Lenten Meditation

I so wanted to post this by Ash Wednesday, and here we are ~ a day late.  There is always so much I want to say and so much I wish I could accomplish.

I have been struggling with my own cross, my infertility.  It's always there, lurking over me and at times can really bear down on me.  I know that I need to focus on the gifts of these three sons I've been so blessed to mother and concentrate on what I have ~ not on what I can't do.  I often wonder how this cross of mine is like a woman who finds herself pregnant with an "unwanted" baby.  The complete and utter lack of control, the wondering why, the sadness, the frustration, the ache.  I don't know if it's at all the same or not?  So often apparent opposites aren't as different as they seem.

I know the answer to that "why" question when I look at my boys.  And, I am part of the answer to their birthmother's "why".  We have fulfilled a need for each other.  The other part of their "why" can only be explained by God, but I do know that it has something to do with their finding their way to Him.

We each have our own crosses to bear and I find great comfort in knowing exactly Who mine came from and His whole purpose in sending it.  Not to mention the three incredible boys He's sent to help me carry it.  As we make our way through this holy season of Lent, I pray that all of you will find your way a little closer to Him, too.

Splinters From The Cross

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Little headaches, little heartaches

   Little griefs of every day.

Little trials and vexations,

   How they throng around our way!

One great cross, immense and heavy,

   So it seems to our weak will,

Might be borne with resignation,

   But these many small ones kill,

Yet all life is formed of small things,

   Little leaves, make up the trees,

Many tiny drops of water

   Blending, make the mighty seas.

Let us not then by impatience

   Mar the beauty of the whole,

But for love of Jesus bear all

   Asking Him for grace sufficient

To sustain us through each loss,

   And to treasure each small offering

As a splinter from His Cross.

Abortion Statistics

All of the following statistics are from the Guttmacher Institute (GI) or the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or from Johnston's Archive (WRJ).  I have linked you to their source.

The Guttmacher Institute is the research arm of Planned Parenthood, who is the largest abortion provider in the United States.

Since 1973, when abortion was legalized, there have been approximately 50 million abortions in the United States.  (GI)

In 2005, the most recent year for which data is available, there were 1.21 million abortions performed in the United States.

That is 3,315 abortions per day.  (GI) (WRJ)

There were 4.14 million live births in 2005 in the United States.  Taking into account the 1.21 million abortions that same year, about 23% of all pregnancies ended in abortion.  (WRJ)

89% of abortions occur in the first trimester (first 12 weeks) of pregnancy.

before 9 weeks: 61.3% = 741,730

9-10 weeks: 17.8% = 21,380

11-12 weeks: 9.6% = 11,616

13-15 weeks: 6.7% = 81,070

16-20 weeks: 3.5% = 42,350

21+ weeks: 1.1% = 13,310

all abortions: 100% = 1.21 million

(GI)

Half of all abortions are performed on women 24 years old or younger.

less than age 15: 0.5%

age 15-19: 16.4%

age 20-24: 32.6%

age 25-29: 23.4%

age 30-34: 14.5%

age 35-39: 8.7%

age 40+: 3.2%

(CDC)

Blacks and Hispanics comprise 28% of the population, yet they account for nearly 60% of all abortions.  A black woman is three times as likely to have an abortion as a white woman.  A Hispanic woman is 2 1/2 times as likely to have an abortion as a white woman.

White: 34%

Black: 37%

Hispanic: 22%

Other: 7%

(GI)

Women living below the federal poverty line abort at a higher rate than women living above the poverty line.  A single woman having an annual income of about $11,000 is four times more likely to abort than a woman making at least $30,000 per year.  (GI)

Research indicates that 98%  of all abortions are related to issues of "personal choice".  The primary reasons women give for having an abortion include:

not feeling emotionally capable: 32%

not financially capable: 25%

having a child would drastically alter her life: 16%

(GI) (WRJ)

The three most frequently cited "hard cases" in which abortion might be justified are rape, incest, and protecting the life of the mother.  However, women rarely report that they are seeking an abortion for any of these reasons:

Rape: 0.3%

Incest: 0.03%

Protection of mother's life: 0.2%

Out of 1,000 women that seek an abortion only 3 cite rape as their reason, and only 2 cite protecting her life as the reason for abortion.  Out of 10,000 women that seek abortion only 3 cite incest as a reason.

(WRJ)

Four hundred and eighty physicians have signed a public declaration stating: "I agree that there is never a situation in the law or in the ethical practice of medicine where a preborn child's life need be intentionally destroyed by procured abortion for the purpose of saving the life of the mother."

Wisdom

My Valentines

The following poem is special to me because it expresses the kind of mother my mother was to me (Thank you, Mom!) AND the kind of mother I desire to be to my boys.

I want my boys to know they're loved every single day . . . no matter what!  Time goes too fast to take for granted.  I'm not as good at the little things in this poem as my Mom was (I have a serious uneasiness with disorder that my mother didn't have), but learning how to love from the best has helped me tremendously.

I have to thank my valentine-husband for loving me for being the kind of mother I want to be! He knows what a gift motherhood is to me and he knows how much I love my boys and he loves me for it.

Happy St. Valentine's Day to all of my Valentines!  I am soooooooo blessed! 

Mother, oh Mother,
come shake out your cloth,
empty the dustpan,
poison the moth,
hang out the washing
and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house
is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery,
blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little
Boy Blue (lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping's not done
and there's nothing for stew
and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing
will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up,
as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs.
Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep. 

~Author Unknown ~

Precious Feet

Have you seen the "precious feet"?

It's a lapel pin that's become the "international pro-life symbol".  They're the size of an unborn baby's feet at ten weeks after conception.

The back of the card that they come on says:

When people see your Precious Feet pin you have the opportunity to share about the humanity of the unborn.  At 10 weeks an unborn baby is perfectly formed - right down to the toes!  All that is needed is time to grow.  The unborn cannot speak for themselves.  You speak for them by wearing your Precious Feet.

I've been wearing mine over my heart.  It's one more simple way to remind others, to make them think and hopefully wonder, about the unborn.

Red Envelope

I found this at Are We There Yet.  It's a GREAT idea and so simple.  Hopefully it will also turn out to be a powerful statement to the recipient. 

Dear Friends and Intercessors:

This afternoon I was praying about a number of things, and my mind began to wander. I was deeply distressed at the symbolic actions that President Obama took as he began his presidency. Namely, that he signed executive orders releasing funds to pay for abortions, permission to fund human stem cell research, and federal funding for contraception.

I have been involved in the pro-life movement for nearly 20 years, and it pained my heart to see a man and a political party committed to the shedding of innocent blood. This man, and this party lead our country, but they do not represent me or the 54% of Americans who believe that abortion is wrong and should no longer be legal.

As I was praying, I believe that God gave me an interesting idea. Out in the garage I have a box of red envelopes. Like the powerful image of the red LIFE tape, an empty red envelope will send a message to Barack Obama that there is moral outrage in this country over this issue. It will be quiet, but clear.

Here is what I would like you to do:Get a red envelope. You can buy them at Kinkos, or at party supply stores. On the front, address it to:

President Barack Obama

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Washington , D.C.
20500

On the back, write the following message:
This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception.

Put it in the mail, and send it. Then forward this email to every one of your friends who you think would send one too. I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died before having a a chance to live. Maybe it will change the heart of the president.

Warmly,
John Otto

Glorious Mystery Meditations

The Resurrection ~ As the soldiers stood guard in anticipation of Life triumphing over death . . .

I ask that my prayers be as soldiers guarding the hearts of any mother considering abortion and that life will triumph over death.   

The Ascension ~ I'm always struck by how bittersweet the Ascension must have been.  The hope that carried the people, who were present, away from that spot had to be a mighty and powerful hope!

I pray for a hope that powerful for the unborn baby of any mother considering abortion today.     

The Descent of the Holy Ghost ~ The Holy Ghost, also called the Comforter, infused ALL that was necessary for the apostles to go forth and do God's will in starting His church and spreading His faith.

I pray that the Comforter will infuse all expectant mothers with ALL that is necessary for them to go forth and do God's will in

bringing their babies to life.

The Assumption ~ Death of our body is a result of original sin.  Since our Blessed Mother was immaculately conceived she did not suffer death, but was assumed into Heaven body and soul.

I pray that our Blessed Mother will wrap Her heavenly arms around any mother who is struggling with thoughts of abortion, and comfort her

with the peace of God's will.

The Coronation ~ Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, and sought thy intercession was left unaided.

I pray that any mother contemplating abortion will find our Blessed Mother's protection, help and intercession through this rosary.

 

Sorrowful Mystery Meditations

The Agony in the Garden ~ Our Lord's agony in the garden can parallel our own struggles as we face obvious difficulties just ahead of us. His prayer was, "not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke ch. 22 v. 42)

I pray that any woman facing an unexpected pregnancy will have God's will made perfectly clear.

The Scourging at the Pillar ~ The gut wrenching brutality with which Our Lord was scourged and the strength with which He endured

is testimony of His perfection and His love.

I pray that His suffering will give strength to anyone who is considering abortion, to endure their struggle and to let their baby live.

The Crowning with Thorns ~ The mortification and humiliation the King of Heaven and earth must have felt while they crowned Him with thorns, spit upon Him, and mocked Him is hard to imagine.

I pray that His mortification will give all women the courage to overcome anything that might keep them from carrying their baby to

term.

The Carrying of the Cross ~ Just as Our Lord had Simon of Cyrene to help carry His Cross, we, too, need help many times through out life.

I pray that anyone carrying the cross of an unexpected pregnancy will have a "Cyrenian" in their life to help them carry their cross and give their baby life.

The Crucifixion ~ This, for me, is the most amazing miracle Our Lord ever performed. This must be where "actions speak louder than words" comes from, because there are no words for His actions here. They're not even necessary, are they? No greater love than this!

I pray that the miracle of His death will give those who are contemplating abortion today the grace to continue the life He has created in their unborn baby.

Joyful Mystery Meditations

The Annunciation ~ Just as the Blessed Virgin Mary said, "Yes" to our Lord when faced with an unexpected pregnancy ~ I pray that women today who find themselves in the same situation will follow Her example.

The Visitation ~ In perfect charity, and right after receiving the news that She was with Child, the Blessed Virgin traveled to Her cousin Elizabeth to assist her as she waited for the birth of St. John the Baptist.

I pray that anyone contemplating abortion today will be given the grace to put their unborn child before themselves ~ in perfect charity.

The Nativity ~ The seeming poverty in which the Baby Jesus was born to this earth was no indication of the richness and fullness of His Life or His impact on all the people of the earth.

I pray that no matter how poor the situation seems that women contemplating abortion

today will realize that it's no indication of the

possibilities that come with a new life.

    

The Presentation ~

 Forty days after His birth, our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph 

brought the Baby Jesus to the temple, according to Jewish law, to present Him to the Lord.  It just so happened that Simeon (who "had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord" - Luke ch. 2 v. 26) was at the temple. Upon meeting the Baby Jesus Simeon said, "Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word, in peace: Because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people: A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of they people, Israel." (Luke ch. 2 vs. 29-32)

I pray that just as Simeon recognized his salvation when he saw Him that any woman facing an unwanted pregnancy will recognize it as part of her salvation and choose life.

The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple ~ The only words we have to

describe Our Lord's childhood are, "And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth: and was subject to them.  And his mother kept all these words in her heart.  And Jesus increased in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men." (Luke ch.2 vs. 51-52)

I pray that the unborn today will be given the chance to grow in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men.  

An Engaging Thought

I love to cook and I love to eat AND I love to eat what I cook. I'm not sure if I know anyone who enjoys their own cooking as much as I do. With that said, when I take a dish that I've made to share at a potluck I get a l-i-t-t-l-e over excited about others tasting my food. I usually end up teasing people, even perfect strangers, about how very much they're going to like what ever it is I've made.

As twisted as this may seem, it brings me to the point of this post. Here is a story about a woman going about her business which ends up saving the life of an unborn baby. Please read the story before you go on.

Most expectant mothers have ultrasounds done at some point during their pregnancy. Many people ~ Mommy-to-be, Daddy-to-be, Grandma-to-be, etc. ~ carry a picture of that ultrasound with them to show off their new bundle of joy. So . . . what if people started showing off their ultrasound pictures in the same way that I show off my culinary creations - in an engaging, playful, (and yes), proud way - to perfect strangers. There's the grocery store checker and bagger, the pharmacy technician, the postal worker, the bank teller, the dental assistant, the teacher, the person next to you in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles, anyone you come into contact with.  The possibilities are endless.

Who wouldn't be happy for you?

What's the worst thing that could happen?

They might think you're a bit crazy, but who cares!

What's the best thing that could happen?

Like the scenario in this story . . . you could be instrumental in saving the life of an unborn baby!

Now that is worth taking a risk for!

Another Change of Heart

An actor's conversion story, in his own words. The honesty with which this man shares his past and the courage with which he publicly speaks out for the unborn is admirable. There is hope! 

Spiritual Adoption

In order to counter the propaganda for abortion, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen recommended the spiritual adoption of unborn babies. This was to be done by praying that these little ones be spared abortion, and continue to live after birth. The following prayer, said every day for one whole year, was recommended:

Jesus, Mary, Joseph,
I love you very much;
I beg you to spare the life
of the unborn child that
I have spiritually adopted,
and who is in danger
of being aborted.

During your earthly life, this child, whom you have adopted, will be known only to God, but in the hereafter, you will enjoy each other's company for all eternity.

The Beginning

All of us have experienced the excitement of learning someone we love is going to have a baby. The anticipation and expectation of a new life . . . well, there's just nothing like it! Another someone to love!

Most of us have known someone who's had a miscarriage. The sadness and loss we feel ourselves, or for that family, is intense AND real.

WHEN is the world going to wake up and realize that the desire for a baby does not make life a reality?

Whether we want a baby or not ~ life is present.

Once again, something I've been wanting to post has been sent to me through a faithful friend. This is a beautiful three and a half minute video that shows the beginning of life.

Ballad to Our Lady of Tears

O Mary, Mother of all men

Remember how one day

You rocked a little Boy to sleep

In a cradle filled with hay.



Remember how you held Him,

The long and weary night,

You fled from Herod’s soldiers

In Egypt’s dismal flight.



How the lonely stars looked down.

How the night was long;

With hoof beats in the distance

But in your heart a song.



You trod the darkness round you

You warmed the sands so cold

You lulled the winds to whispers

And turned the tears to gold.



When God was very little

And Life was very new,

With death a lurking shadow

He chose to cling to you.



He chose not Heaven’s legions,

Nor Michael’s sword of flame,

To shield Him in the darkness;

He chose your tender name.



Your tender arms to hold Him,

Your tender eyes so deep,

Your tender voice to comfort

And sing His soul to sleep.



Look down again in pity

O Mother of Our Lord

Upon a world where children still

Must flee from Herod’s sword.



Where Moloch claims his victims still

And still the price is paid

Where lust is crowned and love is drowned

And death a grim charade.



Where little ones are torn apart

Or burned with hateful brine

Where murder in a velvet coat

Is a social valentine.



These little hands, these little feet,

These little eyes and ears,

O Mother, see their misery

Baptize them in your tears.



They have never known the sunshine

Nor felt the cool of rain

Their heritage is horror

Their first caress is pain.



They were the breath of springtime.

The promise April gave,

Til winter’s vultures ravished-

Their cradle is their grave.



And now before the Father

Some ask: whose can these be?

Please wrap your arms around them,

Say: these belong to me.



For love of Him who was little too,

Who traded Heaven to be with you,

Take these children torn apart

To the playground of your heart.


Bruised and swollen, crucified

On the cross of human pride;

May their bodies perfect rise,

Take their souls to paradise.



Let them not for want of grace

Linger in a darkened place.

Ask your Son to give them joy,

He was once a little Boy.



Now and at the hour of death,

May they feel your gentle breath;

Tuck them in a bed of white,

O Mother, sing to them tonight!

~ by Therese Ickinger

Who Should Have Been Your Children

I wanted to do something special today (the 36th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade) to honor the millions of lives that have been lost to abortion. In an answer to my prayer asking for just this, a very special someone sent me the following narrative from Bishop Fulton Sheen's book, Three to Get Married along with the poem by John Davidson that she paired with this lovely picture. It perfectly represents my desire for something special!

The first direct, human limitation of infant life in the history of Christianity took place in the village of Bethlehem through an Infant-Controller whose name was Herod. The prevention of infant life was simultaneously an attack upon Divinity in the person of God made man, Jesus Christ, our Lord. No one strikes at birth who does not simultaneously strike at God, for birth is earth's reflection of the Son's eternal generation. To those who conspire against life in Herod's way or more scientifically, there will one day come the haunting conscience described by John Davidson:

Your cruellest pain is when you think of all

The honied treasure of your bodies spent

And no new life to show.  O, then you feel

How people lift their hands against themselves,

And taste the bitterest of the punishment

Of those whom pleasure isolates.  Sometimes

When darkness, silence, and the sleeping world

Give vision scope, you lie awake and see

The pale sad faces of the little ones

Who should have been your children, as they press

Their cheeks against your windows, looking in

With piteous wonder, homeless, famished babes,

Denied your wombs and bosoms.

Imagine the Potential!

A profound message for this historic day ~

Dr. King

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.  I love his "I Have a Dream" speech.  His eloquence and passion and poetry are enviable to me.  Every single time I read this speech I get a huge lump in my throat.  If you'd like to listen to it or read it go here.

There are many resources today that say the number of black abortions disproportionately outnumber white and hispanic abortions.  Read this and this as just two examples.

I bring this up because as I re-read "I Have a Dream" this morning the following jumped out at me . . .

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of it's creed:  "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are CREATED (emphasis added) equal.""

It doesn't say born equal - - - it says created equal.

I'll go out on a limb here and say that I don't think it was part of Dr. King's dream to have more abortion clinics in black neighborhoods than in white neighborhoods; or to read the above statistics about the number of black abortions.

Today ~ Dr. King's birthday and five days away from inaugurating the first black president ~ is as good a day as any to do something to end the destruction of what God has created, in His image.

I've posted an excerpt before of one of my favorite books, We and Our Children by Mary Reed Newland.  This excerpt speaks of our creation ~

"What do you suppose it means - they made man in their image and likeness?  It doesn't mean we look like God, because this happened in the very beginning, long before the Son of God came down to earth to take the form of a human baby.  And it couldn't mean that He made us out of the same stuff as Himself, because God is not made out of stuff;  God is a spirit, without a body.  God never changes, but we change.  So it couldn't be that we are like Him in our body, which changes every year and grows bigger and older all the time.  It is the foreverness that he breathed into man that is like Him, the part of us that never dies, as God never dies.  We are like Him deep inside, where our love comes from.  That is the part of us we call our soul, and we cannot see it, or touch it, because, like God, it is a spirit."

It's NOT just a "blob of tissue".  It's a soul, a living human soul.  There may not be a body, but that's coming . . . if we let it.  Doesn't it seem absurd that allowing another soul to become the person it was created to be would ever be a question . . . a choice?  We need to think about this and talk about this as simply and plainly as Mrs. Newland did ~ "foreverness" ~ "never dies" ~ "where our love comes from" ~ "like God"  

If you haven't already signed the petition to fight the so-called 'Freedom of Choice Act' please click on the link to the left to do so.  If you don't know about praying a novena for life please scroll down to my previous post.  If you're interested in attending a pro-life rally on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs. Bolton, January 22nd, please go to your state's Right to Life web-page.

"The time is always right to do what is right."

          ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Novena for Life

I've been avoiding you lately.  I'm depressed about the incoming administration and I'm sickened by the attitude of our country.  There should be something I can say.  There should be something I can do.  The only thing that comes to mind is to pray.  When we're vulnerable (or feeling as helpless as I do) we're to put ourselves in Our Lady's Hands, under the protection of St. Joseph ~ as the Baby, Jesus did.

Catholics all across our country are going to be praying a novena (nine days of prayer) against the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA).  Any prayer can be said, but the Rosary is encouraged ~ putting our intentions in Our Lady's Hands.  They're also suggesting at least two days of fasting during the novena.  Please join us in these next nine days and as St. Augustine said ~ 

"Pray as though everything depended on God.  Work as though everything depended on you."

Vulnerable

It's the eighth day of Christmas.  According to Jewish law baby boys were circumcised on the eighth day and given their name.  Today is the feast of the Circumcision, a holy day of obligation that honors both our Newborn King's first drops of blood shed for us and His holy name, Jesus.

Our priest gave a sermon today about vulnerability.  When our Lord came into the world as a newborn baby He put Himself in a very vulnerable position.  He was vulnerable to the elements, hunger, and everything that all newborns face.  In addition He was vulnerable to King Herod.  In His omnipotence He knew all that He would face.  He put Himself in Our Lady's Hands, under the protection of St. Joseph.

All babies are completely vulnerable to their mothers.  This one fact is what makes us all the more responsible for protecting them.  The word, vulnerable, comes from the Latin vulnero, which means wound, hurt; damage.  If it weren't so heinous, it might seem ironic that this is exactly what the pro-abortion side wants the right to do to the unborn ~ the most vulnerable.

We can even go a step further and say they want to completely destroy, so as to eliminate the vulnerable.  Then I guess they can get on with life . . . well at least their own.

     

Holy Innocents

Today is the feast of the Holy Innocents, the day we remember and honor all the innocent babies that lost their lives not only for the Newborn King, but in His place.  The Church calls these sweet babies the Flowers of the Martyrs.

While traveling in search of their King, the Three Wise Men, stopped to pay a respectful visit to King Herod, as they passed through his kingdom. King Herod might have been embarrassed, humiliated, jealous or offended that these Wise Men from afar were aware of the Newborn King in his kingdom and yet he was not. He may have asked many questions in an effort to find out exactly where they were going and whom they were going to see.

We know that the Three Wise Men made their visit to the Newborn King and presented their gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh (St. Matt, chap 2, v 11). We know that an angel appeared to St. Joseph (St. Matt, chap 2, v 13-15) in his sleep, saying: 

"Arise, and take the Child and his Mother, and fly into Egypt, and be there until I shall tell thee. For it shall come to pass that Herod will seek the Child to destroy him. Who arose, and took the Child and his Mother by night, and retired into Egypt, and he was there until the death of Herod;"

We know that King Herod (St. Matt, chap 2, v 16) sent his men and 

"killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under,".

In Herod we see how blind and how cruel ambition is.  It begs the question, what is the driving force behind the loss of the innocent lives from abortion?  I'm ashamed to even try to guess at some of the reasons a person may choose to end their baby's life.  Any reason I conjure up seems inadequate and inappropriate . . . timing?  finances?  health?  fear? 

It's always devastating to hear of the death of a child, always.  Can you imagine the pain and suffering in Bethlehem on that day? Can you imagine soldiers coming down the streets and into homes on a mission to massacre babies and leaving them to die in their wake?  Why is it so unbearable to even think of losing our babies against our will and yet we should have the "choice" of abortion?  It's inherently wrong, and we know it.  It can not be wrong for someone else to kill our babies and at the same time "a right" for us to kill them.

Holy Innocents, Flowers of the Martyrs, please pray for us to be as brave as your parents had to be so that we have the courage to end abortion!

Mama Bear's Christmas Message

Mama Bear loves, loves, loves the movie "It's a Wonderful Life".  The Story of George Bailey, who never got to follow his dream.  George finds himself one Christmas Eve in despair because of his company's apparent financial doom.  God sends a guardian angel, second class, Clarence, to help George through this difficult time.  Clarence shows George what a different place his corner of the world would be if George had never been born.  George discovers that despite the fact that life didn't go the way he wanted he's really had a wonderful life and we get to see an example of what a difference ONE person can make in so many other's lives.

Panda Bear received the book, "Horton Hears a Who" for Christmas.  The message ~ a person's a person no matter how small.  Appropriately the smallest Who in Whoville makes the difference that saves all of Whoville.  Never under estimate the power of one, a person's a person no matter how small.

Our three bears also received the movie "Wall-E", from their aunt and uncle.  Even Wall-E knew to protect life.

Today we celebrate the birth of One who is Our Newborn King, the Savior of the World.  Who would have believed that He would choose to come as a baby to such a humble couple in such a lowly place surrounded by the night air, the stable animals, with only hay for his bed.  Who can say how One can make such a difference in the world for over 2000 years to all on earth, even those that don't  believe.

For those of us who do believe in Him and know the importance of His example and our duty to follow Him . . . His choice to become Life, to come as a baby, to live as we live, to walk the earth, to have relationships, to work and struggle and suffer, to die ~ this is the choice we are to follow . . . Life!  We must choose Life ~ always!  No matter how difficult, no matter the surprise or unexpectedness, no matter how small, no matter how seemingly hopeless, no matter.

His gift to us is always Life.  He's given us His Life and our own life; the gift of the lives of the ones we love; the gift of the lives of the ones that we don't love ~ to teach us; to bring us to Him.

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Life!

    

Happy Matrimony

Today is my wedding anniversary, the day we received the sacrament of Matrimony.  The literal translation of matrimony is "mother-making".  I think that's beautiful, or as Panda Bear says, "oooh, bue-a-foe"!

The only thing I ever knew I wanted to be was a mother.  When I was little I said I wanted eight children.  It's one of the reasons I fell in love with my husband ~ he comes from a family of ten children.  There is something about the energy in a house full of children that has always attracted me.  By the time my husband and I started dating I thought four children sounded pretty good and he thought six was a nice round number (which he doesn't recall ever saying).  It was the first time I had ever been out 'numbered' by a prospective mate.

I especially remember a conversation we had while we were engaged when I was worrying about what we were going to do if the children came too fast and furious.  My fiance assured me that God knew best.  I chuckle at that memory for a couple of reasons ~ one, because it's a great example of how worthless it is to worry about our future; two, because my husband was right and I don't admit that too often. 

God had His own plans for us and, it never ceases to amaze us!  I have said before that with each of our sons we were twice blessed ~ once by God and once by their birth mother.  We did get what we wanted . . . six blessings . . . just not exactly the way we ever thought or planned.

I can not put into words, even in my own head, what a gift it is to mother another's child.  It's the added miracle that our boys have another mother and she has blessed us with her child.  Doesn't that just ooze G I F T ?!

On this day, only two days until the gift of His Son, I thank the Dear Lord for my husband, our children, our birth mothers and His amazing gift of my matrimony!

 

Baby Making Rhyme

We've been reading a LOT of Dr. Seuss lately, it's Panda Bear's favorite!  With all of the Dr. Seuss rhymes running through my  head I've come up with a rendition of my own to be read to the rhythm of Dr. Seuss.  To get you in the mood here's a little Fox in Socks ...

"When tweetle beetles fight,

it's called

a tweetle beetle battle.

And when they

battle in a puddle,

it's a tweetle

beetle puddle battle.

AND when tweetle beetles

battle with paddles in a puddle,

they call it a tweetle

beetle puddle paddle battle.

AND...

When beetles battle beetles

in a puddle paddle battle

and the beetle battle puddle

is a puddle in a bottle ...

...They call this

a tweetle beetle

bottle puddle

paddle battle muddle."

Here's what I've come up with...

When people choose to act

in a way that makes a baby

then those people who

make babies

should be ready

for a baby

If people don't want

babies then those acts

that make babies

can be postponed

and avoided so as not to 

make a baby

If people don't want babies but

can't wait for

the baby making act

then there's always

contraception

If these people don't want babies

and choose to use contraception

then the people need to 

know that despite their contraception

that a baby may be made

So . . . when people choose to act in a way that

makes a baby then those

people who make babies

should be ready for a baby

And . . . If people R-E-A-L-L-Y

don't want babies

then those acts that

make babies

can be postponed and avoided

so as not to make a baby

If people know this all

and choose the act

that makes a baby

and a baby is made

then the baby is a fact

and will never go away

despite what you've been told

So . . . let babies be considered

for the baby making act

and the people will be

ready for their babies

The Journey

As we get closer to Christmas, while we await Life Himself, my thoughts turn to the journey.  It's a difficult journey, to be sure.  There will be anxiety, discomfort, pain, work, responsibility, fatigue, rejection, and in the end Joy.

When we try to take such control of our life, believing we make every decision at every turn OR that we must fix the situation that we didn't choose, we miss out on the unknown, the untapped, the unimaginable gifts that lie within AND without ~ the benefit of a cross sent straight from God.

We've all heard, "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger".  There's a heck-of-a-lot to say for that inner strength, that self confidence, that lesson learned that all comes from bearing our crosses.

When I think of the greatest trials in my life I'm reminded of the pain and the struggle to get through each of these situations, sometimes years later or once again.  I would never have chosen any of these trials.  BUT, they have each led me to the most treasured gifts in my life.

We all know someone who's been laid off from their job and it's led to their dream job; someone who's boyfriend broke up with them which led to them meeting their spouse; someone who's had to deal with a life threatening illness which led them to reconnect with a family member or maybe even God.  Which is really where life is supposed to lead us ... that's why He sends our crosses ... to lead us to Him. 

Of course, hindsight (a blessing in itself) is to thank for the understanding I have as I sit here and type.  As we grow and mature we learn the benefit of our crosses.  We learn that our crosses are gifts of suffering on earth, from God.  They truly are gifts!  As St. Francis de Sales wrote: 

 

"The everlasting God has, in His wisdom, foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you, as a gift from His inmost heart.  This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with His loving arms, and weighed with His own hands, to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for you.  He has blessed it with His holy Name, anointed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God."

 So, as we journey let us consider ~ ~ ~ 

Life is a gift.

There are no accidents.

Nothing is unplanned.

Good can come from difficulty.

In LIFE there is joy!

Prince of Peace Award

A spiritual mentor of mine has recognized my blog with this award.  I have no idea how many people stop to read my thoughts, but I am touched that Lisa, at Are We There Yet?, has passed this on to me.  Thank you, Lisa!

Here is a link to View From The Pews where this special honor started. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe

The image at the top of this blog is a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  On the right is a picture of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.   As we celebrate Her feast today I'd like to share Her story ~

In 1531, in the part of Mexico that is now Mexico City, the bishop prayed to Our Blessed Mother to bring peace between the Spanish rule and the natives, and for a stop to the human sacrifices.  On December 9th, 10th and 12th of that year Our Lady appeared, near Tepayac Hill, to a peasant named Juan Diego.  She appeared pregnant with Her Divine Son. Our Lady requested that a church be built there on Tepayac Hill.  When Juan Diego took this message to the bishop, the bishop asked for a sign.

Juan Diego returned with an undeniable sign.  Although it was December, Our Lady had him pick Castilian roses that were native to the bishop's home in Spain.  He put the roses in his tilma (a poncho like cloak made of cactus fiber).  When he opened his tilma to reveal the roses there was a miraculous image of Our Lady just as Juan Diego had described Her to the bishop.

This miracle took place 477 years ago today and the image is still visible on the tilma that is miraculously still in tact.  Since Our Lady's appearance human sacrifices have ended.  I've read that 6 - 9 million conversions took place over the next 6 - 9 years.

My prayer for Our Blessed Mother today (and everyday) is that She will intervene for the unborn and help to put a stop to the human sacrifice that today we call abortion.

Until then, may Her words to Juan Diego be their comfort ~

"Do not be distressed, my littlest son.  Am I not here with you who am your Mother?  Are you not under my shadow and protection?" 

*Please click on the title of this post if you'd like to read more detail about the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The Unknown

It doesn't matter how old I am there are still monsters in the dark.  The unknown is scary!  It's only human to be afraid of the unknown or unplanned.  That's where faith comes in.  We can't, I repeat ... we can't do "it" on our own.  When we look at life through the eyes of faith and accept the unknown or unplanned as coming from God we open ourselves up to His plan vs. ours.

Have you ever heard this? ~ "If you want to make God laugh, make plans."  His ways are always best!

Birthmothers seem to get this in a special way and cooperate with God's plan in a courageous manner.  I worry about the negative image that people have of birth mothers: they're cold and heartless; they don't love their children; they're selfish, careless and irresponsible.

Consider that birth mothers are women of all ages; they are women from all walks of life; they're in a difficult situation or they're having a hard time at this point in life; they love their children as much as anyone; they have incredible self awareness admitting that they can't give their child what they want them to have; they are unimaginably selfless in their ability to let go of a part of themselves, with no guarantee - but hope, that their child will have a better life; they live with a hole in their heart because of this sacrifice; that they are brave.

Each birth mother has her own individual story.  And because the adoption process has changed in the last generation, she can now make choices that she wouldn't have been able to make in the past.  Choices that take away some of the unknown and thus quell some of her fears.  A birth mother can specify the exact family she would want to love her baby.  She can choose the race, religion, pets, number of children, yearly income, anything that's important to her.

I've heard negative comments about this, as well.  If we stop to really think about what a birth mother is sacrificing then it makes all the sense in the world that she should have the ability to make choices for her baby that she is comfortable with.  She will have plenty of the unknown to wonder about in the future and giving her this peace of mind in the beginning isn't too much to ask.

Respect

As a mother raising three boys it seems that daily life is an ongoing lesson in respect.  We need to learn to respect our property, each other, God, special qualities or talents, a person's feelings, boundaries, rules & laws.  There are undoubtedly things worthy of respect that I'm leaving out ~ ~ ~

With the evolution of political correctness it's become expected that we respect *differences* and even sin.  I have a friend that often speaks in awe of how backward things seem.  Her concluding comment, with a touch of sarcasm, is, "What's right is wrong and what's wrong is right."  This always reminds me of Isaias 5:20, 

"Woe to you that call evil good, and good evil:"

The pro-abortion agenda is a perfect example of this twisted, backward, evil.  How can we respect choosing to kill your unborn child?  Where is the respect for God given life?

If we respect something we take care of it.

If we respect someone we care for and honor them.  We may even aspire to be like them.

Choosing abortion is seen as taking care of one person; honoring one person's rights.  The fact that another person is not being taken care of, but is destroyed, is ignored.  The fact that one person not only has no right to choose, but also has their right to live taken away, is ignored.  There is nothing respectful about taking advantage of our authority or control over another life, especially one that is dependent on us.  That's usually called abuse.

Devastating But True

As I was doing some reading on the web the other night I came across a quote, a devastating quote in my opinion.

"Life is a sexually transmitted disease."

 ~ R. D. Laing

I googled Mr. Laing and it turns out he was a psychiatrist.  I really just wanted to know who said such a thing.  The more I thought about it the more I thought that this must be how some see "it".  They must think of their pregnancy as a disease, or an infection, and an abortion as the treatment.  Isn't that devastating?

It reminds me of the phrase "unwanted pregnancy".  Maybe the person who's pregnant doesn't want to be pregnant  or to have a baby, but there's someone out there that wants both more than words can say.  There isn't anything as valuable or as important as a person's life yet some would rather throw it away than give it away.  Isn't that devastating?

We live in a large city.  Unfortunately home break ins and random acts of violence are not rare.  I'm not a worrier by nature but I do have thoughts about what I'd do if something were to happen to us.  I, like most mothers, would die for my children ~ literally.  In the name of "women's rights" and "choice" it's the children (with no rights or choice) who die for their mothers.  Isn't that devastating?

Planned Parenthood of Indiana is selling gift certificates for the holidays.  According to an AP article "the Indiana branch is among a handful of its 99 affiliates that currently offer gift certificates or have done so in the past."  Isn't that pathetic?  Merry Christmas.

It's really too bad that Planned Parenthood doesn't like the word "life", because they could put the above quote to some devastating use.

Who Made You?

Hopefully we all have at least a few books that we absolutely treasure.  One of my treasures is a book called We and Our Children, by Mary Reed Newland.

I'd like to share a couple of excerpts from this treasure with you ~

"Stephen, do you know who made you?"

"Who made me?"

"God made you, Stephen."

"Oh."  And he stops, and thinks, and confirms it.  "God made Stephen."

"Do you know why God made you, Stephen?" he will hardly ever answer, "No."  But almost always, "Why?"  And you tell him, "Because He loves you."  And Stephen knows the most important thing in all the world.

This is security, the first and last and only real security.  And we must make it so real for our children that they will look out at the world from the snug safety of God's love.  They must know that He loves them as though they were His only love, and that they need not fear the dividing of His love because it is indivisible.  It is like the flame of a candle, which will light another candle, and another, and another, and still burn as before.  Nowhere is there more love than this.  This is all love, it never changes, and they may turn to it from the middle of sin or sanctity and always find asylum.

Each and every time I read these words I'm warmed from the inside out by their simple truth.  As wonderful as it is to share this bit of necessity with my boys (and oooh how wonderful it is) it wouldn't be possible if I didn't know it ~ believe it ~ myself.  So I wonder ... how many people don't know this, really know this, inside out?

Today is the first Sunday of Advent ~ the time of year that we prepare for the coming of the Baby Jesus.  I can't begin to tell you all of the lovely thoughts that race through my brain as I contemplate what it must have been like for Our Blessed Mother.  She said, "Yes" to the angel, Gabriel.  She wasn't married; She didn't know how she was going to explain this to her mother or to her betrothed; She might have been stoned to death; she had not planned this.  Yet, she said, "Yes" ... to God ... to Life Itself.

"God made you, dear, ages before He put you on this earth.  You were in the mind of God so long ago that even Mother cannot tell you when it was.  Always He knew you, always He wanted you, and because He knows all things, He knew when was the perfect time for you to come so that you could do what He has planned for you."

During this Advent as my mind is turned to thoughts of the Expectant Virgin Mother I will be praying for this understanding for us all.