Ok, I’m just in love with the photojournalism-style pictures that I’ve seen lately. The professional shots of my friend’s kids, and another friend’s wedding pictures, have inspired me to try taking (and editing) similar shots with my own girls.  (Ok – mostly Liana because Mari was napping.)  They’re not professional quality, but I’m having fun. What do you think?

Patriotic Peanut

I'm wunnin wiff dadda!

smiling

Liana called this the big grass.

studying the stones

over the river and through the woods...

peek-a-boo

Mari in a basket

stopping to smell the "fwowers"umbwahwa

Our prayers are with members of the Legion of Christ, and their lay movement Regnum Christi during this difficult time.  Personally, I agree with Thomas Peters at AmP, that a quick and decisive resolution come from their leadership, so that those involved with the LC and RC can continue with their important work of sharing the faith undistracted, and with renewed credibility.

After days of negotiations regarding the exact price that CatholicVote.com would pay to air this pro-life Superbowl ad, NBC cancelled the deal.  As the NCRegister  reported,

According to a Jan. 29 press release from CatholicVote.org, “After several days of negotiations, an NBC representative in Chicago told CatholicVote.org late yesterday that NBC and the NFL are not interested in advertisements involving ‘political candidates or issues.’”

See the video that you won’t see during the Superbowl here.

I had to get a shot of my Steelers in here. Polamalu would have aired the ad.

Thomas Peters at AmP raises some good questions:

Political candidates or issues? NBC is telling us there will be nothing aired during the Super Bowl that involves a political issue? No health care ads? Global warming ads? Unemployment ads?

So, while watching Superbowl commercials, keep an eye out for these.  I for one will be shocked if President Obama isn’t mentioned in any of them.

Congress has failed to stop President Obama’s overturning the Mexico City Policy.  Your tax dollars will once again fund the taking of unborn lives in other countries.  How did your senators vote?  Michelle Malkin has the yeas and nays.

After a month off from blogging it’s time to start up again. We have a new President, and he’s already overturned executive orders preventing the funding of overseas abortions and prohibiting partial-birth abortion. Who knows what’s next.

Tim Drake’s NCR article Thousands Alive Thanks to Ads reminded me that sometimes the most effective way to reach out into the culture involves spending money in unlikely places.

VirtueMedia Ad

VirtueMedia‘s pro-life ad campaign aired for the first time this year (from September through November) on BET and MTV.  As Drake shares,

During a five-week campaign between late September and early November, the commercials generated nearly 22,000 requests for help from abortion-vulnerable women. Organizers estimate that during that time at least 11,000 babies were saved from abortion.

Read the NCR article for more details.  It’s really a pretty incredible story, and one the whole pro-life community would do well to take study.  While it’s important to reach and encourage like-minded people to keep fighting for life (pretty much what I try to do here), we cannot forget to reach out to those in circumstances right now who are making life-and-death choices.  VirtueMedia seems to have found a very effective way to do this, for what their website proclaims is “14 cents a life!”

Check this out from Townhall.com

A little girl named Hannah, diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in October, has a Christmas wish that you can help make come true: she asked for lots of cards. Send a card to this Lancaster County, PA 4-year-old (who lost her mom to cancer two years ago), and while you’re at it, send up a prayer as well.

Hannah and Her Father

Hannah Garman
259 North Reading Rd.
Ephrata, Pa. 17522

Thanks Michelle for the tip.

A new study by the University of Navarre (Spain) confirms that

80 percent of women who had had abortions suffer from symptoms of depression, and 40 percent have contemplated suicide.  In addition, 70% of such women exhibit irritability, 60% suffer behavioral disturbances, 40% experience sexual disturbances, and 30% have been involved in drug abuse.  The report also states that women who obtain abortions have a mortality rate 3.5 to 6 times higher, and a suicide rate between 6 and 7 times higher than that of women who give birth.

The article I linked to above highlights that this is particularly telling as it comes out of Spain.  In that country abortions can only be legally procurred in “cases of rape and fetal deformity, and danger to the physical and psychological health of the mother.”  Ninety-five percent of Spanish abortions occur due to the final reason listed.   This study shows that the effect of these abortions may have the exact opposite of their stated intent.

According to the Chicago Tribune, “Illinois pharmacists who object to dispensing emergency contraception won another day in court to fight a rule they claim forces them to choose between their livelihood and conscience. “

The Illinois Supreme Court agreed to hear an argument against the 2005 rule issued by Gov. Blagojevich that forced pharmacists to distribute the Plan B abortifacient pill, even if doing so violates their religious beliefs.  (See here for more information about that drug.)

When Gov. Blagojevich was asked about exceptions to this rule at the time it was made, he responded that pharmacists with moral apprehensions “should find another profession.”

Recent news about the Illinois governor makes me glad that I never looked to him for guidance in any moral decision.