• TEAMMATES: “Baby Yes? Baby No? The Ethics of Birth Control”

• VIEWFINDER: Spring for a Crazy Cactus

• SCORECARD: Big Money for Fraud

• TRAILMIX: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

• CONDITIONS: Earth Month Replay “The Blue Marble in Crisis”

My Latest Podcast, Youtube, and Blog Post is Live Today!

Have you attended a gender reveal party? It’s a gathering where the expectant Mom and Dad learn for themselves or tell the world the gender of their baby. It can provoke delight or brief disappointment. It can also cause disaster. In 2021 a giant pyrotechnic display ignited a wildfire that burned thousands of acres in the San Bernadino Forest and killed a firefighter. Other epic failures have brought injuries and even deaths. The woman who is credited with starting the gender reveal party trend, Jenna Karvunidis, is now seeking to stop the movement, blogging “Could we just stop having these stupid parties?”[1]

The couples at reveal parties have one thing in common: they said “Yes” to a pregnancy. On the other hand, millions of other women are saying “No” to a pregnancy by utilizing birth control. Is that a moral choice? Let’s explore the ethics of birth control from an ethical and theological viewpoint to build well-being at every stage of adult life.

Segments include:

A short history of birth control

A radical new age of choice

#1- The unitive purpose of sex

#2- Rights of Women to control their lives

#3- Choosing Divine-human collaboration

#4- Stewardship of finite resources

READ, LISTEN, OR WATCH THE FULL EPISODE AT LINKS BELOW

[1] Christina Morales and Allyson Waller, “A Gender-Reveal Celebration Is Blamed for a Wildfire. It Isn’t the First Time.” New York Times, September 7, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/us/gender-reveal-party-wildfire.html

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When you are a “Christmas Cactus” then you should blossom in December, right? We have an overachiever in our house. Say “Hi” to our magenta Thanksgiving/Christmas/Easter Cactus! I’d say it is due to my green thumb and horticultural wisdom, but this newsletter is Christian, so dishonesty is discouraged! Three blooms in a few months is something to enjoy.

I can however, relate to the enthusiasm about Spring. I can’t stop looking across the yard to see the green grass, the flowering shrubs, and the buds on the pecan trees. Nature is on-time once again with the joys of a new season. I must also marvel at the life that persevered during the cold, dark days of winter. The dormancy brought quiet growth, deeper renewal, and preparation for what became visible a few days ago. The application to human life is obvious. Whether it is a good night of sleep, a weekend break from work, or the miracle of a vacation, the times of restoring strength are vital. Those days may even bring a burst of life when we least expect it, like the happy cactus at the Bright Star Farm.

This is a runner-up for our children's favorite cookie. It came from the Home Ec teacher in my first teaching position. Scads of these have been made for church socials, camp, and family events. They were once nicknamed "Champagne" cookies because our church youth mistook “Jan Payne”for "Champagne" in a time when alcoholic beverages were banned in our Southern Baptist churches! —JanMaree

INGREDIENTS 

½ c. oil

12 T. cocoa

4 T. butter

½ t. salt

4 eggs

2 t. vanilla

2 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

1 c. powdered sugar

 PREPARATION

Mix oil, melted butter, cocoa and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time and beat. Add vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and salt.  Chill several hours or overnight.  Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into powdered sugar.  Roll into a ball.  Place 2” apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.  Do not overbake!

“CONDITIONS” is a new section of TRACKS EXPRESS. Hikers always know to check the weather conditions before the first step on the trail. CONDITIONS will bring insights and helps about our Planetary Conditions. For Earth Month 2024, listen to a replay of “The Blue Marble in Crisis” for guidance on real life issues today.