On the Eve of the National Day of Prayer, the zeal for Life is fanned further into a blazing flame

There are days in life when one cannot do anything but sit back and marvel at how the Almighty has orchestrated Life itself and different paths that cross.

Tonight I spent three hours with ardent pro-life Members of Congress and staffers as we were confronted with the horrific reality that is abortion in the United States. Representative Trent Franks (AZ) organized a special dinner briefing around the premise of combating abortion in our nation. To just illustrate how incredible God can often be, one of the speakers, an OBGYN nurse, has a seven year old grandson who has Cerebral Palsy and we got to talking and comparing notes on life and she asked some great questions in relation to what he’ll face in the future, from others, from a school system that does not understand him, and what aging could possibly do to his muscle and joint health. It’s a real honor to be considered an encouragement to someone such as her, as she has been on the front lines of this fight in ways I never will. What’s more, scenes from a documentary on fetal development, as aired by National Geographic, were playing throughout the evening and I commented to a Member of Congress about how the image shown at six months must be what I looked like when I was born a preemie kid. The reaction to that was one of amazement, especially since I now work on pro-life policy in Congress.

First up, Phil Kline, former Attorney General of Kansas and nationally known for going after Dr. George Tiller, the abortion doctor known to have broken the law by conducting abortions in circumstances deemed illegal by state law in Kansas. General Kline spent much time discussing how America rationalizes cruelty (from the slave, to the holocaust, to the unborn). Moreover, he cut to the heart of the issue by discussing the effects of relativism in society as resulting from the absence of any abject moral standard of absolute Truth.

Second was Jill Stanek, the aforementioned OBGYN. This dear lady has seen more horror in the halls of hospitals as a result of abortion than I or anyone else care to admit or expirence. So many children aborted, some still alive, and left to die because they were not wanted. In the end she was fired for what she saw and stood up against. Since then she has testified before the Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives and various state legislatures across the nation about abortive practices.

Finally, Dr. Fletcher Armstrong. If there is anything to learn from this amazing man it’s this – follow the same path that William Wilberforce did to abolish slavery in England, that Martin Luther King did during the Civil Rights movement, and victory will come easier; change the hearts and minds of the citizenry first and the codifying of morals into law to protect the unborn will come much easier. For if we take away the self-evident Truth that all Men were created equal and Endowed by their Creator with the inalienable right to LIFE, then what does America, our bastion of Liberty really have to offer anyone? There must be LIFE in order to enjoy Liberty and pursue happiness.

Not as deep as my thoughts on Strange Encounters, but I think a good example of what the Father can do to use a broken but willing vessel to astound even those in positions of power and authority. If that is what door number two brings, I'm all about it.

Chasing Peace: Another Inklings Wedding

In three years this is my first non-political blog entry here:

Today was the second Inklings weddding, as Tom and Alana Puskarich are married now. The first one was last July when Mike and Amon Colburn were married. It was such a joy to be around the entire Inklings family this afternoon - many of whom I hardly see as Inklings has grown and off-shot over the last semester.

It was a peaceful thing, no where to be, nothing to do but focus on the second most important day in the lives of Tom and Alana; no work, no reading, and minimal pain - at least it began that way.

Not to mention making a fool of myself on the dance floor trying to swing dance with Chris, Mike, Jana, Adrian, and the rest of the gang.

It was a good day...

Wounded, but Warriors still.

Last Friday April 11, 2008, I found myself a part of a most unique opportunity which rarely, if ever, is covered by our nation’s media outlets. On a sunny day in the nation’s capitol I boarded a bus with a co-worker which was in route to the Pentagon. A chance had been offered to me to welcome home some of our wounded Warriors; the best our nation has to offer in the defense of our God-given freedom, those who have fought well but have not emerged unscathed. Pending our arrival, as I saw the United States Air Force memorial in the distance, it's three spires rising high into the blue, I contemplated how I would never get to serve in such a capacity for the United States; for my country – hence the decisions which led to my current station. I would never walk the halls of the Pentagon or any other American military instillation as such a warrior, but only a civilian. However, in every generation of our family someone has served so someone always walked as such, as my brother does now.

As we arrived and disembarked from the bus, I hadn’t expected to be told how happy military and civilian staff of the Pentagon were to have a small contingent of Congressional aides present to welcome these folks home. I, along with others, was led into a long hallway where many unknown faces were already present standing against the walls. Looking down the hallway this is just what was; grateful people from all walks of life showing respect and gratitude for the willing sacrifice some choose to make to defend our great nation. I didn’t know what to make of the scene, didn’t know what to expect once the procession started. Next thing I knew the music began and with the clapping, just continuous clapping, as the musical standards of the military branches played. First down the hall: a young man, probably younger than I, in a wheelchair because he was missing both legs. I was later told in detail the different prosthetics he would be receiving so that the ability to walk and function as normal as possible would not be lost to him; he was just the beginning. Some warriors were in casts, others limping. A good number seemed to be doing just fine; still the clapping continued at a steady pace as the honorees moved down the line, thanking many of us for being there to support them; their faces saying all that needed to be said. One warrior in particular had lost an eye, and I can imagine the day in his future when his young daughter asks why her father looks a bit like a pirate – what a story that will be.

As I looked I saw heroes, regardless of race, gender, mobility or whatever else – those who, when the country asked “Who will go for us?” said, as the prophet Isaiah did “Here I am, send me”. The call came, and they answered, willing to defend the Constitution of the United States of America, and the People of these United States without purpose of evasion. It was an honor to be there, something everyone should get to do, but yet this never gets talked about, goes vastly under reported in the news, even though it happens once a month, and as a result the knowledge of such honoring is not widespread.

But now you know, and knowing is half the battle.