Paul Random

Thank you, Jeanne Mancini

“You just watch – the sun will come out, and just in time.”

Those were the words of outgoing March for Life president Jeanne F. Mancini as we parted ways on a cool and drizzly Saturday May morning back in 2019.

We were together for Focus on the Family’s “Live From New York” rally in New York City’s Time Square. In what would become the state’s largest pro-life rally ever, the image and sound of Abby Johnson’s preborn baby Fulton would soon be seen and reverberate from massive digital screens in the middle of Manhattan.

The outdoor event was scheduled for Saturday afternoon, but the weather was looking dreary and ominous that early morning. Jeanne had come to the Fox News building to participate in a joint interview on Fox & Friends with Focus president Jim Daly. Walking between the raindrops, we were lamenting whether the wetness would put a damper on the festivities.

As president since 2012 of the world’s largest human rights demonstration every January in Washington, D.C., Jeanne was accustomed to braving the elements – snow, ice, cold, wind – nothing ever stops or stalls the annual March for Life.

Maybe that’s why Jeanne was so optimistic, but maybe she wasn’t even referring to the physical sun in the sky.

A pro-life advocate for decades, Friday’s celebration is Jeanne’s final March as president.  Jennie Bradley Lichter will be taking her role – but there’s no way she can take her place.

Jeanne Mancini arrived at the March for Life well credentialed – she earned a degree in psychology from James Madison University and a Master’s degree in the theology of marriage and family from the Pope John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family.

But what first lit a fire under her to get involved, to try and right what many consider to be the greatest wrong of our time?

“Two women in my life had abortions, and they profoundly regretted those abortions, and they suffered the wounds of it,” Mancini said. “There’s always hope and healing. And so anyone who has been involved in that, if they have sadness around that or grief, it’s important to know there are so many ways to reach hope and healing.”

Prior to assuming responsibilities with the March, Mancini served with our friends at the Family Research Council (FRC) on a variety of efforts to champion the dignity of every life. She’s also served inside the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of the Secretary.

Focus on the Family has never had a better friend for life. Gracious, humble, indefatigable, Jeanne has paid no attention to titles or territory. Over the years she’s partnered with the ministry on various events, appeared on broadcasts, and regularly turned down honorariums, requesting that any personal remuneration be funneled back into the fight for life.

Jeanne Mancini has also been fearless, taking on some of the most ferocious pro-abortion zealots and propogandists. She’s testified before Congress to advocate for pro-life legislation and policies, conferred with heads of state, and waded into the many challenges of the now state-by-state battle to protect innocent life.

Jeanne and her husband David are not just pontificating, but also living the principles they preach.

In one of her final media interviews as president of the March, Jeanne shared:

“What I would say to someone who doesn’t see eye to eye, first of all–hopefully just have compassion and mercy and listen to them, and I pray that they would do the same with me, to hear me out. Mostly, I would do whatever I could in my power to help convince them that abortion doesn’t solve a problem, it just actually creates others.”

Whatever happened on that rainy New York City Saturday?

As if on cue from a Hollywood director, the rain stopped, and the clouds parted only minutes before “Alive from New York” was scheduled to begin back in 2019. And sure enough, the sun warmed Times Square, just as Jeanne had predicted it would. The show went on.

Jeanne Mancini’s steady hand of leadership has helped shepherd the pro-life movement through all kinds of physical and metaphorical weather. But she’s been successful because she’s been guided by the other Son – her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We’re indebted to her – and she will be missed.

Thank you and God be with you, Jeanne Mancini.

Image credit: Jeanne Mancini.

Is Russ Vought the Dave Ramsey of the Trump Administration?

First established in 1921 as the “Bureau of the Budget” inside the Treasury Department, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) serves to help the President review and get a handle on federal spending.

In newspaper parlance, it’s akin to the ombudsman role, evaluating the overall needs and effectiveness of seemingly countless agencies and their proposals, policies and responsibilities.

Under fiscally conservative leadership, the director of the department might be compared to Dave Ramsey, the popular finance expert who advocates for living within our means.

Enter Russ Vought, President Donald Trump’s nominee to direct the critically important office.

On Wednesday, Senate Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham told Vought at his latest confirmation hearing:

“I think all of us are going to vote for you. Bottom line is, I think you’re qualified for the job. I know why he picked you. And again, we just had an election. And when you win, you get to pick people. And I’m glad he picked you.”

Russ Vought previously headed the department between July 2020 and January 2021. Before assuming the top role, he served as Deputy Director and Acting Director of the OMB.

Since the end of the first Trump administration, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America – an organization unapologetically declaring that America is a nation “under God with unique interests worthy of defending that flow from its people, institutions, and history, where individuals’ enjoyment of freedom is predicated on just laws and healthy communities.”

But in his expected role at the OMB, Russ Vought will do a lot more than serve as a budget watch dog and monitor of the government purse. That’s because he recognizes that budget and priorities are intrinsically linked.

Afterall, it was Jesus who stated, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” (Matthew 6:21). 

Vought’s confirmation, though, isn’t a slam dunk as some senators are quick to point out it’s Congress that oversees spending.

“The power of the purse is Congress,” Senator Rand Paul stated during last week’s hearing. “I think if we appropriate something for a cause, that’s where it’s supposed to go. And that will still be my position.”

A graduate of Wheaton College, Vought has been accused of orchestrating all kinds of sinister plots including a theocratic takeover of the government. This is the type of nonsense and silliness that serious Christians who publicly express their faith can incur in Washington, D.C.

In truth, Russ is a strong believer and a father to daughters Ella and Porter.

The Trump administration is currently filling thousands of roles, the vast majority of which are behind the scenes. Because everything affects everything else, they’re all important. We would be wise to pray for this ongoing process, and also for the Voughts and other appointees in waiting.

Dave Ramsey has said, “A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.”

Russ Vought is promising to do just that at the OMB, and maybe even help America live within its means by living like nobody else so that we can continue to live like no other country in the world.

Carrie Underwood, Donald Trump and a Grace Note on a Historic Day

It’s an old idiom that speech is silver and silence is golden, but not usually for a singer charged with performing before a global audience of countless millions.

Standing in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol yesterday for the 60th inaugural festivities, singer and songwriter Carrie Underwood stepped up to perform “America the Beautiful” following President Donald Trump’s address.

One major problem: the accompaniment never started. 

A technical issue prevented the music from beginning on cue, though a distant strain of it kicked in for a very brief moment before cutting out and never starting again.

Ever the professional, Carrie Underwood waited patiently, smiling and nodding, ready to begin singing just as soon as the music began.

But it never did.

“I can just sing it,” she gracefully told a technician who had come forward to confer with the Country superstar.

By “sing it” she meant a capella.

“You know the words, help me out here,” she then told those gathered before beginning in perfect pitch.

Everyone sang along.

Prior to Monday’s ceremony, Underwood had been criticized for accepting the invitation. “The View’s” Joy Behar accused the singer of normalizing President Trump by showing up to be part of the even. But Underwood was unapologetic, pointing to the unique nature of the moment.

“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” she wrote in a statement. “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”

Indeed, during President Trump’s inaugural address, the 47th commander-in-chief said, “My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier. That’s what I want to be. A peacemaker and a unifier.”

In an especially poignant section of his message, President Trump declared:

Above all, my message to Americans today is that it is time for us to once again act with courage, vigor and the vitality of history’s greatest civilization. So as we liberate our nation, we will lead it to new heights of victory and success. We will not be deterred. Together, we will end the chronic disease epidemic and keep our children safe, healthy and disease free.
The United States will once again consider itself a growing nation, one that increases our wealth, expands our territory, builds our cities, raises our expectations and carries our flag into new and beautiful horizons. And we will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.
And it’s the lifeblood of a great nation. And, right now, our nation is more ambitious than any other. There’s no nation like our nation. Americans are explorers, builders, innovators, entrepreneurs and pioneers. The spirit of the frontier is written into our hearts. The call of the next great adventure resounds from within our souls. Our American ancestors turned a small group of colonies on the edge of a vast continent into a mighty republic of the most extraordinary citizens on Earth. No one comes close.
Americans pushed thousands of miles through a rugged land of untamed wilderness. They crossed deserts, scaled mountains, braved untold dangers, won the Wild West, ended slavery, rescued millions from tyranny, lifted millions from poverty, harnessed electricity, split the atom, launched mankind into the heavens and put the universe of human knowledge into the palm of the human hand. If we work together, there is nothing we cannot do and no dream we cannot achieve.

As a child in Checotah, Oklahoma, Carrie Underwood had her share of big-sized dreams.

“Growing up on a farm with loving parents and our church family defined my values,” Underwood said. “A small town with good people helped form me. I was rooted in something solid before I got to spread my wings.”

A professing Christian, the singer and her husband, former NHL player Mike Fisher, have suggested their faith in Jesus Christ to be the cornerstone of their lives, marriage, and the raising of their children.

Many commentators are suggesting Monday’s technical flub produced one of the more memorable and teachable moments of the Inaugural ceremony.

There will be plenty of times when the metaphorical music doesn’t play in our lives.

We can gripe, groan and grouse.

Or we can just sing – and invite others to join us.

Well done, Carrie Underwood.

Image from Getty.

Dr. King, President-elect Trump and Monday Holidays

It was noon on January 15, 1929 when Michael Luther King Jr. (he was renamed Martin when he was five in honor of the Protestant reformer) made his grand entrance into the world at the family home on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia.

The future Dr. King’s parents were living with their in-laws, Reverend Adam and Jennie Williams. Reverend Williams was pastoring Ebenezer Baptist Church, a congregation Dr. King would co-pastor years later.

This year, the Dr. King holiday will be overshadowed by the final hours of President Biden’s term and the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump. A normally quiet MLK Day in Washington, D.C. will be filled with plenty of bustle, though outdoor festivities have now been moved indoors because of frigid weather forecast for Monday.

It took until 1986 for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to be recognized federally, legislation signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. Proposed and debated for years, Stevie Wonder even wrote a song (“Happy Birthday”) to advocate for its designation.

From its beginning, MLK Day has been celebrated on the third Monday in January. This is thanks to the “Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968,” legislation signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The push for Monday holidays was controversial but rooted in European tradition.

Believe it or not, prior to 1830, the Bank of England shut down for nearly 40 holidays a year – a mixture of saints’ days and various historic anniversaries. Due to either exhaustion, confusion or frustration – and maybe all three – Britain began reducing that number throughout the 1800s. The Bank Holidays Act of 1871 reduced it further and established the remaining special days be celebrated on Mondays.

Those who advocated here in the U.S. for Monday holidays as opposed to whenever they fall on the calendar, unapologetically defended their position by championing the idea of more three-day weekends. In addition to the federal workers cheering, the travel industry loved the idea as more people hit the road for adventure.

George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were the first casualties. Washington’s Birthday (Feb. 22nd) was moved to the first Monday in February and renamed “Presidents’ Day.” Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (Feb. 12th) was folded into the celebration. It’s now morphed into a day to honor all 45 men who have occupied the Oval Office.

New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day and Christmas Day are now the only four holidays we celebrate on whatever day they fall. Purists will argue the founders actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 2nd, and we don’t know when Jesus of Nazareth was actually born. But it’s still fun to discover each year what day of the week these days fall. It seems a little more special to celebrate anything in the middle of a work week.

Monday holidays may make for a more efficient and even profitable economy, but do they also detract from the main purpose of the designation itself? Sincerity, not a more sophisticated society, should be our goal. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act may bolster spending, but it diminishes the day by shifting the focus away from the leader and special occasion to a useful excuse for leisure.

It’s likely Dr. King will be mentioned at some point during the Inauguration. It was President Trump who in 2018 said, “Dr. King opened the eyes and lifted the conscience of our nation. He stirred the hearts of our people to recognize the dignity written in every human soul.”

President-elect Trump was just 21 years-old when Dr. King was assassinated. The two men never met, but Dr. King once gave a speech that our 45th and soon-to-be 47th president would have loved.

“Our slogan must not be ‘Burn, baby, burn,’ it must be ‘Build, baby, build,’” Dr. King warned those gathered inside Philadelphia’s Barrett Junior High School in 1967. “Organize, baby, organize. Yes, our slogan must be ‘Learn, baby, learn’ so that we can earn, baby, earn.’”

Image credit: Wikipedia and Donald J. Trump

Is God at Work Moving President-Elect Trump’s Inauguration Inside?

President-elect Donald J. Trump has ordered that his inauguration be moved inside this coming Monday due to dangerously cold weather forecast for Monday in Washington, D.C.

“There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country,” Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social. “I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way. It is dangerous conditions for the tens of thousands of Law Enforcement, First Responders, Police K9s and even horses, and hundreds of thousands of supporters that will be outside for many hours on the 20th (In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly!).”

This isn’t the first time that wintry weather has forced the cancellation of outdoor inaugural festivities. Back in 1985, with the temperatures in the single digits, President Reagan took the oath of office inside the Capitol.

Given the two previous attempts on President-elect Trump’s life, as well as the ongoing tension swirling around the world, could the Lord be using this brutal, anticipated below freezing weather, to change the venue, thwart evil plans, and save the incoming president’s life?

Could He be orchestrating the circumstances to spare someone or various people in the crowd?

There is no way to know, of course. In God’s infinite wisdom, He doesn’t extend to us any special powers to see around corners, let alone understand what He’s up to. But one thing is absolutely certain:

God is sovereign. We are not.

“Things are not left to chance,” preached Charles Spurgeon. “No blind fate rules the world. God hath purpose, and those purposes are fulfilled. God hath plans, and those plans are wise, and never can be dislocated.”

It’s been previously speculated that perhaps the Lord used a fog to spare American troops from being captured by British forces during the Revolutionary War. It was late in the day on Thursday, August 29, 1776. General George Washington and his fledgling Continental Army were trapped in Brooklyn Heights, New York, along the East River, across from the island of Manhattan.

But then a dense fog rolled in, the day became night, and the American troops slipped away undetected, even wrapping their oars in towels.

In the scriptures, we read about God sending an angel to do His bidding (2 Chronicles 32:21) in war, or literally splitting the Red Sea in two (Exodus 14:26-28) and then closing the raging, drowning waters onto Pharoah’s army.

Then there was the time He miraculously lengthened a day so that Joshua and the Israelites could continue fighting with the aid of daylight (Joshua 10:12-14). In the New Testament, we know that Jesus can easily control the wind and the waves (Matthew 8:23-27).

God’s sovereignty can be an immense source of comfort – or an intense mystery that we struggle to fully embrace.

As the Biden administration ends and the Trump administration begins, there is no way to know all that is coming next. There are many plans and many dreams of men and women – but only one God who rules and reigns.

God is always at work, always on the move, always orchestrating in ways to accomplish His purposes. Yes, we have free will, and our actions matter – but somehow, someway, nothing that we do will ever thwart or stop His will and His plans.

As the apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians, “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:16-17).

Yes, all things – even the looming frigid air in Washington, D.C.

Image from Getty.