The march for Life continues

I’m taking a group to Washington DC this week, joining a large Buffalo contingent, for the March for Life. I’ve done this trip four or five times before. The travel is usually rough; a long overnight bus ride which I don’t get much sleep on and usually end up motion sick, a days worth of sightseeing, followed by unrestful sleep on a gym floor, hit the Mall in frozen temperatures, then get back on the bus for an equally uncomfortable ride back.

You would think that 600k+ people peacefully protesting in the Capitol would raise some eyes from news organizations, but no. Most ignore it or will site the fifty counter protesters standing for a worthy cause. The pro-life cause is often a lonely one however the tides are turning.

A few years ago pro-lifers became the majority in the US and on January 17, the Guttmacher Institute released findings that abortions are now at the lowest levels since the 1973 decision from Roe v Wade. Even Roe herself is now pro-life and is fighting to overturn her own case. President Trump signed an executive order to defund the International Planned Parenthood the day I write this. The rally for life is gaining and not because of force. People are waking up.

I made the case for life here if you want to see the reason for why I believe this but I’m really writing this as a reflection of where we are at. As a man who has conceived, lost, and conceived again; my greatest work is this developing life. Seeing our child’s heart flutter at 5 weeks and feeling he/she kick at 18 weeks has only strengthened what I’ve known all along, that defiant babe here is a someone. Our someone. That someone, like all the someones that age, deserve the right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

 

 

New Year Resolution: Building spiritual discipline

The following is re-posted from an article I wrote for St. Greg’s College Ministry through Oasis Magazine.

The New Year brings us an opportunity to recharge and refresh but I feel like I’m spotty on my resolutions. Some years I crank them out, others, I consider them a waste of time. A few years ago I committed to hitting the gym and staying physically fit. Knowing that I didn’t want to be one of the many who get a gym membership and stop going in February, I made a long term plan to build the discipline to stay at it.

 When I started at the gym in January of that year the place was packed. Getting time to do a circuit was obnoxious. Someone would be on the bench for way too long or the cycles would all be taken up. Workouts would take a lot longer than I’d hope for. But I kept at it and sure enough, March came around and the place was empty. I knew at that time that I wasn’t one of the casualties of lost discipline to see it through. Victory. I stayed at it and found the benefits of making goals and actually doing it. Over time I found myself getting stronger.

 Time hurts though, life happens. There have been times I’ve been more motivated and less motivated. I’ve risen to the occasion to get in the best shape of my life for the Tough Mudder and got sleepy in my post-wedding delight. However, I’ve maintained the discipline and at times have had to check myself to get going. In many ways, prayer is the same.

I’ve found a connection between the discipline it takes for my physical fitness and my prayer fitness. It requires drive. It requires decision. It requires action. In the same way that we grow physically, we grow spiritually. The exercises are different but the discipline is the same. Goals, reps, and endurance. So as the New Year comes in, think about setting yourself a resolution to grow in prayer. There are many workout plans to get there but you have to decide to start… and then start… and keep going beyond March.