Let's Get a Little Light On These Subjects

* "What Does Vladimir Putin Have on Joe Biden?" (Lee Smith, Tablet)

* "Scared, Stupid, And Easily Manipulated: What COVID Has Revealed About The Nation’s Young" (Issues & Insights Editorial Board)

* "The abortion industry plans its next push: Over-the-counter abortion pills" (Carole Novielli, Live Action)

* "Germany is catering to Russia and is a pathetic excuse for a US ally" (Rich Lowry, JWR)

* "Thanks to Biden Administration's Weak Leadership, Iran-China Threat Growing" (Majid Rafizadeh, Gatestone Institute)

* "Americans Are Sick of Authoritarian Mandates" (Jeffrey H. Anderson, American Greatness)

Behind the Scenes: More News the Establishment Media Won't Report

* "The End of America? It's Not That Hard to Imagine" (Frank Miele, Real Clear Politics)

* "As Biden doubles down on his War on Energy, prices keep shooting up" (New York Post Editorial Board)

* "Have you ever prayed to be wrong?" (A Covid-related article) (Terry Paulding, American Thinker)

* "Chicago schools training says sex 'not rooted in biology,' -- tells teachers to hide gender pronouns from parents" (Sam Dorman, Fox News)

* "Cuomo health department admits New York nursing home deaths topped 12,743 - 49% HIGHER than previously reported" (Stephen M. Lepore, Daily Mail)

* "California trans child molester, 26, gets 2 years in juvenile facility thanks to progressive DA Gascon" (Audrey Conklin & Michael Ruiz, Fox News)

Oh, My! (The Latest Compilation of Must-Read Articles)

* "The border gets worse and worse" (Byron York, Washington Examiner)

* "GOP can’t complain about Biden’s migrants when they’re not stepping in" (Miranda Devine, New York Post)

* "Biden’s mask has slipped" (Freddy Gray, Spectator)

* "The COVID-19 Storyline Is the Greatest Scam in World History – The Truth Is This Is a 'Pandemic of the Vaccinated'" (Wayne Allyn Root, Town Hall)

* "Joe Biden and the Uses of Nihilism: America is battling an epidemic far worse than the Omicron plague." (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

* "Anti-Asian Discrimination at the Heart of the Progressive Education Agenda" (Wenyuan Wu, Minding the Campus)

* "The BBC Quietly Censors Its Own Archives" (Charles C. Cooke, National Review)

Walking for Life...with Friends

Now in trying to name the dear friends we saw today at the Walk for Life in Lincoln, there's clearly a problem. And that's because of the mask mandate applicable to the Capitol City, we probably saw a lot of old friends without really knowing who they were! Nevertheless, I'll give it a try.

 First of all, the Vital Signs Board members present included Quint (and Carol) Coppi, John Malek, Patrick Osborne, Keith (and Carol) Moran, Allen (and Cindy) Nelson, Karla Struble, and Mary Roberts (and daughter McKayla). And from our church (Grace Bible Church) there was Stephen Goodspeed, Chester & Amy Davis and their 5 kids, and our pastor Dan Hauge.

Others? Well, among the Nebraska pro-life leaders there was Chuck Conrad, Barb McPhillips, Julie Lostroh, and Nebraska Right to Life President, Sandy Danek. 

But that's just scratching the surface. There was Ruth Denzler, Coach Ron Brown, Elaine Olson (and daughter Karis), Pastor Steve Stout, Jeff and Pat James, Keith & Barb Huizenga, Doreen Wagenaar, Pat & Carol Eberly, Ken Filbert, Joe & Louis Ferrante, Bob Bjorklund, Suzanne Gage, Steve & Debbie Wiemeyer, and probably a truckload more that I can't remember offhand.

And what a crowd -- easily one of the biggest ever. 

The political leaders present were many and most of them had stirring remarks to deliver to the crowd. The guest speaker, actress Ashley Bratcher, was outstanding. And the numbers coming by the Vital Signs booth to chat awhile and take away free copies of terrific pro-life material -- well, that was great.

Thank you, Nebraska Right to Life and pro-life champions from around the state for making the 2022 Walk for Life such a winsome, prayerful, and effective statement for the sanctity of human life.

And yes, if you would like to hear the speeches (and I especially recommend Ashely's talk given at the UNL Student Union), please check out the videos uploaded onto the Nebraska Right to Life Facebook page.

The January Vital Signs Letter: A Wrap Up, a Preview, and a Close Call

The January edition of the LifeSharer letter, Vital Signs Ministries' monthly essay sent to friends and supporters is on the VSM website right here. 

Included in the letter is a review of our bountiful Yuletide activities, previews of the upcoming Walk for Life and our next Book Brunch, and then a description of a dangerously "close call" we experienced while peacefully protesting abortion.

Interesting stuff!

Check it out.

We Remember. We Mourn. And We Rededicate Ourselves to the Fight for Life.

On this anniversary of the tragic and woefully unjust Roe v Wade Court decree, we joined friends this morning in praying outside the abortion business in northwest Omaha. 

We prayed, reflected on the many decades we've been fighting to promote the sanctity of human life, and gave a winsome, colorful witness to those driving by. Lord, please lift from our nation this wicked and barbaric scourge.

The News They'd Prefer Buried

* "Team Biden’s plan to ‘ensure scientific integrity’ should start with itself" (Glenn H. Reynolds, New York Post) 

* "U.S. murder rate highest it's been in 25 years as big cities shatter records" (Stephanie Pagones, Fox News)

* "Are Democrats Becoming a Fascist Party?" (John Hinderaker, Power Line)

* "What’s With the Left’s Attempt to Abolish Work?" (Douglas Blair, Daily Signal)

* "Americans are Being Sold Out by Government Insiders" (Betsy McCaughey, The Stream)

* "Is America heading for a systems collapse?" (Victor Davis Hanson, Jewish World Review)

* "USA Today: Pedophilia Is Merely ‘Inappropriate,’ ‘Among The Most Misunderstood’ Conditions In America" (Ben Johnson, Daily Wire)

This Just In...

* "A Gift to Putin: Biden’s Disastrous Response on Ukraine" (Jim Geraghty, National Review)

* "Joe Biden Doesn’t Know What You’re Talking About" (Matthew Continetti, Washington Free Beacon)

* "Biden’s press conference was terrifying -- his internal monologue said out loud" (John Podhoretz, New York Post)

* "Union Pacific Official Blames L.A.’s Far-Left Policies For Massive Train Thefts, Considers Leaving L.A." (Ryan Saavedra, Daily Wire)

* "Greed between the Lines of NBA's Politics" (Tony Perkins, Family Research Council)

* "False Positives for Genetic Disorders in Prenatal Testing Unacceptably High" (Tara Sander Lee, Daily Signal)

* "Hunter Biden, former Biden aide invested in Chinese company tied to Communist Party, NBA China" (Cameron Cawthorne, FOX Business)

What's Really Going On? (The Latest Batch of Must-Read Articles)

* "Five abortion pill dangers every woman should know" (Nancy Flanders, Live Action News)

* "New York District Attorney Calls for End to Prosecuting Serious Crimes. It’s Every Criminal’s Lucky Day in Gotham." (Jarrett Stepman, Daily Signal)

* "Insurrections and Double Standards. Reveling in the anniversary of the Capitol riot, Democrats and the media dubiously brand it a right-wing “insurrection”—while ignoring the urban anarchy that began in May 2020." (Heather MacDonald, City Journal)

* "U.S. Foreign Policy & LGBTQIA+ Advocacy" (Mark Tooley, Providence)

* "Democrats Seek to Block Religious Leaders from Entering the Country" (Stefano Gennarini, C-Fam)

* "Smash-and-Grab Retail. Rising store crime now plagues many communities." (Steven Malanga, City Journal)

* "U.S. Political Party Preferences Shifted Greatly During 2021" (Jefferey M. Jones, Gallup)

100 Years Ago, Chesterton Wrote a Book for Today

The next Vital Signs Book Brunch is scheduled for Saturday morning, February 19th at 10 o’clock. And unless there’s too many to handle, it will be at our home. The book under discussion will be Eugenics and Other Evils by G.K. Chesterton. 

This fascinating, enlightening, and well-written 185-page book is more relevant today than it was when first published exactly 100 years ago and I’ve no doubt that both the reading and the discussion will be of great value to you. 

However, please note 3 important things: 

1) The book can be easily and cheaply found. Indeed, Kindle readers can download it for free. 

2) RSVPs are of serious importance. 

3) And please – read the book! It’s still a wonder to me how so many people love the idea of joining a book club, yet cannot be bothered with actually reading the books. Sigh.

The Latest "Wow" Articles (Part 3)

* "Social Media Censors Ignore Islamist Hate Speech and Incitement to Murder" (Raymond Ibrahim, Gatestone Institute)

* "Woke Capitalism, Unilever Edition" (John Hinderaker, Power Line)

* "Homeland Security launches 'climate change professionals program' amid historic illegal border crossings surge" (Peter Aitken, Fox News)

* "'I Can't Answer That': Asst. FBI Director Refuses To Answer Ted Cruz Questions About January 6" (4-minute You Tube clip)

* "The ungracious --- and their demonization of the past" (Victor Davis Hanson, Jewish World Review)

* "American Traitors: Academics Working for China" (Gordon G. Chang, Gatestone Institute)

* "CNN shifts COVID narrative to ‘what many independent-minded Americans have been thinking’ all along" (Brian Flood, Fox News)

The Latest "Wow" Articles (Part 2)

* "Is Biden's Legacy Really Going to Be the Dismantling of Democracies and the Free World?" (Richard Kemp, Gatestone Institute)

* "McConnell Fact-Checks Biden" (Scott Johnson, Power Line)

* "More COVID School Closures Spell the End of Teachers Unions Empire" (Lindsey M. Burke & Corey DeAngelis, Heritage Foundation)

* "Taliban orders beheading of store mannequins as Afghan women fume over Biden 'betrayal' -- Afghan women feel 'like the whole world is abandoning them" (Charles Creitz, Fox News)

* "Biden’s War on Unvaccinated Is Un-American" (Armstrong Williams, Daily Signal)

* "Mike Rowe on record 4.5M quitting their jobs: This will impact 'every single American'" (Kristen Altus, FOX Business)

* "Cell phone radiation expert says FCC 'in denial' of health risks, demands 'full, independent investigation'" (Yael Halon, Fox News)

The Latest "Wow" Articles

* "'While Reagan healed the sick, Biden has infected the healthy!' -- The Gipper's top economist Art Laffer slams Joe Biden for doing 'exactly the opposite' of what's needed to tame inflation, as it rises to 7% - the highest for 40 years" (Keith Griffith, Daily Mail)

* "More Government, Less Religion -- the Progressive Doctrine" (Star Parker, Daily Signal)

* "Insurance CEO says deaths up 40% among working age people, and it's not just COVID" (Margaret Menge, Just the News)

* "The Woke Plans to Rebuild Notre Dame" (John Stonestreet and Glenn Sunshine, Breakpoint)

* "NYT report fuels concerns that many abortions are based on false test results" (y Christine Rousselle & Katie Yoder, Catholic News Agency)

* "Biden Administration Making Lists of Religious Vaccine Objectors" (Sarah Parshall Perry & GianCarlo Canaparo, Daily Signal)

* "Pro-Life Student Sues School After Teachers Called Her 'Bigot' for Starting a Pro-Life Club" (Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews.com)

A Perfect World? It's Coming!

The final song in our next “When Swing Was King” program is Judy Garland’s gorgeous 1939 rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”  It is, as you well know, a hauntingly beautiful song, one that underscores the human yearning for home, beauty, innocence and wonder.  Our audiences love it…and we do too.

Nevertheless, it must be said that when the song ends, the listener is left only with the yearning, a sweet wishful longing that there might be a place of safety and bliss “somewhere over the rainbow” instead of this dark, troublesome, and increasingly decadent world we live in now. Actually, there are many songs that touch our hearts in this same way, songs that resonate with our oh-so-human longing for beauty, love, purity, peace, perfection.  “There’s a Place for Us.”  “Somewhere, My Love.”  “Rainbow Connection.”  “A Summer Place.”  “Up, Up and Away.”  “Moon River.” “Bali Hai.” “There’s a New World Coming.”

What is behind this? I believe Randy Alcorn points to the answer in his marvelous book, Heaven. Writes Randy, “We are homesick for Eden. We're nostalgic for what is implanted in our hearts. It's built into us.”  He adds, “Desire is a signpost pointing to heaven…I’ve never been to heaven, yet I miss it. Eden is in my blood. And the best things of earth are souvenirs of Eden, appetizers of the New Earth.”

Donald Bloesch in his Theological Notebook (1989) writes, “Man’s greatest affliction is not anxiety, or even guilt, but rather homesickness – a nostalgia or ineradicable yearning to be at home with God.”

I couldn't agree more with these remarks. Indeed, two of my favorite authors C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton also speak of his matter eloquently and often. The undeniable fact is that man is created in the image of God and is wired for paradise. We lost Eden through sin but God, in His great mercy and to glorify His Name, has offered mankind something even better than Adam’s garden. Through the promise of the gospel, the Lord offers us the wholeness, security, love, and bliss which will be ours forever in the New Jerusalem. Wow. And wow again.

So, while I certainly wouldn’t suggest you stop loving songs like “Moon River” or “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” I do urge you to remind yourself often of the rock-solid reality that is our eternal inheritance, one that the apostle Peter describes as “imperishable and undefiled [which] will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” And, in celebration of that immeasurably wonderful home that awaits us (a home that our Lord Jesus is personally creating and customizing for us!), may I offer you a song full of confident, joyful expectations of that stronger, weightier, infinitely more beautiful home beyond. Take a couple of minutes and listen to "I'll Fly Away."

So, How's Our "Little Church" Going?

Yesterday was our first Aksarben Village church service of the new year and it was a delight – a splendid example of how valuable an element of Vital Signs Ministries this has become since we started it last February.  

True, the congregation is smaller than at our highest point as the fears of the virus, the hassles of the protocols, the fact that members of the memory unit are not longer allowed to attend, etc. have all taken their toll.  There is also the reality that we’ve lost 2 of our congregation to more intensive nursing facilities and 2 to the welcome of heaven itself.

Still, we had 12 of our friends on hand for yesterday’s worship service (plus 4 of us from Vital Signs) and we had a wonderful time with an Epiphany-oriented sermon about the magi’s worship of the Messiah and 3 terrific music videos.  

That’s how we do church service here and both we and the Aksarben residents love it.  I search high and wide for inspirational music presentations from various formats, ages, and places around the world.  And, since we pass around handouts each week with the song lyrics, several of the residents join in the singing.

Yesterday’s selections?  “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand” performed acapella by The Allen Family down in Branson; “Is He Worthy?” beautifully performed by a small youth choir from Charity Baptist Church in Inchon, South Korea; and “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” performed at a Great Hymns Concert in Cape Town, South Africa by Loyiso Bala, Neville D, and the late Ivan Siegelaar.

And, as always, our ½ hour service is then followed by a rich time of visiting as we pass around cookies, coffee, and lemonade.  The friendships formed through this combination of Word, worship and warm-hearted conversation have become of eternal significance and we are so, so grateful to God for leading us into this particular outreach.  

Of course, Claire and I maintain all the other aspects of Vital Signs Ministries, including the street witness at the abortion mill, “When Swing Was King, and all the rest.  Therefore, squeezing in the sermon prep, the song search, the baking of cookies, and everything else needed for the Aksarben Village church service, has made for some pretty intense weeks this past year.  But we are so pleased and encouraged by all that the Lord is doing there and so we can’t help but look forward to the next steps in this grand adventure.  Thank You, Lord.

Wake Up Call: The Latest Compilation of Must-Read Articles

* "Biden Administration Permanently Lifts Restrictions on Abortion Pills" (Brittany Bernstein, National Review)

* "Woke Crime Data Blackout" (Rod Dreher, American Conservative)

* "Here Are the Facts About Spikes in Crime…" (Amy Swearer, Daily Signal)

* "What happened after we left Afghanistan: Reporter's notebook: The UN said as many as 1 million children could die this winter in Afghanistan." (Ian Pannell, ABC News)

* "Who needs the Stasi? We’ve already got Google" (Michael Cook, Mercator)

* "Liking a Facebook Post Could Get Service Members Punished Under Pentagon 'Extremism' Policy" (Spencer Brown, Town Hall)

Bleak Midwinter Posts (#2) -- More Excellent Articles

 * "The Worst Media Misses of 2021" (Brittany Bernstein & Isaac Schorr, National Review)

* "Merrick Garland's Jailbreak" (Paul Mirengoff, Power Line)

* "The endgame of transgender ideology is to dismantle the family" (Kimberly Ells, Mercator)

* "Medical Journal Blasts Facebook For Using Fake ‘Fact Checks’ To Justify Censorship" (Jordan Boyd, Federalist)

* "Vax Passports: The Panzer Tank of the COVID-19 Blitzkrieg" (Todd Butterfield, American Thinker)

* "The Hidden Agenda Behind Biden’s Insane Gas Mileage Requirements" (Eric Peters, American Spectator)

* "Seven unbelievable headlines in 2021 that were not satire" (Cortney O'Brien, Fox News)

Bleak Midwinter Posts (#1) -- A Communist China Edition

 * "Apple Removes Bible and Qur’an from China" (John Stonestreet & Maria Baer, BreakPoint)

* "MSNBC producer excoriated for calling Chinese human rights abuses 'alleged,' pandering to communist nation" (Brandon Gillespie, Fox News)

* "Hollywood’s Sinking Ship Sends F-List Actors Flocking to Anti-American Chinese Propaganda Films" (Frances Martel, Breitbart)

* "Intel is latest US company to apologize to China while pushing social justice at home

The company said they 'deeply apologize' for previous message" (Ronn Blitzer, Fox Business)

* "Senate Democrat derails final passage of ban on China imports made with Uyghur forced labor" (Joseph Clark, Washington Times)

* "Why U.S. giants keep caving to China" (Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, Axios)

A Whole Season of Christmas

(The following is reposted, with a couple of edits, from 16 years ago!)

Contrary to popular belief, the season of Christmas is NOT the period from Thanksgiving through December 25th. That idea comes more from modern advertisers and merchandise salesman – the “only so many shopping days ’til Christmas” folks. Oh, no; the true season of Christmas is not the period leading up to Christmas Day but rather the one leading from it! And for Claire and I, the Twelve Days of Christmas is so much more than the title of a terribly redundant song; it presents particularly marvelous and memorable opportunities to celebrate the Advent of our Lord.

Let's face it -- Christmas is just too big and beautiful to be contained in one day. True, we love December and its various anticipations of Christmas and we engage in a whole host of Christmassy activities during that month. (Check out the December LifeSharer letter right here to see a few.) However, many of our most enjoyable and fruitful celebrations begin rather than end on December 25th. Indeed, while so many people (even Christians) are weighed down by the post-holiday blues, we're just getting underway! 

Are you interested in stretching your Christmas out to its fullest? Well, here are a few suggestions.

1) The enjoyment of Christmas movies, reading, music, and parties go on apace for Claire and me even after the 25th. This is an extremely helpful exercise for all those people who complain about how fast Christmas comes and goes. Take it easy! When you utilize the whole season (all of December and then the 12 Days of Christmas proper), you'll see you'll have more time for Christmas priorities as well as its most pleasant diversions. Many who adopt this approach find that as they de-emphasize the one day celebration (with its hectic stress on big dollar presents and big dinner preparations), they are much more able to enjoy family, contemplation, and the other more spiritual elements of Christmas.

2) The nobility of celebrating the entire season of Christmas is that it emphasizes extending over spending. Our gift-giving goes a long way beyond Christmas Morning because we open presents each of the Twelve Days. Imagine how much fun that is! And yet the costs of gift giving actually went down with this practice, not up. For even though we are giving each other more gifts than ever, we have become more creative and personal in our selection. We might still buy each other a couple of “pricey” gifts but, with a whole 12 Days to cover, we were forced to come up with other ideas. And those other ideas have proven to be delightful ways of coming together in the spirit of Christmas.

For example, now our Christmas gifts include more personal favors and time spent together. For instance, Claire opens an envelope on the Seventh Day of Christmas which contains a new recipe along with a note declaring that I'm fixing that particular dish for supper tonight. Or it might be a day off from housework, the addresses of three newly discovered websites I know she'll enjoy checking out, or just a promise of a leisurely car ride out in the country. As for my pleasure in gifts, it is centered on inexpensive things anyway like used books, used records, and...let's see; did I mention used books and records already? Anyhow, the point is that whether you use twelve days or one day to celebrate Christmas, the gifts that matter most are ones that underscore things like time, creativity, and personal attention more than mere “stuff.” For us, the extended approach was very helpful in pursuing the better things.

3) Even within the Twelve Days of Christmas, Claire and I have a few special observances, especially St. Stephen's Day (December 26th) and the Feast of the Holy Innocents (December 28th). Activities for observing the former should certainly include reading the Acts passages relating to Stephen's selection as deacon, his sermon before the Council, and his martyrdom. It could also involve writing a letter or two to missionaries, witnessing to your Faith, or visiting a widow or someone else in need of encouragement. And Holy Innocents Day, of course, has an obvious significance for pro-life activists like us. It is an excellent time for spiritual exercises and public actions that promote the sanctity of life.

4) Another important element of our Christmas season is taking time to consider, pray about, and discuss our New Year's resolutions. Now, I know some Christians are critical of those who make New Year's resolutions. That's unfortunate. I assume it's because these critics believe making resolutions suggests a dependence upon one's own strength rather than God's grace. Wrong. Making resolutions is most definitely a biblical practice. Think for a moment about the Scripture's use of exhortational verbs like reckon, count, establish, consider, dedicate, consecrate, remember, put aside, purpose, gird your mind, and many more. All refer to the prayerful making (and keeping) of resolutions to live godly. An evaluation of one's life is always in order as is a careful plan of action to be more effective as a “doer of the Word.” After all, this is a key purpose of the Sabbath rest God instituted. So, why not use the Twelve Days to go deeper than usual in your spiritual analysis so that you can better serve the Savior in the year to come?

5) And finally, all things come to their completion. The Christmas season is over for us when Twelfth Night comes around but there's one more important Christmas event. That is our celebration of Epiphany on January 6th. Epiphany is the holiday when the manifestation of Jesus is celebrated in much of the world, the day when we remember the visit of the magi as well as the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. It is also the gift-giving Christmas for much of the eastern world. Claire and I use Epiphany as a way to close our Christmas season and we do so with a final Christmas party. Most significantly, we take time with our friends to wrap up the figures from our main nativity set, each person sharing a testimony or a prayer relating to each nativity figure. It is always a very moving time of fellowship.

So, there you go -- a few ideas from our house to yours about how Christmas can be extended in time and, we believe, elevated in spirit.

Pre-Christmas Round-up (Part 2 )

* "Biden Administration Endorses More Baby Killing By Green-lighting Mail-Order Abortion Pills" (Jordan Boyd, Federalist)

* "L.A. Schools Host LGBT Club For 4-Year-Olds, Promote ‘Two Spirit’ Sexuality And Child Mutilation" (Spencer Lindquist, Federalist)

* " California School Districts Get Rid Of ‘D’ And ‘F’ Grades" (Kendall Tietz, Daily Caller)

* "How George Soros funded progressive ‘legal arsonist’ DAs behind US crime surge" (Isabel Vincent, New York Post)

* "Four Months After Withdrawal, Biden Admin Doesn’t Know Identities of Afghan Refugees Resettled in US" (Adam Kredo, Washington Free Beacon)

* " Prosecutors or Praetorian Guard: Why is FBI investigating one missing diary in a sea of smash and grabs?" (Jonathan Turley, The Hill)

* "Here Are the Facts About Spikes in Crime That Sen. Dick Durbin Didn’t Want Me to Share" (Amy Swearer, Daily Signal)

Pre-Christmas Round-up

*  "Debunking the myths about chemical abortion" (Mary Szoch, American Family News)

* "The new Dark Ages: The woke assault on Western civilisation is taking us backwards." (Joel Kotkin, spiked!)

* "The Left’s War With Biological Reality" (Ben Shapiro, Daily Signal)

* "Notre Dame Cathedral slammed over rebuild plans turning it into 'woke theme park'" (Andrew Mark Miller, Fox News)

* "All European Union Nations Must Legally Recognize Same-Sex Parents, Court Rules" (Dillon Burroughs, Daily Wire)

* "In Middle of Interview, Denzel Washington Gives Powerful Message on Modern Culture" (Grant Atkinson, Western Journal)

* "Turkish Imperialism: Erdoğan's 'Second Conquest' of the Christians" (Anne-Christine Hoff, Middle East Quarterly)

"The Christmas of the Talking Animals" (Audio)

If a quiet 1/2 hour ever comes along in your hectic holiday schedule, you might enjoy this Christmas short story I wrote several years ago. This is an audio version that KGBI used to play on Christmas morning back in the mists of time.

"The Christmas of the Talking Animals" is a story about a 9-year old boy with a lively imagination who experiences a most remarkable Christmas when he visits his grandpa's Missouri farm in 1952. 

I think you'll find "The Christmas of the Talking Animals" a winsome, wholesome story with a very old-fashioned ingredient; namely, a spiritual moral.

THIS WAY TO CHRISTMAS!

Since last month's letter, there have been some very significant ministry activities (including a lot of Christmassy happenings) that we hope you find of interest, thanksgiving, and inspiration. 

Follow this link to read all about them...and to look at a few photos as well. 

Oops. The Establishment Media Forgot to Report This.

* "Record Homicides in City After City: With three weeks still to go in 2021, at least 12 major U.S. cities have broken their annual homicide records. Two other cities are on the verge of doing so." (Paul Mirengoff, PowerLine)

* "How America’s progressive citadels became crime centres: Left-wing policies have been a disaster in the US's most liberal cities." (Joel Kotkin, UnHerd)

* "It Is Casey, Not Roe, on Trial Before the Supreme Court: Science trumps stare decisis." (Margot Cleveland, American Spectator)

* "California’s Golden Opportunities for Criminals: The Golden State incentivizes destruction and death by giving criminals strong legal incentives to practice their trade." (Lloyd Billingsley, American Greatness)

* "Transgender athletes’ victories mean women and girls lose" (Carrie Sheffield, New York Post)

* "Fairfax County library puts 'Gender Queer' and 'Lawn Boy' next to Bible in 'holiday reading display'" (Tyler O'Neil, Fox News)

Facing a Post-Roe America

In this 30-minute presentation, veteran pro-life activist Denny Hartford takes a provocative look back on the history of the pro-life movement for lessons that need to be applied to the movement's future.

Christmas Cards -- With a Purpose

What a terrific Christmas card party last! 20 participants. Stimulating and warm-hearted fellowship around 4 tables. And, in about 90 minutes, that remarkable group completed 158  cards and letters! Wow.

Among the recipients of our efforts will be politicians, business leaders, Christian champions, first responders, and lonely senior citizens. Also, 22 Christians imprisoned for their Christian beliefs in Iran, China, and Eritrea were each sent 3 different Christmas cards with encouraging messages and Scriptures in their own language!

Dear friends, perhaps you should ask your pastor, “Wouldn’t this kind of letter-writing party be an excellent outreach ministry for our church? Winsome. Relevant. Easily do-able. Even fun. What about it?”

Oh, by the way, beginning tomorrow and continuing for a couple of days or so, we will post a few of those Christmas cards here on the blog. 

Attention Christmas Card Writers!

Monday, November 29th from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at our home is the site for the annual VSM Christmas Card Party. Vital Signs Ministries hosts a quarterly letter-writing night which helps Christians serve as pro-life, pro-family advocates to political officials, business leaders, and media; letters of encouragement to persecuted Christians; and thank you sentiments to military veterans, first responders, and heroes involved in key Christian ministries. 

However, the Christmas Card edition of this important series is always especially engaging, enjoyable, and festive. So, please plan on joining us. We will supply all the materials including the Christmas cards, the address sheets, the postage, and the Christmas treats needed to sustain the letter-writers! 

And, of course, RSVPs are deeply appreciated.

And Moving Right Along (A VSM Update)

It has been quite a few days for us because along with all of our regular ministry activities for Vital Signs, we have been busy with mowing the lawn for the final time this year, mulching the fallen leaves, presenting several “When Swing Was King” shows, and taking advantage of an especially nice day to put up the Christmas lights.  We also had a splendid time at the church service we conduct every Sunday afternoon at Aksarben Village Senior Living (my sermon was on Philippians 1:22-27) complete with visiting over desert treats afterward.  Related to this ministry too is a couple of hospital visits.

But that’s not all.  We attended a showing of Oliver Goldsmith’s play, She Stoops to Conquer, at Concordia High School on Sunday night, one of the actors being a young friend who was with us on our climb up Mt. Bierstadt last July.  There were also the regular fellowship meetings on Tuesday (Dick, Sharon, & Allen) and Thursday mornings (Patrick & John) plus a “bonus coffee” on Monday with Gary Warrick to discuss Joel Rosenberg's Enemies and Allies, a remarkable book we had both recently read. Oh yes; there was the necessity of moving furniture around to make way for the carpet cleaner coming this afternoon and having a plumber come in and unclog a kitchen drain last night.

Anything else?  Yes, a bit.  Last Friday night I spoke at a chili supper gathering at a church in Fremont and on Monday afternoon we went shopping for soccer balls and hand pumps for our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. On Monday morning there were prayers and a public pro-life presence in front of the Planned Parenthood abortion business.And finally, there were letters written, books read, getting our weekly activity packet out to senior facilities, and the preparations made for this weekend’s getaway with our book club at the Prairie Creek Bed & Breakfast outside Lincoln. That will be a very pleasant respite and so we’re looking forward to it.

With a Little Help From Our (Praying) Friends

For friends of Vital Signs Ministries who serve the cause through intercession, here are a few prayer requests for the Lord's blessings on upcoming Vital Signs Ministries activities. We really appreciate your partnership in this.

* VSM's quarterly writing party (the Christmas edition) is at our home on November 29. Among the letter targets for the evening will be Christian heroes, first responders, senior citizens, persecuted Christians, and politicians and business leaders regarding pro-life measures, abortion funding in so-called infrastructure bills, voter fraud, and unconstitutional injection mandates. You're invited to participate.

* While "When Swing Was King" is making a comeback from the disastrous 20 months of virus lockdowns of senior facilities, we are asking the Lord to open up more opportunities and free us from restrictions in those places where we have been allowed back. Also, now is the time for churches and small groups to invite us to present the lovely, heartwarming, and inspirational Christmas edition of "When Swing Was King."

* I have a couple of speaking engagements on the schedule: this Friday at a chili supper at the Fremont Nazarene Church and another for Nebraskans Embracing Life on December 4th.

* The details haven't been set yet but it looks like the next Book Brunch will be some Saturday morning in December over Mollie Hemingway’s Rigged: How the Media, Big Tech, and the Democrats Seized Our Elections. We might make this a Zoom event so even those far afield of Omaha could participate. Let us know if you're interested.

Pie Social/50th Anniversary Wrap Up

We didn’t have long to bask in the glow of our grand 50th Anniversary pie social party on Friday night. Indeed, I was at Paradise the next morning at 6 for catching up in my journal and planning the coming week...and that was followed by meeting Claire and several of our friends at the abortion business for prayers and public witness to the sanctity of life. The afternoon, in between watching some college football, involved finishing my prep for the sermon, music, and treats for our Aksarben Village church service on Sunday afternoon.  I would be remiss, however, if I didn’t post here on Vital Signs Blog at least a quick review of that 50th Anniversary event.

First of all, we want to thank all of you who attended the event -- 90 in all. And though Claire and I were both doing our best to “work the room,” we regret very much not being able to personally visit all of you. We want you to know your presence was noted and it was deeply treasured.

That congregation of dear friends came from many circles of Claire’s and my life.  Some go all the way back to our Christian Brotherhood beginnings; some from our book club; some from a common love of place (Estes Park, Branson, the Panera coffee shop); some from mountain hiking.  But the whole group present share with Claire and me a dedication to defending and promoting the biblical teaching on the sanctity of all human life. What an honor then it was to hang out with such principled, gracious, and courageous men and women. Thank you for being a part of this momentous celebration. 

Another thank you (a very special one) goes out to those who came early to create such a beautiful and efficient setting for the event.  Setting up the chairs and tables is a big enough job, but these guys decorated the place with tablecloths, centerpieces, chocolate treats, Scripture crds, and more.  They also posted direction signs; prepared the coffee and hot water for tea; prepared the pies and anniversary cake; set up the screen, projector, and speaker for the PowerPoint program; and even placed a welcome table for folks coming in.  It was a heavy job, generously and effectively performed.  Leading the way were the evening’s “hosts” Larry & Deb Harrold but right alongside were Jim & Jeanne Lawson, Allen & Cindy Nelson, Matt Troutman, Karla Struble, and Keith & Carol Moran.  Thank you all.

The program for the evening was pretty simple.  Claire took a few minutes to answer the trivia questions Allen had passed out to people coming in and she told a few brief stories that were heartwarming, funny, and inspirational.  That was followed by a 15-minute musical PowerPoint featuring photos from our 50 years of marriage and ministry adventure. It was nostalgic, fun, and yet inspirational too.  I then closed the program with a few observations from Proverbs about God’s power, love, and wisdom in imparting “good” (a specific Hebrew word) to His children.  For some that “good” is the gift of marriage; for others, it is the gift of singleness.  And that “good” doesn’t stop even when challenges come our way, including even the tragic trial of losing a spouse.  The exhortations were well received, helping us all to appreciate the unique calling Christ serves into each individual Christian.

Of course, there were also a few remarks about upcoming Vital Signs opportunities before we ended the program and moved on to the desserts and the delightful, stimulating fellowship that emerges from saints getting together for holy purposes.

It was a night we will long treasure and we again thank all of you who helped make it such an inspiring success.

News the "News Media" Is Hiding From You

* "26 fire stations in New York City close after workers resist liberal mayor’s vax mandate" (Jack Bingham, LifeSiteNews)

* "Study shows dramatic decline in effectiveness of all three COVID-19 vaccines over time" (Melissa Healy, LA Times)

* "What’s in Third Version of Biden’s Big Government Spending Bill" (Christian Mysliwiec, Daily Signal)

* "Hey Pope Francis, If Abortion is “Murder” Then Rebuke Joe Biden for Promoting It" (Rebecca Downs, LifeNews.com)

* "RFK Jr. tells LifeSite ‘sadistic’ Fauci funded research of grafting scalps of aborted babies onto rats" (John-Henry Westen, LifeSiteNews)

* "(Twix) Candy ad pushes transgenderism, punishment for kids who dare think crossdressing is 'weird'" (Doug Mainwaring, LifeSiteNews)

* "Florida elementary school under investigation for taking students on field trip to gay bar" (Matt Lamb, LifeSiteNews)

The Latest "Wow" Articles from the Culture Wars

* "Audit: Wisconsin Could Have Counted Enough Illegal Votes To Tip The 2020 Election To Biden" (Dan O'Donnell, Federalist)

* "Arrest illustrates how the Steele dossier was a political dirty trick orchestrated by Hillary Clinton" (Andrew C. McCarthy, New York Post)

* "American Media Companies Give Rise to Taliban’s Soft Power" (Annelise Butler, Thomas Vella -- Daily Signal)

* "Mandating Trouble: Mayor de Blasio’s needlessly inflexible requirement that city workers be vaccinated will endanger New York." (Joel Zinberg, City Journal)

* "Project Veritas Video Exposes 'Illegal Conduct' in One NJ Polling Location" (Leah Barkoukis, Town Hall)

* "Washington Post Wants Facebook to Shut Down PJ Media and Others for 'Climate Denial'" (Robert Spencer, PJ Media)

* "Los Angeles County sheriff blasts vaccine mandate causing 'mass exodus'" (Joshua Rhett Miller, New York Post)

“Making Mention” Prayers

The apostle Paul writes to the believers at Thessalonica, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers.” (First Thessalonians 1: 2,3)  But Paul and his ministry colleagues engaged in many more “making mention” prayers than these verses refer to. Indeed, he uses the exact same words (connected in every case with prayers of Thanksgiving for believers) in Romans 1:9, Ephesians 1:16, Philemon 4, and very similar wording in Colossians 1:3 and Philippians 1:4. That’s quite a lot of references — more than enough for us to be curious about what “making mention” prayers are all about.

The Greek words Paul uses here reveal no mysterious meaning. No, “making mention” means just what it seems; that is, briefly naming in his prayers the believers in the various churches who have lifted his spirits because of their faithfulness to God. Now, the apostle may well find time to intercede for them regarding other issues. And he may well, in other instances, spend more time in his prayers for them. But what we see in these passages are that Paul’s Thanksgiving-oriented prayers simply make mention of them. We see too that he did so as a frequent activity. That is what is made clear with the word “always,” a word that is used in extra-biblical Greek literature to refer to an ongoing cough. Therefore, this doesn’t point to a mystical preoccupation — an ideal that is, in practice, unattainable. It merely means that Paul remembered, thought of, and made mention of these Christians in his regular, ongoing prayers.

I find these little verses of tremendous interest and full of stimulating applications. Among them? 1) Paul, though responsible for the immense responsibilities of apostleship, preaching the gospel, defending the Faith, overseeing the churches, traveling, sometimes making tents, sometimes dealing with persecution and the trials of imprisonment, was nevertheless a Christian leader who frequently prayed for individual believers. His prayers were not solely concerned with “cosmic forces” but also for individual saints. 2) Paul’s prayers were not prompted only because of trouble, trial, or sin in peoples lives. No, he obviously spent a great deal of his prayer time interceding for Christians who were doing well. Are we remembering to do the same? Again, Paul’s example and the number of Bible verses involved here testify that we should be.

3) Another important thing to note in reading all of these verses is that Paul was not merely praying that God bless these believers, but he was thanking God for their love and loyalty to Christ. Indeed, gratitude towards God is clearly the emphasis. We are so used to supplication in our prayers (asking God for blessings) that we often overlook the need to simply give Him thanks for blessings already received. And Paul recognized that those blessings were not just daily bread, deliverances, spiritual strength, conversions, the fruits of the Spirit, and on and on…but they included God’s splendid work in other saints. We should make sure this is a part of our prayer experience too.

4) Were Paul and Silas and Timothy praying “off the top of their heads” or did they perhaps have a prayer list? Did they have set times of prayer or did they merely find whatever time in the day was available? Did they pray together as a group? Or did they pray alone? Did they talk to God out loud or silently? We will not, on this side of the Jordan, be able to conclusively answer such questions. Yet I feel fairly safe to suggest the answers are: all of the above! And so the task before you and I is to emulate their behavior, using whatever methods serve best to help us pray more frequently, more intelligently, and more confidently.

5) These verses also prove that prayers for others do not need to be long, detailed, impassioned prayers. Some times they will be. That will depend upon the need, the depth of the relationship, and so on. But don’t be fooled by false guilt. Short, “making mention” prayers also please God and draw down His blessing. Furthermore, those brief prayers also lift our spirits and stimulate us to the same love and good deeds we see in our faithful brothers and sisters.

And here’s one more item I have found inspirational in these verses, 6) Just as the faith, love, and hope of the believers in Thessalonica, Ephesus, Rome, and the rest provided great joy to the apostle Paul and his team, you and I can greatly contribute to the joy, thanksgiving, and spiritual health of other believers as we stay the course for the Master. Should our primary motivation for faithfulness be our desire to please the Lord Jesus Himself? Of course. But, in the glorious plan and provision of God, it does not end there. Our faithfulness pleases the Lord, yes; but it also enriches and guides other Christians, rebukes and convicts unbelievers, moves the Kingdom of God forward, impresses angels and disheartens demons, and lays up treasure for ourselves in heaven.

In summary — Make prayers for others a priority. It will take creativity, work, and endless restarts and fine-tuning. But keep after it. Also make sure you’re not neglecting to pray for Christians who are doing well. And pray in joyful thanksgiving to God for their doing so. Finally, let your efforts to create an effective prayer life be as purposeful and committed as all of your other spiritual responsibilities.

"Blowing Up" The Establishment Narrative

* "Ground Zero of Woke: Universities are making themselves not just disliked and disreputable but ultimately irrelevant and replaceable." (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

* "Columbia Law Professor Explains Why Public Schools Are Tearing America Apart" (Joy Pullmann, Federalist)

* "Biden builds back in the USSR" (Dominic Green, American Spectator)

* "Lindsey Graham, 'The Arlen Specter of the South' Strikes Again" (Paul Mirengoff, Power Line)

* "Whose Children Are These?" (Larry Sand, City Journal)

* "Celtics' Enes Kanter torches Nike for remaining 'silent' on China's slave labor" (Breck Dumas, Fox Business)

And While You Weren't Looking (More Info They Hope You Don't Read)

* "Sleepy Joe’s Disastrous Four Months" (Andrew Stiles, Washington Free Beacon)

* "D'oh Biden" (Charles Lipson, Real Clear Politics)

* "Florida school board member takes elementary school students on field trip to gay bar" (Emma Colton, Fox News)

* "Iran's Mullahs and China Empowered Under Biden Administration" (Majid Rafizadeh, Gatestone Institute)

* "The ignoble lie" (Victor Davis Hanson, Jewish World Review)

* "America Gone Mad" (Conrad Black, American Greatness)

* "Why Democrats' Scheme to Tax Unrealized Capital Gains Should Terrify You" (David Ennocenti, American Thinker)

Alternatives to the Mainstream Media Madness

Here's the latest in our ongoing compilations of "wow" articles from alternative media. They are important reads, indeed.

* "Democrats’ Destructive Spending Spree Would Turn America Into a European Social Welfare State" (Grace-Marie Turner, Daily Signal)

* "Walmart vs. Whiteness" (Christopher F. Rufo, City Journal)

* "Opportunities to Do Nothing" (Steven Malanga, City Journal)

* "TV star Austin Peck talks about challenges of being pro-life in Hollywood" (Doug Mainwaring, LifeSiteNews)

* "Miss World finalist resigns from competition over COVID jab" (Jeanne Smits, LifeSiteNews)

* "Female athletes say they faced pressure to abort: 'It seemed like no choice at all'" (Right to Life UK, Live Action News)

Catching Up

Wow articles? I've got a few of the best of 'em right here!

* "We Must Never Get Used to the New Cultural Craziness" (Michael Brown, The Stream)

* "The January 6 Insurrection Hoax" (Roger Kimball, Imprimis)

* "A Catholic saint is canceled in Los Angeles and the Catholic Church is quiet" (Jonathan Morris, Fox News)

* "Lectures From Limousine Liberals" (Bridget Phettasy, Tablet)

* "How Our Children’s Addiction to Technology Hurts the Country" (Armstrong Williams, Daily Signal)

* "What Happened to the Beloved Military?" (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)