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!

Readings for 20 Feb 2011

http://www.usccb.org/nab/022011.shtml

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.”

Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13

Responsorial Psalm

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.

1 Cor 3:16-23

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.

Mt 5:38-48

Gospel

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?

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'. :)

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!

Readings for 6 Feb 2011

Reading 1

Is 58:7-10

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.

Ps 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

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.

1 Cor 2:1-5

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.

Mt 5:13-16

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.

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.

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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).

Pro-Life Tube video

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.

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?

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.

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."

Learning to Fall

My darling husband believes it is extremely important for young children to learn how gravity works on their bodies and how to fall.

That's the fancy way that he usually uses to explain why he loves tossing N in the air every which way till Sunday.

I kid you not, D throws him up by his hips, feet, waist, etc, always catching him (so far*fingers crossed*) and always eliciting squeals of joy, giggles, and insistent pleas for more.

Sometimes, I swear, it looks as though he's abusing our 20-month-old son... except for the smile and laughter.

Now, I know... I know ... that D is always in control and never performs these tricks over hard surfaces. Still, I cringe a little every time he starts up, and I've given him grief before about the claim to need to know how to fall being complete bunk.

Well, never again will I assert that knowing how to fall comes naturally and needn't be taught, nor will I argue the unimportance of parents teaching such a trait.

Yesterday, when he tripped on pavement, my 20-month-old son briskly caught himself with his hands, allowed his weight to continue down, and managed to fall without a single scratch. Zero bleeding. A few tears, admittedly, but far better than I've done even recently when tripping.

And his face hit that pavement. Not hard, because he knew how to fall with it. But I picked him up and I know that the little face hit pavement.

Poor guy, I felt so bad for him.

Lest you argue that I should have been more alert, I was standing next to him and holding his brother when it happened. He simply caught his foot and tripped in the blink of an eye. And he was in my arms the moment he reacted.

Yes, my darling dearest husband, I cede to your wisdom in this matter of falls and tumbles. Teach away, oh wise one. ;)

Things I Love

God

My husband

My sons

My family

My friends

Good days at Mass

Our church

Sun on my back

Clean rooms

Vacuuming

Writing

Reading

Feeling fresh & clean

Honey

A cold glass of milk

Walking into a house that smells like dinner

Perfect hair days

Hot cocoa on rainy/windy nights

The boys' smiles...and smiles in general

The smell of fresh coffee

For that matter, the taste of fresh coffee

Finding sweet home accessories for low prices, particularly at yard sales/Goodwill

Music

Dancing

Doing funny things for N to imitate

Wind chimes

Good food

Finishing projects

Brushing my hair

Long baths

Hot showers

Kisses & hugs from my favorite people

N's incredibly long eyelashes

Artwork with soul

When D lets me sleep in an extra 30 min or hour

Homemade gifts

The women at Fabric Depot who obviously made their kids' ADORABLE clothes

Delicious desserts

 

Getting back into the swing...

First, a great big THANK YOU! to Uncle P and the lovely HR, who helped D clean up the kitchen while N, T and I were out of town. You seriously don't know how much help you truly truly were.

That said, getting back into my old routine is proving to be increasingly difficult.



I went back and re-read my old post about cleaning for inspiration.


But all I want to do is knit knit knit.


That's what I get for starting a project.

Ah, well. Back to the grind. Because I just looked over to see what that noise was that N was making and this is what I saw:

And I'm still here typing!

Gotta go!