Honored.

March 3, 2014June 25, 2014 ~ Laura ~ 6 Comments

Since beginning pro-life work, I have been amazed at the opportunities sent my way. Seriously. I have no way to describe the ways God has given me to exercise the gifts and talents he’s blessed me with.

After a sidewalk counseling training session at Benedictine College — After a sidewalk counseling training session at BC

If no one in my family supported my work, I’d still do it because I believe it’s right. If my friends teased me because of it (okay, sometimes they think it’s a little much 😉 ) I would still continue it because it’s right. If my college tried to silence my voice, I would still do pro-life work because it’s right. And I feel called to it. But the support I have has not threatened my work. It’s nearly blown my mind.

Sometimes I feel completely unworthy of the amazing people and opportunities I have been (and continue to be) given. Really, God? Who am I to be doing all this? I’m not anyone special. But then I remember that God doesn’t call the equipped. He equips the called. And I continue this work because I feel called to it. It’s what I’m good at and passionate about.

This summer I am honored to have the opportunity to partner with RealOptions in a pro-life internship where I will be working with church and community leaders to build partnerships and to create awareness for the services of RealOptions: professional medical services, practical support for women and men facing unplanned pregnancies, prevention education for students, and post-abortion services. They are a fabulous life-affirming alternative to abortion, and I’m excited to work with them.

A wonderful family friend offered to help me set up a fundraising campaign to make this unpaid internship possible and to replace lost income.

If you’re able, I would be honored to have you join my work through your support. And if you’re not able to contribute personally, it would mean a great deal to me if you could share this campaign. You can do so by sharing this post, or by going to the campaign link and sharing from there on all forms of social media. Here’s the promotional video I made:

In just the past couple hours of this campaign being “live”, the support has been incredible. It moves me to see so many people supportive of my work. I’m almost in tears at this point because I can hardly believe the response. I don’t even know what to say except “thank you”. It’s so encouraging to see so many people supporting work that can be so hard sometimes.

Though I have to say, there are at least 10 joyful moments for every difficult one in this movement.

Laura with Abby Johnson, a pro-life inspiration, at the March for Life 2014 — Meeting Abby Johnson at the March for Life 2014

Like early last Saturday when I had a beautiful conversation freezing outside an abortion clinic with a couple who was there for an abortion. They were hurting so much, and there were anti-abortion (not pro-life) people yelling at them. They told the boyfriend what a sinner he was and so on. The girlfriend came out crying and you could just see the pain. They were talking in the car for a while, and I smiled at them and waved.

They drove over and we talked right there in the driveway. They were so hurt by the people that were yelling, and I assured them that I believed in them and saw the greatness in them. They so appreciated that, and I gave them contact information for local free clinics to help them out. She told me was was 3 months along and I got excited and showed them the 12 week fetal model I carry in my pocket there. They were fascinated by it. No one ever told them about their baby. But I didn’t dwell on that. I listened to them express their concerns, and I did my best to let them know we cared about them. They ended up driving away without making a final decision, and I pray they know that people out there care.

That moment was so inspiring for me. Their eyes just said everything. They could see that we aren’t all haters out there to condemn. In what little time I had with them, I hope they know they are loved.

It’s when we take the time to love people that amazing things happen. I fail at it constantly, of course. We all do. But I cannot even put into words how incredible it is to be part of something so beautiful and human. That’s the heart of it, and the heart of all my pro-life work. It’s all about loving the person.

Your support means so much to me. Know that through it, you’re helping me to help make the world a better place. Stay tuned for updates on my work and how you can get involved!

Please visit this link to support my work and to share the campaign. Thank you!

Contact me or comment below with any questions.

7 Quick Takes – Vol. 47

February 7, 2014 ~ Laura ~ 2 Comments

— 1 —

We had a big snow dump earlier this week, which called for snow angels! Oh, and TWO snow days in a row. That was glorious. If it weren’t for dangerous roads and falling on icy paths, I would enjoy living in a snowy area.

— 2 —

Videos of the Week

Touching: Zion Blick’s treasured little life

Funny: combo of “Bet on it” and “Let it go”

— 3 —

Last night we brought out a trainer for sidewalk counseling, and the event went really well. We have over a dozen people interested. Excited is not the right word to use (because who actually wants to be part of such difficult situations?) but I am looking forward to seeing the impact outside our local clinic. Tomorrow morning is our first trip! I know talking to people will get easier with experience, but I’m a little nervous about dealing with the people who yell. Read more about them here, and pray for us!

— 4 —

With starting sidewalk counseling, I’ve been trying to figure out how to sleep on Friday nights. Since coming to college I’ve discovered that I am a pretty light sleeper – which doesn’t work too well on nights when everyone else is staying up late. I can’t tell them to be silent (and not turn lights on later to get ready for bed) BUT I know it’s not safe to drive running on only a few hours of sleep on a regular basis. So I’m kind of stuck.

I’ve been thinking about various noise cancelling sort of things, but I don’t really know what’s out there. Any ideas? Mr. Google wasn’t very helpful because it only brought up $300+ headphones. Or earmuffs. Or noise machines. Anyone have experience that could enlighten me as to some sort of solution that is affordable?

— 5 —

Anyone see this lovely thing going around on Facebook?

To be honest, I am SO TIRED of people saying we hate gay people. Sure, there’s some weird business going on in Russia. I get it. But it’s not like we’re segregating water fountains and telling them to be slaves over here. If being gay isn’t a big deal (hello it’s not – it doesn’t matter to me what your orientations is) then WHY do we make such a big deal out of it?

— 7 —

My classes are plugging along. Christian Moral Life is mah fave. It’s quite hard (take the 14 page and 4,600+ word study guide for the first test for example) but it’s so interesting. And relevant. I’ve been working on the study guide for several days with a couple classmates and we’ve gone in to talk with our professor about questions we had. He’s a great teacher and explains things in a highly intellectual (but also understandable!) way. And exciting fact! We each get in groups to debate controversial issues and I got abortion. Time to research, learn, and hammer out a defense of the Catholic position. Yes, I’m a happy girl!

Have a great weekend! For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Love says thou shalt not yell

February 7, 2014June 25, 2014 ~ Laura ~ 5 Comments

If I had to chose the hardest part about being an active member of the pro-life movement, it would be the people who aren’t really pro-life. But others think they are.

Let me elaborate.

If you’ve been outside an abortion clinic, you’ve probably seen it: the people who stand there and yell crazy thing at people going in. Try to talk to them and they just start going off about how we’re heretics who worship Mary and or we’re not true Christians or something along those lines. Women who are already in crisis mode blast their ipods and huddle close to the boyfriend or mother who is bringing them in as they walk through the barrage of comments. “You’re going to hell!” the people on the sidewalk yell. And the women walk past. Right into the inviting arms of the clinic.

When the women are inside, the men stand there using a traffic cone as a megaphone and yell how the clients are violating each commandment. Oh, and the clinic workers? They let ’em have it too.

One time in the last few months we were outside praying when a boyfriend/husband/partner of a client inside came out for a smoke. The sidewalk is close enough to this particular clinic that you can talk to anyone and everyone outside. However, the man with his cone took the opportunity to condemn the father and elaborate how much of a sinner he was. And by golly, hell was most definitely in his future.

Encouraging, right?

NOT.

I wanted so badly to go and talk to the father. Just ask him how he was. He was so obviously hurting. You could see it in his eyes. Who knows what circumstances led him and the mother of his child there? I could see that he was almost in tears while being verbally abused by this man with the cone. I wanted to intervene, but didn’t. It was so loud and the people who yell don’t listen to what we have to say. But to this day I feel so bad for the man who was out there smoking and pray he has found some peace.

Last time we were outside the clinic, the people who yell were in the middle of a conference (meaning they brought tons of people) and they filmed this video. Be warned, there is some language and graphic signs.

You know what strikes me?

There are people across the country who do this and they always claim to be bringing the gospel to people. But I don’t see that. Jesus ate dinner with sinners, healed, and forgave them. He met them where they were. These people who call themselves abortion abolitionists condemn people. They yell hateful things. There is no love visible to the world. Oh, AND last time we were there some of them were chatting and taking dance breaks outside the clinic.

Now I can’t judge what their motivation is. I know they want to end abortion. But I can’t help but recognize how their movement is centered around a righteous mentality of telling other people what to do.

Sure, stand there with a sign. Yell at people. That’s easy, folks.

You know what’s not easy?

Opening your heart to the clients going in. Putting your comfort on hold to stand in the snow and pray for people who are victims of abortion (the children, women who are coerced, and fathers who weren’t given a say). Getting up at o-dark-thirty on a Saturday morning to offer resources and alternatives to people going inside these clinics. Just being there and starting conversations is hard when you have people yelling nasty things around you.

But it’s important because parents need to know they have options. They need to be empowered with knowledge to be able to make an informed decision. They need to know they are people worthy of love, and that they can make a better life for themselves.

And you know what? Yelling doesn’t do that.

Yelling says “What you are doing is wrong and you are a sinner. You are a murderer. You are a terrible person. How can you do such a horrendous thing?”

But love says “I don’t know why you are here, but I know that you are hurting and need a shoulder to lean on. Let me love you by putting your needs first and taking the time out of my day to be with you and empower you to be the person you can be.”

Now you tell me. If you were a young mother or father facing a crisis moment and in total survival mode – which approach would you be more receptive to hearing?

7 Quick Takes – Vol. 46

January 30, 2014January 30, 2014 ~ Laura ~ 2 Comments

— 1 —

Well hello again! Life has been busy. I’m plugging along in classes, and am just getting into a groove after being gone for the march. My favorite class is Christian Moral Life. It’s hard, but I’ve made a conscious effort to put a lot into it. The weather has been crazy awesome around here too (for it being nearly February). Stay as long as you like, sunshine!

— 2 —

Speaking of February, I’ve decided to be part of this blogging challenge.

Yes, it sounds ambitious 🙂 Here are the prompts I’m looking forward to writing on!

— 3 —

My computer is on the fritz right now. And this picture is most certainly an accurate depiction of how I’ve felt a couple times lately.

Thankfully my family had an older functioning laptop at home that I brought back after Christmas, so there’s that as a back up. But I like my old one. And it has all my things on it. But I know it’s not going to last, so I’m planning on transferring my things onto an external hard drive this weekend. The main frustration I’ve been having is with the charging cord which simply refuses to charge it. One day I have to shove it against a wall and position it just right for it to charge. The next I have to sit with it balanced just right awkwardly on my legs. AND THEN I have to sneeze or move and it stops charging. FOREVAH. Or at least until I find the next awkward position. But good news! The cord (which I just got in August) has a 3 year warranty. So after I transfer things I’m planning to get the cord replaced and let’s hope that fixes things for the time being.

— 4 —

This is a pretty powerful video. What do you think?

— 5 —

Something I’d love to do: be trained in how to debate. Objections people raise are so easy to see through sometimes, but finding the right words can be hard. This clip was pretty interesting and I liked how Lila was trying to bring it back to the point in question: What are the unborn? I don’t know if it’s a good thing, but I have WAY too much fun coming up with answers for debating people like this. It’s a good thing I don’t post about it often, though, because the snarkiness can be a bit much 🙂

— 6 —

Isn’t this so sweet? I wish our society valued the elderly more.

— 7 —

I have to say that I feel slightly accomplished because I FINALLY wrote an article for Live Action – for the first time since October. It feels oh so good to be back in that groove and there are many posts in the works. You know how people say you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone? It’s pretty true. I let writing for them slip by for a few months and now I’m so looking forward to continuing. It’s a lot of fun, and I learn so much by researching for each article. You can check out older ones here.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Why I Marched

January 24, 2014June 25, 2014 ~ Laura ~ 2 Comments

Just a few days ago I went on my second March for Life, after going to two West Coast Walk for Life’s before that. Being part of the March is by far one of the most inspirational things I’ve ever been a part of. And this is my thoughts on why . . .

Back in 2011 I went to my first Walk for Life, which was the first major pro-life event I remember attending. It moved me. It’s funny when I look back in old journal entries and laugh (cringe too) because I was fairly obsessed with musicals and wanting to be a broadway star for the better part of my tween years. I didn’t yet have the direction I now have in my life, which I think I was wanting to fill with musical theater. Don’t get me wrong, I still love music. But I’ve found something better and more beautiful to be part of, and that is defending, protecting, and promoting life.

If someone were to ask me why for pete’s sake I went to freeze to death in D.C., here’s some of what I’d share with them:

I marched this year because I stand in solidarity with all who have been harmed by abortion.

I marched this this year because I believe no one wants to grow up to work in the abortion industry, and those who do work in it need to be given better places to work.

I marched this year because our world so desperately needs people to stand up for what is right, even if it means 55 hours on a bus and freezing in D.C.

I marched this year to be a witness to people in my life how much I love and care about life.

I marched this year because I believe that without action, our beliefs are a moot point.

I marched this year for the 1/3 of my generation who will never see the light of day.

I marched this year for all the mothers who have resorted to abortion sometimes through coercion or lack of resources to choose life.

I marched this year for all the fathers who may or may not have stood up for the lives of their children.

I marched this year for the two babies I named who were victims of abortion.

Ultimately, I marched this year because I believe life is our most precious gift. I believe every single life, regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic status is unique and unrepeatable. No matter who you are, you are a gift from God, and no one has the right to snuff out your life.

I believe women and our country deserve better than abortion.

The pro-life movement is a movement of love, and the March never fails to remind me of that. To stand there with hundreds of thousands of people who believe in the joy life brings . . . guys. It’s really amazing. It still makes me tear up. I mean, it’s hard to describe how incredible it feels to be part of something that is so much bigger than myself. It’s kind of like holding a baby. In that moment all is right with the world (unless they’re crying or throwing up or something of course). You just look at those precious little eyes, the fingers that curl around yours, and the itty bitty toes that will someday run up and down the hallways. That right there is hope. You don’t know who this person will become, what they will do, or what lives they may touch.

In each person I see the potential for greatness. And I think it’s a shame that in our country we reduce the preciousness of each life to an issue of “rights” – a woman’s right to choose, etc. We’re so much more than that! We are unique, unrepeatable, and made to love and be loved. Abortion does not fit with that notion. And neither does euthanasia, contraception, or the death penalty.

Me? I’m just one person. Sure, I marched for life. But showing the world how beautiful life is takes a lot more than that.

Our everyday lives have to mirror our beliefs. When our joy and love of life overflows to the people we meet, they eventually are going to have to wonder what we’ve got that they don’t. And that, folks is a whole lot of love and hope. That is what I experienced at the March, and it’s why I marched. I marched because I stand for life, love, and the dignity of each and every person.