Shining The Light

I imagine the inventor of the umbrella couldn’t foresee the future of his simple invention that day, 4000 years ago in Ancient Egypt. The umbrella got started with the concept of bundling palm fronds together attached to a stick, to shield one’s head from the sun. The ‘parasol’ became a sign of privilege when mostly sun-averting kings and royalty used it. The umbrella evolved through time and eventually, some ingenious person in China, where it rains more than in Africa, decided to make it waterproof.

What a handy, practical thing the umbrella has turned out to be. It can be found nowadays in an array of colors and designs, shapes and sizes. Some use the umbrella for decorative purposes, some use it to shield their coiffure from the rain, and some use it on the beach to shield their delicate bodies from the detested sunburn.

It’s fascinating that if you Google “How to use an umbrella,” you will find etiquette lessons on how to properly handle your unruly umbrella. Because as one writer says, “It has come—rather painfully– to my attention that very few people know how to properly use an umbrella.” Apparently, we can misuse an umbrella, and so we  need to be mindful of how we handle our bumbershoot, as the British refer to it.

I am going to assume that the inventor of the umbrella never had in mind that it could be used in a less than honorable way. Planned Parenthood uses the umbrella to shield clients walking into their centers on the day of their abortion so that the pro-life advocate cannot be seen by the abortion-minded women and men. They shield their clients from the truth that abortion hurts women and the truth that there is a better way to deal with their difficult situation. They shield these hurting people from the ethical help available to them at a pregnancy care center, and they obscure their view from the reality of abortion.

We know that abortion center employees and volunteers think they are protecting their clients from pro-life advocates. Otherwise, why would they put up this barrier between the people who are in need of help and the people who are offering loving, life-affirming help for them and their child? We pray that these employees and volunteers would become aware of their client’s sadness at making the abortion choice. And we pray they would see that they, like the pregnancy care centers, could take away those tears by offering life-saving measures for their clients. We pray that they would put down their umbrellas and put them away for a rainy day.

It was an unusually windy day for Tempe, Arizona. The weather forecast 20 to 30 mph winds, with gusts up to 40. Windy or not, this day was my scheduled day to pray and participate in the 40 Days for Life vigil in front of the abortion center. As I got out of my car, I found out how strong the wind was when I held my signs in front of me and had to buck the wind like I was breaking a tackle. The wind was literally holding me back from moving forward. But like all those in this 40 Days campaign, inclement weather does not hold us back from doing our hour of prayer.

I noticed as I walked up to the site, that I was by myself for the moment, and I hoped others would show up. The wind was crazy and I was having a difficult time controlling my signs when I heard an angry voice. Between traffic on the busy street and the harsh wind, I couldn’t quite tell where the voice was coming from and was wondering if it was aimed at me. In the past, I had seen some angry people as they whizzed by in traffic, but never anyone who actually stopped to let loose of their vitriol. I thought, oh-oh, and wished I had someone with me so I wouldn’t have to contend with the anger alone. But of course, I wasn’t really alone; God says in His Word that He’s with me always. I held onto that thought.

I looked behind me and off in the distance was a red car with a driver whose face was about as red as the vehicle. She was waiting to pull out of the parking lot but apparently wanted to give me some advice before she left. When she saw me look in her direction, she raised her hand to show me her one finger ‘salute.’ It came to mind that her screaming face was typical of those you see in pictures, or on the news, of upset pro-choice women. She called me things not fit for little children, or adults, to hear. As she scrambled for her phone and turned it my way to record me, I hoped she would play it back later and regret her unattractive tirade.

With my “Abortion Hurts Women” sign in hand, I waved as I walked closer, but not too close, and she broke into her spiel about how I, we pro-lifers, were the ones hurting women. The car was full and the people inside were about to jump out of their seats in agreement and indignation. It’s a weird thing, but it almost felt comical. They reminded me of jumping beans popping up and down, with no direction, just propelled by some unknown force. I didn’t feel in danger at all and attributed that to God’s presence.

Another gal in the passenger seat had a little more couth than this  young ‘lady’ and I focused on her. I told her that I know how abortion feels and how it hurts because I chose abortion, twice. The girl with the cooler head said, “I’ve had two abortions too.” Like it was no big deal. She went on to say, “It didn’t hurt me, and if it hurts someone then they shouldn’t have an abortion.”

I left it at that.

Here are couple of things I learned, and four things that I now have the opportunity to pray for those in that red car:

–Car chats, with angry people, are not the best way to reach someone, but I will pray that something in my heart reached someone’s heart in that red car.

–Anger is the work of the evil one, so I pray that God would show them how harmful and unproductive it is to use fowl language and deride another person.

–I pray that the girl who had two abortions would understand what she has done, come to feel the need for repentance, and that she would become a voice for life someday.

–I will pray that the jumping beans in that car would jump for joy one day because they have come to know the Lord!

When you have older brothers and sisters, they tend to go off and do their own thing, and you can feel left out and left behind. When I was a kid, we lived on a farm, far away from town and social activities. Being young, I was happy to spend my time with my friends of the bovine and canine variety. But as I came into my early teen years, the urge to be with my friends from school, who lived in town, became more of a draw than the sweet time spent with my favorite cow friends.

One summer day, my older brother’s friend-with-a-car, stopped by to pick him up to go into town. I can’t remember where they were going, but I jumped at the chance to tag along. But the authority in my life, Mom, said, “Absolutely not!” This was the first, and only time, I said those awful, and quickly regretted words— I hate you!”—to my mother. Though I was sorry I said that to her, I was more upset about being left behind.

Recalling those lonely feelings of being left behind reminded me how at the age of twenty-one, I was the cause of someone being left behind. When I chose abortion I purposely left my unborn child at the abortion center. I came into that place with my child secure in my womb and left there childless. There was no redeeming reason to do it. I went along with the selfish reasoning of those involved, and I accepted the deadly plan, because as they said, “It  would be for the best.”

Whether we can foresee it or not, self-centered decisions bring about dire consequences. Though I subconsciously knew I’d be leaving there alone, I hadn’t thought about the “me” I’d be leaving with. When I left that abortion center, I left there with a sin clinging to me that hadn’t been there before. I left there with a regret that would never be shaken from me, that would never cease to be the cause of my heart breaking when I thought about it.

Later, when I became a Christian, God gently, scripture-by-scripture, showed me that He had created and had blessed me with that child. He was offering me a gift…a gift of love, but in my ignorance, I didn’t see it that way. I saw a burden and a problem. If only I’d known God was giving me a blessing.

Even though I had left His gift of love behind on that awful day when I was twenty-one, God didn’t stop loving me because of what I had done. Instead, in His love, He showed me how to cope with the pain, He helped me know I was forgiven, and He gave me the example of how to never leave love behind again.

Don’t you just love a baby’s soft, chunky, little feet and toes? Moms love to hold them and squeeze them. They’re so awesomely cute and kissable. Mom blogger Melanie Edwards asked some Moms what it is about baby feet that they love so much. One mom said, “You can hold them in the palm of your hand and be in awe of the magic of a baby while cuddling them.” Another mom said, “What isn’t there to love about baby feet? Tiny, little, pudgy, ticklish…and they are just so cute.”

But there are some who aren’t moved by sweet baby toes. And we wonder– How is it that these people called abortionists can callously suction out of the womb the hands and feet, fingers and toes of a baby and call it helping the mother? How is it possible that the abortionist doesn’t gasp in horror at seeing these sweet, tender, little baby hands and feet separated from its body? It astonishes me how these ‘doctors’ can be so blind to the taking of human life. And, it frightens me.

I’m frightened that fellow human beings, doctors who claim to protect human life, can be so anesthetized to seeing hands and feet in their vacuumed discards of the day that they forget what it means to “do no harm”. If they can’t recognize the destruction of human life, what else are they capable of?

And I’m saddened for the abortionist. One Day he will see, and be devastated at the destruction and inhumanity of his job. One Day, He will see the hands and feet, fingers and toes of Jesus, and will be awakened to the heart-stopping reality of what he’s done…and didn’t do.  He didn’t save a life and nurture it with the life-giving skills he has as a doctor. He didn’t protect life. One Day Jesus will be there to remind him, “Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did not do for me.” (Matthew 25:45)

But we know through Jesus there is still hope for the abortionist (as there is for each one of us). The abortionist can turn in humility to the One who has true sovereignty over life and death…our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is the One who can open the eyes of the blind…and He will. Jesus is the One who forgives… and He will, when we turn to Him.

#prolife #abortion #babytoes

I just read an article that talked about generational influences and strongholds. It said that in 1874 someone on the New York State Prison Board found out that six members of the same family were incarcerated at the same time. They traced back about 150 years, and found some eye-popping stats about that family’s lineage—310 had been homeless, 160 had been prostitutes, many had been drug and alcohol dependent, 150 served time in prison—and 7 of those for murder!

I don’t know about you but I see a bad pattern here. If you grew up in this family, or one with even a minute similarity, how do you think your story would end? We know that somewhere along the line, someone has to stand up and say, “I don’t want this to be my story.”

We see this repetitive type behavior in the realm of abortion. Statistics show that forty-seven percent of all abortions are performed on women with at least one prior abortion. How do we help these women see there is a better path, and a better outcome for their lives? This is where Pregnancy Care Centers can make a positive difference.

Maybe you don’t hang out at Pregnancy Care Centers, or know much of what they do, so I hope this will enlighten you. The PCCC’s around the country have discovered a way to help change behaviors that may result in abortion and further unintended pregnancies. They are using a program called Earn While You Learn, or EWYL. They take the premise that education can change outcomes that will impact society for the better, for generations to come. And instead of enabling women to “make a regret,” they make a way for a positive emotionally rewarding future, with their child intact.

The EWYL program is a multifaceted tool that helps a lost and scared, pregnant mom feel confident and full of hope. The women, and men, who go through this program take classes that educate them on pregnancy, birth, parenthood, life skills, biblical studies, boundaries, step-parenting, and so much more.  The program realizes the importance of strong fathers and so they address fatherhood issues—being a role model, disciplining, leadership etc.

There is even a monetary benefit to these EWYL programs that allow young parents to feel they are contributing to their own welfare. As they complete each lesson along with homework, they are given ‘Mommy Money’ or ‘Daddy Dollars’ that they can use to shop for items in the Center’s boutique. Donated baby gear such as diapers, cribs, strollers, clothing, bedding, and mommy clothes are all available for purchase.

As these parents learn how to parent and manage their lives and their family, they set the example for their children and their children’s children. The young men and women who go through this teaching program will lead the change that puts their kids on a positive track and protect their futures from any generational curses.

For more info:  http://www.ewylonline.com/

I was savoring one of my favorite dark chocolate candies, with almond, when I reached down to wad up the foil wrapper. And just before I scrunched it up, I noticed the message on the inside of the wrapper. It said, “Happy Un-Birthday!

Maybe most everyone besides me knows what that means, or the significance of that phrase, but I didn’t know, or couldn’t remember, so I had to ask. I went-a-searching at Dictionary.com, and here’s what they came up with:

–any day other than one’s birthday

–an unbirthday present, coined by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass

Another clue to the meaning of unbirthday comes in the movie, Alice in Wonderland. Some cute and lively characters are celebrating with tea and singing as Alice comes upon the scene and joins them at the table. The lyrics between the Mad Hatter and the March Hare explain it all:

March Hare: Imagine, just one birthday every year

Mad Hatter: Ah, but there are three hundred and sixty-four unbirthdays

So, there you are, you have permission to celebrate the three hundred and sixty-four other days in the year that aren’t your birthday. You can celebrate that you have been given that many days in the year to do something special. Like…enjoy three hundred and sixty-four opportunities to do better than you did the day before, do something new and exciting, tell someone different each day that you love them, show a kindness every day, savor the sun coming up every morning, and in Arizona—the sun going down every evening!

There’s one more thing you can do. Look at the meaning of un-birthday from the point of view of the one million babies in a year that did not have a birthday because their parents, who conceived life, but were not prepared for that life, decided that this baby would not make it to their “birth” day.

The baby who was aborted today just had an un-birthday. And it’s nothing to celebrate.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows is God in His holy dwelling. Psalm 68:5

Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Defender is strong; He will take up their case against you. Proverbs 23:10-11

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy, deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Psalm 82: 3-4

 Even though our nation is so divided these days, we seem to come together when we see an injustice done to someone who can’t defend him or herself. We hear of horrendous things done to children and we collectively groan, “How could someone do that?” And we rise up to defend the cause of the helpless.

And so it is with God when He sees the fatherless preyed upon or hurt in anyway by those who are heartless. As proverbs 23:11 says, “…for their Defender is strong; He will take up their case…”

One of the key words in the scriptures above is “fatherless.” God makes it obvious that not only is He their protector and defender, but He commands us to defend the fatherless also.

And who are the ‘fatherless’?–Children who no longer have their father around to protect them, care for them, or nurture them. In the case of the baby in the womb slated for abortion, many fathers willingly relinquish the role of father and protector–he may very well be the person who is pushing for his own child’s destruction.

Who, then, will come to the rescue of the weak and the fatherless? Who will be their defender?

What if you saw a woman toss her newly born baby into the swift current of a river?

What if you saw a woman set her newly born baby down on the steps of a fully-involved house on fire?

What if you saw a woman lay her newly born baby on the railroad tracks, with a speeding train barreling down the tracks?

It makes us cringe to picture these scenarios. Just at the thought of these situations, we shudder. And if we were actually witnessing this baby in peril, our first instinct would be to rescue this baby from imminent death. As a matter of fact, we would be thought woefully negligent and cruel if we stood by and did nothing.

What if we turn the clock back on this timeline? The day is four months before this baby is to be born. Now the baby isn’t in danger from the mother’s visible attempts to harm the baby. We imagine the baby is safe inside the mother’s womb, just growing and biding its time until birth. But then, the mother decides circumstances in her life are not conducive to having this little one. So now, the danger is a more ambiguous peril, not so easily seen or understood. But this baby is in the same danger as before….death, but somehow this particular form of death… abortion… is acceptable. The baby will not be pulled out of the safety and protection of its mother’s hands, but her womb. This baby will be dismembered and left for dead. And  yet, we don’t cringe at the horror of it, we don’t scramble to the rescue, and we don’t scream for help,

Why do we let the baby die?

What if…we stepped back, and truly allowed our conscience to show us that this is the same baby, the same danger, and the same urgency to rescue from death? That we have a naturally inspired call to protect the helpless and defenseless, no matter the arguments or circumstances.

Would we still let the baby die?

What if…your answer is still yes, let the baby die? And you do.

Do you shudder at the thought of it?

When You Know

The ladies sitting in the meeting shivered in their sleeveless blouses as the temperatures outside soared to 110 degrees. Ironic that in Arizona in the summertime heat, we can be freezing in our overly air-conditioned homes and businesses. But the chill-bumps showing on the bare arms of these ladies weren’t from the cold, they were from the gruesome story they had just heard.

Karen (not her real name), was just 16 years old as she lay frightened on the exam table, waiting for the doctor to be done with the deadly deed. It was supposed to be a quick, simple evacuation of something deemed, ‘a clump of cells.’ But things weren’t going as planned…at least not for Karen.

The doctor in his starched white coat, sat on his rolling stool:  his hands grasping the instruments, as he positioned himself closer between the metal stirrups. He glanced nonchalantly at the nurse, “I’m going to have to crush the head.”

Karen’s body jolted in shock. Crush the head! What head? She wanted to scream, “No!! It’s not a baby, it’s a clump of cells!!”

The doctor’s callous words reverberated in her mind. Crush the head…Crush the head … No woman wants to hear the reality of abortion. When we can’t see it, when we think, ‘ it’s just tissue,’ then we can justify getting rid of this problem. But when you know the truth of abortion, when you know that you’ve taken the life of a child–a human being with fingers, toes…and a head;  how do you live with that knowledge?

In Karen’s case she took those excruciating thoughts of guilt and shame and let them poison her well-being. She did her best to harm herself. She stopped eating, to the point that she weighed a mere 85 pounds. She went into depression, and Karen not only turned her anger inward, she turned her anger outward, toward anyone in her path, especially her loved ones.

It was a miserable and agonizing life for Karen until she finally gave in, and gave up her life to the only One who could rid her of the guilt and shame—our Savior, Jesus Christ. When you know Jesus, and when you confess and ask Him to make you clean again, He will, and He will then see our shameful faces as radiant and sinless.

Those who look to Him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame.

                                                                                                Psalm 34: 5

Karen now works to help women find relief from the guilt, shame and self-condemnation brought into their lives by abortion. And she knows the pleasure of seeing those radiant, beaming faces when they finally accept God’s unfathomable forgiveness and His mercy.

While reading John 3, where Nicodemus comes to speak with Jesus, it reminded me how Jesus can be confrontational, and not afraid to call a spade a spade. It makes me smile when our Savior, The Light of the World, the Good Shepherd,  puts us in our place, and we have to take it like a trooper because after all—He Is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. He is the one who knows us best, and there is no deceit in Him. He has no ulterior motives to make us look bad; He sees us for what we are. As a matter of fact, He doesn’t want us to look bad, He wants us to be sinless before His Father, our Almighty God.

When Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council, fails to understand the teaching of being born again, Jesus says, “You are Israel’s teacher, and do you not understand these things?” He continues, “I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.”

Jesus is basically saying to Nicodemus that those who should know better, don’t have a clue. And we see that in the area of abortion–that some who are rich in intelligence and knowledge cast aside our abortion testimony when we speak of what we not only have seen, but what we’ve experienced. They won’t accept and admit the truth that many women do regret, with every inch of their souls, the dreadful decision of abortion. Nor will they admit that “women’s reproductive rights” really means murder is allowed when we decide a child is too inconvenient. And, they fail to acknowledge that their type of healthcare means that when a woman comes in for an abortion, she’s leaving her child as medical waste to be sold to those who only want the value of a body part with no value whatsoever put on that human life created by God.

Why are they comfortable in the darkness of that thinking? Do they not know where the truth resides? The truth lives in the light—and Jesus is the Light. I’m not Jesus, far from it, but let me use His words here from John 3:19-21a, and let Him tell it like it is:

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light…”

Jesus was not reluctant to be blunt or speak up when He needed to. Sometimes we too, need to speak the truth and expose what happens in the darkness…and not mince words. And then maybe, the light will reach into the dark corners and the world will see and not allow evil to prevail.