A few awards for the Pillars.......It's catch up time

The Lovey AwardAlexa, my bloglifting diva, was kind enough to select the Pillars as one of the recipients for the Lovey Award. According to the criteria for this award, these blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

Micki,Holy Cards for your Inspiration, I just don't get there enough! Her ministry is simply beautiful!
Nick,Phatcatholic.
Sarah, Snoring Scholar,
+JMJ+, Tutus tuus, she is among the many I try to visit regularily.
Denise, Catholic Mom, she is the Catechist, I wish I had and for my children!
Kitchen Madonna, even though she isn't blogging any more....I am encouraging her.
Jeff, Echoes Americana, he has been through it, but continues with uplifting spirit.
Laura, Mixonian, a friend and fellow homeschooler, she has such a knack for communication!

The Lemonade Award

Cindy, both my neighbor and dear friend, awarded the Pillars the "Lemonade Award" for showing good attitude or gratitude. I, in turn am to award it to ten other bloggers. Those ten bloggers are now to pass it on to ten other bloggers for their great attitudes or gratefulness.

Adrienne, at Adrienne's Corner, for her great political posts.
Nick, PhatCatholic, he is a tireless
apologetic now turned DRE, I'm proud of him.
Steven, Book Reviews and more, frankly, I don't know how he does it!!
Jeff, Echoes Americana,
Laura, Mixionian,
Margaret, Minnesota Mom, a fellow homeshooling mom.
Esther, Jean, Barb SFO, and Cindy, my neighbor, but these guys already have the award.

THAnks again for these kind encouragements!

Catholic Schools.....not so Catholic anymore

Cindy and Deacon Tim at Twoedgetalk share a great commentary about the Catholic School system in America today and some history in their podcast called 102 Education, Part 1 In our small Catholic homeschool group's Saint Society meeting yesterday, we all talked about how our studies of the saints and the history of the Church and her struggles have taughts us so much.

Deacon Tim spoke about how parents of Catholic schooled children ask about their grades and not about their souls. Wow!! what a concept, to be more concerned and interested in how your child's soul is progressing and not just the future of the mortal body in the higher education system?

Which is worth more? Which lasts forever? Which one is the most important in the long run?

Republicans Won a battle on the Hill!!!!

I feel like I might be able to sleep more peacefully tonight. Check it out:

Praise GOD the ALMIGHTY!!!!!

The BO to meet with the Republicans

Listening to Laura Ingram's show right now.

She has Sen. Mike Pence, R-Indiana on right now.

The Republicans have invited BO to meet with them at 11:30 this morning.

The senator says:

We are going to ask him to put the taxpayers first and not let this porkbarrel stimulus package go as it is. They (Dems) filed the bill last night with NO Republican input whatsoever.

All this bill does is fund a long list of dusty liberal spending and they are saying that they are so bipartisan.

The Republicans want the American people to know from coast to coast that this bill will only stimulate the "old dusty" list of what the Democrats want to fund.


We want the package to give American families and small businesses more money in their pockets for immediate tax relief. Immediate tax relief is what is needed best.


Foreign policy:

BO's first foreign call. "George Mitchel is on of enourmous stature, what I told him was to start by listening what America has in the past all too often we dictate and we need to listen first"....yada yada yada...

"hang on to your hats, we are going to roll up our sleeves and get to work for the citizens."


Oh, and by the way, Barbra Streisand needs to be quiet she is JUST a singer....that's it....JUST a singer.

Why doesn't ANYthing make sense anymore???

A senior Vatican official on Saturday attacked US President Barack Obama for "arrogance" for overturning a ban on state funding for family-planning groups that carry out or facilitate abortions overseas.
It is "the arrogance of someone who believes they are right, in signing a decree which will open the door to abortion and thus to the destruction of human life," Archbishop Rino Fisichella was quoted as saying by the Corriere della Sera daily.

Fisichella is president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, one of a number of so-called pontifical academies which are formed by or under the direction of the Holy See.

"What is important is to know how to listen... without locking oneself into ideological visions with the arrogance of a person who, having the power, thinks they can decide on life and death," he added.

Obama signed the executive order cancelling the eight-year-old restrictions on Friday, the third full day of his presidency.

The so-called "global gag rule" cut off US funding to overseas family planning clinics which provide any abortion services whatsoever, from the operation itself to counselling, referrals or post-abortion services.

"If this is one of the first acts of President Obama, with all due respect, it seems to me that the path towards disappointment will have been very short," Fisichella said.

My comment to the new White House.gov site

Concerning the Abortion Funding policy:
It is truly unfair to pose a mandate that gives the blanket permission on American money to be spent on foreign programs that strongly contradict the beliefs of many Americans.

Solution: On the income tax forms many Americans fill out, give those Americans the choice to donate to this program. Surely there are enough liberals out there that will happily donate to the cause of killing inconvenient babies.

Just words!! Just speeches!!!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Changefest '09 - Obama's Inaugural Speech

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Beware of Obama's Trojan Horse

BEWARE OBAMA'S TROJAN HORSE By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANNPublished on DickMorris.com on January 22, 2009

Now that Obama is the president, fasten your seat belts. During his first year in office, and particularly during his first hundred days, we are about to witness the most prodigious output of legislation since 1981-2 (under Reagan), 1964-5 (under Johnson), and 1933-36 (under Roosevelt). The combination of top heavy Democratic majorities in Congress and a mood of public fear bordering on panic over the financial crisis and the looming depression will speed his legislation through a compliant Senate and House. We will enter his Administration as the United States, buoyed by an aggressive free market economy. We will exit his first year - and even the first hundred days - as France, burdened with massive government regulation, a vast public sector, and permanent middle class entitlements. And Obama will take care to arrange things so that massive and permanent political change accompanies his and protects his legislative achievements in the future. He will call this radical change a stimulus package. He will dress up a generation of liberal priorities as necessary steps to fight the economic crisis. His programs and policies won't do much to end the depression. It will end only after the massive burden of debt is lifted from the shoulders of American and foreign households and companies, a process which will take years. At most, his stimulus will act as methadone while we withdraw from our debt addiction, mitigating the pain, smoothing over the trauma, and soothing our system. But Obama's strategy is to hide inside the Trojan Horse of stimulus an army of radical measures to change America permanently. The most pernicious of his proposals will be the massive Make Work Pay refundable tax credit. Dressed up as a tax cut, it will be a national welfare program, guaranteeing a majority of American households an annual check to "refund" taxes they never paid. And it will eliminate the need for about 20% of American households to pay income taxes, lifting the proportion that need not do so to a majority of the voting population. Unlike the Bush stimulus checks, this new program will be a permanent entitlement, a part of our budget that can only go up and never down. Politically, it will transform a majority of Americans from taxpayers, anxious to hold down government spending, into tax eaters, eager to reap new benefits. The huge spending in his stimulus package will create a budget deficit topping one trillion dollars. Ronald Reagan cut taxes to raise the deficit to stop liberals in future years from increasing spending. Obama will raise spending to raise the deficit to stop conservatives in future years from cutting taxes. As he funds every liberal dream - from alternative energy production to infrastructure renovation to more federal revenue sharing - he will force a massive expansion in the size of government for a decade to come. If the proportion of our $14 trillion GDP absorbed by the public sector increases by $1 trillion dollars, it will mean that government's share will rise from its current 33% to about 40%, bringing us close to the United Kingdom's ratio. If Obama adds a major expansion of health care to the mix, the proportion could reach into the mid-forties, French and German territory. And Obama will likely use the Trojan Horse of stimulus to make a down payment on health care reform, expanding public coverage of those now uninsured dramatically. Likely, he will initially use the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) as his vehicle. He will ask the same pool of doctors and nurses and the same amount of medical equipment to take on the care of almost 50 million more people, necessitating rationing of medical services. Those too old, too sick, or with bad habits like smoking, may find themselves fenced off from good medical care, even if they can pay for it themselves. While he is making these major changes, Obama will permanently alter our politics by taking three steps designed to alter the political balance:a) He will set illegal immigrants on a path to citizenshipb) He'll pass the card check voting system for unionization, raising the unionized share of our economyc) He will crack down on talk radio through requirements either for equal time or for local ownership and control - or both.Most likely, Obama's inability to tame the depression will erode his popularity during his first two years in office. But, by then, his proposals will be statutes. The fiscal parameters, the middle class' expectations of no taxes and government handouts, and the demographics of our electorate will be changed forever.Go to DickMorris.com to read all of Dick's columns!__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND TELL THEM THEY CAN GET THESE COLUMNS E-MAILED TO THEM FOR FREE BY SUBSCRIBING AT DICKMORRIS.COM!THANK YOU!***COPYRIGHT EILEEN MCGANN AND DICK MORRIS 2009. REPRINTS

The Pope Speaks about the Obama-rama-drama

Prelate Urges US Catholics to United Voice

Notes Jan. 22 Abortion Anniversary and New Administration

DENVER, Colorado, JAN. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Archbishop Charles Chaput exhorted Catholics across the United States to "let your voice supporting life be heard," in the ear of the new political administration.
The archbishop of Denver asserted this in an article published Wednesday in the Denver Catholic Register.

He began by affirming the obligation of Christians to "love their country, build on its greatest qualities and serve its best ideals."

The prelate spoke about the duty to pray for our leaders and obey the law, "insofar as the law does not violate human dignity in some systematic, gravely evil way."

He added, "When bad laws and court decisions cripple the soul of a society, Christians must work to change them as a matter both of justice and charity. Otherwise we risk colluding in the evil of their outcome.

"Obviously with families to raise, jobs to pursue and lives to live, not all Christians can be engaged in the many important issues facing our country. But we can always at least serve the truth by not lying to ourselves and to each other."

Obama

Archbishop Chaput referred to the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday, noting that "he was elected on a message of national renewal, unity and hope."

He continued: "These are worthy goals, and we should wholeheartedly support his administration in all these things. His inauguration marks a tremendous victory for racial justice in our country [...].

"Barack Obama's rise to the presidency reminds us that among the family of nations, the United States remains very unusual: It is still a place where people can succeed on their ability; where politics can actually matter; and where evil structures and laws can be changed by sustained, peaceful witness."

36 years ago

The archbishop turned his focus to today's anniversary of "one of the most destructive Supreme Court decisions in American history, Roe vs. Wade."

"By legalizing permissive abortion and drastically limiting voters' ability to restrict it in any way," he explained, "Roe set the foundations for an abortion industry that has wounded countless women and resulted in the killing of more than 40 million unborn children."

The prelate pointed out that "President Obama's past record of support for abortion 'rights,' embryonic stem cell research and other violations of human dignity is deeply troubling, and also deeply ironic, given his sensitivity to other human rights."

He underlined the fact that "before and during the recent election, then-Senator Obama pledged his support for a Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) that would strike down all state restrictions on abortion and sweep away the many modest but important gains made by the pro-life movement over the past three decades."

The archbishop acknowledged that the president's Catholic supporters "claim that a pro-FOCA effort is unlikely in the coming congressional session, and that the Obama administration may take a go-slow approach to the abortion issue."

He asserted: "We can hope this is true. But of course, the form and timing of FOCA-like efforts are irrelevant.

"It's the political intent behind them that matters. We have to work with what we know to be true by the president's own words.

"The Obama administration was elected on the economy, but along with President Obama's economic mandate comes his forcefully abortion 'rights' public record and party platform. Nothing in the president's words or actions has suggested a change in his fundamental goals."

Speaking up

Archbishop Chaput explained that Catholics in the United States, including those in the Archdiocese of Denver, will have the chance "to sign a petition to our elected officials opposing FOCA and asking them to respect the dignity of unborn human life."

He underlined that: "Whether FOCA actually materializes in the coming session of Congress is not finally important; the message we send is.

"In fact, with the current Congress and administration, the abortion lobby could accomplish its destructive agenda quite easily by incremental legislative and executive steps that would have a much lower profile than a 'Freedom of Choice Act,' but the same bloody effect."

"We're in a new moment for our country," said the prelate, "a moment that offers great promise, but also requires great vigilance and sustained action to defend the dignity of human life at its earliest and most vulnerable stage."

He exhorted his readers: "When you're asked to sign the U.S. bishops' petition opposing FOCA in your parish, please sign it enthusiastically and encourage others to do the same.

"This is an issue -- protecting unborn human life -- that transcends party affiliation and needs all of us as believers to speak clearly with one voice."

In honor of the March today in DC

God bless each and every person traveling to DC to walk for all the pre-born, born, and to be born into eternal life. Keep them all safe and strong. Let the new president see them and hear their cries for justice, conversion, and repentance. I wanted to be among you today, but alas I couldn't.

Prayer and peace!

The New Administration = Culture of Death

The White House's new resident hasn't wasted any time from his glamourous, overindulgent celebrating in the face of unemployement, forclosures, and despare in the stockmarket. I received some heads up this morning by Denise over at her blog. Jay Anderson also has some news from good sources. Please pray as I continue to look further into this situation. Here is the new website as of 12:01 pm yesterday......

From the new WhiteHouse.gov website:

Reproductive Choice
Supports a Woman's Right to Choose: President Obama understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority in his Adminstration. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case.

Preventing Unintended Pregnancy: President Obama was an original co-sponsor of legislation to expand access to contraception, health information, and preventive services to help reduce unintended pregnancies. Introduced in January 2007, the Prevention First Act will increase funding for family planning and comprehensive sex education that teaches both abstinence and safe sex methods. The Act will also end insurance discrimination against contraception, improve awareness about emergency contraception, and provide compassionate assistance to rape victims.

If you notice on this website all the grandiose plans and objectives seems quite far reaching, expansive. He is like a new young teacher who wants to cure all the ills of each and every student that crosses her path, only to become tired and desensitized as the months and years go by and the job gets too tough and unachievable.

More of his over zealous goals.......lest us not be too excited here, but don't bother reading it, first of all it is just under "Women" there is a whole long list of categories. There isn't enough time 2 terms much less the one he will have considering he will have to begin campaigning next year for another term and then he won't be working as president during the campaigns......it's not good.

Preventing Violence Against Women
Reducing Domestic Violence: One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. Family violence accounted for 11 percent of all violence between 1998 and 2002. As a member of the Senate, President Obama introduced legislation to combat domestic violence by providing $25 million a year for partnerships between domestic violence prevention organizations and Fatherhood or Marriage programs to train staff in domestic violence services, provide services to families affected by domestic violence, and to develop best practices in domestic violence prevention.
Strengthening Domestic Violence Laws: Approximately 1,400 women a year -- four every day -- die in the United States as a result of domestic violence. And 132,000 women report that they have been victims of a rape or attempted rape, and it is estimated that an even greater number have been raped but do not report it. In the Senate, President Obama co-sponsored and helped reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, legislation initially written and pushed through Congress by Vice President Biden. The law funds and helps communities, nonprofit organizations, and police combat domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The reauthorized legislation establishes a sexual assault services program and provides education grants to prevent domestic violence.
Fighting Gender Violence Abroad: The genocide in Darfur has had particularly devastating consequences for women. Tens of thousands of women have been killed, raped, and displaced since the conflict began in 2003. President Obama has been a leading voice in Washington urging the end of genocide in Sudan. He worked with Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) on the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, a version of which was signed into law. The President has traveled to the United Nations to meet with Sudanese officials and visited refugee camps on the Chad-Sudan border to raise international awareness of the ongoing humanitarian disaster there. He also worked with Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) to secure $20 million for the African Union peacekeeping mission.
Economic Issues
Fighting for Pay Equity: Despite decades of progress, women still make only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. Throughout their careers, President Obama and Vice President Biden have championed the right of women to receive equal pay for equal work. In the Illinois State Senate, President Obama cosponsored and voted for the Illinois Equal Pay Act, which provided 330,000 more women protection from pay discrimination. In the U.S. Senate, Obama joined a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce the Fair Pay Restoration Act, a bill to overturn the Supreme Court's recent 5-4 decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. The bill will restore the clear intent of Congress that workers must have a reasonable time to file a pay discrimination claim after they become victims of discriminatory compensation. The President was also a cosponsor of Senator Tom Harkin's (D-IA) Fair Pay Act, and President Obama will continue to promote paycheck equity and close the wage gap between men and women.
Expanding Paid Sick Days: Today, three-out-of-four low-wage workers have no paid sick leave. It is fundamentally unfair that a single mom playing by the rules can get fired or lose wages because her child gets sick. President Obama and Vice President Biden support efforts to guarantee workers seven days of paid sick leave per year, a moderate proposal that should not impose too onerous a burden on employers.
Investing in Women-Owned Small Businesses: Women are majority owners of more than 28 percent of U.S. businesses, but head less than 4 percent of venture-capital-backed firms. Women business owners are more likely than white male business owners to have their loan applications denied. President Obama and Vice President Biden will encourage investing in women-owned businesses, providing more support to women business owners, and reducing discrimination in lending.
Protecting Social Security: Americans are increasingly at risk of working their entire lives only to face retirement in poverty. President Obama and Vice President Biden believe we need to preserve the character of Social Security by stopping any efforts to privatize social security. They will also work in a bipartisan way to maintain Social Security's solvency for future generations.
Encouraging Retirement Saving:
Create Automatic Workplace Pensions: The Obama-Biden retirement security plan will automatically enroll workers in a workplace pension plan. Under this plan, employers who do not currently offer a retirement plan will be required to enroll their employees in a direct-deposit IRA account that is compatible to existing direct-deposit payroll systems. Employees may opt out if they choose. Experts estimate that this program will increase the savings participation rate for low and middle-income workers from its current 15 percent level to around 80 percent.
Expand Retirement Savings Incentives for Working Families: The President will ensure savings incentives are fair to all workers by creating a generous savings match for low and middle-income Americans. His plan will match 50 percent of the first $1,000 of savings for families that earn less than $75,000. The savings match will be automatically deposited into designated personal accounts. Over 80 percent of these savings incentives will go to new savers.
National Security
Caring for Women Veterans: There are 1.7 million women veterans, a number that is increasing every day. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that was built to care for World War II veterans is not ready to handle the influx of women veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, then Senator Obama introduced legislation to force the Pentagon and VA to better track the newest generation of veterans -- including the number of women veterans -- so that the VA can better plan their care. President Obama also introduced legislation to fight homelessness among veterans, with a special focus on treating women who may have been victims of sexual trauma. Along with Senator Claire McCaskill, President Obama co-sponsored legislation to provide funding for additional caseworkers and mental health counselors, a women's mental health treatment program, and a comprehensive mental health study of returning soldiers. The President will fight to ensure that women can get the care they deserve at the VA.
Poverty
Of the 37 million Americans living below the poverty line, approximately 14.6 million are women -- a staggering number equal to the combined populations of Iowa, Indiana, and Wisconsin. And nearly 13 million children are living in poverty, a rise of 1.3 million since 2000. President Obama and Vice President Biden are committed to a renewed effort to tackle the underlying problems that cause poverty.
Raise the minimum wage: President Obama and Vice President Biden will raise the minimum wage, index it to inflation and increase the Earned Income Tax Credit to make sure that full-time workers earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs.
Helping Low-Income Workers: The President and Vice President will invest $1 billion over five years in transitional jobs and career pathway programs that implement proven methods of helping low-income Americans succeed in the workforce. They will also create a program to directly engage disadvantaged youth in energy efficiency opportunities to strengthen their communities, while also providing them with practical skills in this important high-growth career field.
Education
Protecting Title IX: President Obama and Joe Biden support eliminating gender discrimination in American schools. For 35 years, Title IX has been a bulwark against sex discrimination against students and employees at all levels of education. President Obama and Vice President Biden will fight to make sure women have equal opportunities and access from pre-kindergarten through graduate school.
Expanding Early Childhood Education: President Obama has been a champion of early childhood education since his years in the Illinois legislature, where he led the effort to create the Illinois Early Learning Council. He introduced a comprehensive "Zero to Five" plan to provide critical support to young children and their parents by investing $10 billion per year to create: Early Learning Challenge Grants to stimulate and help fund state "zero to five" efforts; quadruple the number of eligible children for Early Head Start, increase Head Start funding, and improve quality for both; work to ensure all children have access to pre-school; provide affordable and high-quality child care that will promote child development and ease the burden on working families; and create a Presidential Early Learning Council to increase collaboration and program coordination across federal, state, and local levels.
Promoting Women in Math and Science: Women constitute 45 percent of the workforce in the U.S., but hold just 12 percent of science and engineering jobs in business and industry. Women also make up just 9 percent of the recipients of engineering-related bachelor's degrees. President Obama and Vice President Biden believe that every student should have equal access to education in math, science, and technology in order to compete on a global scale.
Improving Our Schools: From the moment our children step into a classroom, the single most important factor in determining their achievement is their teacher. President Obama and Vice President Biden value teachers and the central role that they play in education. They will work to ensure competent, effective teachers in schools that are organized for success. The Obama-Biden K-12 plan will expand service scholarships to recruit and prepare teachers who commit to working in underserved districts. To support teachers, The President and Vice President will foster ongoing improvements in teacher education, provide mentoring for beginning teachers, create incentives for shared planning and learning time for teachers. To retain teachers, President Obama and Vice President Biden will support career pathways that provide ongoing professional development and reward accomplished teachers for their expertise. This Career Ladder initiative will help eliminate teacher shortages in hard-to-staff areas and subjects, improve teacher retention rates, strengthen teacher preparation programs, improve professional development, and better utilize and reward accomplished teachers.
Making College More Affordable: President Obama and Vice President Biden will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university. Recipients of this credit will be required to conduct 100 hours of public service a year, either during the school year or over the summer months.

The most racist President in modern times....BO

is a con man, a thug, a liar and a cheap Chicago politician who plays to the worse of America, not the best.

Too bad the worse of America are going to get a rude awakening. The "Chosen One" could have set them straight, he could have stopped them from thinking that he would be powerful enough as to pay their mortgages, rent, car payments, and pay them a salary they didn't earn.

Tomorrow is a new day, the "day after" when reality will be a not so friendly face.

This is REAL hope

HT: Shrine of the Holy Whapping

Pre-Inaugration blues

As a very concerned citizen apprehensive of this new corrupt administration about to take the helm of my country, I am frightened.

Why, you ask?

1. FOCA: The Freedom of choice Act. See below on an earlier post concerning this

2. "Spread the Wealth" concept and the misleading high hopes that this "chosen one" has allowed to go too far. Let all those who think that BO will fix your financial woes, think again. You will still have to pay your mortgage, car payment, property tax, taxes for groceries, licenses, and doctor bills. You will still have to find work YOURSELF, and the great chosen one doesn't really care about the little people.
Rest assured this is the true reality, not the one on the campaign trail.

3. The corrupted people that have been chosen to join this administration, all with their own agendas and we are NOT part of it. Self-gain and continued pork-barrel spending will be the norm.

4. Morality, family, and basic freedoms will be compromised, ie: Talk radio

The list goes on and I have no hope for better. I do pray for his safety, however, I don't want BO to be hurt in any way as this will bring on a new wave of horrific violence with destruction to many all over the country, because I firmly don't believe the racial differences are over, it has just been continued and highlighted during this campaign.

Dear Father Almighty! Please hear my pleas for safety and righteousness. Protect us and our country, protect our young, unborn, and old who under this administration will loose their worth and viability, protect our families against those of this administration that desire all "rights" to be realized whether for the good of our world or not. Hear us and answer our prayers. Through Jesus Christ's name I pray.
Amen

Happy Delivery day to me!!!!

Today is a special day for me, 27 years ago, I gave birth to the most amazing gift possible: a son. I have talked about this before, but there is no other way of putting it, Marshall was already a person, I just delivered him on this day. At the cusp of the horrendous FOCA approval by the new (old) incoming administration for our country, I have to say something.

Twenty-seven years, nine months, and 2 days ago a decision was made in my heart...to become a responsible, dependable, and cheritable person for another person. During the time of preparation for the delivery day, I made more decisions, endured hardships of sickness, discomfort, sleepless nights, and anxiety all with a twinkle in my eye and growing emotion of motherly love. At the very moment that I knew deep down that I was carrying another life within, it was joyous. I remember being so excited and nervous that on the way home from the doctor's appointment I had a fender-bender. After explaining to the nice elderly lady whose car I bumped that I had just learned I was expecting my first child, she giggled and wished me well and we parted ways without incident or a report.

When, at any time, was that strapping young lad in the picture above, standing with his daddy, not "viable" as the "Freedom of Choice Act" wants to decide?

Again I quote the April 19, 2007 Bill: Freedom of Choice Act

Sec. (4)...Under Roe V Wade and Doe V Bolton, the right to privacy protects a woman's decision to choose to terminate her pregnancy prior to fetal viability, with the State permitted to ban abortion after fetal viability except when necessary to protect a woman's life or health.
...(7) The Roe v Wade decision also expanded the opportunities for women to participate equally in society. In 1992, in Planned Parenthood v Casey (505 U.S. 833), the Supreme Court observed that, '[t]he ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives.
3 Definitions.
In this Act:
...(3)Viability - The term 'viability' means that stage of pregnancy when, in the best medical judgement of the attending physician based on the particular medical facts of the case before the physician, there is a reasonable likelihood of the sustained survival of the fetus outside of the woman.

So, why to we have day-care centers? After school programs? Boys and Girls clubs? I have never felt so involved in society since becoming a mother. Working inside and outside the home with children, attending social gatherings as a mother. The smiles and compliments on my children and the greetings of support have always been a blessing to me. Not to knock single career women, as their lives can be fulfilling as well, but I do have to say, having children gives spice to life.

What a travesty to put such emphasis on whether to have children or not due to the possibility of parenthood being inconvenient to one's social life.

Fight AGAINST the Freedom of choice Act (FOCA).......Save our daughters and unborn babies!!!!

Please read the information below and join us in prayer and fasting January 11-19, 2009.

The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) will be signed into law if Congress passes it on January 21-22, 2009. If signed into law, ALL limitations on abortion will be lifted, resulting in the following:

1) All hospitals, including Catholic hospitals, will be required to perform abortions upon request. If this happens, Bishops vow to close down all Catholic hospitals - more then 30% of all hospitals in the U.S.

2) Partial birth abortions will be legal and have no limitations.

3) All U.S. taxpayers will be funding abortions.

4) Informed consent laws protecting women would be eliminated

5) Parental notification of abortions on minors will no longer be required (regardless of age).

6) The estimated number of increase in abortions is 100,000 annually.

Just as important, the government will now have control in the issue of abortion. This could result in a future amendment that would force women by law to have abortions in certain situations (rape, Down Syndrome babies, etc) and could even regulate how many children women are allowed to have.

Needless to say this information is disturbing, but sadly true. As Catholics, as Christians, as anyone who is against the needless killing of innocent children, we must stand as one.

PLEASE JOIN US IN saying a novena (9 days of prayer) and fasting from January 11-19. For Catholics, the prayer of choice is the rosary for the special intention of stopping the FOCA. For non-Catholics we encourage you to pray your strongest prayers with the same intention for 9 consecutive days. We hope and pray this will branch and blossom to become a global effort.

Please do the following 3 things:
1) Pass this letter to 5 or more people within 3 days or less (so as many as possible can start praying on January 11th)

2) Say a novena from January 11-19, asking God to prevent the FOCA from becoming law in the U.S.

3) Fast at least 2 days during this novena (either a complete fast of bread and water, or a Lenten fast of no meat and meals limited to 1 regular meal and 2 lesser meals during the day).

Remember that with God all things are possible and the power of prayer is undeniable. If you are against the senseless killing of defenseless children, please join us in prayer and fasting.

Which Obama did you vote for?

As a Republican, I did NOT vote for him......for these reasons:

Veils, an absolutely beautiful gesture in adoration

My friend +JMJ+ from Totus Tuus shares a great post on wearing veils. Also, Nick from PhatCatholic posted on this. I really want to wear one, even made one with a pattern from another homeschool mom, it's beautiful. My 13 year old daughter wants to wear a veil, but our parish isn't open to it and I don't want to draw attention to myself. What to do!

A word about Music

Soothing!

The Holy Father's Prayer Intention for January

From Zenith.org:

Benedict XVI is praying for the family this month, and in particular so that it become a school for learning charity and the faith.

The Apostleship of Prayer announced the general intention chosen by the Pope: "That the family may become more and more a place of training in charity, personal growth and transmission of the faith."

Dear Families, we need prayer to protect us from the culture of death mentality and the upcoming liberal and corrupt administration taking over our country.

Catholic Carnival #206 is up and ready

Contra did a great job with the Carnival this week, even I have a submission! So, please go check out the many morsels of Catholic treats here.

The pope says to "not be afraid" of the new year

In his homily celebrating Mary, the Mother of God,

The Holy Father assured that both the year that was ending and the one on the horizon are both under the gaze of the Virgin Mother of God: "The maternal presence of Mary assures us tonight that God will never abandon us, if we entrust ourselves to him and follow his teachings. To Mary, then, with filial affection and trust, let us present our hopes and desires, as well as the fears and the difficulties we carry in our hearts, as we bid farewell to 2008 and prepare ourselves to welcome 2009."

He continues to tell us

"Our great hope as believers is eternal life in communion with Christ and with the whole family of God. This great hope gives us the strength to confront and overcome the difficulties of life in this world.

"The Holy Father assured that both the year that was ending and the one on the horizon are both under the gaze of the Virgin Mother of God: "The maternal presence of Mary assures us tonight that God will never abandon us, if we entrust ourselves to him and follow his teachings. To Mary, then, with filial affection and trust, let us present our hopes and desires, as well as the fears and the difficulties we carry in our hearts, as we bid farewell to 2008 and prepare ourselves to welcome 2009."

It makes me think of an article I was reading the The Word Among Us, that my mother gives me each year for Christmas about Rejoicing in the Lord always by starting the day each and every day positioning ourselves in Christ with a prayer something like this:

"Jesus, I want to know you. come and open the eyes of my heart. Show yourself and your mighty power to me. Lord, I want to see you."

or,

"I want to receive more of the Holy Spirit today. I will put my faith in Jesus today and trust that He will give me what I need."

Navigating through the waters of life is hard, the future unknown, the sizable problems with our world daunting, but if we continue to daily remind ourselves that Christ is there for us, we can find hope. Mary, Paul, and so many other amazing saints rejoiced in Christ through tough times and scarying situations, we must, too.

Besides, you don't take a vitamin one day and expect it to work for you indefinitely, you must continue to take it to continue to reap the benefits, same with prayer, same with self-reasurance of the hope and faith we have in Christ.

May the peace and joy of Christ Jesus be with you and your families now and forever.