like this quote from the pro-life blogs

"No Mr. President, you are not protecting reproductive freedom. You are authorizing the destruction of freedom for 1,000,000 little human beings every year....
Killing our children is killing our children not matter how many times you say it is a private family matter. You may say it is a private family matter over and over and over and still they are dead.", Pastor John Piper

the argument becomes lame

The sad fact that Christianity is so dumbed down in so many churches, and that there so great a cafeteria attitude in our attitudes about how a person can pick and choose how he wants to be a Christian annoys me, these people completely miss the point of Jesus being our Savior. This is one of the many reasons it becomes OK to kill an unborn child, or to vote for someone who in his first week in office already is making us with our taxes pay for abortions outside the US. I want to be so angry with the friend who told me she voted for Obama because she thought McCain wouldn't do anything for abortion. Though, I am even more angry for the Catholics who decided that voting for the pro-abortion candidate was OK as long as I get taken care in my lofty middle class positions. The candidates stressed taxes and economic reform this election, but really if you want economic stimulus, end abortion. If you want to be able to retire and have social security, end abortion. If you want the housing crash to end, end abortion. If you thinking killing is wrong end abortion. It's a civil rights issue, seriously. 1/3 of our current generation is missing due to abortion. 1/3 that could have found cures for the incurable, could have invented the non yey invented, could have been world record holders, or could have become prominent leaders in our country. Instead they are in heaven but missed out to get their brothers and sisters to heaven, to do God's will on Earth. To save those dying in the Congo or in the Sudan or to fight against human trafficking everywhere. All of them gone.

So the arguement becomes lame that a President doesn't have much power, he does. And unfourtunately this one is too charasmatic for those around to notice the damage he has already done and will do.

“President Obama will be remembered forever not just as a smart, savvy, gifted and eloquent leader — but as the Abortion President,” Representative Christopher H. Smith

talk about the cold shoulder

I just hope they have non decorative fireplaces or wood burning stoves and lots of wood.

<Russia shuts off gas lines to neighboring countries

good music

so I used to go thru and like name my favorite bands 1-10. Crazy music freak I was. Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know a few recent album recommendations.

1. The soundtrack from the movie Once. It's Damien Rice-like, but maybe a little less dark. Excellent passionate melodic music. You feel like you are back in the movie.

2. Cool Hand Luke's new album "The Sleeping House" excellent solid CHL again. It even has some instrumental tracks on it which are like some of their really good long intros on the old songs.

3. Copeland had a new release in the fall as well. Its a bit more ethereal then the last which is like how can that possibly be but it is. I like it though I am not as passionate about it like the last album, I think it must have to grow a bit more on me.

4. Emery put out a CD probably more than a year ago called I'm Only a Man. It deals with a lot of issues that most people don't want to sing about, suicide being one of them. It has a great few tracks on it my favorite is What Makes a Man a Man.

Ok. that's all. So if you want some good music go have a listen, or at least add the artists to your Pandora radio station.

What does marriage mean to you?

I wanted to ask this question today. As it seems that the cultural norm is to live together and then be engaged for a few years and then get married. What does marriage then mean to those within this progression? I know what it is to me, a sacrament, a visible sign of the grace of Jesus. Its sacred, and a life-long covenant.

But what is the cultural norm definition of marriage. I mean I want to think that it is that total self donation of oneself to another, but its so skewed from that. Knowing that there are exceptions where sex isn't part of the picture yet, but usually it is but that is skewed from the pureness, and beauty of sex. The truth behind the act becomes hidden, at least I would think for the girl, the girl has to worry about commitment, pregnancy, infections. The guy thinking hopefully about the first and the last of those as well, but they wouldn't have to if neither one had sex until they were married. I guess you could argue away the infection scheme if they didn't have sex with anyone else, but again this is not the usual case.

So at this point I have ruled out that the cultural definition of marriage doesn't involve waiting on sex so that their can be total self donation of one another. So what is then the definition, does it mean children? I think this may apply to a percentage of those that follow this live together, then marry crowd. So to them does marriage mean responsibility? Along with that responsibility there is a person that binds them together now. Which if they are humble and loving should bind them together more. A good thing, because part of God's definition of marriage is to have children, if they are able to do so, some people cannot.

But what about the other percentage that still gets married after living together and is adamant about not having children? Why do they get married? Because marriage is part of life? Because others influence them to do so? And still what does it mean to them, as it doesn't mean total self donation, it doesn't mean wanting to have a family, so is it some sort of a commitment? I think in some way it has to be, as skewed from the original commitment it is, it must be something along these lines, or why else? Just to have a big fancy party and get dressed up all nicely? Sadly this could be true too.

Well, the good in all of this is that God can fix it and make the fallen rise again, if we just work at it and accept it. There are so many turn around stories that I have heard that make me think that the real definition of marriage is what we are striving for when we get married. So I pray that for the reader no matter where you are in this vicious cycle.