Part II of My New Vehicle Story; No Grill Guard!

Hello again! I guess this is Part II of my "New Vehicle" story.
I forgot to tell y'all - Jim said, "I'll have to figure out what kind of grill guard to
make for your new car." I told him that I didn't have a grill guard on my truck
and so why in the world would I want one on my car? He said, "It's brand new."
I said, "No, we may have a redneck bird bath, (two of them, to be exact) but there
will be no grill guard on my car!" We have a lot of deer running around out where
we live so he thought I might want a grill guard. Anyway, can you imagine a grill
guard on this?

Too funny - we talked about it again when he got home. He realized I wasn't
going to budge on this issue!
But wait - one more thing....
We never buy extended warranties on anything. The finance people are always
perplexed about why we won't do this. I told the very nice man today that we
never buy them, we've been blessed with vehicles that just go and go, and that
God takes care of us. He looked at me, started to say something else, and then
just shook his head.
No extended warranty and no grill guard either!
                                                         Blessings to you and yours!
                                                            Pray on your journeys near and far,
                                                                 Pray and Pray wherever you are!
                                                                              Bye for now, Sharla

A Truck Full of Prayers; Moving Forward, A New Vehicle - Same Mission

Hello out there! I hope you are all doing well. This has been a busy week. I will
begin with my truck story:
For the past six years and two months I have driven a white, double cab Chevrolet
Silverado truck. We bought it used - it is a 2010 and we when we purchased it in
2012 the odometer read (approximately) 36,000 miles. When I traded in my old trusty
truck today the odometer read, 197,348 miles. Last night, Jim and I cleaned out
my truck and oh my - it was a job! This is what we found; prayer cards, crayons,
kid's books, rosaries, more prayer cards, and lots of change. I could write a song
about all the items we took out of my truck; "The day before I sold my truck, some
of the things we found: one hundred prayer cards, $5.00 in change (guesstimate),
assorted broken crayons, three colorful rosaries, two black umbrellas, and
a pro-life rally sign behind the seat!" I drove my truck to Jim's shop that is "out back"
and he used a hoist to lift out my tool box. Thank goodness we didn't have to clean
that out - there would definitely be another song somewhere among my large
pro-life banners, sidewalk chalk, and jumper cables! I left one rosary on my rearview
mirror and told Jim that I would take it off when we arrived at the car dealers and
I left my Saint Anthony prayer card on my driver's side mirror also. It's funny how
a vehicle can be so full of memories. But just think about it - all the trips with your
loved ones and friends, all the stuff you haul around, and for me, all the prayers I
have prayed in that truck - the countless rosaries prayed with Jim, by myself and
with my friends; all the times I put in the Divine Mercy Chaplet CD when I drove
by myself, and with my grandkids (very soothing and great for naps)! When I
think of all the prayers I realize that is why my truck just kept on going. Everyone
knew my truck because it was the one with all the bumper stickers:

Yes, my truck told a story all of it's own. Jim said that I had too many miles to keep
on traveling out of town. Y'all know from my stories that I am always on the go.
A new chapter has begun - I said goodbye to my old truck and thanked God for
all the safe journeys. I remembered that my Divine Mercy CD was still in the
CD player right before I got into my new vehicle. I asked the salesman if he
would please get it for me. As he handed me my CD I told him to let whoever buys
my truck know that it is a special truck - they'll feel the blessings, because of the
countless prayers that have been prayed on short errands and long trips all
throughout the years. I started the engine, hung my rosary on the review mirror,
put my Divine Mercy CD into the player, thanked God, and drove straight to the
St. Francis Sack Lunch Ministry as fast as I could. It was 9:45 a.m., we begin
making the sack lunches at 10:00 a.m. and I had the key to unlock the door!
I am ready for all the roads, paths, and detours I will take in my new vehicle. I look
forward to the songs I will sing with my grandchildren, the prayers that will be
prayed, the drinks that will be spilled, and all the new adventures and roads that
God will lead Jim and I on.
                                                                     Blessings to you and yours!
                                                                                    Bye for now, Sharla

To The Abortion Rights Advocacy Groups - At Least Be Honest - Ending A Pregnancy? At Lease Have The Nerve To Say What You Mean: Ending A Life!

Hello out there - I hope you are all doing well. I have a lot to share. I have been
trying to figure out what I need to say. When I started this blog a little over four
years ago my mission seemed simple at first. I've written 358 posts/stories and I've
shared so many memories and so much information. I have articles, brochures and
scripture verses scattered and filed all over my little home office. I investigate and
do research and read one article after another, all with the hope of helping people
understand how precious life is, and how horrible and life ending abortion is. I've
given you statistics, stories, prayers, scriptures and my tears - praying that God
would help me to type the right words - words that would touch hearts and minds.
This week there has been so much coverage about people who just don't get it.
An article in yesterday's newspaper made me realize that it is time for me to
get serious - and stop worrying about offending people. The following are
the first two paragraphs of the article:


   Austin - Abortion providers and abortion-rights advocacy groups sued Texas
on Thursday, seeking to overturn dozens of the state's abortion regulations, some
of which are decades old.
   The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Austin, argues that state lawmakers have
slowly worked to "chip away at abortion access" by passing incremental legislation
that slowly increases "the burdens faced by people seeking to end their pregnancies."
  
Basically the news says people care about women's rights, (unless you are an
unborn baby girl - then you are discriminated against) or you are being forced into
prostitution (then your pimp, or sex trafficker is protected so that they (the abortion
provider) can get their money for your abortion) or an unborn baby is "a choice"
and people are worried about ending the pregnancy (you know, the baby;
ending a pregnancy is aborting their baby), terminating a pregnancy
is the termination of a baby. If people are that into making abortion easier than
lets be real - call it what it is - the ending of an unborn baby's life.
I post things on Facebook and if it has anything to with what I'm writing about now -
it is basically ignored. I get it - this isn't something people want to hear about
or talk about or think about - unless you are pro-abortion and then it's okay because
that is politically correct. I know I'm sounding off - and I realize that those of you
who read my blog feel like I do - but I want to know how do we get this message
out there to the people who just don't get it? How? What do we need to do?
Saint Mother Teresa said (and this is not an exact quote but probably pretty close)
You will never have peace in your country as long as there is legalized abortion.
It makes sense - if it's okay to kill an unborn baby because of whatever reason
you decide - how can there be peace? If we, as a society, view an unborn baby
as just "a choice" then what exactly does that say about us as a society? When
people view each other as on object instead of as an individual what does that
say about our society? I see so many sad and lonely people out there. Suicide
rates are sky rocketing, drug addiction, alcoholism, murder.....you name it - this
is what happens to society when people turn their backs on God and His word.
I may not have anyone ever read my blog again after this but at least I'm being
honest. I can furnish statistics, facts, and quotes all day every day, but if people
don't care, then it doesn't matter. Sometimes being brutally honest is the only way
to get people's attention. I just know that I am tired of reading about the
selfish, unfeeling, and down right apathy of people. For over 45 years abortion
has been legal in the United States - where is the outrage? Over 60 million
babies (baby boys and baby girls, sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters)
have died brutal deaths. Why? I can give you all kinds of answers to that question
but I'm sure you already know them and if we are all honest - they all stink and
millions of babies have died because of money, selfishness, apathy, ignorance,
manipulation, force, scandal cover-ups, abuse cover-ups, poverty, social standing,
embarrassment, discrimination (too small, not a boy, not a girl, not perfect, not the
right time) infidelity, and not one of these excuses justifies the killing of an
innocent baby. Promiscuity is not liberating, it is demeaning, and harmful because
this type of behavior turns women and men into objects instead of as individuals who
need love, respect, warmth, laughter, truth, and commitment.
I will continue reaching out to our youth, teaching them the truth, taking the life
size fetal models to them and saying...………….
Did you know...That at the moment of conception, when we were smaller than a grain
of sugar, our inherent traits were already set. Right at that moment - a boy or a girl,
a son or a daughter, brown hair, blonde hair, red hair, the color of our eyes, or
dimples in our cheeks, maybe a cleft in our chin, tall or not so tall, from that very
moment of conception  - how amazing is that?


Please speak up - our voices are louder when we come together. It is time to end this
holocaust against the innocent unborn. Please ask your priests, your pastors, ministers,
and church leaders to talk to their congregations about this important life and death
issue.

Red Roses, Lemon Bars, and 35 Years of Marriage - Pretty Awesome!

Hello out there! I am way behind on my posts! Jim and I celebrated 35 years of
marriage earlier this week. We were so blessed at Mass on Sunday night. One couple,
some good friends of ours, asked for Anniversary prayers (Mass Intentions) for us.
Another couple, and also dear friends of ours, prayed for us after Mass. Both couples
have been married a lot longer than we have! We visited with another couple (also
friends) as we were walking to our vehicles and we talked about how important
it is for married couples to have God in their lives. I shared the peanut butter story.
I'll repost it in case y'all haven't read it! On Monday we received a very special
anniversary card in the mail from a wonderful friend. Our hearts are full from all
the warm wishes, prayers, and blessings we have received from our family and
friends. We have had a great week.
Our anniversary was on Monday. Jim and I are simple people, thankful for what we
have, and we celebrate special days the same way. I am always baking something
because Jim has a sweet tooth. I haven't made Lemon Bars since Easter and I decided
to bake some for him on Monday. He came home with two beautiful red roses for me.
I fixed dinner and we sat at the kitchen table, ate and had a nice visit. We went out
to eat on Tuesday evening with five other couples from our parish and the Associate
Pastor (whom we all love) and will be transferring to another parish at the end of this
month. Tonight we are going out with another couple, who were married on the same
date, seventeen years before us. They are some of our closest friends and we have
celebrated many anniversaries together. I told our daughter that we were celebrating
the "Big 35" all week long - seems appropriate! I want to share some memories
from "Anniversaries Past" and special posts about marriage so if you want to
look back with me...…………….they'll be posted below the pictures!

I took this picture on Tuesday morning -

the lemon bars are almost gone!

The roses were beautiful then but.....

look at them now! I took this picture earlier today -

they are even more beautiful!

The lemon bars are all gone!

35 Years of Memories!

Don't worry, I'm only sharing a few!

The following is from last year's memory-The link is below if you want to read it all.

I promised to love my husband for better or worse, for richer or poorer, through the
good days and bad days and 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.

https://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/06/our-family-foundation-our-faith.html

This memory is from two years ago. I love the scriptures I included in this one.

The link will be below it.

One of my favorite scriptures from the bible is from Genesis, when Adam sees Eve

for the  first time -
Genesis 2:21-24
So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was
asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
"This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
This one shall be called 'woman,' for out of 'her man' this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and
the two of them become one body.
Another one of my favorite scriptures that I think is so important for a happy
marriage and a loving family is this one -
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs,
it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking,
it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries.
Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth.
There is no limit to love's forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.

https://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2016/06/cookies-beer-bread-and-33-years-of.html

This is the "peanut butter story" - make sure you click on the link - it's a great analogy

that I heard a priest explain while I was listening to the Catholic radio station.

The following is the last paragraph from my story.

This morning I fixed Jim some peanut butter and jelly crackers. While I was in the
kitchen, Jim was in our room getting ready for work. As I put the peanut butter
on the crackers, I thought about what that priest said. I poured a cup of coffee for
Jim and carried it to our room. He was kneeling on our hard floor saying his morning
prayers. I sat the coffee down on the dresser, placed my hand on his shoulder and kissed
the top of his head. An overwhelming feeling came over me. I just felt so blessed that
in our marriage, we have God to help hold us together.

https://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/05/god-peanut-butter-and-good-marriage.html

And finally, two more -

I really enjoy drinking coffee in the morning, my husband does too. It all started
with a gift I received at my bridal shower many years ago!

https://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-cutest-little-percolator-i-received.html

The final and following memory is really just one of many steps in our mission - still

working together as a pro-life couple - speaking up for the weakest among us.

I wish I could describe the peace I feel in my heart, the joy and love I feel when
we are speaking up for the unborn, when Jim and I are working together to get the
pro-life message out there. Knowing with absolute certainty that this is what WE,
as a couple have been called to do is both humbling and awesome at the same time.
I am sharing this with you to ask for your prayers. Please pray for Jim and I as
we continue speaking out for the unborn, because I finally realize that our mission
is going to be a very busy, day to day pro-life way of life.

https://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/07/as-couple-being-pro-life-is-our-way-of.html

                                                      Blessings to you and yours!

                                                                  Bye for now, Sharla





Bird Nests, Seeds, Cats, and Trees!

Good morning out there! It is the beginning of a beautiful new day. Y'all know that
I am a happy, glass is half full, make lemonade out of those lemons kind of girl (lady).
I enjoy the simplest of things and am always amazed and thankful for the blessings
of each new day. I was washing dishes early yesterday morning and I looked out the
kitchen window above my sink and I saw a roadrunner dart across my front yard. I
laughed and said, "Beep beep" (like that old cartoon)! This morning I decided that I
better water my flowers while it was still early. I spotted a bird's nest in the tree that
has a special place in my heart. Jim had already left for work and I called him and
told him about the nest. I think this is a story for me to tell...…


In November of 2008 I had surgery to have the right side of my thyroid removed.
The tumor was benign but it kept growing so surgery was necessary.
While I was at home recuperating, Jim and our granddaughter (grandchild #3) who
was 2 1/2 at the time, planted some seeds he had found. They took a large coffee can
and filled it with soil and planted the seeds and watered them.  They placed the can in
our large kitchen window that faces the west and receives the afternoon sun.
The seeds sprouted and the plant grew. Before long, it was time to repot the plant and
then it was placed outside in the late spring of 2009. We realized that the plant was
actually a tree and it grew and grew. The small tree was planted in the ground and
pictures are taken each year.
It is some type of oak tree and when I water it I always sing a little song;
"Grow little tree, grow - planted with love, grow, grow, and grow."
I know, I'm sentimental and you make think I'm kind of silly but God has placed
a song in my heart and a child-like wonder that has never gone away only grown
stronger.
I watched as the mama bird and papa bird flew in and out of the tree getting their
nest ready. We have a cat (Tiger Lily) and it looked like the papa bird was on guard
duty. I told Tiger to get in the backyard and leave my birds alone! I don't think she
was listening! I enjoyed the beauty and peace and watered all my plants and prayed
some morning prayers - always giving thanks to God.
I hope you all have joyful, sunny, bird watching type day. I want to share this
scripture that popped up on my phone. It is from the Catholic Apparel Facebook
page (https://christianstyle.com).

Therefore, my brothers and sisters,

stand firm.

Let nothing move you.

Always give yourselves fully

to the work of the Lord,

because you know,

that the labor in the Lord

is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Blessings to you and yours!

Bye for now, Sharla

Blessings on Pentecost Sunday

Hello out there! Today is Pentecost Sunday! Come, Holy Spirit!
The following prayer is from the May 2018 issue of our Catholic newspaper,
"West Texas Angelus" - I don't know who wrote this beautiful prayer - the editor
of the paper put it in, "The Prayer Square" on page 3. It is an awesome prayer!
The picture is from an old bible - Blessings to you and yours on this special
day and always!

Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit.
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation.
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm.
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence.
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith.
Replace the bitterness within us with the sweetness of grace.
Replace the darkness within us with a gentle light.
Replace the coldness within us with a  loving warmth.
Replace the night within us with Your day.
Replace the winter within us with Your spring.


Straighten our crookedness.
Fill our emptiness.
Dull the edges of our pride.
Sharpen the edge of our humility.
Light the fires of our love.
Quench the flames of our lust.


Let us see ourselves as YOU see us,
That we may see You as You have promised us,
and be healed according to Your word.










     

Peace, Prayers, Memories and Thanksgiving

Hello out there! We have been blessed with rain this week! And lots of it!
I hope you are all doing well. This morning I was sitting on the couch in our
living room and reading today's scriptures and prayers from my daily devotional,
Magnificat. The morning sun was shining in the window and the candle I keep
lit for all of our prayer intentions was flickering behind the fireplace screen. I had
finished reading and was saying my prayers. I looked around our living room
as I prayed and an overwhelming sense of peace came over me. I smiled as I looked
at the pictures and realized how special our living room is to me. It is the perfect
place to pray and meditate. There is a picture on the mantle of the fireplace that
Jim gave me for Christmas; the picture of Jesus feeding the people and the quote
says, "You feed them." The wall on the north side of the living room has a framed
picture of Jesus; the Sacred Heart picture and below it is a small, metal Stations of
the Cross, a gift from my cousin. A chest, stained avocado green sits below,
my mother stained this chest back in the mid 70s not long before she passed away.
On top of the chest sits a bronze statue of Jesus with the lambs that my
daughter-in-law gave to me. In the hallway, back behind the living room, hangs a
picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The small printers desk below the picture is the
one my dad put back together, piece by piece.
Our living room is full of pictures of our children and grandchildren and furniture
that is a mis-matched set of memories that all fits together just right. The rocking
chair was my great aunts. Two of the little end tables were the ones I grew up with
and another table was my grandmothers that sat between her and my grandpa's chairs;
the crossword puzzle on her side and an old pipe with tobacco on his side.
A lamp and the TV guide usually sat on top right in the middle. My prayer time
lasted longer this morning as I thanked God for my many blessings. Our home is
full of memories, laughter, love, and sometimes tears. I don't need or want new
furniture and I'm thankful for what we have.
I pray that wherever you are, near or far, your home is full of good memories,
laughter, love, and sometimes tears, tears of thanksgiving.
I pray that you have a quiet, peaceful place where you can pray and feel God's
presence. The Holy Spirit is always with us - surround yourself with peace and
love in your home, with your family, and with your friends.

 I took these two pictures this evening to add to my story - Faith, Hope, Love
Family, and Home!

I drew a green vine with green leaves and red hearts as the flowers on the sacks
for the Sack Lunch Ministry this week. I wrote the following verse next to
the picture - "Jesus is the vine and we are the branches." Another one of the
volunteers wrote the same message. We enjoy decorating the sacks - another way
we show that we care. Go out and be a light in the darkness - little
things mean so much!
I found the following prayer in the May 13, 2018 issue of the National Catholic
Register.
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.