A Matter Of Life Or Death: It's Your Choice, America

 

 

 

 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..."
(Jeremiah 1:5)

 

Image courtesy/Bruce Lesley/Substack

 

 

 

In what has come to be known as an "abortion sanctuary state" where women
 can travel from other states to have an abortion, and where, under the current
 law, she can have an abortion up to the third trimester, or right before the
 baby is born, members of the New Jersey State legislature were seriously
considering the passage of a bill this week which contained the clause:

“a fetus shall have no independent rights under the laws of this state.” 

Thank God someone had the sense to reconsider and to remove this inhumane provision
which sounds a lot like a decree which might have been implemented in the days of
Nazi Germany.  And yet, what is the difference between the mindset of 21st century
lawmakers declaring that an unborn baby has no rights and therefore can be terminated
in the womb in New Jersey, and members of the Gestapo who would rip little Jewish
babies from their mothers' arms and toss them alive into the ovens at Auschwitz?

In the eyes of the most holy and righteous God there is no difference. 

Murder is the deliberate and willful act of taking human life, and couching the hideous
practice of infanticide in political language as "reproductive healthcare" does not change
the fact that our legislators are as guilty of shedding innocent blood as the abortionists
doing the dirty work for them-at the expense of the already overburdened NJ taxpayers. 

The 6th Commandment attests: "You shall not commit murder." (Exodus 20:13)

God further declares,  "Keep far from a false matter and be very careful not
  to condemn to death the innocent and the righteous, for I will not justify 
nor acquit the wicked."  (Exodus 23:7)

Unlike disingenuous legislators masking their true intentions in political words 
and phrases, God does not lie.  He does not change.  I often contemplate, with an 
increasing sense of trepidation, how much longer the good Lord is going to hold
 back His wrath and judgment on America, which He has blessed and been so very
 gracious to in the past, a nation which claims to believe in personal liberty and 
justice for all, and yet condones the murder of babies in the womb.

 Living souls made in the likeness and image of God Himself.

Will the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, give America more time to seek 
His mercy and forgiveness for this most grievous sin? Or will our fast
 approaching 250th birthday as a nation be the last one that we will see?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday Poetry Corner: The Ghost Of Champion Hill

 

 

"While a battle is raging, one can see his enemy mowed down by the thousands, or ten
thousand, with great composure; but after the battle these scenes are distressing, and one
is naturally disposed to alleviate the sufferings of an enemy as a friend."
"Personal Memoirs"
-Ulysses S. Grant

 

Bloody Field At Champion Hill
Artist Unknown
Image courtesy/Warfare History Network

 It was so many years ago

Up on Champion Hill

That I heard the cannon roar

I can hear it still.

I had pledged to go to war

I had vowed to give my all

And that's just what I did

Up on Champion...

Up on Champion...

Up on Champion Hill!

 
Grant and Sherman came to fight

With the Union's might

They spread terror, they spread strife

Through the days and nights

Oh my darling, I loved you

Oh my darling, I was true.

But my heart is buried still

Up on Champion Hill.

 
Blue-clad armies to our fore

To our left and right

We charged at them, they fell back

But they counter-attacked

Gallant men fell everywhere

Bullets filled the springtime air.

One sent me to eternity

Up on Champion Hill.

 
Now I roam this bloodied land

Longing for what I missed

The precious hours, the treasured years

Spent in your midst.

Oh my darling I love you

Yes my darling, I'm still true

And it's here I wait for you

Up on Champion Hill. 

 

"The Ghost of Champion Hill"
By Herb Phillips 

 

The Battle of Champion Hill, fought on May 16, 1863 was a pivotal battle in
the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War.  Union Army commander
Major General Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of Tennessee pursued the retreating
Confederate States Army under Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton, which led
 to it's defeat twenty miles east of Vicksburg, Mississippi. This victory for the Union
  led to the Siege of Vicksburg, and the eventual surrender of the Confederate forces there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flashback Friday: Independence Day

 

 

"Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing,
Let the whole world know that today
Is a day of reckoning..." 

 

 Considered the "Signature Song" of beautiful country music recording artist
  Martina McBride, "Independence Day" tells the sad story of a little girl
 whose home life is shattered by alcoholism and domestic violence.

  In an act of desperation, her long victimized mother burns down the 
family home, presumably with herself and her drunken husband inside,
 after which the little girl left behind is sent to a county home.

Released on May 2, 1994 as the third single from her album, "The Way That I Am"
 the lyrics of this song are described as having a double meaning, in that the girl's 
mother finally gains her "independence" from her abusive father on
  the 4th of July-America's Independence Day.  

What makes this song especially thought provoking is that it mentions the
 residents of the small town where the girl and her parents lived knew that
her father was a dangerous man and was abusing her mother and most 
likely his daughter too, but these neighbors chose to look the other way.

 "Independence Day" won the Country Music Association Award 
for Song of the Year at the 1995 CMA Awards. 

In 2024, Rolling Stone ranked the song at Number #45 on its list of
 the 200 Greatest Country Songs of all time. 

Independence Day
(1994)
Martina McBride
 (Uploaded February 1, 2016)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Jerusalem Day With Rivki And Joel At The Mahane Yehuda Market!

  

 

 

 

 💖Shabbat Shalom, Eretz Israel!💖

💖 Sabbath Blessings & God's Peace To All!💖

 

Image courtesy/Dreamstime.com

 

 ✡ Tasting unique and delicious Jewish cuisine from many lands
 in the heart of Jerusalem!✡

 

A Taste Of Jerusalem That Will Make
You Feel You Are There!
LevHaolam
(May 14, 2026)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Make A Super Easy Peach Cobbler

 

 

 

 

🍑 Just in time for your next picnic or barbecue, host Ken Click shares his recipe
for a super easy-to-make gooey peach cobbler! And don't forget the scoop of 
vanilla ice cream on top!  Whipped cream would also be a good choice!🍑

Super Easy Peach Cobbler
Ken Click
(Uploaded October 3, 2019)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

America At 250: The Cowboy Artist And The Woman Who Loved Him

 

 

 

 Celebrating the life story of the legendary cowboy artist Charles Russell
and his biggest supporter and business partner, wife Nancy.

 

 

Charles & Nancy Russell
The Cowboy Artist Who Lived The Dream
And The Woman Who Loved Him
Today's Wild West
(May 14, 2026)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday's Word: Chayil/"Valor"

 

 

 

 "The Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said to him,
"The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior."
(Judges 6:12)

 

Angel Of The Lord Visits Gideon
(2017)
Howard David Johnson
Image courtesy/Howard David Johnson

 

 

 "Chayil" pronounced, "khah-yil" is a Hebrew word found throughout the
Old Testament, and denotes a rich, multidimensional concept of strength,
valor, and capability. It is often used in describing the mindset of a
warrior or a mighty character.  

Like the victorious Gideon in Israel's battle against the Midianites, 
 the true warrior of God seeks first His counsel, is obedient to Him,
 and relies on His strength rather than their own.  

"The LORD will go forth like a mighty man, He will rouse up His zealous
 indignation and vengeance like a warrior; He will cry, yes, He will shout aloud. 
He will do mightily against His enemies."
(Isaiah 42:13) 

In the ever increasing darkness of this world, where God's truth is consistently under
attack, or, has been replaced by lies and apostasy, believers in Christ are called to be 
valiant warriors in our daily walk of faith, to be examples of His integrity and courage,
 His truthfulness, and simplicity, in proclaiming the soul-saving message of the Gospel.

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.  Whoever rejects the Son will
not see life.  Instead, the wrath of God remains on them."
(John 3:36)

"Now brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you
received and in which you stand firm. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold
firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For
what I received I passed on to you of first importance: that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the
third day according to the Scriptures."
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday Bible Study With Les Feldick: The Imputed Righteousness Of God

 

 

 

 

 "The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; His word was on my tongue."
(2 Samuel 23:2)

  

Les Feldick
Image courtesy/Les Feldick Ministries

 

 

 Les continues his walk through the Bible teaching us
how to connect the dots within the Holy Scriptures.

 

 

The Imputed Righteousness Of God/Part One
(1995)
Les Feldick Ministries-Official Site
(Uploaded April 12, 2019)

 

 

 

 

The Imputed Righteousness Of God/Part Two
(1995)
Les Feldick Ministries-Official Site
(Uploaded April 12, 2019)

 

 

 

 

The Imputed Righteousness Of God/Part Three
(1995)
Les Feldick Ministries-Official Site
(Uploaded April 12, 2019)

 

 

 

 

The Imputed Righteousness Of God/Part Four
(1995)
Les Feldick Ministries-Official Site
(Uploaded April 12, 2019)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arlene Makes Three Favorite Blueberry Recipes!

 

 

 

 

 The gracious host of At Home shares delicious recipes for Blueberry
 Bread Custard, Blueberry Cake, and Blueberry Cream Muffins!

 

 

Three Favorite Blueberry Recipes!
(2002)
At Home With Arlene Williams
(Uploaded May 11, 2026)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday Meditation: Never Alone

"And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
(Matthew 28:20)

 

 

 

 

Jesus Holds A Woman In The Storm
Kevin Carden
American artist
Image courtesy/Kevin Carden-Pixels
Fine Art America

 

 

  

Never alone do we journey below,

 

Tho' dark clouds lower and wild tempests blow;

Jesus, our Savior, leads on day by day,

 

He will go with us each step of the way. 

Never alone-he's a friend and a guide,

 

Never alone-ever close to our side.

 

Never alone-naught our hearts should dismay,

 

For He will go with us each step of the way. 

 

Never alone, tho' the path's rough and steep,

 

He who is with us our footsteps will keep.

 

Safe o'er life's troubles He lifts us alway;

 

He will go with us each step of the way.

 

Never alone, tho' ofttimes we forget

 

When dangers threaten and hardships beset;

 

If from the pathway we heedlessly stray,

 

Still He is with us each step of the way.

 

 

Never alone, His strong arm will not fail

 

E'en to uphold us thro' death's narrow vale;

 

To that fair land where forever 'tis day,

 

He will go with us each step of the way.

 

 

 

Never alone-he's a friend and a guide,

 

Never alone-ever close to our side.

 

Never alone-naught our hearts should dismay,

 

For He will go with us each step of the way. 

 

 

"Never Alone"
(1904)
Annie Eliza Lewis Pinfold
(1868-1921)
English- American hymn writer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Night In Uncle Walt's Vault: Casey Bats Again

 

 

 

 

 

Just in time for the beginning of baseball season, "Casey Bats Again"
continues the story of "Casey At The Bat" with his ambitious daughters
forming a ladies' baseball team to redeem their Dad's reputation! 

 

 

Casey Bat's Again
(1954)
Walt Disney Productions
Released by RKO Pictures
victormalkovich
(Uploaded March 9, 2007)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Unexpected Mother's Day Gift

 

 

"Every child deserves the opportunity to be welcomed into the world, 
and every mother deserves support and encouragement."
-Carol Tobias, President of National Right To Life Committee

 

Image courtesy/Freerange Stock
 

 

In a press statement released by National Right to Life, the Trump Administration
and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced the launching
of Moms.gov., a new federal resource designed to support women, children and
families through pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenting.

"National Right to Life is grateful to President Trump, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,
and the Department of Health and Human Services for recognizing that mothers and families
deserve real support," said Carol Tobias, President of National Right to Life Committee.
"Too often, women facing a difficult or unexpected pregnancies are told that abortion is
their only option.  Moms.gov sends a different message-that mothers, babies, and 
 families matter, and that compassionate resources and assistance are available." 

The launch of Moms.gov coincides with Mother's Day and reflects a broader 
commitment to promote maternal and child well-being. 

"Women deserve access to comprehensive information and meaningful support
throughout pregnancy and motherhood," Tobias said. "By connecting families with
resources that encourage health and hope, Moms.gov represents an important step
towards a culture that values both mother and child." 

"National Right to Life appreciates this effort to provide practical help for
families at every stage of pregnancy and parenting." she added. 

After last month's disappointing news concerning President Trump's decision
to fund Planned Parenthood, this is definitely a happy and unexpected surprise!

Now, if he will only rescind his decision to fund Planned Parenthood, and ban the sales 
of over-the-counter and mail order abortion drugs, even more lives will be saved!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Charles Stanley: The Courage To Keep Going

 

 

 

 "So do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, His prisoner.
instead, join me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God."
(2 Timothy 1:8)

  

In this teaching by Dr. Charles Stanley, while we often feel tempted to quit
in the middle of difficult circumstances, giving up is not in keeping
 with who we are as followers of Christ Jesus.

The apostle Paul is a perfect example of someone who never gave up
despite persistent difficulty and hardship.

 

 Dr. Charles Stanley:The Courage To Keep Going
In Touch Ministries
(Uploaded September 1, 2024)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O Blessed Day Of Motherhood

 

 

 

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father
of heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows."
(James 1:17) 

 

 

Mother And Daughter Reading
(1926)
Jessie Willcox Smith
(1863-1935)
American Illustrator
Image courtesy/Gurney Journey
 

 

 

O blessed day of motherhood!

We lift our hearts in praise,

To thank the Source of every good:

Thy joy crowns all our days.

O God, our Father, bless this day,

Enrich its golden store

Of blessed mother love, and may

Thy children Thee adore. 

O gracious day of motherhood!

Our faith, by God increased,

Hath each alluring foe withstood;

Our souls He hath released. 

O God, our Father, bless this day,

Enrich its golden store

Of gracious mother love, and may

Thy children Thee adore. 

O precious day of motherhood!

Teach us in Christ to find

The greater gifts of brotherhood;

Bring peace to all mankind.

O God, our Father, bless this day,

Enrich its golden store

Of precious mother love, and may

Thy children Thee adore. 

O wondrous day of motherhood!

Thy love to all abound;

Beside the cross Mary once stood;

Again let love be crowned.

O God, our Father, bless this day,

Enrich its golden store

Of wondrous mother love, and may 

Thy children Thee adore. 

 

"O Blessed Day Of Motherhood"
(1925)
Ernest Frank McGregor
(1879-1946)
American Congregational church pastor
and hymn writer 

 

💖Have A Beautiful and Blessed Mother's Day! 💖

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday Night Memories With Hee Haw

 

 

 

 

 Buck Owens and Roy Clark and the whole Hee Haw Gang welcome guests
 Glen Campbell, Mel Tillis, Bill Monroe, Zeke Shepherd, Steve Wariner.
Also, a special appearance by "health inspector" Merlin P. Tall
a.k.a. comedian Jonathan Winters.

Great country music and entertainment at it's best! 

 

 Hee Haw
(1983)
Dennis M. Pratt
(Uploaded April 28, 2024)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday Poetry Corner: May And The Poets

 

 

"The pleasure given by a flower
To mortal eyes through Nature's power
Is so bestowed on me that there
I fancy my sweet love to be
Standing himself in front of me
Whose person hath so kindled me." 
Neifile's poem-The Decameron*

The Decameron
(1916)
John William Waterhouse
(1849-1917)
English Pre-Raphaelite painter

 

 There is May in books forever;

May will part from Spenser never;

May's in Milton, May's in Prior,

May's in Chaucer, Thomson, Dyer;

May's in all the Italian books:-

She has old and modern nooks,

Where she sleeps with nymphs and elves,

In happy places they call shelves,

And will rise and dress your rooms

With a drapery thick with blooms. 

Come, ye rains, then if ye will,

May's at home and with me still;

But come rather, thou, good weather,

And find us in the fields together. 

 

 

"May And The Poets" 
James Henry Leigh Hunt
(1784-1859)
19th century English poet
 &essayist

 

* Neifile's poem is taken from "The Decameron" a collection
 of short stories by Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375). 

It is a story about a group of young people, seven women and three men, taking refuge 
inside a secluded villa just outside of Florence, Italy in order to escape the Black Death,
also known as the Bubonic Plague, which was sweeping through the city and across
the European continent at the time. Written as a "story within a story" the characters
 spin imaginary tales in order to pass the time of their quarantine.

 Boccaccio's "The Decameron" not only documents one of the most fatal pandemics
in human history, but is considered a masterpiece of early Italian prose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flashback Friday: I'd Really Love To See You Tonight

 

 

 

 "A sparkling tune with its melodic hook" was how Record World described England Dan and
 John Ford Coley's  pop love song, "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" released 50 years
 ago this month in May, 1976.  From their album, "Nights Are Forever" the song peaked
  at Number #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks and at Number #1
on the Easy Listening Chart.  Billboard ranked it as the 21st most popular
song for the Bicentennial year in America.

 

 

I'd Really Love To See You Tonight
(1976)
England Dan & John Ford Coley-Topic
(Uploaded February 25, 2017)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

America At 250/ The Crazy Horse Memorial: Monument To A Legendary Lakota

 

 

 "I will return to you in stone."
-Crazy Horse, 1877

 

Visions Of Crazy Horse
Image courtesy/Pinterest
 

 

 

 Today's Wild West host Mark Bedor presents the story of the Indian Mount Rushmore!

 

 

The Crazy Horse Memorial
Monument To A Legendary Lakota
Today's Wild West
(May 7, 2026)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resourceful Recycling: Growing Self-Watering Cucumbers In Tires On The Rooftop - A Sweet And Refreshing Fruit

 

 

 Money is tight for everyone these days and especially for those of us who love
 growing our own vegetables! In this latest video, the gracious host of Terrace Garden
shares an innovative approach to growing self-watering cucumbers in old tires!

 

Growing Self-Watering Cucumbers
In Tires On The Rooftop
A Sweet and Refreshing Fruit
Terrace Garden
(May 7, 2026)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday's Thoughts: The Lord Gives The Increase

 

 

 

"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase."
(1 Corinthians 3:6) 

 

 

Image courtesy/Laura Ingalls Wilder
Historic Home & Museum

 

 

The Man of the Place was worried about the weather.  

He said the indications were for a dry season, and ever since I have been
 remembering droughts. There were dry years in the Dakotas when we were
 beginning our life together. How heartbreaking it was to watch the grain
 we had sown with such high hopes wither and turn yellow in the hot winds!

And it was backbreaking as well as heartbreaking to carry water
from the well to my garden and see it dry up despite all my efforts.

I said at that time that thereafter I would sow the seed, but, the
Lord would give the increase if there was any,  for I could not do
my work and that of Providence also by sending the rain on
the gardens of the just or the unjust.

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not,
neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That Solomon in
all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if
God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and 
tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more
clothe you, O ye of little faith?"
(Matthew 6:28-30)

But I still suppose our brains were given us to use by the same Providence
that created the laws of nature, and what we accomplish by the use of them is,
in a certain sense, its work. Just as all good is for us if we but reach out our
hand to take it, so in the higher atmosphere around our earth there is a
great supply of moisture.  It is there for our use if, with the brains which
God has given us, we can find a way to tap it.

This is what a California man claims to have done (in 1924.)

 

Charles Hatfield
"The Rainmaker"
(1875-1958)
Image courtesy/Reddit

 

(Charles) Hatfield, the rainmaker, lives in Glendale, California near Los Angeles.
He claims to be able to make rain by projecting into the atmosphere, from
a high scaffolding, certain chemicals that attract and precipitate moisture.

There are always storms in movement, and storm formations pass 
 high over a country without ever condensing and causing rain. The way
he operates, he'll make that storm give up its water as it comes along.

 In 1915, there was a very severe drought in southern California, especially in
 San Diego County where the water situation became critical. As a last resort,
the San Diego Chamber of Commerce decided to try out this man Hatfield.
A contract was made by which he was to receive $10,000 if he brought 
 down water enough to fill the great irrigation reserve.

Shortly after he began operations, the rain began to fall in such quantities that
the reservoir not only filled but burst its dam and the Chamber of Commerce,
instead of paying him $10,000, brought suit against him
 for damages in destroying the dam. 

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take
thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
(Matthew 6:34) 

 

Laura Ingalls Wilder
(1867-1957)

"The Lord Gives The Increase"
An essay from the book,
"Saving Graces The Inspirational Writings
of Laura Ingalls Wilder"
Edited by Stephen Hines
(1997)
Broadman & Holman Publishers
Nashville, Tennessee