I really don’t want to talk about this or even think about it any longer than necessary.  I just want others to see it, so they will know the lies for what they are.   Some have a seared conscience, but so many women don’t fully realize what they are doing – at least until it’s too late.  But the doctors know.

Sorrow, quite apart from the sense of shame, is exhibited in some way by virtually every woman for whom I performed an abortion, and that’s 20,000 as of 1995. The sorrow is revealed by the fact that most women cry at some point during the experience… The grieving process may last from several days to several years… Grief is sometimes delayed… The grief may lie sublimated and dormant for years. -Dr. Susan Poppema, abortionist

Read the rest of the article: 10 Very Surprising Quotes From Abortion Doctors

If you know me, you know I’m not into politics.  Rooting for Ron Paul has been a stretch for me.  I’ve been convinced for many years that there are few substantive differences between the Republican party, the Democrats, and the socialist/marxist principles that they knowingly or ignorantly espouse.

Ron Paul may be a Republican, but he is different.  I don’t think he’s right on every issue, but I do think he is an able man, one who fears God and hates bribes, and a man of his word.  He does his best to honor his oath of office, voting consistently to limit the federal government to its Constitutional bounds.  If we don’t like his policies we need to blame the Constitution, not Ron Paul.

Perry, Deanna and I attended our local Republican convention earlier this year, excited about the possibility that Ron Paul might – just might - be able to garner the party’s nomination. We attended the 2012 Texas Republican Convention as delegates for our county, still determined to do whatever we could to aid the one presidential candidate we could support in clear conscience.

Along the way, I learned much more than I expected.

I already knew that the Republican party was largely a contest of seniority and who you know, and I definitely saw this in action.  However, I also learned that the Texas Republican party is made up of staunchly dedicated Christians who differ little from us in principle.  While they may support candidates I find unacceptable, it’s not necessarily because they agree with the candidates.  It is often because they feel compelled to choose the lesser of two evils.

The state party’s platform – what Texas Republicans believe as a group – is surprisingly solid, very much in line with most of Ron Paul’s policies that so impressed us.  While Ron Paul and his supporters haven’t always been warmly welcomed within the party, they have had an overall positive effect, moving the entire party to the right.  This year’s new platform, heavily influenced by Ron Paul and others like him, was strongly and broadly supported by nearly everyone present.  I believe the few remaining areas of disagreement are those areas in which people are willing to support a tyrannical government so long as it abuses its power in ways they agree with.  By that I mean that some of the issues may be good goals but are not within the Constitutional scope of the federal government, which is part of the reason so many people have a problem with Ron Paul.  They look at his voting record and assume it reflects his personal convictions rather than his oath to support the Constitution.

I learned that politicians can talk the talk without walking the walk.  I knew it, but it was shocking to see it in action.  Many gave speeches that sounded like sermons, chock full of scripture and rock-solid principles. If we voted for speeches rather than candidates, some would have the support of the founding fathers themselves. Some of these same men and women have supported abominable policies for reasons I can’t begin to fathom, and are supported by the Christian brothers and sisters around me.

I also learned that some Ron Paul supporters have earned their bad reputation.  Most were respectful and enthusiastic participants of the process we had chosen to participate in, but a few were different.  Some were loud and disruptive at times, booing elected officials and leading chants that halted proceedings, making other RP supporters cringe.

I was surprised at the fairness and unfailing good humor of the chairman, Steve Munisteri.  In the wake of reports of cheating in state conventions all over the country, we were blessed to witness an impartial meeting of over 5,000 delegates who disagreed (sometimes vehemently) but were led by a chairman determined to do his job with skill and honor, setting a good tone for the smaller group meetings that were interspersed with the general sessions.  He repeatedly admonished delegates to treat each other with respect, loving one another as Christian brethren even when we disagreed with each other.  I appreciated his humility as he frequently consulted with his parliamentarian for correct procedure, acknowledging the expertise of those who questioned him.  I appreciated his willingness to aid and bear with those who wanted to participate but didn’t understand the proceedings, and it was impossible to ignore his unflagging sense of humor as he dealt with people who would have driven a lesser man to swearing.

I learned Robert’s Rules of Order.  I already had a very basic sort of familiarity with the process because our church runs its annual business meeting according to RROO, but we studied more about the rules as the convention approached, and we attended a 30 minute class at the convention itself as well.  To see rules at work in gatherings of 200-5,000 over the course of 3 long days was truly amazing.  I have much to learn, but I finally feel like I understand the basics and am beginning to understand the language.

I learned that while it’s easy to be frustrated with the state of our nation and the character of our leaders, we can make a difference.  We live in a republic, and while our governing officials often fail to follow the rules, they are chosen by us – by those of us who care to participate in the process.  Yes, God has set them over us, and they may very well be instruments of judgment.  But He has used our own hands to do it, and we are blessed by Him to live in a nation where one way we can show our repentance is by [looking] for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and [placing] such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.  Exodus 18:21

While I have posted frequently about Ron Paul on Facebook, I don’t often bring it to the blog.  However, this quote just breaks all the rules.  I can’t help sharing it.

“The notion of a rigid separation between church and state has no basis in either the text of the Constitution or the writings of our Founding Fathers. On the contrary, our Founders’ political views were strongly informed by their religious beliefs. Certainly the drafters of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, both replete with references to God, would be aghast at the federal government’s hostility to religion. The establishment clause of the First Amendment was simply intended to forbid the creation of an official state church like the Church of England, not to drive religion out of public life.

The Founding Fathers envisioned a robustly Christian yet religiously tolerant America, with churches serving as vital institutions that would eclipse the state in importance. Throughout our nation’s history, churches have done what no government can ever do, namely teach morality and civility. Moral and civil individuals are largely governed by their own sense of right and wrong, and hence have little need for external government. This is the real reason the collectivist Left hates religion: Churches as institutions compete with the state for the people’s allegiance, and many devout people put their faith in God before their faith in the state. Knowing this, the secularists wage an ongoing war against religion, chipping away bit by bit at our nation’s Christian heritage.”

~Ron Paul (source)

I came across this quote and had to share.  I would like to tatoo it to the forehead of every politician we elect for the next 20 years.  If we did it in mirror image, they could read it every morning when they stand in front of the mirror, and maybe something would soak in.

Google attributes it to Dr. Adrian Rogers, though I could not find any single source that struck me as particularly reliable.  It sounds more like the founding fathers of America or something from the Anti-Federalist papers.  Maybe he was quoting them?

You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom.

What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that, my dear friend, is about the end of any nation.

You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.

~Dr. Adrian P. Rogers, three-time president of the Southern Baptist Convention

I also found that all 5 sentences were nearly always quoted as a single paragraph, but they seem to me more like unconnected excerpts.  What do you think?

The lines above remind me very much of The Law by Frederic Bastiat which I read in high school, and this quote which I thought came from Bastiat’s book but is instead attributed with some uncertainty to Alexander Tytler.

No republic has long outlived the discovery by a majority of its people that they could vote themselves largesse from the public treasury.

Just in time for the birthday of the great usurper, Jasime Baucham who blogs @ joyfullyathomeblog.com has given us a look at the facts surrounding Abraham Lincoln’s Presidency. Just a quote from the article:

Abraham Lincoln’s heroism is great exaggerated in modern circles. His own words prove that he was not a proponent of emancipation, he did not believe in racial equality, and his Emancipation Proclamation did not emancipate a single slave…

read the rest of the article here

If you haven’t heard this amazing little pianist, then you’re really missing out.

Emily Bear is 7 now, and has released 3 CDs in the past years.  You can also find Emily Bear on Amazon, where you can download individual songs for $.99.  Below are some of her own original compositions.  I find her music to be very soothing, yet interesting.  I imagine it would be very good background music for difficult work.

Maybe if I had music like this playing in the background at my house, I could remember…well…stuff that I forgot…I’m not sure what stuff.

ht to Natalie Wickam

I love The Common Room blog, but I always come away steaming mad.  Being informed on political matters often has that effect, it seems.

• “We are God’s partners in matters of life and death,” Obama said… Yes, I’m sure there was a greater context to this statement, but do we really need or want to know?
• White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki seems to assert that unintended consequences don’t exist. Yet another downside to the Cash For Clunkers fiasco, or C4C as I prefer to call it.
• CPSIA will affect not only Craigslist and thrift stores – their current focus -  but even yard sales. When toys are outlawed, only criminals will have toys.
• Despite what Obama said, the House bill would allow abortions to be covered by a federal plan and by federally subsidized private plans. Did you ever doubt it, from the single most rabid opponent of the Born Alive Act?

I don’t tend to keep up with politics unless an issue hits me in the head or the gut.  There are certain advantages to keeping one’s head in the sand.

I found this snippet at the Common Room this morning in a post entitled, Does the President Understand the Math?  Does He Care?

On the Washington Post: a new level in euphemism:

The recession has entered a new phase, pulling away from an economic abyss into a period of steep, but orderly, decline.

When I read the Washington Post quote, I couldn’t help but see the Dude Falling.   Have you seen him?  You really should.  Be sure to watch the whole thing – it’s only about 40 seconds, and I think he does a fantastic impression of the current state and likely future of our economy.

I know a lot of people are scared, but I have a confession to make.  I can’t help being suspicious that the general public is being whipped into a panic over a manufactured crisis.  Every time I hear somebody on the news say, “Don’t panic, but…” it just sounds like they are suggesting that you’re going to feel the need to panic when you know all the facts.

It’s like talking to a little kid who just skinned her knee.  Do you say, “You’re fine.  There’s just a few drops of blood,” or do you scream, “Don’t look!  I think you’re bleeding!”  Does any mother in the world think that’s a good way to keep a 5yo from panicking?

Call me cynical, but the CDC’s Key Facts About Swine Flu simply don’t look that scary.   The google map showing confirmed and suspected cases of Swine flu in the US doesn’t look that scary.  Influenza already kills 35,000 people every year in the US, and nearly 10 times that many people worldwide.  So far, the WHO only credits the H1N1 strain (Swine Flu) with about 13 deaths worldwide, though Mexican sources were earlier blaming it for nearly 200.

For a more balanced view than what the media is presenting, you might want to take the time to read this extensive article from Mercola.com, or watch this brief video of Ron Paul reminiscing about the 1976 outbreak.  Did you know that exactly 1 person died from Swine flu back then, while at least 25 died from vaccinations and thousands suffered severe side effects of the vaccinations?

First, the government wanted to bail out our economy.  Now we have a health crisis, and they’re ready to leap to our rescue again.   Can I see a show of hands?  Who think this might help certain parties in their goal to achieve nationalized healthcare?

I’ll admit I don’t do much on Facebook.  I try not to get hooked on the games, causes, groups, etc.  But hubby brought this one to my attention and I want to bring it to yours:  The Red Letter Campaign.

The idea is simple.  Bombard the White House with red envelopes to remind President Obama that the majority of Americans do not support his abortion policy.

You can participate easily, as often as you want.  Just send an empty red envelope to the address below.  Don’t have a red envelope?  Make one out of construction paper.  Or make 50.  Address them to:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500

I’ll make it easy for you.  Here’s a sheet with that address 24 times.   Click on it, print and hand to a kid old enough to handle a pair of scissors.

Seal it and write the following message on the back:

This envelope represents one child who died in abortion.  It is empty because that life was not allowed to offer anything to the world.

Life begins with conception.

Stamp it, mail it, and invite others to do the same.

Behemoth.com has a great freebie today: get a full download of Voddie Baucham’s excellent message, The Centrality of the Home in Evangelism and Discipleship.  This was my intro to Dr. Baucham, and was incredibly encouraging to me as a stay-at-home mom.  My mission field is right here in front of me, and there’s plenty of work to be done!

If you don’t have a Behemoth account yet, you’ll be required to create one to get your free download.  Don’t be scared.  It’s really and truly free.  Freebies rotate daily or close to it, so if you wait too long you’ll miss this one – but there will be another in its place.

And while we’re on the topic of Dr. Baucham, you might want to see a couple of videos on his site.  Ron Paul’s economic advisor Peter Schiff was laughed to scorn in 2006 and 2007 when he predicted an economic collapse.  Now he’s garnering a bit more respect.  Can you guess what he thinks about the stimulus bill? ht to Marci at Amazing Graze Farm