Honoring Life (And Working To Save More)

...My work at the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling has solidified in me an awe for the beauty and miracle of life. Seeing tiny hearts beating away at five or six weeks after conception, and knowing that the same heart will continue to sustain life as long as it continues is a staggering concept. Each child is so unique, created by God for His purposes. We all lose when one of them dies; we will never have a chance to know all that they might have accomplished.

No one should ever pass into death without being remembered by someone. Each life deserves to be honored. That is why we lit our candles last night. Now we can be at peace and leave them safely in the arms of Jesus, as we continue on with our work to save more.

This is just the conclusion of an especially compelling essay from Barb Malek. Read it in its entirety (it's really worth it) right here.

Peter Pan and the Modern Church: "We Won't Grow Up."

Beginning in the 1930s and '40s, Christian teenagers and youth leaders staged a quiet revolution in American church life that led to what can properly be called the juvenilization of American Christianity. Juvenilization is the process by which the religious beliefs, practices, and developmental characteristics of adolescents become accepted as appropriate for adults. It began with the praiseworthy goal of adapting the faith to appeal to the young, which in fact revitalized American Christianity. But it has sometimes ended with both youth and adults embracing immature versions of the faith...

Having been converted to Christianity in the heady days of the "Jesus movement" but then carefully discipled and launched into adult life through a Bible-centered, eminently relevant, counter-culture ministry, I relate closely to several of the points made in this provocative Christianity Today essay, "When Are We Going to Grow Up? The Juvenilization of American Christianity" by Thomas E. Bergler, professor of ministry and missions at Huntington University.

I found the essay fascinating and good. Indeed, I cannot recommend too highly that you read it, consider it over a bit of time, read it again and then discuss it with friends and church leaders.

The effects could just change your church greatly...and for the better.

Will the United Nations Rule the Internet?

It's easy to understand why countries like Russia, China and Iran would want to rewire the Internet, cutting off access to their citizens and undermining the idea of a World Wide Web. What's more surprising is that U.S. diplomats are letting authoritarian regimes hijack an obscure U.N. agency to undermine how the Internet works, including for Americans.

The failure by U.S. negotiators to stop attacks on the Internet became known only through documents leaked last week. They concern a U.N. agency known as the International Telecommunications Union. Founded in 1865 to regulate the telegraph, the body (now part of the U.N.) is planning a World Conference on International Telecommunications in December, when the 193 U.N. member countries, each of which has a single vote, could use the International Telecommunications Regulations to take control of the Internet. The U.N. process is mind-numbing, but as Vincent Cerf, one of the founders of the Web, recently told Congress, this U.N. involvement means "the open Internet has never been at a higher risk than it is now."

And you thought that your hassles with Facebook were a big problem.

Here's more of L. Gordon Crovitz' story, "The U.N.'s Internet Power Grab," over at the Wall Street Journal.

National Association of Evangelicals Applauds Obama's Lawlessness

I've long complained that the National Association of Evangelicals is way out of touch with most of the churches who give them money. Now the NAE has endorsed Barack Obama's decision to leave deliberately unenforced national law regarding illegal immigration -- a law that he swore as President to carefully uphold.

Specifically, the law that Obama has brazenly announced he will ignore  involves perhaps millions of illegal immigrants under age 31 if they came to the U.S. prior to age 16. Excuse me, I should say "who claim to have come to the U.S. prior to age 16" since the government has no way in place of determining that case.

The policy is controversial on its face. But, most important, the Obama administration is declining on yet another issue to ignore its responsibility to enforce U.S. law! And this is what the NAE is applauding.

But then, the NAE's endorsement of this lawlessness is just the organization's latest goofy bow to "progressive" political-correctness.

Is your church and/or denomination giving its blessing (and its money) to the NAE? If so, it's way past time for you to politely protest that action.

Mark Tooley, the Director of Institute on Religion & Democracy, comments, "Evangelicals and other Christians may disagree about the right immigration policies of course. The Scriptures and church tradition offer no detailed guidance for modern civil states and immigration law. But Christians have nearly always affirmed obedience to civil law, except when egregiously evil, and absent lawful means for amending the law. The NAE’s chief spokesman has affirmed an Administration’s decision to disregard the law after Congress has declined several times to legalize younger illegal immigrants."

"Does NAE President Leith Anderson favor the Administration ignoring or ceasing to enforce other laws? Earlier this year the Administration announced it would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act. Presumably the NAE disapproves, but on what basis, if a chief executive and his appointees may unilaterally pick and choose the laws they will enforce?"

"Do most members of NAE churches agree with such a cavalier stance towards our nation’s laws? Very doubtful."

Though not personally a member of the Mennonite Brethren, that is the denomination to which the small inner-city church where I preach belongs. So I'm preparing another letter to the denomination asking them to strongly protest this latest action of the organization AND to withdraw support until the NAE turns away from the liberal stands it has taken in recent years.

For further background, check out a few earlier Vital Signs Blog posts dealing with the NAE:

* The "National Association of Evangelicals" Doesn't Really Represent Evangelicals

*  Pro-Abortion National Association of Evangelical Board Member Picked by Democrats

* More Disappointment with the National Association of Evangelicals

* The National Association of Evangelicals' Latest Blunder?

* Under Pressure, Richard Cizik "Reluctantly Resigns" from the NAE

Today's Posts

Congratulations, Webb!

The Country Club Commander in Chief: Obama's 100th Golf Game

Don't Scare the Animals. Get A Room.

Other Important Reads to Start Your Week

Congratulations, Webb!

Congratulations to Webb Simpson (emerging golf star, husband, dad, Wake Forest grad, and outspoken Christian) on his dramatic come-from-behind victory in the U.S. Open yesterday.

Here's the basic story.

But here's one (surprisingly from ESPN) that speaks specifically of the Christian convictions of Webb Simpson and his caddie Paul Tesori. Very interesting stuff.

The Country Club Commander in Chief: Obama's 100th Golf Game

While our soldiers are fighting, while millions are out of work, while millions more are worrying about grocery bills and home foreclosures, our President hits the links at the country club.

Again and again.

Keith Koffler over at White House Dossier comments on one of the weekend's sports milestones -- Barack Obama's 100th golf outing while President.

Obama has already played golf eight times this year. He actually is a little off his normal pace – perhaps campaigning is intruding on golf. The president golfed 28 times in 2009, 30 times in 2010, and an incredible 34 times in 2011.

Obama’s golfing takes about five hours, including the motorcades back and forth from the fairways. If one thinks of this as taking up  much of the day – include getting ready to go and cooling off afterward – its fair to say that Obama has spent more than three months of his presidency golfing…

George W. Bush gave up golfing in 2003, explaining his rationale five years later in an interview with POLITICO, saying it was wrong to play during wartime:

"I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."

Obama clearly disagrees and has been unperturbed by criticism of his golf, maintaining a steady pace even during an election year.

Don't Scare the Animals. Get A Room.

1) A camera is set up in the Austrian forest by the Carinthia Hunting Society to capture natural shots of wildlife.

2) The resultant photos end up including snapshots of "wild life" that were quite unexpected; namely an Austrian politician involved in...uh, intimate acts.

Okay, after parts one and two, you're figuring I'm describing a goofy movie or setting you up for a joke, right?

Wrong. And to prove that it's a description of real life in our modern, litigious Nanny State, here's plot point number 3) Despite the fact that the photos were not released and the politician's identity has been kept secret, he is still set to be awarded over $2500…for invasion of privacy.

I'm proposing the next stage in this drama be the counter-suit from an animal rights organization. After all, it was the critters who actually suffered the invasion of privacy, right? Couldn't they argue that the politician and his consort should have got a room, thereby protecting the innocent beasties from the fright (and perhaps moral offense) he created by bringing his game into the deep forest? The funds thus won could be used in several helpful ways…like constructing cheap motels near the woods.

Here's the story.

Other Important Reads to Start Your Week

* First of all, don't miss this gem from Mark Steyn. "Earthly woes mount as Obama's rhetoric soars." You'll be very glad you read this one.

* "ObamaCare's Secret History: How a Pfizer CEO and Big Pharma colluded with the White House at the public's expense." Wall Street Journal.

* "What Happens When Adults Fail to Protect Children?" A challenging essay by Barb Malek published in her blog, Erase the Need.

* "Media’s moral morass: Liberal press digs deep in competition for weirdest musing" by Robert Knight in the Washington Times.

* "The folly of Obamacare" by Robert J. Samuelson in the Washington Post.

Today's Posts

Vital Signs: Reviewing the Quarter

Why Doesn't the "Social Justice" Crowd Make Abortion a Priority?

More Emmy Nominations for Pro-Life TV Series

Barack Obama's Campaign Re-Boot Is Re-Bad

Vital Signs: Reviewing the Quarter

The rains hit hard here in northwest Omaha last night and the lightning and thunder certainly did their thing too. But before they fell in all their fury, the Governing Board members of Vital Signs Ministries were snugly seated around our dining room table eating pizza and getting ready for our quarterly meeting. Don Kohls wasn't there last night but Quint Coppi, John Malek, Karla Struble, Matt Troutman, Keith Moran, Chet Thomas, and Mary Roberts were. And Claire and I too.

We started off our meeting with a pretty grim financial report. I'm afraid that if Vital Signs cannot secure new LifeSharers sometime soon (LifeSharers being pro-life friends who can provide some financial support), our 30 years of full-time ministry might just be heading towards its sunset. It is somewhat ironic that we're experiencing such a financial crunch at the same time that we are busier and more effective than ever. However, we're not disheartened by our predicament. We are extremely grateful for past blessings, present blessings and, because we are committed to staying the course as long as we can, we're looking forward to future blessings too.

After the discussion of finances was over, we started in on the review of our activities over the last 3 months. And even though that entire period was marked by Claire's illness, numerous doctor visits and tests, eventually surgery to remove her gall bladder, and now the first couple of weeks of recovery, we were delighted to report on a lot of good work accomplished.

For instance, in addition to the ongoing prayers and sidewalk counseling at the abortion mill, we were able to report another high quarter for Vital Signs Blog. Our page loads just keep moving on up. We also have expanded and improved the VSM website and added a lot of new articles to our Russian-language website. Also, the "3 for 5" prayer program that we created as a way to solidify and increase opposition to Planned Parenthood has won over a lot more in this past quarter.

Since our last Board meeting I had preached every Sunday at Faith Bible Church (except for two services where I preached at Tabernacle Baptist Church in George, Iowa) and also presented talks to a group of medical students at UNMC and a men's group at Evangelical Bible Church. There's also been a gang of personal correspondence, phone conversations, networking and a letter-writing evening which produced 78 letters to politicians, business leaders and missionaries. We also interacted with a pro-life group on the West Coast who wanted permission to perform some of the pro-life plays that are on our website.

We also reported, of course, on the ongoing success of our newest nursing home and assisted living outreach, "When Swing Was King." In the last quarter I had created 3 new programs, making it a total of 16 different volumes we have available, each with 13 songs and around 200 photos. We present the program in 11 (sometimes 12) facilities. We have also been able to extend our personal visitation, spiritual care, and just doing things like filling bird feeders at one of our regular nursing homes. And even with Claire's physical anguish of the last few months, we only had to cancel 1 gig.

So, it's been a productive quarter and reviewing all the activity was a great encouragement for those sitting at the table. Helping too was that we had moved on from the pizza to coffee, tea and Claire's cookies.

Before adjournment we had some discussion about the new sidewalk counseling signs designed for us by Pat Osborne, a preview of upcoming engagements and projects for the summer, and then some catching up on things about each other's work, ministries and families. It was a good meeting.

But, by the time everyone left (thankfully, the rain had stopped), Claire and I realized that we were absolutely beat.  We sat back in our chairs too tired to even get up and clean the dishes. We thought at first that it must be relief from the stress of getting everything ready (especially the detailed financial reports) but then we realized it was probably simple fatigue from everything else we had thrown into the day besides the Board meeting; i.e., the housecleaning, changing the paintings on the wall, mowing the lawn and applying the next soil treatment, blogging, getting cleaned up and heading out for a "When Swing Was King" gig (only to discover there was a mix-up in schedules), finishing a painting project, planting some new flowers out front, and figuring out our travel plans for a quick 2-day trip we have to make to Colorado. You think that stuff might have played a part in our fatigue? Yeah, me too.

Anyway, it's now on to doing our jobs so that the next Board meeting will be as upbeat and full as last night's. In fact, we hope it will be even more so, given that Claire is almost back up to speed. We certainly would appreciate your prayers to that end.

Why Doesn't the "Social Justice" Crowd Make Abortion a Priority?

An abortion is the intentional killing of an unborn child inside (or partially inside) the womb.

Social justice is . . . what exactly?

Again and again I see young social justice-focused evangelicals abandoning any effective voice for the unborn for the sake of an ephemeral, culturally-fashionable concept that as a practical matter means little more than advocating a utopian ideal through a grab-bag of banal, functionally socialist policies. Moreover, the embrace of social justice often drives them functionally into the arms of a political party and political movements that are dedicated to protecting and even subsidizing the “right” to kill children on a vast, industrial scale.

Social justice must be virtuous indeed to be worth such a high cost. So, what is it?..

Read on. For David French exposes a key problem affecting young evangelicals (and Catholics) in this excellent LifeNews.com article.

And more than exposing the problem, he calls them out on it.

More Emmy Nominations for Pro-Life TV Series

I know it sounds incredible but it's true -- the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has nominated a pro-life series for three regional Emmy Awards.

And it's a series that you can watch online.

The weekly series is a ministry from Life Issues Institute with Brad Mattes serving as host and executive producer. It's called Facing Life Head-On and it presents some of the very best television available for you and your family: informative, relevant and inspirational.

Here's more on the Emmy Award story and right here is where you can personally check out Facing Life Head-On.

Barack Obama's Campaign Re-Boot Is Re-Bad

John Hinderaker is at his best in exposing Barack Obama's insipid, boring, lying campaign speech in this Power Line article, "Obama’s Speech Signals More Trouble For His Campaign."

I print below a couple of excerpts and then below those i give you links to two related articles that I think you'll find of value. One is from Dana Milbank at the Washington Post and the other from John Nolte over at Breitbart.

But first, Hinderaker:

Critics almost universally panned Obama’s speech. It was too long, at 54 minutes. It was delivered in a dull, even defeatist style. It contained nothing new–neither new themes nor new policy proposals. It exhibited the whiny, blame-everyone-in-sight quality that has long been putting off voters. And, despite Obama’s endless talk about offering voters a clear choice, he continued to be strangely vague about what he actually wants to do if he gets a second term…

This is revisionist history. There was no “stalemate” in 2009 or 2010; the Democrats controlled all the levers of government. Barack Obama issued any executive orders that he deemed appropriate, and Congress passed all legislation on which Democrats could agree. Republicans had no ability to block Democrat-sponsored measures. So the Democrats passed the $850 billion stimulus, vastly increased discretionary spending, adopted Obamacare, and did anything else they pleased. That wasn’t “stalemate,” it was unfettered Democratic dominance.

But the Democrats’ policies turned out to be catastrophic failures. The stimulus failed to either hold down unemployment, which increased substantially, or to promote growth, which remained anemic. Obamacare proved immediately unpopular and placed heavy burdens on hiring by small businesses, thereby increasing the unemployment rate. The Democrats’ skyrocketing discretionary spending, stimulus and otherwise, was widely judged to be wasted. Its only tangible effect was to cause the national debt to grow three times faster than at any time in our history.

Americans were horrified by the results of the Obama administration’s policies in 2009 and 2010. Therefore, they turned out in November 2010 to stop the Democrats from more such follies. The Republicans, fueled by the Tea Party movement, took the House. Since 2011, there has, therefore, been some constraint on the Democrats’ ability to weaken the economy through massive increases in spending and debt. If this is “stalemate,” it is exactly what the voters chose in 2010...

* Milbank's article, "Skip the falsehoods, Mr. President, and give us a plan."

* Nolte's article, "Obama Speech 'Widely Panned' by Political Press Corps."

Today's Posts

"When Swing Was King" Update -- A Very Special Dance

Reality Therapy: The Newhart Approach

The Pinocchio President

Here's News That the "Evening News" Strictly Avoided

The Sexual Revolution is the REAL War on Women

This Just In: The Obama Administration Is Bizarre

"When Swing Was King" Update -- A Very Special Dance

Claire and I were at Lindenwood yesterday for our regular "When Swing Was King" presentation. It is one of our favorite places but it does have its challenges. The elevator takes forever, the third floor room is pretty small, and we have to tape up black plastic "curtains" that Claire made in order to make it dark enough to see the images we project on the screen. But a livelier, more interactive, more appreciative group you just won't find. Yesterday we managed to squeeze into that room Claire and I, our equipment, the Activities Director, Ann...and 21 residents.

In fact, we even had enough room for Lyle and Anna to get up and dance together during one of our final songs! Sure, they blocked the screen from view but that didn't matter. We had all heard of Lyle's reputation as a dancer in the days before the unsteadiness, the use of the walker, the falls...and we had seen hints of his grace even in the moves he makes from his chair. But to be surprised by he and Anna (also into her seventies or more) getting up to actually dance together...well, it was an incredible moment.

Yes, we were a bit nervous and we were praying for their strength to hold out. And yes, Ann was very near to provide support if either of the dancers began to weaken or stumble. But they were fine. Anna wore a sweet smile throughout and Lyle was winking at Claire as if to say, "See. I told you I was a dancer." And as they sat down amid uproarious applause, we all knew we had been part of a very wonderful experience.

I told the crowd, "You know, we do these programs at 10 other places every month and I'm wondering if we shouldn't start stopping by here first and pick up Lyle and Anna to provide some special entertainment to go along with the music. What do you guys think?" The applause started all over again and our two dancers beamed with pride.

Lord, thank you so much for that treasure.

And, of course, you are invited to come along with Claire and I and enjoy these kinds of magic moments with us as we take "When Swing Was King" to nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout the area. You'll love the music and pictures but, more important, you'll be on hand to make the program even more of a "happening" for the residents. Your help in visiting with them before and after (even during) the program would be an important blessing to them...and to you too.

This afternoon we will be presenting "When Swing Was King" out at the Life Care Center in Elkhorn and tomorrow afternoon at Pacific Springs but the monthly schedule can always be found at the Vital Signs Ministries website. Come on along; we would all love the pleasure of your company.

Reality Therapy: The Newhart Approach

Finally, someone who shares my kind of "counseling technique."

Imagine how better off the world would be if only Dr. Newhart's approach here was substituted for the flim-flam blame game that recent generations have embraced. 

 

The Pinocchio President

Over at Power Line, John Hinderaker tries to keep abreast of the Obama administration scandals. And, because the President has given us so doggone many, that's no easy task.

Here's News That the "Evening News" Strictly Avoided

Among the news items from the last few days that you might have missed -- but shouldn't -- are these:

* After 18 months of complete (and grossly irresponsible) silence from NBC on the Fast and Furious scandal, the network's evening news finally gives it 30 seconds. Uh huh; just 30 seconds. And they managed to even mess that up.

* The Communist thugs who are in charge of Cuba (God help the people there) are stepping up their campaign of repression, including the arrests of dissidents who testified about Cuba's severe human rights abuses before the U.S. Senate last week.

* The number of "donor eggs" (those eggs which are "harvested" from surrogate women and sold to other people who are attempting in vitro fertilization methods to have children) has doubled in the last ten years. Of course, the number of babies thus conceived who then died through IVF procedures are incalculable.

* Will California end by sliding into the Pacific Ocean? Or because Governor Jerry Brown and the Democrats refused to recognize fiscal realities, will the state just fade away into the murky waters of debt, business flight, and infrastructure failure? This excellent article in Forbes shows the sad situation there.

* Speaking of financial failure, the government of the USA "posted a budget deficit of $125 billion in May, more than twice the level registered in the same month last year."

* In this much-needed reality-check article, Ramesh Ponnuru corrects the 6 major myths about the Wisconsin recall election last week -- six myths that have been spouted over and over again by the mainstream press.

The Sexual Revolution is the REAL War on Women

I print below a couple of paragraphs from Tom Bethell's latest article over at American Spectator. It's called, "From ‘Happily Ever After’ to the Fall: The Costs of the Women's Movement and the Sexual Revolution are Coming Due."

It's really a good one. So don't miss it…and don't let your daughters miss it either.

...A hundred years ago, early feminists opposed abortion. Today? NOW favors “reproductive rights,” to use the latest euphemism. But what so many of us have forgotten is that the old Christian prohibitions against divorce, contraception, and abortion worked to protect women (just as the old injunction against women in combat worked to their advantage, too).

The Cumulative effect has been to plunge us ever deeper into the sexual revolution. There’s a brave pretense that sexual equality is an achievable goal, and not just equality in the office. So we have same-sex college dorms and a culture of “hooking up.” We have date-rape codes and an ever-increasing wariness between the sexes of a marriageable age. The connection between sexual intercourse and procreation has been rendered voluntary.

We are so immersed in this that we can hardly see how revolutionary it is...