A Fetus At 7 Weeks Gestation

In the church bulletin today there was an interesting little article about a doctor who was one of the leading abortion doctors in the US in the 1970's. He had campaigned for the legalization of abortion, and he had performed over 60,000 abortions. He believed in what he was doing; that he was providing a service that guaranteed a woman's right to control her own body.

But a medical breakthrough changed his mind, when the ultrasound was introduced in 1976. For the first time the window was opened and he could see inside the uterus. He could see a heart, with all 4 chambers of the heart pumping blood. And as we have become more sophisticated with the ultrasound images, you can now see the baby moving, sucking his thumb, making expressions. And what woman who has ever been pregnant has not felt their child as he experienced "hiccups?"

As our knowledge has grown regarding these little babies, as yet unborn, we are able to get a much clearer picture of just who and what they are. So, now we know all the medical facts (if we care to find out), and now we can even see our babies before they are even born. But the question is, what will people do with this information?

Aren't you glad your mother didn't choose to have an abortion when she was pregnant with you?

To learn more, and to see more, click on this link. A warning though, you will not be able to look at the images and not be moved. www.priestsforlife.org/.../fetaldevelopment.htm

Snowflakes

Rather than drive all the way home from work the other night, and have to just turn around and drive to church, I went on to the church building early. I picked up a magazine in Scott's office (our secretary) and started looking at it. Found an interesting article I wanted to share.

It was titled, "Why Not Use The Leftover Embryos?" It was talking about in vitro fertilization, and explained how the eggs are taken from the female and introduced to the guy's sperm in a test tube. The eggs become fertilized and are implanted in the womb of the woman to grow into a baby.

That's pretty straight forward. But what really caught my eye, what I didn't know, was that the procedure usually results in from 5 to 12 eggs being fertilized! Normally, they don't implant more than 3 of these in the woman's womb because of safety issues (multiple births). By implanting 3 of them, the odds of actually having 1 healthy baby are more likely.

Now do the math. If they fertilize 12 eggs, and they implant 3 of them into the uterus, that leaves 9 fertilized, living embryos out there. What do they do with them? Most of them are frozen in liquid nitrogen. This gives the potential parents time to see what happened with the 3 that were implanted. Did they all take? Are they going to have a single child? Twins? Triplets? Eventually they will have to make some kind of decision of what to do with the left-overs.

They have 3 options: donate them to research (where they will ultimately be destroyed); let them thaw out (they will die); OR (and this option is so exciting!) donate them to couples who are unable to conceive themselves! How great is that idea!

That's where Snowflakes comes in. It's an agency that adopts a healthy embryo to a couple. So a couple that is in this situation now have a choice that does not involve the destruction of human life! How cool is that!

I believe that life begins at conception. As human beings, we are made in the image of God. That makes us special, because God has given us a soul that will live forever and ever. Unlike God, who has no beginning or end, we do indeed have a beginning (at conception) and our physical bodies will have an end (at death). But our soul will live forever.

Check out their website! http://www.nightlight.org/snowflakes_description.asp

Rain In Seattle - Day # 27 and counting

I used to live in Seattle for over 25 years. Now I have children and grandchildren living there so I try to keep up with what's happening up there. It looks like Seattle is giving a go at beating it's old record of raining the most consecutive days in a roll. I remember the days and days that were gray, overcast, drizzly, wet, and cold. Pretty miserable in the winter, I can tell you! But on the other hand, the state of Washington is the most beautiful place in the world. On a clear, sunny day when you can see Mount Rainier in the distance, or the Olympics or the Cascade Mountains...there is nothing more beautiful!

The Seattle Times today reported that Friday, another rainy day, was the 26th successive day of rain. Seattle had 0.57 of an inch of rain Thursday for a total of 12.41 inches since Dec. 19, when the city started on the path toward its own record, which it could match on Jan. 20 or beat on Jan. 21. Seattle's wet streak — which stood at 26 days Friday — may exceed the previous record of 33 consecutive days, set in 1953 .

Here's to day 27...and counting!

Addenum: Ends: 27 consecutive days of rain ended over the weekend as sunny skies end run on rain. Alas, it was not meant to be! This is one record I'm sure no one is dissapointed in not making!

Life And Death

As a nurse working for Hospice, I have been present at the time of death for many of my patients. There is such a spiritual aspect to this act of dying. No two families seem to react to the death of their loved one the same. Some cry, some are in kind of a state of shock or disbelief, and some are even relieved to see their loved one finally "not hurting anymore" or they believe they are "in a better place".

It is such a personal time for a family, to be losing their loved one to death. To essentially have a stranger in their home sharing in that experience with them is something I don't take lightly. Yet death is a certainty of life. It is a moment that we will all face at some point; when our soul will leave our body behind and be reunited with the God who made us. In some ways I suppose I could compare my presence at the end of this life to being present when a new soul enters this world during birth.

I have had the opportunity to be present when two of my three grandchildren were born. In fact, when my daughter had her second child, not only was I there, but so was her mother-in-law and her six year old daughter. Oh, her husband was there too! It's such a wonder to see a new life enter the world. God has given us the ability to have children, and though it is within the laws of nature, the wonder of it all is so awesome. We do have an awesome God!

Children can't hide their feelings and emotions. They are out there for anyone who will see. When Gabriel was born, Aminah went through several emotions, watching the birth of her little brother. A little disbelief, maybe a little worry about her mom, but in the end just a six year old thinking it was all kind of a "yucky" business!

I thank God for the fact that He has given us life. I know our time here on earth is short . Even if we live to be a hundred years old, that would be only a moment when compared to how long eternity will be. Because we are made in the image of God, He has given us a soul that will live forever and ever. Our birth is the beginning, and in death we enter the doorway into eternal life. Where we spend that eternity will be determinded by how we have lived our life during our brief time here on earth.

God's forgiveness is like becoming a new born baby again, with our past mistakes forgiven and a clean slate laid out in front of us.

Subliminal Suggestion Anyone?

This morning when I was brushing my teeth I left the water faucet on. I looked down into the sink with all that water just going down the drain. Suddenly I remembered that commercial where a goldfish is in the little fish bowl and the water level is slowly getting lower and lower. The poor fish is going to die because some person is just too lazy to turn off the faucet while she's brushing her teeth! So I turned the faucet off because I figured I was just wasting water...either that or because I wanted to save the goldfish!

I guess my thought processes are a result of having just finished a book by Dean Koontz (can we say weird!) called "Night Chills". It hits on an interesting subject; behavior modification and subliminal suggestion. I guess the basic idea is that advertisers (or whoever) can reach our innermost selves, our subconscious mind, and in some way influence or control us. Like when you go to the movies and at the beginning of the previews you get this "Hungry?" question flashing across the screen. That probably gets you thinking about it, yeah...maybe I am a little hungry. Then they show all that buttery popcorn, pouring out like some weird colored snow, along with all those Junior Mints and those Good and Plenty Licorice candies. Then you start thinking, well if I'm going to eat all that, I know I"ll need something to drink too. Before that thought is complete, what do they show but a very large, ice cold Coca Cola with the water droplets running down the outside of the cup. You're hooked.

Remember the rumour going around that our poor innocent youth were being influenced in a very terrible way by playing their records? Apparently if you played it backwards (how could you play a record backwards on a record player??) it would say something like "Satan is Lord" and would make you a Satan worshiper. I think it was called back masking, or something like that. (I can't remember what my point was for bringing that up).

When my children were little, probably about 6 and 8 I wanted to make sure they knew that just because they saw something on the t.v. didn't mean it was real. I explained how they could make just about anything look real, and make-believe on the t.v. is just not the same thing as real-real life. I must have said something that stuck with my daughter that day. Because a few days later she and I was sitting on the couch watching something on t.v. A commercial came on, the one where the pretty girl shakes back her long blond hair and puts her hands on her hips saying, "Never let them see you sweat!" My daughter looked up at me with her big hazel eyes and said, "That's not true, mom!"

Who says kids never listen!

Me...The Risk Taker

Rock climbing in 1997. But not any more...Hey, I'm 50 years old!

I love this picture! Not sure where I got it, but I know I nabbed it from the Internet, somewhere. It seems rather in tune with the way I feel today. Maybe because I'm still feeling pretty rotten because of my rotten cold, and maybe because it's the end of yet another year. I don't know.

I'd say overall it was a pretty good year. I want to be like the guy in the picture, looking forward to new horizens and experiences. He's obviously kind of a risk taker, sitting on the side of that ledge like that! Just think what could happen if one good gust of wind came up! I used to be a little bit of a risk taker, but I guess as we get older we become more content to sit back and see what life brings to us. And if you listen to older people you realize they've become afraid of living as they've gotten older. I'm a good example of that. I used to swim in the Gulf of Mexico every chance I got as a child, but you won't see me out there anymore. Too many sharks! What about that undertow?!

Anyway, I wish you all a Happy New Year and may 2006 be even better than 2005 was!

Hot Donuts Now

I have a cold, and I really don't like feeling sick! They say nurses make the worst patients and I think there's some truth to that! Fortunately I didn't have to work today...and I don't have to work tomorrow. I think I've just been forcing myself to keep going to get through the holidays. In a way, I'm kind of glad they are over for another year.

I've been working pretty hard the last couple of weeks because we've had a lot of people out of town for the holiday. So we've been filling in. Yesterday I was driving across the bridge a little after 7 a.m. The sun was shining so pretty and glistening off the water. Very beautiful! Sometimes it's nice to be reminded that God is in the heavens and all is well.

And driving home after a hard day I pass by the local Krispy Kreme and see the "Hot Donuts Now" sign flashing. Just thinking about those warm, sugary donuts just coming out of the oven was a great temptation! I remember as a teenager when we used to go swimming we would stop at Krispy Kreme and get some donuts. I would be ravenous from all that swimming. Every once in a while we would hit it just at the right time when they would be warm right out of the oven. One of my girlfriends' mother worked there, so she would give us a dozen donuts FREE! I would gorge myself on 3 of them. Oh yeah...those were the good ole days.

Guess I'll go take my vitamin C and make a cup of tea!

Heaven A Matter Of Faith

This is an excerpt from an article I read this morning in the Editorial section of our local newspaper:

Heaven a matter of faith

Barbara Walters' television program "Heaven" presented a comprehensive view of a subject easy to accept for many but controversial for others.

From my Christian perspective, it is all a matter of faith: the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen; the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot now see it up ahead.

God gave His love letter, the Holy Bible, to mankind so that every person could read it and determine, by our free will, to accept or reject it as the Word of God. I believe God's marvelous plan for mankind included His road map to Heaven, the Bible.

The only way to get there is through His Son, Jesus. He said, I am the (only) way, the (only) truth and the (only) life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me.

Needless to say, I am in complete agreement with what was said above. Below is a copy of a response I wrote to someone who had left a comment. Wish I'd seen the program about Heaven.

I don't know you, but it seems from your posts that you are searching for answers in your life. Like most of us, we question our lives sometimes asking, "Is this all there is?" It's okay to not be sure just what you believe, or to question why things have happened to you. I think that's completely normal. You said in your post "I'm the only person my age that has a reason for not believing in him". I would like to respond to that and say you are NOT ALONE even though you may feel that you are sometimes.There are so many people that have had to grow up in very bad environments. There are people who have lost the people they love through illness and death. I am a Hospice nurse, so I have seen even young people who are terminally ill and know they are going to die. We live in a world that is not perfect, and we know that every one of us will eventually die.

You said you feel like being close to God, yet the whole concept of God is laughable. I guess it's just hard for most of us to believe in something we can't actually see, or hear, or touch. We have probably never seen the Indian Ocean or the Arctic Ocean, but we believe they exist because we have seen a map that shows us they are there. We have FAITH, we believe, even though we have never actually seen, or touched them, or smelled the salty air on the wind. God IS real, I can tell you that with 100 percent certainty, yet I can never prove to you that He exists. He doesn't just live up in the clouds, looking down on us and marking in His little book every time we are bad.

God speaks to us today, not in the literal way that He did to Adam and Eve, and Moses and the Prophets in the Old Testament times. Today He speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. The Bible was being written during the time they were alive, and God spoke directly to them. That's how the Bible came to be, by someone writing down the history of how the world was created, of how God created us with the free will to make our own decisions. He could have made us like zombies, or puppets that would act when He pulled the strings. But God didn't want that. God wanted us to LOVE Him back. God wanted us to WANT to do the right things. He knows what is best for us, because He created us. If you think about it, if everyone followed the Bible, don't you think the world would be so different today? Today people say, well how do you determine what is the right thing? What's right for me may not be right for you. That's why we need a standard, because otherwise everyone would do whatever they wanted because they say that is right for them. The Bible gives us that standard.

You said you feel as though all your mistakes and bad judgments are published for everybody to see. If you read the Bible, you will see MANY people who made some very bad mistakes, yet God loved them and forgave them of those mistakes. Every one of us has done things we aren't proud of. We'd like to somehow go back in time and do things differently with what we know now. But that's not possible, so we learn from our past mistakes and go on. That's what is so wonderful about knowing God is real, and He cares and He hears us when we talk to Him. It breaks His heart to see us sad and just living our lives in a way that He knows will make us unhappy, yet He allows it because we have been given free will to make our own decisions.

I'm glad you haven't given up on God, because He hasn't given up on you. Go to church on Sunday and really listen to what is said. If you really believe that things happen for a reason, then you will find that God loves you so much and if you make a move to get closer to Him, you will see more and more of His plan for YOUR life.

But Then Again...

Maybe this explains why we don't know how many wise men there were. And why they had to come from so far away!!!!!!

Did you know...

The Bible doesn't say that there were three wise men that traveled from afar riding on camels to visit the baby Jesus lying in a manger? Matthew 2:1 says: Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem . . .

The Bible doesn't say how many wise men there were that came from the east, doesn't mention their names, and doesn't provide any details about how they made their journey.

It has generally been assumed that the wise men (or magi) were three in number because Matthew 2:11 makes mention of three gifts: " . . . they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh."

And despite the familiar lyrics of the Christmas carol "We Three Kings," no biblical source depicts the three wise men as kings.

The Bible doesn't say that these wise men arrived just after the birth and found the baby Jesus lying in a manger. Matthew 2:11 states: And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him . . .

The wise men came "into the house," not the stable, and they saw a "young child," not a newborn. This passage indicates that the wise men didn't arrive until quite some time after Jesus' birth. (According to Luke 2, it was shepherds, not wise men, who visited the infant Jesus in the manger.)

We DO know from the Bible that wise men came from the east, that they followed a star to Bethlehem to find the Christ child, and that they brought him gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

(from our Sunday Church Bulletin)

Taking Christ Out Of Christmas

It's kind of scary how some people are being so aggressive and are trying to keep God out of everything! Our children can no longer bring a Bible or pray in school. The courts don't want our children to quote the line "One Nation Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. While I respect a person's right to believe or not, We DO live in this country, which was founded on the principles of God. Can we now not have "In God We Trust" on our currency? Why are people so adamant about changing this?

When I was driving to work the other morning I passed by a High School in the area. The sign outside read "Politically Correct Holiday Stories" and it gave the times for this. Meaning that there would be no religious connection to these stories, is my guess. I am so tired of both the public in general AND some members of the Church making such a big commotion about "taking Christ out of Christmas".

Yes, I am a Christian, and Yes, I know that the Bible does not tell us the exact date on which Jesus was born. I am in agreement that, as the church, we don't have any authority to celebrate December 25th as the birthday of Jesus. We go to church throughout the year on the first day of the week. So I don't think we need to have some kind of special Christmas program as a church. But, neither do I see anything wrong with personally remembering the birth of Christ on a specific date either.

I put up a Christmas tree. I have presents under the tree, and have lots of food with family members visiting. But I also use this time to remember the birth of a little baby, born in a manger in Bethlehem, who came to this world to suffer an excruciating death because I am a sinner. He died in my place. He rose on the third day and is now in heaven, sitting at the right hand of the Father. Because He did all this for EVERY ONE OF US (whether we believe it, or accept it, or even care, it still happened) we now have the hope of spending eternity in heaven if we are obedient Christians in this life.

The part that frustrates me is the CHURCH seems to be going out of the way to NOT say anything about the birth of Christ, or to NOT sing the traditional songs usually sung at this time of year about Christ. So the church is doing its share of taking Christ out of Christmas as well.

I say let's take advantage of this time of year to teach people about the birth of Christ. But that's just the beginning. That opens the door to telling them about WHO Christ is and WHAT He did for us. His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection!

How can that be wrong even on December 25th?

O Christmas Tree

We got the tree up finally, but still need to put on the rest of the bulbs. This is the first time I've put the lights on the tree. I guess they look okay!!!

My Hair

The new dilemma: Should I or shouldn't I???

My Birthday

Well, on Sunday I will reach the big 5-0. Yeah...that's right. It's kind of hard to believe I'm really that old. I used to think someone that was 50 was old enough to have one foot in the grave already!

The last couple of years have been ...well...interesting. My body has gone through several changes. All that junk you hear about "the change" is true! It's been difficult at times, for me and I'm sure for my husband as well. The worst part about it for me was the lack of sleep caused by waking up in a drenching sweat, throwing back all the covers, and then freezing to death 5 minutes later! Made me cranky to say the least. Plus it's just going through that lack of control. It's like your body is turning against you all of a sudden. So there's a degree of anxiety associated with that.

I've been coloring my hair, putting various shades of this and that on it, since I was in my 20's. So I had decided in January of this year to stop. I knew I had some gray up there among the light brown hair dye, but wasn't sure just how much. I would rather let my hair turn gradually than to keep putting hair color on it and have it be all white when I stopped.

I have found that I have quite a bit of gray in my hair already. My husband wants me to keep coloring it because he says it "makes me look older". (He's 53 and has a fair share of gray hair himself. But he wouldn't even consider coloring it!) I don't really want to though...and anyway...I kind of like it. I'm proud of my age, and I like it.

He's not given up though. He asked me the other day if I would do something for him for my birthday. I had to ask him what, and he wanted me to color my hair dark brown! Now I know that if you love someone you want to do things that make the other person happy. But it seems a person's hair is such a personal matter. It should be up to the individual as to how they want to wear it.

I'm not going to color my hair, but I love him anyway!

Thanksgiving

We had a great thanksgiving this year. A group of about 30 of us got together at the church building for a pot-luck dinner. Several families came that didn't have any extended family in town, or that just wanted to get together for the fellowship. Everybody brought lots of food. We had so much more than we could possibly eat!

After dinner, we watched a cute movie; Madagasgar, and then played some games. We played Guesstures, which was very interesting! Kind of like Sherades. If you want to really get to know the people you attend church with, get together for the small groups: the care groups, over-40 brunch, or any other small group activities your church offers. It's a great way to get to really know somebody. It's kind of hard on Sunday and Wednesday because there is just too much going on.

My mom is 81 years old. It's kind of strange how our roles have reversed. I think it really hit me the other day when I was making a chocolate cake. My mom was over. After mixing up the cake, I gave the mixer to my mom to lick clean! I remember she used to do that for me when she was making a birthday cake for us. I'm taking her to the doctor now, or to the optomotrist, or to the dentist. I just hope I can be as patient and loving as she was to me when I needed her for all these things!

We truly do have so much to be thankful for.

A Good Point

I was especially moved by something one of the elders said at church Sunday morning. Right before we took the communion he talked about how Veterans Day had just come and gone. He said that to many people it has become just another holiday; a day of not having to go to work and of being able to sleep in. To some people, it's not a day to remember and thank all the veterans who either gave their lives or who served in the military to help make this country what it is today.

He compared that to our taking the Lord's Supper and attending church on Sunday. Again, some people view Sunday as a day for sleeping in and not having to go to work. It's so much more than that. Jesus lay down his life for us. He shed His blood, and His body was broken because we needed a way to have our sins forgiven. Through Jesus' death, He provided a bridge between us and the Father. There are so many people who have heard about this wonderful gift, yet who don't care. So when we partake of that unleavened bread and that grape juice, we do it while remembering the great sacrifice Jesus made for every one of us.

And on Sunday night, our youth minister spoke. He really got down to the core of our purpose, our reason for identifying ourselves as Christians. We can know every doctrine in the Bible, but if we don't know HIM, then we have lost the whole purpose. We must have a relationship with the one who loved us enough to die for us. We draw nearer to Him; we come to know Him personally through our prayers; that's just talking to God. And through studying His word, the Bible. Because everything we need to ever know about how to get to heaven in right there in that book.

Once we have studied the Bible, we have to remember to DO the things that God says he wants us to do. We can't be "hearers only". And we become the kind of person God wants us to be in that way.

Thank You Veterans!

Today is Veterans Day. I would like to say a big thank you to all the men, young and old, who have served in our armed forces. Both of my brothers served in the Army. My oldest brother was sent to Vietnam on 3 different occasions. He was one of the fortunate ones who did not end up giving his life for his country. He came back to us. I remember my mother and I saying many prayers for his safe return. I was a teenager in the late 60's and early 70's. I wrote to my brother while he was in Vietnam and while he was in Korea. I looked forward to getting a letter back from him. I sure wish I still had those letters today!

Because of the Vietnam war, and the fact that my brother was over there, my mother voted for the FIRST AND ONLY TIME for a republican; Mr. Richard Nixon. That's because he promised to end the war and bring "those boys" back home. That's what happened too. Today my mother is as angry with Mr. Bush as she was with Mr. Johnson because she compares this war in Iraq with the war we fought in Vietnam. Her grandson (my nephew) is a Marine and has already been sent to Iraq once. Once again we find ourselves praying for a member of our family to be safely returned to us.

Our prayer is that this war will be over soon, and all our young men in the military can safely return home. We owe all the freedoms we enjoy in this country to those who are willing to risk it all for their country. Again, we thank you!

My Dilemma

We've probably all read the verse, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 2:35).

A lady from church asked me to do her a favor. She is a border-line diabetic and needs to check her blood sugar but she didn't know how to do the accuchecks. She didn't want to go back and tell her doctor she didn't understand how to do it. So she asked me if I would show her how. She was very apologetic about asking me, saying she knew how "busy" I was and she hated to "bother" me. I assured her that I would be more than happy to show her how it worked.

The next evening I stopped by her home. We sat down at the dining room table and I showed her and her husband how to do the accuchecks. They seemed to understand with no problem when shown how, but trying to read through 100 pages of instructions had been too confusing! I said I understood completely because I, too, am a visual person and find things much easier to understand if someone can just show me how something works rather than just telling me.

After spending a little time with them, I felt sure they understood how it all worked. As I was getting ready to leave, she offered me an envelope to thank me for all the "trouble" I had gone through. She was very adamant that I take the envelope. She kept saying "Oh please, I wish you would!" as she kept pushing the envelope towards me. I was just as determined that I did NOT want to take that envelope. I didn't want her to PAY me for what I did. My reward was in knowing that what was such a little thing to me, meant a lot to her! It made me feel good to be able to help her.

Today I received a Thank You card in the mail with $25 in it! I don't want to insult her by giving the money back to her, but I don't feel right keeping it either. Should I now thank her for the money? I just wish that people would learn to accept an act of kindness from others. If someone does something nice for you, learn to say "thank you" and remember, they more than likely have received all the reward they need.

Inner City

Tonight we had Inner City. We get the 3 to 5 year olds on our bus and at our learning center. I'm glad, because they are at an age where they are still so sweet and cuddly. As a rule they are just so excited about going to the center and learning about Jesus. It's such a good feeling to see these little ones and hearing them sing "This Little Christian Light Of Mine" or "Jesus Loves Me". We've had fewer church members participate in the program lately though. I guess it's because we've been doing it for so many years and some people have kind of gotten burned out. The only problem is, we don't seem to have the new ones willing to replace the ones that need to take a break.

Sometimes that's the problem with teaching Bible classes too. If you are willing to teach, you may very well find yourself teaching indefinately! Because it's hard indeed to get someone to replace you for a quarter or so. It would be pretty nice for the Bible teachers to be able to attend some classes themselves sometimes! I think it's good for the kids too. Probably keeps them from getting bored with having the some old teacher until they are old enough to move up. Since we are a rather small congregation (140 or thereabouts) we don't have so many children anymore either. Seems in general the population of our congregation is getting older. Sometimes I wonder what will happen in the next 20 years or so. Will we still be there?