The hard cold facts

There's a feeling in me. A feeling of dread. I know, I sound like my dad. The problem is, people all around me are making excuses for the murder of 56 million babies. Some people even try to compare it to extreme prolifers who shot abortionists in the 90's saying both sides are evil which sadly there's no way to strike such a comparison. Quite simply, our country, our generation has more blood on its hands than any other. Many tell me that a woman should be able to choose. But they always leave that sentence hanging. Choose to have their baby killed and parted out to the highest bidder? What about the fact that since abortion is legal 40% of women are coerced into it? I think about all of the things people are told they just have to tough through in life but then when a life is literally on the line, suddenly others want to offer women a shortcut from the hard things. There are no shortcuts. We all play the hand we are dealt. The negative fallout from abortion it horrific. From abusers forcing their victims to get them, to abortionists selling baby body parts, to women suffering years of post abortion stress. But the scariest part of all, is the murder and the judgement of God. People always say, don't judge, that's God's job. But I wonder why there's no fear of that. Are we to be the generation with no consequences for our sins? I'm not talking about the abortionists and women who receive them, I'm talking about the people who turn a blind eye and excuse it. Judgement will come. And it will be a dark time. 

Summer hike

I'm the queen of good intentions. Boxes of thank you notes, piles of educational materials, scads of Bible Study curriculum, zillions of flower planters, gallons of paint, mountains of books I really should read... But the application is more on the side of haphazard... 

At the beginning of summer I had narrowed it down to one goal. Just go hiking with the kids a couple times a week and embrace nature. I added plant identification guides to my Amazon cart and the whole plan derailed right there. Eden said it sounded miserable, Nick was averse to waking up early and we all know how long Hazels legs are. Kait was of course my only ally. I just don't feel like a mountain mover anymore. Kids are hard. You lose your edge, passion, vision, fire and ultimately energy in the day to day grind. But somewhere in the back of my mind Kara Tippets was talking about how badly she wished she was well enough to make her kids lunches. And there was this prick behind my eyelids as I was reminded that my time here parenting my little people often feels like my dads precious golden honey is running through my fingers and I don't know how to save it, contain it and direct it. I did not rise up like Joan of Arc and save my summer plan. We did not go hiking even once a week. I never ordered my plant field guides. And it makes me sad. But like I said to Eden tonight, as long as we are on a trajectory that moves us in the right direction, I am content. 

We made it up a trail on Saturday. If I were to torture you with the fine details of what kind of mountains I moved to get my kids up there you would be literally nauseated but I persevered and it was a fantastic experience.