A perspective nearing 100.

It's an interesting thing losing a large amount of weight. I'm looking a loss of 100 lbs squarely in the face. Only 2 more pounds to go. It's been revealing from my own perspective and from that of others. Little things like being able to easily trim one's toe nails all the way up to the big things like being able to walk a 10k race make an impression. So do things people say.

One of the most remarkable is that people don't recognize me. I find that I have to tell people I haven't seen for a while who I am; and people who do see me regularly still do a double take. I can't blame them. I did one myself a couple weeks ago. Yes, I look that good and that different.

I also find that a lot of people now find excuses for why they aren't losing weight. As much as I'd like to be able to take them along with me on my journey, it really is a matter of something just clicking inside that makes you know you have to do this. I try to remember to encourage them that when I started this adventure, I couldn't walk around the block. Now I can walk miles. Also, when I started, I ate more than my 1200-1500 calories because I needed it just to lug around the fat.

I've had an amazing support group, and very few of them have I met online. Most of them are my friends on Twitter and Facebook, and I've only met a few. Most of them don't know what I looked like before, although I do share pics if asked. They encourage me to keep going when I'm flailing, and generally I've been pretty open with them about my struggles and my victories. I hope that some of them follow me in the adventure.

I still have more to lose, but as I'm reaching for the next 2 lbs, I'm also thinking that it's less a matter of a target weight and more a matter of continuing to eat healthy and exercise. Where I land, I land. But first, these 2 pesky pounds need to say bye-bye.

I Surrender.

Given the choice between knitting and writing, I have chosen knitting. There is something about the feel of the yarn and the satisfaction of seeing the work grow on the needles that just isn't being derived from watching words stack up on the page.

I posted that I'm enjoying socks, and I am. I'm also enjoying shawlettes and interesting scarves. My current project is called the Purl Ridge Scarf (I found the pattern on Ravelry. It's knit in the round and is long enough to loop around your neck a couple times. I'm using a couple skeins of Paton Classic wool in Denim Marl in my attempt to knit through my stash for Christmas. That might be an interesting Advent calendar to blog *makes mental note*.

Meanwhile, it's another NCIS night, which is the ONLY TV show I don't knit through. I've tried. I end up frogging my work. Somethings do rate above the needles. NCIS is one of them.

Day three of NaNoWriMo

Besides it being my birthday, day three finds me with an interesting turn in my storyline and wishing I hadn't chosen to make this a fan fic. I knew I would regret it. Still, I press on. I can always edit the characters later. The important thing, everyone tells me, is just to write.

I'm also pushing through on my knitting projects. I know I haven't mentioned here, but I have in other places that I love knitting socks. Why I would attempt NaNoWriMo with so much knitting to do, I can only say, "Peer pressure."

My son's mission trip details

Several of my online friends have asked about my son's upcoming mission trip and have asked how they can help. Below are some of the details:

They will leave Friday, November 19, 2010 and travel to Budapest, Hungary. From Budapest, they will travel by car to the Emmanuel Baptist University in Romania. They will have classes each morning and will evangelize from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. On Friday, November 26, they will leave Budapest and travel to Paris, France. On Sunday, November 28th and Monday November 29 they will take historical tours and evangelize. they return on November 29th.

We ask for your prayers in the following areas:

1. That God's will be done and for travel mercies
2. Preparation of the hearts and minds of those hearing and responding to the presentation of the Gospel
3. Wisdom and discernment to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit
4. Provision and protection. Expenses are $2,200, not including additional expenses for baggage fees, meals and so forth.
5. Wisdom and guidance for the leadership of the mission that includes Dr. Smith (Dean of the College), Christine Hoffman (Secretary of the Dean), and Dr. Birch.

If you would like to help financially, you can mail a check to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary:

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Attn: Student Financial Aid

P.O. Box 22510

Fort Worth, Texas 76122

Please put "Mission trip, Ethan W. Barton" in the memo. The College will send you a tax-deductible receipt.

Thank you so much for your support.

A Christmas Snow

Last summer I had the privilege of attending the Gideon Film Festival in North Carolina. The primary reason I attended was to see Muse Watson, the actor who plays Mike Franks on "NCIS". However, it turned out to be more than I bargained for. I found myself on the outside looking in on a group of people who were working to fulfill their dreams of making Christian films and telling stories from a Christian perspective. One of those stories was "A Christmas Snow."

"A Christmas Snow" is the story of a grinch-like woman whose father had left one Christmas Eve and spoiled every subsequent Christmas for her, until one snowy Christmas. This year, a blizzard and a houseful of unexpected guests give her a new appreciation for the holiday.

When I saw them movie at the festival, I was charmed by its simple, yet moving story. As time passed, I thought I was just pulled in by the thrill of the festival and of meeting Muse. I had a opportunity to see the movie again recently and was still moved. This is a fine story that puts one in the Christmas spirit, even in October. It has with that substance called Christmas Magic that sits just right with the viewer and reminds one that at Christmas anything is possible.

I highly recommend this movie. You can order a copy at Amazon.com.

Changes ahead

This blog has been languishing. The biggest reason would be my change of job and my corresponding decision to get out of the visible battle for life. Not to say I'm not still actively working toward that end. It's just more as a stage manager than a director--ultimately where I'd more like to be.

So, the blog goes back to it's original focus--me. What I'm doing, reading, watching, knitting, thinking. That may or may not be interesting for some but it's better than nothing and for me it is my life.

Purple Envelope Project

The Red Envelope Project was a huge success. Over 2 million pro-lifers made their voices heard.
It showed me how powerful this type of campaign could be, and gave me an idea to put our numbers to use.

This is Holy Week and we are celebrating the Resurrection. I think it is the perfect time to support those who are working to support life and saving children from abortion.

CareNet and Heartbeat Int. are wonderful organization that have Crisis Pregnancy Centers all over the country. I have no affiliation with them, but I have heard nothing but good things about both and the work that they do.
Here's a link to their sites: http://www.care-net.org/aboutus/ and http://www.heartbeatinternational.org/

Let's take advantage of our numbers and send PURPLE envelopes to Care Net or Heartbeat Int. If you can't find a purple envelope, use a WHITE envelope and write "Purple Envelope Project" on the back. Here's the twist. Instead of sending empty envelopes, PUT IN 1 DOLLAR.

Just think how much we can raise for CareNet and Heartbeat Int. if everyone who sent a red envelope to the White House sends them a purple envelope!

Write this message:
Thank you for all that you do to protect life. Life begins at conception. We appreciate the work you do that helps women choose life. God bless you and your work.


This, like the Red Envelope Project, is something that you can do with your family. Please send your envelope and dollar to one or both of these great organizations.

Here's the addresses:
Care Net
PO Box 758530
Topeka, KS 66675-8530

Heartbeat Int.
665 E. Dublin-Granville Road, Suite 440,
Columbus, OH 43229, USA
Please leave a comment in the comment section if you're planning on participating!

Secretary of State Clinton accepts Margaret Sanger Award

Hillary Clinton accepted Planned Parenthood's Margaret Sanger Award. Here's the transcript of her speech.

What Are Pregnancy Centers?

Last week I wrote that the pro-life movement needs to get the word out on the good that pregnancy centers do. First thing, we need to let people know what pro-life pregnancy centers are.

If you do a search online, you'll undoubtedly come across some articles on what's wrong with pregnancy centers. Generally, these articles are filled with at the best bias based on out-dated information and pro-abortion views, at the worst, outright lies. Rather than rebut the comments, let's just explore what pregnancy centers are and what they do.

1. Pro-life pregnancy centers are not Planned Parenthood.


• Planned Parenthood operates on the premise of "family planning," which translates doing what is necessary to keep from having a baby before you're ready--whether that means providing birth control, emergency contraception, or abortion.


• Pregnancy centers recognize that not all women want to make the choice for abortion and give women other life-affirming options. They operate on the premise that after you are pregnant, it is too late to consider birth control, and will not provide nor refer for abortions. What's more, pregnancy centers usually promote abstinence rather than birth control, responsibility rather than avoidance. The idea being the best way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections is by not engaging in the behavior that causes them.



2. While not all pregnancy centers are affiliated with national organizations, those that are, are required to agree to certain guidelines, such as Heartbeat International's Committment of Care. Belonging to a membership organization that pledges to uphold these standards is a requirement before calls are referred to a center through the Option Line website.



3. Pregnancy centers are generally privately funded. While some abstinence programs may have received federal funding, generally the services they provide their clients is free to the client and paid for through the center's supporters. Unlike abortion clinics, they do not make a profit through their services. Pregnancy centers provide free information and assistance to women in need.



4. Pregnancy centers are community organizations run by caring people committed to making their community a better place by helping those in need. Pregnancy center outreaches can include clothing, food, housing, job placement/training, and medical assistance. And because they are community organizations, they are in touch with programs and agencies in their area to assist women in need.

There is a battle being waged against pregnancy centers, trying to stop them from helping women facing an unplanned pregnancy. These arguments are often being made by businesses who might lose profits if their clients chose not to abort. But, they are often made by people who are genuinely concerned for women, but who have a vastly different philosophical approach to meeting their needs.

The need to protect pregnancy centers.

The time has come for life-affirming pregnancy centers and those involved in the pro-life movement to go on the offense, actively promoting the good that pregnancy centers do. A recent article in The Bulletin shows the renewal of threats--an outright campaign--against those who do the most good: Pregnancy Centers.

According to the Philadelphia newspaper, an e-mail was sent to college activists by the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Campus Program announcing a nationwide protest on April 13 against pregnancy care centers that provide free aid and abortion alternatives for women.

The sarcastic side of me wonders if they will stand outside of pregnancy centers with signs depicting babies and offers to kill them.

The realist in me knows that the so-called choice movement has been emboldened by the pro-abortion position of President Obama and the left-leaning Congress and is moving into action to stop pro-life pregnancy centers from giving information and services to women in need. After all, pregnancy centers, generally not-for-profit organizations funded by private donations, eat into the profit margin of abortion clinics.

The Bulletin quotes Virginia Cline of Heartbeat International, “Today, the abortion cartel is a multimillion dollar industry that encourages and promotes abortion for profit … Heartbeat pregnancy centers provide the crucial facts on fetal development and explain the physical and emotional risks of abortion that those selling abortion to women often leave out.”

In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing the good that pregnancy centers do and outlining some of the threats that pregnancy centers face. This is an important message that needs to spread like wildfire. Pregnancy centers are under attack and the pro-life movement must not let them fall.

Time to take care of ourselves.

In one of those convergent moments, an instant of clarity was revealed.

I was already annoyed about discriminatory language remaining in Section 803 of the the stimulus bill.

Section 803 prohibits funds for "modernization, renovation, or repair of [educational] facilities--(i) used for sectarian instruction, religious worship, or a school or department of divinity; or (ii) in which a substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in a religious mission."

Congress refused, in spite of an amendment offered by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), to remove that stipulation. The vote failed 54-43. Congress voted to not allow funding to a facility that is used for any type of religious activity--even a school of Divinity. That leaves out schools at even Yale, Harvard, Duke, Wake Forest, any School of Divinity. Incredible!

I know that one of the purposes of stipulations such as this are to control what is taught at our schools. If schools want the government funds, they have to jump through government hoops. It's rare to find a school district, college or university that is willing to sacrifice its accreditation in order to follow the community's own values and curriculum goals. As a homeschool mom, I came to understand that it was necessary to sacrifice the accreditation from my sons' school district, and to sacrifice financially to pay for their education ourselves, in order for my sons to get the education we deemed necessary.

Both sons are now freshmen at a small private college in Texas. We were surprised to find out last fall that the school doesn't take Federal Financial Aid. We were surprised again to discover that the tuition tax deduction and the Hope and Lifetime tax credits are only available to schools who receive Federal Financial Aid.

At that moment I saw our situation for what it is. Like when we homeschooled, if we don't want to follow the mandates of government-sponsored education, we have to not accept government funding. In this case, if it means that we have to forgo the tax deduction for tuition in order to get the education that we want, then we have to step up and pay for it.

The government will never give us what we want on our terms. It's always on theirs. We need to have the courage and the confidence to step out of the system and take care of ourselves.

Thoughts on this week in Washington and What it Means for the Pro-life Movement

I've been mulling over this past week and the pro-life movement. Our new president, Barack Obama, was sworn in, and Obama's abortion agenda loomed overhead while thousands attended the March for Life. There was great concern that Obama might slap pro-lifers in the face with rescinding the Mexico City Policy on the anniversary of Roe V. Wade, however, he waited until take-out-the-trash Friday when it would be more difficult for the not-so-tech-savy Right to comment or report. No worries that the left-wing media will pick up that story and run with it. Besides, we knew that it would be one of his first acts in office, and we knew there was nothing we could do about it but lament--and pray.

I am happy to report, however, that Heartbeat International's Babies Go to Congress event was a hit. People responded well to the idea of taking moms and their babies saved from abortion by pregnancy centers to meet congress persons to show them that pregnancy centers are good for America. Heartbeat is encouraged enough to consider making this an annual event.

Also, Heartbeat's president, Peggy Hartshorn, was interviewed by several news outlets. Peggy has devoted her life to making abortion unthinkable. This interview on CBN is inspiring. Be sure to watch.

It is my belief that pregnancy centers are where the movement needs to be focusing. We need to promote their work as community organizations. We need to protect their work from abortion-lobby interference. And we need to get involved on that grass-roots community level. It is working in our communities where we might just do the most good.

Babies Go to Congress

“On this anniversary of Roe v. Wade, after 37 years of the dehumanizing choice to abort a child, Heartbeat is bringing to Capitol Hill children saved by the compassionate care of pregnancy centers,” said Heartbeat President Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D. “Members of Congress need to hear from the women we serve. I am grateful they have such positive things to say about pregnancy center help. Children are America’s greatest natural resource, and our elected officials need to preserve the bond between mother and child. Our families and the future of our country are strengthened by the life-saving work of pregnancy centers.”

Heartbeat International, founded in 1971, is an interdenominational Christian association of nearly 1,100 pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, non-profit adoption agencies, and medical clinics in 48 states and 43 other countries. Heartbeat provides www.OptionLine.org (800-395-HELP) to connect women with the local pregnancy center for the help they need.

Blogs4Life

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 FRC-Blogs-for-Life-09

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thursday, January 22nd at 8:30 am, Family Research Council, located at 801 G Street, NW, will host Blogs for Life, the fourth annual conference of pro-life bloggers.

Blogs for Life is scheduled to take place the day of the 36th annual March for Life, during which hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates gather in the nation's capitol to celebrate life and demand the reversal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

The conference will feature several prominent conservative voices including Senator Sam Brownback, Amanda Carpenter, Jill Stanek, Michael New, Ph.D., Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D., Michael Illions, Chris Gacek, J.D. and Martha Shuping, M.D. all speaking with bloggers live from Family Research Council headquarters.


Blogs for Life is an excellent opportunity for individuals and organizations to network with pro-life bloggers and activists and to grow in their knowledge of how internet technology can be used to strategically promote life and transform ideas into action as we move toward a post-Roe America. The event will also webcast live on www.frc.org, providing an opportunity for pro-life bloggers and blog readers to participate in the March, even if they cannot travel to Washington, D.C.


Who: Senator Sam Brownback

Amanda Carpenter, Townhall.com

Jill Stanek, blogger and speaker, JillStanek.com

Michael New, Ph.D., University of Alabama

Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D., President and CEO of Americans United for Life

Michael Illions, co-executive director of GOPUSA

Chris Gacek, Senior Fellow, Family Research Council

Martha Shuping, M.D., Shuping & Associates


What: The third annual conference dedicated to advancing the pro-life message through blogging.


When: Thursday, January 22, 2009

8:30am - 11:30 am ET


Where: Family Research Council

801 G. Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

RSVP: online at www.blogs4life.com (click on Register)


SOURCE Family Research Council

Baby, it's cold outside.

Crikey! My thermometer this morning registered -19.

Biscuits and pizza crust

Last time I shared my recipe for biscuit mix. Right now, I don't want to have a big batch in the fridge, so I make biscuit dough when I need it. This will make a dozen drop biscuits or one pizza crust. Don't hesitate to halve the recipe if you don't want a dozen biscuits.

Biscuits

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbl shortening
• 2/3-3/4 cup milk or water

Sift together the dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening until the consistency of coarse corn meal. Add liquid, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball. Roll out on a floured board (or a piece of wax paper) until 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured biscuit cutter. Bake at 450 on an ungreased baking sheet for10-12 minutes. These can be dropped from a spoon instead to make drop biscuits or dumplings.

To use as pizza crust, lightly oil the outside of the dough ball. Press into pizza pan. Top with your pizza toppings and bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes. Watch for the dough and cheese to brown.

Pizza sauce:
Pizza is a great follow up for having spaghetti. When you have leftover sauce, don't put it away with the spaghetti. Freeze it, or store it separately and use it for pizza sauce another night. You can top the pizza with leftover chicken or ham. But, if your spaghetti already had meat in it, you really can just add cheese and you're good to go.

Tomorrow--what to do with the leftover pasta.

Homemade Biscuit Mix

When Holly was here for Christmas, she asked about some of the recipes I used with Isaac was little. This one for Biscuit Mix I used for everything from biscuits to pizza crust. I also substituted it for anything on the back of the Bisquick box.

Homemade Biscuit Mix

• 8 cups flour
• 1 tbl salt
• 4 tbl baking powder
• 1 cup shortening--room temperature
  

Mix and sift flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture with a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture is like a coarse corn meal.

Store in a covered container in the fridge.

To make 6 biscuits:

• 1 cup biscuit mix
• 1/4-1/2 cup milk

Roll out and cut or drop onto cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. This also makes dumplings which you can drop into a boiling soup, or double the recipe and roll it out on a pizza pan for homemade pizza.

To make 6 pancakes:

• 1 cup biscuit mix
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1/2 cup milk

Mix well and pour onto hot griddle.

To make 6 waffles:

• 2 cups biscuit mix
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tbl melted butter (or use vegetable oil)
• 1/12 cups milk
• 1 beaten egg
  

Beat liquids into biscuit mix. Pour into waffle iron.

Prolife PR

I recently read an article saying that the pro-life movement is changing directions with the election of Barack Obama. Supposedly, the movement is shifting to providing care rather than attempting to strike down Roe v. Wade. Obviously, the writers were unaware of the history of the pregnancy centers.

Since before Roe v. Wade, caring people in communities all over the country set up pregnancy help centers to reach women in "crisis pregnancies". These were people who knew that women need real options, not just the "right" to have an abortion. They needed help in making an adoption plan or in finding ways to be able to raise their child.

Today's pregnancy care centers often have medical staff, ultrasounds, fertility education, and abortion recovery programs. They don't get the coverage that protests or anti-abortion legislation gets, but they are on the front lines meeting the needs of women and families. Unlike Planned Parenthood, pregnancy help centers generally don't charge for their services and generally don't received funding from the government (although some abstinence programs do receive funds).

These centers are at risk of being shut down because those who support a woman's right to choose don't want women to have access to other options. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that pregnancy centers cut into their profit margin. Planned Parenthood makes money on contraception and on abortion. They don't want their clients going elsewhere for free care.

Another option, however, is that there is a fundamental difference in the philosophy of both sides of the abortion coin. Many on the pro-abortion side truly believe that a women is hindered by having a child, or even the risk of having a child. The Sexual Revolution grew out of Margaret Sanger's writings (among others) and the perceived need for women to be able to have the same cavalier attitude about sex that men have. We've reached that point. Women have affairs as frequently as men, they watch porn and emulate the actresses. No wonder motherhood, abstinence, and fidelity are seen as out of date.

Pregnancy centers have been around longer than Roe v. Wade, but they need to have better PR. They are in the forefront of the battle, but they are the last place receiving support. The battleground hasn't changed from the Congress to providing care for moms in need. That is the battleground. It's time that people noticed.

Countering Planned Parenthood's "Death" Certificates

You might have heard that Planned Parenthood of Indiana is offering gift certificates this Christmas for services, including abortions. Many people, even pro-choicers, are appalled. Well, here is the opportunity to counter that effort.

In response to these "death certificates," the Pro-Life Action League is encouraging its supporters to give to a non-profit service, Option Line, the life-saving 24/7 hotline (1-800-395-HELP) that connects callers to local resource centers that can help manage a crisis pregnancy or deal with the aftermath of abortion.

To encourage donations to Option Line and remember the birth of baby Jesus, PLAL will give away copies of the book, "What Mary and Joseph Knew About Parenting" to the first 100 donors who give $42 or more between now and December 25. Forty-two dollars is enough to keep Option Line open and taking calls for half an hour—helping at least 14 people in need or as many as 1,000 women if 100 people donate.

To make a tax-deductible gift of $42 or more go to the Option Line online donation form. Write "Mary and Joseph" in the comments section to receive your complimentary book. Or send your check made out to Option Line for $42 or more, with a note to request your book, to Heartbeat International, 665 E. Dublin Granville Rd., Ste 440, Columbus, Ohio 43229. Option Line is a joint venture of Heartbeat International and Care Net.

Columbus' Biggest Baby Shower

Columbus’ Biggest Baby Shower
Join 104.9 The River for Columbus’ Biggest Baby Shower on Saturday, April 19 from 10am to 1pm at Lindsay Acura located on Scarborough Blvd. just off of I-70 and Brice Road. Theywill be collecting gently used baby items and maternity clothes that will help benefit Pregnancy Decision Health Centers and Maternity Resources and kids will have the oppportunity to meet the characters from Veggie Tales. Click Here for a complete list of baby items that will be accepted.

This is the event where we're donating our knitted and crocheted baby items. I'm absolutely enamored by all things yarn, especially things with faces and things for babies. If I could, I'd spend all my time making things to give away, but alas, I have a paying job.

The KnitWits met last night. We had two new crocheters and one person switched to knitting for the first time. We have a bag full of hats to donate to PDHC. I started making booties to go with them. We're setting up a baby shower in the church to gather more donations. Hopefully, we'll have a nice stache to pass on to moms in need.

I have a little enforced yarn time on my hands this week. My youngest son and I are racing through season 3 of Battlestar Galactica before season 4 starts on Friday. To keep me from dozing, I'm knitting or crocheting. Last night my hands were busy with the amigurumi octopus from Lion Brand Yarn's website. I'll also have time on my hands tomorrow while I wait for the birth of my first granddaughter, Lydia Joy.