Crazy Craze

The whole world seems to be falling apart.  The news is so bad.

Ferguson MO is on fire, a man who had sex with his step daughter since she was six, forced her to have an abortion at 13, armed robbery, men, women and children are being executed by ISIS, the President is partying, lawlessness and disrespect is all around us. These are just the tip of the iceberg.

It makes my head spin.  How can this be the world we live in?

There are good stories though and even in the bad stories there are often good endings.  My story started out so bad.  My mom was a young 15 year old who was brutally raped and thoroughly humiliated walking home from a date.  It was so bad she didn't speak of it for two years.  She'd rather let people think she was promiscuous than recount the event when she found out she was pregnant.

Under social pressure she married the boy, thinking it would get better, but it was worse.  They never laid down together normally.  After two years of being attacked and violated, she was pregnant again.  She told her mom that if she didn't take her in, she would kill herself. She had no thought that he would abuse small children.  He did unspeakable things to my sister and me for many years.

Then, when I was molested by an uncle from the other side of the family, I went off the deep end.  Trafficked for almost four years, beaten, kidnapped, raped, and involved in other criminal activity, I too got pregnant.  The man who bought me told me to abort or die.  I chose to lie.  I faked an abortion.  He believed I had don it and let me go.  Saving my baby saved my life.

I promised God that I would bring her up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. I did.  I married a wonderful man and we now have five grown children. All of whom have served in ministry of one sort or another. All are really great people.  They have their own lives.  They work.  They are respectful and kind.  They are small business owners and employees, a mom.  I have two grandchildren who are learning to be kind and respectful as well.

No life is easy.  Everyone has their stuff.  I thank God for all the things he brought me through.  I pray for those that are going through now.  The Scripture tells us that He will bring us through the fire and the flood.  Neither of those things are pleasant. Neither is easy.

I cannot even imagine being in the middle east right now, nor would I prefer Ferguson or the next place to implode.  I will scan the news and pray for the people going through and hope they make it to the other side. For the child of abuse, the trafficked, the tormented, the warn, those pursued and those drawn toward the death.  I pray.  God, in Your great mercy, please intervene. Please make Yourself known, rescue, restore and redeem, in the Most Holy Name of Jesus.

I will speak out.  I will help, when I can.  I will continue to promote peace. What will you do?

Speak Out Before it’s Too Late

As I travel today, enthralled in Michael Hyatt’s book, thoroughly enjoying the adventure, I was jarred back to the present.  I looked up and over my left shoulder to see the silhouette of a church steeple as the newly rising sun was brilliantly shining into the van.  We were entering the old city of Boston, Mass.  It was stunning.  A peace settled over me even though the van thumped every few seconds. 

It will be a fantastic day here for some. Somewhere, there is

extreme joy.  Somewhere, there are tears of desperate mourning. There are examples of every experience imaginable in between in a city like Boston.  The explosion of knowledge spoken of in the Book of Daniel is surely here.  I realize it hasn’t reached every corner of the earth yet, but it seems like it will soon. Story after story invades our every moment form various sources. 

In my position as director of a political action committee, I have the privilege of meeting many people.  I speak with legislators and candidates frequently.  “ProLife voters are not single issue voters.” I tell them, “We just want to make sure the first issue is on the table before we look at other things.”  Without the Right to Life, no other issues are important.  

I have a unique perspective to share.  Legislators are attacked by all sides, but few attackers are as nasty as those from the abortion industry.  The only people that get more venom from them are the sidewalk counselors.  

In spiteful tones, they declare the injustice of making women carry their babies to term and delivering them alive.  They often spit out, “What ifs?”

What if a 15 year old girl gets raped? 

You gonna make her carry a rapist’s child?

What if they’re going to live in terrible poverty?

What if they don’t get enough to eat every day?

What, what if the baby gets abused?

What if the child is a girl and is molested too?

What if she is sold into sex slavery at 14 years old?

What if she becomes a criminal, steeling cars, breaking into houses, vandalizing running drugs and such things?

What if she then gets pregnant as a result of trafficking?

They try to get the legislator to act according to emotion and jettison logic.  The logic is that if there is a pregnancy, there is a baby, a human being worthy of protection.  A moral society doesn’t kill people.  

The example above accurately describes my beginning.  I am that hard case. 

It is super important that we realize that poor beginnings don't necessitate poor ends. 

I am not suggesting that we value a life because of what it may or may not produce.  I am simply suggesting that we don’t kill people because of a bad beginning.  Whether it is a crisis pregnancy or an illness or a disability, let us return to the first issue.  We don’t kill people.

I speak out daily, to individuals, on social media, with my works of good will and by writing.  I believe the time is nearing when we might not be free to do so.

How do you speak out?

Distraction or Direction

We hear it all the time, “How are you?” “Oh, so busy” is most often the reply.

If you are like me, you like to be busy.  I often take on too much though.  I don’t leave enough margin in my calendar for things that come up.  There is invariably one or two unexpected interruptions in my week.  

I have a number of factors from my past that give me pause.  I have some alcoholism in my family ’s history and other addictive personalities that concern me.  It is not that I am overly worried about developing a neurosis, because I have a number of trustworthy people around me to keep me in line or at least let me know if they think I am off track. 

I just take time to do a little self evaluation on occasion.  Perhaps, everyone should. 

It is important to take inventory of goals, activities and what the calendar has actually revealed about how time is spent.  There are a number of goals that I have that require very specific actions.  Others, like making my husband happy are a bit nebulous, but I know what he cares about.

We plan to pay off all unsecured debt. This is a very attainable goal.  We have a plan.  I know what is required. If I don’t hit my mark one week, I can make it up the following.  When I know that there are upcoming expenses or days that I won’t be able to work, I can compensate.  

My evaluation moves from logistics to motives.  I can know what I am doing.  I can plan it perfectly, but there will always be things that come up unexpectedly.  Leaving open times will usually be enough to allow it to come together.

Motives are different. ‘Why?’ is super important to me.  

I work my job as a nurse for multiple reasons. I care about my clients.  I need a paycheck.  A decrease in hours for too long would require extra continuing education for me, if I wanted to start back up again. 

Volunteer work satisfies a need to be a net contributor.  It often restores my faith in humanity and always restores my faith in God. I meet many people in my capacity as a Board member of three different non-profits. I love people and work hard to make them feel valued and valuable.

A few of my friends and I travel and deliver speeches for much the same reasons, but there is a component of bringing awareness and justice when I speak. If there is one person in an audience that is healed or someone is moved to provide a solution, it’s a great accomplishment.

My attention to my home and family can suffer, if I am not careful though.  I only cook a few meals each week.  My children are grown.  So, we share the responsibility around the house. Our relationships are the most important thing.  Having real conversations is much more important than anything else. We work carefully to communicate often.

In what ways do you evaluate whether your time is used to be a distraction or spent in the direction of your goals?

Overwhelm the System

I don’t know very many people who can stand to investigate the news for too long.  It is incredibly overwhelming.  There are so many sources for information.  One can get generalized news or specifically look for news related to a particular issue or subject, a regain or a smattering from the whole world.

One can hardly keep up with the scandals the Federal Administration is involved in.  The wars and terrorist activities are all over the world.  Crime is everywhere.  Many people are experiencing sensory overload.  Families are struggling to maintain relationships among their other responsibilities.  The economic outlook is bleak. The illegal immigration is becoming another fiasco with potentially deadly consequences.

Few people can pull away to refresh and regroup. For those who do, the rewards are usually visible. During this season of vacations, many are choosing staycations to save money or avoid incurring more debt. The key to becoming peaceful is unplugging the barrage of media at times.  

Ask yourself a few questions before you indulge:

• Have I spent some time at rest this week?
• Will I have an opportunity to rest in the next day or two?
• Are there real concerns that I must be aware of in my geographical location?
• Will the news I see provide an opportunity for me to prepare for events?
• How will I respond/react to more tragic news today?
• Is my personal and family well-being impacted by news that I need to follow?
• Can I follow the pertinent stories without being dragged down?

We all need time to rest.  The Scriptures tell us to rest one full day every week.  In our modern hustle and bustle, that is often difficult to do.  I have found that with some diligence and careful control of my calendar, I can take short periods of time to reflect on God's love for me and really settle my soul.  

Your health, your relationships and your ability to live well is contingent on your self control.  It is a fruit that must be cultivated and nourished.  

Even if you are in a war zone, look for times when you can pull back for a few and rest.  Give your body the strength you need by bringing your thoughts under your intentional control and imagine peace.  You will create the chemicals that your body needs for healing and regaining strength.  

In what ways do you refresh?

Loving Life at the Park

Some ProLife Candidates will join forces with Savethe1 President, Rebecca Kiessling, and Vice President, Darlene Pawlik, to talk about how NH citizens can protect the Right to Life on Thursday, July 31st 2014.

The people of New Hampshire have a formidable foe in Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE).  PPNNE receives well over a million dollars in State and Federal subsidies to use for marketing, administration and operating costs. This giant has killed untold numbers of NH citizens.

NH has no reporting requirements, thanks to efforts of abortion supporters.  NH has virtually no provisions that would protect women from deceptive practices, unsafe clinic conditions, fraud or coercion at all. NH's Legislature has been filled with supporters of the abortion industry for way too long.

We, the people, have a great opportunities to get to know our candidates.  There have already been a number of liberty groups around the state that have provided forums for candidates to share their views.  New Hampshire Right to Life is hosting, what I consider to be the most important issue forum, a gathering of ProLife candidates.

Without the Right to Life there can be no liberty, no pursuit of happiness and no potential for ingenuity or prosperity.

You and I can make a difference.  We can fill the House and Senate with people who respect the Right to Life and care about women enough to provide better choices for women who feel trapped by unplanned pregnancy.  Policy makers who respect the Right to Life will usually respect our other God given rights, such as the right to liberty, self protection and the right to property.  It follows logically.

According to the Declaration of Independence, "all men are created equal" and "we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are the Right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"  that this includes everyone, regardless of age, size, location, socioeconomic status, level of development, degree of dependence or circumstance of their conception.

We all deserve a chance to live out our destiny.

Inconvenient Truths

When Norma McCorvey was approached, she agreed to the terms laid out by the lawyers; she would sign the documents they'd prepared.  Norma was Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade. 

The laws protected most preborn babies in Texas.  The lawyers challenged the law by claiming Roe was raped.  The child, having been conceived by rape, they insisted, was too much of a burden.  After all, who would force a woman to carry a baby conceived by rape? 

Please note; there is a baby.  A baby indistinguishable from a baby conceived by any other means.  A baby, just as valuable as one conceived with wine and roses.  A baby, fully human and most definitely alive.

Norma had her baby.  The case was for the rest of us.  It is a curious position to be in, to be designated as a classification of people who are legally killed.  Of course, it is for a limited time only.

The case, coupled with Doe v. Bolton, actually allowed abortion on demand for any reason at any time during pregnancy.  Roe was decided, in case of rape, but Bolton had provisions for health of the mother, including, but not limited to financial, medical, emotional or social.  Did I leave anything out?  I think not.

Rape was on the rise in the '60s & '70s.  There are reasons that would require a chapter of a book to explain.  Which I did in my book.   The important thing to note today is that rape is even more prevalent now.  

We live in a highly sexualized and increasingly violent culture.  Rape conception is not rare anymore. Savethe1 President, Rebecca Kiessling, has over a hundred people conceived by rape or born from rape in her contacts.  

Think about that for a moment.  Those are just the people who know they are conceived by rape and have made an effort to become a community.  How many more are there?

Since before the Roe Decision by the Supreme Court, there have been concerned people who actively worked to  create networks of people to combat the evil of abortion.  These activists banded together to strategize and protest abortion, to come up with solutions to crisis pregnancy and to educate the general public about the forthcoming tragedy.

In New England, Warren Goddard and Kathy Souza were among the forerunners and are still active today.  They gathered and fought the tide with a 100% ProLife stand. 

They are called ProLifers.  Sadly today, I am told, up to 60% of people who attest to being ProLife are ProLife with exceptions for rape, incest, fetal anomaly and life of the mother. That was the very basis of Roe in the first place!

Let's break it down; the baby is still a baby.  

• Even if he was conceived by force.  
• Even with fetal anomaly, she is still a child.  
• Even in rare cases wherein the lives of mother and child are mutually endangered, the doctor has two patients; doctors must do their best to save both.  If one is lost, it is sad, but we should not advocate the intentional killing of the baby in order to potentially save the mother.
• Every exception is a person.
• Every one deserves the Right to Life.
• Every one has inestimable value and potential that no one could possibly foretell. 

Norma changed her mind. She knows the truths above.
Sure, there are hard cases.  Life is messy, but we must take the high ground. 

We can provide positive, life affirming solutions for women that are in crisis situations.  Let's tackle the crisis. Find out what she really needs and provide materially, emotionally, finically or other. 

I thank God for so many who, get it. National Personhood Alliance gets it. Visit NPA No exceptions, no compromise groups insist on logic to prevail in the discussion about certain classes of people to whom the Right to Life applies.


Let's bring America back to Life is NPA's motto.  Do you think we can bring the US back to Life?

Responsibility

Critical Defense Institute, Manchester NH

My coach, nearly every time I am in class and sometimes when I am not, comments that I am a type A personality.  

“It’s ok.” he says, “I get you.  I am the same way.” He comments because I will think about the scenarios that might come about that would be a cause for me to use the moves he is teaching.  

He is trying to give me a general knowledge of specific tools to use for innumerable situations though.  He is teaching techniques for self defense in generic situations, but I need to visualize a circumstance in which that particular movement would be implemented.  In my mind, if I can visualize the attack, I can visualize the defense.

“I get a lot done.” is my response.  Sometimes I really get tied up in my responsibilities.  It keeps me up at night.  The To Do lists, the little boxes to check off after tasks have been completed, and the strikethroughs are dogging me.

What makes some people responsible?  Why is it that a volunteer position is a back burner, when I can get to it kind of thought for some people, but for others, the idea of responsibility is almost overwhelming.  When tasks do not get checked off the list, anxiety ensues.  

Responsible means able to be held accountable. It also means required to respond. 

I know people that take on responsibility with ease and dignity.  I know others who barely uphold their contractual obligations. I often wonder what makes the difference.  Why is it that two people can hold the same position at a company and one will always be finding innovative improvements, while another doesn’t even complete the tasks required?

The NH Legislature is basically volunteer. They receive a stipend, but not a regular paycheck.  They need to be very responsible people.  Either they have to be very disciplined and focused or they need a great support system in order to be a valued contributor.  

We really have a special relationship with our legislators here.  We have such a small state and so many in the House and Senate that we might see them in the grocery store or local restaurants.  Local control is what made the USA a great country.  People knew their Representatives.  So, they knew if they were a good representation of their values, goals and ethic. 

Do you know your legislator?  Are they truly representing you in Concord?  These people are making laws that govern your life and that of your community and the lives of the next generation.  They have enormous control over business, infrastructure and your rights as a citizen of the New Hampshire.

My motto as a teen was, “Ignorance is bliss.”  I thought that I could float through life and be free.  I was terribly wrong.  We are all connected. Degrees of separation are just that, degrees.  What you do today affects other people.  What I do does too.  We all have responsibility.  What we do with it, determines more than just our own future.  It could mean the difference between life and death for someone else too.  

Do you know your legislator? Why or why not?