Sunday, May 31, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
It's the soldier...
It's the soldier, not the reporter who has given us Freedom of the Press.
It's the soldier, not the poet, who has given us Freedom of Speech.
It's the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the Freedom to Demonstrate.
It's the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the Right to a Fair Trial.
It's the soldier who salutes the flag,
serves under the flag
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who gives the protester the right to burn the flag.
~~Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A.W. Tozer
How different our nation might be if modern day pastors (or should I say "life coaches") would lay aside their psychology and esteem God's Word this highly!
"Some of my friends good-humoredly – and some a little bit severely – have called me a 'mystic.' Well I'd like to say this about any mysticism I may suppose to have. If an archangel from heaven were to come, and were to start giving me, telling me, teaching me, and giving me instruction, I'd ask him for the text. I'd say, 'Where's it say that in the Bible? I want to know.' And I would insist that it was according to the scriptures, because I do not believe in any extra-scriptural teachings, nor any anti-scriptural teachings, or any sub-scriptural teachings. I think we ought to put the emphasis where God puts it, and continue to put it there, and to expound the scriptures, and stay by the scriptures. I wouldn't – no matter if I saw a light above the light of the sun, I'd keep my mouth shut about it 'til I'd checked with Daniel and Revelation and the rest of the scriptures to see if it had any basis in truth. And if it didn't, I'd think I'd just eaten something I shouldn't, and I wouldn't say anything about it. Because I don't believe in anything that is unscriptural or that is anti-scripture."
— A. W. Tozer, What Difference Does the Holy Spirit Make?
Monday, May 11, 2009
We may never know...
How
many
shots
does it
take
decent
picture
of the granddaughters?
many
shots
does it
take
to get a
decent
picture
of the granddaughters?
WE MAY NEVER KNOW!
(This is Summer and Madelyn with my precious nieces, Maggie and Audrey)
Now this is just too cool.....
More than 200 dancers were performing their version of "Do Re Mi", in the Central Station of Antwerp. with just 2 rehearsals they created this amazing stunt! Those 4 fantastic minutes started the 23 of march 2009, 08:00 AM. It is a promotion stunt for a Belgian television program, where they are looking for someone to play the leading role, in the musical of "The Sound of Music".
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Mom's Version of William Tell
Okay, I don't think this sounds like me, but Caleb says "Yes!" and to post this on my blog.
Hmmm.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Are You Really a Person?
Below is a reprint of the article I wrote for the latest edition of our Life Matters Outreach newsletter, to be mailed out this week. If you'd like to be on the mailing list, you can e-mail me at LMOutreach at bellsouth dot net.
When you woke up this morning, you probably took a look at yourself in the mirror. While this could be a ghastly experience for some of us, I dare say that you did not peer at your reflection and ponder whether or not you are truly a "person". Some things we just take for granted as true. What makes you a person?
When Justice Harry Blackmun wrote the majority opinion for the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, he left an interesting loophole that is still being debated today. He stated that "(If the) suggestion of personhood [of the preborn] is established, the [abortion rights] case, of course, collapses, for the fetus' right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment." You see, it was very challenging for all pro-abortion parties involved to invent some sort of Constitutional right to abortion. Their strategy was to claim that prosecuting someone for having or performing an abortion was a violation of that person's right of due process as preserved in the 14th amendment. A "right to privacy" was newly established. Now, we could discuss all day the fallacies of such an argument; namely that there are thousands of laws restricting private acts already on the books. For example, some men like to privately prey on women or privately produce child pornography, but this is restricted by law. Is abortion merely nothing more than a private decision with which the government should not interfere?
I'm a libertarian at heart. I passionately believe in personal liberty and limited government, but as someone once said, "Your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose!" Reason just screams out that ending the life of a child does not fall under the category of a lawfully protected privacy. The 1973 Supreme Court knew this, so their only way to manipulate the law was to declare the fetus a non-person. One has to wonder what could motivate a grown-up to declare war on an innocent baby. Though Justice Blackmun spent his remaining court tenure and retirement defending his position, his wording in the written opinion reveals something about the moral dilemma he and the other 6 majority justices had to face.....IF personhood is ever established, then clearly abortion IS murder.
There is a movement now, which I wholeheartedly support, to add Human Life Amendments to state constitutions, as well as one to our U.S. Consitution. These amendments would officially establish "personhood" for the unborn. Then, according to Justice Blackmun's own words, the case for legal abortion would immediately collapse.
I pray this comes to pass, and I praise God for the people who are behind it. I myself have signed petitions, written lawmakers, distributed information, and done all I can to see this happen. What upsets me, is the mere fact that this is even an issue. There was abundant evidence presented at the Roe trial that clearly showed fetal development and personhood. We positively know that a baby, though snuggled away (safely?) in his mother's womb, has his own DNA and blood type. He has a heartbeat and brain waves. Unlike a tumor or piece of tissue, the unborn child responds to stimulation, kicks and squirms, hiccups, and even sucks his thumb! Unborn babies can be diagnosed, treated, and operated on while still in the womb. We have a federal law which recognizes a "child in utero" as a legal victim (Laci and Connor's Law).
Legally, scientifically, medically, and can I say, obviously....every single shred of evidence points to personhood! There is no debate. It's almost as ridiculous as having to pass a law stating that the sky is blue or the grass is green. It reminds me of the 13th elevator floor. Superstitious people don't want to live on it, so hotel owners just call it "14", even though it rises 13 floors from the basement. Is reality changed by the new name? Certainly not, and neither does the unborn child become a non-person because the Supreme Court stated so in an opinion.
Applying the fickle standard of "wantedness" to life may have begun with abortion, but as many predicted, it hasn't stopped there. What about the aged, the incurably ill, the insane? What seemed unthinkable only a few decades ago, is now happening. The simple Christian virtue of caring for the fatherless and the weak, has changed into nursing homes and forced starvation of the infirmed such as Terri Schiavo. What began with the likes of Dr. Jack Kevorkian as the "right to die", is now morphing into the "duty to die" for those who are old, sick, or unproductive. As Dr. Leon Kass said, "We are already witnessing the erosion of our idea of man as something splendid or divine, as a creature with freedom and dignity. And clearly, if we come to see ourselves as meat, then meat we shall become."
Life as a piece of meat means that we are nothing more than a clump of cells on an evolutionary journey, competing for survival with cruel forces of nature. This is exact opposite of being a created, human, divine image-bearer. When we begin to cull our unborn humans because they are inconvenient or too expensive, then naturally the next step will be to cull out already born humans for the same reasons. And the obvious question is, "Who decides who gets culled?" You might think you're pretty clever and handy, but what does your neighbor think about you? And what does your government think about you? Do you cause a kink in the chain of society?
In this brave new world, the definition of wantedness will change from judge to judge as it is deemed to benefit the overall good of society. So what can we do? Well, my adivce is simple. Stop aging. Stay healthy. Act smart. Be productive. Look attractive. Avoid accidents and illnesses. Don't think too hard.
"If you look at the world, you'll be distressed.If you look within, you'll be depressed.But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest."
These are challenging times for all Christians, and certainly for us at the pregnancy care center. Please lift us up in prayer, as we minister to young women and do our part to spare the lives of little unborn persons. We are so thankful for your support.
When you woke up this morning, you probably took a look at yourself in the mirror. While this could be a ghastly experience for some of us, I dare say that you did not peer at your reflection and ponder whether or not you are truly a "person". Some things we just take for granted as true. What makes you a person?
When Justice Harry Blackmun wrote the majority opinion for the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, he left an interesting loophole that is still being debated today. He stated that "(If the) suggestion of personhood [of the preborn] is established, the [abortion rights] case, of course, collapses, for the fetus' right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment." You see, it was very challenging for all pro-abortion parties involved to invent some sort of Constitutional right to abortion. Their strategy was to claim that prosecuting someone for having or performing an abortion was a violation of that person's right of due process as preserved in the 14th amendment. A "right to privacy" was newly established. Now, we could discuss all day the fallacies of such an argument; namely that there are thousands of laws restricting private acts already on the books. For example, some men like to privately prey on women or privately produce child pornography, but this is restricted by law. Is abortion merely nothing more than a private decision with which the government should not interfere?
I'm a libertarian at heart. I passionately believe in personal liberty and limited government, but as someone once said, "Your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose!" Reason just screams out that ending the life of a child does not fall under the category of a lawfully protected privacy. The 1973 Supreme Court knew this, so their only way to manipulate the law was to declare the fetus a non-person. One has to wonder what could motivate a grown-up to declare war on an innocent baby. Though Justice Blackmun spent his remaining court tenure and retirement defending his position, his wording in the written opinion reveals something about the moral dilemma he and the other 6 majority justices had to face.....IF personhood is ever established, then clearly abortion IS murder.
There is a movement now, which I wholeheartedly support, to add Human Life Amendments to state constitutions, as well as one to our U.S. Consitution. These amendments would officially establish "personhood" for the unborn. Then, according to Justice Blackmun's own words, the case for legal abortion would immediately collapse.
I pray this comes to pass, and I praise God for the people who are behind it. I myself have signed petitions, written lawmakers, distributed information, and done all I can to see this happen. What upsets me, is the mere fact that this is even an issue. There was abundant evidence presented at the Roe trial that clearly showed fetal development and personhood. We positively know that a baby, though snuggled away (safely?) in his mother's womb, has his own DNA and blood type. He has a heartbeat and brain waves. Unlike a tumor or piece of tissue, the unborn child responds to stimulation, kicks and squirms, hiccups, and even sucks his thumb! Unborn babies can be diagnosed, treated, and operated on while still in the womb. We have a federal law which recognizes a "child in utero" as a legal victim (Laci and Connor's Law).
Legally, scientifically, medically, and can I say, obviously....every single shred of evidence points to personhood! There is no debate. It's almost as ridiculous as having to pass a law stating that the sky is blue or the grass is green. It reminds me of the 13th elevator floor. Superstitious people don't want to live on it, so hotel owners just call it "14", even though it rises 13 floors from the basement. Is reality changed by the new name? Certainly not, and neither does the unborn child become a non-person because the Supreme Court stated so in an opinion.
Applying the fickle standard of "wantedness" to life may have begun with abortion, but as many predicted, it hasn't stopped there. What about the aged, the incurably ill, the insane? What seemed unthinkable only a few decades ago, is now happening. The simple Christian virtue of caring for the fatherless and the weak, has changed into nursing homes and forced starvation of the infirmed such as Terri Schiavo. What began with the likes of Dr. Jack Kevorkian as the "right to die", is now morphing into the "duty to die" for those who are old, sick, or unproductive. As Dr. Leon Kass said, "We are already witnessing the erosion of our idea of man as something splendid or divine, as a creature with freedom and dignity. And clearly, if we come to see ourselves as meat, then meat we shall become."
Life as a piece of meat means that we are nothing more than a clump of cells on an evolutionary journey, competing for survival with cruel forces of nature. This is exact opposite of being a created, human, divine image-bearer. When we begin to cull our unborn humans because they are inconvenient or too expensive, then naturally the next step will be to cull out already born humans for the same reasons. And the obvious question is, "Who decides who gets culled?" You might think you're pretty clever and handy, but what does your neighbor think about you? And what does your government think about you? Do you cause a kink in the chain of society?
In this brave new world, the definition of wantedness will change from judge to judge as it is deemed to benefit the overall good of society. So what can we do? Well, my adivce is simple. Stop aging. Stay healthy. Act smart. Be productive. Look attractive. Avoid accidents and illnesses. Don't think too hard.
The situation might look grim, but I am reminded of the words of a great Christian heroine, Corrie ten Boom, a true defender of life:
"If you look at the world, you'll be distressed.If you look within, you'll be depressed.But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest."
For the babies,Tara Stringer and the LMO Staff
Sunday, May 3, 2009
For my young ladies...
This post is dedicated especially to my young readers. Set your standards high for your future mate, and don't lower them for any reason!
by Mary T. Lathrap (sometimes credited as Lena Lathrap) (1838-1895)
A WOMAN'S ANSWER TO A MAN'S QUESTION
[Written in reply to a man's poetic unfolding of what he conceived to be a woman's duty.]
Do you know you have asked for the costliest thing
Ever made by the hand above—
A woman's heart, and a woman's life
And a woman's wonderful love?
Do you know you have asked for this priceless thing
As a child might ask for a toy,
Demanding what others have died to win,
With the reckless dash of a boy?
You have written my lesson of duty out,
Man-like you have questioned me;
Now stand at the bar of my woman's soul
Until I shall question thee.
You require your mutton shall always be hot,
Your socks and your shirt be whole;
I require your heart to be true as God's stars,
And as pure as heaven your soul.
You require a cook for your mutton and beef;
I require a far better thing.
A seamstress you're wanting for socks and shirts;
I look for a man and a king.
A king for the beautiful realm called home,
And a man that the maker, God,
Shall look upon as he did the first
And say, "It is very good."
I am fair and young, but the rose will fade
From my soft, young cheek one day,
Will you love me then 'mid the falling leaves,
As you did 'mid the bloom of May?
Is your heart an ocean so strong and deep,
I may launch my all on its tide?
A loving woman finds heaven or hell
On the day she is made a bride.
I require all things that are grand and true,
All things that a man should be;
If you give all this, I would stake my life
To be all you demand of me.
If you cannot do this — a laundress and cook
You can hire, with little to pay,
But a woman's heart and a woman's life
Are not to be won that way.
by Mary T. Lathrap (sometimes credited as Lena Lathrap) (1838-1895)
A WOMAN'S ANSWER TO A MAN'S QUESTION
[Written in reply to a man's poetic unfolding of what he conceived to be a woman's duty.]
Do you know you have asked for the costliest thing
Ever made by the hand above—
A woman's heart, and a woman's life
And a woman's wonderful love?
Do you know you have asked for this priceless thing
As a child might ask for a toy,
Demanding what others have died to win,
With the reckless dash of a boy?
You have written my lesson of duty out,
Man-like you have questioned me;
Now stand at the bar of my woman's soul
Until I shall question thee.
You require your mutton shall always be hot,
Your socks and your shirt be whole;
I require your heart to be true as God's stars,
And as pure as heaven your soul.
You require a cook for your mutton and beef;
I require a far better thing.
A seamstress you're wanting for socks and shirts;
I look for a man and a king.
A king for the beautiful realm called home,
And a man that the maker, God,
Shall look upon as he did the first
And say, "It is very good."
I am fair and young, but the rose will fade
From my soft, young cheek one day,
Will you love me then 'mid the falling leaves,
As you did 'mid the bloom of May?
Is your heart an ocean so strong and deep,
I may launch my all on its tide?
A loving woman finds heaven or hell
On the day she is made a bride.
I require all things that are grand and true,
All things that a man should be;
If you give all this, I would stake my life
To be all you demand of me.
If you cannot do this — a laundress and cook
You can hire, with little to pay,
But a woman's heart and a woman's life
Are not to be won that way.
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