I still get very upset when I’m rudely cut off on the road while driving.  In the car to myself I yell, “The whole world is angry, not just you!”  As much as we don’t want to admit it, we are an angry society we need to control our anger. But what infuriates me most is people who insist on bringing the sins of their  ancestors back to life. They dig up the graves to expose the sins of their forefathers. I’ll use myself as an example. According to Ancestry.com, my blood runs deep in Mexican culture. My ancestors believed in the practice of human sacrifices. No one did anything about this back then, and certainly this will always remain a part of our dark history. I look beyond this part of history because at that time people were not ruled by kings or dictators; their leaders were considered gods, and false gods are always exposed.

Mexico

On our first visit to Mexico City, I purchased souvenirs for everyone, including their dogs. I’m a huge enthusiast of souvenirs, and I love to shop so much that I needed to purchase an additional  suitcase for all my novel goods. I came back with an Aztec calendar, and a ceramic statue of Chac Mool, and as many figurines as I could pack. This was during the time when I was getting my toes wet in the “Born Again”movement. I remember proudly displaying my beautiful Aztec calendar when one of my Christian friends approached me with the thought that these items were demonic. In reality, when you look at the Aztec calendar, it does not at all have anything that remotely represents God, it does resemble what we would imagine the Devil to look like. But I was a wishy washy Catholic who came into this new religion wide-eyed and ready to believe anything. I talked to our new pastor’s wife, and she gently explained that I was inviting evil spirits into my house by having these ungodly idols. The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint God, so I took my beautiful Aztec calendar and not only threw it into the trash, I took an ax to it to make sure that no one would suffer from its evil spirits. I was carefully and lovingly being transformed into a Catholic-bashing Christian.

My Christian encounter took so many turns; leaving one church to find a better one was the norm. I wanted to grow in God, so attending meetings until 11 p.m. was not a problem. Mike was not at all on board with my hasty Christian flip flopping on churches, so he would have nothing to do with my crazy antics. I, on the other hand, could not see anything beyond the next church meeting, Looking back on those days of my journey, one could surmise that I crossed into the fanatical side of the Holy Rollers society.

God’s In Control

My faith was firm and my direction was set to enter into the Pearly Gates, but I was not going alone. I felt that I had received a mandate from God to witness to any poor soul who crossed my path. We still had our business, so on Fridays I would conduct Bible studies for the drivers. They were tired, but I knew how to keep them there for an extra hour by ordering pizzas. I did make a difference in people’s lives, but I can assure you that I offended many. I was naive, but I believed with all my heart  that I was doing God’s work.

Since I was in charge of Human Resources, that job title included meeting with the insurance companies as well. I had a meeting with the insurance agent in regards to Workers’ Compensation. Of course I was not going to lose the opportunity to win the agent over to Christ. But something beautiful was about to take place. The man started sharing about his family, then he broke down in tears. A few weeks earlier his wife, a Yoga instructor who was in perfect health, suddenly died . She suffered from a massive aneurysm and never made it to the hospital. The agent was left with four daughters, two of which were twins. He knew nothing about God, and rarely attended any church services. I prayed with him and told him about a megachurch near his home in Riverside. I continued to pray for him, and months later he told me that he had become a member of this church. I could see the joy of the Lord on his face. I know that the Lord used me to lead this man to Him. Years later I ran into him again; this time he shared with me that he was a team leader at that church. I made a few mistakes along this rocky path but I learned a few good lessons on how to allow the Holy Spirit to work in my life.

I have second thoughts about my Aztec calendar: now I regret that I got rid of it. My ancestors were geniuses, and their contributions to science and mathematics are still being used today. Granted they did sacrifice thousands of people during their great celebrations, but God intervened and introduced a new religion: Catholicism. We can uncover a multitude of sins from our forefathers, but unless it teaches us a lesson of growth and love it has no value. If we as a society continue to criticize the pain and suffering caused by our ancestors, it will only lead to anger and hate. Healing always takes place in the heart, and we must learn to forgive over and over again. One more observation, quit sticking your nose in other people’s ancestors, this is not a contagious disease, so don’t criticize a culture you don’t understand.

As we celebrate another year of freedom in this beautiful country we call home, I thank You, Lord, for allowing America to be a free country.  I pray for every citizen, present and future, that we would all honor and respect our God given-rights. We are all foreigners until we reach our final destination, so until that day arrives make us good citizens and loving neighbors. God Bless America!

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With the news of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the true colors of people’s personalities come out. I feel that many of these pro-choice believers are unaware of the true facts in this case. For instance, who was Roe, and did she actually get an abortion?

Norma McCorvey

Norma McCorvey is the pseudonym for the “Roe” in Roe v. Wade. This woman led a terrible and complicated life. Her background included an alcoholic mother, sexual abuse, reform schools, and drug and alcohol abuse. When her pregnancy was made public, she had already had two daughters who she had given up through adoption.  She sought an abortion during her third pregnancy, but, due to the stricter laws in Texas, she could not abort her baby in that state. Of course this started Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision in 1973 that allowed women to get abortions. The irony in this case is that Norma never got an abortion! Her child, a baby girl, was born and given up for adoption as well. Norma’s unstable childhood and adult lifestyle was evident throughout her troubled life. Many times, in order to get paid, she would often say what the reporters wanted to hear. She would later become a “Born-Again Christian” but even with her religious choices she vacillated; she struggled to find peace. In her later years she became Catholic; she was given the last rites as a Catholic. According to her friend of 20 years, Fr. Frank Pavone, (National Director, Priest for Life and Missionary of the Gospel of Life President) she was pro-life and fought for the protection of the unborn.

The baby, who was born during the tumultuous Roe v. Wade years, led a life without the interference of her birth mother until she was 18-years old. Her name is Shelly. She was adopted, but by the time she was ten-years old her parents separated. Shelly and her mother moved from Texas to Washington state. Her adoptive parents were both unaware of Shelly’s birth mother and how famous she was.

The National Inquirer hired Toby Hanft, an investigator, to help find the Roe baby. Hanft was no stranger to researching and finding the parents and children of adoptive families. She herself had given up a child for adoption. When she did find Shelly, she felt it was better to break the news to her about her mother in person. The first meeting was outside Shelly’s home. Hanft was gentle in telling Shelly that she had found her birth mother. Most adopted children long to find their birth parents and this was also true for Shelly. Shelly took the investigator’s card and told her adoptive mother, Ruth, about the incident. The investigator told Shelly who her mother was. This information was too much for an 18-year-old to handle.

Norma’s interest in finding Shelly was to gain money and notoriety because she already had two daughters. By locating the Roe baby she could profit financially. At this time in Norma’s life she was still pro-choice.

Shelly did not want this type of publicity. Although she and Ruth agreed to the story in the National Inquirer, their names would remain anonymous. Ruth had hired an attorney to protect her daughter’s identity.

According to The Family Roe an American Family, by Joshua Prayer, Shelly spoke to Norma on several occasions  but never met her infamous mother in person. Shelly is married with three children, so she struggled with forgiveness towards her mother for wanting to abort her. To determine whether she is pro-choice or pro-life still remains a conundrum. She did keep all three of her children.

Reversing Roe

I watched this Netflix program a few days ago and was not at all surprised by the biased presentation. Our world has been led to believe that abortion is a simple procedure and then you’re back to normal. All this hype about how our country is going to suffer because of the recent decision of the Supreme Court is baffling. Everything is out in the open, the doctors who perform these procedures are fighting for the woman’s rights? What they fail to mention is the lasting emotional impact it has on the women. They fail to mention the connection with breast and ovarian cancer as well. None of these sensitive issues are ever acknowledged by these biased programs, which are designed to spread pro-abortion indoctrination.

THE LINK BETWEEN ABORTION & BREAST CANCER

by Scott Somerville

INTRODUCTION

The rate of breast cancer is rising rapidly in the United States,[1] (Figure 1) and in many other countries around the world.[2] The rate of breast cancer is also rising at an alarming rate among certain subgroups in America, such as young African-American women[3] and poor women in certain states.[4] A fraction of this rise can be accounted for through known risk factors, but a full 60% of the increase has remained a mystery to scientists.[5] The popular press has been filled with articles such as “A Puzzling Plague: What is it about the American way of life that causes breast cancer?” (_Time_, Jan. 14,1991) and “In Pursuit of a Terrible Killer” (_Newsweek_, Dec. 10,1990).

What is the cause of this sudden surge in the breast cancer rate? Recent, reputable, and repeated medical research indicates that it may be abortion. Abortion of a first pregnancy interrupts the growth and changes which enable the breast to produce milk, leaving the breast at a heightened risk of cancer. This risk, multiplied by the millions of induced abortions around the world, can account for the mysterious jump in the breast cancer rate. This report discusses the twenty-two published studies which document a link between a first-pregnancy abortion and an increased risk of breast cancer, and concludes that women need to know about this risk before they choose abortion.

The Laci and Connor’s Law

Laci was pregnant with her son Connor  when they were both murdered by her husband Scott Peterson. The Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004 is ratified in 38 states, that 75% of the United States. What part of this law is misunderstood? Nothing! Because it states “child in utero” as “a member of the species Homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb”.

The Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-212) is a United States law which recognizes an embryo or fetus in utero as a legal victim, if they are injured or killed during the commission of any of over 60 listed federal crimes of violence. The law defines “child in utero” as “a member of the species Homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb”.

The law is codified in two sections of the United States Code: Title 18, Chapter 1 (Crimes), §1841 (18 USC 1841) and Title 10, Chapter 22 (Uniform Code of Military Justice) §919a (Article 119a).

1 Corinthians 6:19-20   New American Bible (Revised Edition)

My Prayer

Lord, You know my heart, and in no way do I intend to offend any person with this information. Please protect all unborn babies and help us to understand that these babies were conceived for a reason. I pray for these innocent lives, the ones that are going to find a cure for cancer and Alzheimers, the ones that will discover a scientific method to solve climate control. Lord, save us from all atrocities and bring unity to our country. Mostly, I thank You for the reversal of Roe v. Wade.  Amen.

For the first time in my life I attended a quinceanera. How this celebration escaped my Latina generation is a mystery. Both of my maternal grandparents were from Mexico, from Aguascalientes and Zacatecas; but when they crossed over to the United States they may have left that beautiful custom back in the old country. My father was born in Arizona and my mother was a native Californian, so they, too, seemed to have left this custom behind. I called my oldest cousin Connie, who confirmed that, indeed we had no quinceaneras in our generation or for this current generation as well. When our daughter Sonja was 15-years-old, I was still steeped in finding my new religion. I had made my exit from the Catholic church for a long season, so Sonja never got to experience this religious transition.

We traveled to Adelanto, a city in the high desert, for this blessed event. One street off the main exit from Highway 395 sits the small, quaint Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Church. We arrived five minutes late due to a charging situation with our all-electric car, which sometimes proves to be a great inconvenience. Valerie, the young celebrant, sat facing the altar. Her beautiful, full gown connected the aisles of the modest church. Valerie’s dress was covered with flashing white lights, and an array of delicate lavender butterflies caught the light to enhance her dress.

Mexican Culture

The tradition of the quinceanera goes back to the Aztec and Mayan cultures. The Catholic Mass and the elegance of the waltz and ball gown was introduced by the Spaniards, but the original tradition belongs to the indigenous people of Mexico. The Mayas and Aztecs believed that once a young girl turned a certain age, they were set apart from the boys to prepare them to become young ladies.

During the Mass Valerie recited a prayer of thanksgiving:

Quinceañera Prayer of Dedication

I offer you, O Lord, my youth. Guide my steps, my actions, my thoughts. Grant me the grace to understand our New Commandment to love one another, and may Your grace not be wasted in me. I ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, Our Savior and Redeemer.

Oh Mary, my Mother, please present my offering and my life to the Lord; be my model of a courageous woman of Faith, be my strength and my guide. You have the power to change hearts; take my heart then, and make me a worthy daughter of yours. Amen.

 

 

Since this was my first quinceanera I wore a navy blue linen dress with silver shoes, but I felt a little underdressed.  Mike was casual with his Tommy Bahama button down shirt and a dressy pair of light-colored jeans. It seemed that most of the other guests were better suited than us.

The Parents

Whatever the cost, this beautiful, blessed coming of age event for their daughter Valerie was well spent. She will forever hold this day in her heart.  Her parents, Tony and Elizabeth, will have to repeat this same celebration next year. They have four daughters and the next one is 14-year-old Amy. So next year they will have this experience to repeat this all over again. These events are not for the faint of heart; it’s going to cost a sizable amount of money. Once you factor in all the expenses it could reach from $5,000 to $50,000. Globally this is a 49 billion dollar industry.

The Rite of Passage

We all need to spiritually prepare our children for what lies ahead. We can help by making sure they are properly educated; but, more importantly, if you do not introduce God into their lives at a young age you may be in for a great disappointment. We need to teach children about God because this is what sustains their minds. Knowing that there is a God Who watches over you is of great comfort when parents are not around. Knowing that they can call on God for any of their needs brings the confidence that establishes trust in the Lord. As I watched and interacted with some of the families, I was impressed with how well they are connected with one another, I also loved that all the mothers I spoke with were stay-at-home moms, all living within their means. That’s how I live too!

To be a young lady today takes courage; to stand up for your beliefs develops character. No man can change the mind of a young person who is engrafted in God. This is another reason why we must teach our children to be strong in their beliefs. We have so many crazy ideologies to confuse our youth, but if you believe in God you realize that nothing else matters because the truth of God will always prevail. Nothing can supersede the truth of the Word of God.

Lord, I pray for Valerie and all young ladies entering into this rite of passage. Lord, guide parents to do right by them and give them a fighting chance in this world by introducing God into their lives. I thank You for Tony and Elizabeth and for the work they are doing in raising their girls with You in their hearts. Lord, I pray for all  youth, that they seek and find You. Give them hope and appear to them in dreams and visions. Move in the lives of all our youth. Lord, without You we are lost. May You, be the Father of all the fatherless and hold these babies in Your loving arms. Amen.