The Land of Ozz

Rodney Olsen has posted to his blog a copy of a live radio interview he recently did with my friends and fellow low country residents Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo.  Rodney is a radio announcer for Christian based 98.5 Sonshine FM in Perth, Western Australia.  This seventeen minute interview provides a great overview of the Growing Kids God’s Way curriculum.  You can listen to the MP3 copy of the radio interview by visiting Rodney Olsen’s blog The Journey.

The hype on this story has settled in the mainstream media, but it has not left my mind in the past week. I am as knowledgeable as a man can be on abortion without being a physician. I wrote about my history and my personal position on abortion a little over a year ago.

My wife is now approximately 23 weeks pregnant with our third child. She is at about the same place in this pregnancy as she was when we learned about or son Caden’s life threatening heart defects. The heart defects (four of them) were so prominent that an amniocentesis has highly encouraged. I wrote about this experience in the draft for a book that I have been working on.

An amniocentesis is a procedure where they use a very large needle to collect fluid from the area around the baby. This fluid can be used to determine if the baby has a chromosome abnormality. We had but one question, “what is the benefit of gathering this information?” The answer was long and consisted of a lot of beating around the bush. Finally, the answer we got was that the amniocentesis results would empower us with information to help us make a “choice” on what to do next. We determined that what they really meant was that they wanted to know if we were interested in terminating the pregnancy.

Obviously we chose to move forward with the pregnancy. It is my understanding that many parents choose to end the life of their child if defects like these are found and often the decision is made as a result of pressure put on them by the prenatal clinics to consider the termination.

I really did not understand what a partial birth abortion was until a little over a week ago. What makes me sick to my stomach is that my wife and I were highly encouraged to consider our “options” in regards to her pregnancy with Caden. A choice to terminate at that late point in the pregnancy would have resulted in what I now understand to be a partial birth abortion.

Before you follow the links I am about to give you I want to give a firm WARNING that the information you will see and read is very graphic and it is very disturbing. It is all truth and I believe every parent who is considering an abortion should be required to see or read something like this at a minimum. La Shawn Barber has brought together a couple of the best posts on this subject that I have seen. The first post is titled ‘Intact’ Infanticide [WARNING, this is a very graphic description of late term abortion as witnessed by a nurse]. The other post provides a graphical representation of the procedure and is titled Supreme Court Upholds Ban On Partial Birth Abortion[Visual WARNING]. La Shawn has been one of the most faithful bloggers in producing dozens of sobering reports on abortion in a category she has named “child killing”.

It grieves me to think that children’s lives could be taken in this way. What grieves almost as much is the number of U.S. citizens who are sitting on the edge of the seat to cast a vote for a presidential candidate who criticizes the most recent Supreme Court Decision to stop partial birth abortions.

The Senator Hillary Clinton’s Response:

“This decision marks a dramatic departure from four decades of Supreme Court rulings that upheld a woman’s right to choose and recognized the importance of women’s health…”Source

From the Senator Barack Obama Camp.

“I strongly disagree with today’s Supreme Court ruling, which dramatically departs from previous precedents safeguarding the health of pregnant women…” Source

Did they get together for lunch to come up with matching opening sentences that read like they are in stereo surround sound?

Well Senators Obama and Clinton, our experience and many others is that many of the folks recommending this procedure have little if any concern for the woman’s health. The folks giving us the option to bow out of a late term pregnacy simply wanted us to consider reversing a CHOICE we made at conception.

A few months ago I was contacted by the founder of a great outreach project for those parents who face a difficult prenatal diagnosis like we faced with Caden. I almost forgot about this until Mrs. Ozz reminded as we were discussing this subject this past week. Please visit this site and pass it along to any parents who may be getting pressure to terminate a pregnacy as a result of prenatal screenings or tests.

BeNotAfraid.net

“Benotafraid.net is an online outreach to parents who have received a poor or difficult prenatal diagnosis. The family stories, articles, and links within this site are presented as a resource for those who may have been asked to choose between terminating a pregnancy or continuing on despite the diagnosis. The benotafraid.net families faced the same decision and chose not to terminate. By sharing our experiences, we hope to offer encouragement to those who may be afraid to continue on. “

Check out other ProLifeBlogs.

A Blue Angels F/A-18 jet crashed this afternoon in Beaufort, SC.  The Blue Angels have been participating in a two day air show at Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station this weekend in conjunction with Low Country Blues Festival.

I am grieved to see a fellow aviator die.  Initial reports say that no one else was hurt.  This is a miracle given the fact that this jet went down in a residential neighborhood in Beaufort, SC.

It’s not like me to miss an air show in the local area.  My participation in the Charleston GFI Alumni Picnic had me busy today.  I took my son Riley to see the Blue Angels last spring at Charleston Air Force Base, but this is one show that I am thankful I did not take my son too see.  I would not want to explain to my Little Flying Ace what happened to this pilot and his plane.  Riley has enjoyed flying since his first flight at 11 months of age.  I got to experience one of my favorite moments as a dad that day.  I got to pilot the plane as my son took his first airplane ride.

A very popular question from friends and family has been, “are you having a boy or a girl?” Everyone knows that Mrs. Ozz is pregnant with our third child which is due to arrive in August. My response to “what are your having” was confirmed on Thursday when we had the big 20 week ultrasound. I have been saying just three words in response to this question since Thursday, “my three sons.” The first thing out of most people’s mouth when I say this is, “DO WHAT? Your having triplets?” Um, No. We are having one more boy and that will total three boys in our house. Then they say, “Oh, I get it.” [giggle, giggle]

My oldest son Riley has been all but prophesying over his mommy’s belly and saying, “I am having a baby sister.” We had to break the news to Riley on Thursday that he is going to have another little brother. Oh, and there was little doubt in determining the gender during the ultrasound on Thursday. This little guy has obviously heard his brother and the rest of us talking about a baby sister. He positioned himself so that we could be absolutely certain that he is in fact all boy. Riley seems fine with the news, but he is quick to tell us that he still wants a little sister.

We do not have not have a name picked for this little guy, but we are already getting plenty of suggestions. The name will remain a surprise for now. Maybe we will save it for the end of our Growing Kids God’s Way class like we did with Caden’s name. We held out on sharing Caden’s name until just before he was born. We picked his name based solely on meaning. The name Caden means “fighter” and his middle name Gabriel meaning “the Lord is my strength”. Riley’s name was picked based on uniqueness and his middle name William was picked to honor his grandpa’s first name Willie (Joe) and my grandfather’s last name “Williamson”.

Another popular question I get is in regards to the baby’s health. Most people who want to know sort of beat around the bush with their question. I am sure they are trying not to offend me. It’s really not a big deal so I will share the question and the answer right here. The question goes something like this, “do you have any concerns about the baby’s health, I mean, with all the medical problems Caden has endured?” The short answer is a simple, No. Caden’s diagnosis of 22q11.2, Di George, VCFS or whatever you choose to call it was caused by an anomaly in the first trimester of Sherry’s pregnancy. Sherry and I have been tested and Caden did not get any the chromosome deletion from either of us. That leaves us with every expectation that any other babies when have will be perfectly healthy.

I can say that Satan has played plenty of games with us up until this ultrasound. After all, it was the 20 week ultrasound during Sherry’s last pregnancy that began our journey with dozens of medical professionals specializing in pediatric care. We have been battling some fear as the weeks wound down to this ultrasound. This ultrasound finished with perfect results. Everything was perfect.

Sherry and I both believe that every child is a gift from the Lord. Psalm 127:3a NLT. I won’t go into any of my personal theology on that subject except to say that I would even go as far as to say that every child is not only a gift from God, but a perfect gift from God. I really like what God’s Word says in James 1:16-18 (The Message). These verses fall under a section of James 1 that is appropriately subtitled in the New Living Translation as “Faith and Endurance“. Early in this pregnancy Sherry felt that God had given her the words, “Walk by faith, not by sight.” That can be a tall order for a woman who lugs around a suction machine and a feeding pump for her 2 1/2 year old son. Sherry was reassured of these God given words when she woke up on Thursday morning and began her morning quiet time with God. The Bible reading plan we both follow took us through the fifth chapter of second Corinthians. On the very morning of her 20 week ultrasound, Sherry found 2 Corinthians 5:7 in her morning reading.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (NLT)

What about the Easter Bunny? Those who have be around my blog long enough to read my opinions on Santa Claus and Halloween should expect that I must have an opinion about the Easter Bunny. I do.

Before I give my opinion, I want to make sure you understand that the reason for this post is not specifically to change anyone’s mind about how they celebrate Easter. My main reason for this post is to encourage any other parents out there who share my basic practices concerning the Easter Bunny.

I have a standard American background in terms of Easter. As a kid I woke up on Easter morning to find that there was a nice big basket filled with eggs, jellybeans, and a box containing a hollow milk chocolate bunny rabbit all padded with a nice layer of fake plastic grass. I usually got a new church outfit. I even got a real live baby chicken once for Easter. All of this really was pretty cool and I don’t have a problem with any of it, well except maybe the jellybeans. They are not compatible with my dental work. I could go on all day with Internet references about what colored eggs mean and why someone should or should not hide Easter eggs, but I am not going to bore you with that nonsense. I have no underlying religious reasons for coloring Easter eggs and having an Easter egg hunt. It think it is plain good old fashion fun and it helps bring attention to this very special day.

Now, the Easter Bunny is one part of Easter that I no longer find as being cool. The Easter Bunny game was played in my house when I was a child and was fairly harmless. The fact that it was done in my house when I was a kid and it was fun does not automatically cause me to follow suite with this particular tradition. I now see this tradition of telling about a magical Easter Bunny for what it really is, a lie. It is a small lie and told with the best of intentions by most parents, but it is none the less a lie. This like any other lie can diminish the much needed healthy trust relationship required between a parent and a child. This is why I no longer tell this little lie to my children.

What do I tell my kids about Easter? What is the best way to celebrate Easter? As a Christian, should we participate in secular Easter activities? As a parent, these are just a few questions that you may be asking yourself as Easter approaches. My short answer to all of these questions is to keep it true.

Keeping it true is fairly easy. My wife and I do put out Easter baskets for our kids. We just tell our children the truth about where the baskets came from. The baskets came from Mommy and Daddy. We then share the most important meaning of Easter with our kids. We tell them the story of how Jesus gave his life for us on the cross. We then explain the resurrection of Jesus to our children in the best way we can. We tell our kids that Easter is a celebration of what Jesus did on the first Easter that paved the way for us to follow him into eternity in Heaven with God as long as we believe and trust in him.

Parent who keep it true should be encouraged that they are not alone. There are others of us who try to keep the focus on building healthy family relationships. I understand that secular holiday traditions can be fun, but we as Christians do not have to embrace them all just because everyone else is doing it. Parents can be creative in building their own family traditions that set them apart from the world and help you build a unique family identity.

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” Col 2:6-10 NLT

Man that is good stuff!

Air Force case in Afghanistan involving Blackwater and local Charleston Lt. Col Gary Brown may have evidence tampering. Lt. Col. Brown is still waiting to hear whether his career will continue or end with a court-martial.Peanut Butter Cookies - Riley in the kitchen

Caden the Candyland Champ

Spring Picnic - Growing Families International Charleston Alumni. If you have taken Growing Kids God’s Way or one of the other classes offered through GFI and are looking to connect with other families in the Charleston area who are implementing these biblical principles, then you will want to join the local GFI alumni picnic in April.

Goobers - A day in our life with goobers. It can be exhausting and Sherry and I both found ourselves tearing up while discussing Caden’s feeding issues during a date last Saturday night.

A post on Ramona Rae yesterday reminded me of how we have found ourselves wondering if Caden would ever even make it through some of the medical issues he has faced. I think Ramona’s mom hits the nail on the head when referring to Romans 8:28.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” NKJV

How about this verse of the day for today from Bible Gateway:

“With God is my salvation and my glory: The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” Psalm 43:7 ASV

That’s a little from God’s Word for Ramona’s parents and for me today. Happy four months Ramona!

Our family got to have a little fun while in Atlanta this past weekend. Most of this video is of my son Caden.

I know I will likely catch some flack from the locals for this comment given we have a really great aquarium right here in Charleston, but the GA Aquarium is the best one I have seen yet and I did not even visit all of the exhibits while I was there. You can see a few pictures from our GA Aquarium visit if stop by Caden’s Page before you leave.

For testing purposes I am including the Xianz copy of the same movie. Please let me know which you like better.

Is there such a phrase as “Too Premature”? If you ask some experts in the UK, then the answer is yes. A TimesOnline story reported back in November that the The Nuffield Council on Bioethics released a report titled Critical Care Decisions in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine that says:

..intensive care should not be given to babies born before 22 weeks, and that babies born between 22 and 23 weeks should not, in normal practice, be given intensive care unless parents make a specific request and doctors agree that treatment is possible and in the baby’s best interests.

If you ask Eddie and Sonja Taylor of Homestead, FL if there is such a thing as “Too Premature” then you would find that a new chapter needs to be written in this bioethics report. Their daughter Amillia was born in the fall at just under 22 weeks gestation. The exact gestation time is known because she was conceived via in vitro fertilization. Amillia was about the length of a standard ball point pen when she was born and weighed about 10 onces. You can see a picture of how small her little feet were on The Sydney Morning Herald. Now at four months of age Amillia is well over 4 pounds and will likely be going home from the hospital with little concern for her future health according to doctors at the Baptist Children’s Hospital in Miami.

God continues to show that he has a greater plan no matter what the experts say.

My good friend and guest blogger Robin sent me an email today asking for help. A young man that grew up with Robin’s children is in a tough spot and could use our prayers and any help that we might be able to muster out here in the blogsphere. This young man’s wife gave birth to their son about a month ago.

Robin told me that this couple’s son was born very premature and weighed 2 lbs. at birth a month ago. Obviously the baby’s lungs were not developed and as a result not enough oxygen could get to his extremities. The doctors recently had to amputate his fingers and feet to stop gangrene from killing him, and they give him a 5% chance of survival. The parents are being housed in a Ronald McDonald House in Columbia, SC. The parents are in their early twenties and have practically no support. They have lived with the mother’s family since they were married two years ago.

Both parents spend every possible second at the hospital, but the dad knows he has to support his family. He has a high school education and is trying to find work in t he Columbia, SC area. His employment history includes fast food restaurants only.

As many of you know, my wife and I have been through many months of hospitalization with our son Caden who continues to battle some pretty big health issues at 27 months old. It was the love, time, and gifts given from others who helped us get through some of the toughest times with Caden. My friend Robin was one of the biggest supports for our family when she moved into our home for several weeks to care for our older son Riley while Caden was still in intensive care after his first open heart surgery.

I am asking all visitors and bloggers to help this young family in any way you can. A restaurant or discount store gift card would be great. If you want to donate some money or gift cards to this family then I will tell you how you can send donations directly to them if you will contact me via email.

You can email me at:

No matter what the Lord puts on your heart concerning this story, please pray for this young couple and their son.