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Dear John,

It’s February, and we live in Minnesota, so let’s talk about hockey. Specifically, the NHL's Frank J. Selke Trophy. 

The Selke Trophy is a unique award in professional sports. Every league has an award for the Most Valuable Player, and most have awards for excellence at a specific position like baseball pitcher (Cy Young) or hockey goalie (Vezina Trophy) or for excellent play on defense or offense. 

The Selke, however, is a trophy for the NHL forward (offensive position) who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. It’s an award for a goal-scorer who plays excellent defense. No other sport has an award quite like this … and we love it, because it’s the award we’d want to win. 

Why? Because that’s what we want to be—an organization known for being proactive and bold, pushing the culture forward, but just as adept at playing defense against all manner of attacks. 

Remember: you can make a tax-deductible gift to Minnesota Family Institute to support our educational efforts, or a non-tax-deductible gift to Minnesota Family Council to support our policy and advocacy work.

That’s exactly the position we find ourselves in right now, as a new legislative session heats up in St. Paul with a troubling national backdrop. 

We expect an onslaught of far-left legislation that further dilutes religious freedom and the rights of parents, children and the unborn, as well as an attempt to reverse every positive measure that was passed in the last four years. 

President Biden started this movement quickly at the national level, signing 17 executive actions within minutes of his inauguration. He wasted no time targeting religious freedom and the unborn, just as his radical allies expected him to do. 

We know that Minnesota’s progressives are eager to follow his lead. And we're working to stop it.

We expect radical progressives to try to legalize physician-assisted suicide, pass the radically pro-abortion and pro-transgender Equal Rights Amendment, try to pass radical comprehensive sex ed (see our update last week) and ban so-called “conversion therapy” and sidewalk counseling outside abortion centers. 

But we have a slim majority in the Senate that allows us a fighting chance to stem this tide. It will be a monumental task – but we have the experience, relationships and perseverance to get it done. And also the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of God’s Word, which count for even more.

We believe in the power of prayer, and of kindness, and of loving our enemies. We believe in a God of miracles, compassion and mercy. We believe that truth will prevail and what is right and good will ultimately win the day. 

We’re standing on that hope as we enter the fray.

And it won’t be just a defensive effort. We’re going on offense as well. We will work hard to get good bills on the docket for a vote, and when we do that we force new members to take a stand and make their positions public.

After all, people campaigning for office might lie, but votes don’t.

I look ahead and have reason for optimism. Yes, it’s going to be a hard session and we’re going to see a lot of terrible ideas coming out of the House. 

But we’re also going to see light rise up to meet that darkness. The truth will come out and we’ll have many opportunities to speak words of life and hope. We will faithfully play both defense and offense, with determination, patience and peace.

We will need a performance this session worthy of the Selke Trophy, and we won’t be able to deliver it without your help. 

That’s why I’m writing to you now to ask you to prayerfully consider making a special gift of $15, $25, $50, $100 or even more, as the Lord leads, toward our offensive and defensive efforts in the 2021 legislative session.

No matter what happens over the next few months, we’ll keep the long view in mind, knowing that things aren’t always as they seem to be and the day seems darkest right before the dawn. 

Whatever comes, we will fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. When he carried that cross up Golgotha, it sure looked like he was losing. But make no mistake, he was winning every step of the way. 

Click the “Donate” button below to make your gift today to Minnesota Family Council or Minnesota Family Institute! Thank you and God bless!