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We continued with our Pro-Life Prints activity booklet from Culture of Life Studies Program.  Yesterday my two youngest daughters completed Lesson 1: Preborn Babies.  Today we were really ambitious and finished Lessons 2, 3, and 4 mostly because of our family's busy Friday and weekend schedule.
Also, I wanted to have my posts published at the same time as the 44th annual March for Life on Friday, January 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. I won't be attending the March for Life this year, unfortunately, but I was blessed to attend in 2011, 2012 and 2015.  The marches that I have attended are also linked at the end of this post.

This afternoon my 2 youngest daughters and I got back to work again on their Pro-Life Prints.  Besides destroying my favorite laminator while laminating some of their prints that were still wet when I was in a hurry, it was a blessed day! (Uggghhh, I'm going to have to replace my laminator. :(  I was thinking about getting this one.)

Lesson 2: I Am Unique: "I praise you, because I am wonderfully made: wonderful are your works! My very self you know." -Psalm 139:14 (Psalm 139 is my favorite Psalm!)


In Lesson 2 we talked about how incredibly special each of us are and how there is no one else like you. How each of us have our own handprints and fingerprints, even identical twins have their own uniqueness!  So in this lesson my daughters painted a set of handprints, poppy flowers using their thumbs and bird prints because we discussed that if God takes care of the birds needs, surely he will never forsake us and He will take care of us.

Lesson 3: Helping Others: "Yet Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay and You our Potter: we are all the work of Your hand." -Isaiah 64:7

We talked about ways we can help our family and friends and they made a hand print of an elephant because in the book Horton Hears a Who, Horton understands that "A person's a person no matter how small."  One way to help others is to stand up for those who are smaller than us just as Horton guarded the precious flower that had the Whos in Who-ville living in the tiny speck on the flower.

In Lesson 3, my girls used cut celery to paint roses because roses are beautiful and delicate just like preborn babies!

Lesson 4: Praying for Others: "Yet Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay and You our Potter: we are all the work of Your hand."  -Isaiah 64:7 

Lesson 4 was a reminder that the world is a big place and each person on earth is the work of God's hand.  God loves us immeasurably and the hand prints were reminders of how we are to pray for everyone because all of us need prayers.

Here my daughters are painting their hand with different colors because we learned the five finger prayer as a way to remember who to pray for.

The thumb is closest to us on our bodies so we can pray for those closest to us: our family.

Then the index finger we can pray for teachers and those who instruct us.

The middle finger is the tallest and we can pray for those in authority which includes the president/vice-president, community leaders and even our Pope, Bishops and priests and religious.

The ring finger is the weakest finger so we can remember to pray for the weakest and most delicate in our society (preborn babies, elderly, those who are sick and disabled).

The pinkie finger reminds us to pray for ourselves last since we need prayers too!

Here are all the pages from Lessons 2, 3, and 4 to complete the Pro-Life Prints book.


After I get a new laminator and laminate the pages, I'll bind them together and each of my daughters will have a great keepsake book as a reminder to protect and pray for the culture of life.
 
Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I wanted to do this Pro-Life Prints book this week as a way to remember the annual March for Life that is today, Friday, January 27, 2017.  Since I won't be attending the March physically I will be there in spirit and prayers.

Here are the posts I wrote of the 3 March for Life marches I was able to attend so far...







I started a Pinterest Pro-Life board called "L.I.F.E. = Life Is For Everyone" awhile ago, where I have been collecting pro-life posts.  If you are interested in following the board go HERE and click on articles that interest you! 


 Have a blessed weekend!

   

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Recently I came across Jessica's blog post at Shower of Roses and Nicole's blog post at Children of the Church in which they did a lesson on praying for the unborn and teaching the culture of life using the free "Ladybug Warriors" lesson created by Culture of Life Studies Program.

I was inspired to try this activity this past Sunday afternoon with my family since we didn't get to go to the March for Life this past Friday, January 22 like we did in 2011, 2012, and 2015.  Instead of being physically present at the March for Life this year, we prayed over the weekend for the end to abortion, the marchers' safety while traveling in the blizzard, and all those who are victims of abortion: the unborn, men, women, and all those effected by abortion in numerous ways.


I decided to make each of my children a booklet out of yellow file folders with the "Ladybug Warriors" lesson stapled to the inside.  I wanted each of my children to have a printout of the lesson so that if they ever wanted to do this activity again in the future with a friend they will have the lesson on hand.  Also, I thought they may remember the lesson better if they had a copy of it.
Then the cover of the folder is the ladybug craft included in the lesson.


I also had several pro-life bookmarks that I saved from a Teens for Life event with my older children so each of my children glued the bookmarks to the inside cover of the yellow folder with a prayer to end abortion from Priests for Life.


After I read from the suggested book, The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle, my children enjoyed making the ladybug craft using the templates in the lesson. There is also a printout of a woman carrying a baby in her womb that some of my children enjoyed coloring.  I also pulled from our bookshelves our big collection of Eric Carle books that I hope to read this week.  One of our favorite Eric Carle books that we especially enjoy for Lent (that starts very soon on February 10!) is Walter the Baker where we make pretzels after reading the book! 


After reading the book and doing the craft I read from the lesson about how the ladybug got its name.  My children and husband were surprised that sources say the ladybug got its name from the help of Our Blessed Mother, Our Lady.  In Europe during the Middle Ages insects were eating the farmers' crops so they asked Our Lady for help and soon after the crops were growing and thriving.  They then noticed that little red bugs with black spots, or "The Beetles of Our Lady" were eating the pesky insects that were ruining the crops.  The name was eventually shortened to Lady Beetle or ladybug. 


The lesson includes snack ideas and I also went on Pinterest to find an easy snack made with mini Babybel cheese (and I used Wilton Sparkle Gel  to make the dots on the red wax) and my children and I also made ladybugs with strawberries, blueberries, and mini chocolate chips on top of a cucumber slice.  


As suggested in the lesson, our family concluded this fun activity by saying a decade of the rosary, the greatest weapon as a "Ladybug Warrior".


Doing this easy, but meaningful lesson with my children reminded me of the ladybug cake that I made for my daughter on her first birthday!  She is now 15!  I don't think I knew back then the history of how the ladybug got its name so I'm thankful our family now knows how very special the ladybug is and to never stop being a "Ladybug Warrior" and supporting and praying for all life in all stages! 






I have a Pinterest Pro-Life board called "L.I.F.E. = Life Is For Everyone" that I created awhile ago, where I have been collecting pro-life posts.  Please check it out and repin away to help spread the message of life to all the world!

Last weekend, January 16, 2016, I attended the annual Love My Life Rally in Raleigh, NC with my teen daughter and other teens and adults from our parish.  

Each year this rally takes place the weekend before the annual March for Life in Washington, DC.  At the Love My Life Rally about 1300 teens and adults gather to hear music, listen to a speaker, have Mass with our Bishop and then take to the streets in downtown Raleigh to stand for life and be a voice for the unborn.  It's always a blessed day to see so many young people passionate about life and sacrificing part of their weekend to be a witness for this necessary and important message.

Here are a few photos of our day....


The weather in Raleigh last weekend wasn't too bad, but I hear this weekend in D.C. there is a major snow storm coming just in time for the March for Life. :(  I'm disappointed I'm not attending this year, but it's best I didn't travel into the predicted blizzard.  I pray for all those who will be traveling and our family will certainly continue to pray for pregnant women and for the end to abortion.

I've attended the March for Life in Washington, D.C. a few times (2011, 2012, 2015) and here are my blog posts from previous years in case you missed them or would like to read about what the March for Life was like from our personal experience....

Our First March for Life 2011: In My Own Words and Photos
March for Life 2015: The Trip I Wish I Didn't Have to Take with My Daughters 

Our March for Life 2015 Experience in 7 Quick Takes


I have a Pinterest Pro-Life board called "L.I.F.E. = Life Is For Everyone" that I created awhile ago, where I have been collecting pro-life posts.  Please check it out and repin away to help spread the message of life to all the world!

Keep marching on! We shall overcome someday!



Have a blessed and safe weekend!

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Two days ago on January 22, 2015, the 42nd March for Life took place.  This peaceful demonstration has happened every year on this date since 1973, when abortion was legalized in the United States.  On this somber anniversary, men and women of all ages (the majority are young) and from all walks of life march to stand as a witness to the truth concerning the greatest human rights violation of our time, abortion.

Marchers travel many miles to "be a voice for the voiceless" as the sign below reads.  Those that aren't able to be physically present in Washington, DC each year, support the unborn, mothers, and fathers and the marchers with prayers and sacrifice on this anniversary date and everyday throughout the year.     


I first went to March for Life in 2011 with our then, family of 6, and then back again in 2012.  I was blessed to attend this year's march with my 14 and 10 year old daughters while my wonderful husband stayed home with our 3 other children.

It's difficult to put into a blog post all that is experienced, seen, and heard at the march, but I will try to attempt to capture our 2015 March for Life in another edition of 7 Quick Takes hosted by Kelly at This Ain't The Lyceum.


The sign above in the top left corner reads, "Peace begins in the womb."