The Great Tragedy of the Election 2012

I found this blog that a friend posted on Facebook and it was written so well that I felt I should share it instead of try and rewrite it with my lack of skills. So here it is, from author Garrett Kell:

The Great Tragedy of the 2012 Election

There was a great tragedy that occurred on Tuesday, November 6, 2012.

The tragedy was not found in the celebrations of elected officials or the concessions of defeat. It was not colored red or blue, and it wasn’t wrapped up in useless campaign promises.
The tragedy of the 2012 election is that in this land of the free and home of the brave, many people were not allowed to vote. Their voices were silenced. Their votes were not cast. Their opinions not expressed. Why?

Because they were dead.

The great tragedy of the 2012 election is that roughly 33 million would-be voters were not with us, because they had been murdered. From 1973-1994 roughly 35 million babies were aborted. That’s roughly 35 million 18-39 year-olds who did not vote because they were dead.

That is an unspeakable tragedy.

They did not have the chance to explain to their children about what makes our nation so great. They did not have the chance to watch the results come in with their friends and family.

They did not have the chance to rest their heads on a pillow in the land of the free. That is a great tragedy.

But this story of tragedy is not over.

In 2016, roughly 5 million more voices will be unheard. Why? Because over 3,500 babies will be killed today. And each day leading up to Tuesday November 8^th, 2016. In the 3 minutes it takes you to read this post, 7 babies will have been aborted in the United States of America. Their voices are silenced. Their freedom not experienced. Their opportunity to be brave not known. Their lives taken from them.

This is a tragedy that hits close to home for me. When I was 19 years old, I chose to end the life of my first child through an abortion. My friend and I were in a scary place, we didn’t plan to get married, and we had nowhere else to go. So we chose to end the life of our child.

That child would be 16 today. They’d be excited about driving a car and in just a couple years, they’d be excited about voting. But, they won’t be doing any of that. I won’t be sitting down with them and explaining how to think about policies and the candidates that represent them. I won’t be able to tell them about freedom and justice for all. I took that freedom away with my injustice.

I cannot undo what I’ve done in the past. None of us can. Only Jesus, who shed His blood for sinners like me can heal those wounds. Jesus gives us great hope in the midst of this tragedy, and all the other tragedies we face in this life.

If you have committed an abortion, I want you to know that there is a refuge in Jesus. He will heal your wounds. There is no sin so great that He cannot forgive and no sin so small that does not need to be forgiven. If you will confess your sins and turn to Him in faith, He will wash away all your guilt and all your shame. Come to Christ.

If you support abortion, I encourage you to spend time in prayer and ask God to show you if abortion is something that pleases Him or not. Ask a Christian to help you see what God’s Word says about this. I’m under no assumption that you don’t already have deeply rooted ideas, I did too. I encourage you to take the time to read what God says about life and who has the right to give and take it away. I encourage you to start with Psalm 139.

If you are a Christian, be patient with those who view things differently than you. But don’t just be patient, speak truth in love to those who are in need. Find ways to help those who are struggling through unplanned pregnancies. Investigate options for adoption and invest in the lives of those who are facing difficult choices.

I have on my wall a picture of a 3 year old boy in cowboy boots. He’s a 3 year old boy who nearly wasn’t with us today because of the difficult place his mother found herself in. She was not married and pregnant and scared. But my wife met with her and prayed with her and took her to a Christian doctor who showed her the baby in her womb through a sonogram. That young mother had the courage to keep her child.

That young boy’s smile reminds me that God can save children, one at a time. But God does this by using His people to come alongside those who are struggling and lovingly showing them the Christ who can walk them through any terrifying situation, even an unplanned pregnancy.

I believe that the only hope to turn the trend of this tragedy around is for people to turn their hearts toward the God who made them through the way paved by His Son Jesus. Jesus changes hearts, and changed hearts changes a nation. May God give grace to us as a country, and may God give us courage to stand up in the midst of this tragedy so that, if the Lord tarries, there will be many more people casting votes in 2030. Lord Jesus, we need your help.
 

I Pledge

I pledge prayers for my President, Barack Obama.

I pledge prayers for my nation, the United States of America.

I pledge more effort towards seeing the people in my homeland come to know the loving and saving grace of Christ Jesus.

I pledge less of me and more of Him.

Today, I pledge these things, put my hope in my God, and pray that He heals my land.

Today is it.

Today is the day. Today, America's future is decided. This election is seen as one of the most important elections ever, and one of the closest as well. My facebook has been a place for much discussion and debate. And I am ok with that, because although I do not enjoy politics, I understand their importance.

As Christians, we have not done our job in voting. Our not voting is a vote and we have let it get out of hand. We have a responsibility to God first, America second, our loved ones third, and ourselves fourth to vote. And to vote Biblically.

Both candidates are human. Both are not perfect. But we have to vote who is closest to Scripture. I stole this from my friend, Sarah, but this is 100% true for me:

I voted for the most pro-life candidate, because God hates the shedding of innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17).

I voted for the most pro-Israel candidate, because God blesses those who bless Israel and curses those who don't (Genesis 12:3).

I voted for the most pro-debt reduction candidate, because the borrower is servant to the lender (Proverbs 22:7).

I voted for the most pro-marriage candidate, because God is for marriage as defined in Genesis 2:24.

I voted based as closely as I can on God's Word (2 Timothy 3:16)

[SIDENOTE: Simply the right to vote is a privilege. My travels in the few third world countries I have been to has proven to me that the fact I get to vote without paying someone, fighting for it, dying for it, or not having the option at all is something that most of the world cannot say. Today, I am grateful I get to vote.]

As today plays out and (hopefully) you vote, join me in praying for our nation. God already knows who will be the next POTUS and He is the one who places them there.

"He controls the course of world events; He removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars." -Daniel 2:21

"Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity." -1 Timothy 2:2

"Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader..." -Ecclesiastes 10:17a


"When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability." -Proverbs 28:2

Ok, ok I am done. Well almost.. I will end with this statement and one last verse. It is hard for me to trust God, but we must. We must do our part and then trust Him. 

"Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God." -Romans 13:1

God Bless America.

More than a Politician.... a Soul.

If you haven't heard about the President, Governor Romney, the debates, and all the other glorious things that comes from election time, you are most likely living under a rock. We are bombarded with commercials, tweets, posts on Facebook, and even a debate or two of our own. As a Christian, I tend to forget that these two candidates are human beings who have a God that desperately loves them and sent His only Son to be brutally murdered and hung on a tree for their souls. I tend to complain about how Obama has destroyed our country and I forget that I am no better. I sin like he does, and God forgives me and loves me just like Barack. I complain so much and I pray so little.

All that to say that I stumbled across a blog today that put it in better words than I can. Check this out:

Last night there was a debate.
I was at rehearsal so all I was able to see was my twitter feed and not the debate.
As I was scrolling the feed I was laughing at all my witty friends and their banter.
So I went home and watched the debate.
I thought my guy won.
I was proud.
I had plenty of thoughts.
I learned a bit more about the other guy.
But then I had to go to the bathroom.
So I paused it.
I came back to the sofa and sat down and this was the screen that it was paused on…



It was almost haunting as I stared at the screen.
These 2 men have souls.
They are created by God almighty.
They are loved deeply by a God who does not degrade either of them.
They are 2 men who have wives and kids who cry at night seeing the stress and weight they are under.
They are 2 men who at the end of the next 20 days will still be 2 men who God loves deeper than we can even fathom.
For 15 seconds I stared at a screen where I was looking at the humanity in them.
And I had a thought.
We did it before. We can do it again. We are going to Pray… Backwards…
What do I mean by that?


We are going to turn off the news, open our Bibles, and pray for our leaders.

WE WILL PRAY NONPARTISAN
1. Pray that our leaders would grown in Faith. In their relationships with Jesus Christ.
2. Pray for their marriages.
3. Pray for their children.
4. Pray for those around them.
5. Pray for their emotional and physical health.
6. Those on the left will pray blessing on Romney, those on the right will pray blessings on Obama.


http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com/2012/10/prayingbackwards2012/

Whitney

Sometimes there are things that happen where words cannot even begin to express the situation or emotion at all. Over the last 4 days, this type of situation has been happening 30 minutes from my home. Whitney Heichel was a 21-year old-girl who disappeared a few days ago in Gresham. It was a normal day, she was on her way to work at Starbucks. It quickly turned into the most abnormal day her or her family will ever have. A 24-year-old man who lived in her apartment complex waited until she went to work and kidnapped her.

It just blows my mind every time I think about it. As the Gresham mayor put it, "Whitney represented our mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, friends, and loved ones." This could have been anyone... Me, my sisters, my mother, my cousin, my friends... Anyone.

My heart breaks for her... So young, so innocent. And even more, my heart breaks for her family... Her husband. The thought of losing my spouse or my family this way, or at all, is gut-wrenching. Though I did not know her and will most likely never meet her family, I will never forget her.

It was a reminder that life is short.
It was a reminder that anything can happen.
It was a reminder that this world is evil.
It was a reminder that there is no time to be mad or to fight, but only to love.

R.I.P. Whitney Heichel

Pinterest Pumpkin

I am an Oregonian through and through. We had somewhat of an Indian summer here in the Pacific Northwest.... Summer barely lasts from July-August and this year, we were into the beginning of October with temperatures still in the high 70's. Some people loved it, and I did for a time, but then my Oregonian kicked in and I longed for rain and clouds. Part of it too is that my favorite time of year is fall. I love it. I love the colors, the pumpkin cookies, the hot chocolate, the leaves, Thanksgiving, sweaters, rain, boots....

You get the idea.

Anyways, Pinterest seems to love autumn too. So I spent some of my free time (who I am kidding? I have no free time... I definitely should've been doing homework...) looking up DIY decoration ideas cause we are broke but I love me some fall decor.

I found this cute idea and thought I could do it myself. And it turned out pretty good!

First, I got this tacky, plastic, orange pumpkin from Wal-Mart for dirt cheap. I had some spray paint from another project and some thumbtacks from my office.

I then spray painted it black and waited for it to dry. This was the longest part.. The rest took me literally 7 minutes.

Here is what I came up with:

Not bad, huh? It was hard to get the "D" to actually look like a D...

I found another project I am going to do so I will keep you posted.

Lyons

Wow. It has been a LONG time since I have blogged. I really did have intentions of blogging more, but life has been a bit crazy. I know everyone says that, but seriously.

Since my last blog, my husband and I are no longer youth pastors in Lyons. My parents were the senior pastors there and we were the youth pastors. Sometimes family crisis and family issues happen. Sometimes family has to come before ministry and the church. This was one of those times. And so, we are taking a break. Yesterday we went to a new church in Salem. It was weird, just going to church and not doing anything or being in charge of anything. It was a bittersweet thing. It was both a relief and depressing.

Over the weekend, we had our annual statewide convention with many of the students in Oregon. I kept myself busy with helping behind the scenes to distract my mind from being reminded that I didn't bring any kids this year. But when it became time that everything that needed to be done was done and I sat back and watched other youth pastors pray with their students and advice their teens, I became sad. It was a bit selfish, I know, but hear me out. I am so glad that students came and that other pastors were able to be there for them. I just wish I was too.

Out of all of this, I miss the people the most, especially my students. I miss Sunday night youth groups, I miss events, I miss Sunday mornings, I miss Charlie's handshake every morning, I miss giving Gideon a hard time, I miss getting hit with a dodgeball, I miss dreaming big with Glenda... I miss my church.

But out of all of this, we are already a more united family. Out of all of this, my marriage is already stronger. Out of all of this, I believe I will be a better youth pastor. God has a reputation of taking the worst and making it the best. And I am trusting Him to do just that.