Key Reads for Your Weekend

* “France Passes Law to Put Operators of Pro-Life Web Sites in Prison for Two Years” (Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews.com)

* “Break the Bureaucracy! An agenda for rolling back the administrative state” (Adam White, City Journal)

* “I disapprove of what you say – and will make darned sure you can’t say it” (Chiara Bertoglio, Mercator)

* “Schools are Teaching Islam but Banning Christianity: These Jersey Moms Want to Find Out Why” (Nancy Flory, The Stream)

* “Despite the Hysteria, Trump Is Trending Less Authoritarian Than Obama” (David French, National Review)

* “Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards’ Salary Has Gone Up a Whopping 265% to Almost $1 Million” (Ryan Bomberger, LifeNews.com)

* “One very good reason why Americans distrust scientists” (Michael Cook, Mercator)

* “U of Mich students demand no-whites-allowed space to plot ‘social justice’ activism” (Mason Clark, The College Fix)

* “This ‘Roe’ Obituary Should Make Pro-Choicers Rethink Their Loyalty” (Stephen Herreid, The Stream)

What a Catch!

Even an experienced angler like Bing Crosby would agree that this collection of news and commentary makes for a truly excellent catch. Plus, you wouldn't find any of these if you were fishing in the muddied waters of the mainstream media!

So, go ahead. Check 'em out.

* “Abortion chief: home abortions ‘safer than aspirin’” (SPUC)

* “Shame on the Silent Christian Leaders Who Refuse to Stand Against Government Tyranny” (Michael Brown, The Stream)

* “The student Left’s culture of intolerance is creating a new generation of conservatives” (Charlie Peters, Telegraph)

* “Resistance Has Nothing to Offer Conservatives” (David Harsanyi, National Review)

* “Former Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic Director: ‘Planned Parenthood Treated Women Like Cattle’” (Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com)

* “The Media Bulls Have Met Their Matador in Trump” (Roger L. Simon, PJ Media)

* “The Silence of the Lambs” (About our disappointing Congress) (Ann Coulter)

* “The Kids Aren’t All Right: What the Gender-Identity Revolution Has in Common with 1960s’ Drug Culture” (Scott Beauchamp, Public Discourse)

* “Media Ignores Videos 33 Million Watched Catching Planned Parenthood Denying Prenatal Care, Ultrasounds” (Katie Yoder, LifeNews.com)

* “Haley’s Comet” (Editorial, New York Sun)

Defending Marriage, Sexual Purity, and Freedom in Nebraska

I was pleased to join with many Nebraska clergy and with pro-life, pro-family
leaders throughout the state in signing on to a letter written to the Nebraska Unicameral's members who are considering a very unhealthy bill, LB173.

As Nate Grasz, the Policy Director of Nebraska Family Alliance, describes it, LB173 would create “a protected class for sexual orientation and gender identity [which] would be unlike any other protected class. Plus, contrary to proponent claims, legislation like LB173 isn't used to stop discrimination - it's used to silence dissent. These laws empower the government to punish people who object to promoting messages or participating in events that conflict with their beliefs…Laws like this are used to punish people like Baronelle Stutzman. Baronelle is a 72 year old grandmother and florist from Washington. Baronelle declined to create custom floral arrangements for Rob Ingersoll's same-sex wedding, though he was a long time customer….It is our hope that the Nebraska Legislature will again reject this law so that good Nebraskans aren't forced to choose between their their livelihood and their sincerely held beliefs.”

The letter below was written by the good folks at Nebraska Family Alliance. It is an excellent one, one that I was pleased to sign AND which I suggest you use as an inspiration to write a similar letter to your own state senator.

Dear Members of the Nebraska State Legislature,

We write as Christian pastors and faith leaders, representing thousands of Nebraskan families who worship in our churches, who support works of mercy and charity for Nebraska's poor and marginalized, and who contribute to the vibrancy, integrity, and common good of our state.

We write to express our common Christians convictions, especially as they pertain to LB173, a bill which you are now deliberating.

We believe that every single human being is created in the image of God, and is deserving of justice and respect, without exception, and regardless of age, ability, sex, sexual preference or orientation, personal identity, or race.  We believe that violence or hatred perpetrated against anyone, based on these personal characteristics or any others, is wrong.  We believe that our obligation to every human being is love.

We also believe that human sexuality is properly expressed in the union between one man and woman in marriage.  This belief is common to religious traditions and philosophies around the world, and is held sincerely by people of good will across Nebraska.  We do recognize that our belief is not shared by all Nebraskans, but it is a fundamental component of our faith, and a belief deserving of respect in a pluralistic society.

The United States Constitution guarantees that all Nebraskans should be free to live and act in accord with the convictions of their conscience.  Religious institutions, family businesses, and private individuals should not be compelled to condone or participate in activities which violate their religious mission, or their sincerely held religious beliefs.  We believe that LB173 represents the potential to compromise the right of Nebraskans to religious liberty. 

The protection of religious freedom is central to the ideals of our great nation, of our great state, and of all pluralistic democracies.  On behalf of families across Nebraska, we ask that as LB173 is considered, our fundamental right to religious liberty be respected.

Please be assured of our prayers, and our gratitude for your public service.

Sincerely,

Denny Hartford
Director, Vital Signs Ministries
Omaha, Nebraska

A Few Tips on Improving Your Prayer Life

In this month’s Vital Signs Ministries letter, I have passed on a few practical tips on improving one’s prayer life. I hope you’ll find them helpful.

And, of course, that brief letter can be found on the Vital Signs Ministries website right here.

Catching Up

From the weekend -- and the auspicious start of this week -- comes a list of some of the web's best reading. Have at 'em.

* “How Obama is scheming to sabotage Trump’s presidency” (Paul Sperry, New York Post)

* “Teen Vogue’s Pro-Abortion Assault on Underage Girls” (Stephen Herreid, The Stream)

* “Hillary's ‘Future Is Female’ Femme-A-Goguery” (Michelle Malkin, Town Hall)

* “The ever-expanding family of LGB acronyms” (Michael Cook, Mercator)

* “Planned Parenthood Still Hasn’t Produced an Annual Report. Here’s Why That’s a Problem.” (Melanie Israel, Daily Signal)

* “Why is Saturday Night Live News?” (John Hinderaker, Power Line)

* “Rogue Federal Bureaucrats Threaten Trump’s Agenda” (Fred Lucas, Daily Signal)

* “Report: 72 convicted of terrorism from ‘Trump 7’ mostly Muslim countries” (Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner)

For Progressives, Paranoia Lies Deep

From Jim Geraghty’s Morning Jolt over at NRO:

Comedienne Sarah Silverman, on Twitter yesterday:

As many Twitter users pointed out, it’s not a botched swastika; it’s a pretty standard utility line marker. Now that you’ve had it pointed out to you, you may start noticing them on the sidewalk in your community, too.

Silverman later wrote that her misinterpretation reflected the unbearable amount of anti-Semitic hateful messages she gets on social media. Presuming that’s the case, that’s awful; no one deserves to be treated like that.

But her instinctive reaction does give a sense of the troubling place that her mind is right now, and she doesn’t seem to be alone. We’ve entered an era where one significant chunk of the American people – the passionate Left – have concluded that the driving force behind those who disagree is pure evil. 

Why Keep Giving Tax Money to Planned Parenthood? (Answer -- We Shouldn't!)

Have You Heard?

Need to catch up on the most important news and views from the last few days? Okay, here's some of the best.

* “Abortion Science: Heartbeats Are Imaginary, Unborn Babies Aren’t Alive, And Ultrasounds Are Just Tools Of The Patriarchy” (Sean Davis, The Federalist)

* “Gosnell ‘serial killer’ abortion book is a bestseller: But the New York Times snubs it, revealing that the Times bestseller list is a matter of opinion.” (Sheila Liaugminas, Mercator)

* “8 Countries Vow to Counter Trump by Increasing Abortions” (Jacob Bojesson, The Stream)

* “Why The Ninth Circuit Ruled Against Trump’s Refugee Order” (Dan McKaughlin, NRO)

* “How Feminism Has Left Stay at Home Moms Behind” (Elizabeth Broadbent, Scary Mommy)

* “More CEOs Jump on the Liberal Brand Wagon” (Tony Perkins, Family Research Council)

* “Manipulating science news: Politics is not the only place to look for ‘fake news’” (Heather Zeiger, Mercator)

* “Drug dealer whose life sentence was commuted by Obama is back behind bars after being caught with two pounds of cocaine worth $26,000” (Cheyenne Roundtree, Daily Mail)

"When Swing Was King" Swings Into February

Yesterday, Wednesday the 8th, Claire and I started in to the February schedule of “Swing Was King” and we're as excited as ever about this outreach into senior care facilities in our area...and sometimes way beyond.

I say way beyond because, in addition to our 12 regularly-scheduled places every month (Omaha, Bellevue, and Blair), we've also presented “When Swing Was King” shows in senior facilities in Lincoln, central Nebraska, northwest Iowa, the front range of the Colorado Rockies, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City. We sometimes do the programs for church groups too. And everywhere we go, the audiences are thrilled to hear the old music, see the photos of the 1940s and 1950s, learn fun trivia about the songs and the musicians, and enjoy visits with folks they have graciously taken to their hearts.

What a blessing for everyone!

If you'd like to come along and see why this ministry is such a hit, please check the monthly schedule and let us know when you'd like to join us. We (and the residents of the care facilities) would be absolutely delighted to have you there for the party.

(P.S. It's almost worth it just to hear what I have to say in the introduction to Song #11.)

By the way, here's this month's song list:

1) Glenn Miller Orchestra (Vocals by Ray Eberle) -- “Blueberry Hill”

2) Ethel Merman -- “There's No Business Like Show Business”

3) Duke Ellington Orchestra -- “Chelsea Bridge

4) Harry James (Vocals by Helen Forrest) — “I Had the Craziest Dream”

5) Artie Shaw Orchestra -- “Blue Skies”

6) Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (Vocals by Frank Sinatra, Connie Haines, and the Pied Pipers) -- “Oh, Look At Me Now”

7) Gene Kelly -- “Singin' In the Rain”

8) Chick Webb Orchestra -- “Strictly Jive”

9) Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (Vocals by Helen O'Connell) -- “I’m Stepping Out with a Memory Tonight”

10) Benny Goodman Orchestra -- “Here's Love In Your Eyes”

11) Rosemary Clooney (Bass vocals by Thurl Ravenscroft) -- “This Ole House”

12) The Mills Brothers (Backed by the Hal McIntyre Orchestra) -- “Glow Worm”

Article Roundup: Ronald Reagan's Birthday Edition

* “Exposed: How world leaders were duped into investing billions over manipulated global warming data” (David Rose, Daily Mail)

* “Conservatives Offer Solution to Repeal Obamacare, Defund Planned Parenthood: Pass 2015 Bill Again” (Melissa Quinn, Daily Signal)

* “No Thug Left Behind: Obsessed with “racial equity,” St. Paul schools abandoned discipline—and unleashed mayhem” (Katherine Kersten, City Journal)

* “America's murder rate is rising at its fastest pace since the early 1970s” (The Economist)

* “Better School Choice in Nebraska – The Time is Now” (Nate Grasz, Nebraska Family Alliance)

* “Audi Just Stepped On A Rake With ‘Equal Pay’ Messaging In New Super Bowl Ad” (Bre Payton, The Federalist)

* “Life Sentence in Sudan for Czech Missionary” (Faith McDonnell, Juicy Ecumenism)

* “Struggling woman with dementia euthanised in Netherlands: Relatives had to hold her down so that the doctor could give the lethal injection.” (Michael Cook, Mercator)

* “Science, embryonic autonomy, and the question of when life begins” (Ana Maria Dumitru, Mercator)

* “Rogue Federal Bureaucrats Threaten Trump’s Agenda” (Fred Lucas, Daily Signal)

A Wonderful Life Story (Thanks to Courage, Love, and Science)