How Dangerous Do You Suppose I Am?

Who can know the mind of God?

One time, my friend, Ginger commented about the possibility of seeing someone on Thursday (killing day) at Planned Parenthood that you had seen on Monday (planning-to-kill day), thereby knowing that what you had said to them on Monday was futile.

This was brought home to us this week.

I was encouraged this week when Ginger and her husband were able to join me at Planned Parenthood on Monday. We attempted to talk to an asian couple as they came out of the building. (It is unusual for couples to come and go together on Mondays.) They would not come and talk, but looked at us curiously. They got into their SUV, and as they prepared to leave, I reminded Ginger that God can cause them to stop and take a flyer and exchange words, even when we cannot. So, as they were driving past her, she held out a flyer, and they stopped, rolled down their window, and took it. A few words were exchanged, and Ginger, as always, offered help. Today, they showed up. Seriously, they showed up late enough in the day so that I would have seen them even if I were only there for my 10-11:00 break like I usually am (I, through an act of God was able to be there for a longer time today). Ginger asked them if they had read the information we gave them on Monday. The man said that he has two children at home, and just can't... Then we pleaded and tried to reason with them, all to no avail.

This is heart wrenching. Pray for them. Pray that this will break their hearts and humble them before the cross. They have our numbers.

There was a young woman who was escorting. She is not, I infer, someone who has done this often, or for a long time. She affected Glen, because she strikingly reminded him of our daughter. She affected Ginger, somehow tying her tongue.

Some of those involved with Planned Parenthood have their shells so hardened, and their walls so high, that you think a great event is needed to get through to them. I think that about the guard, who has been there consistently, except for when he had an injury, for about two years.

This young woman, I hope and pray, will see the truth, and reject the lies.

Allison, an IU student, and a blessing in our church was present today. Bless Allison's heart. When this young woman left, Allison called out to her, wanting to talk to her. Young college women, like Allison, Dani, Hannah, Kaitlyn, and others, who will reach out to these women are a blessing. My heart was warmed by the effort.

My heart is warmed by the flames of God's servants, Mick, Ben, Dave, Glen, Clint, Aaron & Crystal, Jim, Carole, Veronica, Vanessa, Ben & Kyla, Josh, Varuni, Bob, Andrew, Matt, Lucas, Joseph, and others who are willing to set themselves on fire for the Glory of God!

God, make our feet firm and beautiful. Let not the hand of the wicked drive us away. Make our words Your Words. In Jesus name, and for Your Glory, Amen!

What are we doing there?

I used to post a lot about what I witnessed and did at Planned Parenthood. I worried about posting such things, because I felt like I was puffing myself up. Mostly, though, I recognized the work that God did in my presence.

One Monday, I met a woman at Planned Parenthood who just found out she was pregnant. I have since had lunch with her, and she is planning to give her baby up for adoption.

I never posted about her.

I know that no one reads this blog, so I know that it's not like publishing someone else's story. It's just that suddenly, it was so personal. Suddenly, here was this woman, who ate lunch with me. I met her son.

So, I'm not sure about posting. I have had a few people stop by who have been encouraged. Mostly these have been posts where I have been undone and helpless and hopeless, realizing that my only hope is in the Lord.

So, maybe I should post. I will ask God.

I recently read a reaction on facebook about what happened this week at Planned Parenthood from a guy who used to go to our church, but has since moved away. The first year I was there, I went to the Pastor's house for a women's get together, but I was bouquou early. They were just cleaning up after supper, and this guy was at there house. He was discussing the effectiveness of "protesting" at Planned Parenthood and men's place in it. That was probably five years ago. His reaction to Thursday events was that it was encouraging, and that he was just discussing with a friend the effectiveness of "protesting" at Planned Parenthood.

Maybe people do need to hear the play-by-play.

What Happened at Planned Parenthood?

Last Thursday seemed so different than usual, but it was really all the same...

When I got there before work, Glen and I wondered at how many people were there. It looked like Ginger was rallying the troops. She was standing at the end of a long line of young people who had colorful, flourescent signs. She seemed to be encourageing them, but when I approached her on the sidewalk, instead of being pleased that there were so many extra workers, she seemed discouraged. That was when I looked at their signs, and noticed that one said "Pro-Choice..."

There are times, when things happen at Planned Parenthood that you begin to realize are darts sent by the enemy to get us all in a tizzy.

A couple of years ago, for a period of a couple of weeks, they started bugging us about where we could stand. The realtor who owns the property would come out and talk to us about where we were allowed and not allowed to stand, and about complaints about noice. This would create a buzz among us, like when you close the opening of an ant hill, and the ants start moving around faster, and going in circles, and for a period of time, they seem to be in a state of panic. Once we focused on what we were there about, the buzzing stopped, and we were back to doing what we do. The good thing was, that they resurfaced the parking lot and repainted the lines. Now, we know when we are crossing the line, and that's cool.

Once a guy got vulgar and attempted to pick a fight with my husband, and tried to offend as many people as could hear. It became obvious that this was one of those darts.

There is the smiling escort, who seems to cause one of us want to discuss Einstein's view of God. There was the woman who pulled into the alley, and wanted to argue about the war in Iraq. There was the time when I found myself insulting the guard for not doing his job.

What are we doing there?

Of course, as a servant of Christ, we want to be ready in any situation to switch gears and go with what God brings us. But while some of us were standing behind this wall of Pro-choicers, women and men were walking in the doors, not hearing what God sent them there to hear.

We prayed, and I went to work. Glen, who usually runs errands from then until he takes me to PP on my break, went back. We saw Thursday that prayer is effective, and that God can direct our hearts, and focus us for the work He has for us. Amen! Glen said that everyone was down to business, and that they were being good witnesses. The Jerico March (A Catholic march around the block 7 times) was on its sixth lap and there were a lot of them.

When I got there, Ginger told me that 1. a catholic woman had left the march and told her (first time to verbalize this to anyone) about her abortion; 2. a woman had come out and talked extensively to her, was crying, and she turned and went away from PP with her husband and baby. She has two children at home.

The march was done and a kazillion people were gathered in the parking lot across the street. Glen said that the pro-choicers were well coached to not engage us in conversation. Glen has a heart for these people, so he tried to give them my flyer. Mostly he did what he usually did, stood there with his sign to let people passing by know what was going on there.

While I was there, Ginger and I tried to talk to a woman whose friend was there for an abortion. Even though she wouldn't come near, she heard what we said, but an escort (there were more escorts than usual, and they seemed more intense) came and stood between us and her. So, we talked to her and through her. (We never know how God might use our words when we can see no effect. We know, though, that God's word will not return to Him void.)

While I was at one corner of the parking lot talking to the cracked car window of a man who was smoking, Ginger was talking to a young international who had come to PP alone, on foot. They talked for quite a while and then Ginger came and asked me if I had CPC's number. I have it on my cell phone. We gave her our numbers, the church number, CPC's number, and she walked away. She had already given them a check, but the last time Ginger sent someone back in to get their money back, they came back out looking as though they had just gone through Guantanamo. She told her to put a stop payment on it, and if she couldn't, we would give her the money back. We told her to call us any time, and we could help her. Her boyfriend did not want her to abort. So there is a father in the picture. She said that she would need much help. She didn't know what she was doing. We hugged her and she went away.

After a prayer of thanks giving with others on the sidewalk, I noticed that the guy in the car was talking to Ginger's husband. He was there with a friend and his friend's wife. There was some sort of medical situation, and their doctor had recommended an abortion. This guy went in to talk to his friend. I haven't heard anything more about that.

I can't tell you how many children died yesterday. God knows.

Parables

I posted another past post below (Sow the Seed) in response to a call for parables by CenturiOn.

Sow the Seed Abundantly

While reading the following story (originally posted in November of 2005), consider where you are scattering the seed of the gospel...or is it still in the bag?

There was a land-owner who owned the land as far as the eye can see, no matter where you went. He gave his servant a large, abundantly full sack of seed, and told him to go out and sow it. The servant took the large, abundantly full sack of seed and went out--into the back yard. Although the master owned the land as far as the eye can see, the servant had come to think of the back yard as his own.

He set the large, abundantly full sack of seed down and dug up a plot of ground. He made it square, about 10 by 10; just right.
He dug up the soil and removed the sod. He tilled and added mulch and manure until the organic content was just right. He worked the soil until it was a pleasure to turn. Then he smoothed it all out; just right.

Finally, he made rows, straight and even. Each row was the perfect distance from the last one, so he would have room to go between and pull weeds as the plants grew. He stepped back and surveyed his work with satisfaction.

At last he turned around and opened the large, abundantly full sack of seed. He reached in with his left hand and pulled out a handfull of seed and went to the first row. He planted 2-3 seeds per inch all along the row, covering the seed with the rich soil and tamping it down as he went. When he finished with the first row, he went on to the next and planted in the same way. He worked diligently in this manner, row after row, returning to the large, abundantly full sack of seed when his hand became empty.

When all the rows were properly sown, he closed the large, still abundantly full sack of seed, and stepped back.
He surveyed his work with great satisfaction.
He noticed that the sky was clear so he watered the plot.

As the days and weeks went by he watered the plot, aerated the soil, weeded the rows, and surveyed his work with great satisfaction. He put up a scarecrow to keep the birds away from the seed. He built a fence around to keep rabbits from eating the young plants. He even cut down a nearby tree because he noticed that it shaded his plot from the sun in the early afternoon.

As the weeks went by some of the seed rotted because of mildew or fungus in the soil. Some were left exposed by the rain or watering hose and were eaten by birds who were not fooled by the scarecrow. Some grew, but maybe their roots found the rocks that the servant had missed, or they were crowded by a weed that sprang up as quickly as they did; and they remained small and weak, and were scorched by the sun in the early afternoons. Some of the seed grew, strong and straight. These plants produced much fruit --40, 60, 100 times the little that was sown.

Can we talk?

Sometime we should sit down and have a big talk. We should look long into each other's eyes and talk deeply about big things. I think sometimes that we talk in greys and light greys and dark greys.

When we talk deeply about big things, we will talk in hyacinth blues and impatien pinks and spring-moss greens; oh, and russets and maizes and lavenders, ...and that really cool dark grey that is almost a blue like a rock in a stream, too.

When one of us says something that the other one doesn't understand, she will say, "I don't quite understand, will you tell me deeper, still?" Then the first will take her heart and put it in the other's hands and then she will understand. Then we can cry and laugh together because we know that we love each other so completely that we just lay ourselves down for each other.

Maybe someday...this year.

(Originally posted December 31, 2006)

Just trying something...

Take her to buy for your love more passinnate

Yesterday an email with this title slid past my spam filter. I didn't open it, but I wrote the title down. It seemed profound...now I know why:

A man at Planned Parenthood today went away for a while, and came back with a bundle of flowers. My heart sank. He opened his car door and put them in. Then he stood behind the fence and smoked a cigarette.

I just can't even express the churning thoughts and feelings that I have about that. Was it gratitude that prompted the purchase? Was he trying to make it up to her? Did he think this would placate her? Was he trying to be romantic?

From now on, flowers will mean something to her that he will obviously never understand.

Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow!

Thank God for family gatherings...may we speak the truth in love.

Thank God for Thursday Holidays...Planned Parenthood is not killing Children today.

Thank God, for it is He who brings us trials that humble and strengthen us. Give glory to God!

33 Words

I am unable to say something in 33 words or less, so I found a blog some time ago that intrigued me. Just theological thoughts in 33 words. Since then I have had it on my sidebar. However, some time ago, I found that the page could not be found. Occasionally I would check it, and recently, I thought about cleaning up my sidebar, and I got an email from Tim Spong, the owner of 33Words. He let me know that my link was broken, and gave me a new link.

So, check him out.

...in 91 words (including names, but not including numerals) (that's 100!)

Polycarp on the N Train

Once again, from long ago on the Bayly Blog, my favorite story:

Christmas, 1988, N Train

A young woman we know writes: It was the gilt-edged pages that gave him away. Most people who read the Bible on the subway have a small pocket edition and keep it to themselves. This young man looked as if he had come away with the family King James. Otherwise, he was ordinary-looking; gray jacket, plaid scarf, blue jeans, white sneakers, bristly brown hair; a gold wedding band. He waited until the N train had pulled out of the Queensboro Plaza station and was under the East River, and then he read aloud, "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus…" A groan went out from my fellow-passengers.

Talk about a captive audience. The train was too crowded for people to switch cars. And New Yorkers will put up with all sorts of things rather than give up their seats on the subway. I couldn’t help thinking that the young man was lucky there were no maniacs aboard and no piles of stones at hand. But no matter how you feel about being force-fed the gospel under the East River it holds up better than the Times or the Post or the subway ads for Dr. Zizmor, dermatologist. Anyway, no one moved. No one said, "Oh, shut up." No one wanted to be identified as an irreligious loner at Christmastime.

I found myself criticizing the young man’s intonation. He had a good strong voice, but the words rocked up and back unvaryingly: "…to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child." When he was done, and the shepherds had rejoiced, he changed--thank goodness--his rhythm. He started singing "Joy to the World." He sang two full verses of it, again in a good, strong voice. But no one joined in. I was tempted, partly because I felt sorry for him--singing in the face of so much hostility--and also because I’m a sucker for actual human voices raised in song, as opposed to canned carols such as one hears in Doubleday (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum) and in Barnes & Noble (gloh-o-o-o-o-oh-o-o-o-o-oh-o-o-o-o-oh-ria). But I was sitting next to a man rigid with pain and fury at having his subway meditations interrupted, and I felt sorry for him, too. Especially when the young man finished singing and began to preach, reminding us that we were all God’s creatures on the N train and that for each of us He had a plan. God’s creature next to me was probably thinking that he didn’t take the subway to fall in with God’s plan--he took the subway to get to Fifty-ninth and Lexington.

(“The Talk of the Town” in The New Yorker, Dec. 26, 1988.)

So go out and light yourself on fire! What have you got to lose?

Stand True's Response to the Election of Barrack Obama

On my side bar, you'll find "Stand True: Christ-Centered Pro-life". I highly recommend this website for information and encouragement in standing in defense of the innocent. After the election, Bryan Kemper wrote this encouragement to keep our focus where it should be. He gave me permission to post it here:

Last night was probably emotionally draining for many people as they saw one of the most rabidly pro-abortion candidates ever get elected as the next president of the United States. Some are even saying that the pro-life movement was set back at least 30 years last night.

Last night I watched the acceptance speech of Barrack Obama. I watched as Jesse Jackson and Oprah Winfrey were trying to hold back the tears of joy and hope. I listened to interviews with pastors and civil rights leaders and my heart broke as they talked about Obama like he was the Messiah. I understand that this is a monumental event in the history of our nation. I also understand that our hope lies in no man.

While some people were ecstatic last night, others were in deep mourning, feeling utterly defeated. It almost seemed as if they thought John McCain and Sarah Palin were our only hope. I can't tell you how many times I heard people trying to convince me that Barrack Obama is the “Anti-Christ”, as they prayed for John McCain to save us from his takeover of the world.

As the results came in last night, the political landscape of this country was changed. Men and women will be either taking new positions of power or stepping down from positions they once held. Laws and policies will change, and we will have to adjust to this new direction our world in heading into.

One thing, however, did not change last night. One position of power was not affected in the least bit. While we will have a new President in the White House, the Throne of God remains sovereign. Our one and only true Hope is still our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Two things I heard last night were “change is coming” and “yes we can”. Change is coming, and I am not going to cower or back down in the face of this change. Change is coming, and the battle for the sanctity of human life will be tougher; my resolve to win this battle is stronger.

If change is what they want, then we shall give them change. We will destroy and deny the apathetic spirit that has had a hold on this generation for too long. We will raise our voices louder than ever before until we see the end of this abortion holocaust. We will share the only true Hope for this world without shame or fear. We will not chant “yes we can” but rather “yes we will”. We will believe what God promises us in Philippians 4:13 - “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”.

I have often said I do not know why God has chosen me to lead this ministry. I am humbled and honored to be able to serve God in this manner. I know that I have a responsibility to stand up in the darkest times and trust in the Light of Christ to lead us to victory.

I stand before you today and pledge to you that I will not be defeated by this election. I refuse to allow any earthly setbacks discourage or slow me down in this fight for life. I promise you that I will never lie down or quit; I will stand true until my last breath.

Will you stand with me?

For Christ I stand,

Bryan Kemper bryankemper@standtrue.com

And the Two Shall Become One...

It has been a long-standing Piersonism in our house that Glen is me and I am him. This is just our way of recognising and reminding each other of the truth of God's word.

Recently I have been beating myself up for paths I have taken and choices I have made through the years. I again was reminded of the one flesh truth when Glen told me the other day that I have to stop kicking him for that.

It was what I needed to hear.

Thank God for Glen!

Barak Obama Promises to Sign FOCA Sound Bite

Sorry, for some reason, I could not get that video to load. Click on Barak Obama Promises to sign FOCA for the sound bite version. The video below is something like 24 minutes. This one is less than two.

The First Thing He'll Do As President

I am a natural sceptic, I guess. I wanted to know if Barak Obama really said this:
(give it about 7 seconds to start)

Let's Never Find Out

This is a baby...what was I thinking?

Evansvillians, I love them!

Some of the most striking people come from Evansville.

At Planned Parenthood today, I called a woman to come talk to me. She turned to me, and acted like she wanted to come, but asked, if we would hurt her. Haha. That is so precious! She has heard, either from the popular culture, or the media, or the escorts at Planned Parenthood that we are dangerous.

We told her that we are not there to do harm, but to help... we love her. She came over, we asked what if she was there for an appointment. She had apparently already taken her friend in to the appointment, and had gone away for a while and was just coming back. We told her whatever we could, and offered help to her and her friend. I gave her my phone number, but she said she's not from around here. She had a cell phone, and I asked her if it was AT&T. It was. I told her it is a free call, then, because, I am AT&T too!

As she was walking away, I asked where she is from...Evansville. I meet the nicest people from Evansville at Planned Parenthood.

If you live in Evansville, would you find out when they do their pre-abortion examinations? These people need to hear the truth before I see them in Bloomington!

Please, go to your local Planned Parenthood, and declair the Truth to those who need to hear it.

These women come to the well at Planned Parenthood, and they do not find the living water, but rather poison for themselves, their babies, and for their souls. Take water there and give them to drink.

Ha en god reise, Glen!

Thursday evening my husband and I went to the corner of Kirkwood avenue and Indiana to reach out to the IU campus community on behalf of the unborn, as servents of Christ.

I always start out with simply offering a brochure and asking if I can give them some information. I have decided, though, that being vague is a huge waste of time, if I can be ignored, then conversations will not happen.

I almost right away started asking for responses from people about the issue of abortion or human beings at their most helpless stage of development, and so on. Few people were able to pass that corner without either despising me further, or thinking about the issue at some level.

Most people on that corner are common. Same same same. Glen began to think that it may have been unwise of us to send our daughters off to college, just so they could begin to think they know everything, like the people we met there.

Three things happened that night to impress themselves on my heart:

1. A swarm of conference attendees hit us in two waves. Of probably 50 or so people, not a single one took a pamphlet, and few even took the trouble to acknowledge my presense. They were so full of the knowledge that they had packed in that day, that they could not entertain even a smidgeon more.
   
2. A young man refused my brochure, saying something about being pro-choice. He was
   
   half way across the street when I said that on that basis we have something to talk about, and I started telling him about unborn children and so on. Instead of going obliviously along his way, he stood on the other side of the street and listened to me. He thought about what I said, and responded or pondered, depending on what the point was. He was in the middle of a ponderence when I came across the street and engaged him in an extended conversation about the issue.
   



3. When I finished, I came back to find Glen in a conversation with two guys (what do you call those guys who wear mostly black, are covered with tatoos, and have metal studs in various parts of their faces?) He finished talking to them and invited them to church. I hope they come.

I love God. I love Glen. I was glad they were both there with me. I hope that we see some of those people at church tomorrow.

One more thing: Glen is on his way to Norway! A lady from Norway was so delighted to see the Americans standing on the corner exercising their rights, that she took his picture and is going to show all her friends in Norway!

Ha en god reise, Glen!