Her Choice to Heal- By Synda Masse and Joan Phillips

Review by Fr. Frank Pavone

In one of the latest books on post-abortion healing, Sydna Masse and Joan Phillips team up to courageously share their painful experiences of abortion, as well as their joyful discovery of the healing which Jesus Christ brings.

Her Choice to Heal is written in a clear, personal style, speaking directly to the woman who has aborted her child. Though it contains very valuable information about the dynamics of post-abortion syndrome, it is more of a guided journey through the initial stages of healing than a treatise about post-abortion issues. In reading it, you feel as though you are being led by a wise and compassionate friend, all the while holding your hand and assuring you that no matter how bad your abortion experience may be, someone has been there before, and there is hope.

Sydna and Joan intersperse the chapters of their book with the example of their own journeys through denial, anger, grief, forgiveness, letting go, and the joy of discovering the Savior. They speak with psychological realism as well as the wisdom of God's Word, provided in numerous Scriptural citations.

The book provides the opportunity for the reader to interact with the emotions and memories of a past abortion, even providing blank pages for writing down thoughts and reactions to the points raised in each chapter.

This book provides concrete practical suggestions as well as references to additional resources on post-abortion issues. It concludes with a moving reflection by a man who pressured someone into having an abortion.

Her Choice to Heal is a treasure for anyone who has had an abortion, or for those who may have facilitated an abortion. It is likewise extremely valuable for family members and friends of post-abortion individuals, as well as for clergy and counselors seeking to improve their ability to help people find post-abortion healing.

To understand the pain of those who have had abortions is one of the most urgent tasks today for those who seek to love their neighbors. Her Choice to Heal helps all of us take another step toward fulfilling that most serious obligation.

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KEEP TO THE RIGHT

He keeps to the right, he's not to be tempted
the rules are the rules and they won't be preempted
by dingbats and dumbasses, yuppies and jerks
idiot bimbos, who think they have perks.
Pushing his buttons as he climbs up the case
he's still on the right but you're right in his face

Texting and talking up the old escalator
keeping tabs on each other, when you can say 'see you later'
And then at the top of the stair, PLEASE keep walking
hang out somewhere ELSE~ and ENOUGH with the talking!
Far worse on train, a much longer ride
and now on the bus, and he's fit to be tied!

You take up TWO spaces when you need only one
and that drippy umbrella has robbed all his sun
And WHAT are you eating? It smells just like crap
his blood pressure's pushing the steam through his cap
Normally quiet, this mild-mannered gent is really no trouble, until he get's bent
the key to avoiding a terrible plight, mind all your manners, and KEEP TO THE RIGHT!

Turn Your Eyes Away

Della, turn your eyes away
we shouldn't view this scene
I'm searching for an answer
in a place that's just obscene
and I know there's no corruption
in your history to view
but it's burned within my memory
can't delete it when I'm through
Turn your eyes away

I buried my convictions
along the weary road
well they were getting heavy
for the other stuff I towed
and I had to choose the latter
for the former was quite old
and it seemed a little corny
for those stories had been told.

And then I found the answer
old Della here will do
no one else would ever know
nor give a rat's tattoo
and I could be my own boss
and do it all at home
no longer on the beaten path
old Dell and I could roam.

To Google was my pleasure
I'd do it day and night
while looking out for trouble
I could Google any site
I steered away from porno
and kept my nose from crime
but soon my roaming eyes would lead
to downloads of sublime.

it was a wild adventure
while sitting in my home
my back grew fat with cellulite
my legs were more like foam
I lost some of my vision
my feet are cold and numb
goodbye to feeling in my hands
hello to stiffened thumb.

and then one day it happened
I landed on an image
I had not seen before, he stood there
on line of scrimmage
the scene was somewhat tainted,
"I shall not look", I sainted,
but caught myself in quite a stare
My mother would have fainted.

From a place down deep within me
I heard the preacher cry
"Dear woman what have you begot?
A sight for sorry eye"
I swear I didn't do it
it came up on my screen
I didn't search for 'nudity'
I searched for sompin' clean.

I turned around there in my seat
and felt a sudden void.
it's something I've been missing
the real John McCoid.
I'd filled my life with Della
and lost all essence of
the beauty of my real life
and with that, real love.

I turned back to the stranger
and wished him for my own
but frankly I'd be more impressed
with much less of a bone.
I clicked him off and turned my thoughts
back towards that weary way
and asked the God who saw my sin
to clear my mind that day.

Della, turn your eyes this away
you need to view this scene
I'm searching for an answer
from the One who is Serene
His seed is incorruptible
and planted in my soul
will redirect my weary mind
Lord, cleanse and make me whole.

Turn your eyes this way!

a lovely memory...

It was the summer of '82. I was visiting my sister's family in Alameda. We were all packed into my brother in law's VW Beetle, enjoying an afternoon drive through the winding hills down to Stetson Beach, just north of San Fran. Charlie was crooning 'Blue Eyes' to his baby daughter, Erin, just 9 months old at the time, when rather unexpectedly (isn't that the way it goes), she started pukin' up hotdog chunks. From that time on, I can't hear this song without getting carsick, and smelling hotdogs. Oh... Excuse me.

...like the sunshine

change your heart
look around you
change your heart
it will astound you
i need your lovin'
like the sunshine

everybody's got to learn sometime
everybody's got to learn sometime
everybody's got to learn sometime

That Crazy Mixed Up Salt

What the BT Burger sings to the Cheddarina...open face on rye

what the Bourbon Burger said to the cheddar

what the cheddar said to the Bourbon Burger....open-faced on Rye

a seeing eye tooth?

only you

Flood

it's all over now baby blue- B Dylan

Undo- Rush of Fools

i love this song.

Agree to Dis-agree

The vintage bottle of 'AGREE" shampoo I had ordered from Ebay a few days ago, that which I had so eagerly anticipated, arrived yesterday. With all of the joy of a child on Christmas morning, I tore at the tape and yanked open the box. Upon doing so, it became evident that whoever had packed it had done a rather shoddy job of ensuring that the bottle was secured. There were a few barely crumpled pages from a catalog of some sort. As I pulled them out, I could see that there had been some leakage, most likely from air pressure during the flight in. It was at that point that I caught my first questionable whiff of the product. Lifting the familiar green bottle which was still somewhat compressed, I could see that the cap was not tightly closed. Opening the cap, and bringing my nose within a safe sniffing distance, i drew in a slight but hopeful breath. My heart sunk. While the familiar green bottle had prepared my senses for a trip down memory lane, one cautious whiff had confirmed my better instinct. It was putrid. Gone bad. The kind of thing you'd never want to put anywhere NEAR your hair much less your nares. In fact, so creeped out was I by the stink of old dollar store mothballs and lime toilet bowl cleaner, that I immediately chucked it out, and washed my hands. Languishing at getting ripped off once again, I scrubbed my hands ferociously, all the while wondering about the person who shipped the bottle, and realizing how dangerous it could be using products shipped by suspicious strangers.

How foolish I had been to think a 20 year old bottle of shampoo could bring me happiness. I am just disgusted. I don't even want to talk about it.

something to consider...

i'm such a :LOSER!

Losers, all the lovely losers
who never thought you'd hear your name
Outside, always on the outside
empty at the wishing well, but time will tell

Blessed Be
the one's who know that they are weak
they shall see
the kingdom come to the broken ones
Blessed Be

Thirsty like you're drinking from a salt sea
but one day you'll be satisfied
Hungry for the taste of mercy
aching just to have your fill, one day you will

not for the strong the beautiful the brave
not for the ones that think they've got it made
it's for the poor the broken and the meek
it's for the ones who look a lot like you and me

Jason Gray

Risky Frisky Whiskey...

i want

and you said

from the heart of a quieted soul

what i need

i love this song

front roll..

oh baby
you know I long for you to hold me
though,
oh baby
it seems your arms cannot enfold me

i got a front roll
fat back
front roll
fat back
front roll
fat back
yeah
i got a front roll
fat back
front roll
fat back
front roll
fat back
yeah

You always say
no fooling,
that I am just the way you need me
and I'm okay
no fooling
can I believe the lines you feed me

you love my front roll
fat back,
front roll
fat back
front roll
fat back
yeah
you want my front roll
fat back
front roll
fat back
front roll
fat back
yeah

(bridge)

oh baby
someday we'll sleep
I'll lie beside you
oh baby
and from the morning light you'll hide me

i got a fat back
front roll
fat back
front roll
fat back,
front roll
yeah
you love my front roll
fat back
front roll
fat back
front roll
fat back
yeah
yeah
yeah

fat back
baby baby
front roll
mama mama
fat back
daddy daddy
whoa whoa
whoa

Fat Back

i get this all the time

with you- g clair

looking back I couldn't see
 the storm clouds rising up inside me
here alone I've faced the wretched day

hard to know where you begin just like the rain
you touched my skin and suddenly I'm drenched
and looking for a place to hide away

 with you ( with you)
 hide away with you ( with you)

take me back to where you're from
and dry me off beneath the sun
and speak to me the words which turn cold winters into summer

melt the ice within my heart please make it safe
and never part my life with you is so much more
 than what it was, a bummer

 with you (with you)
summer fun with you (with you)

Clouds move in and storms roll past
the darkness comes but never lasts
and through it all the Lord, our closest friend

First and Last, He's still the same and
trusting in His Holy Name
He's sure to bring us sunshine in the end

 with you (with you)
in the end with you (with you)

Look what I won on Ebay today!

One vintage 8 oz. bottle of 20+ year old 'Agree' shampoo at only $9.95 plus $6. shipping. I loved the smell of that stuff. It would stay with you for a while, as I recall. I fully expect one whiff to take me back 25 years. Gee, I hope the perfume hasn't dissipated or gone bad.