tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79869694719248407432024-03-12T19:04:43.879-07:00Restless WatersAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-7533393888790759792013-07-14T20:28:00.000-07:002013-07-14T20:28:21.791-07:00John Martignoni - One Church<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">In this talk, John Martignoni of the Bible Christian Society uses scripture to show that Jesus founded a visible and authoritative Church, not an invisible band of believers.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b><a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/118159788/Audio/BibleChristianSociety/OneChurch.mp3" target="_blank">One Church (MP3 Format)</a></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-88683313387931908412013-05-26T07:08:00.000-07:002013-05-26T07:24:38.614-07:00John Martignoni - Which Came First, the Bible or the Church?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In this talk, John Martignoni of the Bible Christian Society answers the question "Which came first, the Bible or the Church?" While many Christians may not ponder this question, it has far reaching implications for anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ. In addition to answering this question, Mr. Martignoni also answers other important questions, such as:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Who decided which books belong in the Bible?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Who has the authority to properly interpret the Bible?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Where do we go if we don't understand a passage in the Bible? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/118159788/Audio/BibleChristianSociety/WhichCameFirstChurchOrBible.mp3" target="_blank">Which Came First, The Bible or the Church? (MP3 Format)</a></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For more from the Bible Christian Society, click <a href="http://www.biblechristiansociety.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-1477170869743134952013-05-23T10:24:00.000-07:002013-05-23T10:31:33.430-07:00John Martignoni - Was Hitler Right?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Was Adolph Hitler was right when he tried to exterminate the Jewish people? Before we can answer this question, we must first answer the question "Why do we, as human beings, have value?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In this talk, John Martignoni of the Bible Christian Society shares information that Christians can use to enter into discussions with people who think that it should be legal to kill certain types or classes of human beings, such as those who belong to a particular race (like Hitler did to the Jews), those who are not born yet (like those who support legalized abortion are doing to the unborn), or those who are too old (like those who support euthanasia are doing to the elderly).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/118159788/Audio/BibleChristianSociety/WasHitlerRight.mp3" target="_blank">Was Hitler Right? (MP3 format)</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For more from the Bible Christian Society, click <a href="http://www.biblechristiansociety.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-18520930386458273132013-05-19T07:55:00.000-07:002013-05-19T07:55:06.604-07:00John Martignoni - Apologetics for the Scripturally Challenged<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Learn how to explain and defend the Catholic faith using the Bible by listening to this talk by John Martignoni of the Bible Christian Society:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/118159788/Audio/BibleChristianSociety/ApologeticsForScripturallyChallenged.mp3" target="_blank">Apologetics for the Scripturally Challenged (MP3 format)</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For more from the Bible Christian Society, click <a href="http://www.biblechristiansociety.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-33227119210250310432012-08-04T13:37:00.001-07:002012-08-04T13:37:46.263-07:00Hope for Vulnerable Children Ministry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MyeBD_OnXzQ/UB1I0_OtosI/AAAAAAAABQc/h4YBeBc2h70/s1600/Pastor+Rich_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MyeBD_OnXzQ/UB1I0_OtosI/AAAAAAAABQc/h4YBeBc2h70/s200/Pastor+Rich_3.jpg" width="159" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to a man I met recently named Rich Friday. He is a Christian pastor in charge of a ministry called Hope for Vulnerable Children Ministry. His ministry runs an orphanage in Kasese, Uganda, in east Africa. The orphanage cares for children who have been abandoned and neglected, and orphans whose parents could not afford to care for them. The orphanage provides food, shelter, medical care, and education for the children.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rich contacted me recently and told me that the children in the orphanage would be taking exams soon, and that he didn't have enough money to purchase the exams. Unfortunately, I did not have enough money to cover the entire cost of the exams, but I was able to send him a little money to cover at least part of the cost. When the day finally came for the children to take the exams, Rich had someone take pictures of the children holding up their exams so I could see what my donation helped to provide. Here is a photograph of Rich and some of the children holding their exams:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is a photograph of the children taking their exams:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The orphanage depends totally on donations from local churches. Unfortunately, donations have been scarce lately. Rich told me recently that it has been over three months since his teaching staff has been paid. He is also having difficulty paying for the rent for the house that the orphanage uses for shelter. The rent costs only $95 per month, but when you're surviving on donations, even that amount is hard to pay.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you would like to donate money to help Rich pay the orphanage expenses, here is his contact information:</span><br />
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Hope For Vulnerable Children Ministry / Hope Mission International Ministries
P.O.Box 619</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kasese, Uganda, East Africa</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Email: <a href="mailto:richfrida@gmail.com">richfrida@gmail.com</a> / <a href="mailto:hope4vulnerablechildrenministry@yahoo.com">hope4vulnerablechildrenministry@yahoo.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tel: +256-772-965-381 / +256-752-965-381</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Contact Person: Pastor Rich Friday
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The best way to send money to the orphanage is by Western Union. Unfortunately, PayPal doesn't operate in Uganda. When you send money using Western Union, you have to send it to a person. Western Union won't allow you to send it to an organization or company. When you send money, specify Rich Friday as the receiver. When I sent money to Rich, I used the three-day service. I sent the money to Centenary Bank in Kasese, which is a Western Union agent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you in advance for any help you can provide to Hope for Vulnerable Children Ministry. God bless you.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-24324308533256792312012-06-30T19:49:00.001-07:002012-06-30T19:49:17.656-07:00Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen - Defender of the Faith<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-63687980882143814822012-06-28T20:13:00.000-07:002012-06-30T05:07:05.685-07:00The Healthcare Mandate and the Agony in the Garden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of www.jesusiam.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like many Americans, I was very disappointed to hear today that the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the Healthcare Reform Bill crafted by the Obama administration. I had hoped that the court would find the bill unconstitutional because it contains a mandate that would force people of faith to violate their religious beliefs. I'm referring specifically to the Heath and Human Services (HHS) mandate contained in the bill that would force religious employers to provide health insurance that covers medications and services that violate the religious teachings of the Catholic Church and other religions.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I thought about the decision, I wondered why God would allow this to happen. I wondered why He didn't touch the hearts of the Supreme Court justices so that the healthcare bill would be struck down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I was thinking about it, Christ's agony in the garden came to mind. After the last supper, Jesus and His disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane. While they were there, Jesus began to dread his impending suffering and death by crucifixion. He went off by Himself and prayed to God that He wouldn't have to go through with the crucifixion. He prayed "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39) Jesus didn't want to go through the pain and suffering He was about to experience, but He was willing to go through it if it was God's will. He knew that if it was God's will that he suffer and die, He knew it was for a greater good, and He was willing to endure it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The predicament that the Catholic Church finds itself in regarding the healthcare reform bill has similarities to Christ's experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. Just as Jesus didn't want to go through the pain and suffering of his crucifixion, the Catholic Church doesn't want to go through the pain and suffering that will happen if the HHS mandate is put into effect. If the HHS mandate goes into effect, the Catholic Church will have to take drastic measures, which might include shutting down Catholic schools and hospitals. If the Catholic Church has to shut down its schools and hospitals, it won't be able to provide the care and education that it gives to thousands of men, women, and children.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just as Jesus wanted to be spared the pain and suffering of His crucifixion, the Catholic Church wanted the Supreme Court to strike down the healthcare bill so that it would be spared the pain and suffering involved in fighting the HHS mandate contained in the healthcare bill. If Jesus would have been spared the crucifixion, there would have been no resurrection. He had to go through the crucifixion for the greater good. On the surface, it seems like it would have been better for the Catholic Church if the Supreme Court would have struck down the healthcare bill. After thinking about it, I believe that it is actually better for the Catholic Church and the people of the United States that the healthcare bill wasn't struck down. Why? Because I believe that the imposition of the healthcare mandate is an incredible opportunity for the Catholic Church to make a very strong statement to the world. If the Catholic Church stands strong for religious freedom and opposes the healthcare mandate, it will be a strong Christian witness to the world that will hopefully result in the preservation of religious freedom for all. As with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Catholic Church must obediently accept the cup that has been handed to it, for the greater good of humanity.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-74448195388536547762012-06-09T04:49:00.000-07:002012-06-09T06:16:34.088-07:00Abortion - The Symptom of a Deeper Problem<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I firmly believe, and have publicly stated on several occasions, that abortion is only the symptom of a bigger problem. It is not the root of the problem. Actually, it's probably the symptom of several problems in our society. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the root problems that leads to abortion is a lack of sexual morality. Many people view sex as a recreational activity that any consenting person can have with any consenting person. The procreative aspect of the sex act has become a foreign concept to many. As a result, there are many people having sex who have no desire to have children. Some of those having sex actually have an aversion to having children. Some wouldn't mind getting pregnant, but are in no financial position to have a child. There are some who are having sex who have no business having sex, such as underage children or unmarried college students. Having sex in these situations is a recipe for disaster. It's like playing Russian roulette, but instead of the person pointing the gun at their own head, they point it at the head of any child they might conceive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another root cause that leads to abortion is a lack of support by society for women experiencing unwanted or unexpected pregnancies. When a girl experiences an unwanted pregnancy, often times her family ostracizes her, instead of providing her with the support and understanding she needs. Outside of the family, there are organizations like Planned Parenthood that are quick to offer abortion as a solution to the "problem". There aren't enough people who are willing to offer their time, talents and treasures to help women in these most difficult circumstances to give life to their child, and support the child afterwards. One of the things I want to accomplish in my life is to do more to help women experiencing crisis pregnancies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I believe that the solution to the abortion issue will involve a combination of actions. Above all, the best thing we can do to make abortion unwanted is to work tirelessly to increase the morality of society. The way we do that is to stop hiding our Catholic faith under a bushel basket and share it with others. Our faith is a pearl of great price, and we do people a great disservice by not sharing it with them. Our faith has the answer to so many of the problems people face in life. Getting people to understand that sex is a beautiful thing that is meant for a husband and wife only would greatly reduce many sexually related issues, including STD's and abortions. Getting people to understand the negative effect that contraception use has on society will also greatly reduce many sexually related issues, and also strengthen marriages. Helping people to understand the Christian concept of selflessness and self-sacrifice will enable more families to support their daughters when they find themselves in crisis pregnancy situations. Teaching our young people to abstain from sex until marriage will result in less STD's and abortions. Opposing same-sex marriage will strengthen the institution of marriage, and enable more children to experience their right to be raised by both a mother and a father.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While we're working to make the things mentioned above happen, we must make abortion illegal. We have no choice. Killing an innocent unborn child is never the solution, and should never be legitimized by being given a legal status. As I said before, we can't just make it illegal and do nothing to help women in crisis pregnancy situations. We must do the other things I mentioned above at the same time.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-3793074696832303912012-03-25T19:30:00.000-07:002012-03-25T19:30:10.154-07:00Handel Messiah - Academy of Ancient Music<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After much searching, I finally found my favorite performance of Handel Messiah on YouTube. It was recorded in 1982 by the Academy of Ancient Music, conducted by Christopher Hogwood. After hearing this rendition, I could listen to no other.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1-aaEkdKssE" width="420"></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-35535311968120762102012-01-24T19:46:00.000-08:002012-01-25T03:31:36.680-08:00A Wild West Adventure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On January 13, 2012, my eldest son and I made a college visit to the University of Dubuque, in Dubuque, Iowa. The University of Dubuque is one of the colleges my son is interested in attending for a degree in aviation. While we were having lunch in Dubuque before the visit began, I jokingly told my son that we should drive out to South Dakota after the college visit to see Mt. Rushmore. To this day, I'm not sure why I thought of Mt. Rushmore. It just popped into my head. Even though I was joking, my son thought it was a great idea (naturally!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During breaks in the college visit, my son and I continued to joke with each other about driving to South Dakota. As we talked about it, my son became more and more serious about making the trip, and I became more and more afraid of how my wife would react if we did it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the college visit was over, my son and I continued to talk about South Dakota. After much agonizing, we decided that we would go for it. We agreed that we would do everything we could to minimize the cost of the trip, like eating peanut butter sandwiches for meals. We decided on peanut butter sandwiches because peanut butter and bread are cheap, and don't require refrigeration. The only clothes we had were the ones we were wearing, but we decided it would be worth it to wear the same clothes for the few days we would be gone. One of the bigger expenses would be lodging. We toyed with the idea of sleeping in the car, but the thought of dying of hypothermia didn't appeal to us, so we decided against it. As an alternative, we decided to seek out inexpensive motels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After picking up some supplies at Wal-Mart, we pointed the nose of our car westward. Using the GPS, we determined that the closest city to Mt. Rushmore was Rapid City, South Dakota. We programmed Rapid City as our destination into the GPS, and the GPS estimated that we would arrive in Rapid City at about 2:30 AM local time. The thought of driving into the wee hours of the morning didn't appeal to us, but we decided to do it anyway, to save both money and time. We decided that once we got to Rapid City, we would find a motel and catch about 4 hours sleep, and then head to Mt. Rushmore first thing Saturday morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After leaving Dubuque, the highway took us north and west for a few hours, and then eventually headed straight north into Minnesota. Shortly after crossing the Minnesota border, the highway turned to the west. We continued to head west into South Dakota, all the way to Rapid City. Most of the trip was in the dark. The light, blowing snow that we drove through for most of the trip made driving difficult for my son, who ended up being my chauffeur for the trip. Like his father, my son loves to drive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After many hours, we arrived in Rapid City on schedule at about 2:30 AM. We checked into the hotel and promptly hit the sack. About four hours of fitful sleep later, we woke up. After a continental breakfast, we got in the car and headed south towards Mt. Rushmore.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the fears I had as we were driving the night before was that the weather at Mt. Rushmore would be bad. It was the middle of January, after all. I had visions of explaining to my wife that we decided to drive all the way to Mt. Rushmore, but couldn't see it because it was shrouded in rain, fog, snow, or a combination thereof. It wasn't a pleasant vision. As it turns out, my fears were unfounded. On the morning we drove to Mt. Rushmore, the temps were chilly, but the cloud-free sky was a crystal clear shade of blue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mt. Rushmore was just as beautiful as I remember it to be when I saw it in 1968 with my family when I was eight years old. Since I didn't have my DSLR camera with me (dang it!), I had to take pictures of it with the camera in my Palm Pre phone. My son took pictures with the camera in his iPod Touch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After experiencing Mt. Rushmore, we decided to explore Custer State Park, which is a massive area right next to Mt. Rushmore. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The park was absolutely jaw-dropping gorgeous. We enjoyed driving the curvy, mountainous roads, and driving across the prairie. The weather continued to be fantastic. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While we were there, we saw antelope and bison. One of the highlights of our visit to the park was when we stopped next to a herd of bison grazing in a field. As we were watching the bison, I was amazed by how quiet it was. We couldn't hear any man-made sounds. All we could hear was sounds that the bison occasionally made as they grazed. It was a fantastic experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the day progressed, we started thinking about when and how we would head back home. If we went back home the way we came, we would have to go all the way back to Dubuque, and then three and a half hours south to our house. Rather than go back the same route, I suggested that we go home via Colorado. The distance home would be about the same, since we would have to go south to Denver, and then straight east to our home, rather than straight east to Dubuque and then south to our home. My son readily agreed to the plan (big surprise!). We decided to spend the rest of the day driving to Denver, then spend all of Sunday in the Denver area, and then drive home on Monday. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Later that day, we headed south towards Denver. We followed a route that took us through the southwestern corner of Wyoming. The scenery was pretty flat, but it was still interesting. The weather was good, making for a pleasant drive. We decided to make Colorado Springs our destination. Colorado Springs is about an hour south of Denver. We arrived there at about 8 PM that evening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first thing we did on Sunday morning was go to Mass at <a href="http://stpatscs.org/" target="_blank">St. Patrick Catholic Church in Colorado Springs</a>. I was impressed by the pro-life display near the entrance to the Church parking lot. Mass was wonderful, and it rejuvenated us after our long journey.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/6737870939/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank" title="CIMG0153 by pmschlenker, on Flickr"><img height="180" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6737870939_7aa1f18903_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After Mass, we decided to drive to the top of Pike's Peak, a 14,110 ft. high mountain near Colorado Springs, just west of our motel. The drive up the mountain was incredible. The skies were partly sunny, and the views were to die for. The ranger station at the base of the mountain asked us to crack open our car windows before we drove up the mountain. We asked them why, and they said that the winds at the top of the mountain were currently 40 miles per hour, but if they got up to 60 miles per hour, enough pressure might build up inside our car to blow our windows out. Yikes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After spending time at the summit of the mountain, and experiencing 40 mph continuous winds, we drove back down the mountain and had lunch at the Hell's Kitchen Pizza restaurant in Steamboat Springs, a touristy town at the base of the mountain. The pizza was heavenly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After lunch, we went to a beautiful park called the Garden of the Gods. The park was donated by an oil baron to the city of Colorado Springs at the turn of the last century, with the stipulation that the public would be allowed to enjoy the park free of charge. How cool is that? My son and I spent the rest of the day exploring the park, enjoying the jaw-dropping views. We did a lot of rock climbing on the reddish colored rock formations that are all over the park. Once the sun went down, we decided to have dinner at a restaurant to celebrate the end of our wild west adventure. After dinner, we went back to our motel room to unwind before retiring for the evening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We departed Colorado Springs at about 5 AM on Monday morning and headed for home. The trip was pretty uneventful. The weather was good for almost the entire trip, except for the last half our before we got home. On our way through Kansas, we spotted an unusual billboard that was a painting of Jesus standing in a field of wheat, holding up some wheat in his right hand. It was so unusual, we had to go back and take pictures of it. The story of how this billboard came to be can be found <a href="http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/aug/02/colby-couple-raise-billboard-jesus-i-70/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We arrived home at about 10:30 PM Monday night. Taking the trip was kind of a crazy thing to do, but I'm glad we did it. My son will be going to college in the fall, and I won't see him much after that, so it was important that we spent this time together. I will always remember it in my heart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To see the photos I took during the trip with my Palm Pre's humble camera, click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/sets/72157628970997231/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-66953240378619657982011-12-02T21:20:00.001-08:002011-12-02T22:50:47.640-08:00Enduring Hatred for Opposing Same-Sex "Marriage"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/6434735091/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="White Wall by pmschlenker, on Flickr"><img alt="" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6434735091_8b17f2dbf5_m.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Earlier today, a same-sex "marriage" supporter on Twitter informed me that I have been featured on a blog called be[4]marriage (<a href="http://be4marriage.com/" target="_blank">http://be4marriage.com/</a>). The blog is written by another person I've had discussions with on Twitter regarding the same-sex "marriage" issue.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After a quick look at the posts on the main page of the blog, it is obvious that the purpose of the blog is to support same-sex "marriage" by attacking those who oppose it. At the top of the home page, you'll see a menu link called "The People". Hover your mouse cursor over the link and a list of people who oppose same-sex "marriage" will be displayed. One of the people on the list is yours truly.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you click on my name in "The People" list, you'll be taken to a post that features me (<a href="http://be4marriage.com/the-people/paul-schlenker" target="_blank">http://be4marriage.com/the-people/paul-schlenker</a>). In the post, the author does his best to portray me as a hater of gays. He starts out the post by calling me an "anti-gay activist and online bully". The rest of the post consists of references to several tweets I made on Twitter regarding the same-sex marriage issue. The funny thing is that the author misquotes or distorts most of my tweets that he references, and then provides a link to the actual tweets that prove that he misquoted or distorted what I said. For example, the author accused me of saying that gay people harm society, but if you look at the actual tweet, you'll see that I said that "homosexual behavior" harms society. That's totally different than saying gay people harm society, but I'm sure the author knows that.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you take the time to read the rest of the tweets that the author links to, it will become apparent that the author is twisting what I said in an attempt to incite hatred towards me among the gay community. While it's never enjoyable to be hated, I am willing to endure it because what I said is true, and I stand by it. No amount of hatred will force me to stop sharing the truth about same-sex "marriage" and other moral issues facing our society.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-1521599028104660192011-11-20T07:44:00.001-08:002011-11-20T08:21:45.547-08:00Where Charity and Love are, God is There<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was listening to my <a href="http://www.pandora.com/?sc=sh5117711278332174&shareImp=true" target="_blank">"PS - Celtic" radio station on Pandora</a> this morning, and heard a song by Connie Dover called "Ubi Caritas". After a little research, I discovered that "ubi caritas" is the opening words to a Catholic hymn. Here is a YouTube video of the song:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Here are the words to the hymn in Latin:</b></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exultemus, et in ipso jucundemur.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ne nos mente dividamur, caveamus.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cessent iurgia maligna, cessent lites.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Simul quoque cum beatis videamus,</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Glorianter vultum tuum, Christe Deus:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gaudium quod est immensum, atque probum,</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saecula per infinita saeculorum. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amen.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Here is the English translation:</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where charity and love are, God is there.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christ's love has gathered us into one.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let us fear, and let us love the living God.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And may we love each other with a sincere heart.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where charity and love are, God is there.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we are gathered into one body,</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beware, lest we be divided in mind.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let evil impulses stop, let controversy cease,</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And may Christ our God be in our midst.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where charity and love are, God is there.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And may we with the saints also,</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See Thy face in glory, O Christ our God:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The joy that is immense and good,</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unto the ages through infinite ages.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amen.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-25536030951290269352011-11-18T10:06:00.001-08:002011-11-18T11:16:38.637-08:00Abortion Doula - Killing With Compassion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/6359175311/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Skyline by pmschlenker, on Flickr"><img alt="" height="240" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6114/6359175311_2637386ba3_m.jpg" width="160" /></a>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Several times during my discussions with abortion rights supporters on Twitter I heard the term "abortion doula". I had never heard the term before, and didn't know what it was. Earlier today I came across a <a href="http://www.jillstanek.com/2011/11/abortion-doula-those-pictures-are-real/" target="_blank">post</a> on the <a href="http://www.jillstanek.com/" target="_blank">Jill Stanek blog</a> about abortion doulas. The post provided a link to an article on the New York Observer web site called <a href="http://www.observer.com/2011/11/the-rise-of-the-abortion-doula/" target="_blank">"The Rise of the Abortion Doula"</a>. After reading the article, I discovered that abortion doulas work at abortion clinics, attempting to provide comfort and support to women who are in the process of aborting their unborn child, or who have just had an abortion. The abortion doula tries to convince the women that they made the right decision when they decided to kill their unborn child via abortion. The article doesn't use the terms "killing an unborn child" when referring to an abortion, however, but instead refers to abortion as "choosing not to take a pregnancy to term". It sounds much nicer that way, doesn't it?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyone who is pro-life who reads the article has to wonder how anyone can consider abortion doula work or any other work related to abortion a good thing, but it is obvious that some people do. The article features a class that trains people on how to become an abortion doula, and the training includes instruction on how to respond to a woman who has had an abortion who remorsefully says something like "I just killed my baby." The trainees are told to tell the woman that the abortion procedure is legal because "the fetus is not a baby, it just has the potential to be one." That statement pretty much sums up how people can justify abortion. They justify it by denying that the unborn is a baby, a living and distinct human being.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I said in a <a href="http://restlesswaters.blogspot.com/2011/09/undeniable-facts-about-abortion.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, people can refer to the unborn as a "potential human being", a "clump of cells", or whatever they want, but the undeniable fact remains that if a pregnancy is not terminated, a human being will be born. That "clump of cells" or "potential human being", if allowed to continue to develop, will be born a human being. Therefore, the termination of a pregnancy via abortion prevents a human being from being born. People can sugar coat it as much as they want, but the fact remains that abortion ends the life of an innocent human being. The killing of innocent human beings can never be justified, is not a good thing, and should be illegal.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-33911804292035269012011-10-23T05:56:00.000-07:002011-10-23T09:53:43.709-07:00A Wealth of Inspiration<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/6268138004/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="Prayer Vigil Participants by pmschlenker, on Flickr"><img alt="" height="240" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6032/6268138004_bacee0c198_m.jpg" width="192" /></a> </div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday I participated in a 40 Days for Life prayer vigil at a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic not too far from where I live. When I arrived at the clinic at 7 AM, no other vigil participants were present. I prayed by myself outside the clinic for about an hour. During this time a few people arrived at the clinic. I couldn't tell for sure why they were there, but I suspect that they might have been clinic employees. One lady was dropped off by a man who flipped me off as he drove by on the way out of the clinic parking lot. Nice. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About an hour after I arrived at the clinic, a woman appeared across the clinic parking lot carrying some sort of abortion protest sign. She spotted me, and gave me a friendly wave. I waved back in a show of pro-life solidarity. After praying a while longer, I decided to join her and some other vigil participants who had gathered with her. As I approached, I could see that she had several signs with pro-life messages, and a knapsack slung over her shoulder, bulging with various pamphlets of information. Everyone in the group took a few minutes to introduce themselves. The woman with the knapsack said that her name was Joy. In addition to Joy, there were several Catholic college students from the Newman center at a nearby university, and a couple of non-Catholic Christian women who said that they were involved in a crisis pregnancy center in the area. I believe one of the women said she was a director of the center. The photograph above shows Joy on the left, and a vigil participant named Lisa. Lisa works in the library at a nearby university. Everyone in the group was at the clinic as part of the 40 Days for life vigil, but Joy mentioned that she prays and ministers at this clinic all year. She is also the director of pro-life ministries at her Catholic parish.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After chatting briefly, we continued praying. The women from the crisis pregnancy center took up station across the parking lot, at the exit where I originally was, and Joy, the college students, and I remained where we were. The technique we used to connect with the people entering and exiting the clinic was similar to a military operation, as strange as that may sound. In a military operation, ground troops enter enemy territory, while friendly aircraft fly overhead to provide air support. At the clinic, Joy was the "ground troops", engaging not the "enemy", but rather those who have been deceived by the enemy, who is the devil. Rather than "air support", the rest of us provided "prayer support". When Joy saw someone entering or exiting the facility, she would ask us to start praying for them, and for her, as she engaged them in conversation. She would then call out a friendly "Hello!" to the person to get their attention. Once they looked her way, she would call them over. What surprised me was that most people actually responded and came over to her, instead of ignoring her. I believe it was God's hand guiding them to her. As they approached her, she would say something to them that would break the ice, like "You have a nice outfit", or something similar, to show them that she was friendly, and not some loony protester. She was very sincere in what she said, and I could tell that it put them at ease.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once the person reached her, she would begin a conversation with them. She asked them about their situation, and why they came to the clinic. As she talked to them, she shared information with them about the harmful effects of abortion, and provided information about the facility they were about to enter or had just left. She often shared a story about a friend of hers who aborted her first child, and became sterile as a result of the procedure, never able to have children. She told them about the grief and heartache that her friend experiences every day because of the abortion. Even if the person was coming to the facility for a service other than abortion, she would direct them to other facilities in the area that provided those services without doing abortions. She did everything she could to save lives by taking business away from the abortion mill. The clinic was undergoing renovation, and she even tried to convince the contractors working on the clinic to stop working there and take their business elsewhere.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What was really inspiring about the way Joy ministered to people at the clinic was her sincere caring and compassion for them. She simply loved them where they were, and didn't make any assumptions about their situation. She shared information with them that enabled them to make an informed decision. Abortion proponents who think pro-life activists are nothing but crazed fanatics need to watch Joy in action. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She is a shining example of what it truly means to be "pro-life". May God bless her and all those like her who work tirelessly to educate people on the hurt that abortion causes women and men.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-86493188850279464182011-10-02T18:26:00.000-07:002012-01-29T07:16:24.801-08:00A Proper Birthday Celebration<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/6585609901/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Peaceful Protest by pmschlenker, on Flickr" target="_blank"><img height="192" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6585609901_5a81719ed4_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Earlier today I took part in an event near my home called a "Life Chain", where people protest abortion by standing side-by-side along a busy street holding signs with pro-life messages. I especially wanted to take part in the Life Chain today of all days, because it's my birthday, and what better way to celebrate my birthday than to show support for the right of unborn children to have a birthday? On this day, I received the best birthday present I've been given so far: both of my sons took part in the Life Chain with me. It was definitely a "proud papa" moment.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-35910453600221861512011-09-24T11:10:00.000-07:002011-09-24T11:10:46.006-07:00A Human Being Exists at Fertilization<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/6085391320/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Lee Cabin - Side View by pmschlenker, on Flickr"><img alt="Lee Cabin - Side View" height="240" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6194/6085391320_0c22461f9f_m.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The fact that a human being comes into existence at the moment of fertilization isn't religious dogma. It is an embryological fact:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Fertilization is a sequence of events that begins with the contact of a sperm (spermatozoon) with a secondary oocyte (ovum) and ends with the fusion of their pronuclei (the haploid nuclei of the sperm and ovum) and the mingling of their chromosomes to form a new cell. This fertilized ovum, known as a zygote, is a large diploid cell that is the beginning, or primordium, of a human being."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">[Moore, Keith L. Essentials of Human Embryology. Toronto: B.C. Decker Inc, 1988, p.2]</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-26394031372544719642011-09-18T09:42:00.000-07:002011-09-18T09:44:12.166-07:00God's Ways are Above Our Ways<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/3695766855/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="Tile Floor Detail by pmschlenker, on Flickr"><img alt="" height="240" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/3695766855_fecd84edf7_m.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Isaiah 55:6-9 ~ Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">call to him while he is still near.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let the wicked man abandon his way,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the evil man his thoughts.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">to our God who is rich in forgiving;</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for my thoughts are not your thoughts,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">my ways not your ways – it is the Lord who speaks.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, the heavens are as high above earth</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">as my ways are above your ways,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">my thoughts above your thoughts.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-55687756268744541502011-09-17T09:14:00.000-07:002011-09-17T09:27:29.010-07:00The Undeniable Facts About Abortion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/6085390424/" target="_blank" title="Lee Cabin - Front View by pmschlenker, on Flickr"><img alt="" height="333" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6087/6085390424_54613fbc3b.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">You can call the unborn a child, a baby, a fetus, a foetus, a clump of cells, a blob of flesh, or whatever you want. What is undeniable is the fact that if the unborn child, baby, fetus, foetus, clump of cells, or whatever you call it, is allowed to continue developing, it will be born a human being, and will continue to develop through childhood into adulthood. Another undeniable fact is that if the unborn child, baby, fetus, foetus, clump of cells, or whatever you call it, is aborted, it will not be born a human being, and will not grow through childhood into adulthood. Whether you support abortion or not, you cannot deny these facts. Abortion prevents the birth of a human being.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-43484563992155503192011-09-10T15:28:00.000-07:002011-09-10T15:28:39.571-07:00Learning About and Sharing Jesus Without a Bible<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/6085395526/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="Lee Cabin - Fireplace Chimney by pmschlenker, on Flickr"><img alt="" height="240" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6062/6085395526_6d6d810ffe_m.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you were a Christian in the third century, long before the printed Bible was widely available, how would you learn about Jesus if you didn't have a Bible? Once you learned about Jesus, how would you share your knowledge of Jesus with others if you didn't have a Bible to quote from?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-83542734793984143552011-09-07T03:52:00.000-07:002011-09-10T15:29:31.416-07:00How Do We Know the Bible is Inspired?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/6090750393/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="Painted vegetables by pmschlenker, on Flickr"><img alt="Painted Vegetables" height="212" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6190/6090750393_680afa6f1c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I talk to other Christians, I sometimes ask them how they know the Bible is the inspired Word of God. I've had several Christians tell me that they know the Bible is the inspired Word of God because the Bible itself says it is. Do you agree? If not, and you're a Christian, how do you know that the Bible is the inspired Word of God?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-53455113977991172022011-08-28T18:45:00.000-07:002011-08-28T18:45:19.603-07:00A Living Stuffed Toy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While visiting a farmer's market in South Haven, Michigan, my wife and I came across a little dog that looked like a living stuffed toy. The dog's owner said his name is Simon. He was so cute, I had to take a picture of him. Unfortunately, the picture I took was slightly out of focus. I almost deleted the picture, but decided instead to try to take the lemon of a photograph and turn it into lemonade. I edited the photo in Photoshop Elements and added some effects that made it look like a painting. Here is the result:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/6091284456/" target="_blank" title="Simon the living stuffed toy by pmschlenker, on Flickr"><img alt="Simon the living stuffed toy" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6073/6091284456_32f84d26e7_z.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-35658422810620417542011-08-14T06:41:00.000-07:002011-09-06T20:27:48.194-07:00Thinking Good Things<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians, the Christian community is encouraged to think of good things:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." ~ Philippians 4:8</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/4909851221/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="Windblown Tree by pmschlenker, on Flickr"><img alt="Windblown Tree" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4909851221_8f7c95173a_m.jpg" width="160" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thinking about good things isn't always easy, especially when watching the news and hearing of the bad things that are happening in our world. One of the best ways I've found to think of good things is to listen to Christian music. When I was younger, I used to listen to a lot of secular pop and rock music. After a while, I realized that my mind was focusing more on the instruments than on the words. That's probably because the lyrics of many pop and rock songs are a bit random.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I was living in San Diego in the early eighties, I started listening to contemporary Christian music. I quickly discovered that Christian music has a very positive and uplifting message. As I listened to more Christian music, I found myself thinking good thoughts more often. I actually listened to the lyrics of Christian music, not just the instruments.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the end of 2007, I discovered a wonderful website called Pandora (<a href="http://www.pandora.com/" target="_blank">http://www.pandora.com</a>). Pandora enables users to create their own radio stations, and customize them to play the music they want them to play. To create a radio station, you choose a song or an artist that exemplifies the type of music you want the radio station to play. For example, if you want to create a radio station that plays 1950's era rock-a-billy, you might create a radio station based on Elvis Presley, or on one of the songs he wrote. I've found that it is best to base a station on a particular song, rather than basing it on a particular artist. Once the station is created, it starts playing songs like the song you based the station on, or songs that are like the songs played by the artist you based the station on. As each song plays, you can give it a "thumbs up" to indicate that the song is the type of song you want the radio station to play. If the song doesn't match the type of music the radio station plays, you give the song a "thumbs down". As you "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" songs, you "train" the radio station to play the type of songs you want it to play.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So far, I've created <a href="http://www.pandora.com/people/paul.schlenker" target="_blank">38 radio stations</a> that play a very wide variety of musical genres. One of my favorite radio station creations is my <a href="http://www.pandora.com/stations/4f7aacd832c71635f4c9e18e3f04888fb605a4ab5f33e08b" target="_blank">Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) radio station</a>. If I'm in the mood to get my ancient Christian music groove on, I listen to my <a href="http://www.pandora.com/stations/6de1f2f22e00c8b9e7ef47ddd1a2320eebf20850b0c936ea" target="_blank">Gregorian Chant radio station</a>. Both of these radio stations help me to think good thoughts, even when I'm feeling down in the dumps. When you get a chance, check them out. I hope they lift your spirits as much as they lift mine.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is an example of the music played by my CCM radio station. It's a song by Christian music artist Chris Rice, called Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus):</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OjZEDg9ZGKQ" width="425"></iframe></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is an example of the music played by my Gregorian Chant radio station. It's a chant called "Veni Creator Spiritus", which is Latin for "Come, Creator Spirit":</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-46189013537199445912011-08-12T05:16:00.000-07:002011-08-12T05:16:47.911-07:00Well Adjusted Children<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmschlenker/3371686980/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Little Girl Figurine and Necklace by pmschlenker, on Flickr"><img alt="Little Girl Figurine and Necklace" height="240" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3564/3371686980_91753a34a6_m.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I find it interesting when people say that children raised by same-sex couples are as "well adjusted" as children raised by heterosexual couples. I wonder what they mean by "well adjusted"? The term is subjective, to say the least. I firmly believe in my heart that it is best for children to be raised by a mother and father.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-21826095854044058882011-03-27T15:31:00.000-07:002011-03-27T15:32:37.910-07:00Eucharistic Adoration: Adoro Te Devote<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of my favorite pastimes is sharing my Catholic faith on the social networking site called Twitter. This afternoon I was on Twitter sharing the Catholic Church's teaching on the sacrament of the Eucharist with a person I met. While I was talking to him, a friend of mine, a Catholic nun named Sister Lisa, noticed the conversation. When she saw that the topic of the conversation was the Eucharist, she sent me a link to a beautiful YouTube video of a Catholic hymn called <a href="http://incaelo.wordpress.com/2010/05/26/adoro-te-devote-two-versions-and-a-translation/" target="_blank">Adoro Te Devote</a>. It is a hymn that is usually sung during Eucharistic adoration. It is one of my favorite hymns. I shared the video with the person I was talking to, and now I share it with you:</span><br />
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Here is another version of Adore Te Devote that is equally awesome:<br />
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Thank you, Sister Lisa! :)<br />
</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7986969471924840743.post-85664631269537374192011-03-26T04:55:00.000-07:002011-03-26T04:55:11.730-07:00Book Preview: Theology of the Body - Explained<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The following is a book preview of "Theology of the Body - Explained", by Christopher West. It is described as a "clear and profound commentary on Pope John Paul II's theology of the body, which 'breaks open' the Holy Father's thought regarding the human person and sexuality."</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="http://books.google.com/books?id=svA0moWkh30C&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1&output=embed" style="border: 0px;" width="500"></iframe><br />
</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383807753944526163noreply@blogger.com0