Taking a Stand

 Recently, my husband and I attended a conference which focused on reigniting citizens' to participate in their nation's welfare and future.  I will not go into the list of speakers at this time but each contributed a variation on a theme of freedom. 

Some of the speakers were pastors.  The link above is not the speech he gave but if you go to YouTube and look up Pastor Lawrence White, you can listen to his speech "The Soul of America".  The story he tells of taking his sons to Germany is included in that and he also shared some elements of this speech as well. 

I found this riveting as well as convicting.  There was a time in my life that I was so apathetic to the workings and history of this nation.  Then, I finally woke up and cared.  Satan did not like that as that awakening led to my spiritual awakening.  He  hated that!

 His passion is to lie and those messages are in whispers and also by airhorn.  The airhorns came first.  I tried to share and the ugliness roared back.  I was kind of surprised by it because I was new to this new way of  seeing the world.  I had spent most of my life lulled by lies told to me and it was exciting, in a way, to share truth with others.  Yet, the ones who I tried to share the newfound truth with were not at all interested.  In fact, the ones who did not resist loudly yawned instead.  Yawning?  Yes.  A big giant straining yawn.  I tried to push a little bit and I poked as well.  They just rolled over and went to sleep.  We have the yellers and the yawners!

After reading the books about William Wilberforce and Dietrich Bonhoefer by Eric Metaxas, I felt validated.  They faced the same reactions.  The "problem" for me was that I was not a politician nor a theologian of great reputation and education.  I can tell you for some people, it is super easy to put down a housewife and to look down on her diploma in medical transcription.  Mind you, I am an extremely successful person but it is not the world's definition of success that makes me rich and secure in title. 

This conference convicted me of complacency and some apathy that had crept back into my life.  Maybe it was not so much apathy as it was resignation.  It is not the same inaction I faced with the yellers and the yawners.  They embraced their ignorance with zeal (maybe that is what caused them to be too lethargic to care).  I have watched some politicians play their games and pretend.  It is quite disconcerting. This quote from Pastor White's speech resonated with me.  "American politics consist largely of candidates without ideas, hiring consultants without convictions, to stage campaigns without content … resulting in elections without voters.”  Again though, Wilberforce and Bonhoeffer squared off with their own pretenders of their days.  The opposition they faced did not squelch their fervor.  


As far as Christianity is concerned, we ought not to have timid politicians, timid pastors nor timid citizens.  There was never any timidity with Christ!!!
William Wilberforce was told by John Wesley in a letter (andhow he must be spinning in his grave now!):

"Unless God has raised you up...you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils, but if God be for you, who can be against you?  Oh, be not weary of well-doing."

President Gerald Ford is, "We have an election in which candidates without ideas, hire consultants without convictions, to carry out campaigns without content."  - See more at: http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=4151#sthash.A5LsbHQw.dpuf

That is the key.  God is the one who is for us so who can be against us? 

I am patriotic and love my country BUT  I am relieved that my citizenship is in Heaven.  Until God decides the moment of taking us home, I  am going to serve Him and resist evil.  One of many ways of implementation may be in the form of voting or some activity (which could be political) of some kind.  I do not want to be one of those Christians that turned away from the slave ship Zong nor Kristal Nacht.  

"I must confess equally boldly that my own solid hopes for the well-being of my country depend, not so much on her navies and armies, nor on the wisdom of her rulers, nor on the spirit of her people, as on the persuasion that she still contains many who love and obey the Gospel of Christ. I believe that their prayers may yet prevail. —William Wilberforce"
 

In A Blink!

She is not so little anymore.  Happy Birthday to my "Baby Girl"!  She is 26 today. 

I look back at this picture and have fond memories of when my children were little.  It really went by in a blink.  People warned me that my children would be grown before I knew it.  Some of you readers know that in the day-to-day of diapers, feeding, little squabbles and cleaning up messes, it is difficult to see anything beyond the day or week.  When they are newborns and toddlers, high school graduations, weddings and grandchildren are light years away! 

My son's toddlerhood went by super quick though, as I was always anxious to see the very next milestone.  Baby sister arrived very soon after and I looked into her little newborn eyes and told her, "Do not grow up fast! Stay a baby as long as you can!" What did she do?  She did almost everything faster than her brother!

I do not have a son-in-law or a daughter-in-law or grandchildren at this point in time but look forward to those blessings in God's ways and timing.  Right now, I am just going to enjoy my daughter's age of 26 and my son's age of 27.  In a blink, they will be experiencing their own families' graduations and weddings and I'll be a grandma or great-grandma (God willing!). 

Happy Birthday!!

Go Vote, But Beware!

You Will Never Regret Loving This Much!

God is so good!

Giving Credit

Ganglionic

I will admit it.  I have been staring at this screen for about 15 minutes.  I type a few sentences and then read and delete.  It just happened about 3 times before I typed THIS sentence.  The thing is I have been wanting to report on all this for a few days now but I put it off because it was Mother's Day.  It was a also a great weekend with the Open House.  I DO love to share joyous things and there is a time and place for everything.  "I can't blog on disturbing issues today....it's National Sea Monkey Day!"  Yes, it really is.  No, actually, since it turned midnight 11 minutes ago, it is now Armed Forces Day and also National Pack Rat Day. 

 The problem I am having is that it is not just one story.  As one of our dear members of our church youth group likes to say, "It is about connections" (he would interlace fingers at this juncture for emphasis and oh by the way, have I ever mentioned our church youth group is PHENOMENAL?  Boasting in the Lord here).  I have about 4 or 5 different stories that all boil down to one theme.  So why ever did I start this at 11:40?   It is Friday night and I do not have to be anywhere in the morning.  I stayed up late last night and I do not want to start this pattern of late nights.  

Also, I need to organize and the stuff is just swirling around my mind.  Stuff swirling around in my mind  does not make a pretty picture.  This is not an essay for Composition class but I do like to have some semblance of order.  Too late for that!  How does one eat an elephant?  One bite at a time! 

This is one of the stories I almost posted as a lone link and it got my blood boiling!  I will post it now and follow up tomorrow.  


Planned Parenthood Covers Up Rape...Again!

The prayer request is pretty evident with this article.  SO GLAD our Father in Heaven hears and cares! 

Tulips, Rubies and Pearls

Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:  Proverbs 31:10, 27-28


This pro-life blog lady is hardly ever around and she is usually late in acknowledging holidays.  Does she eat the bread of idleness?

Sometimes I do.

BUT NOT THIS WEEK!!! Really and for truly, it has been a busy week.  There have been a lot of stories in the news that I have wanted to address.  I thought about just posting the article links only to direct attention to the highlights with no commentary.  Many of my readers are already on top of links and the latest news so I did not do that.  Any time  you want to contribute something new  (pro-life related) from your area's news, please let me know.

This is a belated Mother's Day Greeting to all the mom's yonder out there.  I share these tulips with you all.  I was blessed by my husband, son and daughter on Mother's Day.  I would love to share real flowers with all of you but these virtual ones will have to do. 

We had our church picnic and our crisis pregnancy center's open house scheduled at the same time.  Both were successful and it was a very pretty day weather-wise.  It was a pretty fun and exciting day!

Recently, a great deal of renovation was completed at the center.  It has been exciting to see the changes of new carpet, fresh paint, updated decor and improved allocation of space. God will accomplish His work in all kinds of surroundings.  We have been grateful to have a location that has supplied so much to serve the families of our community.  Yet now this same location is now remarkably spruced up which makes the place extra special!  Returning clients have commented on how nice it looks.  I love it when they come and say, "Do I have the right place?"  I have heard that twice now but others at the cpc have heard it too. 

Eventually, the goal is to expand with our own building but until that becomes a reality, this renovation will certainly help in the stewardship of the present resources.  Plus, it is a bright and welcoming place for our clients to enjoy.  God willing, it will just get better.  Please continue to pray for this little sanctuary which with His light, shines in a place that has a reputation for darkness.  When one also considers that over 3,300 babies are killed every day from abortion, it is also a time of darkness and we definitely need that little sanctuary of Christian hope right now.

Since it was Mother's Day weekend, it was fitting to celebrate the 30,000 new mothers that have been ministered to and served over the past 30 years of operation.  It has been because of God's faithfulness and His dedicated servants that our little crisis pregnancy center has stayed open.  This community's (churches, individuals, businesses, etc.) generosity of baby clothes, formula, diapers, educational pamphlets, evangelism tracts, monetary gifts, office supplies, hours and hours of volunteer labor/tasks, all kinds of services in the form of cleaning and repairs, as well as hours of outreach. 

We have experienced thirty years of this generosity!  It is the Good Samaritan community that does not leave the neighbor for dead like some of the others did.  Instead, the Good Samaritan takes that hurt soul to the inn and says (and yes, I am paraphrasing), "Help me care for this person.  Let us partner to bring this soul to full health."  This applies to also being kind to the wicked and unjust, not just the people we like!  We just want to apply His word, share the Great Commission, obey and love Him and love others like He loved/loves us.  Until He takes us home, that is what we will keep doing. 

Since it was the crisis pregnancy center's 30th anniversary and that is the "pearl" anniversary, I looked up pearl in the Bible and came across this: 
Matthew 13:45-46
 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,  who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.