Mid-January update

I am back at work in St. Louis and finally over the December sickness, yay! Praying I avoid whatever is now going around my workplace. From the descriptions of what some of my coworkers are experiencing, I think it might be the same bug, which should mean I am immune, right?

Caitlin has been in St. Louis with me this week, which has been wonderful. I kinda like that girl. Yesterday we joined some of the LCMS Communications team in attending the Chicago March for Life. We left at 7:00 a.m. and returned about 18 hours later.

On the way in our nice, warm van.

Lunch at Nando's. 

On the right is the social media manager for The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. He does superb work. You can catch a few of his live videos from the march here. Unfortunately, the cold was a major drain on all our devices, including the livestream camera, which shut down before the march was over.

We have eyes of life!

On the way home we stopped for gas in Bolingbrook, Illinois, where we lived from the time Caitlin was 4 until she was 18. She has many memories of this city, as well as of Chicago, and would like to go back for a longer visit. We hope to do that when it's a little warmer. 

Much of our drive home was in snow. This is my back yard in St. Louis this morning.

Today I drive Caitlin back to college for her final semester as an undergrad! In May she will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a French minor. Boy, did those four years go by quickly.

Meanwhile, here's Trevor back at school at University of Iowa, where he is beginning his second semester of his doctoral program in piano performance. Next to Trevor is his current teacher at Iowa, Ksenia Nosikova. Next to her is his former teacher at University of Nebraska, Paul Barnes, who recently visited the U of I campus. Next to Dr. Barnes is a high school student who formerly studied privately with him in Nebraska but who, after a family move to Iowa, now studies privately with Dr. Nosikova. It is a small musical world!

God Knew Your Name

"God Knew Your Name" from Cheryl on Vimeo.

I didn't need insomnia to write this one.

My second article for The Federalist:

"To Mama, From Little Thing"

He Gives to All of Them Their Names

LCMS Life Conference and March for Life 2013 from Cheryl on Vimeo.

Day of Silence

The high school where I work part-time recently participated in the national event known as the Day of Silence, in which students who wish to take part resolve to go speechless for one day to show solidarity with the LGBT (lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender) community.

I can't help wondering whether such an event would be promoted or even allowed if the purpose were to show solidarity with all the voices that have been silenced by abortion in this country. I doubt it. Yet LGBT students, while they may feel censored by societal mores*, are in our midst, able not only to speak but to eat and breathe and walk around, whereas the aborted, having been put to death, can do none of those things. So I ask, who are the truly silenced?

*I wonder, though, if that is the case anymore, considering how "alternative" lifestyles are celebrated by the mainstream media today.

Upside-Down World

This is beyond belief: a pro-abortion, Roman Catholic Speaker of the House praising a health care rationing bill for its supposed life-affirmingness, and invoking Joseph, the husband of Mary and earthly father of Jesus, as a symbol of the working Americans who would benefit from socialized medicine.



Read The Anchoress to hear what a real Catholic thinks about this travesty.

Lying Liars and the Lies They Tell

HT: The Anchoress

Some Encouraging News . . .

. . . on the abortion front.

And an interesting theory from a twenty-something friend regarding one possible reason for the change.

Change

During the presidential campaign, I sometimes heard it said that there was no measurable difference between John McCain and Barack Obama.* For months I fought that view and encouraged those who were considering voting third party to reconsider and to cast their vote for the one person in the race who had a chance of defeating Mr. Obama. My feeling was that, like it or not, we have a two-party system, and the best way to have an impact is to work within that system. Like many of my friends, I would have preferred a more ideologically conservative/libertarian Republican nominee, but due to the inability of Republicans to unite behind such a candidate, Mr. McCain came out in front, and I voted for him with enthusiasm, trusting in his patriotism and integrity as well as his commitment to preserving enough of the founding fathers' vision that we might someday be able to reclaim even more of it.

But it was not to be. And now I fear we see our country slipping away from us, never to return to its roots.

There were those during the campaign who cried "Chicken Little" at people like me because we perceived this presidential election to be one of the most pivotal in American history, having the potential to kill the American experiment and set us on the path of European socialism and conciliation. They said we were overreacting--that this election was no different from any other, and that we could survive an Obama presidency as well as any other.

I can't help wondering if, after barely a month, those people still feel the same way. If they do, I have to further wonder if they are living on the same planet and in the same America that I am. Since of course they are, I am left to conclude that perhaps they are just not paying attention. Because the change wrought by this president in the last few weeks has been pervasive and bold, way bolder than I ever imagined (so much for moderation), and I am panicked thinking about the next four years.

Here are a few articles that effectively summarize where we were before Obama, and where we are now.

Investor's Business Daily

Charles Krauthammer

*For the record, John McCain opposed the stimulus plan and sponsored a petition against it. A McCain presidency would not have led to the "Kick Me" sign (described by Mr. Krauthammer in his column) that the United States is now sporting in the international community. And a McCain presidency would not have resumed global abortion funding, nor would we be hearing Mr. McCain promise to sign the Freedom of Choice Act as soon as it hits his desk.

The Gift of Life

A friend of mine recently posted this video on her blog. It's a song about the longing for a baby and the pain that comes when that dream is not easily realized. It's a cruel truth of this fallen world that there are many who don't want children and yet conceive them even without "trying," while there are others who deeply desire children but find that God's timing or will is not theirs. So they find themselves waiting and hoping and praying. Meanwhile our president promises to do everything in his power to enable women who don't want their babies to kill them.

If you've never seen this video before, you might want to get your hankie. And if you are someone who believes that every child is wanted, if not by his human parents then certainly by the God who created him, and that innocent human life should be protected at all stages, please consider participating in Red Envelope Day on March 31, 2009. Details here.

To anyone who is waiting, my prayers are with you.

What Are They Afraid Of?

Remember this commercial?



The people behind it had hoped to buy time to air it during the Super Bowl Sunday.

NBC said no.

Read the full story here.

HT: The Corner at National Review

Question

Did anyone see anything in the news yesterday about the March for Life in Washington, D. C.? Did the mainstream media even cover it?

He Didn't Waste Any Time, Did He?

Link

Dana, you got your wish.

Lord, have mercy.

Sickening, Just Sickening

So here I am, having not watched television all day, masochistically (and inscrutably) subjecting myself to news coverage of the Inaugural balls.

And what do I stumble on but actress Dana Delaney being interviewed outside one of those galas. After expressing her joy at the swearing in of the new President, she is asked by the interviewer what she hopes Mr. Obama will make his first priority in office.

So what do you think she said? Fix the struggling economy? Or perhaps, more likely for a Hollywood liberal, bring the troops home?

No. For Ms. Delaney, the first item on the agenda should be to "rescind the gag order" forbidding federal dollars from supporting international organizations that provide abortion services, funding or counseling overseas. Because, of course, nothing is more important than making sure there are more abortions in the world.

I think I was better off not watching.

Hope

We're hearing a lot about hope these days. It's an irresistible word, yielding much in the way of good feelings but requiring little specificity or accountability. This, of course, is why politicians love it. For who could possibly be against hope? We want our children to feel it as they consider their future. It pains us when unpleasant reality forces us to share harsh truths that may have the effect of dashing youthful hope and idealism.

Sometimes, though, we have to do it. We have to be honest with our children about the fallen condition of the world in which they live. Perhaps it seems cruel and unfair.

But what I think is more cruel and unfair is to create and nourish false hope, as so many are doing today by buying into and propagating the lie that one man can singlehandedly wipe the slate clean and create an environment in which understanding reigns supreme and all problems can be solved if we just put our minds to it. I know all politicians engage in such rhetoric to some extent, but in my lifetime I have never seen so many people hang so much on one individual. It's as though at noon tomorrow we are all going to find ourselves in a brand new reality, one defined by hope. But here's a rather "inconvenient truth": feeling hopeful doesn't accomplish much. We have some big, big problems in this country. Human nature is such that we will never solve them all. As we try to address them, there will be differences of opinion, and it is not unreasonable or partisan to air those differences.

As much as we might like to, we can't promise our children a world in which hoping for something equals achieving or receiving it. But wouldn't it be nice if we could give them a world that at least promises them the chance to hope and to dream and to pursue all that it means to be human?

Mr. Obama, you were given that chance. Shouldn't everyone?





HT: Pastor Esget

God Knew Your Name

In observance of Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, January 18, 2009, please take a moment to view this video created by Jim Likens. Rev. Likens, a pastor of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is also the composer and performer of the song that accompanies the video. Bethany Lutheran Church in Naperville, Illinois was privileged to welcome Rev. Likens as its guest this weekend. Thank you, Rev. Likens, for being with us and for your commitment to the cause of protecting those who cannot speak for themselves.

A Silver Lining?

You know, the economic crisis could yield some benefits. Unless, of course, Congress decides to grant the bailout money currently being requested by the abortion and porn industries.

So tell me again about overpopulation?

Inventor of birth control pill has regrets as European countries face impending demise.

Why?

Just . . . why?

Planned Parenthood Christmas gift certificates

Last Chance For Life

If you are a pro-life person who is considering or has already decided upon voting for either Barack Obama or a third party candidate, I ask--no, from the bottom of my heart, I beg--that you read this column by Pat Buchanan. And then, if you haven't already, watch the video on life posted here several days ago, and prayerfully consider casting your vote for the one candidate who may have it within his power to change this country's culture of death and save millions of lives for generations to come. If and when we succeed in overturning Roe v. Wade we can turn our attention to other issues and vote our consciences on them. But until that time, nothing matters more than doing everything within our power to protect the unborn. Please--cast your vote for life, and make that vote count.