell us. I read the daily scriptures, prayers, and psalms from one of my
daily devotionals. The following scriptures are from the daily devotional,
 "the WORD among us." (Advent 2019)


Second Sunday of Advent - December 8, 2019
Isaiah 11:1-10
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse. (Isaiah 11:1)


Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness. (Psalm 72:17)


I am going to share part of this next scripture from my bible instead of
my daily devotional. (Saint Joseph Edition of the New American Bible)
Romans 15:4-9
Accept one another, then, as Christ accepted you, for the glory of God.
Yes, I affirm that Christ became the servant of the Jews because of God's
faithfulness in fulfilling the promises to the patriarchs, whereas the
Gentiles glorify God because of his mercy.

As Scripture has it,

Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles   

 and I will sing to your name. (Romans 15:7-9)

Matthew 3:1-12
When John the Baptizer made his appearance as a preacher in the desert
of Judea, this was his theme.

 "Reform your lives! The reign of God is at hand."

It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:

"A herald's voice in the desert:

Prepare the way of the Lord,

make straight his paths."

(Matthew 3:1-3)

Some ideas to help us slow down a little bit during this time of year.

Take your time hanging up the decorations -

it doesn't have to all be done in one day!

Cut snow flakes out of paper and tape to your windows!

Sit down with your family and read a Christmas story

at the dinner table or before bed.

Don't go into debt! Be honest about what you can afford

and what you can't afford.

It's okay if you don't have time to bake from scratch!

Buy some roll out sugar cookies and sprinkles

and then let your kids sprinkle away!

The smell of cookies baking in the oven and spending

time with you is what they'll remember and cherish!

Go to Mass or your church service as a family -

make spending time in prayer and with the Lord a priority!

Hug your spouse, hug your kids

and think about making and giving some sentimental gifts.

Print out some pictures and make a collage in a cute frame for their room.

Or make them a photo album of their very own.

Buy some of their favorite snacks and warm comfy socks!

As a family, pick out a gift for someone who isn't as

fortunate and let your kids help wrap it.

Watch uplifting and faith filled  movies such as:

(These are some of my favorites)

"It's A Wonderful Life"

"A Christmas Carol"

"Miracle on 34th Street"

and movies about the Birth of Jesus!

Rejoice!

Come, Let Us Adore Him,

Jesus Christ our Lord!

Blessings to you near or far

Blessings upon blessings wherever you are!

Bye for now, Sharla

 

Enjoy This Time of Year - A Porcupine Appeared!

Hello out there! I hope you are all having a great day. This is such a busy time of
year for everyone. I was driving home the other night and I thought about how
early the sun goes down once we reach early November. Shorter days and longer
nights - fall and winter and into early spring. When I got home I told Jim how the
shorter days are a sign from God to slow down a little bit. That's how I see it. Jim
said that made sense. It's time to get out the crock pots (I don't have one so I just
put a big pot with a lid on my stove top) and slow cook some hearty stews, soup,
or beans. Mix up a batch of cornbread - go ahead and double the recipe and bake
it in a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Stock up on tea bags and hot cocoa mixes.
Go to the library and check out a couple of good books. Take time during this
busy season to rest a little. Make out your to do list while your sipping on a cup
of hot tea. Pick out some neat holiday books to read with your children after
they take their baths. Cut snow flakes out of paper and hang them on your
windows. Sit down and color pictures with your little ones and stir their hot
cocoa with candy cane sticks.
Thanksgiving is next week. As you gather around the table, give thanks,
rejoice and give thanks. Don't talk about politics, just visit and catch up on what
is going on in everyone's lives. Eat dessert! Hug your loved ones and share
some fond memories. I will not be shopping on Thanksgiving or on Black Friday
or that whole weekend. I haven't done that in years. This year is going to be a
simple Christmas for us. We are not going to spend a lot money.  I'm going to
bake up a storm and give simple, meaningful gifts. Think about what your family
members really need, not just what they want. Don't over spend - enjoy this special
time of year. If you have a little extra money in your budget - buy a gift for a family
or friend who might be having a hard time this year. Stop by and visit an elderly
neighbor or family member. Bake some cookies or bread and take to share!
Remember "The Reason for this Season" be joyful and give thanks!

    A Porcupine and The Nativity Scene

Once upon a time in December

Christmas Day not far away.

Our Nativity Scene set up

The Holy Family, an angel

the donkey, lambs, oxen, and such.

The Three Wise Men came early.

That year we received a prickly surprise!

 We were visited by a stranger -

 a large porcupine appeared.

He ate acorns from beneath the oak tree

as he waddled back and forth.

Until closer and closer he drew

and we had another animal

one who wanted to adore.

Who wanted to be part of the Nativity Scene

where in a manger lay, our sweet Lord.

 Blessings and peace wherever you are

Blessings and peace near or far

May you and your family be blessed with all that you need!

                                                                                            Bye for now, Sharla

Recipes, Quick Meals, Memories, and Adoption!

Good (middle of the night) morning out there! Hello everyone - I hope you are all
doing well. I am going to start posting on a more regular basis. I really am!
Time goes by so quickly. The 40 Days for Life Fall Campaign ended yesterday.
Please continue to pray for the unborn babies and their parents.
November is National Adoption Month. I'm thinking of ways to share the
"Adoption is a loving option" message. Hey, did y'all know I was adopted? I
guess the title to my blog might give you that idea. Seriously, I'm really
thankful for my life. I'm thankful for my family who came and picked me up
when I was three days old, and loved me and took care of me and did all the things
that moms and dads do. I was blessed with loving parents, an older brother, grand-
parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins too!
I'm also thankful for my biological mom and I pray that she is happy and loved and
that God has let her know that I'm okay if she ever wonders about me.
Adoption IS a loving and self less option. Please remember to pray for the
biological mothers who have to make that decision - because they are doing
what they think is best for their baby.
I'm moving on to another subject now.
I have so much to share so this will be one of those "a little bit of this and a little
bit of that" kind of posts.
Feed the hungry. Who do you think of when you hear that phrase? I have always
thought of the homeless, those less fortunate, families on limited incomes, people
in poor countries, etc. And yes, we do need to do what we can to help the people
in the situations I've listed and I am honored to know many giving and kind
people who reach out to others. I now think of my own family as well. Let me
explain - As a homemaker, wife, mother, and grandmother I spend a lot of
time in my kitchen. I love to bake and cook for my family. But there are times
when I am busy doing something else and have to stop right in the middle to
go and prepare a meal. Feed the hungry - prepare meals for your family with love.
Here are some quick, tummy filling and heart warming meals for this time of
year. They are also inexpensive and easy on the grocery budget.
Full disclosure - this is NOT diet food!
Creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches and Fritos if you have them on
hand. Any chips will do but I like to put Fritos in my soup!
Grilled ham n cheese sandwiches and some fresh fruit is another quick meal.
Mac n Cheese (Kraft Macaroni - I'm picky on this one!)
Red beans (pinto beans) and corn bread. We cook a big pot of beans once a week.
Re-fry some of the beans and make bean and cheese quesadillas and cut up some
fruit or Avocados to go on the side. If you have time - make some Pico de Gallo.
Last week I ate something I haven't eaten in years and it was so good!
Here is a short story that goes with this. When we would go and visit my grand-
parents my cousin and I would stay up late and watch tv. We would also raid the
kitchen late at night. We would make chocolate pudding cooked on the stove
top and then eat it warm. That was really good. Or, if there was leftover cornbread,
we would crumble a piece in a glass and pour milk over it and then eat it with a
spoon. If you haven't tried that - you need to! Last week I cooked a double batch
of cornbread to go with a big pot of goulash. We had plenty of cornbread leftover.
The next day I ate a late breakfast and had skipped lunch. I was getting "Hangry"
and knew I needed to eat a snack. I cut a big piece of cornbread and crumbled it
into a glass and poured just enough milk to cover it. I sat down at the bar to enjoy
my cornbread milk. It tasted so good, just like I remembered it. I only wish my
cousin had been here to enjoy it too. Feed your family! Cook and bake and make
some yummy memories. I want to share another thing I make that is quick
and great for breakfast. Jim's mom used to make this when he was little.                             
Pan Loco - Biscuit mix from scratch, Pioneer Biscuit and Baking Mix or Bisquick
work fine too. Follow the recipe for making biscuits and add just a little extra
milk ( a couple of tablespoons). Spray your cookie sheet and then spoon the biscuit
mixture right in the middle of the pan and spread it out where it looks kind of like
a rectangle - just make sure the mixture is about the same thickness. Bake in
a preheated oven. Cook about 3-4 minutes longer then regular biscuits. Let the
Pan Loco cool a few minutes before you slice it into big thick squares. This makes
great biscuits and you don't have to use a rolling pin or a biscuit cutter!
Another quick cooking tip. Cook a large package of hamburger meat. I like to
add dried minced onions and lots of garlic powder and of course salt and pepper.
I buy the lean hamburger meat and after it is cooked all the way through I blot
it with paper towels to get rid of any excess grease. Take half of the cooked
hamburger meat and put into another container and after it cools a little bit cover
the top and place it in the fridge and you can use it for another meal in the next
day or two. This works great for burritos, goulash, taco soup, etc.
Cool temperatures means it is time to cook a pot of soup in our home: Potato Soup,
Chicken N Dumplings, Spicy Chicken N Dumplings, Stew, Chicken Noodle -
soup tastes good and I think it is good for the soul! Maybe it's just all that love
I add in! So the next time your husband, (or your wife - men cook too)  your kids,
or your grandkids say "I'm hungry!" Feed them! And better yet, get them to help
out - make some fun and yummy memories for the years ahead.
                                                                                    Blessings to you and yours,
                                                                                               Sharla
Pictures of some of the
"Definitely Not Diet Desserts"
Made from scratch with lots of love
in my kitchen!
1. Banana Nut Bread
and Banana Nut Bread with
Chocolate Chips
2. Cinnamon Coffee Cake and a cup of coffee!
3. The Original Banana Pudding
(the kind you make from scratch) because that is the one Jim likes!

The Sack Lunch Ministry Needs a Little Help from Our Friends!

Hello out there! The St. Francis Sack Lunch Ministry is in need of supplies!
We are truly blessed by all the thoughtful, kind, and generous people who
help us out with supplies and monetary donations.
Our ministry is totally dependent on donations; supplies and/or monetary.
Sacred Heart Cathedral donates the building, electricity, and space for the
sack lunch ministry. All the food for the sack lunches depend on donations.
We serve on average 60 - 75 people a day. We hand out lunches five days a
week. That means we hand out between 300 - 375 lunches every week (some-
times more and sometimes less).
The following is a list of items we use on a daily basis. Every item we receive is
a blessing. If you have room in your grocery budget this week maybe you can pick
up one or two of the following items!


1. Lunch Meat: Ham, Turkey, or Bologna (we have plenty of Peanut Butter
right now)!
2. Sliced Cheese
3. Chips: Individual bags
4. Peanut Butter or Cheese Crackers
5. Fruit: Individual servings of applesauce, fruit cups, mandarin oranges or
fresh fruit (cutie oranges, bananas, apples, etc.)
If you would like to make a monetary donation (tax deductible) please make
your check out to Sacred Heart Cathedral and notate (Sack Lunch Ministry)
in the memo area and place in one of the specially marked envelopes in the
vestibule or by the office door.
Once we move to the Catholic Outreach building (sometime in the spring 2020)
the checks will be made out to Catholic Outreach with the same notation.
We pick up supplies at Sam's and I'm posting some pictures below. Items may
be purchased anywhere - this is just to give you an idea of what we go through
in a weeks time.

A double package of ham makes 40 sandwiches.
A double package of turkey makes 40 sandwiches.
The block of cheese has 160 slices.
For example: if we serve meat and cheese sandwiches four days a week and we feed
60 people a day for four days - we need 240 slices of meat (6 doubles packages) and
one and one half blocks of cheese. (We serve PBJs/peanut butter and jelly at least
once a week). If we serve 75 people a day - of course we need more.

Each sack lunch contains a sandwich, bag of chips,

package of crackers, and fruit (canned or fresh).

We are reaching to all of you because this ministry

helps so many people. Our only other options are to
put less in the each bag or cut down the number of
days we serve. That will be our last resort!

Thank you for all that you have done to help keep this

ministry going and for all of our volunteers!




We also use Mayo and Mustard packets!

Blessings, Sharla

Blest Be the Lord! The God of Mercy, The God Who Saves!

Good morning out there! Blessings and peace wherever you are - blessings and
peace near and far. It is a beautiful, blue skies, sun is shining kind of day. The
birds are singing and I have this wonderful hymn stuck in my head!
I am always humming or singing or praying or talking!
The hymn I have been singing this morning is, "Blest Be the Lord." Have you ever
heard or sung this hymn in your parish or church? It was written by, Dan Schutte.
Are you ready? The following are the lyrics to this uplifting, bring a tear or two to
your eyes, and peace to your soul, hymn. Sing it with me! God is with us!
The Refrain:
Blest be the Lord; blest be the Lord, the God of mercy, the God who saves.
I shall not fear the dark of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.
1st Verse:
He will release me from the nets of all my foes.
He will protect me from their wicked hands.
Beneath the shadow of his wings I will rejoice -
to find a dwelling place secure.
The Refrain:
Blest be the Lord; blest be the Lord, the God of mercy, the God who saves.
I shall not fear the dark of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.
2nd Verse:
I need not shrink before the terrors of the night,
nor stand alone before the light of day.
No harm shall come to me, no arrow strike me down,
no evil settle in my soul.
The Refrain:
Blest be the Lord; blest be the Lord, the God of mercy, the God who saves.
I shall not fear the dark of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.
3rd Verse:
Although a thousand strong have fallen at my side,
I'll not be shaken with the Lord at hand.
His faithful love is all the armor that I need to wage my battle with the foe.
The Refrain:
Blest be the Lord; blest be the Lord, the God of mercy, the God who saves.
I shall not fear the dark of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.
I don't know why I woke with this amazing hymn in my head. I think God
wanted me to share it with all of you. We live in a world with to much noise,
to much information, to much busyness. Put your phones down, turn off the
radio or television, and let God speak to you!
I pray that your day is full of joy - a smile on your lips, a song in your heart,
and peace in your soul!
                                                                                           Bye for now,
                                                                                              Sharla

Prayers and Scriptures - Pray for One Another! Lift Each Other Up!

Good morning out there!
Prayer - so many people to pray for - so many things to pray about. Sometimes it can
almost be overwhelming and that's when I start praying The Divine Mercy Chaplet or
The Rosary. The mysteries/scriptures of the rosary help me focus and when praying the
Chaplet of Divine Mercy - you are praying for the whole world.
The following scripture is so moving and really resonates with me:

Cry out to the Lord; moan, tears flow like a torrent day and night;
Let there be no respite for you, no repose for your eyes.
Rise up, shrill in the night, at the beginning of every watch;
Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord;
Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your little ones.
                                                         Lamentations 2:18-19
I think it is important to pray for each other. That doesn't mean it has to be a long prayer.
There are times when someone I haven't seen in years will just come to my mind. I now
understand that I need to pray for them. I'll say something like, "Lord, (say their name)
has come to my mind and I don't know where they are or what is going on in their lives
but I lift them up to you, O Lord, to care for them in whatever they need. Amen."                           And of course we all have family and friends who need our prayers and most
of the time we know their situation and are able to pray for them more in depth.
Here is another one of my favorite scriptures.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice
over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things.
                                                                               1 Corinthians 13:4-7



Humming or singing one of my favorite hymns always brings me peace.

We Are Called - Written by David Haas
Come! Live in the light! Shine with the joy and the love of the Lord!
We are called to be light for the kingdom, to live in the freedom of the
city of God!
We are called to act with justice, we are called to love tenderly,
we are called to serve one another; to walk humbly with God.
The refrain from the following song is my constant prayer:
Lead Me, Lord - Written by John D. Becker
Lead me, Lord, lead me, Lord, by the light of truth to seek and to find
the narrow way. Be my way; be my truth; be my life, my Lord,
and lead me, Lord, today.


I pray that all of you have a wonderful weekend and I pray that you and your
families are safe and well. I've shared the beautiful prayers of the rosary before.
The following is only a small part! I'll share some links of the entire rosary below the
picture.                

The First Joyful Mystery is The Annunciation -
And when the angel had come to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace,
the Lord is with you." (Luke 1:28)
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."

https://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/02/a-step-by-step-prayer-by-prayer-guide.html

https://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/02/saturday-joyful-mysteries-of-rosary.html





Finding Joy in the Moment!

Good morning out there! How are y'all doing? A quick post before I dash out the
door! Alas, I have much to share but only a smidgen of time so I'm going to post
a couple of things that warmed my heart and made me laugh!
Yesterday I called Jim as I was leaving the beauty shop (cut and color - long overdue!)
I told him that I was going to the grocery store but I was going to stop and get
gas first because I was running on fumes! He told me that he was on his way to
fuel up his truck and welding machine. We hung up, I pulled into Stripes (gas station)
and Jim pulled in right across from me. I got out of my explorer and laughed. I
walked over and gave him a hug and then he immediately went and filled up my
gas tank while I talked a mile a minute. We continued the discussion as he filled
up his tanks (truck and welder) and then I went to the store and he headed back
home. We've been married for over 36 years now. Our life together has been an
amazing journey filled with love and laughter, joy and tears, kindness and respect,
thousands of prayers, and our faith in God guiding us along the way!

Have to share this also:

  I have way too many pictures on my phone! I've uploaded them, or maybe it's
downloaded them onto my computer. Anyway, I started deleting them off of my
phone. I came across a 36 second video from our oldest grandson's birthday
in January 2018. This video is hilarious - the only thing I can figure out is I must
have been going to take a picture, hit video instead, and then got distracted.                                             I have the phone in my hand and my son, daughter, two or three of the grandkids,
 and myself are all in the kitchen. There are at least three, maybe four conversations
 going on at once and you can only see the floor, tops of the kids heads, etc.
 We're pulling something out of the oven and I'm laughing like a hyena, we're running
into each other - Good memories and so "us"! I'm thankful I came across that video -
it's definitely a keeper!



                                                                      Peace and blessings to you and yours,

                            near and far, wherever you are!

                                                                                  Bye for now, Sharla

And.. it's almost fall, y'all!