7 Quick Takes...Volume 5

 

Hello, and Happy Friday!  This may be my quickest 7 Quick Takes.  Still sick...blech!  But I am trying to get into the habit of writing/blogging regularly...so here goes!

- 1. -

It snowed heavily, but briefly, yesterday morning.  The forecast had been for a small amount of flurries, so the big flakes and strong wind gusts were surprising.  One of my friends had posted on Facebook that she felt like she was inside a snow globe in the hands of an excited 3 year old!  What a perfectly delightful image!  I was grateful that I did not have to go anywhere (lots of accidents reported in rural areas).  But I have to admit, it was a beautiful snowfall!  Brings to mind the canticle in the third chapter of the Book of Daniel... "All you winds, bless the Lord...Cold and chill, bless the Lord...Hoarfrost and snow, bless the Lord...Praise and exalt Him above all forever!"

- 2. -

While typing this, I took a break to peek in on Facebook.  People were participating in a quirky quiz, to see what Star Wars character they most resembled.  I took the bait.  I am Obi-Wan Kenobi!  Ha!  I think I would like to resemble him most, and some days I do...but I am not nearly so level-headed!

- 3. -

This Sunday is the March for Life in Chicago.  I would love to go, but probably won't.  Unless something changes, I just cannot see myself spending hours in the cold.  But if you are in the Midwest, and cannot travel all the way to DC for the big event on Wednesday, this is a great option!  Check it out here for more info

- 4. -

I went back to the doctor earlier this week, and when I was weighed, I reached my highest weight since I was pregnant nearly 20 years ago.  Oh. No.  I have been well aware of my weight going up, and I thought I was motivated to lose weight before my trip to Italy last year...but I just maintained my weight instead.  I hope this ugly number on the scale will shake me up.  I know I need to exercise, but I hate exercise!  If you have ANY tips for getting motivated, please fill me in!  (*Update...I weighed myself this morning, and I weigh 5 pounds less.  I prefer my scale at home!)

- 5. -

Last Sunday, as I mentioned in a previous post, we had one of our former foster kids over with her husband and three kids for a late Christmas dinner.  It was the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, so liturgically, we were still in the Christmas season.  Bruce made enchiladas, and we exchanged gifts.  All three of the kids pounded on the piano at least a little bit!  Lots of fun!  I only mention the "foster" title because some people get confused when I talk about my daughter...  "Kim, I didn't think you had kids other than Gabriel."  Bruce and I welcomed 41 kids into our home over 8 years.  Some were just here for a weekend, some, like Jamie, were here for much longer (she was here over 3 years).  I often referred to this as "my other pro-life ministry."  It was some of the hardest stuff we ever did...very intense and emotional...but very worthwhile.  Romans 12:13 says, "Share with God's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality."  While this verse is talking about reaching out specifically to other Christians, there is no doubt in my mind that God would love more Christian families to become foster and adoptive parents!! 

- 6. -

Our party was NOT the last of our Christmas celebrations!  This weekend some long-time friends of ours are hosting their annual "Procrastinator's Christmas Party," and I truly hope we can go!  For one thing, how fun is that party title?  It is a great reason to get together during the doldrums of winter.  Plus, the party always features a fantastic white elephant gift exchange.  Here's hoping my new medicines kick in! 

- 7. -

Well, this was longer than I expected, but I cannot think of a Number 7.  My brain is done.  Time for some more medicine and a cup of tea.  By God's grace, I will be feeling better soon!

So that's it for this Friday!  For more quick takes, check out Jennifer's Conversion Diary blog here.  I have found several blogs that I will be adding to my blog roll...LOTS of inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by...and feel free to leave a comment.  I would love to hear from you!

Ciao!
Kim

It's Still Cold, but Don't Stop Fighting for LIFE!

Good morning!  Sort of...  I woke up to another day of 10 degrees below zero.  That's air temp, not wind chill.  Brrrrrrrrr.  On the bright side, I am wearing jeans and a sweatshirt again.  I showered, but didn't do my hair.  Usually, I go into the office on Tuesdays, but we are closed again.  Our two nurses are stranded in their rural communities, and no one wants to be driving in these brutal temps, if they can avoid it.

I am also still struggling with bronchitis, so it is just as well that I keep my distance.  Hopefully, I will get some work done today.  Sanctity of Life Sunday is just around the corner.  WCC has a prayer service every year, for the entire community.  There is still a lot to do for that...oh boy.

I am also working on stuff for our upcoming Banquet for Life, to be held April 24th.  I am always nervous about the details of the event...there are many...but yet God always provides just what we need when we need it.  We have an amazing speaker scheduled for this year's event, Ryan Bomberger of The Radiance Foundation.  Pro-life Rock Star!  Now, I need to work on underwriting...the hardest part of the event.  Plus start getting my team ready for the planning: table hosts, decorations, program.  Yep, there's a lot to do!

On a day like this, when the world outside is at a standstill, it can be so easy to stop everything inside, too.  But I reminded myself today that God has called me to these tasks.  Yes, it's a job...but it is more than that:  it is a vocation.  When you want to see abortion knocked off the face of the earth, you cannot stop the work.  There is too much to do!

• We must pray every day for women to choose life
• We must support our local pregnancy resource ministry with our prayers, our treasure, our time
• We must educate our family and friends about the truth of abortion...and then educate them on REAL solutions, such as adoption or parenting with help from places like Women's Care Clinic
• We must utilize the tools available to us, like blogs, Facebook, Twitter...or even old fashioned approaches such as Letters to the Editor or an actual face-to-face conversation over lunch
• And we must pray again...without ceasing!

Later this month, the National March for Life will be held in Washington DC...and other marches will occur in San Francisco and Chicago.  Many in the media will try to avoid these huge events, but the truth is, our country is waking up!  Abortion is not a solution...it is just another problem being handed to women all dressed up in pretty words like choice.  The young people who march proudly call themselves the Pro-Life Generation.  I cannot wait to see what miracles God will be doing through them this year!

So, I am going to get back to my work.  All I have to do is picture someone's baby, and I know I am doing the right thing!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Kim

Feast of the Holy Family!!

Merry 5th Day of Christmas!!

Today while at morning Mass, I saw several young families.  They caught my eye, because today is the Feast of the Holy Family (at least in the Catholic Church).  I love this feast day, because we are encouraged to renew our commitment to our own families...to live with gentleness and patience...and especially with forgiveness.

As a kid, the 2nd reading on this day always made me giggle.  "Children, obey your fathers...Fathers, do not provoke your children..."  I think we all just looked around at each other, trying not to laugh out loud while in church.

But in reality, these words from Scripture are so important and true.  Our American culture is suffering from a serious lack of strong fathers. I see it all the time at Women's Care Clinic.  Women whose boyfriends leave when they find out a baby is coming, or young men who are convinced that the best way to support their girlfriend is to sit by passively as she chooses to abort their baby...HIS baby.

What happened in their lives that made these men so apathetic?  Do they know their own dads?  Do they have any sense of love or acceptance from the man who should have been around more?

It can be easy to get discouraged.  But then I see young couples with young kids at church, and  think "Thank you, Lord Jesus!"  I was singing in the choir, mostly with my eyes closed today because I was trying to pray more and be less distracted during Communion.  For some reason, I opened my eyes, just as a young father was receiving the Eucharist, while holding his toddler asleep in his arms.  Just behind him was his young wife, carrying their younger child...also asleep.  As if that wasn't precious enough, I saw yet another couple with their four little ones coming to the table of the Lord.

YES!  This is God's design for family!  Being together...husbands and wives supporting each other...raising their children to know and love God.  This is what we celebrate this day!

I hope you and your family have a blessed day.  Whether you live alone, with your spouse, or with a bunch of kids...take this day to truly treasure the family God has given you!

Blessings,
Kim

The Feast of the Holy Innocents

Good morning.  I started writing these thoughts on Facebook.  It was too long for that page, I think, so I decided to come here instead.  Turns out, I needed lots of room...


Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, marking the brutal slaughter of babies, ordered by an enraged and jealous King Herod.  He couldn't handle the prophecy about a Child becoming King.  Actually, Satan could not handle it...so he had Herod to do his dirty work.  This Child Jesus was posing a real threat to Herod's kingdom because Herod assumed Jesus would be a military-ruler-type of King.  Satan understood the threat was more spiritual...and in his pride, he thought he could kick Jesus off the Throne.  Pride, this kind of intense, ugly, self-serving pride, only leads to destruction.

While Herod ordered the slaughter of boys, undoubtedly little girls died too.  Think about it...babies and toddlers are often wrapped in blankets.  I doubt the soldiers were very particular in checking the gender of these children before they committed the crime.  They may have killed older children too...trying to get the ugly deed done as quickly as possible..."Just following orders."  Many cringe, thinking of killing so many innocent children...as well we should.  But I have often reflected on the similarities in our modern culture.  Sure, we dress things up a bit under the terms of "reproductive rights" and "mercy killing"... but abortion and infanticide are evidence that the Enemy still can't handle seeing these babies.  Satan has worked for decades, convincing our nation that there are "too many" babies, and that sick babies would be better off dead.  I don't know anyone who favors legalized abortion who would see him/herself as doing Satan's work.  In fact, many believe they are doing God's work...if you can believe that.  That is because Satan is conniving and deceitful.  He is not going to put himself out there blatantly.  Just think about the arguments made for keeping abortion legal, they often sound so "compassionate."

• "These babies would be growing up in poor homes, with little chance for a future."  We should never assume all women seeking abortion are poor.  Nor should we assume all poor people have miserable lives with no future.  Those are elitist notions.  But even if these things were true, the problem is POVERTY, not the baby.  Address the poverty.  People of good will can disagree on how best to do that...welfare, job training, material assistance, pregnancy resource centers.  But we must fight poverty, not babies.

• "A baby born with a disability will suffer so much."  As a person born with a disability, it irks me to no end when people suggest babies should be aborted if an anomaly is detected. And as the mother of a son who was stillborn due to severe anomalies, I was livid at the suggestion that I get rid of him.  It reeks of Hitler's method of exterminating the "unfit."  Yes, I compared aborting disabled babies to Hitler's reign of terror.  If you think I am way off base, well, I just don't know what to say.

• "These teenagers are unable to be good parents now.  They should finish school and wait to have babies."  Again, we should never assume those seeking abortion are all teens (poor teens, of course, according to some).  Many women are in college, or they have established careers, or they are happily married with 3 kids in school, and thought they were "done."  But even in the case of teens...who says these girls cannot finish school?  Or go to college?  How about promoting ADOPTION as a loving, safe alternative?  How about supporting the programs at pregnancy resource centers to assist them in completing school?

• "The woman was assaulted.  It's not her fault that she is pregnant.  She should not have to be reminded of her attacker every day."  This is one of the most difficult and sensitive issues. In fact, in the political realm, this one gets a lot of "pro-lifers" all tangled up in a web.  Let me first say this:  I have met women who have been victims of rape and incest, and who have gotten pregnant because of those violent attacks.  My heart goes out to them.  But as one who believes that life begins at conception, I cannot accept abortion as a solution to this trauma.  Why?  Because it doesn't get rid of the trauma, it only gets rid of the baby.  Do you really think that aborting a baby will let the woman forget she was raped?  And in the case of incest, do you not see that the abuse will likely continue because the evidence (aka BABY) was destroyed?  It is true that it is not the woman's fault...but it also isn't the baby's fault.  In these cases, it is the man's fault...how does abortion hold him to account for his crime?

• "No one should tell a woman what to do with her body.  She needs the freedom to choose what is best for her life."  This is the most common argument that I hear in debates or read in social media.  "My body, my choice!"  Sounds so logical, doesn't it?  Especially if you don't like big government "intrusion."  But it falls short in a big way:  It is NOT just "your body."  There obviously is another body in there, or we would not be having this conversation.  Trying to define the unborn baby as not being fully human is just as wrong as it was to define African slaves as not fully human.  The attempts to de-humanize a group of people in order to justify some "right" of another group of people is always wrong.  Always.  I'll probably write more about this later, because my head is swimming with thoughts, and this post is longer than I anticipated it would be!

These are just a few of the arguments for keeping abortion legal (or even making it a global "human right.")  And my responses can be summed up with my personal mantra...The Baby is Never the Problem.  After all, each baby, each child is created in the image of God Himself.  He made every child intentionally, with a purpose!  We need to build a culture that helps all babies grow up to fulfill their purpose!   I pray for the day when the Innocents are no longer slaughtered by some order from a king (or judge or president.)  I pray for the day when our culture strips away pride and jealousy and fear and selfishness...recognizing that babies are not burdens at all, but BLESSINGS from the Lord.

Gabriel's Mom
Kim

How busy is too busy??

Hard to define "too busy" other than I think I am there! LOL!! I have not touched my stamps for over a week because of my "real" job...but that's ok. At our clinic, we have helped 6 women choose life instead of abortion this month! That is outstanding for our small-but-growing operation!

This Sunday is Sanctity of Life Sunday, so I am busy with that. I have a grant proposal due next Friday...and I am busy with plans for the spring banquet! Plus, one of my key staff members has been on vacation for 2 weeks, meaning I have covered a few appointments not usually on my schedule.

All that...and my craft room is being redecorated! The painting is nearly comlete...just some work on the trim left to do. Tomorrow, my dear hubby and the friend who is painting will be installing my slat board for displaying projects. My next Stampin' Up order is schedule to arrive on Monday with my Definitely Decorative vinyl pieces for the walls. (Thought I expedited the order...oops!)

This upcoming week will be intense...super busy...and super fun! (Well, grant writing isn't exactly "fun!") It won't be long until I can settle into my newly decorated space, with my new stamps to create new stuff! Keep your eyes open!