Quick Takes, including more undercover slime from our friendly neighborhood abortionists… including MY neighborhood abortionist!

Just in the nick of time (it's almost midnight)!!

Before I begin my Quick Takes, this just in: I just got back from seeing For Greater Glory. OMG. If you have not yet seen it… GO (and stay for the credits, trust me)! The acting was superb, the story was riveting (understatement), the score was moving, the cinematography was beautiful. I would see it again, and that's saying something. I cannot even tell you the mix of emotions I felt for those 2+ hours. And I have a favorite new intercessor in Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio. Blessed Jose, in this eerie time in America for Catholics, pray for us!

Blessed Jose, courageous young martyr

Okay, now on to the Quick Takes that I had prepared earlier (if you only read two of them, make it #6 & #7).

1) Lila Rose at Live Action is at it again, this time in my own backyard. Back in a Quick Takes last September, I documented our group march and candlelight procession to this particular abortionist's office, located just blocks from my parish (check the #2 Take). Why am I not surprised to see and hear what goes on inside? Acceptance of gendercide, or aborting babies because they are girls. The second part of this first video reveals more of the same, this time in Tucson.

But as disturbing and evil as that was, the Texas abortion clinic worker, below, chilled me even more. Make sure you watch all the way to the end. What's that you pro-"choice" feminists say about the "war on women"? I don't think I can hear you anymore, after seeing this:

May God have mercy.


2) I am truly interested in what our atheist and pro-"choice" friends think about the normalizing of infanticide that has begun in earnest in the academic community. In March, two professors ("ethicists" no less) promoted it without shame:

Therefore, we claim that killing a newborn could be ethically permissible in all the circumstances where abortion would be. Such circumstances include cases where the newborn has the potential to have an (at least) acceptable life, but the well-being of the family is at risk. Accordingly, a second terminological specification is that we call such a practice ‘after-birth abortion’ rather than ‘euthanasia’ because the best interest of the one who dies is not necessarily the primary criterion for the choice, contrary to what happens in the case of euthanasia.

Of course, I think infanticide and abortion are morally the same, so I can't fault their logic even as I fault their evil premise that the youngest humans are different from the rest of us humans and have no actual right to live. But I am wondering what our pro-"choice" readers think. How do they counter the arguments of these logical, well-spoken professors, or do they perhaps agree with them?

Read the rest of Dr. Nadal's excellent analysis, here:

After-birth Abortion and the Ethics Community’s Descent Into Madness (Part I)

I guess it's "every child a wanted child", and all that, right? And that death is preferable to suffering (even the suffering of the parents)?

3) Are you all familiar with the Ruth Institute, headed by (former atheist) Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse? They do such good scholarly and public policy work protecting and promoting marriage. I love their stated "Core Values":

*Marriage as the proper context for sex and childrearing
*Respect for the contributions of men to the family
*Marriage as a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman
*Lifelong spousal cooperation as a solution to women's aspirations for career and family
*Cooperation, not competition, between men and women

Amen! And, someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe Dr. J's husband is still an atheist, and yet he supports her work and agrees with it. Go figure!

You might want to get on their email list, or bookmark 'em for future reference!


4) Ah, Nancy Pelosi strikes again:

Pelosi: ‘I do my religion on Sundays, in church’

Tell it to the Judge, Nancy. I'm sure He'll be super impressed that you "do your religion" one day out of the week. Why, you're a regular Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio! Wait… or not.


5) Over a week later, my facebook comments are apparently still coming up as spam on some of my friends' walls. Guess I'm still on probation for my hateful, bigoted, ugly remarks! But at least they haven't switched me to timeline yet… now that would really set me over.


6) It's no secret that I champion special needs international adoption. But I am a huge supporter of domestic adoption as well! In a culture where abortion is presented as a "quick and easy" option for a woman in crisis, I applaud the women (heroes, really) who selflessly choose adoption instead. Many of you will recognize Grace In My Heart, below, with her husband and her sweet son, whose birth mother chose life:

I'm only half kidding when I say that I want to be adopted into this family.

This close and loving Catholic family is hoping to adopt again! They are home-study approved and open to adopting any domestic baby. If any of you happen to know someone or have heard about a birthmother in your church communities or elsewhere who is looking into adoption, this amazing couple would love to talk to you! Please don't hesitate to send them an email at graceinmyheart@gmail.com.

I am telling you, any baby placed into this safe and happy home would be blessed beyond measure. Just look around Grace In My Heart's blog and you'll understand!


7) This week's orphan profile is very personal to me. You will see why when you click on Parker's picture:

Parker is seven years old and he has no family.

Did you read it? See what I mean?

If you could just take less than one second to click the "recommend" button on that page, I would be ever so grateful, and then there's more of a chance that Parker's family will find him. I so want him to have a normal, loving, happy life, just being a little boy.

And if you want to go straight to his RR profile and inquire about him or adopt him, go here!

And, a final reminder that the iPad giveaway to help reunite two orphanage cribmates (Gabby and Ava) ends in six days! I have entered (numerous times, heh heh), and I can't wait for the drawing! Go here and get the details; time is running out. Even if you can only share on facebook or blogs, you still get an entry into the iPad drawing. Donating does raise your odds of winning, and is so appreciated. :)

God bless you all and have a fantastic weekend!

And, thanks to Jen for hosting!



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UPDATE!! Quick Takes: The fight to come, and more

1) Game on, Catholics! Here is the latest from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which will be included in a nationwide bulletin insert:

"When fundamental human goods, such as the right of conscience, are at stake, we may need to witness to the truth by resisting the law and incurring its penalties." (emphasis mine)

I say, Hell to the yes!

Remember, we didn't pick this fight, but we will not lie down.

2) Which brings me to this video, to inspire us on to battle...



2a) UPDATE: How could I forget???? Go see For Greater Glory this weekend (it's got some big name actors)! Is 1920s Mexico a preview of what is to come to Catholics here in America? My priest and many others have mentioned its relevance to Catholics in this country today. Kind of leaves me freaked out, but yet with God's grace I won't crumble in the face of any such tyranny:







3) So, New York City has the highest abortion rate in the nation, killing 41% of its unborn children (and nearly 60% (!!!) of all unborn black babies) but thankfully the good Mayor Bloomberg has his priorities straight:

Bloomberg plans a ban on large sugared drinks

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you can rest easy that while the unfettered slaughter of innocents continues in the Big Apple, the government crack down on sugary drinks is well underway. Whew!

For some reason, all of this liberal do-gooding reminds me of a funny post from the early days of the Bubble:

Why I am not "green". Illustrated.

4) This one's tough, but it's important:

The most heartrending abortion testimony you'll ever hear, from a former abortionist

I was going to put an excerpt of his Congressional testimony here, but I think I'll let you all decide if you want to read it. I will suggest that you at least read the last three paragraphs of the transcript, which addresses the "abortion to save the life of the mother" question. Puts the lie to that whole argument.

5) I just loved this article by a young Catholic seminarian, who talks about embracing celibacy. He begins:

I think most people would be surprised to know how many men in the seminary are in love. And, I don’t mean with Jesus; I mean with a woman. 

Are you shocked? You shouldn’t be. Seminarians are men, too. Men with emotions, passions, and desires—they fall in love. Being a seminarian and training for the priesthood, or even being an ordained priest, doesn’t change these natural human conditions.

He relates his call to celibacy to those who struggle with same-sex attraction. It's a beautiful reflection, and you can read it all, here.

6) Until I read Jen Fulwiler's piece, "Five Questions Before You Leave the Catholic Church", I had no idea that liberal writer (and longtime dissenting Catholic) Anna Quindlen has officially left the Church. I say it's about time, and I am thankful that her integrity finally kicked in. One of the most horrifying things I ever read was Quindlen's assertion that one of her proudest accomplishments was convincing her devoutly Catholic, pro-life father to become pro-abortion. I think I almost vomited. Can you imagine the evil of such a thing? And the account on Judgement Day? Shiver.

Oh, and check out Jen's fifth reason. It's a point she has made before, and it is sobering.


7) Orphan Stuff!!

Tee hee, so I have a little guest post on Sew's blog today… Check it out!

Also, it's finally here! Kara's been working on, and we've been talking up, the "Bidding Malcolm Home" silent auction for weeks, and tomorrow (Saturday) it begins it has already begun!

Hurry, go see all the wonderful, quality items on which you may bid:

Bidding Malcolm Home

Click through the photo album on the page and you'll see all the offerings! I put in a couple of items myself, and I also plan to bid on a few!

I love all the items, but regarding the Seraphym rosary… oh my gosh. You guys, I have seen this rosary in person. It is about a hundred times more beautiful than the picture shows. Also, it is made by the same woman who made one of Mother Angelica's rosaries. Truly a classic.

The auction runs from Saturday morning right now to Sunday evening, so get those bidding fingers ready! This is better than ebay!

A disappointing event leads me to today's orphan profile. Malcolm's new parents are homestudy approved to adopt two children. They learned of little Marena who is in Malcolm's region. She is about the same age as Malcolm, with a very mind (almost unnoticeable) case of CP, and with strabismus (i.e., "lazy eye") that is easily corrected with surgery.

Marena's last carefree days at the baby house?

She is a doll! The Smiths were prepared to take her home as their own child, along with Malcolm. Unfortunately, the rules in this region of Russia do not allow two unrelated children to be adopted together! Unthinkably, even though she has a family who would save her, she is about to be transferred to the adult mental institution. Seriously, the injustice of it makes me want to spit or scream or cry or something. Don't even get me started.

The only hope for Marena, then, is to find another family willing to take her as their daughter. Please, please, let's find her family before they take her off, shave her head, and place her with adult mental patients for the rest of her life, where she will surely decline, and possibly die.

Learn more about Marena, here, and please, please, spread the word.

God bless you, and thanks to Jen for hosting!


PS: Facebook is not letting me sign in today, for "security" reasons… ??? No, I did not leave facebook, but I'm a little bit concerned that others have asked if I've deleted my facebook. Anyone else have this problem?

PPS: Well, I found out why I was kicked off facebook. I "violated their community standards" by speaking well of natural marriage and procreation. Big Brother will not tolerate such an offense! I will blog about it later and you can be the judge.

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My Quick Takes are getting quicker...

…because the college kids have been home for a couple of weeks and we have ten people in this house! Crazy times, fun times, but it leaves me much less time to blog. I have to be succinct. Here goes.

1) Two of my favorite men. Different races, different cultures, different dimensions (one long dead), both princes of the Church, both smart as whips, both sharing the same faith that transcends all time and space. Man, I love being Catholic!!

If your eyes are old like mine, it says: "I am not amused by your amateur theology", ha ha!

2) Okay, so aside from the 47 other things that are just-so-wrong and depraved about this story itself and the existence of the website in the first place (which promotes bowl-a-thons to fund human abortions), does anyone notice something glaringly, obviously missing from this atrocious, heartbreaking piece about a 14-year-old girl?

Getting an abortion means getting a second chance

I'm not going to mention what it is. I want to see if anyone else notices.

3) I find myself asking (even shouting) the following question out loud lately: 

WHERE HAVE ALL THE GROWN-UPS GONE???

4) Saw this a few days back, from the brilliant Robert P. George, of Princeton, whose common sense, logic, and straight talk is so refreshing:

At a forum at Princeton a few evenings back, I predicted --- it hardly took much prescience --- that the race between Obama and Romney would be brutal and nasty. I see that the Obama supporters have already taken the gloves off. The consistently and strongly liberal Washington Post is running a story today reporting that 47 years ago, while at prep school, the adolescent Mitt Romney tackled another boy whose long hair and hairstyle he didn't like, and cut off some of his hair. 47 years ago. That would be 1965. Gosh, how can we get a sense of just when that was? Hmmm . . . Let's think. Well, it was after the Kennedy assassination and before Barack Obama used cocaine. Yes, it was definitely before Obama used cocaine. I mean, Obama was only four years old in 1965, so he couldn't yet have used cocaine. No, he only used cocaine later. Of course, the President doesn't use cocaine now. He hasn't used cocaine for a long time. Well, it's true that it has been less than 47 years since he used cocaine. So, I suppose if it's OK to bring up bad conduct that occurred 47 years ago, then it's perfectly OK to bring up bad conduct that happened less than 47 years ago, right? Or should both sides observe a rule against bringing up bad conduct from decades (and even half-centuries) ago that tells us nothing about what the candidates are like as people today? Obviously, the answer to that last question is yes. But the point of this comment, for anybody who hasn't gotten it already, is that there must be --- we must insist on --- a single standard to be applied to both campaigns and their supporters. Double standards are simply intolerable. What's fair for one side is fair for the other. What's foul for one side must be treated as foul for the other.

We all get that, right? Please say we do.


5) Had a son's kindergarten graduation on Wednesday night, a son's eighth grade graduation last night, and a bunch of year-end activities for everyone these past couple of weeks. May is a busy month! It is also Mary's month, and a time for countless worldwide May Crownings of Our Blessed Mother:

I am fairly certain I had never seen a May Crowning or procession in the first 27 years of my life as a Catholic. So grateful it's a yearly occurrence in my own children's lives!

6) I'm reviving the…

… with the following quote from LJP to Johanne (who, as a non-Catholic, finds the rules of Catholicism confusing):


Johanne,


I'd like to second Leila's appreciation for your answer. I understand where you are coming from...it can be confusing to see all the Tradition, Liturgy, dogma, etc.. and try to make sense of it all individually. I think this may be a case of missing the forest for the trees. If you are truly interested in coming to a better understanding of the Church, may I suggest a different route?


Let's say you are interested in learning about baseball; you know nothing about it but you do know several people who are quite passionate about the game. Would you want to start by reading up on the infield-fly rule, defensive strategy, or what factors are involved in determining batting lineups? Of course not! You would start by going to a few games, just enjoying the stadium, the roar of the crowd, the hot dogs, the beauty of the game itself. Are the rules of the game complex? Absolutely. Can a child enjoy and appreciate the play of the game without understanding the rules? Absolutely.


Think of Catholicism in the same way. If you are truly interested, look at the great Cathedrals, look at the abundance of art, music, philosophy, and science that has been created and forwarded by the Church faithful. Go to a Mass and just watch.


Would you judge the legacy, foundations, and beauty of the sport of baseball solely upon a reading of the Mitchell Report (report on the investigation into the use of steroids in the MLB)? No, you would read stories of the the greatest players, the greatest games, the greatest stadiums.


Read a biography of a saint. Visit a Cathedral. Find a local monastery and spend an afternoon there.


I would suggest taking a look at Fr. Robert Barron's website, wordonfire.org. He has many, many interesting videos that explain many aspects of the faith. He's the one who puts forth the baseball analogy I used earlier (although much more profoundly than I did).


Start by seeking the Beautiful. This will lead you to the Good. Eventually you'll end up at the Truth. Then you can dive into all the rules you want.


Just thought I would share that.


I'm so glad he did!


7) Finally, orphan stuff. I've decided that Quick Takes #7 will always be about orphan stuff. You can always skip #7 if you'd like, but I hope you will read this post from my other blog before you do. There is so much hope, and when you read this story, you will understand the happy side of all this!

How 'bout some GOOD orphan news??? :)

See? So simple to feel better about things, and even get excited!

Oh, and look at Stella:

Mommy and Daddy, are you out there?

Do you want Stella? Go and get Stella. She's available for adoption, and she needs you. Get more information, here.

Yes, I believe that each #7 is going to feature the photo of a waiting child from now on, too. :)

One last thing: Malcolm is still waiting in that darned orphanage, but the rusty wheels of bureaucracy are slowly moving ahead, and the Smiths hope to have him home by the end of the year. They hope to take their first flight to his country before he is sent to the adult mental institution (transfer apparently scheduled for September, sigh), so that he will be "held" at the baby house instead. The family is so close to being fully funded, but we are still trying to close that gap. Kara has put together an online silent auction (too fun!) for Malcolm and the Smiths. You can go look at the great items here (or search "Bidding Malcolm Home" on facebook) and start anticipating! The bidding begins on Saturday, June 2, and I think there could be a feeding frenzy on some of those items. :)

I lied. There is still one more thing. The iPad giveaway to bring Ava home to America -- to be reunited with her orphanage crib-mate and be real sisters at last! -- is now running, here. My son just donated (he really wants an iPad to help orphans), and I will be donating too, once June begins (my husband can attest that I've gone over my orphan donation quota for the month of May).



Have a great weekend everyone, and thanks to Jen for hosting!





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These Quick Takes are really quick!

1) And so it begins:

Franciscan University of Steubenville drops student health plan over HHS mandate

2) ‎"Religious liberty is not only about our ability to go to Mass on Sunday or pray the rosary at home. It is about whether we can make our contribution to the common good of all Americans." -- U.S. Bishops


3) “Every evil screams out only one message: 'I am good!' And not only does it scream, but it demands that the people cry out tirelessly in response: 'You are good, you are freedom, you are happiness!'”  — Fr. Alexander Schmemann, former Dean of St. Vladimir’s Seminary


4) "The Uninvited House Guest"

5)

6) Women! You simply must watch this video from the (seemingly not so fictitious) Bureau of Womanhood Conformity:





7) And as my seventh takes seem to be about orphans lately, I will make it a permanent tradition.

About a year and a half ago, Sylvia and her husband adopted a beautiful little girl with Down Syndrome, Gabby, from Eastern Europe. After they returned home, they discovered that Gabby had had a little roommate at the orphanage, Ava, who had also been her crib mate. They showed Gabby a photo of Ava, and she reacted with recognition and sadness. Sylvia and her husband determined at that moment to go back across the ocean and adopt Ava as well, thus reuniting two "sisters", who will soon be sisters for real. If you love this story and if you also love iPads, you can enter their iPad giveaway here, and help to reunite these two angels. No donation is necessary to enter, but it sure is appreciated.

By the way, you guys who have been following and supporting my new "orphan passion" really have no idea how many lives you have changed in the past few months, and how many orphans have found homes directly because of you. I can't thank you enough, and maybe one day I will write a post about the individual stories. It's just that every day there is more good news, so I can't keep up right now.

And although it's not orphan-related, I want to throw out one more PSA from wonderful Kaitlin at More Like Mary, More Like Me. Her friend Colleen Nixon is a Catholic missionary (with her husband) and also a fabulous "pop/jazz/indie/quirky" singer who is working on her new CD, but needs your help to spread the word and get 'er done! Check out her music video here, featuring Kaitlin's gorgeous baby girl, and learn about the great giveaway. Or, go straight to Colleen's kickstart page here. She has only seven days to reach her goal and she is soooo close she can taste it!


Okay, guys, have a fantastic weekend!! And thanks to Jen for hosting!






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Quick Takes: Lots of good stuff

Be sure to read to the end, where there'll be a payoff for some lucky reader….

1) A while back I received the coolest email from a lovely teen girl:

Hi!

My name is Maddi, I'm the 16-year-old daughter of Ellyn. (She emailed you a while back asking if you could direct her to specific points that would be easy teachings for me.) Now, as a part of my home school curriculum, I read a "Little Teaching" every morning.

I just wanted to thank you, first of all, for emailing my mom back with the links. Also, for writing these lovely lessons. They're easy to understand, and I really do enjoy them. I find it a good way to grow closer to God during Lent by learning more about Him, and why He does what He does for me! Every time I read one, or two :) , I feel more of God's love. Especially reading those about sin, and our freedom God gave us.

I could rant-on some more, but I'll keep this short...!

Sincere thanks,
Maddison

That got me thinking that the Little Teachings and some of the other posts would be good for parents to use with their teens, to nail down the basics of the Faith.

So, I recently added a new tab to the top of my blog, called "Little Teachings". Not only does it contain the past LT posts, but also the "What I Never Learned in CCD" posts, and the answers to the Doctrinal Quiz Shows. I may throw in a few more past links if I find them, and I will certainly add more as I write them, but at least now they're all in one place. Let me know what you think. (By the way, I think they are good for adults, too!)


2) I just like these (facebook is good for something besides sucking my life away)...

That last line says: "Regardless of whether they are born, unborn, big, small, black, white, weak, strong, wealthy, poor, planned, unplanned, wanted or not."

(And yes, I am mortified to discover typos in my posts and even in my comments. Sometimes my fuzzy brain or tendency to rush overtakes even my grammar nazi-ness. But please know that I never condone my own grammatical errors; I am properly appalled and ashamed whenever they occur, and I apologize for letting other grammar nazis down.)

3) Okay, the weirdest thing! I saw a huge increase in my stats this week, and I noticed that I've had almost 2,000 hits in the past few days on this post that ran last October:

Why I Should Have Never Had Eight Children 

(And many hits on this related post as well.)

I can tell that the readers were coming from a reprint of the same article on LifeSiteNews, which ended up as one of the top ten most-read articles on their site in 2011 (how nice that a list of all my faults was so widely read -- yay for humility!). But the posts have been dormant for months. So it's intriguing to me that suddenly this week a wave of folks were sent to that LifeSite article from…somewhere, and then a boatload of those folks made their way here. The point I'm trying to get to is that I don't know what the original source was! Do any of you know?? I am just so curious who or what could generate this kind of interest in an old post!

4) Finally saw October Baby! Whoa… that was a powerful ending and the most powerful part of all came during the credits. Really worth your time. 

5) So maybe you all heard the news reports that the big, bad Vatican meanies are bringing the hammer down on the sweet little nuns of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)? Well, before you feel all sorry for the ladies, please take a gander at this:

Exhibit A for explaining the LCWR report

Yes, it should shock you -- if you haven't been plugged into the shenanigans of that group before.

Now, this stuff has been festering for decades, and the real story is not how the heavy hand of the hierarchy "suddenly" came down on the sisters, but rather how the Church moves so dang slowly in these matters of scandal and dissent, giving the sisters decades to conform their religious orders to the teachings of Church that they profess to serve. 

Think of it this way: An organization of vegans decides, after many decades and many warnings, to crack down on a group of its members who insist upon eating meat every day, proudly and loudly, while still proclaiming themselves vegans. Everyone in the world would see that action by the vegan hierarchy as just, and would wonder what took them so long. The press would report it accurately, as well.

If only the same consideration would be given to the Vatican.

6) Malcolm has a family in process of adopting him now all because they saw a video of him.

If it worked for Malcolm, it can work for Beau. Check out this sweet angel and just try to resist him (be sure to watch at least to the point where you see him walking -- such a good boy!):

Go here for more info on Beau. (I am his Guardian Angel, which means that I am committed to praying for him and advocating for him until he finds a home.)

7) Considering the debt I owe to the infertile Catholic blog community, I am thrilled to be today's stop on the blog book tour for The Infertility Companion for Catholics, written by Angelique Ruhi-López and Carmen Santamaría.

In the authors' own words:

Spiritual healing, encouraging hope and a new perspective: these are what we hope people will experience when reading The Infertility Companion for Catholics: Spiritual and Practical Support for Couples. We co-authored this book because we know first-hand the struggles inherent in the infertility journey and wanted to provide a companion book for the journey, one that, as our preface says, “you can consult and rely on when you need to be challenged, encouraged, and understood.” The book provides moral and spiritual support as well as guidance on the many options that infertile couples face and how to make necessary choices while remaining faithful to the teachings of the magisterium. “Its purpose is to give voice to the reality of infertility among those who seek to live as faithful Catholics.”


In addition to the spiritual and practical support provided toward the middle and end of the book, the first four chapters lay the ground work of what the Church teaches on infertility and why the Church only has our best interests in mind. Here is an excerpt from the chapter entitled, “What Does the Catholic Church Have to Do with Infertility?”

God doesn’t only work through us and what we think. He uses our friends and family as well as the Church to speak to us. The scriptures tell us, “Oh, that today you would hear his voice: Do not harden your hearts” (Ps 95:7–8). We know how hard it can be to see the truth in the Church’s teaching. The pain of infertility can be so profound it can cloud our vision and make us only focus on one goal—having a baby. But in the end, “what profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mk 8:36). With obedience, we can properly hear God’s voice as we walk along this infertility journey instead of allowing society to dictate our decisions.

This is particularly challenging when one considers all the competing voices in the world. We must know God well enough to recognize his voice above all others in the stirring of our consciences. God should first be our friend, as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta said. The Lord is our Good Shepherd, and “the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers” (Jn 10:4–5). When reading Church teaching, we form our consciences and learn to recognize God’s loving voice. In a similar way, if we learn to recognize God’s voice and his promptings in our everyday life, we will be better equipped to hear his voice while navigating the confusing world of infertility treatments, instead of the voice of the stranger that we do not recognize. (…) 

The Church is for us, not against us, when it comes to helping us walk this arduous path of infertility. The Church is our mother, and just as the loving parents we also desire to be, it seeks only our good. We need only open our minds and our hearts to understanding why it teaches as it does. Angelique explains her initial encounter with Church teaching on infertility treatment:

I had always heard that the Church did not accept some infertility treatments, but before we were faced with infertility, I never knew why. I am an avid researcher by nature and as the months continued to pass without a positive pregnancy test, I began doing online searches on the Catholic Church and infertility. I don’t know what surprised me most about what I found: the wealth of Church materials on the subject or the fact that the information is not widely known. Initially, what I read overwhelmed me because of how profound it was; later, as I continued to read it and pray about it, that same material overwhelmed me because it made me realize God’s profound love for me.

Amen, ladies, and thank you for consolidating what Catholics need to know about dealing with infertility in this morally confused age.

I'm excited to say that I have a brand new copy of this book to give away! To enter the drawing, simply leave a comment below stating that you would like the book. If you feel more comfortable remaining anonymous, please email me at littlecatholicbubble (at) gmail (dot) com.

But wait!! To sweeten the pot, I will give you two additional chances to win if you become a new subscriber to or official follower of my Orphan Report blog (be sure to let me know), and I will give you five additional chances to win if you donate in any amount to Malcolm's iPad giveaway, here. (Yes, I am still obsessed with the orphans, and I don't see that changing anytime soon, so y'all will have to live with it.)

I will pick a winner on Sunday night at random, yay!


Have a great weekend, and thanks to Jen for hosting!




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Quick Takes: Too much to talk about!

‎
After a Lent with no political blogging for me (but you should've seen me on facebook, ack!), I have too much to say. So much going on. I could talk about Ms. Rosen's condescending snark attack on Ann Romney and mothers everywhere, but I think y'all know what I would say about that. And hey, she finally had to apologize. So, on to other subjects in this edition of…

1) In light of the protracted fight ahead regarding Obama's HHS mandate, we all need a laugh. Here's something to bring a smile to your face, courtesy of our own Stacy at Accepting Abundance:

(In the next episode the good doctor is visited by agents of the federal government who fine him heavily, put him out of business, and eventually throw him in jail. Ah, good times!)

2) And if you want to keep laughing (or cheering), please, oh please, read this delicious post from Bad Catholic, about the ghoulishly ridiculous "40 Days of Prayer" from those crazy kids at Death, Inc. Planned Parenthood and their clergy (who knew they were so religious?). Their little pamphlet of blasphemy reads like it could be a bad SNL skit.

As Bad Catholic puts it:

True to their aging, crippled form, Planned Parenthood has left me speechless. Not because they’re too offensive, but because they’re too embarrassing for words. They’ve given me 347 ways to mock them, all at once, and I’m left feeling like a hyperactive kid in a candy store.

Read the rest, here. You'll love it.

The pamphlet of "prayers" (to which god the prayers are directed is not specified) is here. Read all forty supplications. If I didn't know better, I'd almost think that these guys were sitting around feeling punchy one night, trying to outdo each other, slapping their knees, belly laughing till beer came out of their noses. Yes, the "prayers" are that bad/outrageous/offensive/ludicrous/ironic/hilarious. And totally sad, for not one of the prayers is in honor or memory of the 54 million shredded and dismembered human children whose bloodied remains ended up in the trash after the abortionist's successful day of "sacred" work.

One of my favorites is Day 36: "Today we pray for the families we’ve chosen. May they know the blessing of choice."

What the…?! Who the hell "chooses" their family members? I'm pretty sure this gem translates to: "We only protect and love the offspring that we handpicked to our liking. They should be damn grateful they're alive and not in the medical waste bucket like their sister!"


3) While the worshippers of Moloch cough out their meaningless "prayers" and methodically continue their killing, those who still keep in touch with their own humanity will be moved by this stunning pro-life sculpture, which takes my breath away:

Martin Hudáček of Slovakia

I have no words. And that's the beauty of this work.


4) Hey, now these are the kind of secularists I can get behind! Loving my SecularProLife.org brother and sisters, who tell it like it is:

5. The predictable "Throw off the shackles of the Church and find the 'historical' Jesus!" media stories were out in time for Easter again (yawn). Andrew Sullivan's Newsweek piece got the most play this year. And a slightly amused Father Barron was there for the rebuttal:



I seriously love Fr. Barron.



6) I also love Blaise Pascal, mathematician, physicist, philosopher, 1623-1662:

There is a pleasure in being in a ship beaten about by a storm, when we are sure that it will not founder. The persecutions which harass the Church are of this nature.

I get almost too much pleasure out of being a Catholic. The fact that centuries and even millennia do not separate the minds and hearts of faithful Catholics simply and always blows my mind.


7) I've saved the most important Take for last. As I reported on my other blog:

Since Carla* introduced us to Reece's Rainbow, I've been struck by the way that our little cadre of Catholic bloggers and facebookers have come together in the past two months to support (and adopt!) the orphans. It's been such a community effort, a time of grace.

So imagine my delight when Rebecca at Shoved to Them announced that her friend at Simply You jewelry offered to host a major fundraiser for the RR orphans! It runs for two weeks (until April 26), with 20% - 30% of all proceeds going to Reece's Rainbow! The quality of the pieces is amazing, as you'll see when you check it out.

The great thing is that Mother's Day is just around the corner. So you know what to do -- get something here for your mom (or mother-in-law), your grandma, or yourself. Then, use the party code below when checking out:

6861

You've gotta shop anyway, so why not simultaneously help those orphans whom we love? Go to Rebecca's blog if you'd like more info:

Shoved to Them

And, as always, spread the word!!

*Please pray that Carla's Henry, who has been in the hospital for too long now, will be able to get home soon.

Thanks to the wonderful Jen for hosting!

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Quick Takes: Strong women edition!

Well, not every Take today is about strong women, but I need doses of fearless femininity! Hearing wimpy, co-dependent modern feminists spend all day whining about how the Church won't hand them free birth control or neuter them or blah, blah, blah, is such an irritant and a turn off that I just about can't stand it. Give me gutsy, independent, courageous Catholic women any day! My heart just overflows with admiration for these incredible ladies...

1) If there were such a thing as same-sex marriage (there's not), and if polygamy were not a sin (it is), I would marry these three women. They have adopted several orphans internationally, some with serious special needs, and you don't see them whining. They just make a decision to love and then act. Each has written about her experiences, to help others overcome their fears:

From Danya at He Adopted Me First:

"Fear"

From Brianna at Just Showing Up:

"Deciding to Adopt"

From Carla at Bringing Henry Home:

"Discerning Adoption, Part One: The Practical"

"Discerning Adoption, Part Two: The Spiritual"

Because of the incredible response to the orphans at Reece's Rainbow, I know that many of you have this subject heavy on your minds. Read these women's stories, and pray.


2) Catholic screenwriter and professor Barbara Nicolosi, a justifiably harsh critic of schlocky Christian-themed/Christian-backed cinema, has some rare praise for October Baby, a pro-life movie released today that is also (gasp) good art! She said on Facebook:

I am endorsing this film - especially for its primary demographic of teenage girls and young women. I saw the film in rough cut and gave some pretty strong notes and was impressed to see how the project had gotten so much stronger in the next version. There is some lovely cinematography here - which makes this almost Lawrence of Arabia among movies coming out of the Christian world. It also has one of the most powerful endings I have ever seen in a movie on this topic. 

A movie's future is determined in the first weekend, so plan a date night with your sweetie or gather your friends and go see this movie either Friday, Saturday or Sunday! A worthy topic and artistic excellence, too? Heck, yeah!


3) In case anyone wants to know: Homeschooling one child is easy! Seriously, I keep trying to figure out if I am doing anything wrong, because it goes so quickly and smoothly. I remember homeschooling four at a time (loooooong ago) and it was nothing like this time around.

See, I told you this QT wasn't all about strong women! Now, back to strong women….


4) At long last, my sister's surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, March 28. We will finally know if she has cancer or not. It's been a weird three months. From an initial (erroneous) diagnosis of advanced pancreatic cancer to four more top pathologists not agreeing on what the slides show, to trying to gain control of an underlying chronic illness in preparation for diagnostic surgery, we will finally have some definitive answers. If you could please send up a quick prayer for her, especially next Wednesday, I would be so grateful. She has been overwhelmed by all of your prayers. You guys are the best, and we praise God for you.


5) You wanna read something unexpected? I was totally unprepared for this, and I'm sure I will never forget it:

Putting it that way

I've always said that courage is the most lacking virtue these days. Rebecca has courage in spades. She is a true feminist role model, an authentic adult in a culture of arrested adolescents, and what she did, with a mother's heart, blew me away.


6) If you can't make it to the nationwide rallies today in protest of Obama's horrific HHS mandate, never fear, as Simcha Fisher has already written about what will happen… before it happens. And I know she is dead on correct... before it happens. You'll see what I mean, here:

The Religious Freedom Rally: My Predictions

 (Caution: You may split a gut laughing!)

Why is the left so predictable? Sigh.


7) Strong women everywhere love Chesterton, so let's end with some Gilbert!

The church is a living teacher, not a dead one. . . It has not merely told this truth or that truth, but has revealed itself as a truth-telling thing. All other philosophers say the things that plainly seem to be true; only this philosophy has again and again said the thing that does not seem to be true, but is true. Alone of all the creeds it is convincing where it is not attractive.

Now, strong women everywhere (and even weak complainers like me and the ladies from NARAL and NOW), go have a wonderful, grace-filled weekend!




Thanks to Jen, for hosting!

And, no, LarryD, I did not yet put in a plug for your 3 1/2 Time Outs Tuesday, which is "just like Conversion Diary's 7 Quick-Takes, except it's half as long and twice as good", because this was the strong women's edition and your Time Outs are for strong, masculine bloggers, right?

*Update: My misleading statement above is corrected by Larry, below. Who says that we conservatives don't like diversity?

Quick Takes: Blogger rant, those crazy kids at Planned Parenthood, and a sincere thanks to MSNBC

 

1) I've had it with Blogger. First, last year they deleted an entire post and all the comments. (Oops!) They did this to untold blogs, but I am one of the few who never got the post restored. Next, they changed my preferred comments format to one I really dislike, which messes me all up. Then, they made it almost impossible to see that there are comments after the first 200, meaning that anyone who is not subscribed to the comments, but simply comes back to the blog to check for new ones, will not see them (unless they see the little "Load more" link which even I missed for days!). People will assume the conversation just ended, when in fact it is ongoing! And now, there is something wrong with the proper application of Blogger fonts, and apparently people are seeing my posts in SCRIPT?? I would not put entire posts in script, people!

I need help! Anyone out there know how to seamlessly transfer this whole stinking Bubble, comments and all, to a new home base? For cheap? Email me if you have the solution to all my bloggy headaches!


2) Modern feminists are so sadly misguided. There are bedrock fundamentals that they simply do not understand, and two quotes say it all, in my opinion.

Reader/commenter extraordinaire LJP (Love, Justice, Peace, in that order) summed things up nicely:

 "Suppression of what is distinctly woman = oppression of women"

Think about that for a minute! Imagine if the feminists understood it. And, consider a quote I saw on facebook, attributed to one Marilyn Dickstein Kopp: 

Many feminists insist that abortion is necessary for women to participate freely and equally in society. Anyone who disagrees, they argue, has merely adopted patriarchal standards and accepted women’s ‘place’ in society. Yet this argument demonstrates how deeply the roots of sexism run in our culture. Its premise is a sexist one—that women are inferior to men and that in order to be equal, we have to change our biology to become like men—wombless and unpregnant at will. What other oppressed group in history has had to undergo surgery in order to be equal?

Indeed. Again, women on the left are forever at war with their own biology, their own feminine nature. Why do they disdain their own bodies so much? What is it like to fight one's own nature so vehemently? I'll never understand.

3) Which brings me to one of the best of many excellent commentaries about the now-infamous HHS contraception/sterilization/abortifacient mandate. It comes from Patrick Thornton of CatholicVote.org:

Women's Health = Not Having Babies

A fun sampling:

Women’s Health™ (yes, I’m going to keep writing it like that and in fact, every time you read it I want you to go “Ahhh” in your head in a kind of a sing-songy way like a chorus of angels would if the clouds had just parted and a powerful beam of sunlight was shining down upon the word) is different from regular health.

And it’s actually much more important.

We have been told repeatedly by our esteemed Commander in Health that it is so important that EVERY insurance program should cover it.  No matter what.

Not only should they cover it, but they should cover it WITHOUT a co-pay.

Because, you know, asking women to pay $20 for a prescription is evil and horrible and mean and most likely, (cringe) Republican.

These women are healthy. You can tell because they are not having babies.

Now, say your child has an ear infection or pneumonia, you can pay $20 for that because it’s not a Women’s Health™ issue, it’s just a plain-old, regular health issue.

If a young mother has a heart condition and needs medication, well she can pay $20 for that too because it is not a matter of Women’s Health™ (“Ahhh…”).  It’s just a matter of regular health.

If that same young mother wants to have sex without having a baby, well she damn well better not have to pay $20 for that!  Because as well know, that is a matter of Women’s Health™.

Read the rest, and find out what is not covered (surprise!!) under the umbrella of Women's Health™, here.

4) Those crazy kids at Planned Parenthood are at it again! If the late night comedians were not all abortion advocates, they would have endless fodder for their monologues. Here's a sampling from the past couple of days, just begging for some parody:

In the article, "Bill mandating abortion coverage in maternity insurance passes Washington State House" (yes, mandating abortion coverage is next), we hear the remarkable thoughts of local Planned Parenthood official Dana Laurent: 

“Just as no one anticipates breaking their leg, no one anticipates needing an abortion. It should be covered just as any other common medical procedure."

When I read that truly … um ... incredible statement, I crazily wondered on facebook why a woman engaged in the baby-making act wouldn't anticipate that babies might be made during that act? But All You Who Hope straightened me out: "You mean you've never gotten a high fever and cough and found out you needed an emergency abortion? Happens all the time." Yeah, I guess it does! Thanks, AYWH!

And for more Planned Parenthood humor (because with PP, you either have to laugh or cry), check out their tweet about Ohio college students having to choose between birth control and food. Yes, you read that right. If these poor Ohio students are not provided with free contraception, they risk malnutrition and starvation. You know, I sympathize. It was not so many years ago that I was in college, and I remember what it's like. I can envision a very sad scenario playing out right now at Ohio State:

‎"Hey, Orville, before we go back to the dorm so we can use each other for a quick hook-up (man, I haven't had sex since Thursday and I'm feeling weak), can you buy me some chicken wings? See, I can't actually afford food because no one will pay for my contraception -- hang on, I'm getting a call on my new iPhone; isn't it pretty? -- so, if you spring for dinner before sex, I can get at least one meal in today."

I know. It's tragic. These are brave young women, having to choose between sex and food. Thanks, Planned Parenthood, for championing their noble cause and introducing us to their unthinkable plight. Who wouldn't be willing to give up their religious liberties to ease these poor girls' burdens?

5) But in all seriousness, this ludicrous HHS mandate has helped to galvanize the faithful, bringing all stripes of Christians and non-Christians together. I was heartened to get this email from a dear Protestant friend:

Leila: I was just telling my sons last week that even though the pope is not the head of our church, he is in the ecumenical sense as he never backs down, Ever. And the day the Catholic Church backs down is the day we should all be very afraid. He always holds the line. Even if we do not agree with his line, he always holds it, and that fights evil and survives politics and changing mores. This current mandate for abortion will not even be the biggest fight; that is yet to come. But it is the pivotal one, for if we cannot agree that all created life has intrinsic value, how do you even get to the other issues? ...my two cents...

Yes, it's going to be a difficult battle, but we're amassing some wonderful allies. :)

6) As we take in the troubling absurdity of the past few weeks and think ahead, part of the battle is going to be supporting our priests as they (finally?) begin to educate their congregations. For several decades, Catholics in the pews have heard nary a peep from the pulpit about the issue of contraception. I am blessed to have two parish priests who do not shy away from the topic. If you crave a good homily on the subject, sit back and listen to my own Fr. Oliver Vietor's homily of two Sundays ago, here. For those inclined to shout "White male celibate!" right about now, keep in mind that Fr. Vietor, a former Episcopalian minister, has a wife and six children.

And if after that fortifying homily you desire a Scripture that seems particularly relevant for Catholics these days, pray over Matthew 10:16-39. You'll understand when you read it.

7) Finally, a huge thank you to MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski! Who'd have thought that we'd get this refreshing defense of Rick Santorum's personal stand on contraception from a host on that network? Check it out:

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with believing that [that contraception is wrong], I really don’t. I don’t think that means he’s going to ban birth control across the board. Those are his personal beliefs. And I think that as a father, and a man who’s held public office, he’s lived up to them, it appears. 

Which makes it interesting for the conversation, and it’s a conversation probably every family should have, about birth control and its role in society with their own kids. He’s got his own, and he stands by them, and I think he’s an interesting part of the national conversation in terms of where our society is going. 

And there is a lot of risky behavior out there that happens to be connected to birth control. So there’s a whole other side to this conversation.  And not once did I say should it be banned, or should it not be covered by health insurance. But I think it’s OK to have those beliefs or those concerns.

Can I just say WOW, and God bless Ms. Brzezinski! I mean, what she says is common sense, but it's heartening to see it on a liberal cable news network.

+++++++

Well, whew, that was kind of a long Quick Takes! Maybe I should have called them Slow Takes? 

Thanks to Jen (whom I miss, but I cannot wait for that book!), for hosting!

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