"Life Chain" Slated for Oct. 6

Prolife supporters across the country will gather at designated locations on Sunday, October 6 at 2 p.m. for the 2013 National Life Chain. This peaceful movement, in which participants quietly stand, holding signs and praying, is to raise awareness about abortion, which has been legal in the U.S. since 1973 and has resulted in more than 55,000,000 deaths.

Livingston County supporters are asked to gather at one of the following high-traffic locations: in Brighton at Grand River and Main Street or in front of Planned Parenthood; in Fowlerville at Grand River and Grand; in Howell on Grand River at the courthouse; or in Pinckney at the Town Square.

For more information, call Right to Life of Livingston County at (810)227-5788.

Honoring Victims of Abortion

Pro-life Americans are being called upon to attend the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children on Saturday, September 14, 2013, at gravesites around the country. Sponsored by Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, Priests for Life, and the Pro-Life Action League, this date was chosen because it is the 25^th anniversary of the burial of hundreds of aborted children in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

As even abortion activists are beginning to acknowledge, victims of abortion are human beings. It doesn’t take a degree in rocket science to know that if a fetus (“little one” in Latin) is not aborted, after about 270 days in the womb, a human being, just like you and me, will emerge and one day walk this earth. Therefore, because these unborn victims are human -- until this sick country gets back on track (if it ever does) and stops allowing the murder of these innocents -- these poor children at least deserve recognition of their humanity and the right to a proper burial, rather than being thrown into a dumpster behind some seedy clinic.

Please join us at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, located at 9565 Musch Road in Brighton, on Saturday, September 14, 2013 at 1 p.m. for the hour-long solemn prayer vigil to honor these victims. For more information or other locations, visit http://www.abortionmemorials.com/

Unconditional Love

Quiet times in my house are rare, so on a summer morning after some have left for work and the others are still asleep, I enjoy being able to think. I know that mothers with big families and/or small children can relate! The other day, though, the silence felt heavy and made me start thinking about my mom. It will be 20 years in December since she died at the too-young age of 64. I still miss her terribly and hope that someday I’ll see her again, but I really have no idea about that.

Thinking about my mom made me think about how much mothers (some – the normal ones, anyway) love their babies. The ones I’m thinking about – like me and the women I know – love their babies before they’re even born, before they’ve even seen them. They love them unconditionally, which means that this same child can (and probably will—maybe more than once) rip his mother’s heart out and although she may be very sad and angry, she will still love him. This parent* – child relationship is the only time humans love this way. This is the only “unconditional” love.

Thinking about unconditional love made me think about abortion and how it’s changed human relationships. If you know me, you know that I am passionately prolife. I cannot understand abortion or the people who support it. It seems obvious to me that it’s the murder of an innocent human being and therefore wrong. I recently read an excellent memoir about prolife activism – Abandoned by Dr. Monica Miller – in which the author explains that abortion is not only murder but the vilest form of rejection. Aborted babies are ripped from their mothers’ wombs – what should be the safest place in the world – and stripped of their humanity, even considered less than human. They are implicitly declared not worthy of inclusion in our human race; they are nothing -- rejected, unloved, unwanted.

Making abortion legal 40 years ago not only didn’t make it rare or safe, but it also permanently altered how we view each other. What was once generally assumed to be a sure and unconditional love – that love between a mother and her baby – is now not unconditional at all. In fact, this love is so conditional  that a mother has the right to not only not love, but to hate to the greatest degree – by arranging for the murder of her own child.

Now, “sacrifice” no longer necessarily means giving up something in order to benefit another. Rather, it’s been twisted in the most evil way. Sacrifice now may not be the mother giving up something in order to love and care for her child, but possibly sacrificing her child so that she doesn’t have to relinquish anything.

It’s hard for me to look at pregnant women and mothers of babies and young children without recalling the statistic that one out of three women will have had an abortion by the age of 45. When I see a young mom or one with a big belly, it makes me wonder…..did she ever have an abortion? And if she did, how then can she really love her other children? What if they find out that their mother aborted their sibling? Will they wonder, “Why not me?”

Abortion is murder. It’s a sad and harsh day, but a great day, when people who’ve participated in this atrocity finally acknowledge what they’ve done. While unspeakably difficult, acknowledgement is the critical first step. Thankfully, there is a great, healing Physician who is able and willing to forgive all sins when one truly repents. If this is you, it is my most sincere hope that you will recognize Jesus Christ for who He is – the Messiah. He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” As He said, no one can come to the Father except through Him. He can and will save you and heal your broken heart if you ask. It will take time and support is strongly recommended. Visit http://www.rachelsvineyard.org/ or http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/. If you live in Livingston County, Michigan, there is confidential group and individual support available at Pregnancy Help Clinic http://www.pregnancyhelpclinic.com/

*Normal fathers love unconditionally, too.

The Homeschooler's Summer: Planning and Relaxing

Just as homeschoolers are breathing a sigh of relief because a year of hard work is almost over and summer vacation is about to begin, it’s time to make plans for the next school year. Thankfully, most of us regard this as an exciting time because we are happy to be able to educate our own children, and we are grateful for the abundance of curricula choices due to the popularity of homeschooling.

After doing this for more than 20 years, I’ve got planning down to a science. I know exactly what we’re doing and when, and I already have my favorite publishers and books. When we were just beginning, however, we relied on product reviews from a few trusted sources: Cathy Duffy’s reviews (visit http://cathyduffyreviews.com/), Dean and Karen Andreola’s (visit http://www.homeschoolhighlights.com/) and Rainbow Resource (visit www.rainbowresource.com). We buy most of our materials from Rainbow Resource because they sell almost everything you could ever need, at a discount, and offer free shipping for purchases totaling $50 or more.

"October Baby" to Speak at Fundraiser

Abortion survivor, Gianna Jessen, subject of the movie, October Baby, will be the keynote speaker at Pregnancy Help Clinic’s annual Celebration of Life on April 18, 2013.

“Ms. Jessen has an amazing story to tell that is important for both prolife and prochoice people to hear. She brings truth to the conversation, a truth that cannot be overlooked: abortion takes the life of a real human being. Gianna Jessen is one of the few who have survived to tell their story. Her life is the inspiration for the blockbuster movie, October Baby,” said Ann O’Reilly, director of community development at Pregnancy Help Clinic in Brighton, Michigan.

This fundraising event will take place on Thursday, April 18, 2013, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Brighton Church of the Nazarene, 7669 Brighton Road, Brighton. Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased at the door or in advance from Pregnancy Help Clinic by calling 810-494-5433 or by visiting their website at www.PregnancyHelpClinic.com.

In addition to Ms. Jessen’s speech, audience members will be treated to an appetizer and dessert buffet, music, and updates about Pregnancy Help Clinic. According to Ms. O’Reilly, the Celebration of Life is not only “the major fundraiser of the year, but also a time to celebrate victories, thank volunteers, and educate the community about prolife issues.” Previous speakers have included Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Norma McCorvey, “Roe” from Roe v. Wade, among others.

Developing Good Writers

Editor's Note: This article first appeared in The Old Schoolhouse magazine, Feb. 2013 edition. To visit that site, go to http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine-digital.com/thehomeschoolmagazine/201302/?pg=67&pm=2&u1=friend 

As an editor, writing tutor, and homeschool teacher of twenty years, I am frequently asked for advice about improving children’s writing skills.  Most of the calls I receive are from parents of high schoolers, while some calls concern college-aged students.  Although it is never too late to improve skills, there are some ways that young parents can ensure that their children have the best start and the greatest chance at writing success. 

First, all children who are not yet reading independently should have books read to them on a daily basis.  This may sound obvious to many, but a lot of modern-day parents do not read and do not understand its value.  My daughters have babysat in homes where there are no books – and I am not exaggerating, as shocking as that may be.  It is simply unfathomable to me that there are any parents in this country who do not have a stockpile of books for their children to peruse.  This does not have to be a budget-breaker, either, since our country has thousands of libraries full of books available for borrowing at no charge. The importance of this cannot be overstated: Children who are read to develop a love for books, and tend to have greater and more active imaginations. They are also more curious and ask more questions, and they are more able to discern good literature, especially if what is being read is well-written.  In addition, parents who take time out of their busy schedules to read to their youngsters are demonstrating, in a concrete way, that they highly value books and reading. This is the first and most basic step that must be taken if parents want to ensure academic success later.

I'm a Wimpy Mother

You hear this from almost the minute your baby’s born: “Enjoy every moment because before you know it, they will be grown and gone.” I used to hate hearing that when my kids were little. It was almost always well-intentioned older ladies who would utter those words. Yet even then I was sure that they were speaking from personal experience, and I understood the painful truth; I just didn’t want the reminder. As much as I tried to avoid thinking about it, the inevitable has come true, and I am now the mother of four adults and three more who will be soon.

Just yesterday, my oldest was building things with Legos; he now lives in Argentina and we only get to see him once or twice a year. The sister he used to tease by misbehaving in the historical plays she would put on with her younger siblings is now in a PhD program six hours away by car. Even though I’ve adjusted to the concept of my kids coming and going since the eldest first went to college more than eight years ago, it still feels unnatural when they say goodbye and leave.