My life was changed on Friday night.

I found out a few weeks ago that my sister is pregnant with her first child...and that means I'm gonna be an uncle for the first time! I am very excited about this, and I can't wait to be an uncle and have a nephew! All of the fun and none (or almost none) of the responsibility! ;)

How was my life changed on Friday night, you ask? I saw a DVD of my sister's latest fetal sonogram (her son is due in May). So much could be seen! I saw facial and limb features, vertebrae, brain hemispheres, and even the four heart chambers. It was the best thing I have ever seen! So cool!

As an aside...I'm now firmly convinced that abortion is not a political issue. I know that it's a life issue. I wish everyone could experience a feeling like I did when I saw that sonogram on Friday night. If one is morally and intellectually honest with themselves, I don't see how there's any way that someone could justify abortion except in the most extreme circumstances (read: the mother's life is in danger). The little boy growing inside my sister's belly is not a "potential" life...it is a life! Regardless of one's political or religious persuasion, seeing something like that sonogram makes this an indisputable fact. I wish that the media, the public, and the politicians would stop being so damn polarized over this issue (as evidenced by their actions and words). I wish that they would all see this for what it is...the miracle of life!

Again, abortion is not a political issue, nor is it a "choice" or "freedom" issue. Quite simply, it's a life issue...and in the end, that is the only thing that needs to be acknowledged in this "debate." I am neither Democrat nor Republican, and while my politics tend to lean conservative in many areas, I'm not "hard core" on most things. This is an exception, though. After what I saw on Friday night, I don't see how it couldn't be.

I believe I am forever changed by what I saw on Friday night. This doesn't mean I'm going to become a right wing nut job who spews out hatred and/or violence toward those who disagree with me about abortion. As far as I'm concerned, that's just as wrong as the left wing nut jobs who spew out hatred and/or violence toward those who disagree with, for example, the expansion of government in our society. What this does mean for me is that I am more grateful for my life, my friends, my family, and my God. All of them have played a part in making me who I am today and in showing me that even when life sucks, it's still a beautiful thing.

Let me end this post with a video I saw on YouTube. It's set to one of my favorite songs by George Strait called "I Saw God Today." The song is told from the point of view of a man whose wife has just given birth to their child (in the song it's a daughter). While this is a main theme of the song, it's also about noticing the little things in life and appreciating life for the wonderful things that it can bring us. Enjoy the song and the video!