God’s Grace

On September 29, 2009 I witnessed the most beautiful miracle I have ever seen. Against all odds a breathtaking little baby girl was born. The doctor’s gave us no hope for her. She would die at birth they said. Thirty two days later we are enjoying every little kiss on her cheek, every little smile, and every little touch of her adorable hand. God’s grace brought us together and I am forever grateful to him. He is most definetly a loving God of compassion. He gives us hope when the world gives us none.

I have lived the best thirty two days of my life and look forward to day thirty three. Every moment is precious and truly a blessing with our little angel sent down from heaven. I can’t even express how grateful I am to have been given the chance to know my granddaughter. Her strength is amazing and teaches us that all things are possible through God.

Remember this story when you are on the sidewalk. Tell others of the beautiful miracle that God gave us. Even when the odds are stacked against you, God will come through for you. “Ask and you shall receive”. I am a true believer of these words. For God answered my prayer and the prayers of many. She is a living, breathing testimony of God’s mercy and grace.

Thank you to all who prayed for my daughter and granddaughter. You helped make the miracle happen.

Where the heart lies

Today was especially hard as the cars piled in one by one and young girls stepped out onto the black top. Devastated with my own feelings of impending loss of a granddaughter whom we dearly love, I found it most difficult to speak today. I stood there watching these young girls going in feeling more helpless than ever. I wished I could become every mother that drove up and tell her daughter, “I love you and we are not going to do this.” ” I am going to help you.” This is what I would tell my daughters. To know that my own daughter will suffer the agonizing pain of losing her beautiful newborn at birth is beyond words. I pray that God will spare her such pain. I pray for a miracle. I ask God for his divine intervention. As the day progressed and my heart was breaking, I saw an opportunity to talk to a young girl. I was told she was a rape victim, something, unfortunately, I know alot about. This was my call to speak and I chose to do so. The young girl got out of her car. I asked her if I could speak with her. She said, “No.” I continued on, “My daughter was raped when she was 15. I have a beautiful grandson now that I love very much.” Her head turned towards me. I told her I was a counselor and I would like to help her. She was quick to tell me she had a three year old and was not going to have an abortion. I asked her if she would like some information about the Allied Women’s Center and I explained some of their services. She walked over to take it and walked away to smoke a cigarette. Time went by and I prayed she would not go into the abortion clinic. She finally got up and as she was walking I told her that I was there for her if she needed help. I told her my name and let her know that I had three daughters and I understood what she was going through. Then the Planned Parenthood doors closed and I never saw her again. If nothing else, I pray this young girl knows that there was someone who cared about her.

We all have a story to tell. We all have a life experience that can help a young girl or woman. Sometimes it may be harder than usual to speak but please do. Ultimately, it is not whether you accomplish what you hoped for but WHO you spoke for.  We are the light of God, working for his own purpose not our own. We are here to show others where our own heart lies. Our heart lies with a God who gives unconditional love to all. Praise be to God!

Who’s To Say Who Is Right?

Today as three of us stood on the sidewalk working hard to get help for the women coming to the clinic we were approached by an angry man. He came straight to me and proceeded to tell me his story. “My grandmother would still be alive if abortion had been legal. I never got to know her because abortion was illegalso she got an unsafe abortion that killed her. She left three children with no mother. If abortion had been legal she would not have died,” he cried out. When we first tried to respond to him he said, “No, you need to listen. Women do not want to have abortions.” I said, “Yes, I know that. I have been trained about abortion.” He continued on, saying, “Do you know what will happen if abortion is made illegal again? Women will go back to having unsafe abortions and dying.” One our male counselors was able to get in a few words at that point. He told him that abortions are never safe even if they are legal. I added that four clinics in San Antonio had been doing illegal abortions. He said, “How so?” we both replied, “They did not have a license, and I added, “Do you think that is safe?” I continued with a story about how young girls have been told that they are pregnant when in fact they are not. I said they were scheduled for abortions even though they were not pregnant. (Reference: the book, “Blood Money”; if you haven’t read it, please do).  At this point I went to my file cart while two other male counselors were talking with him.  I then grabbed a booklet with pictures of three different babies that had been aborted in various ways.  I moved him away from the other two counselors so that I could speak to him one on one. I first told him that I was very sorry that his grandmother had died and that I truly understood that he was in pain. I said, “It must have been very hard on you.” I continued with, “We are here because we are trying to save people from dying. We are trying to save innocent babies that cannot speak for themselves.” I said, “This is what is happening inside Planned Parenthood”, and I showed him the pictures of the aborted babies.  I told him that we were there on the sidewalk to prevent babies from having  to die such horrible deaths. I asked him, as I pointed to an aborted baby, “Do you think this is right? Do you think that babies should die like this?” His response was, “Well, there’s got to be a more humane way to do abortions.” I think at that point he realized how ridiculous his statement was and changed the subject to another attack. Yes, he moved on to the adoption subject. Always the usual attack on Pro-Life people. “Well, what are we suppose to do with all the babies that people can’t afford to take care of that don’t get aborted?” he asked. “I said there is adoption. There are many people that would love to adopt a baby. There are long lists of people that would be happy to take in a child. Everyone of us that come to this sidewalk would adopt a baby. As a matter of fact, Teri, from the Allied Women’s Center adopted NINE!”. She saved nine babies from being aborted and she is raising all of them. His response was, “It is too hard for people to adopt babies.” Then he threw in a question that he thought would help him win his “battle”. The question was, “What do you think about gay marriage?” I said, “It is not up to ME to decide whether gay marriage is right or wrong.” I added, “I am not one to be judgmental”, and “I am not at the clinic for political reasons. I am here to help people.” Again, I referred to innocent babies that cannot speak for themselves. He said, “I know a lot of couples that would like to adopt a baby but they can’t.” I said, “Why not?” He answered, “Because they are gay couples.” I said, “They can adopt.” He said, “Not in this city.” I said, “If your friends really want to adopt a baby, then you tell them to come HERE.  Tell them to come to this sidewalk and save a baby.” The man seemed very agitated at that point and proceeded to walk away. I offered him some Pro-life information but he refused. He did not want to hear anymore. I am guessing at that point he felt defeated.

To me, my conversation was not about winning or losing. My goal was to reach him with a message, God’s message. I wanted him to see that I had compassion and understanding for him. That I was willing to listen to him though I did not necessarily agree with him. Ultimately that is what he needed. He was angry because he never got to know his grandmother. He was in pain and needed someone to blame. He needed to vent and I allowed him to do so. As a gay man he felt he would be judged by us because we are Christians. He assumed I would respond negatively to him. I did not.  By allowing him to speak freely I was able to get my message through. I saw the horror in his eyes when he saw the aborted babies. He did not look away, he took it in. His comment, “There must be a more humane way to do abortions”, showed me that he was affected by the pictures. I am more than certain that whenever he thinks of abortion now that a picture will flash in his head. He now knows the reality of the result of abortion. It is not just about his grandmother anymore. 

We were approached today by a man who said he had walked from 281. He said he had been watching us and wondering what we were doing. I explained to him our purpose for being there and he asked me for some information. I gladly gave him some pamphlets.  He said that he was looking for a church because they had some work for him to do. He asked if we could lend him a dollar to get a hamburger. One of our counselors gladly handed over two. He was very grateful and began to tell us about his life. He had been abused by his mother’s boyfriend when he was a child and was upset with his mother because she did not protect him. He broke down and cried. We talked to him about forgiveness. He asked if we would pray with him. We all held hands and prayed for this broken soul. May God touch his life and bring him healing.

I am very happy to say that we got a woman’s attention today and we were able to redirect her to Allied Women’s Center. She said she was going in to get a pregnancy test. She asked us if they were free at Planned Parenthood. I said that I didn’t know and that Planned Parenthood was an abortion clinic. She asked again, “But they do give free pregnancy tests, right?” I said that I was not certain about that but that she could get a free pregnancy test at the Allied Women’s Center. I told her that she needed to be careful going into Planned Parenthood. I told her that young girls have been told they are pregnant but aren’t really pregnant. I said that Planned Parenthood makes money from doing abortions. She still didn’t seem like she was getting my message so I pulled out some information about the founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger. I told her the unsettling story about Margaret Sanger’s beliefs about the black race and minorities being “Human Weeds” and that her plan was to eliminate what she considered unfit people through abortion and sterilization. That got her attention! She said, “Well, I do not want to have an abortion. I have four children.” I asked her if she had any children in diapers. She said yes. I told her that Allied Women’s Center could help her by giving her free diapers. She was very happy about that. She then told me that she had just gotten custody of her niece. I said that they could help her with diapers for her niece, too. She looked very relieved. I am sure that she must have been feeling overwhelmed with enormous responsibilities and some of the stress was about to come off of her shoulders. She was given directions and she left Planned Parenthood. Praise GOD!!!

It was a good day on the sidewalk…many were helped in many different ways. May God always speak through us so that we may show each person that we come in contact with all of his love and compassion. Please remember to be non-judgmental…only God has that right, we are just his humble servants.

Silent as a Lamb, Sly as a Fox

There was a lesson learned today on the sidewalk. One that someone will unfortunately pay a high price for. In the Bible we are warned numerous times of the snares of evil. We always have to be on our guard for the “snake” in the grass. It is there watching us, ready to make us it’s next prey. Today a man learned that lesson and our prayers must be with him. We are human and we all make mistakes.

 As peacemakers we must remember to always be an example to others. We must be humble and in “disguise”. Meaning we must be representative of Jesus. When defending the innocent we must take on our savior’s spirit of love and compassion to the sidewalk. There is no greater task than to be obedient to our Lord. The path we walk is not an easy one but undoubtedly will be worth the reward. Life is a journey that leads us all to the same place in the end…at the feet of our Lord in heaven. What we take in and learn is for our betterment. Some lessons are tougher learned than others but we must pray for understanding to get through the difficult times.

 It is very important to remember these words when dealing with evil, “Silent as a Lamb, Sly as a Fox”. Reflect on what God means by this. They were words spoken to protect YOU from evil.  Keep them in your mind at all times. We do not have to be outspoken to be heard. God is listening and that is what is most important. When we pray, we must pray faithfully, knowing that God will answer our prayers. Prayer is the most powerful tool we have. It is working and we must continue to pray with great intent for God’s most innocent children, the unborn.

When God Is Watching

On Saturday I felt an overwhelming presence on the sidewalk as I was praying the rosary on my knees. It was like a cool, comfortable breeze that came over me and I knew that God was watching. There is no doubt in my mind his holy spirit was with us. I felt a heavenly peace that engulfed me. Of course, the evil one hates for anyone to be in such grace and came along to try and ruin that peace. The PP escort came over and stood directly in front of me within inches of me. He stared down at me and laughed as I prayed, trying to make a mockery of the rosary. Shortly after, a woman drove up and started in on the usual reasons why she and others think abortion is justified…sparking a confrontation between the two of us. “What about a girl who has been raped?!”, she yelled. I replied back to her, “My daughter WAS raped when she was fifteen”. “I have a beautiful two year old grandson whom I love dearly”. I continued, “Rape does not justify killing an innocent child.” “It says in the Bible clearly, thou shall not kill”. “There are no exceptions, according to God himself.” Frustrated with the answer I gave her, she said to the “atheist”, “You just can’t talk to these people”. As she drove away, the atheist turned towards me to throw in a “punch”. “I bet you believe the Iraq War is ok!”, he yelled out. I replied,”I am for peace”. “And, I wish that we didn’t have to have wars.”  That didn’t appease him. He wanted to start an argument with someone so he went for the man behind me. He tormented him with his question about the Iraq war, purposely trying to stir up an argument. The man was getting very irritated with the atheist as he continued to harrass the man relentlessly. I stood up off of my knees and said, “Quit harrassing him, he obviously doesn’t want to talk to you.  Talk to me if you have something to say!” He replied, “You already answered my question.” He then went on to try to harrass more people, along with the man standing behind me. “That’s it!”, I said to myself. “He’s not going to disrupt our peace!” I saw an officer sitting on the hill, in the restaurant parking lot, and I marched up there. When I got there another man was speaking about the atheist. I said to the officer, “We are trying to have a peaceful prayer vigil and “the atheist” is purposely harrassing everyone and trying to start fights.” The officer drove down to the sidewalk and called the atheist over. The atheist was sent away for the day. Victory for God and his people!                                                                                                                           

 John 5.18-5.20 “We know that those who are born of God do not sin, but the one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them. We know that we are God’s children, and that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. ” 

We are blessed when we are given the gift of discernment. For in this we see truth and find understanding. We must pray for those who are lost in the world. They wander aimlessly with no purpose and cause disruption where there should be peace. May God touch their hearts with his unconditional love so that they may walk on a path that leads to true fulfillment. The path to heaven. Amen

May the Grace of the Lord be with you!

Christina

Celebrate Life!

As I stood on the sidewalk today I watched a woman going in and out of the clinic with a card and several trays of cupcakes. Apparently, it was one of the worker’s birthday’s today. I thought to myself what an awful place to celebrate a birthday. A place where innocent children are killed and never given the chance to celebrate even one birthday. How cold hearted are these people who cannot recognize the horrific injustice being done to innocent children? Why are they blind to the innocent blood that is shed right before them? And then I thought about Jesus. Our dear Lord and savior, full of love for the world, who shed his own blood that we may be saved. Unjustly convicted and sentenced to death just as the innocent babies that die everyday. How many times does the blood of the innocent have to be shed before the world will see the truth?  When will all sinners come to the feet of our Lord and ask for forgiveness?

As God’s children we are sent on his behalf to pray for the innocent. We are defenders of his most precious blessing.  At conception a baby becomes a part of the world. A new soul sent here to bless the world with innocence. A baby is a symbol of God’s love. Babies give unconditional love, the same as our God in heaven. A baby’s sweet face can melt the heart of even the coldest of hearts. That is God’s intention. He knew exactly what he was doing when he made the eyes of a baby so beautiful and the touch of their hand so soft. It is no coincidence that a mother becomes overwhelmed with joy when she sees her baby for the first time. She has just witnessed the greatest miracle there is. LIFE!

In Psalms 139:13-14, David said to God, “You formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I  praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works.” David knew of the great miracle that God had bestowed upon him. He had given him life and for that he was grateful to his creator. Let us be like David. Let us be thankful to God for our own lives and for all the beautiful children that have blessed us. And as we go to church on Sunday to honor our savior who was risen from the dead, let us Celebrate Life! Let us present ourselves with contrite hearts, as his faithful children. And, let us honor the innocent souls in heaven whose lives were sacrificed before they were born. We graciously ask that these precious angels pray to our Lord in heaven for an end to abortion. May God answer their prayers and the prayers of all who dedicate their lives to saving the innocent.   

Wishing you many blessings and a very Happy Easter!

Christina

Prayer Remains A Powerful Force

As we gathered today on the sidewalk, my heart was filled with thanks to God for all the wonderful people who showed up on a Friday to pray. What a beautiful show of dedication to the unborn. There were two counts today…one for the people who showed up to pray, by 11:00 am there had been 60!  And, the unfortunate number was 14 for the number of abortions. But praise be to God because the numbers remain down from the 32 or more back in October!  A loving God has sent his people to pray and triumph will be his, no doubt!

A profound and meaningful moment today was watching our men at work. Three people pulled up in a station wagon. Two men and a woman got out. Our male counselors went to work on the men, grabbing their attention and pulling them over. They were informed that they were at an abortion clinic. They were surprised, of course, it doesn’t say that on the misleading Planned Parenthood sign. They were given some information and entered the clinic doors. They came back out in a few minutes. The driver walked up to us on the sidewalk and said, “You’re right this is an abortion clinic.” He said, “Well, I am not for abortion.” Our counselor said, “Then go to the Allied Women’s Center for help”. “Don’t support a clinic like this that is doing abortions as we are standing here.” The man shook all of our hands, thanking us, and left to go to the Allied Women’s Center. Amen!

I spent some time talking with a young lady who said she needed birth control. I told her that she was at an abortion clinic and that they were doing abortions today. She said, “Oh really, the sign doesn’t say they do abortions.” Once again, misled by the sign. I gave her information on the Allied Women’s Center and she left in that direction. I called the Allied Women’s Center to let them know she was coming. I don’t know what happened but she showed back up at Planned Parenthood. She only stayed for a few minutes but it was disappointing to see that she had come back.

A young “family” pulled up, the man jumped out of the car as though he was insulted that we were there. He said, “She is not here for an abortion so if all you have to talk about is that then you can’t help her”. “She is my sister”.  They were offered information but did not take it at that time. They walked into the clinic and came out after a short time. Again, he was offered information. I told him that we were not there to judge but to offer assistance. Another counselor stepped in and told him that the Allied Women’s Center could help his sister who had a baby in her arms. His face changed, “Oh really, how?” He was told that the Allied Women’s Center could provide her with financial assistance, diapers, formula, clothing, etc.  They would do everything possible to help her. His whole attitude towards us changed. He realized we really were trying to help. They left thanking us…amen!

Something interesting happened today that I am sure had an impact on the lone “atheist”, though he may never admit it. As I was standing on the sidewalk, he was holding a sign that read, “Pope Zombies” with an arrow that pointed directly at me. All of the sudden, he was surrounded by prayer warriors. Hands were raised and powerful prayers engulfed him. He turned around and said, “AHHH, now that’s scary!” But he was ignored and the prayers continued. As we prayed he mocked the prayers but not to worry God was listening and our prayers will be answered. His eyes will be opened, maybe not today, but soon! You cannot escape the power of God. When he is called upon, prayers are answered. As we reflect on this, a verse in Isaiah comes to mind: Isaiah 57.4-57.5 “Whom are you mocking? Against whom do you open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgresssion, the offspring of deceit- you that burn with lust among the oaks, under every green tree; you that slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?”  Isaiah 57.21: “There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.” It is not us that will vanish from the sidewalk but the wicked. Continue to pray!

We are the oaks of righteousness. We are the planting of our Lord, to display his glory. We stand firm in our convictions and triumph will be that of the Lord’s. For God promises that good always wins over evil. Praise be to God!

Sweet Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, that we may save God’s children!

Hope For Life

As we go to the sidewalk tomorrow let us remember this promise in Proverbs: “The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will NOT REMAIN in the land.”   Let’s all continue our mission to shut down the wicked with prayer and dedication in preserving the miracle of our Lord and savior: Life!  Amen!

Blessings Overwhelm!

March 25

 

I am happy to report that today a young mom (and her mother) drove right up to us as we stood on the sidewalk.  The young mom jumped out, walked over, and introduced us to her one month old baby boy, Elijah.  The grandmother told us that her daughter had wanted to have an abortion last fall.  Instead, she drove her to see the people at the last 40 Days for Life campaign praying outside Planned Parenthood. The mom wanted her to read the signs.  The daughter did just that, and then changed her mind, and chose life!  Second, we received great news that another young woman whom we sent to the Pregnancy Care Center for a sonogram, has decided to keep her baby and not abort.  Praise God! Third, a young woman had been praying in church earlier today, when she got the “feeling” that she needed to go to pray at Planned Parenthood.  We saw her car pull in, but she didn’t get out for several minutes.  Finally, she got out and told us that she had been praying for us.  She hadn’t known that we would be there, but as soon as she saw us, she knew that God had wanted her to pray for us.  And, we do need those prayers! 

Some days the blessings overwhelm.

Take care,

Tammy

Archbishop Naumann on Sebelius

Wednesday, March 04, 2009 7:09 PM  by Tom McFeely

 

Archbishop Joseph Naumann (CNS)

“I think if Governor Sebelius was going to be appointed a cabinet post, from my point of view, this is the worst possible one that she could have been appointed to.”

That’s the assessment of Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, who in May 2008 requested that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius not present herself for reception of Communion because of the public scandal caused by her support for legal abortion.

Archbishop Naumann spoke today with Register correspondent Thomas L. McDonald about Sebelius’s appointment this week as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the administration of Barack Obama. This interview will also be published in a future print issue of the National Catholic Register.

What is your reaction to the appointment of Governor Sebelius to the post of Health and Human Services Director in the administration of President Obama?
Archbishop Joseph Naumann: I’m disappointed by the nomination because of the consistent support that the Governor has had for abortion. However, I’m not surprised by it, because her position is pretty consistent with the President’s position. In many ways, the American people, when they elected President Obama, determined what kind of Health and Human Services Secretary we would have.

Based on her legislative record, are you concerned about the power she will have, in this particular post, to affect life issues?
Absolutely. It’s a very important position, and in some ways a dangerous position. I think in particular of the role she will have in formulating the Health Care Reform of the President. That will be crucial, because depending upon the form that takes, there will certainly be an effort by those that supported Governor Sebelius and President Obama to have abortion considered as a basic health care right or need, and that could put tremendous pressures on the consciences of Catholic doctors and nurses and Catholic health care institutions. That’s a huge issue. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has input into such issues as embryonic stem cell experimentation and research, and FDA approval of drugs like RU-486.

I think if Governor Sebelius was going to be appointed a cabinet post, from my point of view, this is the worst possible one that she could have been appointed to.

What about those who point to her accomplishments in abortion reduction?
She likes to take credit for the reduction in abortions here in Kansas. In fact, I think she had nothing to do with it, and some of the actions she took tried to prevent it. One of the things that has had an impact in Kansas is the Pregnancy Maintenance Initiative, which is a modest amount of state money that goes to help crisis pregnancy centers. At one point, she deleted it from the budget. She only allowed it to return when the legislature passed it the next year by such overwhelming majorities that her veto would have been overridden. She’s just recently, in making up the budget for 2010, deleted it again.

She’s vetoed measures that tried to regulate abortions for the sake of the health of the mothers, much less the children. She says she always wants to keep abortion legal, rare, and safe. Well, it’s never safe for the child, but in Kansas we have some disgraceful conditions in abortion clinics. She has shown greater interest in trying to protect abortionists than in protecting mothers, and certainly unborn children.

In her legislative career she was against waiting periods, she was against parental consent, all of the things that we know do reduce abortion. So, she takes credit for what a lot of Pro-Life efforts have accomplished. Actually, the reduction of the rate of abortion is much greater in neighboring Missouri than it has been here. It’s very unfortunate that there are some groups who are doing this promotional effort for her.

Were you surprised to see consistent pro-life voices like Senators Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts support her nomination?
Not really. I have respect for both of them, and I would surmise that part of their rationale is that a President should have latitude in appointing his cabinet. In a sense, even though many people did not vote for Barack Obama because of his support of legalized abortion, but despite it, in effect they empowered him to make these kinds of appointments. Even more troubling are the appointments he will be making to the courts. I think partisan opposition to cabinet appointments can cut both ways, such as efforts to block the pro-life appointments of a pro-life President.

That’s how I interpret it. It’s not an endorsement of her and certainly not of her philosophy. It’s probably more out respect for that process.

Last year, you publicly requested that the Governor refrain from accepting the Eucharist because of the scandal of her support for abortion. Do you see her status in relation to the Church changing due to this new position?
I don’t see it changing. Actually, I put the responsibility on her not to present herself for Communion. Since I’ve made that public, I must commend her that, as far as I know, she’s respected that. The reason I asked her that was because of the contradiction between her practice and what she proclaims by what she’s done, and what the Church has taught consistently. That contradiction still remains. In doing that I was hoping to provoke, in a good sense, a change of heart.

Unfortunately, I think in this position, she will be put in the position of either going against the President, or making herself more complicit in the promotion of abortion. So I think, for her, it worsens the situation.

The other sad thing for me is that it puts another Catholic who is pro-choice, pro-legalized abortion, on the national stage, with Vice-President Biden and Speaker Pelosi and a number of others. I think that’s unfortunate in terms of the scandal of the misrepresentation of what we believe, to many Catholics and many others in our society.

A Mother’s Anguish

I believe the one incident that will be most remembered today was the heartache of a mother struggling to get her daughter out of Planned Parenthood. She walked back and forth, gathering information from one of our dedicated counselors and into the clinic to her daughter. She was given a replica of a baby that she could hold in her hand. The mother said her daughter shook when she held it. Our hearts go out to this mother who tried desperately to get her daughter to change her mind. I know her prayers and our prayers were heard in heaven. The mother eventually left in despair to get a cup of coffee. We pray that God will comfort this dedicated mother and her daughter who will surely need God’s love and compassion.

Today must have been a training day at Planned Parenthood. As many cars drove up with people carrying spiral notebooks and a pen. One in particular was a more mature woman, who was talking to us even before she stepped out of the car. She was so distressed by our presence that she couldn’t even park her car in the space properly. She was just ready for someone to “attack” her so she could “attack” back. I walked towards her. She got out of the car and began to speak,”We don’t like abortion either but you can’t stop abortion if you don’t allow birth control.” No one said a word to her. I watched her walk away in a huff and thought, “The usual pro abortion statement that will never justify the killing of innocent children.” In her mind, it seemed as though we were to blame for abortion. A prime example of society’s twisted way of justifying the need for abortion. 

Watching mothers and fathers bringing their young daughters to the clinic today was saddening. I thought, “of all the things you do to protect your children, why would you bring them here?”  But, I know many parents ignorantly don’t know the devastating results of abortion. They perhaps think they are saving their daughters from years of heartache. If they only knew the truth, I know they would turn that car around and leave that parking lot. I saw the pain of a young girl who’s mother had brought her to the clinic. She came out, after having an abortion, crying. As they pulled out of the parking lot I saw a tear fall from the mother’s eyes. If only there was something we could have said to stop them from the pain they are now feeling. We ask ourselves what would have been the perfect words to say. Unfortunetly, when the door closes to the clinic so does the message we have for them. A sense of helplessness comes over us until the next car arrives. Being on that sidewalk is a difficult job. We must always remember that though it may seem hopeless at times that with God all things are possible. Ultimately, it is not what we do for God that is most important but what he does for us. He puts us in situations to learn compassion and love for others. This is for our betterment. It is better to walk with your eyes wide open in the light then live in the dark with no hope.

I had the pleasure of bringing a young lady with me today to introduce her to God’s great cause. She had many questions for me and I was happy to answer them. Her biggest question to me was, “How can they do this to their baby?” As we all know this is a seemingly simple question but it takes some time to answer. It is a question we must be vigilant about answering.  I encourage all of our counselors to be mentors to others. Show them through example your dedication and compassion for the unborn and their mothers.  As you know we must always refrain from judgment and be an example of God’s great love. Let his light shine through you.

And I leave you with this:  Conception IS the beginning of God’s intentions to bless others with his own love. What greater miracle is there than life?  It is dynamic in all it’s glorious potential. For all who hear God’s call and follow, may you be blessed with his undying love and compassion. And, for all the young women who left the clinic today and are suffering great pain, may God bring them an angel to comfort them in their time of need.  AMEN

POWERFUL MESSAGE

No wonder the media denied airing this commercial….undeniable truth

FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY THIS WEEKEND!!

The Justice For All Exhibit Program will be in San Antonio this Weekend and the early part of next week. This is a FANTASTIC opportunity to learn how to talk about abortion and debate the facts about abortion.
You will Learn to dialogue about abortion in a 2 step process.
STEP ONE: Pre-Exhibit Training, “Abortion: From Debate to Dialogue”
Day/Date: Sun., Feb. 22
Time: 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: Our Lady of Atonement Catholic Church, 15415 Robin, San Antonio
REGISTER NOW by e-mailing: JFA_UTSA@jfaweb.org

STEP TWO: JUSTICE FOR ALL EXHIBIT OUTREACH
University of Texas – San Antonio (February 23-24, 2009)
Come to the Central Plaza and Sombrilla (#4 on map):

http://www.utsa.edu/maps/1604/C-AcademicAndLibraryBuildings.htm
THANK YOU FOR STANDING FOR LIFE!

Planned Parenthood calls police over holy water

My fellow counselors, today was an interesting day, to say the least. Imagine our surprise when a very nice officer pulled up and said that a worker inside was complaining that someone sprinkled holy water in their parking lot. For goodness sakes! The officer seemed quite amused by this and of course, followed procedure and asked if this was true. We told him, NO, it was not true. She sprinkled holy water on the sidewalk (there were several witnesses to this). Where is the crime in that? It was all quite comical and amazingly ridiculous. We all stood and had a great conversation with the officer, who made the comment: “Why don’t you go to the source of this problem?” “Contact your city officials, congressman, and senators.” We said, “We do. Every week!” He seemed surprised by that. He said,”It might actually be impossible to close down this Planned Parenthood just by standing out here.” To which one of our counselors replied, “25 abortion clinics in Northern Texas have been closed down just from doing what we are doing.” I personally talked to him about the FOCA that Obama would like to pass taking all restrictions off of abortion. He said, “I didn’t know about that”. I said, “Most people don’t and he would like to keep it that way”. He said, “I bet our tax dollars are paying for this, too.”  The officer was very receptive to us and very much in agreement with us. He was Pro-life himself. Amazingly every officer that has been called to the clinic has showed support for us. For that we are grateful to the San Antonio Police Department. As a peaceful organization, we just want to help people, and apparently the great officers of San Antonio are aware of that.

I was faced with having a conversation with an angry young man today. He stayed in his car for at least thirty minutes with a young child. He did his best to try to ignore me, but I was persistent and did not give up. I held up my pamphlets and talked to him through his closed window. I told him that I was not there to judge him but to help him. I said everything that I could possibly come up with until finally he opened up his door. I asked him if I could talk with him. He angrily said no. I persisted…I told him again that I was not there to judge him but to help him. I went on to talk about post abortion syndrome. I explained to him that the person inside the clinic was going to need help. That she would suffer the same kind of mourning that a mother who carried a child for nine months and lost her child would feel. I said she is going to need help. She will need counseling. He continued on with his smug, “I’m not listening, you are irritating me attitude”. I continued on talking…”what have I got to lose, I thought?”  He finally opened up and told us that he had went through this with his other girlfriends. I guess it hasn’t occur to him that those relationships didn’t work for a reason.  He got so aggitated listening to me, that he said I was gonna make him smoke a whole pack of cigarettes. After refusing any information, he finally got back in his car. He sat in the car stewing…  I told him just remember that I was here talking to you because I care about you and the woman inside the clinic.

Right after that, a couple came out of the clinic. They were parked right beside the angry young man. We asked if she would like some information. She said she was not having an abortion but they were there because she had a pregnancy test done. She was pregnant. I said, “Oh great, let me give you some information that will help you”. I handed her the information about the Allied Women’s Center and explained to her and the father of her baby that she could get help with diapers, formula, financial aid, etc. They were very happy!!! “Thank you so much!” they exclaimed.  “Thank you, thank you”, they continued as they happily got in their car.  AMEN JESUS!!! 

To all the counselors who really worked hard today to reach the people arriving at Planned Parenthood, I say a BIG THANK YOU!!!  Please pray for the young couple who will be blessed with God’s greatest miracle…a new life.

San Antonio Coalition For Life Dedicated To Helping Women and Children

After a 40 day peaceful prayer vigil for life, a new Pro-life group emerged, the San Antonio Coalition For Life. Fifty two people showed up for the meeting on Friday night for an enlightening line up of speakers.

Lisa Dudley, Director of Outreach for Operation Outcry, gave a heartbreaking testimonyof her own experience with abortion. At the age of 24 she became pregnant. She testified that she felt pressure from her peers and society to have an abortion. When she confronted her boyfriend with her pregnancy, his response was, “What are YOU gonna do about it?”. She was devastated. Feeling ashamed and alone she succumbed to the pressure of others and had an abortion. In her own words she said, “If abortion had not been legal, I would not have had years of pain and anguish over taking the life of my child. There is nothing that brings more shame than abortion”. Lisa now speaks out through Operation Outcry. Operation Outcry is a project of The Justice Foundation to end legal abortion by exposing the truth about it’s devastating impact on women, men, and families. Operation Outcry reaches out to hurting women and men and refers them to the National Helpline for Abortion Recovery. It is a 24-hour, toll-free helpline (1-866-482-LIFE) to help women and men deal with their grief and to offer hope and healing.

Mary Ann Parks, is the Director of the San Antonio Project Rachel. Project Rachel in San Antonio was formed in 1998 to help post abortive women. Project Rachel came about because of the countless stories that women told about the hurt they experienced after their abortion. There are many negative emotional reactions that have been associated with abortion. Some women experience “impact grieving”, which includes an inability to complete the grieving process. Other women experience self-destructive tendencies. Post abortion syndrome has an array of symptoms that include anxiety disorders, irritability, nightmares, recurrent and intrusive thoughts about the abortion or the aborted child, flashbacks of the abortion experience, intense feelings of grief or depression, drug or alcohol abuse, suicidal thoughts or acts, and the list goes on. As one post abortive woman wrote, “I truly felt the abortionist ripped out my heart and soul. It was a pain so heavy on more than one occasion I found myself contemplating suicide. I overdosed on pills more than once”. Project Rachel understands the needs of post abortive women. They are ready to provide counseling and support for women and their families. To contact Project Rachel you can call them at 1-800-651-HOPE.

Carol Seward, a member of the Catholic Pro-life Committee of North Texas, is a master mind at helping women. Her dedication to sidewalk counseling is commendable. In 2005, Carol along with her husband, Lew, received the “Bishops Pro-life Award for Prayer” for coordinating the second “40 Days For Life” vigil which has grown into a national event. On the long list of her personal achievements, was the successful “40 Days For Life” vigil in Dallas, where more than 1900 signed up to pray in front of Planned Parenthood. Carol now devote her time to sidewalk counselor training, following the Helper’s of God’s Precious Infants method instituted by Msgr. Reilly of New York City. At the SACFL meeting, Carol gave those listening a true understanding of just what sidewalk counseling is all about and the impact it has on helping women, men, and their children. It is a selfless act of having compassion and concern for others.

Teri Herring, Director of the Allied Women’s Center, is a thriving force in the community. She is dedicated to helping women and their families. At the Allied Women’s Center women can get free pregnancy testing, free one-on-one counseling, information on STD’s, free financial assistance, and also, a wide variety of baby and maternity items (cribs, diapers, formula, clothing for baby and mom, etc.). Terri is dedicated to providing women with anything they may need help with. Terri states, “Coming into the center is like coming home. No matter what your age, your social status, your income level, your color or creed, we treat all with loving care and personal attention. This a place where you can bring your questions, fears, and your concerns and be treated with dignity and respect”. The Allied Women’s Center is located at 102 Marshall St. in San Antonio. To contact the center call 210-224-7077 or the hotline at 210-354-HELP.

The San Antonio Coalition For Life works in conjunction with the Allied Women’s Center and other organizations, to help women who are faced with tough situations in their life. They are trained to understand the needs and the mindset of women who are pregnant or post-abortive. In recent years, there has been a negative stigma attached to becoming pregnant. The SACFL wants to help women overcome the judgment or the fear of financial burden through counseling and financial aid. They want women to know that they have several options when facing pregnancy. And, that they are available to provide them with many resources. The SACFL are fully equipped to direct women to get the help they need, whatever it may be. To contact the SACFL call 210-277-0099 or email at info@sacfl.org.

 

I pray this information will be helpful to all. Our ultimate goal is to save the innocent and with the right tools we are that much closer to achieving that goal. Let us use the testimonies of others and the  valuable information given to us to do God’s work. As humble servants we are called upon to be angels of mercy for those who are vulnerable and suffering. Let the compassionate words of God flow from your hearts and bring peace and love to all.

Wishing you all great success in the fight to preserve life!

Christina