"Honey, Which Drawer Do You Keep the Girls In?"

In a Basket

The Rod

"He who withholds his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him diligently."
Prov 13:24

"Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of discipline will remove it far from him."
Prov 22:15

"Do not hold back discipline from the child,
Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
You shall strike him with the rod
And rescue his soul from Sheol."
Prov 23:13-14

"The rod and reproof give wisdom,
But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother."
Prov 29:15

We receive a lot of criticism for our use of the rod. But Scripture has made it clear that this is the instrument used to "rescue his soul from Sheol," to impart wisdom and to drive foolishness far from our children. We do not use the rod with anger and malice, but out of love. The more consistent I am to use it, the more infrequent my anger interferes with our discipline sessions.

When Jeramy answered phones for the police department, he would often get calls from the same parents wanting the police to come and discipline their misbehaving children. One child in particular was around 8 or 10 years old! What will happen when that child becomes older? Those parents will live with the shame of a lawless, disrespectful, insubordinate adult child who may end up dead or in prison. What a disservice Christian parents show their children when they don't discipline as the Scripture mandates, as often as needed. I love my children. I spank my children.

Eight-Point Deer!

We always see the does in our yard at all kinds of morning hours eating our shrubbery. This is the first time Jeramy and I have seen a buck in our yard. He appeared very late in the morning - about 10 a.m. I was shocked to see him greet me when I returned home from my 13 week ultrasound!

Holiday Pictures

Ultrasound in My Pocket

Last week I went in for an ultrasound to check on the baby after a little spotting over the weekend. There were only 2 days of spotting and I haven't had any since then. The baby was moving a lot and gave me a lot of relief from worry. I was 13 weeks at the time. I'm 14 weeks now and I've delayed on posting this. I can tell that by the shape of the baby's head, he or she will look more like Jeramy, like Lily does.

Why We Don't Buy Toys . . .

They did this for 45 minutes!

All the toys they have are given by grandparents and aunts. We can count on one finger the number of toys we've purchased for them. Often I go through their toy baskets and pick out those things that don't work anymore and what they're not playing with. They either get chucked or donated. This helps eliminate clutter too.

Pack 'Em Up

Fuzzy Pink Hat

My Baby Is Four!

Moriah turns 4 years old today!

Happy Birthday!!

She is 4 going on 14! The things she says sometimes sound so adult it's unbelievable!

Here are some reasons why I love my baby!

She helps sanctify me by exposing my sin through direct confrontation or by her mimicking my sin.

She sees a need and takes the initiative to help out.

She is industrious and can do so many things well all by herself.

She is so smart and bright. She can read between 50 and 75 words; she knows at least 45 of the 50 United States including the Oceans; she's on question 32 in the Children's Catechism; she can count to 100 and by 100s to 1,000; and she knows that there's a place for everything and everything has a place.

She's affectionate and loves to give hugs and kisses. I love how she loves her Daddy. At night she always asks to "kiss, hug and snuggle" before falling asleep.

She's a great big sister and is always willing to help them out. She usually helps Lily with her clothing on and off. And she doesn't usually complain when I ask her to help her sisters.

She's usually happy and smiling. I love to hear her squeal in laughter and delight to play well with her sisters. She even reads books to them.

I love you Moriah! Happy Birthday!


We celebrated her birthday on Thursday after the turkey. Pictures to follow.

"Are You Crazy?!"

"You've got your hands full!"
"Are they twins?"
"Are they triplets?"
"You must be joking!"
"Don't you need a break?!"
"I don't know how you do it!"
"Better you than me!"
"You know, they make a pill for that."
"Are you part of some cult?!"
"You must be Catholic."

And other negative, presumptuous, pithy feminist comments.

I'm not going to lie. When Moriah was born, I had NEVER taken care of a newborn baby before. I didn't have any idea what I was doing and I struggled in my new role of mother just 9 months after committing to my new role as wife.

During Lily's pregnancy I was stressed out the whole time because our insurance company pinned us with the possibility of paying for all the prenatal, labor and delivery care out of pocket when we had no money. But the Lord answered our prayers and Lily came at the right time.

When Shiphrah was born, I was stressed and overwhelmed. I had two toddlers running around and a newborn that was obstinate against nursing and very gassy (colic). Quite literally I was about to lose my mind and thought often about doing just that. I prayed every time I fought Shiphrah to nurse that I wouldn't get pregnant again before she was 18 months old. I needed a break and I despaired at least 8 times a day. I cried all the time. Jeramy and I talked about taking a little break, but still in my conscience I considered that it was contrary to the decision I made before our wedding day - to give God control of our fertility - but for the sake of sanity, I would put that on hold.

As the months passed, I continued to pray in this way while struggling to decide whether or not to use contraception or let God answer in the way He wills. Month after month continued to go by and I became convinced that God was not going to answer this prayer and I had to be content getting pregnant again before Shiphrah turned 18 months. Then suddenly, one day Jeramy came home and changed his mind about contraception. It was like an answer to prayer.

However every time we came together, I felt the gnawing of the Holy Spirit that what we were doing was wrong. "This isn't what we decided to do 5 years ago. God says, "Children are a blessing . . . " not a burden. They are my life now. They are my vocation now. I pour myself into them, eternal souls, the next generation." Feminism teaches that children are burdens; they're too expensive; they impose on your freedoms and lots of other nonsense antithetical to the Gospel.

Also during this time, God did a significant work in sanctifying me more toward contentment. My role as wife and mother is difficult, but it is what God has called me to do and, by golly, I'll do it with all my might unto His glory. If I could spend hours in the practice room daily and on stage for the pursuit of some wooden box, then I could certainly use the last 10 years of my reproductive life to nurture the next generation of humanity.

What, specifically, lead to my decision? I considered that there are friends of mine who have not been blessed with children naturally. How selfish it was for me to prevent this blessing. Also I considered the many friends I have that prevented children from coming that now regret the children they didn't have. I also consider that the next 10 years of my reproductive life is brief compared to the 60 or 70 years total I might live. I further considered that I never know which pregnancy will be my last and menopause might come to me earlier than the average woman.

So now, I embrace however many children God will bless us with. Yes, it is hard. Yes, I pray for God's grace daily. Yes, I make mistakes. Yes, I get stressed out. No, my children are not a burden. No, I wouldn't trade them for anything. Yes, I know they're beautiful. No, you can't have any - not one. And when I'm old and dying in my bed, I'll look back over my life without regret in this area, knowing that I allowed God to do as He pleased with me, and I'll be satisfied.

Provocative Parents

Currently I'm reading a book by Lou Priolo entitled, "The Heart of Anger: Practical Help for the Prevention and Cure of Anger in Children." This work is endorsed by John MacArthur and Jay E. Adams, it's really very good and easily applies to every family. This is one of the best parenting works I've ever read. I highly recommend it to every parent.

Based on Ephesians 6:4, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord," Priolo gives parents practical ways that they wittingly and unwittingly provoke their children to anger. After reading this I see how most every parent provokes their children to wrath, how I provoke my children and how my parents and grandparents provoked me. Now I understand better the phrase, " . . . visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on the third and fourth generations . . . " (Ex 20:5, 34:7, Num 14:18, and Deu 5:9).

1. Lack of Marital Harmony. (Gen 2:24 and Heb 12:15) Children can be angered when parents do not live in Biblical harmony.
2. Establishing and Maintaining a Child-Centered Home. (Prov 29:15) "The child perceives that the entire family exists essentially to please and make him or her happy. Mother, Father and siblings exist only to serve and meet the child's needs and desires." (28)
3. Modeling Sinful Anger. (Prov 22:24-25)
   
4. Habitually Disciplining While Angry. (Ps 38:1, Eph 4:26-27 and Jas 1:19-20) When parents are angry, it is tempting to over-discipline. Your child might perceive this as a vindictive personal attack.
5. Scolding. (Eph 4:29 and Mark 14:3-5) "To snort with anger" or it "is always an expression of a bad spirit and of a loss of temper . . . the essence of the scolding is in the multiplication of hot words in expression of strong feelings that, while eminently natural, ought to be held in better control." (34)
   
6. Being Inconsistent with Discipline. (2 Cor 1:17-18 and Ecc 8:11) Either by differing parental standards or vacillating from day to day on what is punishable and/or how severe the punishment should be.
7. Having Double Standards. (Phil 4:9) Hypocritical parents who do not practice what they preach.
   
8. Being Legalistic. (Matt 15:8-9) Failure to discern for the child the difference between God's Rules and Parent's house/family rules.
9. Not Admitting You're Wrong and Not Asking for Forgiveness. (Matt 5:23-24 and Jas 5:16) It's difficult for parents to admit when we're wrong, but we must swallow that humble pie and point our children to Christ as the perfect example.
10. Constantly Finding Fault. (Job 32:2-3 and Prov 19:11) This is a "critical, condemning, accusing, judgmental attitude" where the child ends up believing that there is nothing he or she can do to win the parents approval.
11. Parents Reversing God-Given Roles. (Eph 5:22-24) "Wives tend to become embittered over husbands not managing their homes as the Bible directs. Husbands tend to become embittered and lose respect for wives who are not fulfilling their God-given roles." In other words, male headship and wifely submission.
12. Not Listening to Your Child's Opinion or Taking His or Her "Side of the Story" Seriously. (Prov 18:3 and 17) Parent and child may not agree but in order for the parent to correct the child, you need to understand his perspective to guide him to the truth.
13. Comparing Them to Others. (2 Cor 10:12) Don't compare them to other children. You may compare them to Biblical standards of maturity in Christ or to their former manner of living to demonstrate 'how far they've come'.
14. Not Making Time "Just to Talk". (Jas 1:19 and Ecc 3:7) Build your relationship with honest and open communication.
15. Not Praising or Encouraging Your Child. (Rev 2:2-4)
16. Failing to Keep Your Promises. (Matt 5:37, Ps 15:4-5 and Col 3:9)
17. Chastening in Front of Others. (Matt 18:15) Some parents think humiliation helps modify their child's behavior, but over time, it will provoke them.
18. Not Allowing Enough Freedom. (Jas 3:17 and Luke 12:48) Children need to demonstrate responsibility, faithfulness and trust.
19. Allowing Too Much Freedom. (Prov 29:15, Gal 4:1-2, and Heb 12:6-9) Problems develop if children habitually practice sin, don't demonstrate appropriate levels of responsibility and maturity or live an undisciplined life.
20. Mocking Your Child. (Job 17:1-2 and Ex 4:11) Teasing about "inadequacies about which the child can do nothing" and joking about sinful behavior are both unbiblical.
21. Abusing Them Physically. (1 Tim 3:3 and Num 22:27-29) Children are not to be treated like animals and parents must control their anger.
22. Ridiculing or Name Calling. (Eph 4:29)
23. Unrealistic Expectations. (1 Cor 13:11) Children are not adults and need time to develop.
24. Practicing Favoritism. (Luke 15:25-30)
25. Child Training with Worldly Methodologies Inconsistent with God's Word. (Eph 6:4) This refers to man-made pop psychology, behavior modification and cognitive therapy techniques which replace Christ with human wisdom.

Presenting . . .

Baby #4!
Here are my first ultrasound pictures!
It's so awesome to see a fully formed baby that is only 1 inch long!
It's amazing!

Sorry For the Lag

I'm very sorry to all you who eagerly look to my blog for something new. Lately my fatigue and nausea have increased and getting the essential daily things done is more of a challenge.

I pray God's mercy that I will not endure fatigue and nausea the entire length of my pregnancy but that it will be over soon. I have many things to share, but I'll just have to eat some humble pie and learn some patience before I can do that.

Check back on occasion, I promise to return with more regular, predictable posts soon.

-Meggan

Shiphrah Walking!

Shiphrah started taking some serious official steps, 5 and 6 at a time, on Monday October 17th when we had some friends over for dinner. Since then she has gained a lot of momentum, with the absence of a Birthday Walker, and is now walking like a professional! She bends down to pick things up without sitting to do so. She gets to a standing position without first crawling to a wall. I'm so excited that she is finally walking! She's so cute waddling around the house - the sound of little feet pitter pattering on our hardwood floors! I love it.

Horseback Riding!

G'Wanda took the girls to her choir retreat/fellowship and the owners also had two horses: Penny & Fancy. After they got some necessary energy out, they were calm enough to stroll with Moriah & Lily. Here is Lily petting the long face, getting acquainted.

High ho silver, away!

Look! All by herself!

Making the loop.

There's a good little equestrian!

Moriah, doesn't look so confident at first, but after a good petting, she's raring to go.

Look at her now!

All by herself!

Get along little doggies, get along, get along!

And don't forget the horse tire swing by the catfish pond!

My turn!

They had a blast!

The Freedom to Choose What Is Right

Now the Lord is the Spirit,

and where the Spirit of the Lord is,

there is liberty.

2 Corinthians 3:17

Reflection by Fr. Frank Pavone

Norma McCorvey (the former Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade)

used to work at an abortion mill named "A Choice for

Women." She now realizes what a cruel irony that

title was.

She saw first hand, just as pregnancy resource center

counselors see, that women don't get abortions

because of freedom of choice, but rather because they

feel they have no freedom and no choice.

They feel trapped, abandoned, desperate and afraid,

and have been led to believe that abortion is their

only option.

As Frederica Mathewes-Green has written, no woman

wants an abortion like she wants a Porsche or an ice

cream; rather, she wants it like an animal caught in

a trap wants to gnaw off its own leg.

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

That doesn't mean that the Spirit allows us to do

whatever we want or to decide for ourselves what's

right and wrong.

Rather, it means that the Spirit gives us the freedom

to do what is right, the power to choose what is

good, when we see it before us and yet feel pulled in

the opposite direction. Liberty means that we no

longer have to feel doomed to do what we know is

wrong.

We are the people of the Spirit of the Lord, and when

we take action on behalf of life, especially by being

present at abortion mills, we are acting on behalf of

true freedom, and imparting to those who are in

bondage the power to do what is right.

Gone Fishing

G'Wanda took Moriah and Lily to a choir retreat fellowship hosted by her choir director at her church. They had a potluck lunch, horseback riding, fishing and plenty of toys and some new friends too. Rods, reels, hooks, bait, etc were all provided. They had a great time!

Moriah with one of her catches, but not so keen on touching it.

Now she's a little more proud.

Lily caught a big catfish like this one, but it was too big to reel in and got away. Maybe next time.

I'm Late

Two and a half weeks late, that is.

Baby #4 is at 6.5 weeks gestation and already has eyes, nose, fingers, toes and a beating heart! Completely human from start to finish! It's amazing!

For You formed my inward parts;

You wove me in my mother’s womb.

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139:13-14

Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.

Ecclesiastes 11:5

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb,

"I, the LORD, and the maker of all things,

Stretching out the heavens by Myself

And spreading out the earth all alone . . .

Isaiah 44:24

I'm Not Really Black

Because I don't smoke crack, nor do I think and act like a victim of the oppressive white man, nor do I wear chains.

"Black is a skin color, not a disposition."

Forgive Because You've Been Forgiven

There is no better way to harbor bitterness than to nurse an attitude of unforgiveness.

There is no clearer demonstration of an unrepentant person

than that he or she always bears a grudge.

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other,

just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:30-32

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you,

so also should you.

Colossians 3:12-13

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ So his fellow slave fell to the ground andbegan to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

Matthew 18:21-35

Fast Frugal Fixes

The economy is bad and prices for goods and services are rising, especially for food. Here are some fast ways to cut your budget:

1. Buy in bulk.

Become a member at a wholesale club, like Costco, Sam's, or BJ's. Generally those items will be cheaper, per item, than if you bought the same quantity in the regular grocery or retail store. Meat and cheese are especially cheaper at wholesale retailers.

2. Frequent Shopper cards.

Many stores have free frequent shopper cards that help to save money here and there, like Sally's Beauty Supply, Food Lion, Ingles, etc.

3. Always be on the lookout for deals.

Many stores will have circular flyers at the store entrance, post them online or even sent in weekly mailings and newspapers. Take advantage of this information and shop accordingly.

4. One car.

If you have more than one vehicle, it can consume a lot of money: car payment, maintenance, gas, and insurance. If you're able, sell it to a private seller and pocket that money in your savings account.

5. Efficient planning for your errands.

Make a list, check it twice or even three times. Go through your entire house to make sure that there is nothing your forgetting to pick up before your next errand trip. This saves gas and time.

6. Rice & beans

These and potatoes, carrots, celery, pasta and bananas are always very cheap items. Ten pounds of potatoes at Sam's Club are just $5. Ten pounds of carrots are about $2.50 or $3. Whole grain pasta is only about $1.20 per 13 oz. dry box and bananas usually run about $0.50 per pound at Walmart.

7. Couponing.

It's a verb now. And if you work it just right, you can get tons of free stuff and even store credit! I've heard it done, but haven't practiced myself. This takes a lot of time and organization. I'm always tempted to buy products I don't need or use just because I have a coupon or it's on sale, so coupon wisely.

8. Patience is a frugal virtue.

Wait for clearance sales when purchasing new items. Wait for Black Friday and the After Christmas clearance sales. In Georgia there is a tax-free weekend before public school begins where many school supply items are sold at cheap prices without sales tax applied.

9. Goodwill & second-hand stores, including yard sales.

This is essential when buying clothing. Often you can buy name brand materials (Ralph Lauren, Chico's, Ann Taylor, Express, Land's End, etc.) for unbelievable prices! And oftentimes these items may still have the original store tags still attached!

10. Cook more, eat out less.

If your dying to eat something different, try a new recipe or something you can buy at the grocery store and take home to prepare. It will ALWAYS be cheaper than going to a restaurant, paying a babysitter, buying the meal and tipping your server!

11. Do-it-yourself projects.

We saved a boat load on new, needed, carpet for our home when Jeramy bought it at a wholesale price and installed it himself! We saved thousands of dollars when he professionally painted a faux-finish on many of our walls! You don't always have to hire a professional to do EVERYTHING in your home. There are many resource materials available online, YouTube videos, etc. that guide you in your home projects.

12. Research pays off.

When buying things online, I always try to find retailers that charge minimum to no shipping costs. Sometimes though you have to be careful: they hike up the price and don't charge shipping whereas other sites may charge less for the item and give you shipping options or free shipping with minimum $ purchase (like Amazon). I just bought a cloth diaper cover at Cotton Babies without paying any shipping or being overcharged for my item!

13. Pay with cash.

It's crazy, I know. But when the cash is gone, you will stop buying things! This past grocery shopping trip, Jeramy gave me cash. I wrote this dollar amount at the top of my list. Then as I picked up and crossed off each item I put in my cart I wrote down its price. Then when I got to the register I knew exactly how much I was going to spend. (I rounded the prices of course.) And the outcome? I ended up having $75 left over to rollover into next month's budget, help to pay the principle on our mortgage or use toward Christmas gifts!

The Zero, Zero, Zero Plan

The Zero, Zero, Zero Plan

Click on the link to a funny political cartoon!

Unplanned Pregnancy or Hurting After Abortion?

You can find local, confidential help by calling 1.800.395.HELP

24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Pregnancy Resource Center of Gwinnett

is for women who are facing a crisis pregnancy, or suffering in the aftermath of an abortion. It is a non-profit, licensed medical clinic and pregnancy counseling center offering free pregnancy, STD and ultrasound tests. The professional staff at PRCG will assist you in getting the information you need to think through all of your options. The website is prcg.org and the telephone number is 770.338.1680.

Other Pregnancy Resource Centers & Pregnancy Care Centers

A Beacon of Hope

678.893.5290

2750 Old Alabama Road, Johns Creek

Athens Pregnancy Center

678.753.3180

767 Oglethorpe Avenue, Athens

Atlanta Care Center

404.262.2273

1720 Peachtree Street #496, Atlanta

Birthright of Atlanta

404.451.2273

3424 Hardee Avenue, Atlanta

Gainesville Care Center

770.535.1245

434 Green Street Place, Gainesville

Pregnancy Resource Center of Gwinnett

770.338.1680

501 Crown Pointe Way, Lawrenceville

Gwinnett Right to Life

www.abortionfactsstoriespictures.com

The Gwinnett County Chapter of Georgia Right to Life works to restore respect and effective legal protection for all persons from earliest biological beginning to natural death. Our purpose is to educate Gwinnett County residents on right-to-life issues, including abortion, euthanasia, infanticide and embryonic stem cell research. We train citizens to effectively articulate their pro-life beliefs.

Email us at gwinnettrighttolife@gmail.com, or call 770.339.6880, for our schedule of monthly chapter meetings, pro-life apologetics training, and events.

Please support the work of Gwinnett Right to Life by volunteering your time or contributing financially at www.abortionfactsstoriespictures.com or by mail c/o GRTL, 783 Holcomb Bridge Road, Norcross GA 30071.

Georgia Right to Life is a state affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee. GRTL has been organized for legal and peaceful activities in the areas of education, legislation and political action since 1971.

Witchcraft & Abortion

"Whenever pagan sexual immorality is accepted, abortion and child sacrifice become a necessity in covering up the fruit of sin."

Remember reading the Old Testament and Israel is about to cross over the Jordan to dispossess and annihilate the pagan nations in order to inhabit the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac & Jacob? They were to completely obliterate them because of their wicked practices and not show any pity on certain nations because they sacrificed their children, making them pass through the fire, etc. I had always thought of that being infanticide, or child sacrifice (between toddler and teen age). This brief documentary was very enlightening to connect ancient abortion practices with pagan witchcraft and idol worship. Watch both part 1 and 2 for the full account.

Does functionality define our value as persons?

No!

We have inherent human value, whether we are highly functioning or whether we are small, different, or dependent on others. Just because someone is of small size, at an immature level of development, located in a certain environment or dependent on others for life sustenance does not disqualify a human being from being valuable, nor place limitations on our 'unalienable' right to life in the US Constitution. The 'unalienable right to life comes from God by virtue of the fact that we have been created in His image and are thus imbued with a unique worth and dignity not found in the rest of creation.

A 5 Minute Speech

I posted this a while ago, but it's still just as relevant and powerful!

Lessons in Logic

The "Moral Relativism" Fallacy

"If you don't like abortion, don't have one."

This argument employs the "moral relativism" fallacy, which twists a moral belief into a personal preference. The moral relativist says it is wrong for anyone to "force" their moral absolutes on others. They take our moral statement, "abortion is wrong" and make it into just our personal preference. There are two flaws with this argument. First, the moral relativist is himself trying to impose his views on us; and secondly, civilized society is structured around basic moral beliefs, one of which is that killing innocent human beings is wrong. We are not saying we don't like abortion, we are saying it is wrong.

"Personally, I'm against abortion, but I don't think I should impose my views on others so I think it should be legal."

If you believe this, let me ask you a question. Why do you oppose abortion? If your answer is that you oppose abortion because it kills a human baby, are you really sure that you believe that baby killing should be legal? Do you oppose slavery, kidnapping, and genocide? Would you say that you oppose them, but that they should be legal? We hope not! Abortion is in the same category. Abortion ends the life of an innocent human person, and it should be illegal - not a "choice" to be made at the personal discretion of individuals.

The "Ad Hominem" Fallacy

"Men should not have anything to say about abortion . . . it's a woman's issue."

"You don't care that unwanted children will be abused. We believe every child should be a wanted child."

"It is hypocritical for pro-lifers to be against abortion unless they are willing to adopt all the unwanted babies that would be born."

These are examples of rhetorical personal attacks against the pro-life advocate designed to sidetrack the discussion from the central question, "Does abortion kill an innocent human person?" The pro-abortion advocate claims they are against child abuse, but since when is it logical to kill a person in order to prevent the possibility that they might someday be abused?

The "Begging the Question" Fallacy

"Making abortion illegal forces women into dangerous back-alley abortions."

This logical fallacy begs the question by pre-supposing that the unborn baby is not a human person. Before a woman goes to a "back-alley" she first needs to determine if she is committing murder by aborting her baby. Their argument also assumes that abortion is the only option for women in a crisis pregnancy. She could choose parenting or adoption for her baby. Contrary to popular belief, it is now well known that the number of deaths due to "back-alley" abortions was greatly exaggerated during the period prior to Roe v. Wade.

"A woman has the right to choose to do whatever she wants with her own body."

This statements begs the question by assuming there is only one body involved in an abortion - the mother's. But what about the baby's body? The unborn baby's body - although connected to and sustained by the mother - is at the same time unique, with its own brain and central nervous system. The baby's gender and blood type may be different than the mother, and he or she has a unique DNA fingerprint. Historically, civilized societies have rejected the idea that men and women can do whatever they want with their own bodies, especially if their actions will harm them or another person.

"Women shouldn't have to carry a child conceived through rape."

Rape is a terrible crime and its victims deserve our deepest sympathy. But, would it be right to abort a child conceived in rape simply because the child may remind the mother of the painful event? Does the mother, as a victim of a violent crime, have the right to victimize an innocent person - the child in her womb? It is wrong to kill a baby based on the circumstances of the baby's conception.

First, I want to add to the latter that no person has any control over the circumstances of their own conception, are not culpable for it, and it is therefore unjust to make them accountable for that sin. In other words: two wrongs don't make a right. Don't punish the baby because of the sin of the father!

Secondly, although the baby was conceived by a sinful, horrible act, that baby is still half of the mother genetically speaking! It is like killing part of yourself!

Taken from a pamphlet of The Gwinnett County Chapter of GA Right to Life

Dresses Everyday!

Sittin' Pretty

Photogenic Lily

When the camera comes out and she is happy, the smiles are all on!

Not Walking Yet . . .

Two Mondays ago, Shiphrah took two steps unassisted! However when we tried to get her to do it again, she refused and has not attempted another solo since. I can't wait for her to walk. It's so cute when they first walk and it's a real waddle. :-D

Ectopic Pregnancy? Don't panic!

I just recently read an interesting, informative blog post on ectopic pregnancy. Apparently it's more common than people think and it's not a death sentence to both baby and mom in every case! Oftentimes, when trying to balance a biblical worldview on the sanctity of life on this issue we opt to save the mom's life because the baby will die regardless. But that is not always true.

Head on over to Life in a Shoe and read Ectopic Pregnancy & the Sanctity of Life and her follow-up post, Ectopic Pregnancy Clarifications.

Evolution & Abortion

From the answers update magazine, volume 18, issue 10.

Did you know there's a connection between evolution and abortion? The growing influence of evolutionary ideas and an increasing acceptance of abortion have gone hand in hand. Now, some people have unfortunately misunderstood our beliefs as we link evolution with abortion, suggesting that Answers in Genesis is arguing that evolution is the cause of abortion. Not at all. (In an ultimate sense, sin is the cause.)

At the same time, there is a connection between evolution and abortion. If people believe the Bible isn't the absolute authority in all matters--and if they think they're just animals in evolutionary history and are not made in God's image, and are accountable to no one but themselves-- the more they will justify anything they want. That includes killing a baby in its mother's womb.

If a person believes he is just an animal in an evolutionary struggle for survival, then in that person's mind a developing baby is also an animal. Just as some people get rid of stray animals by killing them, people might also say: why not also get rid of spare children through abortion?

While evolution isn't the cause of abortion, the more we see people reject the teaching of God's Word and accept evolution, the more they can justify abortion.

Adapted from the October 10, 2011 broadcast of the Answers . . . with Ken Ham radio program.

Great Video Documentary

The REAL Victimization of Women

Feminism has made women feel like they are victims of a male dominated patriarchal society and cultivated in her heart a sense of discontentment toward her role as the homemaker. Unless she is using her talents and skills outside of the home and making wages of her own, her value is less than that of, a man.

But in order for women to be free from the protection and security of the home, they must first gain a skill set to be used in the marketplace by going away to college. There they learn to gain the glory of man in a worldly definition of success. In college women must be taught to adopt a sense of autonomy apart from God, apart from Biblical submission to their parents & husbands and become their own person, ruling themselves as they see fit. After that, they must have some way of restricting the normative fruit of children through birth control.

Feminists must teach women to become bitter. They become bitter at God for creating them as women, the "weaker sex." Women get bitter at their husbands for caging them in, suppressing their talents and skills by confining them to the four walls of their home. And not only that, but become bitter also for the burden of children. Feminism must also provide a means to "fix" the problem of unplanned, unwanted pregnancy when it is inconvenient for the career goals that feminism thrusts at these women.

Feminism has also made women feel that their husbands and fathers no longer value their interests at the voting booths and pushed women to separate from their family unit to oppose, in the secret of the ballot box, the views of her husband. Women have separated themselves from the order of Creation by leaving her created role of helpmeet & mother in order to share Adam's curse. They have separated themselves physically from the protection of her family under her father and husband by going away to college or away to work. Women have separated themselves emotionally by becoming embittered at their husbands. Women have separated themselves from the future generation by not having many or any children and by not rearing them, i.e. leaving them in the hands of daycare or nannies. And women have separated themselves politically at the voting booths.

While feminism has truly set out to victimize the housewife, making her the target of their attacks. It's really the feminists that themselves have become the victims of attacks by the devil. When these women get old (and some men are feminists too) they are bitter as they look back over their lives and realize that their collection of dolls, stamps, 401K, IRA, etc. does not compare to the joy of grandchildren and children caring for you in your old age, their worldview comes to a head and they die bitter, lonely people. What a tragic existence - your whole life you chase after the glory of man and the idol of autonomy to see that after 50 years, there is nothing of lasting value to show for it. I pity the feminists. But not too much, they brought it upon themselves. Their worldview, for many, will die with them.