A Person is a Person No Matter How Small

Tonight we attended a fund-raising banquet for the local Center for Pregnancy Choices. My heart was so moved by the testimony of a woman who had an abortion as a teenager and found grace and forgiveness as an adult.

Abortion is horrible and unjustifiable and it hurts.

An OB-GYN spoke and shared this one thing that struck me. He said that society has constantly justified atrocities towards different populations by declaring them non-persons. E.g., women were not considered "persons" and thus could not vote or have property rights. Jews were not considered "persons" by the Germans. African-Americans were not considered "persons" and denied constitutional rights and freedom.

By refusing to acknowledge that that baby in the womb--no matter how big or small--is a person, that somehow justifies abortion.

It does not. Abortion is an atrocity against a population that cannot speak for or defend itself.

We fill animal shelters with abandoned pets because we are anti-cruelty and maintain a no-kill policy. Our culture values the lives of animals over people. Unborn sea turtles are protected under the law, but human beings, made in the image of God, are not.

No situation is completely hopeless. God offers hope! God offers grace and forgiveness and can redeem even the worst of situations.

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

Drumroll please . . .

And the couch we chose was . . . . . Number 2!

And no one guessed correctly, so no one wins the fabulous giveaway I should have hosted in conjunction with the previous post!

Which Did We Buy?

I am not going to post a photo of our new couch--in our living room--just yet! We are still trying to sell the old one and nothing in here has been arranged. So, in the meantime, I ask you to venture a guess at which of the following sofas we chose. Our sofa is below, but know that monitors and colors are not always accurate.

So, dear reader, how predictable are we? Which do you think we chose and why? Which would you have chosen?

One?

Two?

Three?

Four?

"Taking it Easy"

We have had a crazy, crazy week-plus. I do mean crazy! Consider: three at the doctor (at once!), croup+double ear infection, the kids' first football game, out of town two separate nights, a charity banquet, speech therapy, a wedding shower, staying up until three am to get ready for the shower, an awful allergy attack turned sinus infection, on-call for jury duty, a luncheon, Bible Study, Church, 7+ hours on the road . . . . and now a peculiar rash on J that will take us to the pediatrician this afternoon.

Usually three kids is enough busy-ness for us and we do not schedule very much else, so this was unbelievable. I've been "under-the-weather" since Sunday night with one of the worst allergy attacks of my life now turned sinus infection that is just wiping me out. I've been trying to take it easy, but am humored by what that looks like compared to my child-free days.

Sick as a child/teen meant bed/tv/chicken and stars soup with saltines and being tucked in by Mama. (And missing school!)

Sick in college meant missing some school, and toughing it out alone in my dorm/apartment/house with a Pride and Predjudice marathon and most likely minestrone soup. Of course there were times when I still had to work through the blech--no fun.

Sick as a "young married" was probably the nicest circumstances although the worst illness to date (mono/strep for a month). It involved Pride and Prejudice, the Fellowship of the Ring, Mitford Books, baths, a cozy bed and Tuan cooking soups for me. : )

Sick as a Mom . . . . means trying to take it easy but not really because you can't really stop and sleep it away or take a hot bath or watch Pride and Prejudice for hours. Particularly when Tuan cannot get away, I am really on my own.

Sick as a Mom involves coloring at the table for an hour since it involves no movement and keeps the kids occupied. It means laying on the couch like a sack of potatoes while a Barney/Thomas/Backyardigans marathon plays, then falling asleep and suddenly waking up with a toddler "exploring in the kitchen and your four-year old in your face begging for milk. It involves barricading yourself and the kids in one bedroom so you can sleep while they play and bring you "spaghetti" and "coffee". It also means laundry, dishes, diapers, and scraping together meals, while letting other things slide.

I am not complaining (promise!), just contemplating. I am really, really thankful that this is only a mild affliction and I am able to move around and do a little. I am really, really thankful for proper, early bedtimes, a big bathrobe and Netflix in the evenings. And, I am really, really thankful for play-doh which is keeping the kiddos quite occupied and happy!