Sunday, January 10, 2010

Links: abortion, exercise, raw food diets, children and music

"You Shouldn't Have Been Born, Caleb Jones" is a powerful article written by a young man with cystic fibrosis. It's his perspective on prenatal testing and the subsequent offering of abortions to mothers who have children diagnosed with conditions like his. He points out:

With prenatal testing, nearly ninety percent fewer souls are brought into the world with Down’s syndrome today, but none of them were cured.

". . . but none of them were cured." Wow. That's powerful. And as a mother who was - oh so subtly, a mere "you do want to continue this pregnancy, don't you?" - offered abortion for two of her children, children dearer than my own life, this article really resonates with me. I encourage you to take a look at it.

Anne Kennedy writes about having lots of kids. As always, it's a good read. An excerpt:

Whereas with one child, you don't really have to say anything out loud or formalize anything, its just you and the kid, what could possibly go wrong (heh), but with FIVE children one needs institutions to keep oneself afloat. These institutions further allow one to impress the world.


Not that I have any desire to go raw, but I've really been enjoying the blog Living Healthy in the Real World, because the author, Sagan, keeps trying such interesting things! She's just started a one-month experiment in eating raw, and I'm looking forward to reading how it goes. (She also isn't convinced it's a wonderful idea, but doesn't want to knock it till she's tried it - I'm curious to see how it goes!)

Good gravy. Not that I ever like thinking too hard about prison, but this workout sounds amazing. I'd try the descending burpees right now, except that I'm pretty burned out with the push-ups and pull-ups.

If you, like me, are still contemplating your New Year's Revisions, try this post about "making time". Best part is at the very end: "Ruthlessly trim your virtual itinerary."

Finally, this made me smile. There's some objectionable language in the post, but it explains the context for the video. Some folks were stuck at an airport, and everyone was in a bad mood, when a young man started tuning up his guitar, and got everyone singing. If you need something to make you smile, this is it.

peace of Christ to you,

Jessica Snell

3 comments:

Tienne said...

I love the way in that guitar video, they pan around and EVERYONE in the airport is taking pictures of him instead of singing along. LEARN TO BE IN THE MOMENT PEOPLE! :P

Anne said...

Thanks for the link! Have you read the Slow Food Experiment blog? I've been enjoying her journey along the way. She used to blog at Toddled Dredge.

Amber said...

About your first part - amazing that you'd be asked that just because it was a high risk pregnancy. I remember in my first pregnancy being asked that too... and there was no reason at all, just the OB/GYN thought I was young and newly married and wouldn't want to have a baby yet (this is what she told me when we talked a little). She also told me, after I told her that I was very happy to be pregnant, that I was the first person in a long time who she'd talked to who actually wanted to keep her baby. She seemed amazed. That was almost nine years ago, but I still think about her and pray for her. I wonder if her heart was ever opened to the horrors of what she was doing.

What a world.