sparki777

I've noticed that the pro-life movement has become primarily populated by Catholic people where I live. This was not true 20 years ago when I was an evangelical Christian.

If you identify yourself as a pro-life Christian (any church affiliation), would you please answer the following questions?

1. How informed are you about right-to-life issues (abortion, euthanasia, elder care, human trafficking, etc.?)

2. How often are pro-life messages preached at your church?

3. Does your church have any sort of organized pro-life effort?

4. Does your church offer practical support to women facing unplanned pregnancies?

5. Do you get personally involved in any organized pro-life activities (40 Days for Life, March for Life, Life Chain, candlelight vigils at abortion clinics, signing petitions supporting right-to-life legislation, etc.)?

If you identify yourself as a pro-choice Christian, please feel free to comment on what you think about this issue as well.

Sorry, I'm fashioned-challenged. My elementary school-aged daughter wants to wear Converse low-cut All-Stars with knee socks and knee-length shorts. I think it looks adorable, but since I know very, very little about what's hip and stylish, I thought I'd better ask other people if that will be okay.

In case you need to know:

She wears school uniform "Bermuda" shorts in navy blue with golf/polo shirts in solid red, white, baby-blue or navy, like this: http://www2.summitcds.org/parents/images/2LSWarmWe...

Her Converse shoes are bright red, like this:http://cdn100.iofferphoto.com/img3/item/204/991/45...

She is allowed to wear solid white, navy or red knee socks, no stripes or anything like that, but her socks can have a cable-knit pattern.

She doesn't care if her socks match her shirt or not.

1. If you woke up tomorrow and found that the Catholic Church was teaching that Jesus is the only way of salvation, would you be happy about that?

2. If you discovered that the Catholic Church started teaching that Jesus is the only way of salvation a month ago, would you be happy?

3. Suppose the Catholic Church started teaching it 50 years ago - would that make you happy?

4. What about 100 years ago?

5. 500 years ago?

6. 1,000 years ago?

7. Please read this statement from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

(#1987) The grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us, that is, to cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ" and through Baptism (Rom 3:22; cf. 6:3-4.): "But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves as dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." (Rom 6:8-11)

And this statement, also from the Catechism:

(1996) Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life. (Cf. Jn 1:12-18; 17:3; Rom 8:14-17; 2 Pet 1:3-4.)

And this statement from Pope John Paul II (General Audience, May 1995)

"...[Jesus] stated that he came 'to give his own life in ransom for the many' (Mk 10:45), that is, for humanity, as St. Paul explains when he writes: 'One died for all' (2 Cor 5:14; cf. Rom 5:18). Christ won universal salvation with the gift of his own life. No other mediator has been established by God as Savior. The unique value of the sacrifice of the cross must always be acknowledged in the destiny of every man. …"

Doesn't it make you happy to know that Catholics believe in salvation through Christ alone?

Read the blog here:

http://pietrosquared.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/a-vi...

Then state your opinion. Thanks!

My kids have been complaining all year that the milk at their school is never cold. It seems that the lunchroom workers simply grab a crate of milk cartons (the little individual serving ones) out of the fridge and stick it on a cart, which is placed at the end of the lunch line.Not sure when it is replaced with another crate out of the fridge -- it's a small school of only 125 kids or so, but I imagine those crates only hold about 40 cartons.

The kids eat from oldest to youngest, preschoolers first and 8th graders last. My first-grader describes her milk as 'cool' but not 'cold'. My third-grader says her milk is room temp about half the time, and my sixth-grader says his is *always* room temperature. They all get sour milk at least once a week. I assume it's because any cartons left after the 8th graders have been through are just dumped into another crate after they've gotten warm and are brought out again the next day.

Right now, I am sending small cartons of milk that I purchase myself. I put these in my kids' insulated lunch bags with an ice pack, and they all say the milk is much colder that way. But there are 125 other kids at this school who need fresh, cold milk.

Before I go to the principal to get her help in correcting this problem, I need to know how other schools serve milk so I can be ready with viable solutions. (I will host a fundraiser myself to pay for a cooler or whatever is necessary -- I just need to know what will work.)

Don't google it -- just guess (unless you already know for a fact who it was). Here's the quote:

"It is fundamental for every Christian to live in contact and in personal dialogue with the Word of God, given to us in Sacred Scripture, reading it not as a word of the past, but as the living Word, which is addressed to us today and involves us."

Answer will be posted at 5 p.m. Central time (USA)

I just went back to work after 7 months of unemployment. Jobs are scarce in my industry, and I had to take a job in the next town over. My schedule is now:

6:00 a.m. wake up, dress, breakfast, laundry (fold dryer items, move items from washer to dryer & start new load)

6:45 leave for work with carpool

8:00 start work

5:00-5:30 p.m. leave for home (when all in carpool are ready to go)

6:15-6:45 home for dinner with kids & husband

7:30 or so, dishes & kitchen clean-up with kids, play with kids, help with homework or whatever

8:30 Kids start getting ready for bed

8:50-9:00 Family prayers, bedtime story, lights out

9:20 or so, housework, time with husband, catch up on personal e-mail, laundry change over (like in a.m.)

11-11:30 Bedtime for 6.5 or 7 hours sleep

I do not want to give up any time with my kids because they are young. I do not want to give up any time with my husband because I'd like to keep him around. I can't afford to give up any sleep, especially when it's my turn to drive the carpool. I thought about using hand weights in the car pool when I am not the driver but there really isn't enough room in the other vehicles. I brought exercise bands to keep in my desk, but I don't have any privacy to use them (all glass walls in our interiors here, except for executive offices.

I sometimes have a half hour at lunch for free time, but I have no privacy to work out with hand weights. I can take a brisk walk around the office park when the weather is good, but that's only 30 minutes, and it's just walking. I can't really work up a sweat because I have no way to clean up afterward.

On weekend mornings I can still get up before the kids (while my husband is still at home) and get in a walk/run with the dog, but it doesn't feel like enough.

Any suggestions?

Please, if there is a florist out there who can help me, I'm desperate. Yesterday, I received a stunning flower arrangement for my birthday. It was sent to my office, which is great because it has stargazer lilies in it and my husband is allergic to all lilies. These have had the pollen removed but the scent is still overwhelming. My eyes started to water as soon as I got to work this morning. I called the florist who made up the arrangement, and she told me to open a window (it's 34 degrees outside and anyway, our office windows don't open) or use a fan (not allowed at my office).

I don't want to destroy this gorgeous arrangement by taking out the lilies, which are the main focal point (there are five big ones, all 8-9" in diameter). Is there ANYTHING else I can do?

Please refrain from googling the answer and just guess. It was written by a prominent Christian leader whose name is known throughout the U.S. and probably throughout the world. Here's the quote:

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...Christian hope is not some news item about tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. We might put it this way: hope is now personalized. Its focus is not space and time, the question of "Where?" and "When?," but relationship with Christ's person and longing for Him to come close.

When I was growing up, my mom made butter-cream frosting with a stick of butter, a 1-lb box of confectioner's sugar, a little vanilla and a little milk.

It's far to sickly-sweet for me. I like Swiss Meringue butter-cream, but I'm working on my daughter's birthday cake, and frankly, the nuances are lost on her five-year-old palate. Plus I just don't have time to do the whole meringue thing.

If you have a quick, easy, not-too-sweet butter-cream frosting recipe, I'd be very grateful!

Read the story here:

http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=11004

The gist is that the Australian scientist who helped invent the Pill now sees the devastating effect of it in his own country. Other European nations have the same problem.

See animation of the effects of the Pill on Austrian population here:

http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/ERD/DB/data/hum/de...

Oh, and by the way, one reason male fertility is on the decline is because there are so many female hormones in our water supply...thanks to the Pill. Another reason is all the female hormones pumped into cows that provide dairy products. Real men drink organic milk!

I work for an ad agency. I am in my 40s, which means I'm in the end phase of my career unless I can move into management.

At my performance review this a.m., I received glowing accolades. The work is great. Clients like me. Staff loves to work with me. However, there are two Sr. VPs who aren't so happy with me, because four years ago, I was on some major accounts with them, and I was really, really sick, so I had trouble keeping up. I am healthy now, and I don't have those issues any more.

I don't work with them hardly at all any more, but they still say that I can't get my work done on time (have only missed 1 deadline in 2 years, and that's because my husband was in a terrible accident and suffered a brain injury, so I had to leave the office and sit with him in the hospital). They say I am more concerned about my family than I am about their clients.

My supervisor admits it's all perception and not reality, but he says it's my job to change their perception. I'm supposed to come up with a list of strategies and tactics for improving my image.

I've only just heard this within the last hour, but I'm really at a loss. Any suggestions?

Does the pope teach Catholics to have a personal relationship with Christ?

Read this (it's pretty short) and tell me what you think!

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13697

My daughter had her dance recital last month. It was HORRIBLE. I mean, she was okay, but every single class that danced showed that ALL the students were woefully unprepared. It seems nobody learned much of anything after a whole year of lessons. Example: There were two classes for 3-5 yr old girls. One taught by assistant teacher, one taught by main teacher. Assistant teacher's class was okay, pretty cute. Main teacher's class only did plies and skipping and waving magic wands for their recital piece. After four quarters of lessons and $280! I guarantee all those girls already knew how to skip and wave wands before the class started.

My daughter will not be returning to that studio. I already found another one. But I want my $280 for lessons back. I wouldn't mind getting the $30 for recital tickets, the $30 for recital costume and the $15 for recital video, either.

What a colossal waste of cash! The only reason we went there was because my cousin was the assistant teacher.

I know NOTHING about fashion, so please help me figure out what to wear.

The shower is an 11 a.m. brunch at a very nice restaurant (not 5 stars, but 4 stars). It's all ladies. The weather is apt to be chilly spring rainy weather, and I'm inclined to bring cardigans with me wherever I go to stay warm.

I am a 40-yr-old mom of 3. I look & act a lot like Tina Fey, only my eyes are hazel, I'm not as pretty as she is and I'm a size bigger. And I've got about 0.00000009% of her wardrobe budget to work with.

Please include LINKS so I can see what you are talking about. "Floral cocktail dress" or "flirty six-gored skirt" mean NOTHING to me. I need pictures!!!!

I also need advice in terms of hose, shoes and handbags, too. I am completely clueless, a die-hard tomboy who would wear jeans & a sweater to everything if I could. Most of my clothes come from Goodwill or Eddie Bauer clearance.

HELP - the shower is Saturday!

We're going to make chili, but my husband is allergic to green peppers. Can I swap green for red? I know it's okay in an uncooked dish or in a stove-top dish like omelets. But a stew is different. Do the red cook up differently?

Isn't it just too bad that public school teachers are forced to take a vow of celibacy that turns them into child molestors? Look at this article and see the shocking statistics!

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071020/D8SD2M700...

We need to change the rules and let teachers marry. Then they won't abuse children anymore.

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Oh, wait...

Here's the quote, which was addressed to children. Post your guess. 10 points goes to the first person who guesses correctly. Answer will be revealed later today.

(P.S. Non-Christians also welcomed to guess, but the person being quoted is a well-known Christian, so you might not recognize it)

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"Friendship with Jesus is such a beautiful gift that you cannot keep it to yourselves! Those who receive this gift feel the need to give it to others; and in this way the shared gift does not diminish but multiplies! Keep to this path! You are growing up and soon you will become adolescents and young people. Do not lose your missionary spirit. Always keep your faith pure and genuine..."

Do you have to add/reduce flour or do something else to get it to bake up right? I want the shape of a bundt, but I prefer to mix my cakes from scratch rather than use a mix, and I don't have any recipes that call for bundt pans.

There is a scene in the advertising department of Macy's where a group of women are pasting ads from other stores into books for reference by sales clerks. A man stops another man and says something like, "We need more books, Joe." Joe says he'll get some right away (or something like that), and a blonde woman calls out, "And I need more wanamakers!"

Does anybody know what she's talking about? Wanamaker's was a big department store in Philly and NYC when the movie was made -- Macy's even bought out Wanamaker's in the end -- but the context of what she is saying doesn't make sense...unless she means she needs more ads from Wanamaker's? Even then, that's kind of a weak interpretation of the line, I think.

I know Wanamaker's invented the price tag and the white sale and cash returns...could she be referring to any of these?

If you've got an answer, I'd love to hear it! Thanks.