I received a newsletter recently from a nearby Pro-Life Center.  I just loved these numbers...

• 2,176 is the number of abortion businesses operating in the U.S. in 1991
• 700 is an estimate of the number of pregnancy help centers operating in 1991.
• 581 is the huber of abortion businesses operating in the U.S. today.
• 2,452 is the number of pregnancy help centers operating in the U.S. today.
• 87 is the number of abortion businesses closed in just 2013.

Isn't that so encouraging?!  Praise the Lord!

Thank you to Ramona Pregnancy Care Clinic for making these numbers known and to the precious Director, Anita.  

http://abortiondocs.org

estimate by John Ensor of PassionLife.org

http://www.heartbeatinternational.org

RPCC FB page

Yes, I'm still reading David McCullough's John Adams.  Yes, sometimes it takes an eternity for me to finish a book.  No, this does NOT mean it's a bad book.  It is one of the best I have ever read.  I'm just easily distracted, busy, and often a terrible manager of my time, and a flawed person.  :)

John Adams in his retirement correspondence with Dr. Benjamin Rush:

Is the present state of the republic enough?  Is virtue the principle of our government? Is honor? Or is ambition and avarice, adulation, baseness, covetousness, the thirst for riches, indifference concerning the means of rising and enriching, the contempt of principle, the spirit of party and of faction the motive and principle that governs?

My friend!  Our country is a masquerade!  No party, no man dares to avow his real sentiments.  All is disguise, vizard, cloak.

 Absolute power in a majority is as drunk as it is in one.

If worthless men are sometimes at the head of affairs, it is, I believe, because worthless men are at the tail and middle. 

 

This last quote...  As I tirelessly fight and work for the future of a once great nation, I understand the power of the electorate and how greatly we have failed to properly and responsibly perform our duty at the polls.  We are uninformed and ignorant of the policies of these whom we vote for, of the Constitution, of our history.  Granted, it is so time-consuming to pursue these things, but it is so important.  At least, we ought to ally ourselves with those whom we know the character of and trust who are pursuing these truths.  And let them guide.  Question everything.  But as our dear Abraham Lincoln said: "Be sure to set your feet in the right place, and then stand firm."

Friends, know where you stand, and know if that place is true and right...not just aligned to your opinion and/or desires.  Truth exists and can be known.  "Follow the truth wherever it leads."  ...even if you don't like it.  Reality is reality and truth is truth regardless of our perception of it.

Gun play

A friend recently asked me the following question.  Thought I'd share it here in case any of you in the internet abyss ever wonder the same thing.  I don't know that I have the best answer, but it's an answer.  Be blessed!

Kori, I've been meaning to ask you this for awhile now. I really admire and respect you and your FB postings. Can you please give me some sound words of wisdom to share with my friends/ family who are being fearful when my 3 year old son is just involved in imaginary play? He's recently been using his thumb and forefinger "gun" to play the "good" guy, and shoot at people ("bad" guys). He has never played a video game or seen a cartoon with violence (unless you count Veggie Tales and Curious George as violent) - I know it is innate and some picked up from his playground friends. I just told him not to point his finger at someone's face, but he can play "good" guys and "bad" guys. How do I convince the well meaning naysayers?

Hello precious friend, I wish I could tell you the magic words that would change them. We live in a society that has been stripping masculinity from our boys for a couple of generations now. As is often said, "Boys will be boys." I have not encountered the situation you have... mostly because we are not in a public school scenario and the families we are close to are likeminded to us. I do try to be sensitive when I'm with families that I'm not sure are in support of guns. I tell my boys to not point "guns" at people and to not even play guns when I can tell that people are uncomfortable with it. I discourage them from playing gun games at church during their after-service playtime since they play with kids they (and I) don't know very well. I would just be sensitive and state the truth: boys are defenders and protectors. It is in them to be so..and that ought to be encouraged. We certainly don't want to advocate violence and cruelty, but when boys act as the good guys going after the bad guys (my boys have imaginary bad guys unless some in the group their playing in agrees to play the bad guys), then that should be commended and encouraged. It is in us as humans to love epics, to understand that there really is good and evil, to be heroes. We are characters in a real-life, universal epic where there truly is good and evil. And Good will win. Maybe encourage your sweet little guy by asking him what he is protecting. What is he fighting for? And give him noble ideas. Freedom. To protect the oppressed. Against evil dragons. Fighting the beast and the false prophet at the end of time (a real slaying of the dragon that will come). (Even though we won't have to lift a finger because Jesus will open HIs mouth and "one tiny word will slay" our enemy.) I don't know if that helps at all. Mainly, be sensitive to others and don't let our freedom become a stumbling block to another. "All things are lawful but not all things are beneficial." "I become all things to all men that I might win some." If they are lost, keep their eternal souls in mind. Love. Which I know you are excellent at. We can love our friends who are afraid of gun play by abstaining from such play when we are with them. Love you. Wish I had a better answer. 

If anyone had reason to be snooty (and no one on this planet does)...  John Adams was well-accomplished, well-read, brilliant, well-traveled (for his time), yet he understood the real definition of  a public servant.  (Unlike so many that now hold similar offices, err I mean "titles".  i.e.: "Don't-call-me-ma'am-but-only-Queen-senator-because-I'm-better-than-you-pee-ons" Boxer, among others.)

Servant leadership, humble leadership is absolutely the best kind.  And how can it not be?  It was modeled to us by Jesus Himself who knelt to wash 120 very dirty toes, and died a death He could never deserve...for the sake of others.   Give, give, give.  We must be givers.  We must be real.  We must "not think ourselves more highly than we ought."  

Thomas Twining was delighted to find the Vice-President [John Adams]...in appearance to be more like "an English country gentleman who had seen little of the world, than a statesman who had seen so much of public life."

"I was always glad when I saw Mr. Adams enter the room and take his place at our table.  Indeed, to behold this distinguished man...occupying the chair of the Senate in the morning, and afterwards walking home through the streets and taking his seat among his fellow citizens as their equal, conversing amicably with men over whom he had just presided...was a singular spectacle, and a striking exemplification of the state of society in America at this period."

~From John Adams by David McCullough 

Is this the state of society in America now?  No.  We have made ourselves the subjects of celebrities and stuffy politicians...people who put their pants on the same way as the rest of us.  We have allowed an elitist society to be created and we 'ooh' and 'ahh' over them as if they were gods.  And then they behave like the gods we treat them as.

Even if our leaders and "stars" today were superior to our brilliant and humble founders, there would still be no reason to elevate them above the American citizen or any other human being on earth.   John Adams understood that "all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights..."  He understood it because he risked his life, liberty, and sacred honor for this truth.  And then, after much pomp, recognition, accomplishment, work, and yes, even vanity; he actually lived these words.  He knew he was created equal to those he "presided over."  He did his duty and then lived among the citizenry humbly and truly because he understood that "we the people" are the real power, the real world, the real governing force of this great nation.  Which so many now forget.

Wherever you are.  Whatever leadership position you hold.  Whatever influence you have.  Whatever inspiration you may be to others.  Always remember who you are.  We all are sinners.  We all are weak.  Even though we may be knowledgable or even an authority on this or that; we all are ignorant of many more things.  Keep it real, friends.  

"Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up."

I'm bound not to win.

But I'm bound to be TRUE.

I'm not bound to succeed.

But I am bound to live by the Light that I have.

I must stand with any one that stands with right.

And stand with him while he is right;

and part with him when he is wrong.

~Abraham Lincoln

This guy.

Homeschooling/keeping my kids close during these impressionable, growing, never-going-to-get-them-back years is of infinite value to me.

Nick Fury doing his English workbook.

Today, my rock star dressed as Nick Fury (of Avengers) and moved through his day.  He is a brilliant mind.  Kind-hearted.  Sassy. Funny.  A joy.  A party in a 9-year-old package.  I mean, in lieu of a bath tonight he opted for night time swimming (sans swim shorts).  I smiled as I observed bare legs swinging above the water as he executed one of his many stunts:  this particular feat a one-handed hand stand.  

I'm halfway through my training-him-up-in-the-way-he-should-go time.  And I want to laugh deep in my heart at bare legs in the darkened pool for a little bit longer.

Raising heroes is an honor.  A gift.  

I am so thankful.

Magellan...not the GPS contraption

Ferdinand Magellan's fleet was the first to circumnavigate the globe.  But Magellan himself never made it.  He died in battle in the Philippines.

He didn't complete the trip, but is still credited with the feat.

Of his 5 ships, only 1 returned to Spain.
Of his 280 men, only 31 survived.

Welcome to the 1st Day of School!

A checklist for Making Decisions

A checklist for Making Decisions

Have you figured out your focus?

Do you have a way of determining your focus, based on what really matters or what really counts?

When faced with a decision, ask yourself:

1. Is this consistent with my priorities?
2. Is this within my area of competence?
3. Can someone else do it better?
4. What do my trusted friends say?
5. Do I have the time?

When you say “yes” to an opportunity, get ready to focus.

Make to-do lists.

Set your priorities.

Avoid clutter.

Pursue excellence, but avoid perfectionism.

Question everything.

Work to prevent procrastination.

Control interruptions and distractions.

Use the calendar.

Narrow your wedge – don't try to do everything. That means you'll have to say no to some good things.

From the John Maxwell Leadership Bible.

“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.”

Ecclesiastes 1:16-18

I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart understood great wisdom and knowledge. And I set my heart to know wisdom and knowledge. And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.For in much wisdom is much grief,And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” (Emphasis mine.)

It's true: Ignorance is bliss.

But, we must not be willfully ignorant!  Yet, it can not be healthy or good to be so obsessed with knowledge that we overwhelm ourselves with worry.  That's me: unbalanced and worrisome and anxious to know and do and make things right.  There is a place for this, but we must “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and everything else will be added to us.”

First things first.

about social justice

"Justice requires equal treatment before the law for everyone; it should never be preceded by a word that would limit the extent of its capacity to only a portion of the population. Social justice is, therefore, not real justice and, indeed, hurts true justice, because it focuses on discrimination in favor of special interest groups and segments of society instead of justice for all individuals." 

"While religious freedom is a universal right to which everyone is entitled, social justice is inherently discriminatory."

~Dr. Janice Crouse

More from her article here: http://spectator.org/articles/60184/bullies-social-justice

Church, this is for you. Look up for your redemption draws near!

Daily Light. 

Morning. July 18

He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His; and, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ, depart from iniquity. -- Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Name? And in Thy Name have cast out devils? And in Thy Name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. --- The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me. – Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm. – The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.

I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you , I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

John 10:3; 2 Tim. 2:19; Matt. 7: 22-23; Ps. 1:6; Is 49:16; Nah. 1:7; Jn. 14:2-3

So the scariest thing I've done so far…

Dr. Gina Loudon's producer called me a few weeks ago and asked if I would be a guest on her show the following day to talk about my dad who is convinced he is a woman trapped in a man's body ("transgender").  My dad is being treated for his sex-change largely by the V.A. while combat-wounded veterans aren't being treated as their needs demand, and still others are put on perpetual waiting lists --- many of these die before ever being seen.  

I agreed to the interview because why would God allow me to be in such an unbelievably unique situation and not have me testify about it when given the opportunity.  I can't let my fears keep me from obedience to God.  I was very afraid…and still am; but if I should face criticism and persecution in this life, it is not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in me in Heaven.

Since my dad announced his decision to transition into a "woman", and since he decided to cut me off last year, attempted to publicly humiliate my mother, my sister, and I, and then started randomly texting me again these past few months (apparently an effort to reconnect); I have wondered what in the world this relationship would look like and if such a relationship is even possible.  If it is possible, then I want to try it.  Honestly, it would be far easier to just walk away and go on with my life.  But would it be right?  Part of me wants to "shake the dust off my feet" and move on, but I struggle with the rightness of that.  Undoubtedly there are times when such a response is warranted.

Then, my dear friend, Kenda Bartlett, of Concerned Women for America, gave me this very practical and undeniable Biblical wisdom: "Honor your Father…"  Really, I should have come up with this all by myself.  After all, it is one of the 10 Commandments.  She said that when I talk about my dad, to my dad, and pray for my dad, that I should always do it respectfully.  Then when I further searched the subject out in the Bible, I also found this: "…cursed is the one who treats his father…with contempt."  Contempt is defined as: the feeling that a person is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn.  I am really thankful for this very practical and doable counsel. 

Here is the interview.

Please pray for Shawn Lee who is the other guest on the show.  I am so inspired by him.  He is choosing to respond to this trial in his life by rising above it and doing what he can to make a difference for others.  It is like 2 Corinthians 1 that says the God of all comfort comforts us so that we can comfort others.  Or like one of my favorite stories from Streams in the Desert about a man who walked through life with an oil can so he could oil the hinges of sticky doors to make it easier for others to pass through after him.  May Shawn be blessed in his endeavors and be a great blessing to many other veteran warrior heroes.  As I once heard many years ago: "It's not what happens to you that matters.  It's your response to what happens to you that makes all the difference."

Also, please pray for my dad.  I do love him very much though I didn't have opportunity to express that in this interview.  It was my one frustration when all was said and done.  This interview occurred before my Biblical revelation of how to treat my dad, so please forgive any disrespect that I may have shown to him in any of my words. It was not my intent at all to show any lack of love to my father.

Romans 8:18; Matthew 10:11-23; Exodus 20:12;

Deuteronomy 27:16; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7;

Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles Cowman

“I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study paintings, poetry , music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.”

~John Adams

"...remember that a constitution which gives to the people so much freedom, and entrusts them with so much power, rests for its permanency, on their knowledge and virtue.  An ignorant people are easily betrayed, and a wicked people can never be ruled by the mild influence of their own laws.  If you would be free -- if you would see your country grow in all that constitutes true greatness --cultivate knowledge -- flee from vice.  The virtuous citizen is the true noble.  He who enlightens his understanding -- controls his passions -- feels for his country's honor -- rejoices in her prosperity -- devotes to her advancement the fruits of his mind, and consecrates to her cause, his time, his property, and his noblest powers, such a man is one of God's nobility; he needs neither riband, nor star; his country knows and remembers his name; nor could any title add to its honor, or to his reward.  We have seen such men among us; we hope to see many more.  And though the glory of giving to their country such a Constitution as this, is what none but they have been so blessed as to enjoy, yet you succeed to a task, but one degree removed from it, that of preserving what they have committed to your virtue, unsullied and unimpaired."

Be this.

Taken from the Conclusion of the Elementary Catechism on the Constitution of the United States for the use of schools by Arthur J. Stansbury. (only $2 on Kindle). :)

I'm putting this little gem of a book on the shelf and am so glad the boys and I worked our way through it.  We have learned so much!  May we be "one of God's nobility."

Sabo

So, I've found this new "artist" that I feel a little uncomfortable about liking, but he's edgy, non-p.c, and pretty much right on.

"You're almost seeing what happened in the beginning of World War II happening right in front of you.  ...It could very easily be happening again...  A young Jewish guy was telling me - because I did these Obama Hitler flags -  he's like, 'Oh, you can't compare Obama to Hitler.'  And I said, 'Well, see the problem is when you put Hitler on this unreachable pedestal that makes it that much more likely that another Hitler's gonna come in from the back door.'  And he said, 'Well, it offends me because my grandfather escaped from a concentration camp and Obama hasn't done anything near what Hitler has done.'  I said, 'No, he hasn't...yet. And let's hope that he doesn't.  I don't mean to offend your grandfather, but what I'm trying to do is to keep his keep his grandson from suffering the same fate.'"  ~Sabo

Brilliantly said.


See his interview with Glenn Beck here.  He's been "vandalizing" the L.A. area and taking it by storm.

Warning: his images are graphic and offensive to many.

"...the United States is one of only four countries (along with China, North Korea, and Canada) that allow abortion at any time before birth: It came about through the arrogance of judicial power."

~Marvin Olansky.  "Arrogant Power". 

"We don't define a child born with fetal alcohol syndrome as the alcoholic's baby, but when it comes to issues of rape it's easier to dehumanize that child."  (Fewer than 1% of abortions are due to rape or incest.)

~Ryan Bomberger, conceived in rape.

~World Magazine. January 25. 2014

Daily Light. June 2, morning.

Thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist.

So you shall eat it in haste.

It is the Lord's Passover.

Arise and depart, for this is not your rest.  Here we have no continuing city but we seek the one to come.  There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.  Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.  Gird of the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, …I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind.

~Ex. 12:11; Mic. 2:10; Heb 13:14; Heb 4:9;

Lk 12:35-37; 1 Ptr 1:13; Php 3:13-15

"We face a national budgetary crisis that threatens to rip our country apart and destroy our way of life, yet many concern themselves only with the governmental benefits they might lose."

~Dr. Ben Carson

America the Beautiful

Christians shouldn't be involved in politics?

I do not believe that we are engaged in "politics".  I believe we are engaged in prophetic ministry. 

Was Moses engaged in politics when he went down and told Pharaoh, "God said, 'Let my people go'"?

Was Samuel engaged in politics when he said to Saul, "Obedience is better than sacrifice; to harken is better than the fat of rams.  You have disobeyed God and God has rejected you from being king"?

Was Nathan involved in politics when he told David about the rich man who stole the ewe lamb from the one poor man adn David said, "Where is that man, that man deserves to die!"  And Nathan said to his friend, "You are the man"?

Was Elijah engaged in politics when he said to Ahab and Jezebel, "You are troubling the land"?

And my friends, was John the Baptist engaged in politics when he said to Herod, "It is unlawful for you to have your brothers wife"?

Indeed, was Daniel engaged in politics when he told Belshazzar, "I've read the handwriting on the wall and God has weighed you in the balance and found you lacking"?

Was Jesus engaged in politics when he told Pilate, "You have no power over Me except what has been given you from above"?

It's not politics.  It's prophetic ministry.

And I believe that we are in an emergency and we've got to throw aside the excuses that have kept us from getting involved.  We've got to challenge our brothers and sisters and say to them,

"God is calling you into this battle."

~Bishop E.W. Jackson

May 2014

See the whole message here.

"We all sat down at the table, trying from time to time to make conversation.  It seemed that our individual sorrows had separated us, even though we were members of the same family, and we just didn't know how to be of comfort to one another.  I didn't understand at first why we were so changed, because I had always thought that blood was such a strong tie, but as time went on, it became clearer to me that what separated people--or brought them together--was the way they responded to their experiences.  In this, it seemed, no two members of our family were alike."

The Road from Home by David Kherdian.  Such a great book!!!

Coolest news story in a while.

I just thought this was the coolest thing I've read in a long time.  I'm planning a trip to Haiti as soon as possible. :)

Pretty sure that Columbus' shipwrecked Santa Maria has been discovered.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/exclusive-found-after-500-years-the-wreck-of-christopher-columbuss-flagship-the-santa-maria-9359330.html

Enjoy!

…bound to repeat it.

"They are trying to say, 'Wake up!'  They are trying to say that we are unaware of the present moment -- that is, reality.  All men's problems are caused by sleep.  There is no such thing as conscious evil.  Look around you!  The Armenians are asleep in their foolish trust, and the Turks believe that two minus one equals three.  Instead of being on this road to Hell, we should have escaped while there was time.  The man who is awake can read signs - the massacres of 1895, the massacres in Adana and Tarsus of 1909 and now the threat again in 1915."

~The Road from Home by David Kherdian, chapter 3

I have been reading the 1828 Elementary Catechism of the Constitution… to my boys for the last several months.  We finished it today.  

So, as the public school system, this administration, our judges, Congress try to rewrite the Constitution, cause it to be irrelevant, omit it completely, or just ignore it; we were reading this heart grabbing nugget today:

"…remember that this precious Constitution, thus wise, thus just, is your birthright.  It has been earned for you by your fathers, who counseled much, labored long, and shed their dearest blood, to win it for their children.  To them, it was the fruit of toil and danger -- to you, it is a gift.  Do not slight it on that account, but prize it as you ought.  It is yours, no human power can deprive you of it, but your own folly and wickedness.  To undervalue, is one of the surest ways to lose it.  Take pains to know what the Constitution is -- the more you study, the higher you will esteem it.  The better you understand your own rights, the more likely you will be to preserve and guard them."

I wept as I read these words…almost 200 years old.  True.  Prophetic.  Hope-filled…if we will break free of our national ignorance and cling to the freedoms entrusted to us; and fight with everything that is within us to secure our liberty.

the stranglehold of the state educational system

“Where teaching is conducted by private schools, there will be a considerable variation in different schools; the parents must judge what they want their children taught, by the curriculum offered. Nowhere will there be any inducement to teach the “supremacy of the state as a compulsory philosophy.” But every politically controlled educational system will inculcate the doctrine of state supremacy sooner or later, whether as the divine right of kings, or the “will of the people” in “democracy.” Once that doctrine has been accepted, it becomes an almost superhuman task to break the stranglehold of the political power over the life of the citizen. It has had his body, property, and mind in its clutches from infancy. An octopus would sooner release its prey. A tax-supported, compulsory educational system is the complete model of the totalitarian state.” - Isabel Paterson


Thanks, Mark Ross, for this quote.

"What astonishing changes a few years are capable of producing!  I am told that even respectable characters speak of a monarchical form of government without horror.  From thinking proceeds speaking, thence to acting is often but a single step.  But how irrevocable and tremendous!"

~George Washington to John Jay, August 15, 1786