Things I Love: Laughter

I love to laugh. Laughter is the remedy for so many things in life. Here are few things that make me laugh.

 Jared makes me laugh daily. Multiple times a day. This is just one of the many fun memories together.

I LOVE the Trejo Family!

Meet Maru! :)


Sergio the Sexy Saxman for hire!

Hope you got a laugh or two out of these! :)

How I Operate

I don't really know where to start today. There seem to be a lot of things to talk about but I'm having a hard time finding where to begin and how to write a blog and not a novel. I guess I will start with a bit of clarification. One thing I have learned in my 28 years of life is that people will always make assumptions. I guess it is just human nature for many of us. But I think that is where a lot of confusion and disappointments come from - we behave or react a certain way to certain situations so we assume others do or should as well.

Example: I am a very even-tempered, easygoing person. I don't let a lot of things get to me. I'm overall calm by nature. I have even had countless people comment on how calm and quiet my voice is. I actually had a guy tell me that I would be voted "least likely to ever yell". And that's probably true...I think I've only hollered during concerts out of excitement - I definitely don't yell out of anger...I've always felt that raising voices only makes situations get even more out of control and you end up playing this game of who can shout the loudest which really doesn't accomplish anything. But because my tone, like my personality, is also even-tempered I think people confuse that with me being naive, depressed or apathetic. When the opposite is true. I am a generally very happy, positive person. It's extremely rare that I am not in good spirits. Some may assume that I am either hiding my true feelings or perhaps in denial because "nobody can be that happy or positive all the time." But that is simply another poor assumption.

I am human, I have my bad days too but they are few and far between not because I live some sort of fantasy life but because I choose to remain optimistic in all circumstances. If something major is wrong, I am not afraid to talk about it. I'm a pretty open person (obviously, I have a blog) But I typically confide in certain people (like God, my husband and/or my parents) when I'm having a real "down day" because they are my main source of support. I'm not a sympathy seeker so I don't typically unload all my sorrows on just anyone and everyone mostly because I don't find it to be useful for me personally. If I share my problems it is because I want or need help, not because I want people to feel sorry for me. At the same time I don't avoid or ignore problems I encounter either, I just work to overcome them as effectively and efficiently as possible and try not to involve too many people in the process. That's just how I operate. I understand that not everyone operates this way but it works best for me.

Jared and I were having this discussion the other day how he can see why I may be hard to read for some people because a lot of folks go from one extreme emotion to another. They are either super excited or extremely upset and rarely just at peace so when they encounter someone with a "balanced" outlook it is hard to relate to or understand. I am not saying that my laid back nature makes me greater or anything. I'm just saying this is me. I'm neither overly excitable or easily upsettable. I'm just content. And I would hope that doesn't make me unrelatable or unapproachable. Although I am quite aware that I'm a bit of a weirdo! ;)

When people find out that Jared and I have never had a fight in our four years of marriage they can assume we have not had to face any difficulties or challenges in our relationship. Not true. We have had some serious trials we've had to face together. We have just chosen to address any challenges we encounter as a team and not as contenders. It doesn't make us a happier or more loving couple than anyone else...we have just figured out what works for us.

There may be those who assume (there's that word again) that our attitude towards life and relationships either makes us naive or perhaps condescending but the reality is this: We love life, we love each other and we love people. That's it. It's that simple. That is how we choose to live. I just hope that people take us for who we are. And if you aren't sure about something...ask! Because you know what they say about assumptions..... ;)

I've realized that putting myself out there on the internet through my blog and other social media makes me susceptible to judgment and misunderstanding but I felt as though some of those who don't see the full scope of my life may have misinterpreted me and misjudged my heart so I wanted to put this out there. I want my blog to be a happy, positive place to come to for my readers and I hope that it is.

Be Influential

What are you doing with the authority you've been given? We all have some sort of authority or influence over something in our lives whether it be authority over ourselves (our time, actions, etc.) or other people (perhaps an employee, child, etc.)

A lot of times authority has this negative attitude that goes along with it. We sometimes think "They have authority over me or I have to do what they say because they are my parent or they are my boss, etc." And we often hear about abuses of authority. But the question is what are you doing with the authority that you have been given? 

Are you ignoring your authority? Are you using your authority or influence to build people up?  There are relationships in all of our lives that we can influence, so my challenge to you today is to use your authority to build others up! Use your authority for good in all aspects of your life.

For the purpose of this post I encourage you to use your voting authority and use it to influence your Senators this week. There is a scheduled vote this Thursday where your voice will be heard to help defund Planned Parenthood. Now, before I lose some of you reading this I want you to go back to my blog post from yesterday and read it in its entirety, check the facts and allow your conscience to be stirred. Defunding of Planned Parenthood will not close their doors, it will not make abortion illegal -  it will simply relieve tax payers from having to violate their conscience by using our hard earned tax dollars to financially support this abortion giant.

Regardless of what side of the debate you are on when it comes to abortion, the majority of Americans have overwhelmingly agreed that NO ONE should be forced to pay for anyone's abortion. If we truly believe that abortion is not a political issue then we must stop using government dollars from going to Planned Parenthood and if we really want to separate church and state then we should stop using the church's money (people of all faiths) to fund an organization that goes against any moral and religious beliefs.

If Planned Parenthood supporters want to personally fund or donate to them, that is fine, but the majority of Americans who want no part of this bloody business should have a right to protect their conscience and put their money elsewhere like towards alternate organizations - some of which are not government funded but that provide essential services, REAL health care for women, children and families. We shouldn't be forced to support an organization whose primary product sold is abortion. Call your Senators now and tell them enough is enough. We're done footing the bill for Planned Parenthood. We're done perpetuating the harm against women and the murder of innocent children. We refuse to use our authority to bring people down. We want to use our influence, our votes, our money to build people up!

TAKE ACTION: Call your two state Senators and ask them to vote to defund Planned Parenthood. It takes less than 5 minutes of your time but could have a tremendous impact on the lives of so many! Follow this link to find your Senators contact info and please call today, tomorrow and until they lose funding.

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators

Don't know what to say when you call? Keep it simple by using similar wording such as "I want it to go on record that I do not want any federal funds or tax payer dollars to go towards Planned Parenthood." You can elaborate if you wish but make sure the message is clear that you want to end funding for all abortion providers.

Thank you for valiantly standing for life-affirming principles. You will not regret your efforts.



This song should be the anthem for all who dare to stand up against the giants.

A Fine Frenzy - 'Stood Up' lyrics

We are not frightened anymore,
We stood up, we stood up

And there are two of us there will be more,
They'll show up, yeah they'll show up
They'll show up

Blame a change of mind
A seismic shift in times
They told us not to fight
But we'll fight it till we die

Cos' we are not frightened anymore,
We stood up, we stood up

And there are two of us there will be many more,
They'll show up, yeah they'll show up

And so they sunk every ship we sailed
But we stood up, we stood up

And they fought hard, but somewhere fighting failed
They're all shook up, they're all shook up
All shook up

Steel and concrete break
Beneath the steady waves
Of fearless hope and grace
In kindness there is strength.

Cos' we are not frightened anymore,
We stood up, we stood up

And there are two of us there will be many more,
They'll show up, yeah they'll show up

United We Fall

Once again money proves to be more valuable than integrity in today's society. When we are more concerned with our paychecks than protecting the most vulnerable human beings among us it isn't any wonder why abortion is still legal in our country. We would rather pay for the killing of innocent children and harm women in need with our tax money than lose a paycheck or two or have our tax dollars be used to actually help children and families facing crisis. I'm teetering between sad and angry about the recent "agreement" by congress. Sad for the powerless and angry at the powerful. I believe that the church and well-meaning people all across the country were prepared to help those in the event they lost their job due to a government shut down. We were ready to show the government that we don't rely on them, but we can depend on God and each other and won't be bullied into compromising our morals and violating our conscience. But those in power laid the fear and lies on thick...and we fell right into their hands.

Why do some Americans continue to act like or believe that Planned Parenthood is the only provider of cancer screenings, STD tests, and birth control?! There are only 800 Planned Parenthood clinics across the United States and there are 7,000 Federally Qualified Health Centers all over the U.S. that provide all of the same services as Planned Parenthood - except abortions. In fact, these QHC's provide more extensive services that Planned Parenthood does not offer - like mammograms, vaccinations, dental, prenatal care,  X-Rays and primary care to all members of the family. These QHC's also provide many of their services for FREE to low-income and under-priviledged women whereas Planned Parenthood often turns people away if they cannot pay. Many Crisis Pregnancy Centers that I have personally volunteered with often get referrals from Planned Parenthood because the client had no money and PP knows that CPC's offer all of their services for free. Sending a message that PP cares about women.....as long as they can pay for their services. Nice.

 So the question we now face is why should we be funding an organization with our tax dollars who claims non-for-profit status yet charges for its services and is independently wealthy? (According to their latest annual report, PP has nearly one billion dollars in net assets.) Why is our government willing to sell out our servicemen and threaten hundreds of thousands of families with no pay in order to keep funneling our money into the hands of the largest abortion provider in the country? When did Planned Parenthood become more important than American families? And keep in mind that the MAJORITY of Americans (both pro-life and pro-choice) want to stop funding for Planned Parenthood (more than 60%) but clearly these "leaders" in office refuse to listen to the American people and are carrying out their own agendas against our will. But why? What's in it for them? The answer is blood money. Many candidates have been bought by the abortion industry.

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s top abortion chain having performed more than 332,278 abortions in 2009.(a number equivalent to the entire population of Cincinatti)  They receive more than one third of their billion-dollar budget from taxpayer subsidies. And, despite being legally registered as a “non-profit” entity, Planned Parenthood reported $63 million in profits in their last annual report. Although they love to throw out numbers on various services they provided, what they don't mention is that these numbers are unbundled to boast in their favor - for example, if a woman comes in for a pregnancy test and birth control they count the testing as 1 service but if she gets 3 packets of pills they unbundle that number and count her visit as receiving 4 separate services. Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood Director confirms that this was in fact done at her own clinic in Texas. So the numbers are skewed in their favor. However, Planned Parenthood isn't willing to boast about ALL of their numbers - they conveniently ignore the fact that they have aborted over 5, 300,000 babies (the equivalent to the entire population of Colorado) and hurt countless women since abortion became legal in 1973.

These claims that women will lose access to health care and that women will suffer or die without Planned Parenthood is an absolute lie and is not the only way they have grossly misled the public. For years they have given women false medical information about basic human development and misinformation about abortion itself - it's risk and harm to women such as increased risk of breast cancer, infertility, post-abortion syndrome and other physical risks including complications that can lead to death.

Undercover investigations have also exposed Planned Parenthood's willingness to aid and abet in child sex trafficking, which of course they claim to be "isolated incidents" yet SEVERAL of their clinics were caught on tape violating the state mandatory reporting laws and failing to protect children. There are ongoing legal battles that confirm that these are not just unlikely scenarios but actual court cases reveal that Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers did not report sexual abuse of children who came into their clinics some as young as 10 YEARS OLD! Abortion providers like Planned Parenthood have proven time and time again that they are willing to violate laws that are put in place to protect women and children.

There is overwhelming evidence against Planned Parenthood confirming that despite their claims, they are not good for women and families. The one lie that Planned Parenthood loves to repeat is this: "We want to make abortion safe, legal and rare." If this were at all true than the majority of facts I just shared with you would not exist but even if you choose not to believe these truths then look at the reality that Planned Parenthood has made a business plan or GOAL to have all of their affiliates providing abortions by the end of 2012. If they want to make it rare then why are they expanding their abortion providing clinics? Why do they perform abortions on 1 out of 4 pregnant women at their clinics? With adoption referrals being significantly lower than performed abortions (80% decrease in just two years) it seems contradictory don't you think? If they are willing to abandon their stand on making it rare, what makes us think that they are going to stand for anything? And if abortion is such a good thing, then why should it be rare? Because abortion is never safe. There are always two victims...one dies and one is left wounded. So the conclusion is that all Planned Parenthood is working towards is keeping abortion legal - not safe and rare.

Planned Parenthood supporters love to use what I call "parrot points" where they simply repeat what they are told by Planned Parenthood affiliates and use words like "extremists" "anti-choice" and "war on women's rights" when defending the un-defensible. However, I think there are well-meaning people on both sides of the argument but in the end, the truth is what needs to be acknowledged even if that truth is uncomfortable. I encourage everyone to do your own extensive research and fact checks. The truth is something we must seek out for ourselves and not simply rely on talking points or public opinions. And once we hear and understand the truth it is how we respond to that truth that will define us as individuals and state who we are as a people. The truth is before you...how will you respond?

Have you been deceived? You are not alone. Former Planned Parenthood Director Abby Johnson has shared in several interviews how she was deceived by Planned Parenthood and abortion advocates for years. She bought into the empty promises and well-concealed lies and after witnessing the truth revealed to her through an ultrasound guided abortion, she now dedicates her life to sharing the truth with others. Listen to her interview in the following video where she gives insight into the true motives of abortion providers and that "If you go to Planned Parenthood you are supporting abortion. You cannot separate the two - they are not mutually exclusive." Planned Parenthood is in the business of abortion, supporting their business is supporting abortion.....and the choice is yours.



I hope that after you do your own research on this subject that you come to the same conclusion that the majority of Americans have come to which is that every life, at every stage of development should be respected and protected. Abortion declares that some lives are more valuable than others and judging whether or not someone is fit to live is a dangerous mindset to have. History has proven this time and time again. (slavery, holocaust...) And abortion does just that...it implies that some lives are less valuable or more desirable than others. This is the very avocation of Planned Parenthood. And because of this I cannot and will not yield on this issue. And will continue to be a voice for the voiceless and advocate for the vulnerable.

The State We're In

Jared and I just returned from a housewarming party for our friends Julia and Morgan. They have officially moved in and settled into their new apartment in Lausanne and we couldn't be more thrilled for them! Swiss housing is such a daunting task and we were happy to be able to celebrate their victory in this battle! :)

Upon returning home I had hoped to read some good news about the current crisis happening back in America. It is maddening that we are at the place we are today. We have put so much support into a corrupt organization, like Planned Parenthood, that makes its living off of killing children and hurting women, that lies, breaks the law and takes our tax dollars to carry out these atrocities that we are willing to shut down the government and force thousands of families, particularly families who sacrifice SO much for our country, to worry whether or not they will be able to make ends meet. Really? Despite the fact that the MAJORITY of Americans DO NOT want our tax payer dollars funding abortion. It is clear that our current government "leaders" have stopped listening to the American people and are trying to carry out their own agendas against our will and don't care who they effect in the process.

I am equally appalled that there has not been any information given out to the public of where we can donate to these families facing furlough. The government acknowledges that a shutdown is very possible yet they have given no resources to where these families can seek aid in case of this crisis. Some of my dear friends have great support systems they can rely on in the worst case scenario but what about those families who don't have anyone or anything to fall back on? I personally would like to be able to help these families and I know many others who would too but there has been no clear answer on how to best go about doing that!

I am frustrated, at best by all of this. And I know I am not the only one. It is completely irresponsible of these government officials. But what we as Americans need to do right now is to try and step up and take care of each other. If there is someone in need....help them...they could be your friend, your neighbor or a complete stranger but do whatever it is you can to make sure they are taken care of. I am still on the search for the best way to make a generous donation for families who may potentially lose their jobs if there is a government shut down and I will be sure to update with that information as soon as I know more!

We must also never underestimate the power of prayer. Pray for these families, pray for our leaders, pray for resolve. God is bigger than any problem we face. And God Himself tells us that:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Our land desperately needs healing and God is the only healer! We must pray and we must seek Him first.