On Sunday Dr. George Tiller, a doctor who provided late-term abortions, was murdered at his church. Abortion is such a controversial topic that I would normally not write about it, but I feel compelled to say a few words given the news of Dr. Tiller’s death.

I must confess that I have been grappling with this very topic myself for quite some time. I am an educated woman, and I enjoy the rights that have been fought for and won by other women before me. I choose to stay home with my children, a right that women did not have in the past. I know what abortion is, and I now how both sides of the fence view it. But this issue is more complicated than just the facts about what abortion is. It is an emotionally charged topic, and politics play into it all. It is not clear cut.

It is a great idea to research and understand a topic before you formulate an opinion. I have found a brief description of what an abortion entails at Daybreak Pregnancy Resource Center. If you are interested in reading about it, please go to their website, http://www.daybreakinc.org. (I’d rather not link to any website related to this topic.) By the way, Daybreak is a non-profit counseling and pregnancy center.

In the end, your opinion of abortion does not really matter. God tells us that murder is a sin. Period. He does not detail who is murdered and why; there are no exceptions.

You shall not murder. Deuteronomy 5:17

We are all sinners. We are not called to judge each other, though.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:36-38

We are called to love God and each other.

Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39

I am saddened by this whole situation.

I will pray for others.

I will love others.

Will you?

I’m sure that you have heard all about the “OctoMom”, Nadya Suleman, in California. It truly is a medical achievement to conceive and deliver eight babies who appear to be doing well. Now Suleman has fourteen children to raise – on her own. Ann Curry interviewed Suleman recently.

Say what you will about Nadya Suleman, but she is articulate and seems to love her children. I just wonder how she will do it. Moms everywhere know how difficult it is to raise a couple of children with a spouse. I cannot imagine the challenges Suleman has ahead of her while raising this many children, three of whom she already knows have disabilities and octuplets who could possibly also have disabilities. She will certainly need financial and emotional support.

Will you join me in praying for this family?

I just found a post on Baby Crunch about Facebook banning many photos of breastfeeding mothers. According to the statement made by Facebook executives, photos that show an exposed breast violate the Terms of Use.

Hmm…

I’m not so sure that a photo of a mother breastfeeding her child should be compared to random nude photos. A breastfeeding photo is in a completely different class. Don’t you think?

The great thing about Facebook is that you only view what you want to. You don’t have to scroll through photos that you are not interested in seeing. You can block members from your News Feed. If you see breastfeeding photos on a profile and find them offensive, don’t go to that person’s profile. Why complain to Facebook? Besides, aren’t these people your friends? Why not complain to your friends about the photos instead of Facebook? If the photos are that much of a bother to you, “unfriend” that person.

Maybe it’s just me, but I fail to see the problem here.

Photo courtesy of Raphael Goetter

Tonight I watched 60 Minutes. (Boy, do I feel like my grandparents!) Morley Safer, a 60 Minutes correspondent, reported on the research being done on resveratrol. Have you heard of it? Resveratrol is a chemical found in red wine, and we all know that there are health benefits to drinking red wine. Now scientists are attributing those health benefits to the chemical resveratrol. Back in June 2008 the LA Times also reported on the promise of the health benefits of this chemical. Currently there are scientists in Cambridge, MA who are researching how to use this chemical in a prescription drug to treat the illnesses associated with aging such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

I also found the following report by Barbara Walters on the same company’s research.

Will scientists be able to cure diseases that shorten our live spans?

Photo courtesy of helmet13

I have to add an extra post tonight because of buzz on Twitter about a new Motrin Ad campaign geared toward moms.

The campaign missed the mark, and many moms are pretty upset about it. Motrin is now taking the ad off the website according to Ladybug Landings.

Motrin needs to consider using social media to better judge public opinion about future campaigns!