One detail that is never mentioned is that in Washington, D.C. there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument. With all the uproar about removing the ten commandments, etc., this is worth a moment or two of your time.. I was not aware of this amazing historical information.

On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., are displayed two words: Laus Deo.

No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are even there and for that matter, probably couldn’t care less.

Once you know Laus Deo’s history, you will want to share this with everyone you know. These words have been there for many years; they are 555 feet, 5.125 inches high, perched atop the monument, facing skyward to the Father of our nation, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia, capital of the United States of America.

Laus Deo! Two seemingly insignificant, unnoticed words. Out of sight and, one might think, out of mind, but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the world.

So, what do those two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters, possibly mean? Very simply, they say ” Praise be to God!”

Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848, when James Polk was President of the United States, it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took twenty-five years to finally cap the memorial with a tribute to the Father of our nation, Laus Deo. “Praise be to God!”

From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. From that vantage point, one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles l’Enfant…a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape, with the White House to the north. The Jefferson Memorial is to the south, the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west.

A cross you ask? Why a cross? What about separation of church and state? Yes, a cross; separation of church and state was not, is not, in the Constitution. So, read on. How interesting and, no doubt, intended to carry a profound meaning for those who bother to notice.

Praise be to God! Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings the memorial stones share a message……..
On the 12th Landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore;
On the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians;
On the 24th a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6. Praise be to God!

When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848 deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society. Praise be to God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy “One Nation, Under God.”

I am awed by Washington’s prayer for America Have you ever read it? Well, now is your unique opportunity, so read on!

“Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Laus Deo!

When one stops to observe the inscriptions found in public places all over our nation’s capitol, he or she will easily find the signature of God, as it is unmistakably inscribed everywhere you look.

You may forget the width and height of Laus Deo,” its location, or the architects but no one who reads this will be able to forget its meaning, or these words: “Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” (Psalm 127: 1)

Technorati Tags: Laus Deo, Laus Deo Meaning, Washington Monument

Moments ago, Planned Parenthood sent out a mass e-mail blast to abortion supporters calling it an EMERGENCY …

… Here’s what they’re terrified of:

Late last night, the House leadership — realizing their health care reform bill didn’t have the needed votes while containing an abortion mandate — agreed to allow a vote today on the bi-partisan pro-life amendment offered by Rep. Bart Stupak and Rep. Joe Pitts that explicitly excludes government funding of
abortion in health care reform.

Your calls and e-mails made the difference to allow for this amendment which could help to save millions
of lives from abortion — and prevent Planned Parenthood and the rest of the abortion industry from receiving a massive government funded bailout!

Now, everything comes down to what’s happening on the House floor right now.

Planned Parenthood is begging abortion advocates to call Congress now and “reject this attack…” by demanding opposition to the Stupak/Pitts amendment.

If they succeed and the abortion mandate is not removed from health care reform, Planned Parenthood will be sending out a victory e-mail tomorrow — and preparing to ramp up its operations to handle the largest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade.

Even if you have called before, it is critical that you pick up the phone RIGHT NOW and tell your U.S. Representative: “Remove abortion funding and mandates from health care reform!”

If you know your Representative’s name, call him or her through the House switchboard at:
(202) 224-3121

If you need to look up your Representative’s information, go to:

http://tinyurl.com/yg6jot5

You’ve already demonstrated that the pro-life voice can make a powerful impact.

Now, everything depends on today.

PLEASE CALL NOW!

For Life,

Stop the Abortion Mandate Coalition
http://www.StopTheAbortionMandate.com

Technorati Tags: amendment, Bart Stupak, Joe Pitts, Planned Parenthood, Roe v. Wade, Stop the Abortion Mandate Coaliltion

Click here to view the embedded video.

This was filmed at the B. Bernice Young Elementary School in Burlington, NJ and uploaded to YouTube on June 19, 2009.

Lyrics
========
Song 1:
Mm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama

He said that all must lend a hand
To make this country strong again
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama

He said we must be fair today
Equal work means equal pay
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama

He said that we must take a stand
To make sure everyone gets a chance
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama

He said red, yellow, black or white
All are equal in his sight
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama

Yes!
Mmm, mmm, mm
Barack Hussein Obama

Song 2:
Hello, Mr. President we honor you today!
For all your great accomplishments, we all doth say “hooray!”

Hooray, Mr. President! You’re number one!
The first black American to lead this great nation!

Hooray, Mr. President we honor your great plans
To make this country’s economy number one again!

Hooray Mr. President, we’re really proud of you!
And we stand for all Americans under the great Red, White, and Blue!

So continue —- Mr. President we know you’ll do the trick
So here’s a hearty hip-hooray —-

Hip, hip hooray!
Hip, hip hooray!
Hip, hip hooray!

Technorati Tags: Bernice Young Elementary School, Burlington, children, New Jersey, school, youtube

Federal legislation introduced to force ‘gay marriage’ on states

Urgent: send an e-mail to your representative today!

Congressional supporters of homosexual marriage are launching an effort today to repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which directs the federal government to recognize only man-woman unions as marriages.

This law, signed by Democrat president Bill Clinton, also protects states from being forced to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

DOMA provides absolutely critical protections for the institution of natural marriage, as well as protecting the right of individual states under the Tenth Amendment to define marriage as they see fit without being dictated to by the federal government.

If DOMA falls, the door will be wide open for activist judges to order one state after another to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

In all 30 states where citizens have been given the chance to vote on whether one-man, one-woman marriage should be protected in their state constitutions, marriage has won convincingly. Another 15 states or so have state laws that define marriage exclusively as the union of one man and one woman.

The people in state after state have made it clear that they do not want the federal government tampering with the time-honored definition and understanding of marriage.

But gay marriage supporters such as Congressman Jerrold Nadler, lesbian Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and homosexual Congressman Jared Polis are determined to trample on the right of the people to protect the sacred institution of marriage.

Technorati Tags: American Family Association, Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA, Tim Wildmon

Click here to view the embedded video.

Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, birthday, Glenn Beck, YouTube video

I received this from one of our readers, Bonny, who worked in the public school system and saw a lot of the garbage that happens firsthand.

Christian Teachers – It’s Time to Fly!

by Peter Heck, Guest Columnist on OneNewsNow.com

It was indeed a heartwarming moment.  With teachers, representatives, and affiliates to the National Education Association’s annual convention gathered around, the NEA’s retiring General Counsel Bob Chanin took to the stage to deliver his outgoing remarks.  His inspiring and uplifting message asserted the profound commitment held by the NEA to the betterment of American society: “We are not paranoid, someone really is after us.  Why are these conservative and right-wing b****rds picking on NEA and its affiliates?  I will tell you why: it is the price we pay for success.”

As one of those right-wing “fatherless lads” Mr. Chanin was referring to, I found myself moved at how open-minded and inclusive his speech sounded.  But more than that, Chanin did a masterful job of demonstrating what the true priorities of the NEA are when he stated that what makes the group effective is, “not because of our creative ideas, it is not because of the merit of our positions, it is not because we care about children, and it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child.  NEA and its affiliates are effective advocates because we have power.”

Now there’s a relief.  Perhaps the NEA should put that quote on its promotional fliers?  After all, who would want the largest association representing teachers in the country to be basing its effectiveness on its ability to improve the lives of children?!  Thankfully, the leadership of the NEA has sought a pursuit of raw political power instead.  And why are they so successful in this pursuit?  Mr. Chanin explains, “And we have power because there are more than 3.2 million people who are willing to pay us hundreds of millions of dollars in dues each year.”  Keep in mind that many of those 3.2 million are faithful Christian teachers who seem to turn Mr. Chanin’s stomach.

Not that any of this should come as a surprise.  In 1996, the NEA issued a handbook on dealing with the “radical right’s crusade against public schools.”  The handbook states: “They won’t go away.  No matter how bizarre we believe their beliefs to be, no matter how illogical and inconsistent their goals appear, and no matter how often we reassure ourselves that ‘this too, shall pass,’ the political, social, and religious forces that make up the radical right in contemporary American society will not go away.”  For teachers who hold to traditional moral values, we’re just to look the other way and continue sending our money.

Sadly, the pathetic reality of the current state of affairs in the National Education Association gets worse.  At this same convention in San Diego, the NEA voted to throw their full support behind homosexual “marriage” by committing to use its resources and political muscle to take down any legislation that hinders the homosexual movement.

Also, the NEA voted down a resolution that called for the group to take “no position” on the issue of abortion.  Currently, the NEA uses the dues money from members to advocate and support lobby groups battling for the “right to choose.”  Had this resolution passed, the NEA would have been unable to commit any dues money of members to causes that have anything to do with the abortion debate.  Instead, they would have had to use that money on something preposterous…like issues actually pertaining to education.

To me, this year marks the line in the sand.  There are many justifications and reasons an individual Christian teacher can give for joining a local association.  But because of the power of the NEA in Washington, we can’t deny the reality that our local associations are in many cases legally compelled to affiliate themselves under the NEA’s control.  Consequently our money – money we intend to be put towards actually improving the lives of children – goes to fund deliberately anti-Christian activities.

Sure, there are excuses we can use to justify our capitulation and spineless allegiance to causes we know to be wrong.  We can accept the fear-mongering about how we’ll all lose our jobs without the NEA.  We can delude ourselves into believing that when we check the box stating that our dues can’t be used for political purposes that we aren’t still contributing to the very executive councils, legal offices, and management that is publicly acknowledging their hatred towards everything we stand for.  We can rationalize that it’s impossible anymore to keep from spending our money on things we don’t really support.

But we shouldn’t do it any longer.  Our consciences shouldn’t allow it.

We will undoubtedly be told that we are traitors to the cause, overreacting prudes, or freeloaders.  But we didn’t tell the NEA to throw full support behind the slaughter of children in the womb.  We didn’t tell the NEA to use their muscle to advocate homosexual marriage across the country.  We didn’t make the decision to abandon the NEA.  The NEA made the conscious decision to abandon us.  And if there’s any confusion on that fact, see Bob Chanin.

Read the article on the OneNewsNow site.

Technorati Tags: , Christian, education, liberal, NEA

Please pass this on to your friends and family! Unborn babies have the right to LIFE!

Stop the Abortion Mandate

Join Nationwide Webcast Tonight!

Powerful abortion industry lobbyists and Washington, D.C. bureaucrats have launched a massive effort to mandate taxpayer-funded abortions as part of their proposed trillion-dollar health care takeover.

This abortion industry power-grab is attempting to:

• Impose one of the cornerstones of the “Freedom of Choice Act” (FOCA) by stealth
• Force taxpayers to fund a huge abortion industry bailout — something the majority of Americans oppose, and certainly cannot afford in these tough economic times
• Mandate that virtually every American be forced into a health plan that includes abortion coverage
• Require honorable medical providers to violate their consciences and perform abortions — or risk losing their jobs
• The New York Times just ran a prominent story confirming that an “administration official refused Sunday to rule out the possibility that federal tax money might be used to pay for abortions under proposed health care legislation.”

Put bluntly, these proposed measures could lead to the largest abortion expansion since Roe v. Wade

This abortion mandate must be STOPPED!

Learn what’s at stake – and discover how YOU can help to stop this abortion mandate by joining a one-time-only LIVE webcast event this Thursday, July 23, at 9 PM Eastern Time (6 PM Pacific, 7 PM Mountain, 8 PM Central.)

The live event will be approximately 70 minutes long. There’s no charge to participate. If you have access to the Internet – even with a dial-up connection – you can listen in on the live webcast audio and submit questions.

During this nationwide event, you will discover:

• The shocking facts about the sweeping legislation that the political power brokers are trying to ram through before Congress goes on summer recess…
• The devastating implications of the proposed mandates — facts the abortion industry doesn’t want Americans to hear…
• Why respected leaders, national organizations, and pro-life people are joining together in record numbers to challenge this attempted power-grab
• The exact action steps YOU can take to make a difference at this crucial moment… And much more!

Register for the webcast at: http://www.StopTheAbortionMandate.com

In an historic display of unity, pro-life and pro-family organizations are joining together for the Stop The Abortion Mandate webcast. During the event you will hear from nationally-known and respected leaders including:

• Mike Huckabee, Former Governor and Presidential Candidate
• Dr. Charmaine Yoest, Americans United for Life
• Tony Perkins, Family Research Council
• Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life
• Marjorie Dannenfelser, Susan B. Anthony List
• Douglas Johnson, National Right to Life Committee
• Tom Minnery, Focus on the Family
• Day Gardner, National Black Pro-Life Union
• Wendy Wright, Concerned Women for America
• Congressman Chris Smith, U.S. House of Representatives
• Kristin Hawkins, Students for Life of America
• Dr. Richard Land, Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission
• Congressman Joe Pitts, U.S. House of Representatives
• Carmen Pate, Point of View Radio Show
• David Bereit, 40 Days for Life …and others!

The announcement of this important webcast is being sent out to hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers across America, and there is limited space available for the live event, so you are strongly encouraged to register now!

To get on the webcast, go to: www.StopTheAbortionMandate.com

P.S. Even if you can’t participate in the live webcast, go ahead and register anyhow, because the entire event will be recorded. The system will automatically allocate your spot to someone else, and as soon as your recording is ready (probably shortly after the end of the webcast) you’ll be notified by e-mail.

P.P.S. Please SPREAD THE WORD to every pro-lifer you know across America so they can also participate in this urgent discussion! Forward this e-mail and encourage them to visit: http://www.StopTheAbortionMandate.com.

Technorati Tags: Freedom of Choice Act, Stop the Abortion Mandate, webinar

Technorati Tags: abortion, Ginsberg

The article below from ParentDish.com talks about a baby who was born only 23 weeks in to pregnancy. What a blessing for this little girl’s parents who tried so hard to have a baby. I love the fact that this occurred while  Parliament is discussing the matter. I tell David all the time that our Father in Heaven has a sense of humor, but in this case, there is nothing funny about it. How many premature babies will it take before people admit that abortion destroys a human life?

It gets even better–one of the comments to the article is by a 26-year-old woman who was born at 24 weeks gestation.

Baby Born at 23 Weeks Doing Well Six Months Later

by Brett Singer

Jessica Hawkins was born on December 29, 2008, after only 23 weeks in the womb. She weighed 1 pound, 7 ounces. For comparison, that’s less than a Priority Mail package.

Now she is 6 months old and weighs in at 9 pounds, 11 ounces. That’s still very small for her age — some children are born at or close to that weight. But she is healthy and alive. She has passed all her vision and hearing screenings, and came home from the hospital without an oxygen tank, which is huge for very premature babies.

Her parents, Pete and Sam Hawkins, are overjoyed, of course, but their joy is even more poignant than that of most parents of preemies: Mrs. Hawkins has had five miscarriages; one occurred at 19 weeks, and one at 20 weeks, which is halfway through a typical pregnancy. She had also gone through two cycles of IVF and was told it was “very unlikely” she would have children. When baby Jessica was born at 23 weeks, doctors thought the mother had again miscarried, “but a scan showed [Jessica's] heart was beating.”

Her parents were stunned. “We couldn’t take our eyes off her and are still in disbelief every day that she’s actually ours,” says Sam Hawkins.

While Jessica does not appear to have any long-term health issues, premature babies are at higher risk for a variety of things, including higher risk of sudden death in childhood and possible fertility issues as adults. Not so long ago, a baby born at 23 weeks would not have survived; now, neonatal intensive care units are able to stage dramatic interventions to help these tiny preemies live.

But is it for the best? Jessica’s story comes at the same time as the British Parliament reconsiders the issue of late term abortion. “Last May MPs voted against cutting the upper limit for abortion from 24 weeks to 20 weeks,” says the paper. Baby Jessica was born at 23 weeks and survived, which raises questions about when a fetus becomes a baby and what rights the mother has to terminate her pregnancy.

Regardless of your beliefs about medical intervention and abortion rights, Jessica Hawkins is a miracle baby. But her story raises all sorts of issues — about choice and intervention and the proper use of medical technology. We’re just glad everything worked out well for the Hawkins family, and we wish them all the best.

Brett Singer is the editor-in-chief of DaddyTips.com. You can follow his tweets at Twitter.com/brettsinger.

http://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/29/baby-born-at-23-weeks-doing-well-six-months-later/

Read the article.

California’s New Serious Threat to Marriage

The battle for the definition of marriage continues to be hot even after the California Supreme Court affirmed the Prop 8 victory. In a new effort, two attorneys, both known for their star power, have filed a federal challenge to the same-sex marriage ban in California, claiming that it violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Ted Olson, a conservative and David Boies, a liberal, who squared off before the Supreme Court over the Bush v. Gore election make an odd couple legal team, but the Hollywood money behind them from figures such as director Rob Reiner and “MLK” producer Bruce Cohen think this challenge has merit, and they hope it will make it all the way the Supreme Court whose decision could then have the affect of overriding all the state marriage amendments.

The suit, known as Perry v. Schwarzenegger, alleges that Prop 8 creates a class of “second class citizens” and thereby violates the Constitution.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a dereliction of duty to defend the people’s vote, has declined to defend the constitutionality of Proposition 8, telling a San Francisco judge that the legality of the marriage measure is for the courts to decide. (Yes, of course, but without the state’s defense?).

The governor’s decision to remain neutral in a federal challenge to Proposition 8 means no statewide official will be defending the measure in federal court.

The stakes are high-and in pursuing this case, the Hollywood bigwigs are taking on a court case that long-time same-sex marriage advocates have sought to avoid. To these advocates, the federal judiciary is seen as conservative and they have argued that a gradual approach to change public opinion and win in states would be a crucial preparation for a challenge in the Supreme Court, which often looks to public opinion in morality-linked cases.

They point to Justice Anthony Kennedy as being the swing vote on the nine-member court and note that he has already ruled in favor of gays in two important cases.

A loss for them before the Supreme Court, however, could mean a number of years before the Court is ready to revisit same-sex marriage again and could influence the outcome for gays in other legal battles.

It could take at least two years for the case to make its way to the Supreme Court,that also could ultimately refuse to hear the case.

Andy Pugno, speaking for California’s Protect Marriage coalition, of which we are a part, has said, “This new federal lawsuit, brought by a pair of prominent but socially liberal lawyers, has very little chance of succeeding. But we will take it seriously and take action to provide a vigorous defense of Prop 8, just as we did in the California courts.”

At Family Leader, we see the most immediate threat being the federal court passing an injunction against Prop 8, allowing same-sex couples to continue to marry in California until the case is resolved. This would be a media opportunity to continue to celebrate same-sex marriage and influence public opinion.

What is certain is that two such high profile attorneys representing same-sex marriage advocates will attract media attention and will give them ample opportunity to persuade the public to their viewpoint.

The first federal hearing is July 2.

Technorati Tags: attorneys, California Supreme Court, David Boies, Proposition 8, Ted Olsen