Monday, March 14, 2011

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LENT

I love Lent. There is something truly beautiful about reconnecting with God, reminding yourself constantly of the need for sacrifice, for action, and for Christ-centered lives. I love the readings at Mass during Lent, I love the exercise of purging my vices, I love the expectation of Easter!

I give up cola every year. This year I also gave up Facebook & chocolate. In addition, I am joining the movement to choose something to fast of until abortion ends, and I am giving up drive-thorough burgers and sandwiches. I have already boycotted some businesses which donate to abortion providers/advocacies. Namely, Walmart, Starbucks and Coca-cola.

With all of these seeming restrictions on my life, it would be easy to assume that things are getting difficult and tight around our household. Quite the opposite is, in fact, true. Lent seems to have freed up a great deal of joy! :) By choosing to exercise our willpower, we in the Hastings household are finding it comes more naturally to sacrifice of our personal desires/concepts for how things should go, and are re-discovering the joys of giving for the sheer love of another!

God gifts us in such mysterious and wondrous ways!

Monday, February 21, 2011

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Readings for 20 Feb 2011

Reading 1
Lv 19:1-2, 17-18
The LORD said to Moses,
“Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them:
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.
“You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart.
Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen,
do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD.”

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Reading 2
Brothers and sisters:
Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person;
for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
Let no one deceive himself.
If any one among you considers himself wise in this age,
let him become a fool, so as to become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God,
for it is written:
God catches the wise in their own ruses,
and again:
The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are vain.
So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,
Paul or Apollos or Cephas,
or the world or life or death,
or the present or the future:
all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand over your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.
“You have heard that it was said,
 You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Fr. Anthony talked about being a temple of God and what that truly means in our lives, how we can transform ourselves through humble and love-centered living, and how the understanding is found within your heart, although it can be affirmed, understood, and focused through your intellect and logic.

It is unfortunate that our world so highly praises intellect. Do not misunderstand; it is, of course, important to utilize the gifts and talents we are given. (see Matthew 5:14-16, Mark 4:21, James 2:18, Matthew 25:1-13 & Matthew 25:14-30 In encouraging that we nurture these, our world is correct. Of course we should encourage a healthy appetite for knowledge and a good expansion of our abilities. However, this is simply not enough.It is not enough to be smart. It is not enough to be talented. It is not enough to make amazing paintings and to talk about all things current and intellectual and to be awesome. It is not even the most important thing. Christ clearly spells out to us that the most important part of our lives on this earth is how we treat God and how we treat our neighbors.

This means that goodness is above our social achievements. Goodness, holiness, being a temple of God is above being smart or wealthy or fun. In a world where intelligence and "excellence" are so praised, in a world where 90% of Downs Syndrome children are aborted, in a world where stupid is a bigger insult than selfish and wherein logic is paramount, what are your priorities? Are you striving for social graces, wealth, intelligence, knowledge, greatness, physical beauty, or recognition and attention? More importantly, are you striving for goodness? Are you striving for Love? Above the things of the world, are you striving for the things of Heaven?

Thursday, February 17, 2011

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De-Funding Planned Parenthood?

The amendment to de-fund Planned Parenthood is going to a vote Friday rather than the expected Thursday. Steven Ertlet at Life News writes about Mike Pence taking charge on this issue. Jill Stanek, at her blog, addresses how to contact your representative at the Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121). I am late on the ball in encouraging you to call, but you have time! Friday, first thing, CALL your representatives and voice your support of the amendment de-funding Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.
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Thankful Thursdays

*whew* What a week! Cutting it close this Thursday!

I'm thankful for...

 1.) Friends, family, and work to keep me on my toes!
2.) Having finished N's sweater (it is SO cute on him!) and his hat to match XD
3.) A wonderful husband who brought me out on a very fantastic Valentine's Day date, and all 3 of the fantastic blessed guys in my life. :)
4.) Heat on cold days.
5.) Coworkers with sewing machines who mend my jacket. Yippee! :)
6.) Adorable phone messages left on my voicemail by my 2 1/2 yr old before his bedtime
7.) Delicious dinners
8.) Cuddlesome kittens
9.) This sweater, left for me by my now postulate nun sister who didn't know she was leaving it. I love it.
10.) God's graces in my life...through the sacraments, through my children, through the mere ability to resist temptations that once 'did me in'. :)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

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Thankful Thursdays

1. For N's continued love of cuddles, hugs, and kisses. I know that eventually it will come to an end, so I treasure it all the more for now.


2. For God's graces, getting me to Confession today! Yay! I went and it was gooood.
3. For my wonderful and loving husband who let me sleep an extra 2 hours this morning! :)
4. For the richness of the Church! I am working on a post about Mary and it is so great to have all of these established answers for the questions I'm asking! :)
5. For the knowledge that we are going to be okay. For the knowledge that even though D being between jobs is a little scary, we have God watching out for us and making sure we make it through! :)
6. For having finally gotten the dishes taken care of. I put it off and put it off but yay now that burden is off my back... for a little while anyway.
7. For sun! :) It's slowly but surely reappearing! :)
8. For quiet nap time during which I can get things taken care of around the house, and on my blog.
 9. For N & T's interest in books. I love that they love reading.
10. For all those who watch out for us, pray for us, think about us, etc. It's so nice to know that we have a support system!

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

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While Planned Parenthood Launches Retraining, Live Action Releases More Footage

This morning, Live Action released another video of a Planned Parenthood worker willing to aid a self-described sex trafficker to obtain testing, birth control, and abortion for his sex slaves. The Planned Parenthood worker informed the actor that he could pose as a guardian for sex workers as young as 14 (actually, she went one further and said 13) but that it wasn't necessary because in the grand ol' state of New York, girls 13 & up could receive all services without any parental notification.


Meanwhile, Albermarle police Sgt. Darrell Byers informs News Virginian, "he knew of no one in his department who received information about the “fake patient.” He said it was possible the workers could have called but that no report was made," despite Planned Parenthood's assurance that the Charlottesville Planned Parenthood clinic had called local police as soon as the man they believed to be a pimp had left.

Although Planned Parenthood officials continue to maintain the moral integrity of most employees caught on tape aiding a self-identified sex trafficker, they meanwhile have informed the New York Times of their plans to retrain staff members nationwide. Erik Ekholm of the NYT writes, "When the retraining is completed in April, 'termination of employment is the only possible action' when staff members do not report potential abuses of minors, the federation said in a statement."

David Schmidt at LiveAction has this response,
Planned Parenthood is on the ropes and it knows that the public is watching. If they admit to too many problems, they will face further investigation and loss of public support. If they ignore the problem, they will be seen as not taking child sex abuse seriously. Planned Parenthood isn’t being guided by a moral principal to do the right thing (they would have done the right thing on tape if that is who they were) but rather a public relationship strategy to save their organization in the face of shocking video evidence.

Monday, February 07, 2011

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Listen to the whole thing.
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Generally Significant Happenings

Keep an eye out for news regarding the "Protect Life Act" introduced by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) Wednesday, Feb 9 especially. On Wednesday, there will be a hearing on the bill. This bill does two extremely important things for the pro-life cause. The first, to remove all federal funding of abortion from the new health care law. The second, to provide a conscience clause for all workers in the health care field, protecting them from having to perform or refer for abortions. See here for information on how to tell the Catholic Health Association to support the bill.

Pro-lifers in Ohio are introducing the "Heartbeat Bill," which would extend legal protection to all humans after a heartbeat can be detected (18-24 days into development). Kellie Copeland, NARAL's executive director, had this to say about the bill, "This legislation is launching a full-scale attack on women’s reproductive rights in this state instead of fixing the economy."  A little tweaking to reveal the real message, and we get Copeland's complaint, 'This legislation is launching an aggressive attack on women's rights to kill their babies which, if passed, will drastically reduce my paycheck. We need to focus on making more jobs, preferably in the abortion industry where I and my colleagues can profit from the desperation of pregnant women!" If only Copeland knew what a full-scale attack on prenatal homicide looked like... See Tom Crowe's response at CatholicVote here.


After a few tumultuous days wherein the pro-life community questioned the CDC under the Obama Administration for their reported decision to stop releasing annual abortion statistics beginning in 2010. Erick Erickson at RedState began raising questions when he noticed that the report normally posted in November was M.I.A. on the CDC's website. He states, "While not comprehensive, the CDC report provided the best single estimate of abortions in the US, as well as providing detailed breakdowns: the age of the baby at the time of abortion, age of the mother, number of abortions the mother had previous to the current one, etc. People on both sides of the abortion debate have cited these statistics to make their points."

Erickson describes his communications with the CDC,
After several attempts, we finally received confirmation from Rhonda Smith at the CDC’s press office in Atlanta that the report has been buried indefinitely; the CDC “will not have stats available at any time in the near future” and there “are no plans for them to come out any time soon.” This call took place on Jan. 27th, and we asked Ms. Smith for a reason that the report wouldn’t be issued anymore. She promised to check around and find out if there was any reason given and get back to us – as of the date of this posting [02/03/11], we have received no further communication from her office.
When RedState, Steven Ertelt, Jill Stanek, and others picked up the story, the CDC began to respond. Steven Ertelt of LifeNews.com explains,
Today, Tom Skinner, the Senior Public Affairs Officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told LifeNews.com that he anticipates publishing the abortion totals later this month and that delays have been a result of trouble gathering information — not pressure from Obama officials.
“Due to delays in collecting some of the population data needed to complete the MMWR Abortion Surveillance Summary, the report did not come out in November as it usually does,” he told LifeNews.com. “But it is tentatively scheduled for publication on February 24 and will be posted to the CDC website around noon on that day.”

Sunday, February 06, 2011

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Readings for 6 Feb 2011

Reading 1
Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless;
clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
If you remove from your midst
oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;
if you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday.



Responsorial Psalm
R. (4a) The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
or:
R. Alleluia.


Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
 
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.

His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
His justice shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.




Reading 2
When I came to you, brothers and sisters,
proclaiming the mystery of God,
I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you
except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,
and my message and my proclamation
were not with persuasive words of wisdom,
but with a demonstration of Spirit and power,
so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom
but on the power of God.



Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.”

Today, Fr. Vincent talked about the term, "salt of the earth" and how much more significant it was when this passage was written rather than now. Although with the popularity of sea salt on the rise, this is changing somewhat. Think about how much one might pay for Mediterranean sea salt in the grocery store, and then think about how much more difficult it would be in Christ's time to obtain exotic flavors (even good Mediterranean sea salt would have been a substantial luxury). The best salt was used as currency frequently. Therefore, you are the salt of the earth is a complex and beautiful idea. We are all different flavors, yet all of the same clay. We are incredibly valuable to God. We enhance the earth. Or, like table salt, we lose our flavor, become bland and devalue ourselves.

I absolutely love that mass always has a central theme. Today's mass could be summed up with the old cliche, "Let your light shine." In other words, be bold, use your talents to His glory, and proclaim God's goodness with all you have. And yes, I have come to believe (after struggling with this issue quite a bit) that your words must be a part of this. When you are blessed, do you recognize God's hand in your life? Do you make an effort to sow goodness in your life?

I struggle with this in many ways. I struggle to praise Him when I know it will not be embraced wholeheartedly. I struggle to actively make Him a part of all of my life. I struggle to use the talents I am given to Glorify Him.

Lord, help me to humble myself to Your Will. Cultivate in me a heart which rejects the worldliness and lies of the Enemy, and help me to foster and embrace a love of Your Divine Plan. When I falter, God, pick me up and remind me of Your Saving Grace. Help me to be the salt of the Earth, and to Glorify you in word, thought, and deed. I make this prayer in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Saturday, February 05, 2011

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RealChoice has an excellent post with some responses to the recent LifeReport podcast on Gosnell.


Among other subjects, she addresses the concept that we (the anti-abortion/pro-life crowd) are somehow anti-women in a fight between women and their offspring:


"We don't oppose abortion because we are taking the baby's side in some sort of baby versus mother conflict. We're taking the mother-and-child side in a mother-and-child versus abortionist conflict. An abortionist is no more helping a woman than a drug dealer is helping an addict. Instead, he is making money from somebody else's self-destructive behavior."
I know I know, this is my mantra of late. What can I say? It seems self-evident to me that the abortion industry has resulted in some incredibly heinous things. I have seen very little evidence, all of which is subjective and questionable (first-person testimonies about how abortion saved them from poverty, etc), to support the concept that the legalization of abortion is a positive thing in the world. On the other hand, I've seen a great deal of pain, damage, hurt, and violence in many forms come from out of the world of abortion.

We must reach out to women. Young women, pregnant women, mothers, single women, married women, all women. We must let them know that there is hope, and help. When they're pregnant, but also before they become pregnant. We must become stronger advocates for the organizations that offer free & low-cost services to pregnant women. We must reach out with a helping hand.

And of course, pray. We must must must pray.

 
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7 Fri-er-Saturday Quick Takes

My thanks to Jen at Conversion Diary for hosting!

-1-
I am new to the 7 Quick Takes community, and am therefore a day late and a dollar short. Sorry, folks. I'm glad to be joining you all, though!

-2-
N has started using his words while crying for me at naptime. Let me be clear. He always cried for me at nap time, but now it's things like, "Mommy don't leave me! Mommy I'm lonely! I can't wanna sleep, Mommy! I'm not tired! Please I wanna hug you, Mommy!" Anything and everything to stall nap/get up. There is very little that I have experienced which wrenches my heart quite the way my 2 1/2 year old crying for hugs and that he's lonely does.

-3-
Learning to recognize when my emotions are damaging my relationship with God. For various reasons this morning, I found myself angry at D. It started to brew and then fizzed out with the distractions of the household while he slept in (not actually why I was mad at him, for the record). During a moment of peace, and with both boys secured in high chairs, I made my way upstairs to hug & kiss him good morning, but on the way, found that anger resurfacing as resentment. Funny, though, it hit me as I was walking that the resentment was a trick of Satan's. So, I offered up a quick prayer for grace, and found myself happily embracing my husband soon thereafter. Funny how evil works in our lives, carving out little pits of emotion and dwelling & digging in....

-4-
Filed our taxes. Woo-hoo! :) Yes, I know it's a silly thing to celebrate.

-5-
N's sweater now has a body piece, an arm, and the beginning of a second arm. I have intended to knit it for over a year now. I did not follow directions perfectly but I don't care because I think it looks great, aside from the fact that my tension leaves much to be desired.

-6-
Though I advocate thanking God for every day, strong dislike is a mild expression of how I feel about the phrase "TGIF"... Friday is my first or second workday. It usually signifies the start of a lot of running on empty for me.

-7-
Fruit smoothies are the new fad in our household. It strikes me as odd that I hadn't thought more about making the little ones a smoothie on occasion. I just use frozen fruit, 100% juice, and yogurt. No sweetener necessary, because the fruits they love the most are blueberries, bananas, and strawberries. It is an easy, mindless breakfast beverage that I can make while chomping on a quick breakfasty food like cereal or toast, and then I can worry about getting them some protein or grains as they suck down the drinks.

Friday, February 04, 2011

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The FUN in DeFUNding Planned Parenthood

Pro-Life News of the Day addresses the Expose Planned Parenthood webcast and where to go from here with the videos of abortion providers' complete ambivalence to the matter of statutory rape and sexual servitude.

Two important things to note:
1) Under current law, Title X money cannot directly fund abortions. However, indirect funding occurs when the same organization provides both legitimate family planning services and abortion. Mike Pence, the bill's sponsor, put it this way:

Now, in fairness, Planned Parenthood will be quick to say, well, you can't use Title X funding to provide abortion services, and I'm sure they technically comply with that. I think we're all adults; we understand that money is fungible. And to the extent that Planned Parenthood can use public resources to subsidize a Title X clinic, that frees up other of their resources, other streams of income, to subsidize their abortion clinic, which in many cases is in the same building-- sometimes it's right down the hallway.

2) The Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act does not reduce the amount of funding for family planning. Planned Parenthood's supporters are attacking this as an anti-women's-health measure. The truth is that any money that would have gone to Planned Parenthood will simply be diverted to other organizations, such as local health departments; you know, places that don't have a record of covering up sex trafficking and statutory rape, lying to patients, and killing millions of unborn babies.
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All or Nothing

In the National Review Online this morning, Matthew J. Franck writes about the dilemma abortion advocates are facing as regards the Gosnell case:

Philadelphia district attorney R. Seth Williams has a choice. Does he go forward with the 33 counts of “illegal late-term abortion” (a fraction of the actual number of such abortions Gosnell performed, but all that can be solidly proven under a two-year statute of limitations) — as well as the eight murder charges? Or does he quietly drop them?
And if he does charge Dr. Gosnell with illegal abortions as well as murder, abortion-rights advocates such as NARAL and Planned Parenthood have a choice. Do they continue to agitate for the regime of abortion on demand that they’ve been defending for 38 years? Do they fold this particular hand, and concede that some abortions occur too late to be permitted at all? There is danger for them in this. If a viable unborn child has a right to life, what about the one just a week or a day shy of viability? And the one just a bit younger than that?
Abortion-rights advocates will be right to sense that the stakes are all or nothing. But do they want Dr. Kermit Gosnell to be the face of the legal order to which they have devoted their energies for four decades?
 
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Yet More Live Action Videos Released

As Planned Parenthood and defenders try to face the barrage of questions over Perth Amboy (ex)manager Amy Woodruff and her unscrupulous behavior towards 2 actors posing as a pimp and prostitute looking for advice with a sex trafficking operation, Live Action has released 3 more videos of Planned Parenthood employees offering advice to the duo.

See the Roanoke, VA, Falls Church, VA and Charlottesville, VA videos on blip.tv following the Youtube threat to remove prior videos citing privacy concerns.

The striking issue in these videos is not, as in the Perth Amboy video, the complete lack of scruples over offering advice so much as it is the lack of regard for who it is they are talking about; that is to say, underage sex workers! In this political atmosphere, concerns over the terminology used in HR#3 referring to "forcible rape" must be addressed in a timely fashion. One has to wonder where is the concern over Planned Parenthood's willingness to aid in the operations of a man who purports to profit from young girls being raped daily. Perhaps the rhetoric has so completely engulfed employees that they have forgotten that statutory rape is still rape, but recent events in politics make it clear that the rest of the U.S. has not.

Of course, none of these videos quite live up to the infamy of Amy Woodruff's advice to get back to work, "from the waist up." Nonetheless, Lila Rose and Live Action have written to Virginia Attorney General Cuccinelli requesting that he open an investigation into VA Planned Parenthood affiliates over the evidence of clinics aiding and abetting criminal activities.
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New Name, New Look, Re-new Us!

Well, you may or may not recognize that the blog which once was Hastings at Home is now Catholic We're Made. It seems that the Lord is calling me to write less about the home and more about the world, and developments of His design. So I am retitling and reworking this blog. Perhaps Hastings at Home will reemerge in small ways later, but as this is plenty time-consuming, I am hijacking my old blog and turning it into a new sort of media. Friends, I cannot help myself.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

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Links to Look At

Life Site News comments on the Senate's close vote not to repeal Obamacare, Fr. Eutenuer's resignation from Human Life International, and the recent March for Life.

Pro-Life News of the Day Discusses HR#3 and the controversy over the term, "forcible rape."


Blogging Heads has an interesting debate between RH Reality Check's Amanda Marcotte and GetReligion.org's Molly Ziegler Hemingway. Look for discussions on March for Life around 24:21 and Amanda's blatant denial of abortion providers' support for late-term abortion on demand starting around 10:14.


Life News discusses some of the fall-out in New Jersey from the Live Action video of former manager Amy Woodruff counseling a supposed sex trafficker on how to hide his illegal operations.
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Second Planned Parenthood Affiliate Caught in Live Action Sex Trafficking Video

 Only a day after the first video of a Planned Parenthood employee aiding and abetting who she believed to be an underage sex trafficker was released, Live Action has released full & edited video footage of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Richmond, VA giving information about testing, birth control, time sensitivity for abortions, and judicial bypasses for minors.

Kimberly, a staff member at the Planned Parenthood of Richmond, VA, informs the pimp that her clinic gets 1-2 judicial bypasses for clients each month, and assures him that she will help him should he need to acquire an abortion for his underage prostitutes, though she does warn him that after 13 weeks 6 days, the girls will have to travel out-of-state for their abortions.

While staffer Kimberly is certainly more circumspect in this video than New Jersey (ex)manager Amy Woodruff in Live Action's prior video, she also seems unphased by the sex worker's business, as well as by the age of his prostitutes. To gain rapport, she also shares the information that many of the girls from a local strip club (by name) receive their reproductive health care at her clinic. Forgive me my ignorance, but does this qualify as a violation of confidentiality laws? At the very least, it seems this video should encourage some, even brief, investigation of aforementioned strip club.

We do know that Planned Parenthood eventually called the FBI on this operation. The question that remains to be answered, is who, if anyone, did Kimberly notify?

Of the videos, Lila Rose of Live Action says, "We are sharing the full Richmond footage and transcripts with Virginia law enforcement officials and we are formally asking Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to conduct a statewide investigation of these heinous practices, just as the New Jersey Attorney General is opening her own investigation into Planned Parenthood’s compliance with the law in her state. Planned Parenthood needs to be held accountable."

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

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Webcast to Address Planned Parenthood Protection of Sex Traffickers

A little added bonus to round off my day, exposeplannedparenthood.com will be streaming a webcast devoted to the subject of Planned Parenthood's protection of sex trafficking as exposed by Lila Rose and Live Action. According to Expose Planned Parenthood's website, speakers will include:
  • LILA ROSE, Live Action
  • MARJORIE DANNENFELSER, Susan B. Anthony List
  • TONY PERKINS, Family Research Council
  • DAVID BEREIT, 40 Days for Life
  • ABBY JOHNSON, Former Planned Parenthood Director, Now Pro-Life Activist and Author
  • DR. ALVEDA KING, Priests for Life
  • WENDY WRIGHT, Concerned Women for America
  • CHARMAINE YOEST, Americans United for Life Action
  • STEVE WAGNER, The Renewal Forum
 (M note, Dr. King happens to be Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s niece)
Log in on Thursday, February 3 at 8:30pm Eastern time.
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Ask and you shall receive!

Well, I had barely moved on from posting about Lila Rose & Live Action's undercover sting on a NJ Planned Parenthood affiliate and my prediction of more to come when I hopped onto Jill Stanek's blog and was met with this article.

According to Lila Rose at BigGovernment.com, "The visual evidence speaks for itself. And there’s more to come. PP is scrambling to silence our story and evidence. But in the end, the truth will get out." In a press release today, Rose stated, "Soon, we will be releasing more evidence to law enforcement officials and the public showing that Planned Parenthood is willing to aid and abet sexual exploitation of minors and young women.  As our research and evidence will show, this is not only a problem for one clinic in New Jersey — it is much broader and more endemic."

So what is Planned Parenthood's response? After initially calling the video falsified, using words like "edited tape" to imply that Rose had manipulated the video, they have backpedaled a bit and fired Amy Woodruff, the (now-former) manager of the Perth Amboy abortion mill in New Jersey. PP Central NJ CEO Phyllis Kinsler called Woodruff's behavior, "repugnant manner that is inconsistent with our standards of care and is completely unacceptable."

Stuart Schear calls it, "Completely inconsistent with Planned Parenthood's guidelines," and goes on to say, "The organization that is coming in and is secretly taping [...] are not concerned about women [...] they have a very extreme political agenda." He further states that this manner of playing fast and loose with the law and women's safety is, "Not indicative of a systemic problem."

Watch Schear repeatedly assert that this is not a problem of Planned Parenthood's, but of the employees below.

 Seems Cecile Richards 'stepped in it' big time. By bringing in the press in her attempt to control the playing field, she has brought the media attention to Live Action's video. And now, instead of one isolated incident... or at least, of this manner... Planned Parenthood is looking at multiple stings, multiple videos, and multiple examples of Planned Parenthood employees working to circumnavigate the law.
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Lila Rose's Undercover Videos Released

Well, I mentioned Lila Rose & LiveAction's sex trafficking sting on Planned Parenthood recently. For roughly a week, there has been discussion about whether or not there was anything to the videos. Turns out, there was.

Specifically, LiveAction exposes these laws being broken/manipulated:
1. Sexual Abuse Cover up
2. Aiding and abetting statutory rape
3. Aiding and abetting minor prostitution
4. Aiding and abetting human trafficking
5. RICO/conspiracy/racketeering
 Planned Parenthood supporters cite the FBI report filed by PP only days before LiveAction released their full video. So, a few questions:
-If PP did indeed have a problem with the supposed sex trafficking, why wait to file a report? Even so long as to inform the FBI that they believed it was a sting.
-If PP suspected foul play, why wait until yesterday to suspend & then terminate Amy Woodcomb, the manager depicted in these videos?
-If this is not, in fact, condoned by Planned Parenthood as a whole, what is attracting all these people to Planned Parenthood positions? (Note: those are 3 different links each to pages with multiple videos & employees)

Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood CEO, brought the press into this last week, when they filed the report. According to VP for communications, Stuart Schear, Planned Parenthood's investigation found that the purported sex trafficker worked for LiveAction. One must, therefore, wonder why PP's investigation found no wrongdoing on their part prior to yesterday morning, when LiveAction released this video.

I wonder if we will be seeing similar videos from LiveAction hit the blogosphere in the next few days. While I'd rather believe that most counselors, at PP and otherwise, would turn these folks away, I would also really like to see Planned Parenthood bring about their own demise. For now, perhaps this story will be enough for some expectation of greater enforcement at PP clinics. And perhaps better auditing....

Sunday, January 30, 2011

1

Warning: Graphic Video

The video to which I am linking is incredibly graphic. It juxtaposes a reassuring video encouraging women to consider abortion against footage of actual abortion. The woman speaking is representing Northland Family Planning.

If you have young children in the room, I would discourage watching this video. In all honesty, I wouldn't watch it without informing those in the room with you that you are about to watch a rather graphic and horrific video. To be quite blunt, this is abortion from an abortionist's perspective (visually, not conceptually).


That baby deserved to be cared for, and loved. That baby did not will his or herself into the world, but was rather created through the miracle of God's work and through the reproductive act. When you and I were born, we were weighed and measured, wrapped in blankets, and welcomed into the world. When that baby was born, he or she was already dead, torn to pieces inside his or her mother. The second baby in the video was wrapped in paper, packaged like beef tenderloin. This is the horrific and brutal truth about abortion. This is what abortion does. Every day. Over 52 million recorded times since Roe vs. Wade.

Lord, I have been too complacent. Forgive me, God, for my inadequacies. While thousands of Your children are killed daily, I waste my time worrying about my hair. When I could be praying outside of clinics, I waste my time online. Father in Heaven, have mercy on me, and on all of Your children. In Your goodness, open our eyes to Your Truth and guide our actions. Send upon us Your Holy Spirit to be our eternal compass. Jesus, protect and save the unborn. Savior of the World, save America.
I make this prayer in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

0

Where is the Outrage?

It has already been an eventful year for the pro-abortion crowd in the States, from the revelation of Kermit "the Fraud" Gosnell's heinous practice to Planned Parenthood's sex trafficking escapades.

Through all of this, I have waited to hear abortion advocates' outcry, not exactly forthcoming, and wondering what it is about the pro-abortion movement that prevents the sort of vocal outrage that one might expect at these atrocities. Certainly, if an Ob-gyn were caught sabotaging his patients in some way, there would be uproar. When Acorn was caught in a similar sting operation by James O'Keefe, it made at least some upset in the media.
 So what is it about abortion advocates that they refuse to take a firm stance against this sort of degradation?



Why is it that when something heinous happens, there aren't a ton of liberal feminists screaming their outrage at the Kermit Gosnells of the world? Why don't they want Cecile Richards to explain herself and STOP her organization from helping sex traffickers to hide their illegal, oppressive and downright evil behaviors? For that matter, why isn't there any upset among those who want to empower women over past Planned Parenthood stings that revealed PP employees pointedly lying to women in crisis?

Why is it that, in the effort to shelter abortion rights groups from the big bad threat of "anti-choicers," abortion advocates have managed to completely sell out some of their most basic principles? Why is it that we don't see more women's liberation groups incensed over the mistreatment of women, the lies, the obvious objectification and usury of not only women, but young girls as well?


Abortion is a business that preys on the fear, the desolation, and the insecurities of women experiencing dilemma. And in order to propagate that business, advocacy groups would go to some deplorable measures to deceive and use the women they are supposed to be empowering. Is that the choice you desire?

2

Developments in the Home

Well, it's been a really long time since I talked about the boys and what's new in our lives, so let me give you the 4-1-1.


D graduated from technical school in November and we've been looking for jobs since. They warned us not to get our hopes up to be employed in less than 3 months, but of course, we always think we're better than that, don't we? It's frustrating to be stuck in a waiting period, but that's where we are. Waiting, praying, and trying to seek out God's plan for us. Trying to hear His response to our prayers. We know He has a plan for our family, and we want to follow it. Sometimes, though, we are weak-willed.

N's vocabulary is developing more rapidly than ever. I am regularly amazed at a new word he has picked up or a new phrase or habit he has developed. Some of his most notable behaviors:
-when asked to do something he doesn't want, he responds with a big sigh and, "Fine!" I am not clear as to where he developed this but DH and I are trying to nip it in the bud without drawing too much attention to the behavior.
-when in a particularly good mood, if you do something that he appreciates he will tell you as much by saying, "Oh, thank you! Thank you very much!" although this comes out more like, "oh, fank you! Fank you bewry much!"
-he collects. Mostly cars, but I also find shoe collections, stuffed animal collections, pants collections, you name it. Most frequently what I find, though, are collections of his cars in odd places. A box that is designated for one thing will become a car 'garage' without me realizing it.
-blankets! N LOVES blankets!

My potty training adventures, by the way, were a bit of an overstatement. He is still in diapers. This morning I cleaned out a pair of poo-filled underpants because I didn't beat him to the punch. Dangit. We're still trying, though. We're still trying...

T has become a toddler while I was blinking, I think. At about 11 months, he began walking, and now is quite sturdy on his feet. He jabbers away and has a few words but mostly mimics sounds. He gives kisses, which is absolutely adorable, and waves goodbye. He is relatively good about naptime and bedtime, although he doesn't always go down easily. He has become picky...well, picky for one of my boys anyway. His favorite snack foods (which he gets RARELY) are bits of Daddy's beef jerky and my homemade popcorn (which despite having very little salt and zero butter is out-of-this-world good!). He climbs the stairs, up and down, which is nerve-wracking. He thinks his older brother is the greatest guy ever.

I am working part-time, which I enjoy, and spending most of my time with my God, my two little guys and my amazing hubby.

And that's our lives in a nutshell. Keeping up the daily everything, loving our boys, and
 focusing on His plan.

Monday, January 24, 2011

0

Viva Voice

This blog pretty succinctly addresses the issue of feminism as a justification for abortion.

Honestly, though.
0

Identity Crisis

N: "You're pretty, Mommy."
Mom: "Why, thank you, N! And you're so handsome."
N: "No. I'm not handsome. I'm N."

How could I have forgotten his name? ;)

Sunday, January 23, 2011

0

What I Love About Sundays

Whenever I can manage, I try to plan my Sunday meals in advance. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even when I am being lazy and miss planning every other day, I try to get Sunday planned out. This has resulted in 2 things (a) delicious culinary treats on Sundays, and (b) a little easier time relaxing and honoring the Lord's day.

The whole concept of the Lord's day inspires me. A day for family, for joy, for celebration, and for relaxation. I admit, I'm not always fantastic at honoring the relaxation part. Sometimes work gets in the way, sometimes events get in the way. Nonetheless, I am inspired. I love Sundays. I love the moments of quiet, the extra time for cuddles. I love playing cars or tickling or reading to my boys.

I love listening to the Word. I love learning during the gospel and homily. I especially love being in the Presence and knowing Christ in the Eucharist. I love the phrase "Et cum spiritu tuo." I love the latin chants. I love the way N is learning to cross himself. I love the hymns. I love being in the Presence with my family.

There is something special about Sundays.

Friday, January 21, 2011

4

Blog for Abor--er, uh, Choice Day


Every year on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, pro-life groups and individuals gather and march, in Washington DC and throughout the nation, to protest the government sanctioned killing of over 50 million unborn humans in the years since Roe v. Wade. These marches have been incredibly effective at spreading the ugly truth about abortion, and have also served to make our strength known to politicians nationwide.

In light of their poor attendance to past events, it's no great wonder that when NARAL and other abortion advocates launched a counter-event, they chose an online forum. After all, online seems to be the only place they can compete in any real numbers. While the nation is still close to a 50/50 split down the "abortion" line, anti-abortion forces are stronger in conviction and motivation as a whole.

This year, NARAL kicks off its sixth "Blog for Choice Day," wherein they ask abortion advocates to blog about so-called reproductive freedom and the 'necessity' of choice. The response from anti-abortion groups is simple: Ask them what choice they mean.

So, let's talk about "choice," shall we? What does the infamous term "reproductive freedom" really mean? What is a "choice" as NARAL, NOW, Planned Parenthood, and Emily's List (among others) define it?

Abortion is an ugly word. It refers to the process of ending the life of a growing human at his or her most vulnerable. Because this is usually done early in the course of a pregnancy and the mother is not exposed to such facts as the true development of the human life inside of her, the ultrasound photos/video of her womb, and the biological, scientific definition of a human fetus, pro-abortion forces have by-and-large been able to hide the brutal truth of abortion from women experiencing a surprise pregnancy.

The facts on abortion are this: in the moment when a human sperm meets and joins with a human egg, a life is begun. That life has human DNA, unique from the DNA of either parent. That life begins rapidly to shift from a relatively static existence as two pieces of potential into a growing and developing human form. Although we cannot immediately see in a zygote/blastocyst/embryo the human form, it cannot be denied that the growing life inside the womb in that instant is a distinctive human being.

Abortion stops that life. There are a number of ways in which this is achieved. Starvation is the first. Rising in infamy and popularity is the RU-486 abortion and other similar abortion pills. These pills work through the chemical mifepristone by suppressing the hormone progesterone in the woman's body. Progesterone supplies nourishment through the uterine lining to the developing baby, and suppresses uterine contractions which could otherwise serve to flush the uterus, and with it, the growing human life. RU-486, though the least invasive abortion procedure, can also be one of the most physically difficult, as it essentially boils down to days and days of horrific cramping and bleeding.

Another way of ending pregnancy, this one declining in popularity, is through chemically burning the contents of the uterus, including the life within. The developing baby is burned with a saline solution and the chemical solution causes the uterus to contract. This form of abortion requires artificially dilating the cervix as well.

Possibly the most infamous form of abortion in use currently is also the most common surgical abortion nationwide. This is called the suction-aspiration abortion and is a particularly brutal manner of killing the human life, involving inserting a cannula (suction tube) into the uterus and sucking the developing baby into the tube. Abby Johnson, the former Planned Parenthood director, describes this process in detail as she saw it on an ultrasound:
My eyes shot back to the screen again. The cannula was already being rotated by the doctor, and now I could see the tiny body violently twisting with it. For the briefest moment it looked as if the baby were being wrung like a dishcloth, twirled and squeezed. And then the little body crumpled and began disappearing into the cannula before my eyes. The last thing I saw was the tiny, perfectly formed backbone sucked into the tube, and then everything was gone. And the uterus was empty.
 When she partook in this abortion, Abby Johnson was the director of the Planned Parenthood clinic in Bryan, TX where the first 40 Days for Life campaign was held. This abortion was performed on a 13-week-old human fetus.

The most controversial and brutal forms of abortion are late-term abortion procedures such as those performed by the late George Tiller. These are done a number of ways, most commonly beginning by using an injection to the baby to induce heart attack and then inducing labor. Late-term abortions which have been famously outlawed include delivering the baby to his or her head and then suctioning out his or her brain tissue, fully delivering a baby and then allowing him or her to die from lack of care, and other equally horrific procedures.

So, when NARAL speaks of "reproductive freedom," what do they mean? Setting aside for a moment the debate about the birth control pill, which I have briefly touched upon previously and will go into more detail about later, the reality of the fact is that by "choice" and "reproductive freedom", abortion rights groups are advocating the legal sanctioning and even funding of their perceived right for women to have their already alive, already developing human babies killed.

The fact of the matter is that abortion preys on women and children. Abortion rights groups make money, lots of money, off of intentionally misrepresenting the fact that by choosing to end your pregnancy, you are choosing to end a life. If abortion were, in fact, rare, as Planned Parenthood and other providers indicate that they want, abortion rights groups would suffer. And abortion rights groups don't want to lose money.

There is big money in the "services" of "choice."

Thursday, January 20, 2011

4

Looking Through The Fence


In her book unPlanned, Abby Johnson uses the fence surrounding the Bryan, TX Planned Parenthood abortion clinic as a metaphor for the abortion debate to GREAT success!

Johnson retells her experience in a captivating and highly believable manner. Her tone speaks to her readership magnificently, bringing to life the how and why of her shift into the pro-choice/pro-abortion industry. Johnson accepts her inconsistencies with the maturity and grace achievable only by growth into Truth. Although her perception has changed, and she accepts how dramatically, she also is able to relate to her readership how she was able to be convinced by the abortion industry's strongest talking points.

Perhaps the greatest moment in Johnson's book comes when she describes her realization of the weight of her pride on her decisions. Looking across the fence at the praying protesters, Abby realizes, "I am on the wrong side of the fence!" Surrendering her preconceived notions of the pro-life cause, letting go of her (tightly held) belief in the ultimate good of legal abortions, Abby Johnson writes with charming and humble simple humanity.

The beginning is a little bit heavy to get through for someone experienced in arguing either side of the abortion debate, as college-aged Abby Johnson shows a naivete we rarely desire to revisit. In this, though, I must also give her credit, as she is honest and forthcoming about her youth, from her bad relationship decisions to her abortion experiences (as a patient) to her simple acceptance of the friendly volunteer recruiter's pro-abortion arguments.

unPlanned is a fresh and honest look at the abortion industry from the inside, and most especially at the mentality of abortion providers. It is a humble and eloquent expression of God's influence on life's events. It is a story about turning from pride to submission, from temporal to eternal. In a society that emphasizes immediate gratification, short-term "solutions," and self-obsessed motivations, unPlanned elegantly introduces and elevates the ideals of self-sacrifice, trust and patience in an absorbing narrative.