October 08, 2011

The Lord provides

Dear Praying Friends,
"A day like no other"..."did that really just happen?"..."will we ever
experience something like this ever again?"...these are some phrases
that have rolled around in my head today. At about 8:30 this morning a
dear prayer friend who comes faithfully almost every week all year,
was nearest to a distraught client and her mom as they came out of the
abortion clinic doors. She compassionately brought them to us in the
back parking lot and together we determined that the young woman
really wanted to go to a crisis pregnancy center for a free
ultrasound. They don't open until 9:00 so we decided a run through
McDonalds for breakfast would serve two purposes. It could calm her
down and stall things until the center opened. Our dear friend
personally took this young woman with her.
There was one problem...we weren't sure an ultrasound tech could be
found. As the rest of us stayed to pray and wait, a car drove into the
Omega House parking lot. I had never seen the woman before. She got
out, came up to my prayer partner and I and said basically "I'm an
ultrasound tech and have nothing to do today...do you know of anyone
that could use my skills?" Seriously...just like that.
My prayer partner showed her the way to the crisis pregnancy center
where the young woman had barely arrived!
Within the hour, another couple arrived. They had doubts about going
through with their abortion. They had been offered a free ultra sound
like we so often do. They came to the wall and said "Can you get us an
ultra sound right now?" Ah, yes. That would be affirmative. We know
just the place.
Literally, as I was talking to them the next shift's sidewalk
counselors had arrived and were talking to a third couple. She called
me over to join in the conversation and took over the first couple.
And yes...couple number three wanted a free ultrasound too. So we
basically had two and three follow each over to the center!
I call this "pre-provision"...before I knew the difficulties of this
day, God had planned for our needs to be met. Three couples who had
planned on ending their baby's life today, are still pregnant
tonight...praise God.
Client "C": Daughter of a pastor. Many other kids at home all with the
same dad. Shocked at this turn of events. Both she and the baby's dad,
without work at this time. They have a small house and needed more
room even before this pregnancy.
Client "E": They were told that the baby has a severe deformity. They
are married and this is their first baby. They are devestated but
someone told them to come to the clinic to abort the baby.
Client "M":Young, dabbles in drugs, fears she may lose the custody of
this baby. She is who we "battled for" in the early hours of the day.
Her countenance brightened at the thought of leaving the clinic and
seeing her baby.
Each couple is in great need. Money and jobs are issues. But everyone
of them displayed care for their baby.
At the end of the morning I was in the prayer room of the Omega House
when the director of the center all three women were brought to, came
through the door. We hugged, cried, thanked God, and prayed together.
Three "turn-arounds"?...an ultra sound tech showing up just when
needed?...friends of the ministry being willing to be used in ways
they didn't expect? It had been a morning when every single one of
those involved in these amazing events were stretched in their faith
and lavishly blessed by God. The overwhelming feeling tonight is one
of both personal humility and awe for our God Who did so much today!
And get this...there were nine staff people and only three "customers"
left. The abortions of those that left would be a $2,000+ loss for the
clinic, plus paying staff that certainly wasn't busy today. All that
to say...keep praying:). We are grateful to have the onsite prayer
team of 40 Days for Life being on Fulton, 24 hours a day. too. What a
blessing! We praise and honor the Creator tonight...He has done
marvelous things!

October 07, 2011

Pro-Life across America

Are you pro-life all over?

Do you put on your proverbial 'pro-life hat' when put on your 40DFL pin, and then take it off again when you finish your hour of prayer?

I have a bumper sticker advertising 40DFL on my car. I sometimes worry that my driving habits may not be consistent with the message I am trying to propose to those in traffic behind me.

But it's not just traffic laws I have to obey. Am I following God's laws in every aspect of my life? How faithfully do I live out the Golden Rule each day?

Being deprived (actually it's a kind of reward) of prayer in front of an abortion clinic up here in Alpena has forced me to consider how many other ways I live out my commitment to being pro-life. I volunteer at the Baby Pantry, where mothers can get free diapers and 'shop' for free clothes.

I could also volunteer at a soup kitchen and value the human dignity of homeless people. I should check in with my wife and ask her how much she feels valued by her husband. Do I reverence her dignity? Do we speak ill of other people? Do we guard our tongues, our thoughts, even when we're not in public?

The beauty of this vigil is that it forces us to look within ourselves. What must you and I do to make God's love more apparent to those who know us? If the women choosing abortion at 320 see us and our loving peacefulness, don't you think that will make an impression?
But what if only God could see us, deep in the silence of our hearts- would we want God to see in there too? Would God like what we do when we're not standing on a sidewalk praying?

Let's ask God to make our hearts as open to every human life we meet as we expect these mothers to be to the life of their child. Let's begin to look on every person as one made in the image and likeness of God.

October 06, 2011

Envision

a world without legal abortion.

This will be the theme for the annual Students for Life convention.

Can you picture it?

Some people in our nation can still recall growing up under segregation, with blacks using separate drinking fountains and separate entrances, as depicted in the film "The Help". They never thought they would live to see the day when we would elect a black president.

What did they do? They prayed. They turned from evil (they did not use violent means of civil disobedience). They humbled themselves.

And what marvels has God wrought within the space of one generation?

We too are being called to humble ourselves through fasting and pray for an end to abortion. We are asked to bear our grievances peacefully while we stand on the sidewalk, neither carrying signs nor engaging people in debate. Simply stand and pray.

What will God accomplish? Will 320 close? Will all human life be protected under the law?

If you can imagine it, can you also ask God to make it so? Can you offer your own hardships on behalf of the children whose lives will be snuffed out today? Can you be there on the sidewalk to honor the death of these tiny innocents and love them? Can you stand there and love those who discarded the dignity of these children? How big is your heart today? Is it as big as your imagination?

October 05, 2011

Heartbreaking

Did y'all read Sean Carney's post from today? It just breaks my heart.

As the abortion center closed for the day, one of the
employees came out and threw eight small plastic babies
on the ground.

"I don't know how long you people plan to be here,"
said the worker, "but this is how many we did today."

"Our group remained silent," said Ryan in Tuscaloosa.
"We watched the staff member leave, and prayed for
the eight babies and the staff."

The local team decided it would be best to distribute
the plastic babies to vigil participants to carry as
a reminder to pray for all the unborn, especially the
eight from this particular day.

"We all deal with trials at our vigils," Ryan said.
"We have faith that God is using us to do His work.
This trial and others are proof that God is at work
in these clinics."

The team in Tuscaloosa sent a photo of the plastic
babies. To see it, please go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2303

Then I received an email from Students for Life in Buffalo reporting an act of vandalism in which one of their pro-life memorials was carefully destroyed. then there was more to follow:
"after the events of Monday, members of the UB Students for Life kept a watchful eye on the display throughout the day on Tuesday, and, at one point, they witnessed a small group of angry women forming around the display.  Two began to rip up the crosses, and someone described as 'older, at least 40 years old, and possibly a faculty member' reportedly yelled 'Hey ladies, let's start a riot.'  This incited six more people to begin tearing up crosses, and they continued until campus police arrived.

    In total eight people were caught vandalizing the display Monday and Tuesday and at least one of them is facing criminal charges - the arresting officer insinuating that they might be charged with a Hate Crime."


    If so that would be the first time - that we're aware of  - in which individuals would be charged with committing a hate crime for vandalizing a pro-life display.


I know that Mary Flegel has had to replace our sign more than once in the course of our annual vigils. I have this encouragement to share:


Elijah Lovejoy (1802-1837) was an important abolitionist.  He published a newspaper, The Observer, which attacked the evils of slavery.  His views were unpopular in his home state of Missouri.  His printing press was destroyed, and he was forced out of St. Louis.  Across the Mississippi River, at Alton, Illinois, Lovejoy set up a new press and renewed his attacks on slavery.  Businessmen in Alton, under pressure from those in St. Louis, again threw Lovejoy’s press into the river.  In the fall of 1837, Lovejoy angered local pro-slavery forces when he co-founded the Illinois Anti-Slavery Society.  The group resolved to buy a new press to continue Lovejoy’s work.  While Lovejoy and his abolitionist friends kept watch over the new press in an Alton warehouse, an armed pro-slavery mob gathered to demand Lovejoy turn over his press.  Lovejoy refused and the mob prepared to set fire to the building.  Lovejoy ran out of the warehouse in an attempt to stop the fire, but was killed by gunfire.  Several others protecting the press were injured and eventually fled the warehouse.  The mob then seized the press and threw it out the third-story window of the warehouse. 

That was an excerpt from this website. People used to defend mob violence against abolitionists in court, believing they were on the side of true justice. We know better now, thank God.

Let's pray that one day in this nation people will look back on this era as a time when ignorance of truth masqueraded as the moral highroad. We are on the good side of this fight when we stand at 320 Fulton and silently, peacefully pray for an end to abortion and its attendant evils.

The gift of life

Today is my mother's birthday.

Her due date when she was pregnant with me was Oct.5, her birthday. I was born five days later. So she really gave me a gift on her birthday, by choosing life.

Of course, she would tell you that it was God who gave me the gift of Life, and that she and my dad simply cooperated with God's plan.

I sure am blessed to have a mom like her. Happy Birthday, Mom!

October 04, 2011

Good news for Pro-Lifers

Planned Parenthood is having a hard time of it these days, with a congressional investigation and statistics revealing 'unintended' pregnancies actually increased with more government funds, not decreased (I put that word in quotes, because clearly a certain Someone intends them).

The bad news?

320 Fulton is not a Planned Parenthood clinic (that might actually be good news). Even if that evil empire finally met its demise, there would still be Heritage Clinic and its staff. So let's continue our fasting for an end to abortion. Because 40DFL is actually seeing results. If we give God an inch, God will go the extra mile.

October 03, 2011

Missing links

As I stood with my daughter at yesterday's LifeChain, holding my 40Days For Life sign, a pedestrian approached me. He told me we also have to legalize marijuana, because keeping it illegal is as bad or worse than abortion. He also told me I should be opposed to capital punishment if I'm pro-life.

I could follow his line of thinking in regards to the second proposal. But that first one was entirely lost on me. He said marijuana contains omega 3 fatty acids, and withholding these health benefits from decent people is no different than abortion. Yeah- no matter how many times I type it, I still can't make heads or tails of it.

This is why we ask you to focus on silent prayer when you stand at 320. We're doing you a favor. Trust me.

October 02, 2011

Respect Life Sunday

The pastor of my church here in Alpena, who is from Africa,  preached this morning about the tragedy of taking innocent human life or abusing men, women, and children made in the image and likeness of God. He said it is terrible that we allow babies, who are vessels of the Holy Spirit, gifts from God made in His image, to be dumped in dumpsters. He said we all of us must preach that God is good, and that all human life come from God. He said he did not know, until he read about it the other day, that some oral contraceptives result in the death of an innocent human life in the womb. He said we must all pray for forgiveness that we allow these things to take place. We must pray for our sisters, daughters, brothers, boyfriends, parents and grandparents who may have been involved in the tragedy of abortion. It affects all of us! None of us want to have the Kingdom taken away from us because we failed to seek forgiveness for our sins. God says, "If my people, who are called in my name, will humble themselves, seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven and bring peace to their land."

One way that many people in Alpena, including my family, will be joining in solidarity with all of you in GR is through participation in the annual LifeChain that will gather along US23 this afternoon.

Let us all pray that healing will come to our land, the peace will be restored to our nation, that forgiveness will be sought by men and women who have given over to sin and death. Let us pray for an end to abortion and all other acts of violence against those created in God's image and likeness.

Here is the prayer from today's devotional, written by Fr. Ben Sheldon of Presbyterians Pro-Life:

Gracious and merciful Father, we gladly embrace your
Word that counsels us to care for the least of your
children, and we renew our dedication to defending
the unborn and all whose right to life is compromised
by our godless society's selfish lack of concern.
Free us from our own failures and sins so that we
will be truly pro-life in every area of our lives.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.