Culture – Musings

My Journey from Death to Life

Culture, Parenthood, Pro-Life, Spirituality

In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

Job 12:10

This isn’t an article I want to write, but feel I need to write.

Many years ago when the topic of abortion was perhaps less charged than it is today, I considered myself pro-choice. Why shouldn’t a woman have the right to choose what to do with her own body? (But in actuality, she is temporarily housing someone else’s body.)

I went to college in the days when The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan, and other feminist writings were popular. Freshmen were required to enroll in a “reading” class on feminism. Granted, it was a women’s college, but it was still heavily biased in only one direction. Funny how these modern-day “feminists” are now silent on biological men in women’s sports and various other issues pertaining to women. But I digress.

In the current culture, crazed women dress up like female body parts screaming in the streets for their right to kill while not even knowing what a woman actually is! Mystifying.

In contrast, elderly women are being arrested for praying near abortion clinics, and actual criminals are allowed to go free, even within our own government. How backwards things have become!

I also used to find it odd that Congress would argue about when life begins. As if a bunch of politicians with their own agendas are the ones to be making this decision!

We must remember legality is not necessarily morality.

Abortion is being called health care and a right, which it is neither.

Today, abortion has become over-politicized. (Just look at the Planned Parenthood free abortion truck outside the 2024 Chicago DNC. Demonic!) So now a President should be elected based on their approval to kill?

The Sixth Commandment clearly states: Thou shalt not kill. It appears even most non-believers agree with this basic moral rule, or so I thought.

It actually doesn’t matter if you believe in the Ten Commandments or not. Truth is truth whether you believe it or not, like it or not, and even if no one believes it.

The sacrifice of so many human lives through abortion today is not unlike the child sacrifice to the pagan god Moloch in the Bible. (Leviticus 18:21; Jeremiah 32:35)

This disrespect for life and destruction of the family unit as God designed it is why we are where we are today. And it’s not good.

In a society that displays a blatant disrespect for human life, it will only be a matter of time before they come for YOU. They will find a reason. Euthanasia is gaining momentum. Killing babies and the most vulnerable is only the beginning. (And don’t be fooled by the government suddenly caring about saving lives during a scamdemic or any other “crisis” deemed for your own good.)

But since things were never “nipped in the bud” way back when, they just continue to snowball. Look how far we’ve gone into crazyville.

Now the argument is whether you can kill a baby all the way up to birth and even beyond!! Has anyone ever heard of adoption? Soon the country will be barely recognizable with all our values stripped and society eroded.

All these things make me realize ever more clearly how this movement of disrespecting life has overtaken society and is the undercurrent for much of the evil going on today. Unfortunately, too many people just don’t see it.

It’s all so insane I can no longer ignore it. And neither should you.

WHAT FINALLY CHANGED MY MIND

What turned the tide for me was when New York lit up the One World Trade Center spires in pink on January 22, 2019 for the passage of The Reproductive Health Act on the 46^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. It was unreal, to celebrate death of babies aka murder. Seems the only thing people seem to want to celebrate these days is evil.

Also, as a mother of multiples (triplets) I was given the option by doctors to “reduce” my pregnancy on a number of occasions. Selective reduction they called it. By the grace of God I did not do anything foolish.

Then when Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24, 2022, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus no less, you would think churches would be ecstatic and celebrating from the rooftops encouraging more wins for life. Sadly, that was not the case, at least not where I live.

Unfortunately the churches, which should be very vocal on issues of life and death, are pretty silent (except during scamdemics). Most churches won’t touch abortion claiming it’s a political issue. How wrong they are. It is a spiritual and moral issue.

It all boils down to people not wanting consequences for their actions, they want to have their cake and eat it too but it doesn’t work that way. And whatever happened to healthy shame? That thing called your conscience, that can sometimes keep people out of bad situations.

The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 9:10

When abortion is perceived as a quick fix, fleshly desires can be quenched because you can just get an abortion after all. However, abortion is not without risk, physical and psychological. The effects can be lasting. Some women even die.

And where is the man’s right in all of this? It takes two to tango. What if he wants to keep the baby? I do not know what legal rights the father has but I imagine it probably varies based on location.

Alternatives to abortion such as ABSTINENCE or adoption, no longer seem to be part of the conversation.

TOWARD THE FUTURE

I still feel like this is a journey for me, as it is for many, but at least I am headed in the right direction. Everyone has their unique story, even women who have had abortions. I’m not judging anyone.

We have to remember some people just aren’t there yet and some never will be….I wasn’t. It often takes some kind of personal experience or aha moment to change your mind about things. And sadly, some people just don’t want the truth and choose to remain on the side of evil.

Jesus has His followers and so does the devil.

But, there is hope. There are still people fighting for those who have no voice. People can and do change their minds. God’s mercy is always available if you sincerely open yourself up to it.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

So maybe, just maybe, I could change some minds or save a life with this article. It’s a step in the right direction.

Some resources if you want to learn more or get involved in the fight for life:

National Right to Life Committee at nrlc.org

priestsforlife.org (Father) Frank Pavone

feministsforlife.org

studentsforlife.org

sbaprolife.org

Lila Rose at liveaction.org

Abby Johnson, Planned Parenthood clinic director turned pro-life at abbyj.com

operationrescue.org

sistersoflife.org

Stay Home, Waste Lives

Culture, Psychology, Spirituality

Fear and anxiety have walked beside me basically my entire life. Friends they are not, however during the covid fiasco my biggest albatross became my greatest gift.

Suddenly, it felt like my life was turned inside out as I watched in horror as the entire world reacted in fear. I knew what it was like to be a prisoner of fear. I often felt like I was on the inside looking out at everyone else who appeared free from the chains that kept me bound.

It was a very ominous, undescribable feeling, like I was watching a horror film or living in a dystopian world. But oddly, I felt more fearless than ever in an insane world.

The eeriness of parks, schools, churches and businesses being closed was deeply disturbing. Basketball hoops were removed from parks and swings were chained up, discouraging children from playing outside.

Schools sat empty. For shame teachers unions, you are supposed to care about kids. An entire generation of children now traumatized and academically behind, for what?

Entire cities that were once bustling and full of life were ghost towns.

All this was not normal, nor should it ever be.

People hiding in their houses, whether by choice or in some cases by force, were afraid to interact. If they dared to walk outdoors, they would cross to the other side just to avoid another person as if some invisible drop of death would fall upon them. Wearing masks they were grasping at straws to pacify their imaginations while they looked like zombies from another galaxy and acted like they belonged in a mental hospital. How could this happen? It was irrational. It made me realize more and more just how irrational fear was.

The world was reversed for me, while stay home–waste lives seemed to be the directive. People who always told me not to fear or that I worry too much, were now literally telling me to be afraid! The thing I spend my entire life trying NOT to be! How insane was that? They did not like my bravery now.

How far toward insanity has a society gone when fear is promoted and even considered virtuous? Something was obviously wrong when the media was promoting insanity and fear rather than saying, this is not right, we need to go about our lives.

Where were the health gurus or religious leaders telling us not to fear? Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, one of the few Catholic religious leaders that does speak out about the evil of our time, warned, “our enemy is not the virus, but the insanity of those who betray their duties to the detriment of the community.” Our rights were trampled and most people allowed it.

Because this plandemic (yes it was planned) was “unprecedented” –a word I abhor–people went along like glorious little obedient sheep because, quite simply, they were afraid of dying. I think when Jesus talks about sheep in the Bible, this is not what He means.

Many people put their faith in government and medical professionals they thought would save them, but had really duped them. Because people were afraid, they were unable to distinguish reality from fantasy or look at things logically or spiritually. Anyone who went against the evil narrative and followed truth was seen as a threat and cancelled. What happened to freedom of speech, much less thought?

According to mass formation psychosis theory, and just basic social psychology, the need to belong and be part of something bigger, had many people bound, gaslit and brainwashed. The world indeed had gone mad. I write more about this here. It’s unsettling how truth and reality can be twisted to become quite the opposite.

Yet however virtuous people thought they were, the bottom line was they were afraid of dying. The death rate is one hundred percent for all of us. No one will escape so why focus on one virus unless there is a nefarious reason?

Surprisingly, all my years of worry, anxiety, and fear had prepared me for this time as well as being a child of immigrants from the Nazi Germany era, which gave me a perspective many other people just did not have.

Never underestimate the destructive power of fear. It can bring down entire nations, as we have seen time and again. I saw crystal clearly the insanity of it all.

There is a Bible passage that says, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) I never thought it possible, but my weakness became my strength during the plandemic.

Safety is an illusion. We are not safe until we are resting in the arms of Jesus. This does not mean we hide and cower in fear until then. There is work to be done as this insanity has so clearly proven.

Like a mother caring for a frightened child, God instructs us not to fear 365 times in the Bible, once for each day of the year. That is how serious the problem of fear is for us humans. The devil loves it when we are afraid and so do tyrants. (Notice the word “evil” inside the word devil.)

I remember when The Rose, a song sung by Bette Midler, was popular. It is on my playlist. It always spoke to me, especially the wise words, “…and the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live.” Feeling torn between being afraid to die and afraid to live is a terrible place to be. During the plandemic, people were afraid of dying, so they stopped living and were all too willing to give up their rights and God-given freedom for a bit of false security.

Many, if not all, fears ultimately stem from fear of death, either our own or our loved ones, but if we are Christians, we should have nothing to fear for Christ has conquered death and we will live life eternal.

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Phillipians 1:21

I wish I had an answer for fear and anxiety. I do not. It’s as old as humanity itself and part of the fallen human condition. Faith and support from others can help, as well as exercise and keeping busy to distract your mind from unwanted thoughts.

But it’s also sometimes a matter of adjusting and learning how to live with the handicaps we all have. It is an ongoing struggle that I consider my thorn in the flesh as St. Paul spoke of in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9. It keeps me going back to God because I know I am powerless on my own.

“I am the vine, you are the branches apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) God wasn’t kidding.

All we can do is try our best to seize the day and live one moment at a time and make sure we NEVER LET THIS INSANITY HAPPEN AGAIN.

Here is a way to get involved to make sure we retain our freedom: https://sovereigntycoalition.org/

Further Resources:

https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Anxiety-Disorders

https://adaa.org

https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety/panic-disorder

14 Ways to Fight the Battle

Culture, Spirituality

When I received the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Catholic Church in 6th grade, the nuns endlessly drilled into our heads that we were going to become “soldiers of Christ”. What on earth did that mean to a 12 year old? Not much. Who knew those words would come back to haunt me years later as I watch this country falling apart. I now literally am feeling called to be a “soldier of Christ”. Not a task to be taken lightly.

There is a battle going on right now for the soul of America and the world. It hits me in the face every day and I can’t NOT see it. This is not a battle between Democrats and Republicans, black or white, young or old. It is between good and evil, darkness and light, tyranny and freedom.

It is a battle in the spiritual realm and on the surface we appear to be losing miserably. Good thing God knows things we don’t and He has promised to prevail in the end, but how bad will it have to get?

“For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.”
Ephesians 6:12

I have never seen this more clearly in my lifetime than in these current days.

Sister Lucia, Fatima visionary, has predicted that the final battle will be over marriage and the family. This is clearly an area that is being fiercely attacked today, from education to the entertainment industry. So much is happening to tear down the family unit as God ordained it in His Word. From the blatant disrespect for life, to marriage being between one man and one woman. People these days can’t even define what a man or woman is! Many churches are either silent or buying into the evil in the culture. The family is the foundation on which everything is built. The Bible warns us a house built on sand will not stand. (Matt. 7:24-27)

Revivals like at Asbury University are happening, which is promising, but will enough people wake up before it is too late?

Too many people are still asleep. “Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather, expose them, for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says:

Awake, O sleeper,

and arise from the dead

and Christ will give you light.”

Ephesians 5:11-14

So what, then, can the average person who is awake to all this evil and corruption, do? First, we can try to help others wake up, even if we get flack for it or if they try to silence us. Some of us will of course be able to do more than others, but we can no longer turn a blind eye to all the evil and corruption around us if we want to preserve this great country and our freedom, Constitution and God-given rights.

Below are 14 suggestions for things we can do to help take our country back. Hopefully these will inspire you with more ideas.

Pray like crazy as if your life depended on it, because it does. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Know scripture. God’s Word is truth. The devil is a liar and word-twister. Remember, even the devil can quote scripture as he did when Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40 days.

If you have children, teach them the Bible and things of God. Yes they will grow up and make their own choices, but at least the foundation is laid.

Speak what you really believe and don’t censor yourself to be politically correct or follow the culture. Refuse to use the redefined words the culture comes up with. Tell things like they are; stop the pronouns!

Ignore anyone who calls you names such as conspiracy theorist, or whatever “-ist” or “-phobe” words the culture comes up with that are currently fashionable.

Support churches that aren’t following the culture. These are getting harder to find. Such as the ones that stayed open or didn’t bother you if you didn’t wear a mask during the pandemic. Go into the ministry and follow God’s truth refusing to give in to the evils of the culture.

Speak with your dollar and shop less, or not at all, at businesses and entertainment venues that censor and support the woke agenda such as Amazon, Target, Disney, NFL, and many more. There is a popular saying, “Go woke, go broke.” Make sure of it. I just came across the website publicsq.com where you can find businesses that support freedom, truth, the Constitution, and the family.

Get off social media that censors and does not value freedom of speech, like Facebook. There are alternatives starting up all the time such as Rumble, Gab, Telegram and Truth Social. I recently came across Godtube.com which has a variety of positive videos as an alternative to Youtube.

Volunteer during elections. We must make sure our elections are safe and secure, which they are not. Support and protect the U.S. Constitution. Vote for candidates that value life (the few there are). Or run for office.

Join your school boards. Consider homeschooling or a faithful private school. I went back to work and took my youngest out of the public school system when boys in the girls bathroom and locker rooms became an issue I was not willing to compromise on.

Consider going to college to study history, political science, education or law and really make a commitment to fight the culture and woke agenda fearlessly. Hillsdale College in Michigan is one such place. They even have resources for K-12 classical education on their website. Join campus groups like a chapter of Turning Point USA and get involved.

Form your own businesses, groups, websites, blogs, or become active in those that are leading the way.

Learn to grow your own food and become more self-sufficient. Create new ways and systems of doing things like alternative health care and education. Anything that won’t rely on government funding.

And lastly, never become intimidated or apologize for the truth.

It is necessary to know your enemy before going into battle. Our enemy is Satan and all his works. He will try to silence us, have us back down, make us feel hopeless and give up. Don’t let him!! Put on your spiritual armor!

Chapter 6 in Ephesians continues:

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground…. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith…. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (verses 13-17, NIV)

This is not a time to be silent. Evil triumphs when good men do nothing. This is what happened in Germany during WWII. Eric Metaxas has written a timely book, Letter to the American Church, which is now also a film. The way to defeat Satan is to know scripture, but more importantly, to live it. We need to be courageous and fearless in the face of evil.

The battle belongs to the Lord. He will take care of things or issue punishment where it is deserved. Christ will triumph in the end. But we must be aware that our actions and the seeds we sow today can save ourselves and future generations a lot of suffering tomorrow.

The battle belongs to the Lord. The victory is won. But He calls us to take up the fight.

More Resources:

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

no reason to hide by Erwin W. Lutzer

https://nypost.com/2021/01/31/10-ways-to-fight-back-against-woke-culture/

https://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/the-saint-michael-prayer.html

Interview with Eric Metaxas on Daystar.tv: https://daystar.tv/player/33568/528934

Take No Offense

College, Culture, Parenthood

I wonder what happened to the common phrase I heard throughout my childhood, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” Seeing how youth come out of universities these days, it should be taught on every college campus. Instead, academia is raising “snowflakes”. Young people who can’t tolerate an opinion different from their own or without feeling threatened or triggered.

Everything offends them. Well, maybe not all of them, but dare I say, the majority of them. I can tell a recent college graduate a mile away. My own children have not come out unscathed. College students are taught they need “safe spaces” to survive any slight or difference of opinion. These are rooms or places they can go to when they feel “offended”. There they can cuddle stuffed animals, pound on playdough, color, and most importantly, cry. There are even specific cry rooms at some universities. I thought “cry rooms” were for babies at churches. I was also surprised to find some schools literally have a facebook group of places to go cry, complete with maps. “Places to cry at CWRU” is one such example.

One problem with all of this is that it promotes victim mentality. They are the victims and the other person or group is the perpetrator. This can also be seen in our government, justice system and even churches. It also prevents kids from growing up and makes them less able to solve problems in the real world. Playing the victim becomes an easy way out of responsibility and a way to gain attention, or get what you want. It can also foster moral superiority.

Of course sometimes a person truly is a victim of a crime or abuse, but I’m not talking about physical safety here, which every human being deserves at all times. Obviously no one should be throwing “sticks or stones”, or even worse, at anyone. And students with real and serious mental health issues should definitely seek help. But a lot of this is sheer nonsense. Things have gone too far. Everyone is offended with everything. It has become a way to control how others think, speak, act and feel. This is NOT appropriate.

Unfortunately, universities pay staff excessive salaries to promote this kind of garbage and more. They encourage the notion that any discomfort cannot be tolerated, yet life is uncomfortable sometimes. Growing into an adult isn’t all fun and games, there is some pain involved. Pain and discomfort is necessary for growth, and that goes for all of us.

College is supposed to be about learning, about interacting with all kinds of other viewpoints, about preparing for your future career. Thinking, discussing, debating helps you learn and grow. It helps you understand where someone else is coming from, and perhaps even results in reformulating your own opinions. It is NOT to demand that everyone should think and speak the same way or according to some current cultural agenda. Freedom of speech must be protected at all costs, even if it makes some uncomfortable.

Instead of arming kids with confidence to go out into the world and slay the giants, they are taught the giants are trying to slay them! However, isn’t that what the current cultural agenda wants? To create as many weak, dependent, unquestioning followers because then they can be controlled. Dumb the kids down and make them weaker, not stronger, all in the name of some delusion of equity.

So where has sanity gone? Is it hiding in the cry room?? I don’t think so. The Bible states, “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” (Matt. 24:10-13 NKJV)

It’s not just the college kids that get offended either. I see plenty of adults who get offended at the slightest thing. Either adults are getting touchier or maybe they are learning the wrong things from their offspring. Whatever happened to turn the other cheek, kill them with kindness, forgiveness, telling someone calmly how you feel, or just ignoring someone or walking away if you are offended or don’t like something?

We can all benefit from being less touchy. Certainly we can always try to fine-tune our behavior, treat everyone with respect, love your neighbor as yourself, be kinder, but victim mentality has become all too common everywhere you look, and it’s doing far more harm than good.

So if you are offended by this article, perhaps you need to go find a safe space or cry room and let the rest of society live their lives, the good, the bad and the ugly, the insults, wounds and bruises. Because that is how we all learn and grow, and even heal. Not by playing the victim or hiding in a cry closet.

Personally, I’d rather run into the loving arms of Jesus as my safe space. How about you?

If you are the parent of a college student or soon-to-be one, check out:

http://campusreform.org

http://thecollegefix.com

You will learn a lot about what is going on these days. Choose wisely!