Today was the March for Life, and the weather was perfect. So many families turned out!! We went with Lovely's Godparents. The march was a silent, prayerful march - but empowering. I loved the time with my kids, and it showed. Life IS empowering. It is a right, and the march continues.....
I've taken my kids every year, and the march is full of families. Lovely is getting older though and I wondered what questions, beyond her knowing that we march for babies, mommies, and angels in heaven, would be asked this year. I was partly nervous about if my sweet daughter would pick up on the darker issues, so I did reach out to other families who attend this before I brought her. I got great advice, ideas, and was well prepared (if anyone wants to know, I can post the helpful ideas). In the end, she never asked, or seemed to catch on to anything deeper and darker. I also was soothed seeing children her age and older marching happily (they are here every year, but I was just VERY sensitive to it this year) with COUNTLESS families. I'll be watching her in the next year before next January to see what we should do about next year's march and her maturity/understanding. As it was, it was a wonderful experience, and an empowering one. It was full of hope...and don't we need that??!!!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
What's Heroic?
This week is special to me. This Friday is important to me. Why? I made a list.
A hero is someone who will not judge a person who has had an abortion. We are never to judge. Showing love, support, forgiveness, and empathy for the fear or reasons that made them feel abortion was their only option shows your conviction. Pray for them. Pray with them. You can be gentle while not backing down for Life. They still need healing, and they are still a person in God's image. Show Christ's compassion.
A hero has hope...and the following fuels my hope:
Could you help like this? If my children were to ever do this, I would think I have done my job as a parent.
Have 6 minutes? Eliot gives 99 reasons to watch in unbelievable fashion....
Great pleasure is taken when something lowly in the eyes of the world is revealed as truth.
YOU are truth.
I take great pleasure you are here. I'm so grateful. It is just as God takes great pleasure revealing His truth in you.
Truth has a soul. I long for all the truth that has been lost, and rejoice in the truth that is.
So, this Friday I'll march for you. I'll celebrate you. I'll celebrate countless others who live long, and remember those who lived fleetingly.
This week we also celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. It's a bit ironic, and a bit of a blessing his birthday falls the same week as Roe vs. Wade. He marched for rights too. His words speak loudly, don't they:
"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
"I submit that an individual who breaks the law that conscience tells him is unjust and willingly accepts the penalty by staying in jail to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the very highest respect for law."
"If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control."
"The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men."
"Science investigates, religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power, religion gives man wisdom which is control."
"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."
"Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better."
Marching for you....
xoxo
In a world "all about me", a hero thinks about others at their own cost.
A hero is born when they give everything until it hurts.
A hero is born when they love something that is.
A hero is someone who loves what could be.
A hero is someone who loves what could be - even if that can't be for them, and gives it to another for life.
A hero is someone who adopts.
A hero is one who gives a part of their soul and breath to another in adoption.
A hero is a person who has to live with that incredibly hard, heartbreaking decision to give their baby to another a family.
A hero is a person who doesn't look at a single, young, pregnant girl and judges her for her belly in scandal, but offers total compassion and love for that belly and that girl.
A hero is someone who doesn't gossip, or dig up the dirt on a person involved in a surprise or unwanted pregnancy.
A hero is one who tempers passion with COMpassion when discussing the issues of life and choice.
A hero is a pro-lifer who gives compassion instead of judgment, offers peace instead of tirades, and prayers instead of passion. Countless times a pregnant woman thinking of abortion as her only choice will find more understanding and compassion in a clinic than through the words and actions of many pro-lifers.
A hero is one who loves unconditionally.
A hero is someone who can see that those who fight for choice are people too, who many times believe they are fighting for life - protecting women or their health - but are missing a part of the picture, and the current culture allows this to happen. A hero will patiently and compassionately work to show the sanctity of the whole picture.
A hero is one who will continue the dialogue, championing for life.
A hero is one who forgives.
A hero is one who fights for others.
A hero is one who accepts God does NOT make mistakes - and God's image is shown even in the most broken of bodies.
A hero is someone who helps families who have children with handicaps and medical conditions.
A hero is someone who fights for legislation that helps give financial aid for what these families face.
A hero is someone who gives their own treasure to assist families financially and emotionally. Life will be more sacred, and choosing life easier when those facing such a hard future don't feel alone.
A hero is someone who offers compassion to a woman whose body was used and abused and the result was a life forming she cannot imagine having. Your compassion, prayers, and support could be life-changing and life-giving.
A hero is someone who will not judge a person who has had an abortion. We are never to judge. Showing love, support, forgiveness, and empathy for the fear or reasons that made them feel abortion was their only option shows your conviction. Pray for them. Pray with them. You can be gentle while not backing down for Life. They still need healing, and they are still a person in God's image. Show Christ's compassion.
A hero is one who sees past the laws of the land, and feels who have been lost, those who have loss, and then sees who could be and fights for their rights.
A hero has hope...and the following fuels my hope:
Could you help like this? If my children were to ever do this, I would think I have done my job as a parent.
Have 6 minutes? Eliot gives 99 reasons to watch in unbelievable fashion....
Great pleasure is taken when something lowly in the eyes of the world is revealed as truth.
YOU are truth.
I take great pleasure you are here. I'm so grateful. It is just as God takes great pleasure revealing His truth in you.
Truth has a soul. I long for all the truth that has been lost, and rejoice in the truth that is.
So, this Friday I'll march for you. I'll celebrate you. I'll celebrate countless others who live long, and remember those who lived fleetingly.
This week we also celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. It's a bit ironic, and a bit of a blessing his birthday falls the same week as Roe vs. Wade. He marched for rights too. His words speak loudly, don't they:
"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
"I submit that an individual who breaks the law that conscience tells him is unjust and willingly accepts the penalty by staying in jail to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the very highest respect for law."
"If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control."
"The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men."
"Science investigates, religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power, religion gives man wisdom which is control."
"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."
"Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better."
Marching for you....
xoxo
Monday, January 17, 2011
Observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.
A man can't ride your back unless it's bent.An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see.
Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.
History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control.
In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'
Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s “Theory of Relativity” to serve. You don’t have to know the Second Theory of Thermal Dynamics in Physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love, and you can be that servant.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
AMEN.
Labels:
daily life,
encouragement,
introspective,
personal
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Small Successes and Thankful thursday - Snow Day(s) Edition
We are on Day 4 of a freeze/snow here and I'm LOVING it. My husband is home, we're all together, and we love it. Some people have commented they are stir crazy with cabin fever, but not at our house. We've had fun together, with neighbors, book reading, NAPS. It has been wonderful. Please pray though, I've had TWO friends who have had to take kids to the ER in the ice for different reasons. Both are doing great, but having to take your kids in icy conditions on top of worrying about them is hard on the heart.
1. We have managed to home educate most of the days this week. I love we have the ability and it helps us all appreciate how we spend our time. Have a child who is "bored?" Give them some challenging school work and watch them redefine "bored" in a jiffy lol! Luckily, Lovely loves home educating...but the call of outside, a good movie, or toys and having Daddy home can change a routine. We've been doing lots of living books too - who wants to do skill work constantly??! I've been reading Elizabeth Foss' book Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home and I'm getting such great information, advice, and ideas. I love her style! I'm still trying to fuse all of our styles together - books, living books, skill work, methods....oye!
2. I've uploaded pictures! Scroll below! It is always such a good feeling to actually blog SOMETHING once in a while!
3. We've been catching up on laundry. HA! That always makes my list. Notice 'folding' and 'putting away' are not in my sentence!
How is your week? Snowed in?
Thankful Thursday
This week I'm so thankful for...
1. snow.
2. how the snow days have us all home together,
3. the reading time snow days afford me.
4. my husband being home to help me get some rest.
5. my husband being home for QUALITY time together.
6. amazing friends.
7. the ability to appreciate these days off and together.
8. time to pray or reflect more.
much love! Stay WARM!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Small Successes and Thankful thursday
Goodness, I'm so behind in blogging! I haven't even done a Christmas a New Year's round up! Maybe later today! It is still Christmas :) I also need to get better about reading/commenting again. Please know I'm here...I'm just in a harder season for this currently.
1. I organized our homeschool learning room. Goodness, it needed it! You can scroll the page to see the pictures. Don't you love it too? It brings me such peace!!!
2. We tackled the house over break!!! So much got decluttered! I still have MUCH to do, but it is a start. I can breathe in my home again and feel less anxious. Now...if we can just get the junk out of the garage (that is where the clutter went to)....*sigh*.
3. I'm starting to get active again. I found a place I can do water aerobics (something my body needs)! I may cancel it and workout back at home in a few months, but with 2 children under two, my old habits were futile. Maybe when the baby is mobile, eating solids, and can entertain himself and his middle sister who also is needy, I can bring the workout home again. Until then, the water classes are great for me to feel a little less flabby.
How is your week?
Thankful Thursday
This week I'm thankful for...
1. the Christmas season!!
2. family.
3. GREAT health again....goodness! I missed it.
4. homeschooling.
5. amazing friends!!!
Much love!!!!!
2. We tackled the house over break!!! So much got decluttered! I still have MUCH to do, but it is a start. I can breathe in my home again and feel less anxious. Now...if we can just get the junk out of the garage (that is where the clutter went to)....*sigh*.
3. I'm starting to get active again. I found a place I can do water aerobics (something my body needs)! I may cancel it and workout back at home in a few months, but with 2 children under two, my old habits were futile. Maybe when the baby is mobile, eating solids, and can entertain himself and his middle sister who also is needy, I can bring the workout home again. Until then, the water classes are great for me to feel a little less flabby.
How is your week?
Thankful Thursday
This week I'm thankful for...
1. the Christmas season!!
2. family.
3. GREAT health again....goodness! I missed it.
4. homeschooling.
5. amazing friends!!!
Much love!!!!!
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