Life Issues

My favorite Christmas movie is The Nativity Story.  I love the cultural context as Mary’s pregnancy unfolds.  Imagine the gossip and hostility the couple had to suffer.  Perceived sex outside of marriage comes with real pushback.  My favorite line is as Joseph leads the donkey out of Nazareth to Bethlehem, he says to his future wife, “They’re going to miss us.”  Mary and Joseph had a hard road.  They weren’t wealthy.  King Herod wanted their precious baby dead.  Parenting the Savior of the world wasn’t for sissies.  But God took care of them, just as He’ll take care of you during life’s dark and challenging times.  This movie reminds me that if the Lord allowed the mother of His son to suffer, I shouldn’t complain by the challenges I face along the way.  Merry Christmas!

My two passions are Christmas and babies.  Those who know me well understand December is my happy place, surrounded by Christmas trees, music and lights, all pointing to the “Word made Flesh.”  I’ve imagined holding and snuggling baby Jesus.  Kissing those cute baby toes, knowing his feet would be pierced for my sins.  Changing his diaper, picturing where the soldier would wound his side.  Stroking a full head of hair, one day matted with blood by a crown of thorns.  The tiny arms joyfully flailing as I held him would someday lie motionless and cold in the tomb.  And now there he is with loving eyes that pierce my soul.  My risen Lord wraps his strong, warm arms around me.  The torture he endured replaced with pure love. December is my happy place.

Melissa Brooks had always believed in abortion but began to have doubts when she faced an unexpected pregnancy.  Some of her dear friends had multiple abortions but the thought of having one made her sick inside.  And this mother of an eighteen-year-old son received a high level of pressure from her boyfriend to have an abortion.  But a pro-life law in Kentucky where she lived prevented it.  Melissa secretly visited a pro-life pregnancy center to hear the heartbeat of her baby.  This cemented her decision to give him life even though he had serious medical conditions.  Because she chose life, she’s raising the baby on her own.  Even so, she will forever be thankful the Kentucky legislature protects unborn children.  Because, as a result, she has a precious boy to love.

Stuart Worby will spend twelve years in prison to think about the crime he’s committed.  He secretly crushed abortion pills into his girlfriend’s orange juice without her knowledge.  The pills caused her to miscarry her unborn child who was fifteen weeks old.  It appears the reason he was caught was texts between Worby and the friend who helped secure the deadly pills.  Just imagine how many assailants were never caught!  Abortion pills by mail without an in-person visit to a doctor’s office has made it possible for these crimes to explode in society with unsuspecting women paying the price.  The woman is now unable to have children.  We have tons of information on chemical abortion pills at life issues dot org.  Equip yourself to learn more about the victimization of women and their babies.

Ronald Reagan proclaimed October as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.  This past October I observed Catholic churches throughout the United States holding beautiful events.  I encourage every church to consider doing something similar.  Special services were held for those whose lives have been touched by the death of a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion or early infant death.  Invitations to participate were extended to parents, grandparents and siblings who grieved.  They lit candles, entered the names of these children into a memorial Book of Innocents.  Some passed out silk roses to honor their children.  It’s amazing how events like these provide healing and closure.  For more details and resources for your church visit this broadcast link at life issues dot org.

It’s unprecedented.  If you hadn’t heard, two judges, Algenon Marbley, appointed by Clinton and Max Cogburn by Obama, had announced their retirements.  But when Trump won the presidential election both reversed their retirements.  Both have been accused of playing partisan politics and should recuse themselves from future decisions.  Apparently they didn’t want their replacements filled by President Trump.  Friend, this is but the tip of the iceberg.  The judiciary is subject to political agendas and this is why we need a president who will nominate strict constructionists.  That is, they strictly interpret the constitution instead of legislating from the bench.  Future rulings from these two judges will be tainted with politics.  They should do the right thing and retire again.

This was a huge victory for children and their parents.  Last year Idaho passed a bill preventing abortion trafficking, that is providing an abortion to a minor or taking her across state lines for an abortion without the knowledge of her parents or guardian.  A panel of the Nineth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling claiming it violated freedom of speech if you can believe that.  It’s a commonsense bill everyone supports, except the abortion industry and its advocates.  Planned Parenthood built an abortion mill one mile past Idaho’s boarder for the purpose of going around the state’s protective laws.  Idaho’s intent was to protect their children and the rights of parents and the Court agreed.  Violators better think twice.  They could face up to five years in jail.

It’s hard to believe we’re even having this conversation.  A coalition of Jews, Muslims, Christians, legal scholars, and twenty states are asking the US Supreme Court to again intervene.  The state of New York passed legislation mandating that nuns and other religious organizations fund abortions for their employees.  They included a fake exemption saying the nuns must serve people of their own faith.  But they and others serve people of all faiths.  New York courts ruled against them but the Supreme Court reversed their rulings and told them to rethink the issue.  But the lower courts ignored the Supreme Court and dug in to advance an evil and extreme agenda.  This, my friend, is another example of how the extreme Left ignore the rule of law to achieve their end.

Cheynne Gill posted a disturbing social media stream apparently on X.  A woman identified as Allyah wrote.  “I’m pregnant! Having a scan soon to find out if it’s a girl or an abortion.”  Intending to abort her baby if it’s a boy.  But posted responses changed her mind for albeit for another disturbing reason.  Allyah wrote, “Some people have convinced me to look into raising my child as a girl even if it is a boy and trying to get treatment as early as seven years old.”  She means sex change surgery on her young child.  First, all abortion is wrong. Second, it’s true many women facing an abortion decision do so under very difficult circumstances.  But you need to know there’s an extra dark side to taking unborn life.  Please pray for Allyah.

After the demise of Roe v Wade and the passage of comprehensive protections for the unborn babies of Texas, the San Antonio City Council took matters into their own hands.  They passed an illegal provision in their budget to provide taxpayer money for travel and other related expenses for women to get abortions outside of Texas.  The San Antonio Family Association filed a lawsuit challenging the council’s action.  A district judge ruled against the pro-life group so they appealed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals where they will likely prevail.  The San Antonio City Council caved and reversed its illegal action but stated they’d look elsewhere to fund abortions legally.  The appeal to the Fourth Circuit will move forward and the pro-lifers will remain ever vigilant with the abortion diehard Council.