Abby Johnson used to work for Planned Parenthood

“I remember when I worked at Planned Parenthood in 2005, we were fighting SO hard to stop the parental consent legislation. We knew it would be devastating for us. Parental notification was SO easy to get around. They could give us the number to Walmart or Target or their cousin and as long as we said we made the contact, then they could get their abortion. We knew parental consent would make our jobs much more difficult. And I remember sitting across the hall from all of the pro-life groups...the groups that we were fighting. Well, all but ONE. There was ONE group that stood alongside Planned Parenthood. There was ONE group that opposed parental consent. I remember thinking to myself THEN, "what type of 'pro-life' group would ever not want parental consent?" Well, that same group is continuing to fight against parental consent in our state. Any group that will stand alongside Planned Parenthood is certainly no pro-life group. We must divide from these groups as they are incredibly detrimental to our efforts. The group I am referring to in this case is Texas Right to Life fueled by the damaging legislation of National Right to Life.”

From her Facebook page

How long will you blame Bush

Democrats managed to blame Hoover and extend the Great Depression for 10 years.  Maybe, if Obama overrules the Constitution (again) he can get a 3rd or 4th term and keeps us down.

Many abort at 20 weeks

And Democrats advocate and applaud this cruel and inhuman act as a woman’s right.

Dilation and Extraction (D&X) (partial-birth abortion): from 20 weeks after LMP to full-term

”This procedure takes three days. During the first two days, the cervix is stretched open using thin rods made of seaweed, and medication is given for pain. On the third day, the abortion doctor uses ultrasound to locate the legs of the fetus. Grasping a leg with forceps, the doctor delivers the fetus up to the head. Next, scissors are inserted into the base of the skull to create an opening. A suction catheter is placed into the opening to remove the brain. The skull collapses and the fetus is removed.” First Choice Clinic 

http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-20-weeks

          

Lindsey at 20 weeks (today), 3rd pregnancy

I would never want to be 20 again, but

These photos do bring back some memories.  University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, on the Quad in the Fog. The first photo is the Illini Union, and lived just a few steps away in McKinley Hall (YWCA) on Wright Street.

Prager on Obama’s Inaugural Address

The Obama Inaugural Address, by Dennis Prager

“To understand leftism, the most dynamic religion of the last hundred years, you have to understand how the left thinks. The 2013 inaugural address of President Barack Obama provides one such opportunity.

"What makes us exceptional -- what makes us American -- is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'"

What American does not resonate to a president reaffirming this magnificent statement from our Declaration of Independence?

But here's the intellectual sleight of hand: "What makes us exceptional -- what makes us American" is indeed the belief that rights come from God.

But this seminal idea is not mentioned again in the entire inaugural address. This was most unfortunate. An inaugural address that would concentrate on the decreasing significance of God in American life -- one of the left's  proudest  accomplishments  -- would address what may well be the single most important development in the last half-century of American life.

Continue Reading   http://www.dennisprager.com/columns.aspx?g=a656bc34-0083-4bee-82ae-48aad1cdf80f&url=dennis-prager-n1499966

Famous quotes

Our skeet shooting president

"If he is a skeet shooter, why have we not heard of this? Why have we not seen photos? Why hasn't he referenced this at any point in time?" Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said Monday on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront."

"I tell you what I do think," she later added. "I think he should invite me to Camp David, and I'll go skeet shooting with him and I bet I'll beat him."

Terrorist groups are alive and well--al-Shabaab

National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START ) reports:  “Before its account was suspended by Twitter Jan. 25, 2013, the Somali jihadist group al-Shabaab had been using Twitter actively -- sending about 1,250 tweets to its more than 20,000 followers since December 2011. The primary goal of the group’s (@HSMPress) tweets had been to engage with English-speaking supporters and promote its own overarching narrative of current events.  In its tweets, the group frames invading East African forces and the Transitional Federal Government as Western proxies at war with Muslims in Somalia.”

“Violent Jihadism in Real Time: Al-Shabaab’s Use of Twitter” is the name of the report.

“Using an analytical tool from Topsy, which provides deep, comprehensive analyses of hundreds of billions of Tweets and web pages gathered from millions of unique websites, blogs and social media services, the researchers also evaluated the reach of al-Shabaab’s Twitter account. Al-Shabaab’s most prolific tweets included those about how Hurricane Sandy was a small fraction of the destruction the U.S. deserves, and how the horrors of 7/7 and 7/21 will be eclipsed by what is looming on Britain’s shores. Such analysis shows that the group’s cumulative exposure had grown over the past year.”

Paula Priesse says on Facebook

President Obama views America as a nation of imbeciles. Well to be fair, Obama did get re-elected. But even with a second term now guaranteed, Obama still displays a pathological need for shameless pandering. Franklin Foer of “New Republic” to President Obama: “Have you ever fired a gun?” Obama: “Yes, in fact, up at Camp David, we do skeet shooting all the time.” Sure O, we believe you. Obama goes on to say the strong support for the 2nd Amendment is due to hunters being “pretty protective” of family tradition. And being the magnanimous leader he is, Obama would never interfere with that.

On numerous past occasions President Obama labeled himself as a constitutional law professor. If true, never in the history of academia has a professor known so little about his or her subject. Thanks Mr. President, if we’re ever invaded by a nation of ducks, or a deer starts shooting up a school classroom, or if your skeets come to confiscate our guns, we’ll be prepared. The buffoonery continues. P

Monday Memories--The Tennessee Reunions of Northern Illinois

I’ve written at this blog about the Tennessee connections based on the memories of my father.  After my great-grandfather moved to Illinois, he helped a number of families come north and get settled.  They would meet for picnics when a visiting relative was in the area, and it came to be known as the Tennessee Reunion.  The first my dad remembered was around 1924.  All the people who attended (with the exception of the children born in Illinois) had known each other back in Tennessee--Martins, Millers, Ballards, Corbetts, Biggs, Vessers, and Willifords and some others.  Most were related by blood or marriage.
Today I received a photo, too long for my scanner of the reunion held at Lawrence Park, Sterling, Illinois on July 14, 1929.  As near as I can tell, the Ballards and Corbetts are at the left.  Since I didn’t know any of these people when they were this young, I haven’t identified all of them. 

I think the two girls with dark hair sitting with the children, about 6 people from the left, might be Dorothy and Gladys Corbett, with possibly their cousin Phil Ballard between them.  Their mother Bessie is directly behind them, and maybe her mother Leanor Ballard is next to her.  It’s possible that Roy and Helen Ballard are next to Art and Myrtle Ballard. I can’t pick out my great-grandfather, but he was usually the tallest one.
Imagine being so dressed up for a picnic? People had some pride in appearances in those days.

What does it take for a congregation to grow?

Mainline churches are losing ground and evangelicals are stalled, according to this interfaith report which I saw in the NALC newsletter. Aside from all the attention to worship style (contemporary, innovative, traditional) it seems that there does need to be a reason for existing. Many churches have forgotten that. It helps to stand for something. If you're a service club or just supporting your denomination's history and traditions, you probably won't grow. http://faithcommunitiestoday.org/decade-change

And I think this is reported in most church growth surveys—“The primary way people first connect with a congregation is through someone who is already involved.”  Indirectly, that’s how we got to UALC.  In 1974 I heard about a program on the radio which was at a church I’d never seen (after 7 years in Upper Arlington, I’d never been on that street).  I attended, was invited to a Bible study, and then to attend a service.  We were confirmed on Palm Sunday 1976.

Children of Sandy Hook getting help from Comfort Dogs

Lutheran Church Charities Comfort Dogs have Been at Newtown, CT since mid-December and have been requested to stay through January at Sandy Hook Elementary and Newtown High School.

Our Lutheran Synod, North American Lutheran Church (NALC, which is U.S., Canada and Mexico) works cooperatively with other Lutheran groups and agencies for disasters.  The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has an innovative “first responder” team of dogs (from the photos I’m guessing they are all Goldens).

The charity was created in 2008, and has been used after the tornadoes in Joplin, Mo., and after Hurricane Sandy.

“On New Year's Day - at 3 am - 20 handlers and 10 LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs left the LCC offices in Addison, Illinois to travel to Newtown, Connecticut to be with the people of the town. Their first stop will be the high school. Visit plans for the week will include all those public servants who gave so much these past weeks (fire, police, public officials) and the often forgotten residents of senior centers and nursing homes. We will also be available for any staff, faculty, families and students of the elementary schools in the area. “

Story here.

Walk for Life in San Francisco

Watching Rev. Clenard Childress, Jr. address the pro-lifers of the west coast on Jan 26, 4:30 (EST).  He is outraged at the decimation of the black population of America by abortion.

       

Notice the proposed cuts—of both parties

Happy birthday Robert Burns

We’re going to a Bobby Burns dinner party tonight (his birthday was January 25).  Not sure we will have haggis, neeps and tatties, but our hostess is quite well known for her skills in the kitchen.  The guests are supposed to read, recite or sing something Scottish, so I may read the Bruce tartan story from this book.

The Bruces originated in France and after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 ended up with a lot of land. Sir Robert de Brus, a Norman knight came to England with William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy.  The Duke a distant cousin of the English king  had claimed the English throne when the King had died. After the conquest, the Norman French eventually took over the Anglo-Saxon culture, land and language.

The son of Robert the Brus, Robert went to Scotland and was made Lord of Annandale by David I, whose great-granddaughter Isabella married Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale.  Through this marriage their son Robert, 6th Lord of Annandale, Regent of Scotland, inherited a right to the Crown to which he was nominated by Alexander III.  Robert, 7th Lord, married the Celtic Countess of Carrick and their son became that Earl of Carrick who was to wear the Scottish Crown, complete the liberation of Scotland, and be familiarly known as Robert the Bruce (1272-1329). 

               

Negro “weeds” and Obama

Obama was still a candidate when this video was made.  Not enough people thought killing black babies was a tragedy.

Are you really a liberal?

Speaking for the most vilified in our society

Watched a public service announcement this morning by a young man adopted in 1971--bi-racial, a result of a rape in 1970. He became an outstanding student and athlete, successful adult, B.A., M.A. now married with a beautiful family. He thanked his bio-mom for giving him life and not letting the circumstances of his conception destroy the person he became.

The March for Life, January 25, 2013, in Washington, DC.  About 500,000, the largest human rights march in history, attended. Many inspiring speakers—I watched on EWTN.

Richard Cohen — Washington Post, October 19, 2005
“[T]he very basis of the Roe v. Wade decision — the one that grounds abortion rights in the Constitution — strikes many people now as faintly ridiculous. Whatever abortion may be, it cannot simply be a matter of privacy.”

Yesterday at the coffee shop I asked a Catholic acquaintance if his parish was sending a bus to DC for the March for Life. He looked at me as if I'd just asked if Armstrong had landed on the moon. "Of course, we send one every year." If our local Protestant churches can't organize a van or bus, maybe they could contribute to the transportation costs of the Catholics? Or, how about a sermon?

Some cuts need to be for show--like removing Planned Parenthood from the national teat. The cut won't do much in terms of the national debt--but Planned Parenthood performed 333,964 abortions on unborn children during the 2011-2012 fiscal year; those abortions were estimated to have generated $150 million dollars for the “nonprofit” organization. It generated $1.2 BILLION in income. Our share for ...2011-2012 was $542.4 million, which represents 45.2 percent of the group’s total annual budget. Increasingly, abortions are for the poor and minorities, whose children are aborted at a much higher rate than white middle class. PP appears to have a very strong business model with well paid executives and a very loyal following who will donate, so let it be on their conscience.

Some links for todays March for Life in Washington, DC

1) Listen to the voice of an American President, and You WILL Know His Heart! In 2001, then IL State Sen. Barack Obama, for the 2nd Year in a Row, was the SOLE Senator OPPOSING Born ALIVE Infant Bills on the State Senate Floor.
Listen and SHARE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUkbuhXzbvI&feature=player_embedded

2) "'October Baby'" is the story of Hannah, a 19-year-old girl, beautiful girl, who learns that she is adopted and never told because she is the survivor of an abortion," Jon Erwin, the film's co-director, told CBN News.
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2012/March/October-Baby-Tale-of-an-Abortion-Survivor/

3) Nurse Talks About Live Birth Abortion: Watch and SHARE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDX52pEC7_w&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL4585408DA22C01BB

4) Babies Left to Die: Read and SHARE: http://www.mcclpac.org/about_obama_baipa.htm

5) Norma McCorvey of Roe v. Wade: Watch and SHARE: http://www.lifenews.com/2012/10/24/norma-mccorvey-of-roe-v-wade-dont-vote-for-obama-he-kills-babies/

6) TRUE Story behind Roe v. Wade: https://www.facebook.com/notes/rebecca-kiessling/women-who-cried-wolf-the-illegitimate-rape-claim-behind-roe-v-wade/10151362984373154

7) Every 30 seconds a legal American child - our future - is slaughtered because he/she is an inconvenience to his/her mother...and father. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151265701499482&set=a.392255169481.169550.73881494481&type=1&theater 

8) On the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, pro-lifers have something to celebrate: the closure of 1,500 abortion clinics over the past 22 years. http://www.lifenews.com/2013/01/21/report-1500-abortion-clinics-have-closed-since-1991/

9) Shocking Graph: Euthanasia isn't for the elderly only. These are America's children who never were born. Abortions at Planned Parenthood: LifeNews.com  www.lifenews.com Here are Planned Parenthood’s own numbers. They reflect their activity in the abortion arena. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/07/11/abortions-at-planned-parenthood-done-in-record-numbers/

10) Abortion ISN'T Health Care! The Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in St. Louis has botched yet another abortion — its fourth recently. http://www.lifenews.com/2013/01/21/planned-parenthood-botches-abortion-tries-to-hide-victim/

11) President Obama sang the praises of Roe v. Wade. On one level, that's not surprising -- he's the most pro-choice President ever. But Obama is also a Harvard Law School alumnus, and he used to teach Constitutional law, and so you would think he would see Roe for the embarrassing bit of ideologically motivated junk it is. Lest you think I'm just showing my bias, read the collection of pro-choice scholars and journalists slamming the decision." http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/139828#.UP7SUifO0iH

12) Heal NOT Kill! WHO wants to be an abortionist? http://www.lifesitenews.com/blog/accomplishment-8-most-doctors-now-refuse-to-do-abortions

Children in poverty

In 1965, 24 percent of black infants and 3.1 percent of white infants were born to single mothers. Then came the War on Poverty, legalized abortion and lots of free sex (contraception).  The values of marriage were tossed out the window by our culture.  By 1990 the rates had risen to 64 percent for black infants, 18 percent for whites. By 2009 it was more than 70% for blacks, more than 50% for Hispanics, and 30% for whites. (For some reason the CDC can’t seem to get birth or abortion rates out in a timely fashion.)  Marriage of her parents is the best anti-poverty program a girl can have.  Uncle Sam is just a disastrous step-dad, regardless of the Julia lies Obama floated during the campaign.

John Francis Regis (d. 1640) is the patron saint of children whose parents aren’t married, and he’s also the patron saint of social workers.