7-22-09 "you knit me together in my mother's womb"

We all know the great debate: pro-life or pro-choice? It's one of our nation's most dividing issues. Pro-lifers say that a fetus at any stage is a living human and to kill it is to murder an innocent, helpless person. Those with pro-choice views say that it is a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy if she so choses and that a fetus is not a human life until a certain stage in development.

This is an unborn baby at 10 weeks. You can distinctly see its head, body, arms and legs. This baby is a human being and it is very much alive.

You can see this unborn baby's hands and face. It was moving when the ultrasound was taken.

 This photo is a picture of Samuel Armas as he undergoes a pre-birth surgery. You can see his tiny hand gripping the surgeon's finger. This took place 21 weeks after Samuel's conception.

This is Samuel Armas at ten years of age. Nobody would deny his humanity, but no more human now that he was in the previous photo.

You can see that an unborn child is not a growth or a blob of tissue. No matter how hard you try to say otherwise, no matter when you say a fetus becomes a human, an unborn baby is a human life. Homo Sapien. Nothing else. Horton was right: a person is a person no matter how small.

Aren't you glad YOUR mother was pro-life, or at least that she didn't consider YOU an inconvenience?

7-19-09 "the best thing since cordless phones"

TheRebelution.com has launched the results of their massive Modesty Survey! Over 1,600 Christian guys have answered questions on everything from glitter lotion and lip gloss to swimsuits and skirt slits! It's everything girls have ever wanted to ask guys about modesty, but were afraid to ask! For guys, it's really interesting to see what other Christian guys think!



Most importantly, the survey is presented as a resource to help Christian girls (and guys), not a list of legalistic rules, and it is accompanied by the Modesty Survey Petition (which tons of guys have signed) which encourage young women to focus on the heart, not the hemline, to honor their parents, etc.



The results were released on St. Valentine's Day as a gift from 1,600 Christian guys to all Christian girls -- and I can't think of a better one! Now the survey is being endorsed by people like Shaunti Feldhahn ("For Women Only") Nancy Leigh DeMoss (Revive Our Hearts), CJ Mahaney (Sovereign Grace Ministries) and Shannon Ethridge ("Every Woman's Battle")!



Go check it out: www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey



But also make sure you spread the word to all your friends. We want as many Christian girls (and guys) as possible to see this, so forward this email on!





By the way, guys, they are still accepting signatures for the Modesty Survey Petition, so this is an opportunity for you to still share your voice on the topic of modesty!



THE MODESTY SURVEY

www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey

7-15-09 "hey coal lumps! You are jewels in the making!"

I wanted to expound on this week's "Quote of the Week", "A diamond is a chunk of coal that is made good under pressure." -Henry Kissinger. I came across this quote this morningwhen I was reading God's Little Instruction Book (an excellent book, by the way) and I just had to blog my thoughts about it.

      Henry Kissinger's words remind us that we all begin as "coal chunks;" spiritually black, ugly, and invaluable. However, when placed under pressure - a hard time at school or work, friends that turn on us, losing a loved one- we become something more. Clear, valuable, a symbol of love and life-long devotion.

      When I have hard times, I find myself crying out in my heart, "Why, God? Why is this happening to me?" And soon after, the answer comes. A verse from the Bible will pop into my head or jump off the page, or someone will inadvertantly give me the answer while they are talking to me.

Isa. 48:10: "See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction."  Refined silver is not as pure and is not worth as much as refined silver. God allows us to experience affliction so that we can become more pure. I have seen that this is true in my own life. I was repeatedly hurt very badly (emotionally) by someone a couple of years ago. I did not understand why it was happening and thought that the problem would never go away. However, my hurtful situation eventaully dissapeared and I found that I had grown much closer to God through the pain. I had matured, learned to forgive and deal with unkind people, and I was ready for whatever God had been preparing me for.

           

    Unrefined silver- rough, uneven  

Refined silver- smooth, refecting, ready to be made into useful objects

Here's a great illustration on how God refines us like silver: http://www.meadowridgekennels.com/gpage22.html

 

There are many times in the Bible when God's people are refered to as precious metals or gems. Check out a few of these verses:

• Proverbs 31:10
• Malachi 3:3
• Psalm 66:10

We are valuable to God! He wants us to become even more valuable. That is why he allows us to be "put through the furnace" and refined.

 

6-7-09 "can you avoid breaking the landspeed record?"

      A few weeks ago, my mom told me about the time she almost broke the current land speed record.

          On her bike.

                When she was seven.

     My mom had just learned to ride a bike and she thought it would be pretty sweet to ride as fast as she possibly could down a hill. She backed way up and began to pedal furiously. When she got to the crest of the hill, she was going just about as fast as she possibly could on an old, sibling-worn bike. She tipped over the side of the hill and gained speed and she flew down the hill- right into a barbed wire fence.

     About half way down the hill, my mom had realized that the fence was right in her path. Her mind told her to brake. Her hands would not obey. She forgot how the brakes worked and where they were located. Two seconds before the bloody collision, she let go of the handle bars.

CRASH!!!

The moral? Look before you leap. Something may look really cool- like flying down a hill on your brother's old bike- but there might be a barbed wire fence at the bottom. Don't jump into something before looking into it first. You could end up commited to something you hate. You could end up with your emotional bike tires punctured and your feellings all torn up. I have got my self into some sticky situations before. Trust me, it's hard to go through with something you don't want to do, but it's harder to pull out when everyone's depending on you (not to mention it's just plain rude).

     One way I could have avoided being stuck between a rock and a hard place was to listen to my dad. I have to admit: He's ALWAYS right when it comes to making commitments (and pretty much everything else). He tells me not to overfill my schedule, but do I listen to him? No. (Oh, Daddy, I can take this class AND be in that performance; no problem!) And I always wish I had.

     Another way is to pray about what I should do. You may be thinking, "Oh, right. Like God cares which sport I choose. Besides, it's my life." But God will lead you if you ask for his guidance. And when you're following his lead, you'll never find youself flying down a hill at a million miles an hour headed towards a barbed wire fence.

5-31-09 "and they said he would never run again"

   My sister was waiting for the last heat of the 400-meter dash before hers to finish when my dad went over to her to give last-minute advice. Also the assistant coach for her track club and previously an award-winning head coach for a high school team, my dad knows what a runner needs to do in order to have an outstanding race.

     “Your dad runs?” The girl beside her asked in a ridiculing tone once my dad was out of earshot.

     “Yes,” my sister replied sweetly, “He ran a 400-meter race in 59 seconds, and he took state in his other race.” She left out the fact that he’s in the top ten middle distance runners in the country. She watched the girl’s jaw drop.

    “Wow!” the girl said, “My dad can hardly walk to the mailbox without hyperventilating.”

 

     It isn’t the fact that before a few years ago, my dad hadn’t run in twenty-five years that makes these stories amazing. It’s not the fact that he puts family time and my sister’s running before his own, therefore getting only a little training time himself. The thing that makes it amazing is the words my doctor said to my mom a couple of years ago: “I’m sorry. He will never run again.”

     Two years ago, my dad had a slipped meniscus. He had to get knee surgery. In the process of the surgery, the doctor also realized that he had to remove a large portion of cartilage from his knee. He told my mom that my dad would never be able to run again. When my mom broke the news to my dad, he just adjusted his ice pack, laughed, and declared, “My God is bigger than that!”

     About eight years ago, my dad began to have heart problems. His heart doctor was worried and he was going to have to have surgery. Then, amazingly and unexplainably, the heart problems disappeared. The doctors were baffled. My parents were not. God had listened to our prayers.

 

     Determination, perseverance, and, most of all, faith in God. My dad was able to work through difficult times because he knew God would carry him the whole way. Remember Philippians 4:13 : “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”  

    

5-24-09 "dear miss california 2009"

Dear Carrie Prejean,

     I heard about your daring answer to a Miss America judge’s question on gay marriage. My first impression was shock that someone would ask such a political question to a beauty pageant contestant. I imagine that you were totally taken off guard. How do answer such a controversial question in front of all of America- especially when it could cost you the title of Miss America. The pressure was high. The country held its breath. Would you stand strong or fold under the pressure? You chose to stand strong. You worded your answer superbly. It was perfect. There was nothing in your reply that could have been considered offensive. You stated your opinion and graciously left space for other people to have theirs, without compromising your morals. You didn’t miss a beat. Your smile barely faltered. It amazes me that your answer was considered a hate crime when the judge’s response was so abusive. What is wrong with the United States of America? A true American would do what you did. The founding fathers would have been proud. You should be made a role model for girls everywhere. I know you’re mine. We need more people like you- people who will stand up for what they believe even when it has a price. And you can be content knowing that God has a reward for you far greater than a Miss America title.

      On behalf of myself and all like-minded individuals,

  Thank you, Miss California!

   

 

*The grass my wither and the flower fall, but the word of our Lord stands forever. *

5-11-09 "thomas, james, and gregor the giant beetle"

This is a conversation overheard two weeks ago in a room full of energetic four-year-olds: A few kids are talking about their younger siblings. The teacher asks Matthew, "You have a brother, too, don't you? Do you have a Thomas?"

"Yes, I have a Thomas," replies Matthew. His little brother Thomas is a few months old.

"Oh," says John, "I have a James. He's a lot of fun during the day, but he gets kinda tired at nght time. So we have to recharge his batteries and then I can play with him in the morning."

Bewildered at this strange speech, the teacher directs her attention to Victoria, who is proudly proclaiming that she, too, has a James.  Elizabeth says her brother has a James, but her train is a Thomas the Tank Engine.

Four-year-olds are adorable.

I despise  The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. If you have ever read it, I think you will agree that it is altogether terrible. At the end I thought, "Oh, that was a horrible chapter. I can't wait to see how they fix this mess in the next chapter." Bu when I turned the page, I found.... notes, notes and more notes. One hundred fifty pages of notes. It is such an overanalyzed book. Perhaps becasue it is so bizzare.

     To quote the author, from a journal entry a few years before the book's publication, "I am now reading The Metamorphosis at home and find it bad." I quite agree. As with so many books: terrible story; fabulous style.