Focusing on blessings, instead of frustrations...

This post won't be super long, but I felt compelled to write this morning for some reason. I woke up and did my daily morning facebook sweep. First thing I saw, it was Friday the 13th. I am not a superstitious person at all, so the date only mildly amused me. Then I remembered that it was National Cow Appreciation Day, where you get free Chick-fil-a when you dress like a cow. That made me very excited. Then I thought a little bit about my day. Even though it is the "unluckiest" day of the year, I felt incredibly blessed. I am at a conference for Lutheran For Life this weekend, so I get to spend my entire day telling people about the incredible gift of Life and about the best way to share this message with youth. That is awesome. Then, I get to see my best friends and dress up like cow in order to get free food. That is less awesome but still pretty cool.

The next thing I saw almost made me forget these blessings for a second. I do not normally post about political things, but I have to say, it was a political ad posted by a college friend that attempted to derail my happy mood this morning. This ad was bashing a candidate by saying he didn't care about the people who couldn't sleep because they were worried about their healthcare. Immediately my mind jumped to "Do you know who else can't sleep? The millions of unborn babies who were murdered because of your candidate's policies!" I was almost tempted to write this on the post. I wanted to ask this person why people ignore the big picture. Why do they forget that while things such as healthcare and the economy are greatly important and need to be discussed, they are only a symptom of a greater problem: a society (and a government) that completely disregards human life unless they deem it valuable enough to care. I wanted to open my hotel window and scream it to the masses. Then I wanted to crawl back into bed and cry a bit.

I was about to start this depressing chain of events when I saw my own previous post on facebook, the one that talked about how blessed I was to talk about Life and dress like a cow and have awesome, amazing friends. I saw that post and I realized that screaming about injustice doesn't solve any problems. Starting pointless political debates on facebook that go absolutely nowhere doesn't solve anything. Focusing on all the people who are clueless and misguided about Life and national priorities really doesn't solve anything either. The only thing that will solve this problem is God and the loving message of His Gospel. I AM blessed that I get to share that message everyday. I am blessed that I get to live out that message with my friends and family and all the people I love. I am blessed to know that no matter what the world might say or do, I have the TRUTH of Jesus Christ and His love for me on my side. So, instead of ranting about what people are wrong about, I am going to go stand at my booth today and tell people how much Jesus loves them and how much Jesus loves Life. Then, I am going to watch them tell their youth this same message. Finally, I am going to watch these youth change the world by loving the world. I think that's a much better plan, don't you? :)

Welcome to the Pro-life movement in St. Louis....

Its been awhile since I was last motivated to post something on this blog, but my experience yesterday definitely merited some kind of recognition. I think I am going to come out and say it and I hope people don't freak out (too much)....

I almost got arrested yesterday.

Yes, as hard as it is to believe, there was a very real moment yesterday when I was pretty sure I was going to get a close look at the St. Louis police department, and not in a good way. But, let me tell you the complete story and maybe you'll get a better idea of why this merits a blog post.

As soon as I found out I was moving to the St. Louis area, I knew I would need to get connected with the local 40 Days for Life leaders so I could continue counseling women at Planned Parenthood. I was able to get in touch with the local executive director of the Coalition for Life St. Louis. Yesterday, after things had settled down a bit, I headed up to the Central West End Planned Parenthood to meet with the director and pray at the clinic.

Volunteer outside of the St. Louis Planned Parenthood. Photo courtesy of Coalition for Life St. Louis.

When I arrived, I met with Brian, the executive director, and he started to share with me how sidewalk counseling worked at this location and the things that CFL St. Louis was doing to help women in the area. I couldn't help but notice that there were a couple police cars present and a few officers conversing in the parking lot of Planned Parenthood. Brian said that PP had probably called them and that he had noticed an upswing in police presence the last couple of weeks.

Very soon after this, a large St. Louis Metropolitan Police van pulled into the parking lots. You know the kind I'm talking about, the ones they bring in when they are about to arrest a bunch of people.

It looked like this, minus the crime lab part

I must have looked nervous, because Brian looked over at me and said, "It looks like we might be taking a ride in a truck today." I was probably in denial and so I didn't immediately pick up on what he was saying. After asking him to clarify, he replied, "I think we're about to get arrested." I don't remember what my actual response was, but it was somewhere along the lines of, "are you KIDDING me?! Why?!? We're just standing here!" I then threw out, "I don't want to get arrested! That was definitely NOT on my lists of things to do today!" Brian's response was something like, "but wouldn't that make a great story!" Great story, indeed!

After a few tense moments as multiple police officers had a pow-wow in the parking lot, the van pulled away and left. I knew at this point that I was probably ok, but there were still several police officers there, so we still weren't sure what was going on. Eventually, about four or five police officers approached Brian and explained their presence at the clinic that day: we had a sign that violated two city ordinances. As they walked over, Brian asked me to snap a few pictures (hopefully I will be able to post a few of them here soon). As I tried to indiscreetly take a few pictures, Brian was "arrested," released on the streets, and asked to leave the premises. We also had to take the sign down. If you ask me, this response seemed a bit heavy-handed. Among the volunteers that day (about 10-15) half were my grandparents' age and the rest were quietly standing and praying. Did the police really think that many officers were needed to deal with a sign out of ordinance? And since when was a bad sign an arrestable offense? Apparently I have a lot to learn about Missouri law enforcement.

I have been praying in front of an abortion clinic for five years and sidewalk counseling for almost as long, and I have never had a negative experience with law enforcement. The Coaltion for Life in Bryan had a wonderful relationship with the Bryan P.D. and so I guess I was unprepared for encounters with a not-so-friendly environment. I was pretty spoiled in Aggieland. Brian's parting words to me before he left the sidewalk summarized the experience very well... "Welcome to the pro-life movement in St. Louis." Well, all I can say is that I am glad I am here and I can't wait to continue standing for Life with my new friends at the Coalition for Life St. Louis!

The Generation to End Abortion

Today we attended the 2012 Students for Life of America National Conference. I have been actively involved in the pro-life movement for almost five years now, but I have never been as inspired as I was today. There was something so powerful about seeing 2,000 youth taking the time to learn about all the opportunities out there to save lives and effect change. The conference is now officially the largest national pro-life conference and it was attended primarily by students in high school and college. The day-long event was a roller coaster of emotions for me. There were moments when I was convicted, moments when I sorrowed, and moments when I was so filled with joy and hope that my eyes filled with tears and I couldn't help but smile. We heard stories from post-abortive women, former abortionists and clinic workers, doctors, pastors, lawyers and leaders of pro-life nonprofits from throughout the country. Each had a specific reason for joining the movement and a unique approach to ending abortion. Through workshops and presentations, the students were given the opportunity to hear about real work being done and the successes that have been made.

I attended a workshop that focused on the work that would still need to be done even after Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs. Bolton are finally overturned. The panel included representatives from Care Net, Feminists for Life, Room at the Inn, and Students for Life's Pregnant on Campus initiative. There was definitely an emphasis put on pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes and, since that is where a lot of my passion lies, I was particularly inspired by their stories. I was blown away by all the innovation going on in the field and the new ways in which centers, like those affiliated by Care Net, are reaching out to the most vulnerable, abortion-minded populations: college-age women. It was amazing to hear about the success we can have if we are willing to reach out to women where they are, by providing the resources they need and delivering our message in new and innovative ways. For example, instead of focusing on pregnancy, one clinic is being pro-active and opened a sexual health center, providing free STI testing. Their theory is that by reaching students before they get pregnant, they can prevent the need to even consider an abortion or, if a pregnancy does occur, establish relationships that the women know that can turn to for help. It is ideas like this that will help bring this movement forward and continue the momentum of progress.

One of the most successful aspects of the conference, in my opinion, was that it presented a great variety of opportunities for getting involved in the pro-life movement. There was literally a place for everyone and an approach that resonated with them individually. This is a great truth of the pro-life movement. No matter what your gifts are, no matter where you are in your life, there is a unique way in which you can work to end abortion. If your gifts are in your ability to build relationships, you can reach out to women facing an unplanned pregnancy simply by lending an ear to hear and a shoulder to cry on. If your gift is with words, you can help by effectively sharing the message of life with those who need to hear it most. No matter what God has called you to in your life, there is something you can do. Today I saw a group of young people begin to believe their ability to do great things, through the power of Christ. I saw a generation ready to take up the call and mobilize to end the injustice of abortion and I believe that we are poised for success in this fight. I pray that you, too, will find your place within this wonderful cause and that you will answer that call with a resounding "YES!"

The Spiritual War for Life

For the first day of our Pro-Life adventure in Washington, D.C, I expected a lot of things. I expected to meet a large group of people fired-up and passionate about life, I expected to hear from and be inspired by some of the leaders of the pro-life movement, and I expected to end the day full of hope for the future. Although all of these expectations were realized, the way in which they occurred were far from my original thoughts. Some unexpected events left me with a new appreciation for the true battle we are fighting and renewed resolve to continue in the fight and, more importantly, to fight in the right way.


The first event on our itinerary for the weekend was the first ever March for Life Youth Rally. The event started out great. We had already heard several passionate speeches and presentations from some prominent pro-life leaders and the crowd of around one thousand people was really starting to get fired-up. But something would happen that would quickly change the course of the evening. In the middle of one of the presentations, a group of pro-choice protesters, who had been hiding throughout the audience, stood up and began yelling and chanting things such as "its my body, my right," and "pro-life, what a lie, you don't care if women die."

At first, I thought the demonstration was a joke, or some kind of skit to teach us a lesson or make a point. It quickly became apparent, however, that this was no joke and with that realization came a whole slew of emotions: angry, fear, and sadness. Just seconds after the demonstration began, someone in the audience yelled out "Start praying!" Almost instantaneously, the crowd began praying, led by Lila Rose (founder of Live Action), who could barely be heard above the protesters' cries. As soon as the praying began, I was struck by an awesome feeling that something deeper was going on within the room and that we were witnessing an event of spiritual warfare. The most powerful thing, however, came as the crowd erupted in cheers and the protesters left the room (some escorted out, others by their own choice). In that moment, there was a sense of victory in the room, that a battle had been fought and the power of prayer had prevailed.

When the group debriefed later in the evening, there seemed to be a new appreciation for just how intense the fight for life can be at times and for how high the stakes are. Many of the students were upset and disturbed by the anger and hatred displayed by the protesters. Some even recalled fearing that a violent confrontation may occur. I remember feeling sorry for the protesters, who had so much misguided anger. However, the response of the pro-life crowd showed a key difference between the two groups. When faced with hatred and anger, we responded with prayer. When placed in direct confrontation with the very cause that had brought us together, we did not respond with hate, but rather with love. The result was an invigorated crowd, ready to take up our cause by changing hearts and minds. As one student put it, who found the experience particularly powerful in a positive way, "we talk about what we’re fighting against…., but we’re fighting against spiritual powers…. And we’re winning!”

Sometimes in the fight for Life we are faced with circumstances and confrontations that draw strong emotional responses. We are human and oftentimes our first reaction is to lash out in anger and frustration. It is so important to remember, however, to respond with love, to not rise to anger, and to pray for those who persecute us. One student expressed it this way: "The more time I spend around pro-choice people, the sorrier I feel for them. If you don’t have God, you only have whatever strength you can get from yourself… it's really sad.” Praise God that our strength comes from our Heavenly Father and that through His strength we have the power to win this battle and see an end to this evil!

Recent thoughts on the battle for Life...

I know it has been quite awhile since I have updated and this is not going to be the most "joyful" of posts, but the last few hours have inspired me to share some of my thoughts.

A little introduction... I have been a fan of the show Grey's Anatomy for several years, mainly because I am an abnormally emotional girl and need my weekly dose of drama. :) I have ignored my conscience over several story-lines the past few seasons, mostly seeing them as harmless or just a part of a fictional world. The latest story-line that has developed has made me realize that enough is enough. One of the main characters decided that she would rather be a surgeon than a mother and chose to abort her unborn child. At first, I thought the writers might be able to shape this story into a positive thing for the Life community, particularly because the character's husband was so adamantly opposed to her decision. I thought that even if she went through with the abortion, the writers would have no choice but to show how devastating the consequences would be for her, her husband, and their relationship. On last night's episode, however, the husband eventually decided to support her decision after accepting some extremely faulty logic from his wife's best friend, who said that growing up with mother who resented her nearly killed her and no child should have to go through that. HELLO?!?! Growing up with a resentful mother may have nearly killed her, but abortion would have DEFINITELY killed her! I get the feeling that the story is not completely over (it never is on Grey's Anatomy) but this was definitely a step in the WRONG direction and I do not want to be a part of it anymore.

As saddened as I was by this story on one of my favorite shows, I was even more distraught over the reviews and recaps of the episode and even more so by the comments posted at the end. While there were a few dissenters, the majority of the comments praised her decision, the quality of the writing, and the phenomenal acting of the actress. Even those who did not agree with the decision did not do so because they saw abortion as wrong, but only because in this specific instance they considered the decision to be selfish. Many of the arguments pointed to the baby being only a "potential human" or, worse, "a lump of cells." They referred to women who have children as "mindless incubators" who fell to the pressures of human society and family obligations. How disgusting! I was in tears as a read these words!

This whole experience reminded me of what an uphill battle we are fighting because we are not just fighting against abortion or the morality of our society, we are struggling against a foe who has nothing to lose. However, when I was distraught about everything I was reading and once again feeling a deep fatigue over the work we are trying to do, God did two things. First, He reminded me that He is in control and that He has already won the ultimate victory, through Jesus Christ. I was getting so upset that I decided to open my Bible and this was the first thing I saw:

"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true:

'Death has been swallowed up in victory.

''Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?'

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."  -1 Corinthians 15:54-57

The second thing he did was use a friend to remind me that there are so many people out there who do care and are willing to stand for Life no matter what. Right after I saw this verse from Corinthians, I got a text message from a friend showing her prayerful and purposeful response to a campaign/fundraising letter from Planned Parenthood:

What a great response!!!

What an awesome God we have!!! He knew exactly what I needed when I needed it and turned my really crappy morning into an awesome testament and reiteration of his love for me! I feel refreshed and ready to start another 40 Days for Life campaign next week and continue working at the Bush School so I can be qualified to continue this great work the best that I can! Praise God and YAY JESUS!!!!! :)