But what do I say?

The recent Planned Parenthood scandal has thrown abortion into the limelight.  This is now a common topic at social gatherings.  Many of us know that abortion is wrong, but how do we defend our position making clear, logical arguments rather than just devolving into tears?  I recommend taking the time to watch these training videos from Created Equal.  They give simple, effective ways to answer the most common arguments for the necessity of abortion.  We need to work on changing the culture -  one heart at a time.

The Beginning of the End

I'm sitting here crying.  I'm typically not a crier.  It's not that I don't want to shed tears, it's just that I don't for some reason.  It always disturbs my mom, especially when we're at a funeral.  Today, however, I have actual tears running down my cheeks.  I just watched the 4th video released by the Center for Medical Progress.   My tears aren't because of the tiny arms and hands in the petri dish.  After years in the pro-life movement, I've become desensitized to the graphic images.  What started the watershed was the callous way in which the clinicians described the mangled baby.  I felt like I just witnessed the darkest part of humanity.  Please pray for them - "they know not what they do." Please also pray for the moms who were aborted at the clinic that day.  One of them has just now come face to face with her child and the reality of her actions.   So many wounded women in our midst.  After the initial shock, my tears evolved into ones of hope.   After 40 years, our country is finally starting to wake up to the reality that is Roe v. Wade.  Just like William Wilberforce taking the Brits on the slave ship and Wilhem Brasse sharing the photos from Auschwitz, these videos mark a turning point in the abortion debate.    I once heard it said that "We must not work to make abortion illegal, we must work to make it unthinkable."  To that end, we MUST watch these videos ourselves - no matter how disturbing - and then pass them to everyone we know.  There seems to be a mainstream media blackout.  It's up to us to end this thing NOW.

Bragg's ACV rocks for mosquito bites!!

I was sitting out enjoying dinner on the deck with my family the other night when I was viciously attacked by mosquitoes.  Apparently, all the rain made for lots of prime breeding areas.  Over the next few days, I tried to find natural methods to stop the itching.  

A bath with Epsom salts and baking soda helped, as did peppermint and lavender essential oils, but I got the most relief  from Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar.  It stopped the itch immediately and helped reduce the swelling.  It also helps to prevent infection.  I may not smell too pretty, but the itching was so bad that I really don't care ;-)

Hope in the media

LOVED this article by Kevin O'Brien, Deputy editor of the Plain Dealer.  I usually don't comment on articles, but since so many comments were negative, I couldn't help myself ;-)  Take a minute to read the article - best yet in this whole scandal.  Ps.  Quick update from yesterday.  The house passed the DARK act. :-(  Time to start calling your senators before this disaster becomes law.

 Thank you so much for standing up for truth.  Just because something is legal doesn't make it right.  Not that long ago, it was legal to own another human being.  The Nuremberg Laws weren't that just either.  This is not a religious issue.  It's an issue of biology - when does a life begin - and universal ethics - do we have the right to take innocent life?  When we stop and realize exactly what is happening in every abortion, we will be sickened by the pure evil that exists in our humanity.  Our grandchildren will ask us if we knew babies were being killed and what we did to stop it.  Just like in Nazi Germany and in the Antebellum south, many were complicit with evil by sitting by silently or somehow trying to defend and "re-brand" the atrocities.  I know how history will write this one - take time to carefully think out your position before choosing a side. 

 "The development of a human being begins with fertilization, a process by which two highly specialized cells, the spermatozoon from the male and the oocyte from the female, unite to give rise to a new organism, the zygote."

[Langman, Jan. Medical Embryology. 3rd edition. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1975, p. 3]

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."

The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Don't be left in the DARK - call your representative today!!

Congress is set to vote on the DARK act today (HB 1599).  This would negate any state GE food labeling laws and nullify local regulations against the use of certain GE crops and pesticides.  It is critical that we flood the capital switchboards today.  I just made my call through the Center for Food Safety.  It was painless and took less than 30 seconds.  Monsanto is formidable, but not  invincible.  Let's stand together to support our right to know what's in the food we eat.  Tell everyone you know.  THANK YOU!!!

From the Center for Food Safety:

You can dial 1-888-894-1033 directly to be connected.

When you call, you can say something like: "I am calling to urge you to oppose HR 1599, also known as the DARK Act. This bill would FOREVER take away our right to choose what we feed our children, farmer’s rights to grow their crop of choice, and our right to protect ourselves and our communities from dangerous chemicals. Please vote no on HR 1599 and instead support mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods."

But doesn't Planned Parenthood provide other services for women?

Beth - director of Greater Columbus Right to Life - pointed out the other day, many people are on the fence about abortion but still support Planned Parenthood because of the other services they provide to women. As the Center for Medical Progress released it's second video in the Planned Parenthood sale of fetal organs scandal, I want to point out that Planned Parenthood does indeed provide many more services.  Lila Rose of Live Action League has been tirelessly working for the past six years to uncover all that Planned Parenthood offers.  The video below shows staff members aiding and abetting sex-traffickers.  She also has video showing staffers helping clients procure sex-selective abortions, and cover up sexual abuse.

But what about all those free mammograms Planned Parenthood provides??

SAT test changes

This primarily effects students who are going into their junior year this fall, but it's good info to know for younger students as well.  The College Board has made MAJOR changes to the SAT.  These changes go into effect with the March 2016 test.  If you have a student who will be taking the test this year, I recommend taking a look at both formats and seeing which will work best for him or her.   In general, students who have a very high vocabulary level will shine on the old test.   The old test is also better for students who do well with timed writing prompts.  If you want a good idea of what the new test will look like, you can check out the redesigned PSAT - the formats will be similar.

Happy testing!!

The only thing necessary for evil to triumph....

is that good men do nothing.  - Edmund Burke

Sharing an excellent letter written by Tim Welch, President of PDHC:

July President’s Corner

by Tim Welsh | Jul 13, 2015 | Uncategorized |

I need to start talking to people more, and so do you.

Not the kind of “how’re you doing?” kind of talk, but real talk about real issues.  And not the kind of sanctimonious lecture about heaven and hell, but real talk.

It may seem strange to say all this, but it feels like we have all bought into the cultural rules that have been foisted upon us by the thought police and their allies.  We aren’t “allowed” to have a real conversation about any of a number of issues from gun control to gay marriage, from abortion to the death penalty without those conversations devolving into a personal debate.

But there’s nothing personal about it.

I can’t tell you how many times I have been accused of being racist because I disagree with President Obama’s policies when, in fact, my opinion of his policies has nothing to do with his race.  I just think he’s a dope that has no business in the White House.

It also has nothing to do with his political affiliation.  I mean, this guy is spending us into oblivion, his economic policies have made the recovery from the recession one of the slowest and most painful in the entire history of the United States, and he appears to care more about dispensing free contraceptives or using our tax dollars to pay for abortions than he does fixing our roads.  His foreign policy is even more questionable.

But, if I say any of that in front of an Obama supporter, I am suddenly branded a racist or a right-wing religious nut job, or something.  The conversation becomes very personal, when there’s no call for it to be personal.

So, what do I do?  I bite my tongue.  Don’t make waves, I’m told.  Members of my own family shun me for holding the opinion that abortion is actually wrong.

There are issues about which conversation is not permitted in our culture.

Well, I’ve had enough.

The real issue is not so much the lack of the conversation about certain topics, it’s the ramifications of that lack of conversation.  Our lack of courage in standing up for what is right in the face of a hysterical popular culture has brought woes to our culture that we will spend generations undoing.

When did it become a charitable act to allow our friends or family to sin?  And when did it become a sin to speak up for righteousness?

We’re upside down.

Jesus said that He didn’t come to bring peace, but to bring the sword.  He said that following Him would set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, etc.  One’s enemies will be those of his household.

So…

I’m going to start speaking up.  With my family, with my friends, with acquaintances.  I’ll do so as softly as I can, with charity as my goal, but firmly nonetheless.  If there are some family members or others who feel like we can no longer associate with each other as a result, so be it.

Because it’s our fear that will be our undoing.  It’s our silence that will condemn us.  We’ve sat by quietly while people told us about a woman’s right to choose.  We’ve sat by quietly while people lectured us on the separation of church and state.  We’ve sat by quietly while people promulgated right to die initiatives.  And now we have millions of children dead by abortion, no prayer in schools, and states passing laws that allow doctors to actively participate in the killing of a patient.

We can’t sit by quietly anymore.

This might mean we lose friends.  It might mean a distancing of family members.  We might become ostracized at work.  But we will have done our duty.  We will have loved others as Christ would love us.

We will have been truthful and honest.

Will you join me?

Your faith demands it; your family deserves it.

Talk to people.

Planned Parenthood: Care, no matter what.

That is the current slogan for Planned Parenthood.  Those who support Planned Parenthood typically do so because they are concerned about women and their health.  They believe that Planned Parenthood puts the woman above all else - her boyfriend, an unwanted pregnancy, callous doctors.  When rubber hits the road however, it appears that Planned Parenthood - like most major corporations - puts the almighty dollar above the woman.  Please watch the following video. then pass it along.  t's disturbing, but we must be disturbed if we are to be moved into action.

I'm confused, which one is it - a blob of tissue, or a human being with definable body parts?  One interesting thing I want to point out is that Dr. Nucatola states that when they are planning on harvesting organs from a baby, they will do an ultrasound guided abortion to protect the organs.  Funny, ultrasound guided abortions are always safer for the mother, yet they are not routinely done.  Too bad no one is looking out for her organs...

Planned Parenthood:  Care, no matter what.

Angelic Warfare Confraternity

I was watching TV the other night and was so disturbed by what I saw on the screen.  The show, Mr. Robot, is about a computer hacker.  Since it's new, I was just trying it out to see if it was good enough to add to our line-up.  It was a little dark and depressing, but no moral qualms thus far.  Then, out of the blue, the scene cut to something so sexually disturbing, I can't describe it for fear of corrupting my readers' minds.  I myself now have that ugly image burned into my brain.  So do my husband and my 16 year old son.  We immediately banned the show from the house, but the damage has already been done.  It's safe to say that our culture has hit an all-time low in terms of sexual morality.  I'm afraid to see what's next on the horizon.  Since we can't count on media or the courts to fix the problem, I have a better solution - The Angelic Warfare Confraternity.   In short, the Angelic Warfare Confraternity is:  "a supernatural fellowship of men and women bound to one another in love and dedicated to pursuing and promoting chastity together under the powerful patronage of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Blessed Virgin Mary."  (AWC mission statement)

The AWC is a Dominican organization composed of religious and lay members.  Those in the Confraternity agree to practice and promote chastity as is called for given their particular state of life.  They also wear a cord or chain symbolizing their membership and pray 15 Hail Marys and two short prayers daily. Pretty simple, but it may be the solution to fixing out culture.  Their website has all the details on how to enroll.

ps.  When you do have those disturbing images flash through your mind - stop and pray for the people involved in the act.  That way, some good can come from your distress.

Vision Therapy

I have really struggled with vision problems for the past few years.  I tried getting new glasses, but although "technically" I can see well out of them, I still have trouble focusing and coordinating my eyes.  Since my regular optometrist couldn't seem to help me, I started looking into vision therapy.  I know many students who have used vision therapy with great success.  I also know others who have spent a great deal of time and money on therapy with no measurable results.  Also, the vision therapists in our area only work with children.   Thus, I decided to set out on my own to create a personal vision therapy program.  I did my research and found most sources promote the Bates Method.   I ordered the book on Amazon that had the best reviews and learned all the tricks.  The problem is that the therapy was confusing and time-consuming.  I started watching you tube videos to see the method in practice, and came across a much easier program on Vita Lives Free.  It consists of 6 simple exercises that you do every-other day.  The goal is to reduce your need for glasses, however I'm not "anti-glass", so I'm fine if I'm never able to drop my spectacles.  I just want to be able to focus my eyes and read without pain.  I have been doing the first five exercises for a few weeks now, and although I haven't had the "flashes of perfect vision" they describe, I have noticed a marked improvement in my focus and binocular coordination.  I'm going to give it the summer, adding in the final exercise and some of the Bates workouts as I go along.  At the end of summer, I'm going to go to a new ophthalmologist and see where I stand.  Right now, I'm hopefully optimistic.

Dr. Mercola and the pope

I'm not a blog follower (ironic - right?), but I do get Dr. Mercola's daily newsletter.  For the most part, I agree with his advice on food, health, vaccines, and fitness.  I'm leery on his views of yoga,  EFT, and grounding, so I usually just skip those articles.  From what I can garner, his spirituality seems to lean more towards the New Age.  That's why I was quite surprised at this week's post promoting a Papal Encyclical.  The article starts with a video that walks a fine line between being amusing and offensive.  Dr. Mercola then goes on to point out what the media missed - Laudato Si isn't just a treatise on climate change - it's about the numerous ways we are destroying our world, and ultimately ourselves.  Pope Francis leans on his predecessors throughout the document:  "Blessed Pope Paul VI referred to the ecological concern as “a tragic consequence” of unchecked human activity: “Due to an ill-considered exploitation of nature, humanity runs the risk of destroying it and becoming in turn a victim of this degradation”. (paragraph 4)   Pesticides, GMO's, factory farming - our technology trumps humanity.  We are the frogs in the boiling water -slowly killing ourselves in the name of convenience.  

Sadly though, both Dr. Merocla and the mainstream media missed the entire point of the encyclical.  People are at the top of the spectrum.  Humans are made in the image and likeness of God.  We have been given this world by our creator and thus must care for this gift, but not at the expense of human life. For example, in paragraph 120, Pope Francis states:  "Since everything is interrelated, concern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion. How can we genuinely teach the importance of concern for other vulnerable beings, however troublesome or inconvenient they may be, if we fail to protect a human embryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and creates difficulties? “If personal and social sensitivity towards the acceptance of the new life is lost, then other forms of acceptance that are valuable for society also wither away”

Pope Francis also quotes from Pope Benedict XVI:  6. My predecessor Benedict XVI likewise proposed “eliminating the structural causes of the dysfunctions of the world economy and correcting models of growth which have proved incapable of ensuring respect for the environment”.10 He observed that the world cannot be analyzed by isolating only one of its aspects, since “the book of nature is one and indivisible”, and includes the environment, life, sexuality, the family, social relations, and so forth. It follows that “the deterioration of nature is closely connected to the culture which shapes human coexistence”.11 Pope Benedict asked us to recognize that the natural environment has been gravely damaged by our irresponsible behaviour. The social environment has also suffered damage. Both are ultimately due to the same evil: the notion that there are no indisputable truths to guide our lives, and hence human freedom is limitless. We have forgotten that “man is not only a freedom which he creates for himself. Man does not create himself. He is spirit and will, but also nature”.12 With paternal concern, Benedict urged us to realize that creation is harmed “where we ourselves have the final word, where everything is simply our property and we use it for ourselves alone. The misuse of creation begins when we no longer recognize any higher instance than ourselves, when we see nothing else but ourselves”.13

I hope Dr. Mercola read the entire document.  There is theological richness in the pope's explanation of the "Gospel of Creation" that can never be found in New Age practices.  One thing you can say about Pope Francis - he's definitely tapped into a brand new audience.  

Got Milk?

Yesterday I bought milk.  This may not seem like a big deal, but it was quite a different experience from the way I’ve always bought milk in the past.  Instead of going to the store and just grabbing it off of the shelf, I went directly to the source.  I met the farmer, saw his super-clean facilities, and even got to hang with the cows for a while.  Shockingly, they were busy eating grass – not corn.  For the first time I got to experience what milk actually tastes like – and it was AMAZING!!!  I have been searching for raw milk for about 10 years now.   It’s actually easier to get pot than it is to score raw milk around here.   Each state is different - some still allow sales in stores, others permit farm sales, many require consumers to buy a cow through herd-share programs, and others forbid sales altogether.    Why go the through all the hassle to find raw milk?  Why not just enjoy pasteurized milk from the stores?  In a nutshell, it’s not the same food.  Raw Milk is teeming with beneficial bacteria and enzymes that are destroyed in the pasteurization process.   Raw milk is much easier to digest, helps build immunity, and has a high bioavailability of numerous vitamins and minerals.  If you're working to reclaim your health - look into raw milk.  The Weston A. Price society is a good place to start.  You can find suppliers in your area at Real Milk.  Drink up!!