Hot Weather and Hens - Mass and Scripture - Families and Light!

 Good morning out there! I'm writing this post at 4:44 am. I woke up about an hour ago and decided instead of tossing and turning, praying and thinking, it was time to get up and write a long overdue post! Summer weather is definitely here! H O T hot! My computer monitor says that it is 83 degrees right now! I think the high today is supposed to hit 109. If you work out in this weather please stay hydrated! Our chickens do not like this hot weather - most of our hens are on strike. I can't blame them! Yes, they have plenty of water and shade, but with temps this high it is hot in the shade also! Enough about the weather and non-laying hens.

Last night Jim and I went to the 6 pm Mass at our parish. I wish you could have seen all the families!  The children and the babies, the mothers and the fathers! Grandparents! Young adults, so many people at Mass! Oh my goodness - that just does my heart good! Step into the light! I love our parish family! The scriptures from the Prophet Jeremiah - wow! I'm going to share them right now!

Jeremiah 20:10-13

Jeremiah said: "I hear the whisperings of many: 'Terror on every side: Denounce! Let us denounce him!' All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. 'Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.' But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O Lord of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!"

That scripture really grabbed me - A lot of things are going on in our country that don't make sense to me. I will pray and pour my heart out to God and trust in His mercy, His timing, and His love for us.

The following scriptures are from today's morning prayers in my Magnificat:

Ephesians 5:14-15

Everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it say: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light." Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise. 

Lamentations 3:22-23

The favors of the Lord are not exhausted, his mercies are not spent; They are renewed each morning, so great is his faithfulness.

I'm headed to the kitchen to grab a large mug of coffee and get ready for the day! It's my grocery shopping day and I have a long list! 

I hope you all have a blessed day! Take care of yourselves and your loved ones during this heat wave and always! Hug your spouse and hug your kids and thank the Lord for a new day! Go out and be a light in this dark world ! 

Peace and blessings to you and yours, near and far, wherever you are!

Bye for now, Sharla

Through the Years...Celebrating 40 Years - Thanks be to God!

 Hello out there! Hope y'all are having a great day! Jim and I have been working in the yard this morning.  I haven't mowed in a long time. But today, I got on the riding lawn mower and vroomed all over the front and backyard, while Jim was weed eating the fence lines, around the trees, etc. Tomorrow is our 40th anniversary. We are going out to eat tonight with a couple who have been our friends for at least 38 of those years. Tomorrow is also their wedding anniversary and they will celebrate 57 years of marriage!

My goal is to post several, positive marriage memories during this month. I'm calling them my "Through the years..." memories. Life isn't always easy and sometimes the road is tough, but if you both live out your vows, and make sure that God is your guide, you'll be blessed! It definitely helps if both husband and wife have the same view of the "Death til you part" kind of marriage.

I copied a part of a post I wrote on June 3, 2016:

I want to think about the vows I made on a Saturday afternoon many years ago.

I promised to love my husband for better or worse,

 for richer or poorer, 

through the good days and bad days,

 in sickness and in health

 until death do us part.     

                             

  I have been blessed with a good, God fearing man. Jim is my knight in shining armor and always stands by my side.

 A wedding is just a day - but a marriage is a life time and it takes work. Like a
garden, you have to lovingly tend to it.
 Love, patience, kindness, forgiveness, and communication are a must -
but most important - you need to make sure that God is right in the center, right there
with you and then everything else will fall into place.

This sign is on our back porch.

The only thing I would add is - 

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

Peace and blessings to you and yours,

near and far, wherever you are!

Bye for now, Sharla

Through the Years: There's no Place Like Home

 Hello out there! Good morning! I'm super excited about this month! Jim and I will celebrate 40 years of marriage this Sunday, June 4th! I've been married more than two-thirds of my life! Wow! How amazing and awesome is that?! I was nineteen when we got married. I'm going to try and share as many of my "Through the years..." marriage posts as possible this month.

I looked back to my posts from June 2015 and found one of my many favorites. Jim and I had gone on a trip to celebrate our 32nd anniversary. The story is below:

Friday, June 19, 2015

There is No Place Like Home!

Good Morning Out There! Today is Friday and I hope you all have a really
great day, a day full of blessings! In my previous post, I wrote about the vacation
that Jim and I took. I told you about the beautiful Cathedral Shrine of Our Lady
of Guadalupe in Dallas, TX. Today I'm going to tell you about our trip to
Jefferson, TX, the Catholic church and the priceless (to me) pictures we bought
at an antique store.

Jefferson is a beautiful little town, full of history, and northeast of Dallas.
They were having a corvette show on main street that Saturday morning. Jim and
I walked up and down the street looking at all the old and new, shiny and
colorful corvettes. Proud owners sitting in chairs behind their cars, or polishing
them with a rag, telling people all about the statistics and stuff. In the distance,
over the top of a building I spotted a bell tower and told Jim that I bet that was
where the Catholic church was. So we started walking towards the church, and
sure enough, the beautiful old white church with the bell tower was
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. We went up the steps and through the
front door. The priest was inside making sure everything was just right, he was
fixing to go out of town and so there would be a visiting priest celebrating Mass
that Saturday evening and the next morning. He told us to take our time and that
he was going to lock the front door, so if we would please go out the side door
when we were through and just make sure it locked behind us. Jim and I walked
up and down the inside of the church admiring the amazing stained glass windows.
The windows told the story of the Life of Jesus. One window pane was The
Annunciation, the next was The Visitation, The birth of Christ, scenes from the
Joyful Mysteries. Then there was the pane showing the Wedding at Cana, one of
the Luminous Mysteries. The Crucifixion and the Pieta were two more of the
beautiful, but heartbreaking stained glass panes. The entire church was so breath-
taking. Jim and I knelt down and prayed, and even though we were the only ones
there, we whispered when we wanted to point something out. Finally we walked
out the side door and made sure it was locked. We walked back around to the
front of the church and checked the Mass schedule and decided that we would
come back for the 5:30 p.m. evening Mass that night. I took a picture of two
signs they had at the side of the church.

                                        PREGNANT AND NEED HELP?
                               (Mujer Embarazada y Necesita Ayuda?)
                          The Catholic Church sees the birth of each baby as
                         God's unfailing love. We offer immediate & practical
                                 help to any woman faced with crisis pregnancy
                                                           888-300-5112
The picture next to the words is the beautiful, "Madonna of the Streets"

                                             Society of St. Vincent de Paul
                                        Immaculate Heart of Mary Conference
                The Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers tangible assistance to                                 
                                       those in need on a person to person basis.

We walked back to our truck, both of us realizing what really matters, what is
really important, and what and who God cares about. Taking care of one another,
carrying each others burdens, lending a helping hand. We passed an old antique store
and walked in. In one room, high upon a shelf, dusty and dirty, were two old pictures.
One was the beautiful "Madonna of the Streets" and the other was a picture of Jesus
I had never seen before, his face in the middle, and small scenes of his life all around
the edge. I told Jimmy, "We have to rescue them, and take them home." Jim smiled
and reached up and carefully handed them to me. The owner commented on how
beautiful they were, and that she had never even noticed them. She carefully wrapped
them up for us, and $35.00 later they were safely tucked in the backseat of our truck!
That evening Jim and I did go to Mass at The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
We walked through the doors, dipped our fingers in the Holy Water, made the Sign of
the Cross, genuflected and knelt down to pray. There truly is no place like home.
                             May your day be full of blessings! Bye for now, Sharla

Our Lady of Fatima, Please Pray For Us

Hello out there - Sharing a beautiful prayer for today. 

The Fatima Angel Told the Shepherd Children to Pray This Prayer in 1916

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly, and I

offer you the most precious Body, Blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, present

in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges

and indifferences by which he himself is offended. And through the infinite merits

of his most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of you the

conversion of poor sinners.

Peace and blessings to you and yours, near and far, wherever you are!

Bye for now, Sharla

The Fatima Angel Told the Shepherd Children to Pray This Prayer in 1916
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly, and I
offer you the most precious Body, Blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, present
in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges
and indifferences by which he himself is offended. And through the infinite merits
of his most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of you the
conversion of poor sinners.

Rain, Scriptures, Egg Salad, and Beer Bread

Hello out there! It's a beautiful, cloudy, cooler temp kind of day. We were blessed with much needed rain last night and into this morning.  I pray that you all have a blessed weekend. I made some egg salad a little while ago. I may bake a loaf of beer bread too! I love to bake on rainy days! Re-sharing a post from two years ago. I needed to read it again - I hope the message and scriptures it shares blesses you!

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Step Away from the Noise and Feel God's Peace

 Hello out there - The weather forecast today is; blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and a cool breeze is in the air. The temperature is an awesome 66 degrees right now - yesterday it was a lot warmer at this time - you have to love spring weather in San Angelo! 

This past Sunday, the Fifth Sunday of Easter, the holy Gospel reading was John 15:1-8.                  Jesus said to His disciples: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does He prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." (USCCB & Magnificat  - Volume 23, No. 3)

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches! Sometimes I have to step away from all the noise in this world to hear what God is saying. The past couple of weeks I haven't watched any news on television or scrolled for news on my phone. We get the daily newspaper and I read the obituaries and pray for the souls of all those who have passed on. I place my hand over their names and/or over their pictures as I pray for them. I pray for comfort for their loved ones, the ones who are left behind. I read the Daily Promise, on the same page as the obituaries. Yesterday's scripture was Psalm 127:3 "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him." (New Living Translation)  I glance through the headlines and usually choose not to read any of the stories. I read a couple of the cartoons; "For Better or Worse"  "Baby Blues" and "Family Circus" are my favorites and the ones I always read. If Jim has already read the paper, I toss it in the trash. I read the daily scriptures, prayers, hymns and psalms from my Magnificat. Reading God's word helps keep me on track and He still has to steer my gaze forward as I start to detour and make unnecessary stops. I pray that I am fruitful in all that I do. Many times I fall short but I keep on trying. I'm so thankful for God's mercy and for His amazing grace!

There are a couple of sayings that come to my mind on a regular basis: "You can't see the forest because of the trees" and "Think outside of the box." The Serenity Prayer is also something I pray often. Many times we or I fall into that trap of worrying about what we cannot do instead of doing what we can. This past year has opened my eyes to so many things. An example of the forest is worrying about taking care of people we may never meet. An example of the trees is our own family, our neighbors, members of our parish or church congregations. Sometimes helping a mom in need is as simple as helping our own adult children who are busy moms and dads. Wave at your neighbors and smile! Offer to pull the trash carts out for an elderly neighbor, or place their newspaper on their front porch during cold or rainy weather. Greet old and new families after Mass or your church service and tell them how happy you are to see them. Make sure you tell the cashiers at the grocery stores, etc. thank you and wish them a great day. There are so many ways we can reach out to the people all around us and sometimes your big smile or "Hey, how are y'all doing?" will mean more than you ever know. Ask God to guide you and He will place people in your path. Take care of your family - love them, listen to them, be patient with them, give them your time! God has placed so many people in my path and more times than not, I'm the one who ends up feeling so blessed. Step away from the noise and have a nice visit with Jesus! His peace will set you free! God's amazing grace is such a gift and all we have to do is accept it.

Peace and blessings to you and yours! Bye for now, Sharla

I Wrote a Prayer for You Today

 Good morning out there! Peace and blessings to you and yours, near and far, wherever you are! I'm sure most of you have heard the old saying of how things change yet in some ways they stay the same. I was looking back in the archives of my blog for a certain post about prayers and praying. I found it - I wrote the post on May 1, 2015 - eight years ago. I've copied it and am going to paste it below. I hope you all have a blessed day. The prayer I wrote eight years ago - I pray for you today. 

Friday, May 1, 2015

Prayer is the Answer

Good Morning Out There! Just a quick post to say hello and I hope your day goes
well. I woke up this morning with my grandchildren on my mind. I read the news-
paper last night, and that was probably not a good idea.  I know that I can't
hide my head in the sand, but there are just so many horrible things in this old
world, it just breaks my heart. So last night and this morning I did the best thing
I could do, I prayed. I talked to God and told him my fears and my worries. I lifted
up my family in prayer, I lifted up friends and the special intentions that I've been asked
to pray about. Last night when Jim and I prayed before eating dinner, we gave thanks
for our meal and then prayed for the sick. After I named off everyone I knew
who needed and had asked for our prayers Jim started naming those I had forgotten
to mention. I love that we pray together, I'm so thankful that we remind each other
about all those who need our prayers. When someone asks us to pray for them, we
really take it to heart. This morning when Jim was leaving for work he reminded me
about someone else we needed to pray for. I thank God for blessing me with such
a wonderful husband. He is an awesome example for our children and grandchildren.

I pray that your day is full of blessings. If you are sick, I pray that you will get well.
If you have lost a loved one, I pray that you will be comforted. If you are anxious,
I pray that a feeling of peace will wash over you. If you are lonely, I pray that someone
will reach out to you, I pray that you will know that even though I may not know you,
I really do care. If you are struggling financially, I pray that God will send you what
you need. If you are struggling with addiction, I pray that God will give you strength
and courage to give up whatever is holding you hostage. If you are in a crisis pregnancy,
I pray that you will be directed to the path of life, and guided to all the help that is
available for you and your baby. If you are a caregiver, I pray that you will get the
rest you need, and know that it is ok to take time for yourself.
Dear God, I lift all the intentions I've listed above to you. I pray for anyone and
everyone who might be suffering or going through any of the things I've written
about. Please God, show us how to take care of each other, to love one another and
help us to be discerning in all that we do. Thank you for today, please guide us and
help us to live the way you want us to. Please keep us safe and help us to look to
You, and not the world for direction and answers. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.


                                                                Bye for now, Sharla

Through the Years - Faith, Hope, and Love - Family Traditions

 Good morning out there! This is the day the Lord has made let us be glad and rejoice! I pray that this post will be a blessing for whoever reads this story, and especially the young men who responded to a comment I made on Twitter yesterday.  I hope it helps other young adults who might have the same questions about marriage. I don't have very many people who follow me on Twitter so I always reply back when someone does take the time to comment.

This is how the dialogue went: A young lady asked the question - What advice can you give to a couple that wants to move in together?? I responded - Make a real commitment. Get engaged and pick a date for your wedding within the year. My husband and I will celebrate 40 years this June. And then I shared the link to this blog post below:

http://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2023/02/through-years-marriage-mass-and-coffee.html?m=1

Not thinking anymore about my comment I went on about my day. Last night I clicked on Twitter and saw that I had some responses to the comment I had made. A young man replied - What's your secret to knowing this will work before making the real commitment??? I was surprised that someone had responded to my comment. I thought about it for a little while before I replied: I was 19 when I got married. I still remember our wedding vows. My husband and I wanted our marriage to be the forever kind of marriage. Life is hard. Our faith in God has held us together through life's journey. Respect, commitment, love, compassion, (and then I shared another blog post) His response was: Thank you for this. 

And then another young man replied: Your story inspired me, how do you navigate marriage turbulence...My response: Thank you. A few quick tips. Faith in God and understanding that your vows are not suggestions but guidance for your life together. Commitment, communication, respect, compassion, love, etc. I'll add some more posts about marriage later. And he responded with a kind comment.

I'm so thankful for their sincere questions. I pray that God will always guide me and give me the words that I need to share. This has touched my heart and helped me to realize to never give up, speak from my heart, and persevere. If I was worried about the number of followers I have on Twitter, I would have given up years ago. What matters to me - it's the one person I might actually help. 

Lead me, Lord.

I wrote the following post in May 2014 - before our 31st wedding anniversary. Many things have changed in the last nine years, our family has grown, and some of our journeys have been tough but God has been with us through it all. One thing has not changed - the most important - the title and story below, and lots of love...keep us together. (The story is below the picture)

 Peace and blessings to you and yours, near and far, wherever  you are! God bless you!

                                                

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Our Family Foundation - Our Faith in God

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've 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 by the Ambo  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