Governor Gavin Newsom's Chief fiscal advisors opposes SB 24 for financial purposes. SB 24 would lead to an estimated 500 more abortions per month in the state of California by providing the chemical RU-486 abortion pills on California UC and CSU campuses.

Listen for further details on this great update with my dear friend and guest attorney John Gerardi on the latest episode.

Urgent: call all members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee on this list and ask them “to vote NO on SB 24”. Each call will take less than a minute.

Send your letter in opposing SB 24 by August 26 - California's university abortion expansion.

Watch and share this short documentary on the impact of this chemical abortion process that is even more damaging for women than surgical abortion.

Know someone who just took the abortion pill? It's not too late to save a life. www.AbortionPillReversal.com

Everyone please call these Senators & ask them to “Vote NO on SB 24”.

Portantino’s 916-651-4025

Bradford’s 916-651-4035

Weiskowski’s 916-651-4010

Bad: SB 24: This bill would require every CSU and UC (like Fresno State, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and every public university in California) to provide chemical abortion pills to students at the on-campus health centers. This could require spending California taxpayer dollars and student tuition to pay for it.

Good: AB 809: This bill would require pregnant and parenting students to be notified of their rights and protections under Title IX. We want to do everything we can to support women who find themselves in a difficult pregnancy, and to help them thrive socially and academically.

How can we help influence how laws get made?

1. Know the System: The State Assembly, the State Senate, and the Governor.

2. Write or Call Your Representatives: Visit http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/. Enter your address, and it will tell you who your State Assembly and State Senate representatives are, with a link to their website. Write or call them (particularly at their Sacramento offices) to let them know your position on a piece of legislation. Yes, write them!

3. Write the Governor: In September, the governor of California signs or vetoes every bill that has passed the State Assembly and State Senate that year. You can write to him directly to urge him to sign or veto here: https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/.

4. Visit the Capitol: Every year, Right to Life of Central California has a legislative advocacy day to support good legislation or oppose bad legislation. We drive to Sacramento, walk the halls to speak with legislative staff, visit our local representatives, and attend a legislative hearing. Anyone can do this—you don’t have to be a lobbyist!

You are a few years away from having the enormous responsibility of being a voter. If you know this basic stuff, you know more than the vast majority of voters!

Understand how your vote matters, how the people we elect make our laws, and how you can make a difference!

Listen to the episode where John discusses on Trending

I spend most days working through tough moral questions surrounding sex. Such as: “Why shouldn’t a same sex couple adopt children?” Or “How do I talk about abortion with my feminist friends?” The only reason I do what I do is because I love Jesus and He calls us to obedience and steadfast love. In Him I find authentic truth and freedom. I said yes to serving and I’ve been amazed by the places He has called me to. By digging in and with a rich prayer 🙏🏼 life you will be amazed by how you can be transformed.

Fun facts:

1️⃣ In high school I danced for one summer with the Kirov – a Russian ballet company.

2️⃣ I miss dancing every day but I’m thankful for the opportunity to share God’s plan for life and sexuality.

3️⃣ My earliest memories in the pro-life movement are when my parents packed up our house to run a maternity home when no one else was able to. That’s a shelter for women in crisis pregnancy 🤰.

Friday an episode of Trending will become available that covers how to respond to the argument that women will die without abortion. You must talk about this because otherwise Planned Parenthood is going to with your friends and children.

Listen to my radio show/podcast Trending with Chris Mueller and I where we discuss the crisis surrounding sex and how you can respond and transform your life for the glory of God. Be equipped and nourished. Subscribe and visit RadioTrending.com.

I’m booking speaking engagements for 2019! Lets get some strong pro-life and pro-woman apologetics into your area to save and change lives in your community.

We must do everything in our power to oppose this bill in California. AB 2943 would prevent counseling, educational resources, and many other forms of assistance for anyone struggling with same sex attraction or gender dysphoria.

This bill would make it illegal to assist someone who is seeking assistance in living a lifestyle consistent with their biology and religious practices.

If it became law, AB 2943 would further dismantle a clear understanding of human sexuality as male and female with the intent of marriage and family. The next step would be silencing an public dialogue on the topic as hate speech. This is a violation of free speech we already see taking place as YouTube has even banned my radio show Trending*’s videos where we deal with the science of gender ideology. (Listen here!)

California legislators cannot silence the people’s voice by taking away their religious liberty especially in the important work of counselors and churches.

The California Family Council has been proactive in opposing these measures in California and we must join them.

It won’t take long. Set aside 5 minutes!<!--more-->

Take these five steps NOW: Tell them to vote NO on Ab 2943. Talking points below!

1. At the top of this page sign the message going to CA Senator Joel Anderson and CA Assembly member Marie Waldron.
2. Briefly plug in your information and sign this letter to your senator 
3. Ask your Church or an organization fax a signed letter opposing the bill. Here is a template letter provided by California Family Council 
4. Call your senator and tell them to vote no on AB 2943. Find your senator’s number here.
5. Now share and ask 5 other people to take these 5 steps

Here is what the California Family Council Says to say to your senator:

• AB 2943 prevents adults from setting their own therapy goals.
• AB 2943 violates the First Amendment by banning books and church events to help people live according to their faith.
• AB 2943 uses threats of lawsuits and punitive damages under the consumer protection act to punish people for speaking about views the government doesn’t like.

Talking points from California Family Council:

• People looking for change should be free to find services and resources from counselors, schools, and religious organizations to help them achieve their desired goals.
• Politicians have no business telling people that their counseling goals are illegal.
• By applying to any “transaction,” AB 2943 would prevent a counselor from helping an adult client explore all options to address questions over sexual orientation, an author from selling a book challenging gender identity ideology, and even a church from hosting a ticketed conference addressing issues of sexuality and identity.
• It uses threats of lawsuits and punitive damages under the consumer protection act to punish speaking of views the government doesn’t like.
• Politicians have no business denying people the freedom to find counseling and resources to help them find happiness or to shut down counselors, schools, and religious organization that provide those services.
• Thirty years of research have failed to find a genetic or biological cause for the development of same-sex attractions. There’s no conclusive evidence – no DNA testing, no medical test finding – that science can point to proving someone is homosexual.
• Faith traditions all agree: a person’s identity isn’t about sexual desires, but about the values a person chooses.

Learn More from the California Family Council 

God's Speed!

Timmerie

Today women are encouraged by medical professionals to explore their own body from a young age. Lets start a conversation before these habits begin or another day goes by that a friend struggles with these addictions.

Overconsumption of media has gotten in the way of our own self reflection and the incredible impact of silence. If you haven’t yet decided what you’re doing for lent this year, apart from the Church’s prescribed fasting and abstinence, I suggest the Black and White Challenge.

Make your phone screen black and white
Go to the settings on your phone and make your phone screen black and white for the duration of Lent (Google it!).

Here’s the object of the challenge:
Detach from the constant itching of your hand to pickup your phone, instant communication, mindlessly flipping through your apps, or anxiously checking notifications and emails.<!--more-->

Silence allows for self reflection, spontaneous prayer, and gives you room to be rather than constantly do something on your phone.

Self-control from intentionally not using the phone helps you to stay focussed, responsible, and prayerful rather than constantly distracted by notifications. (If you haven’t already turn those notifications off unless absolutely necessary).

Savor the things around you, even the stillness. Constant distraction prevents the savoring of moments throughout the day whether it be simple interactions or major achievements. This allows you to appreciate and reflect on time spent with a loved one, a conversation, the scenery from the outdoors, or the day’s Bible readings.

Make this Lent a time of change and renewal, not just 40 days of different behavior. Take Lent seriously this year. Intentionally plan to be prayerfully successful in order to build virtue, a prayer life, and yes a life of fasting that goes beyond the Tridium.

My prayers are with you this Lent as we prepare for the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ our redeemer. I will be posting brief tid bits of encouragement on my Instagram live story throughout Lent.

Let me know you’re doing the Black & White Challenge and invite others to join you!

Other Lenten Practices I Recommend

1. Weekly Stations of the Cross at your parish
2. Daily Mass as often as you can
3. Nightly examination of conscience
4. Set morning and evening prayer
5. Start doing something you love again, even if only a couple times a week

Prayer Aids/Recommendations
Manual of Prayers
Ignatius Catholic Study Bible
Magnificat 

Bible Basics for Catholics

**Of course, the phone being a tool for life, there may be periods of time where you need to revert to color on your phone for a few minutes.

Q: In light of this years Women’s march I’m reflecting and often encounter how to be a strong pro life voice amongst my pro-woman friends? We are all pro-women but their stance seems to be all encompassing of reproductive rights and sense of anger that I don’t share. I feel like as a catholic woman I am very pro woman in a much more true version of the meaning, but how do I merge the two? How do I balance both worlds? How do I be pro-life amongst them not against my friends and colleagues?

A: Articulation A Pro-Life, Pro- Woman Mindset to a “Reproductive Rights Feminist”.

This is a great question. Don’t we often want to say to other women, “But I’m pro-woman too!” I often tell women that I am a feminist and their shock bridges the conversation to differences in positions. What we mean by this is that our pro-life and natural sex mindset (aka no contraception) is what’s best for women. We want other women to know that all women deserve better than abortion. Furthermore, the so-called freedom the reproductive rights mantra offers is not women’s liberation but instead leads to a path of heartbreak and regret.

We begin by having courage to speak up with the goal of a dialogue. You already know you’re right. You’re not fighting whether or not you are. It’s time to rewire our mindset entering into the missionary field: You are entrusted with friends, colleagues, and maybe even family members you care enough about that you want them to share this truth and even the gift of a lifestyle that you know leads to happiness.

Coming from a place of love, rather than being right, opens the door to your ability to listen and find common ground. (God provides a mission not only for the other person, but also for you to grow.) You don’t think you have any common ground? Let’s slow down to speed up. You’re a woman and want what’s best for women. Just because your lifestyle of pro-woman beliefs looks different from theirs doesn’t mean you’re ill-equipped to respond to what may seem a pack of angry vipers at times.

Listening and asking questions can be your tool to guide the conversation. Ask questions that make your friends break down their mindset. This opens the door for the other person to see for herself a faulty reason, lack of support for the position, or a misguided good intention. Speak to what they say and then compliment and purify their good intentions in the right direction. Then shut up! This allows them to ask you questions or to sit uncomfortably with their thoughts. You don’t have to change a mind right away, but instead offer an open door for further dialogue. You’re planting a seed.

You can converse about rights, law, fetal development, types of abortion, post-abortion syndrome, miscarriage, premature babies, carcinogens, and whatever neat apologetics tool you have up your sleeve. Start with what you know. Humbly admit when you need to get back to someone with more evidence or a clear answer. Please don’t forget to follow up.

Finally, tell stories and allow women to tell theirs.

A public debate was held between myself and Professor of Women’s Studies, Cecili Chadwick, at Cal State San Marcos on A Woman’s Right to Choose. After continuously criticizing the Catholic Church during the cross examination, Professor Chadwick mentioned that she had faced an unplanned pregnancy and adores her child from that pregnancy. She couldn’t imagine having aborted her child. Instead of taking the bait and running down the path of defending the Church, I simply asked about her story. From a formal debate “win or lose perspective that’s not really how it works. She was deeply moved and emotionally shared her testimony. I can tell you that her testimony of choosing life was the story the hostile pro-abortion audience left with.

Entering Into The Mission

Remember, you will always think of a better thing to say after the discussion has ended, but your kindness will be a part of the long term impact you have. Mother Teresa once said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

You are chosen to be a part of those conversations, but you are never alone! Ask Our Lady to be in the room. Then – implore the Holy Spirit to be in your mind, on your lips, and in your heart.

Resources for the journey:

Link to San Diego Union Tribune newspaper piece Timmerie wrote countering Planned Parenthood’s on reproductive rights.

We often long for good stories with dynamic male and female characters who, yes, make mistakes but also learn from them without putting down either of the sexes. Some might take offense that a movie could make it on the screen telling the stories of women seeking marriage because they want someone to ‘look after them’, but then those strong-willed romantics would miss the greater points of the story. We’ll look at this more a little bit later along with what seems to be a negative light shed on a woman who tries to gain the regard of a man by pretending to like the same things he does.

A charming element to old movies is the strong characters shown in men without the worry of putting women down simply because of a man of strength on screen. Movies of the 20’s-60’s tend to tell stories of profound character development who learn an increased sense of morality and virtue (that is, doing things for the right reasons). Often, the stories of men and women lacking character are taken through a series of experiences and mistakes that lead them to be better men and women.

Critics will say the Golden Age of Hollywood shows weak and oppressed characters of women who don’t know what’s available to them. But anyone who watches Three Coins in the Fountain will find otherwise. (A sly reminder to break down a story during and after as an opportunity to learn and not simply be impressed upon.)

In Three Coins in the Fountain, three American women far away from home work as prestigious and well paid secretaries in Rome. Maria, Anita, and Francis live in a beautiful villa with an attentive housekeeper. Even in the midst of success and hardwork, the center of the story rests in the heart of each and the men they grow to love.

(No spoilers here! Please watch the movie and share your thoughts.)

Women Who Want to Marry Are Weak and Naive

Let’s look at the first problem I mentioned: Are they weak and naive for wanting to find companionship and love in marriage? On the contrary! Maria, Anita, and Francis show that work, money, and beautiful things don’t bring happiness. Longing for a spouse is natural even if it means making sacrifices. Our bodies are programmed in their anatomy and chemistry to remind us that we are made for others – not isolation. You want proof? Just study how the hormones, pheromones, oxytocin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and endorphins all play into love, sexuality, and family life in order to draw a man and a woman together. With the decline of marriage and family it’s not surprising to see increased depression, mental illness, and loneliness all pointing to the same conclusion through sociological and psychological analysis. This was understood by the storytellers of the Golden Age.

Deception and Sacrifice

One of the main characters, Maria, while newly arrived in Rome studies the things a man likes, from food and dreadful modern art to wine and opera. She pretends to like the same things, in the hope of gaining Dino’s good opinion. Maria’s mistake deals her a serious lesson; however, she ends up showing a greater strength in her humility when she confesses about her little black book listing all of Dino’s loves.

This part of the story intrigued me the most. Maria seeks a way to get to know Dino, who her friends claim is quite the womanizer. While her friends think Dino leaves a woman’s reputation in disrepute, Maria learns to know the man in the hope there is substance to Dino (of course apart from him being a prince). She tries to know and love the things he knows and loves.

There is a beauty to part of what she’s done. Maria sought to know a person and in her faulty methods prevents someone from knowing her. She shuts herself off to reciprocity. You may scoff , but how often do each of us pretend to be something or know something we don’t in order to seem better than we are. Or – do we take the time to appreciate things other people around us love out of love for them. Although imperfect, there is an element of sacrifice to Maria’s actions in the effort to get to know Dino.

A thing perceived and once enjoyed is always better appreciated not in solitude but in communion with others. Maybe we can learn humility by owning up to well-intended shortcomings. The desire to be loved and to make an impression can be purified by loving and allowing the authentic impressions of others to be heard.

Today, women have achieved unprecedented accomplishments through equal access to education and high-level positions in the many facets of the workforce. Women bring their distinct influence and gifts to impact a broad range of public and private life. Yet we must ask ourselves the following: Is abortion necessary for women’s equality? Is abortion a reproductive right that should be federally funded?

Abortion is often referred to as the termination of a pregnancy. The consequential ending of the pre-born child’s life is justified based on the circumstance of the mother and the dependence of the developing person on the mother. The zygote, embryo, fetus, newborn, toddler, child in her terrible twos, teenager seeking independence or elderly man beginning to age — each go through the same stages of development as you already have or will.

Should a teenager be denied life because he is hostile to his parents? After all, he demands a roof over his head and nourishment for his body from another’s means. Should the grandmother’s right to live be denied because she is dependent on another person to feed her because her hands are shaking and curled in pain?
Continue reading at the San Diego Union Tribune

Refinery29, a media platform that shares all things pop-culture and lifestyle recently posted the following video.

Women are encouraged to have an IUD implanted immediately before president elect Donald Trump repeals the Affordable Care Act and thereby ends subsidized “free” birth control covered in the law.  This would mean no more Pill Club or quick trip to Planned Parenthood.  Whether our president elect will do so is yet to be determined.  Planned Parenthood reports a 900% increase in the number of IUDs implanted; over the last month that’s 9 more women for every single woman who had an IUD implanted before the election.  

Women fear that if they no longer have access to free contraception that their potential in life and their current lifestyle will be ripped from them leaving them vulnerable, humiliated, and pregnant. <!--more-->

Before you or someone you know rushes off to have an IUD implanted, take a moment to read my friend’s story.  I will call her Ally for anonymity purposes:

“Before my return to my Catholic Faith and a better understanding of what real love really meant I tried most kinds of birth control. I began with the pill, used a ring, and ultimately had an IUD implanted.

While I would never recommend any of them for their own various reasons, the IUD had the worst complications by far. Doctors told me I would have some brief spotting for a few weeks after insertion. The IUD basically created a full menstrual period or hemorrhage for over a year non-stop.

I went back to the doctor's office three times during that time and doctors kept telling me it was okay and it would go away. I suffered from severe depression and finally had the IUD removed. Insertion and removal were extremely painful.

Your body has natural defenses to attack and remove foreign bodies from itself. It will do the same with an IUD. I would never recommend an IUD to anyone. There are natural alternatives to prevent pregnancy like Natural Family Planning. Sticking a metal or plastic piece into your body (which by the way, was created by a man) is not women's health nor freedom.”

Ally asked to remain anonymous, but what I can tell you about this thirtysomething-year-old woman is this:  She isn’t different from the rest of you.  Ally has faced the challenges of a career, education, intimate relationships, and the desire to be the best woman she can be.  In the midst of that she has chosen a life free from hormonal contraception.  In doing so she has found a lifestyle of integrated sexuality that is free from the fear of a sexually transmitted disease, a pregnancy outside of marriage, and the heartbreak of a sexual relationship lacking long term commitment and fidelity.  

Ally’s decision didn’t suddenly take away her freedom and ambition  Now, Ally excitedly anticipates her upcoming marriage to a man willing to love her for the choices she has made, free of contraception and sex outside of marriage. She has chosen a partner who will make the commitment to be faithful, true, and permanently hers.  

People are saying the possible elimination of “free” contraception will negatively impact women’s lives for years to come . . .

My life without contraception hasn’t been one of oppression, lack of education, or loving relationships.  My life and those of many others is a testament to the fact that a woman can achieve great things without her sexuality holding her back.  I am a working professional who loves entrepreneurship and not only has a university education but a graduate degree as well.  I'm even working in the field that I chose to work in prior to finishing school (that can’t be said for many people of my generation).  My achievements have nothing to do with hormonal contraception. I chose to be grounded in reality and have humility before God. I worked hard, and made serious life choices not only for the good of myself but for the good of others.

[caption id="attachment_1290" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Sister's culinary school graduation[/caption]

From my work with women who are navigating their sex lives and at times a crisis pregnancy,  I have seen firsthand the struggles women face before, during and after the decision to use hormonal contraception. In particular having an IUD implanted.  

I can tell you that no form of hormonal, physically barrier, or sterilization for birth control comes without challenges and consequences (to name a few just read here).  Women know they are viewed differently in intimacy because of  the way they view themselves and their reproductive organs.  

I believe in love and in responsibility and I hope you do too.  Which is why I encourage you to comment sharing your story of joy, sorrow, or challenge.  Women shouldn’t be left in fear believing they need to have an IUD implanted to last the possible two terms of the incoming president.  

Happy Feast of the Blessed Mother -- immaculately conceived without sin!  A woman who didn’t plan to be a mother but who had chosen a life of perpetual virginity.  She willingly accepted and changed her life despite a desire to the contrary, and might I add a crisis pregnancy.  May we ask her maternal intercession for women seeking to live a chaste life both in and out of marriage and for every person entrusted with this knowledge to be willing to share the truth of human love with others.  

Who was the Real Margaret Sanger program educates the current culture to the roots of the radical feminist movement.  A movement which promotes the chemical and surgical manipulation of the woman’s body, and even death of a pre-born child, as the necessary means to equality and freedom for women.  In this brief and informative series, Margaret Sanger’s mission is communicated so clearly that one can’t help but have some concern as to the impact such views continue to have on women, men, and children. Why do we remain complacent as women are told they must change their bodies rather than emphasize the need for all to work together to create an environment promoting the value of women in society?

It is not a surprise that we see widespread use of pornography and sex trafficking of women when we are a people in favor of physical manipulation of the woman’s body as a means of progress.  It’s time to make a change in the way we think and how we respond to progress for women and society as a whole, that is real feminism.  <!--more-->

Are you looking for a pro-life resource for a group meeting coming up?  This is great for any age from high school on up.  This program utilises three short videos and an instructor's guide to help you understand the founding of the contraceptive and abortion mindset of the modern culture.  You will learn who Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, is and what she believed.  

Learn more about this series I've endorsed at http://www.SangerVideo.com

Me Before You tells the story of a young couple who falls in love in the most unusual circumstances. However, it wrongly leads a person to believe that love means tolerance for any behavior and that living life to its fullest potential means traveling, being rich, and absolute autonomy.

This movie takes a sweet love story of two people who fall in love with each other for who they are and twists it into each person choosing themselves before others. A young woman is encouraged to find happiness apart from the beautiful simplicity of her daily life and family. A young man is left ending his life because he thinks he has no value; furthermore, he isn’t willing to live his life with a young woman who loves him just the way he is.

Please share this before another person sees this movie looking for a selfless love story!

I’m usually a very closed book. I don’t feel comfortable sharing much about my experiences or myself, but after scrolling through Facebook on International Women’s Day I felt the need to speak up. I noticed a Facebook comment on a post about Planned Parenthood. The young woman commenting was defending abortion with the idea that before a certain number of weeks, ending a pregnancy was simply removing an unwanted clump of cells from a woman’s body.

After seeing this comment and all the support it was receiving, I wondered how many other young girls – and boys think this way? We are told over and over by pro-choice groups that in the early weeks of pregnancy that the child is simply a mass of cells and that there is absolutely no harm in removing those unwanted cells – somewhat like having a tooth pulled or removing a wart. Many young people who haven’t experienced a pregnancy, miscarriage, or abortion hear this idea and accept it.

I had a miscarriage at 7 weeks, which is considered extremely early. Many women don't know they are pregnant yet at this stage. The doctor even told me to consider it just a “big period” or a “chemical pregnancy”. During the miscarriage I was extremely vigilant whenever I went to the bathroom or changed my pad because I hated the idea that my baby would be flushed down the toilet or thrown away. After an excruciating set of cramps I found my baby after he or she has passed from my body.<!--more-->

I held my baby in the palm of my hand and had a moment of peace as I looked at the most beautiful little details. Although he or she was not yet formed into the typical "baby form", they had a head and spinal cord, and little sprouts where the arms and legs would be.

It really is true when people say a mother loves her child no matter what they look like because I was so in love with this little person who had barely begun to form.

Emotionally, it was very difficult. I spent most nights in tears, sobbing, telling myself over and over "it's going to be okay". As my hormone levels dropped I had night sweats, I lost weight, I didn’t have any kind of appetite, and felt extremely shaky and weak.

Someone might say I only experienced those kinds of emotions because I had been so excited about my pregnancy. Perhaps if I hadn’t wanted it, I may have felt freedom or relief. I don’t think that is true. Losing my baby wasn’t like my birthday party getting canceled and I don’t think having an abortion leaves women feeling very free.

I wasn't simply letting go of an idea I had become invested in, My son or daughter died inside my body, and I felt that - deeply.

I have come to peace with it now but for a while I wondered if there was anything I could have done differently - eaten healthier, gained more weight, taken progesterone- anything to save their life.

I think people who have never experienced a miscarriage or abortion don't understand the gravity of losing a child. They say abortion is okay, as long as it is before so many weeks, but gestation has nothing to do with it. It's a death no matter what stage.

My husband and I had our baby blessed by the priest that married us. He told us that our baby had been baptized in my waters by their guardian angel and he ensured us that the loss of our child did not take away our motherhood and fatherhood. He instructed us to go up on the hill behind the church and we’d find a large tree. He told us to bury our child there so that their body would become part of the earth that God had so carefully created. I placed the little box that held my baby’s body and a letter I had written to my baby in the ground, and covered it with the soil.

“It’s just a clump of unwanted cells” “abortion is only wrong after fourteen weeks” “it’s like a parasite in her body” “it’s not a big deal when it's so early on”

Early abortion should not be taken lightly. It’s a loss at every stage.

International women's day is about celebrating women and acknowledging women’s dignity. This includes all women: professional women, stay at home moms, your daughter, your grandmother, and even the baby girl who is only 7 weeks old.  

~ Rest in peace my little one – mama loves you.

Michelle Pallisco is a new mom to a beautiful baby girl. She previously worked for a non profit women's pregnancy center in Poway, CA. She graduated from John Paul the Great Catholic University in 2015 with a degree in media and plans to pursue writing while raising a family .

Do you belong?  

In college, my friends used to jump on and off hormonal contraceptives like The Pill, NuvaRing, Yaz, and others based on the balancing of their monthly budget.  Contraception was considered a luxury whether for the purpose of “safe sex”, lighter or fewer menstrual cycles, less acne, bigger boobs, etc.  Now, it’s overwhelming that contraception has become the end all be all in women's lives.

Whereas a few years ago a girl would have to pay an insurance premium or fully out of pocket for hormonal contraception, now it’s free.  Heck, it can even be shipped to you for free in California.

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Contraception: The Answer to All Female Health Issues

You are not alone if you are a female who was prescribed or even pressured into  taking some form of birth control at the onset of any health symptoms.  I wonder if the doctor just thinks -- “Hmm, what should I do for this female having health problems?  I know!  Let’s chemically alter her natural daily cycle and see if this fixes the issue.”  Because women are complicated, right?    

Much to the female’s dismay, maybe the original reason for taking it went away but most women cannot figure out why they are experiencing new symptoms.  To mention just a few:

• Extreme mood swings
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Nausea
• Swollen and tender breasts
• Migraines
• Blood clots in the brain and legs
• Cancer
• Breast cancer
• Hypertension
• Nervousness

This isn’t about my birth control, right?  I trust my birth control!  It enables my life to go on without a pregnancy or a number of other physical ailments.  I can work, go to school, have fun, and have sex whenever because of my hormonal birth control.

So many women doubt that their hormonal birth control is causing their world to spin (sometimes literally).

Real Stories

I could write numerous books telling the stories of women who are now in their 60s to girls presently 15 years old who look back and acknowledge the negative impact the pill had on their body.  

Recently, my masseuse and I somehow started talking about birth control and how she had been on it for a number of years (Don’t ask how we got there!  If you know me, somehow we got there in the midst of the most natural conversation.).  She shared she had never known why she spent so many of her young adult years stressed out, anxious, headachy, and at times outright depressed.  Without going into great detail she shared with light tones of regret that she didn’t realize 15+ years of her life weren’t meant to be as tense and stressful.

You see her use of The Pill had an impact on the people around her, her health, and overall happiness.  At the time she believed she was sacrificing having children for the sake of her freedom, she later learned that choice now left her almost middle aged and reflecting on a number of very challenging years that were meant to be carefree.  

“Nothing’s Really Free”

This masseuse is a woman who payed a good amount of money for years of artificial birth control use.  Taking something that she believed made her free to acheive anything she wanted really made her question all of her decisions and the unknown health problems caused by her years of birth control.  

Now, women face a whole new challenge as not only do they believe that birth control makes them free, but they can also obtain it at no cost to themselves.  What will the cost be to those women who never weigh or know the consequences and think birth control opens the door to new possibilities from a spontaneous hookup to an uninhibited career?  

So What About “The Pill Club”

Programs such as The Pill Club offer free contraception that can be mailed to you at no cost.  It only takes a few minutes to sign up.  When you consider this option or know your friends are seeing the same videos and ads on social media for The Pill Club -- think again.  This isn’t just a matter of whether or not people think contraception is moral or immoral, this is about women’s health.  

And guess what?  The pill itself isn’t the only thing causing a negative impact on women’s bodies; also harmful is the mindset that makes women think they need contraception to live their life.  In reality, as many women mature they look back and ask if it was really worth it to live with lifelong consequences.  

A series of videos are published on the website where actresses such as Elizabeth Banks, Amy Brenneman, Mercedes Mason, and others share stories of women who advocate for abortion through their testimonies.

I find this campaign an opportunity to lovingly respond to women who have had abortions with a feminist position which listens and offers sympathy and education for others in similar circumstances.  

Let’s look at Rebecca’s story as told by actress Elizabeth Banks:

The story begins with emphasizing that Rebecca’s friend was extremely pushy growing up.  As freshmen in college, life becomes more complicated.  Rebecca finds herself in an abusive relationship.  While her best friend’s pushiness was helpful when Rebecca needed the encouragement after her reluctance to leave the relationship, Rebecca feared that it would be harmful to their friendship when she wanted to have an abortion.  Her best friend was pro-life.  

Rebecca shares how the women in her life “stepped up to support the decision” she made.  Her pro-life friend did not pass judgement or discourage the decision but instead helped Rebecca obtain an abortion.  

Rebecca shares that the life her loved ones were most concerned about was hers.  

Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket in the Hunger Games

Let’s take a step back to think about this . . .

Maybe this is your friend or perhaps this is a situation you’ve found yourself in.  

As women we deserve better than abortion, contraception, and abusive relationships.  True reproductive freedom and feminists  acknowledge this.  

When we say we’re pro-life that means we believes that the life of the mother and the life of the pre-born child are of equal importance -- to be respected and protected.  As soon as more than one person enters into the equation the possibility of elevating one life over another is no longer an option.  Because we’re all equal, right?

We want what is best for Rebecca and her child.  It is not healthy for either to remain in an abusive setting and most likely not for Rebecca to be a single mom her freshmen year of college.    Does that mean one person’s life should be terminated for the sake of another’s?  

You see Rebecca couldn’t even share her own story.  It was too painful  So many women don’t.  Many women also don’t share the impact post abortion syndrome has on their lives physically and emotionally.  Even in their sex lives!

Women deserve more than being faced with the tough decision of abortion.  Abortion shouldn’t be the fail-safe for women.  

True reproductive rights view the female body as the masterpiece that it is.  As women we can protect ourselves from unsafe relationships, abortion, and toxic synthetic hormones in contraception.

Women use the excuse that they’re on some form of hormonal contraception to take their reproductive health less seriously.  In doing so it leaves them vulnerable to a long list of other unhealthy and damaging circumstances.  

Women in abusive relationships often find it difficult to leave.  Part of this is because of the chemicals released in sex (dopamine, norepinephrine, oxytocin, vasopressin, endorphins, and serotonin) that help bond the two people to each other by relaxing and connecting them.  These chemicals release into the brain to help us overlook the faults of a sexual partner in addition to releasing chemicals that give a sense of calmness, alertness, and pleasure.  

Over time the craving of sex is meant to turn into a desire for one another.  In fact, dopamine is released into the brain to remind the person of these bodily/mental feelings in order to draw two people into what should be a lifelong, faithful, and fruitful marriage for the good of the spouses.

In part, this is why it was so difficult for Rebecca to leave her abusive relationship.  She wasn’t just in love with some guy she met in college who abused her.  She was chemically bonded to him through their sex life which inhibited her ability to create a healthy and safe relationship for herself.  Rebecca believed her safe haven of contraception allowed her the freedom she desired when in reality it prevented her from creating a loving, sacrificial, intimate, and long-lasting bond.

Each of us are looking for unconditional love and approval.  But often in this culture of contraception and abortion - falsely disguised under the names of feminism and reproductive freedom -  we find ourselves wounded, often with deeper wounds that will last a lifetime.  And these are the ones we hold closest to our hearts which prevent us from finding the authentic love we long for.    

Let's not take for granted the importance and beauty of human sexuality.  

I draw the line.  Will you join me?  

Please share this with your loved ones.  

I went to see the movie with my boyfriend, who works in the media industry producing branded entertainment content.  He commented after the movie how confusing it was to him because there wasn’t that usual ‘all hope is lost’ moment.  

I think Cinderella understanding her own existence through the gift of self prevented us from grasping an ‘all hope is lost’ moment.  While Cinderella was in a horrible circumstance she still knew who she was and no one could take that from her.  By her gift of self in the simple acts of service to others she saw her value even when others didn’t.  

While most of us don’t find ourselves in a Cinderella indentured servant like situation we still face challenges that are difficult to fight our way out of emotionally and sometimes physically.

In Cinderella’s character we are reminded of the need to find joy in the simplicity of life and in the struggles.  Can we find joy and meaning in things no matter the circumstances?  

There can be meaning to pain and suffering and in that we can find joy.  This joy doesn’t demand we be able to bounce around singing songs but that we can be happy even in our darkest moments.  

Some asked Cinderella why she didn’t leave her stepmother and stepsisters.  Cinderella didn’t because she found meaning and joy in her self gift as she served and remained in her parent’s house.

This reminded me of something John Paul II said in Theology of the Body where he talks about living as a gift of self to others.  He said, “the gift reveals, so to speak, a particular characteristic of personal existence, or even of the very essence of the person.” Theology of the Body 14:2

I believe Cinderella’s character shows that she came to know herself because she was able find self worth in her self gift.  I’m certainly not encouraging anyone to stay in horrible circumstances but I do believe we can learn to find self worth and meaning no matter where we are in life.  On the roller coaster of life there will be ups and downs, but can we find meaning to what we live?

Life may be a rollercoaster but you can still be intact.  Your dignity is yours.  Your gift of self is yours to be lived and given.  No one can take that away unless you let them.  

 

This is something I want for you girls. Any man, no matter his background can cherish you for one reason: because it has everything to do with who you are.

I certainly do not have it all figured out but I have realized some things about my friendships, particularly with the male gender. Story time . . .

My best friend from childhood till he was married always respected who I was. Especially during the low points when his behavior was the antithesis of what I believed in he always cherished me as a person and as a friend.  

Being closest to my male cousins they’ve always been the first to encourage me, even when their moral compass pointed in other directions. Even the naughtiest of them clean up their behavior when they’re around me.

I’ll never forget a few years ago hanging out at my cousins’ bachelor pad. They surprised each other by their cleaning efforts that usually does not take place even for their girlfriends. Then, while talking and watching a movie they proceeded not to answer the front door on multiple occasions.

Friends knocked away and I finally asked why they wouldn’t answer. My cousin said, “They won’t speak right or treat you as they should. Plus, we’re all having a great time.” Then another commented on how peaceful it was to hangout and not have to drink in order to have fun.

Being cherished by the men in my life has challenged me to be who I am and not try to act or dress in a way for other people.

Reflecting on this here is what I can tell you:

• Be the person you want to be deep inside. Do you remember who that is? Maybe it has been a long time since you thought about it.


• Carry yourself with poise (look it up if you don’t know what that means).


• Allow your faith to be who you are not just a part of who you are. I find that I am most happy (even when life is most difficult) when I don’t separate my faith from who I am. 
]]> https://www.radiotrending.com/articles/christmas-poinsettias-prophets-going-to-planned-parenthood Sun, 15 Dec 2013 12:00:00 -0800 trendingdt@gmail.com f72d302f-a899-4307-aa52-3ed2179ffe38 Planned Parenthood is once again raking in the money from everyday people, even during the Christmas season. The festive poinsettia plants that are used to decorate churches and homes over the Christmas season are helping to fund Planned Parenthood.

Paul Ecke Ranch, the world's largest distributor of poinsettias, is a large benefactor of Planned Parenthood. For years Paul Ecke's family has been recognized as one of the largest abortion supporters in San Diego.
This Christmas season please purchase your poinsettia plants with caution this year, by checking if the poinsettia came from Ecke's Ranch. It may be a small thing to you but the contribution to our nations largest abortion and contraceptive provider is a big deal.

]]> https://www.radiotrending.com/articles/so-what-if-they-are-gay Tue, 15 Oct 2013 12:00:00 -0700 trendingdt@gmail.com aecc028b-7c0c-4e21-baa2-b67c083c7683 Today’s blog is more of a personal reflection . . .

Growing up dancing and even within my extended family I have been close to many people with homosexual tendencies. As I grow older I discover more friends and past acquaintances with the same struggle.

Maybe I over think it, but almost every time I wonder to myself: 'If I did a better job befriending that person would they be where they are now?'

In other words, would they know the love the Catholic faith has for them? I think of my friends, acquaintances, and those persons who I will later encounter as they struggle with their sexuality. I hope they know this:

I love them for who they are, not what they are. Everyone struggles with something; yet, no matter the struggle we are called to love. At the core of Christianity is the love of the Cross.

The faith I live condemns no person who has homosexual tendencies, but calls that person to a love filled life. Here’s why . . . The Cross represents life giving and self giving love.

To be a Christian is to live as Christ lived. Christ denied himself and gave himself on the cross to his Father for all of humanity.

In this context I understand sexuality as a full giving of self that is selfless. All of us are called to deny ourselves and pick up our Cross. We are all called to chastity. To self control. To love and to faithfulness. To any who may be homosexual, the Catholic Church loves you and says come, just as it says come to me who is a sinner and must be forgiven daily.

So what if they are gay?

I hope we are able to show the love of Christ and the life giving self giving love of the Cross through our own actions.

Timmerie

]]> https://www.radiotrending.com/articles/image-unwrapped Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:00:00 -0800 trendingdt@gmail.com 80f98791-2e78-4e59-8e56-ecbd90a7c208 I just watched this video about 10 times over before I could believe the transformation. It was all done so quickly. I didn’t know that was possible! I knew women in photographs were drastically altered, but I had no clue this was the extent of it.

What is produced in this video is impossible for any girl to achieve!

Everyone is abuzz with conversation over this model’s transformation from her face down to her toes! Her body is beautiful with the transformation, but it isn’t even realistic.

I have never really talked to people about my experience when it comes to body image. I can tell you it was something very unsettling for me growing up as a dancer . . .

I wasn’t insecure but I was always very aware and working on it. It wasn’t because I thought I was ugly. It was the fact that I was a performer and there were high expectations as I participated in an art that was physically demanding and artistically oriented.

Some days in the summer I danced 9+ hours a day. At the beginning of my day and prior to sleeping I did 15+ minutes of sit ups and other ab exercises because of the constant images of other dancers and the pictures on the front of the magazines in grocery stores.

As young as about 10 years old I was well aware of the need not to just be skinny but in shape and toned. I remember dreading our weekly weight checks when I was dancing with a Russian ballet company/school over the summer. They even monitored our body fat and other stuff that I didn’t even know what it meant.

All day, prior to our weight checks, girls would starve themselves, throw up, or maybe just have “a little watermelon” and not too much water.

I share all of this as an intro to my first weekly vlog. There I will further discuss my experience as a dancer growing up in a world obsessed with weight and body image.

In the mean time I would love to hear feedback from you about your own experience of dealing with your body. We can all learn something from each other. I know this is something most girls don’t like to talk about in person so do it anonymously if you like.

Timmerie

 

]]> https://www.radiotrending.com/articles/humanae-vitae-part-2-the-design-for-married-love Thu, 23 Aug 2012 12:00:00 -0700 trendingdt@gmail.com db46d45e-5e07-4569-a646-edf5619e1af8 We now continue the series on the Catholic Church encyclical Humanae Vitae as many of us struggle in our modern day culture with understanding the Church’s opposition to artificial contraception.

We again ask, why does artificial contraception matter so much?

To help us understand this sensitive topic, we go back to the beginning of what the Church has said. Last week in my blog Humanae Vitae – Is birth to be controlled? I began with part I Problems and Competency of the Magisterium and introduced us to II Doctrinal Principles. We walked through how Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae identifies the changes and struggles in culture which have lead to reasonable questions surrounding how birth is be controlled. The Church’s response to this question begins with recognizing the procreative role in married love. We find that the answers to these questions ultimately require us to understand man and God’s plan for him . . .

*II Doctrinal Principles
*
Continuing on, Pope Paul VI says at the beginning of this section, “Married love particularly reveals its true nature and nobility when we realize that it takes its origin from God, who "is love," the Father "from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named." To elaborate on this, married love is not a matter of chance or a “blind evolution of natural forces” but it is according to God’s loving design where husband and wife are to:

1. give themselves mutually to one another

2. develop their union by perfecting one another

3. cooperate with God in the co-creation of human life

While studying Humanae Vitae, I just had to stop right here and say, that this is beautiful. Husband and wife are to find themselves effectively and completely in their union with one another as they cooperate in God’s loving design of life giving and self giving love that bears the fruits of new life.
Furthermore, when those who have been baptized into the body of Christ are married, they are participating in a sacrament that “represents the union of Christ and His Church.”

If this is what the Catholic Church is saying about marriage, is it really so confining and filled with rules? I believe the words themselves explain a magnificent freedom for man and woman.

Married Love

With the three aspects of God’s loving design for marriage clearly shown above, the needs for married love can be understood.

Married love is fully human as it encompasses our material human senses and our spiritual intellectual need as human beings. For married love is not just instinctual and driven by emotions. It is “an act of the free will” that is meant to embrace the daily joy and sorrow of marriage. The couple is to grow together as they become “one heart and soul, and together attain their human fulfillment”. This is meant to be the natural growth of husband and wife in the friendship with one another that completes them.

At their wedding husband and wife are to understand their free act in which they vow themselves to one another in a covenantal bond that is unwaveringly faithful even through the difficulties of marriage.

Finally, this marital love is meant to be fruitful as it is not confined to the husband and wife for it goes so far as to generate new life into existence. By its very nature the conjugal love is, “ordained toward the procreation and education of children.” As the marital love goes beyond the two individuals, the gift of children contributes to the welfare of the parents.

Now as we’ve just laid down the groundwork for married love and are starting to see the contribution of children to the well being of married couples within the beautiful plan of God, we will next look to responsible parenthood and natural law. Please continue to follow along in this series and share the beauty of understanding married love.

]]> https://www.radiotrending.com/articles/humanae-vitae-part-1-is-birth-to-be-controlled Wed, 15 Aug 2012 12:00:00 -0700 trendingdt@gmail.com 66b4b013-7abd-47cb-b9e6-1a8879e67622 As some of you may already be aware, I’ve decided to focus my upcoming blog posts on the issue of artificial contraception. This is not to focus on the HHS mandate or religious liberty but on the dignity of the human body and how our health physically, psychologically, and spiritually can be effected by artificial contraception. Today’s blog is the first in a series where I will look at the Catholic Church encyclical Humanae Vitae beginning with numbers *I Problems and Competency of the Magisterium and II Doctrinal Principles. . . *

Birth control – what’s the big deal?!

Here’s the thinking of the majority of people on a basic level when it comes to birth control: people should be able to have sex when they want, it’s not anyone else’s business. However, they shouldn’t get pregnant if they are not ready to take care of a kid; therefore, since we have the technology, it makes sense to have a means to control pregnancy so people are free to do what they want, especially if they are married.

It all makes sense, right? Let’s look at this a little more in depth. . .

As mentioned in my last blog, which discussed the pill and just a few of the impacts it has on the body, I will now dive into the well known encyclical Humanae Vitae taking it a section at a time to help us better understand what the Church teaches about artificial contraception by looking to what the Church has actually said since the beginning of the artificial contraception debate.

I Problems and Competency of the Magisterium
First, Humanae Vitae is a Catholic Church encyclical by Pope Paul VI in 1968 on the regulation of birth as new technologies were being widely developed and adopted to provide artificial means of controlling birth.

Although Humanae Vitae may have been written nearly fifty years ago, what the Church said is still relevant today – especially as we find ourselves in the middle of the big debate surrounding the HHS mandate.

Humanae Vitae begins by identifying some of the feared hardships the world faces:

Resources may not be able to catch up with the fast growing population in developing countries
Rapid growth across the world may have significant impact on unemployment while education and living are expensive
Having set the tone for the feared difficulties in the culture, the encyclical goes on to emphasize the importance of understanding women’s role in society and the married life in relationship to the “conjugal acts” of married love. Keep in mind the context and time in which the encyclical was introduced, women’s rights and the sexual revolution were prevailing ideas that were, and continue, shaping the culture.

From here Pope Paul VI begins to discuss the new developments where man was making “stupendous progress” in controlling and organizing forces of nature so that man was now able to control all aspects of his own body, mind, emotions, social life, “and even over the laws that regulate the transmission of life.”

As society continues to change and new difficulties are faced, there are important questions that must be asked surrounding norms in marriage. Especially those that are often taken to the point of being heroic acts on the part of the couple. Breaking it down: shouldn’t people have the option of birth control, especially within the marital love of man and wife where there may be risks due to health or financial/societal problems? Furthermore, would not the use of birth control to have a rationally planned out family make sense? (Means justifying the end.)

These questions beg for our Church, our moral compass, to answer them. We cannot just look at this case by case subjectively. Humanae Vitae was written because the Church recognized it had to take the time to dive deeper than before into the sacrament of marriage in order to understand the role artificial birth control plays.

This is part of the reason why we have the Church, so that questions which pose moral difficulties to the culture can be answered. Pope Paul VI wrote, “…that it is time to go to natural law and divine Revelation to find the answers.”

So then, when answering the questions of sexuality and our human control over it, the Church had to look at humanity and the mission man is called to. That is the natural human life on earth and the supernatural life that is to be sought in heaven.

II Doctrinal Principles
In a cultures where efforts are being made to justify artificial contraception there are two things which have to be looked at very carefully:

**1. Married life

1. Responsible parenthood**

Now that we have looked at the feared challenges of modern culture, and recognize that many answers are needed from the Church surrounding sexuality and artificial contraception, we will next look at God’s loving design for marriage. This will help us understand why it is so important that we have an informed voice on the issue of artificial birth control. . .

Read Part 2

]]> https://www.radiotrending.com/articles/beginning-today-just-one-little-pill-to-change-the-world Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:00:00 -0700 trendingdt@gmail.com 6c60cd4e-fe05-4928-ab80-c9a9acb33af9 This morning Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, asked the question “Can one little pill change the world?” She asked this because today, August 1, 2012 women in the U.S. will begin to access free birth control with no co-payments. 

With greater access to birth control beginning today, I would like to share some information on how the pill changed the world.

The pill - what’s the big deal. I’m in high school or college and it’s useful for not getting pregnant or for other health reasons. Why not use it? Everyone does, even a large number of 12 year olds.

I know this is a sensitive topic, but bear with me as this will be an introduction to looking at the impact of the pill . . . 

Let’s begin with the following question regarding the safety of “the pill”: how is it that the pill is a cancer-causing carcinogen recognized by the U.N. International Agency on Research of Cancer and the National Toxicology Advisory Panel? 

The following information comes from the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute’s booklet called Breast Cancer: Risks and Prevention put together by Dr. Lanfranchi and Joel Brind Ph.D.:

“For example, women are exposed to elevations of estrogen levels with each menstrual cycle, so the more menstrual cycles a woman has, the higher her risk. This is why going through menarche (a woman’s first menstrual cycle) at a very young age and menopause (the end of a woman’s menstruation) at a very old age will increase that woman’s breast cancer risk. Women are also exposed to high levels of estrogen in hormone replacement therapy and birth control pills, injections or patches. Many new drugs devised to prevent or treat breast cancer act by blocking estrogen receptor sites in breast cells (e.g.Tamoxifen), or cause our bodies to produce less estrogen (e.g. Arimidex).“ 

Furthermore, at an American Life League conference this summer Dr. Lanfranchi spoke of the pill’s ability to cause abortions. Dr. Lanfranchi explained the pill can prevent an abortion unknowingly by:

• the thinning of uterus lining which can prevent already created embryos from implanting
• biochemical interferences that can prevent a successful implantation process

Not to say that pill is THE cause of breast cancer or that it always causes abortions; however, based on quite a bit of scientific evidence, the pill has significantly increased the number of cases of breast cancer today and can cause an abortion.

In 2011 the USA Today reported Breast Cancer cases for 1980 at 640,000 and in 2010 at 1.6 million according to University of Washington researchers. All the while, use of birth control pills has significantly increased over the same period of time.



With links between the pill and breast cancer being clear, the correctness and common sense position of the Catholic Church on artificial contraception is quite evident. Men, women, teens, and adults often believe the Catholic Church’s teaching on contraception is hateful, judgemental, and oppressive. I would probably think so too if I didn’t understand the reasons, both scientific and spiritual, for which the Church bases its position.

Just 44 years ago in 1968 Pope Paul VI published the Encyclical Humanae Vitae. At the time much was to be discovered of the physical implications of the pill, but much was shared of the spiritual. What people do not recognize is that at the heart of the Church’s teaching on sexuality is love. The Church has shown overwhelming love for the human person’s body both physically and spiritually. In my next blog I will highlight some of the key points in Humanae Vitae.

All those years ago was the church really wrong, or are we just not aware of all the ramifications of the pill. Going back to the question of the day. . . “Can one little pill change the world?”

Yes! Even if you’re not taking it to prevent pregnancy.

 

Timmerie

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