When Satan Attacks...Fight Back

This is a photo of me counseling an Hispanic man car-side on the sidewalks of the abortion center. We are pretty sure we convinced him that our resources and network of support would be enough to help him and his girlfriend choose life and bring their precious child into the world. That means four babies were saved as God used our presence on the sidewalks yesterday!

The woman beside me is one of our brand new Cities4Life counselors, Connie. She had been terribly afraid the day before her time on the sidewalks. She had terrifying nightmares of being attacked, and awoke filled with fear over the prospect of going to the sidewalks of the abortion center. She screamed while in the throes of her nightmare, and her husband woke her. Then they prayed.

Yesterday, on the sidewalk, she saw the Hispanic man drive in to the abortion center. His girlfriend who was at at work had sent him to get all the info and make an appointment to abort their child on her day off Thursday. Connie is fluent in Spanish and immediately spoke to him in his language. He drove out of the parking lot and stopped to speak with her. I hurried over, as we always support our new volunteers and (hopefully) guide them with our experience and training.

We both counseled him for a half an hour. While speaking with him, we arranged to have his girlfriend see her baby on the ultrasound of our partner ministry, HELP Crisis Pregnancy Center in Monroe. Usually we have an RV right there on the curb with a mobile ultrasound unit, but it is currently down and out with engine troubles. This appointment would be in place of an appointment to abort on her day off, praise God! We counseled him about how God would have him view this child in the womb, and by the end of our discussion, both of us felt confident this little baby had a fighting chance at life.

If Connie had given in to her fears, that man would very likely not have stopped his car, not have spoken with us, and not have understood how much hope and help was available. A little baby who now we are hopeful will live would likely have died at the hands of the abortionist.

NONE of us on the sidewalk speaking on behalf of the babies who cannot speak for themselves are Superman. All of us are simple Christians, who love God, and take seriously His admonition to "defend those who are being led to the slaughter." None of us are special. We are weak and flawed as all humans are. BUT we believe God when He tells us that His power is revealed when we are weak, and NOTHING is impossible with God.

Connie was joined by five other new volunteers, all of which held signs (which alone changed one couple's mind to abort), stopped cars, handed out literature, and sang like angels to bring God's glory to this wretched place. Praise God for their joyful obedience to God's call.

Praise God for Connie's submission to God's call and her courage in fighting the lie of Satan that mere humans cannot overcome the terror of evil. When God is for us, who can stand against us?

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We need volunteers during the week, including teams that will minister to the women after abortions and give resources to those who change their minds in the early afternoon (when our morning teams have already left!) Please contact vkaseorg@cities4life.com if you are available weekdays. God can use you to save lives, and we will train you.
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Matthew 7:21

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

James 1:22

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Isaiah 1:19

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;

Joshua 1:8

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

God Wins When We Don't Give Up

Three days in a row kayaking has fortified me for the spiritual battle at the abortion center today. Praise God it was closed for Memorial Day. Ironic isn't it? It closed to honor those who have died for our country and then reopened the next day to kill those our country seems to have forgotten. Honor sacrifice one day and then sacrifice honor the next.

On my way to the river yesterday to kayak, I heard the tail end of a great sermon. It said that Satan only wins if we give up. Keep doing right and keep fighting discouragement. God wins when we persevere.

I believe this is true. We are not responsible for the results, but we are responsible to be faithful in our obedience to God's call. 

While thinking these thoughts, I made it further upriver than I have ever gone. I saw a stretch of homes along the water, and knew I was not far from the dam where I have been told Bald Eagles reside. The goal was nearly in sight! Who knew when I might have enough time to kayak that far again? As I was pushing forward against the strengthening current, a jet ski made a wide loop and then headed straight for me. I screamed, waving my arms, and he veered to shore, laughing.

He shouted that he had forgotten something on shore, and wasn't trying to hit me. Maybe. Maybe not. His laughter at my fear disturbed me.

I turned around and headed back down-river. The goal in sight, and I turned back. Of course, when I was safely back at shore, I regretted that decision. What had I missed because I hadn't pressed on?


It might be crowded on the killing field today. The abortion center lost one day of babies dying this week. Today will probably be catch-up day. Sadly, we notice a shift in demographics at the center when the college kids come home for the summer.

Please pray that our Cities4Life team would persevere and bring the beckoning joy of Jesus to that awful place. Please pray that He will capture their hearts, all our hearts, to submit our lives to Him and not to the passing, illusory pleasures of sin and temptations of this world. Please pray that we will all press on to the goal that is in Christ Jesus, and not give up.
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Volunteers needed! Please email vkaseorg@cities4life.com for training info.
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Hebrews 10:36

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

Where Theory and Reality Clash

Ragnar on the Forbidden Couch

My friend saw this picture and caption and said, "Define forbidden."
I didn't bother. I plead the fifth. Instead I told her, "This is where theory and reality clash."
If you need further explanation, notice who is on the floor, and who is on the forbidden couch.

I never even let my (now deceased) beloved heart-dog Honeybun go on the leather couch. I feared that this one valued piece of furniture would be pierced by her nails. The couch is probably the most (only) sort of pricey furniture in our home that is largely an eclectic collection of mismatched pieces each nearing thirty-years-old. Neither my hubby or I are terribly fixated on Martha Stewart type decorating ideals. However, I did draw the line at dogs on the leather couch.

Until the granddog hopped up on it as though he owned it. Which he did. Possession is 9/10ths of the law. I always thought that my rigid ideals would just grow more rigid when I got older. Instead, the opposite is true. At least as far as dogs are concerned. Maybe if Ragnar were a mean dog or a demanding dog, I would feel differently. But he is the most pleasant, kind, nice, and perpetually good-natured dog I have ever known.

How we punished Ragnar when he stole a whole peach right out of our hand

I could learn a lot from Ragnar. No one EVER gets mad at Ragnar. It would be like wanting to beat up a cotton ball. Unthinkable. If ever a creature exemplified the Biblical admonition, "A gentle answer turneth away wrath," it would be Ragnar.

I will miss him not only because he delights in walks as much as I do, or his fur is so soft and thick that my blood pressure drops 30 points every time I pet him, or that he is funny and makes me laugh as he bounds across the house like a kangaroo. It is that his eternally sunny optimism and joie d' vivre is infectious. If I believed in reincarnation, the next body I would long for would be Ragnar.

How we teach Ragnar not to beg when he wants what ever it is I am eating

I have no doubt God sent Ragnar to me as a case study.
Look closely Vicky. Observe, absorb, and learn. 

Yes Lord. I hear you.

Ragnar returned home last night, but in a way, much of him remains. I mean...literally. Memorial day will be spent first honoring those who died that I might have the incredible freedoms I enjoy...and then, vacuuming pounds and pounds of husky dog hairs.
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Galatians 5:23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Ephesians 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,

Philippians 4:5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

Steady the Knees that Give Way....An Admonition to Stay the Course with God

³ Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees that give way;
⁴ say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
    he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
    he will come to save you."
Isaiah 35: 3-4 

By accident, I found a new park yesterday where I could launch my kayak into the beautiful Catawba River. Right before that happy event, I delivered a Ninja Blender that was donated by a lovely Cities4Life supporter to a precious woman, L, who chose life. L has endured many struggles recently because of her stand for Jesus and for life. She told me that she was weak, and the fact that we cared more for her unborn child than she did was pivotal in reminding her about God and in choosing life. Then, out of the blue, the wonderful supporter of our ministry gave me the blender to bless one of the moms with whom I work.

(On a side note, another supporter sent me money last week and asked me to give it to a mom who chose life who has been championing the pro-life cause with us at various speaking engagements. That mom told me the money arrived at a critical moment of need. Praise God for His people who hear His voice!)

L was teary-eyed when I gave her the blender. Life is not easy for her, but she is determined to walk with God now. Since she did not live far from where I kayak, I dropped off the blender and then set my GPS to take me to my regular launch site. However, on the way, I passed a sign for River Creek Park. 

That sounded promising!

I turned down the tangle of roads that led to a gorgeous park with a beautiful kayak launch. It was further north than my usual launch site, so I had the joy of exploring a whole new section of the river. 

I kayaked and prayed for the many women with whom I work who chose life over abortion. So many are in crisis. Some are in crisis because of terrible choices, but this particular one to whom I gave the blender was in crisis because of her decision to follow God. I cannot give details. Suffice to say, it caused angst and soul-searching in me.

As I meandered along a beautiful creek that sprouted off the main river, I saw a stick that I thought was a snake. I panicked for a moment, but then realized it was just a stick. I almost cut my kayak adventure short because of the threat of a snake that wasn't even a snake! Sometimes that which is good and that which is bad is hard to discern, particularly when we are alone and vulnerable. Truth gets obscured by despair and our ability to see clearly is clouded and distorted.

Meanwhile, I thought about the verse I had read that morning, quoted at the top of the blog. It applied perfectly to L who is struggling for doing the right thing. I also thought of Ragnar, my grand-dog whose visit with us ends today. I had taken him on a long walk yesterday morning. My goal with all energetic dogs who reside with me for any length of time is to exhaust them. Otherwise, that energy can become destructive. So I walked till he stopped dragging me behind him. It took five miles.

The first few seconds of our five-mile walk. Note the lack of appropriate "heel" position of energetic dog

The end of our five-mile walk. Note the appropriate "heel" position of tired dog

Later that day, he barely moved. When he stood up, he seemed stiff, and sore. Oh no. I had overdone it with the poor pup! A few hours later, he had recovered, but I will do a little less walking today. The walks are good for him, and he is a breed that can and should get a lot of exercise. However, since he is not used to it, it is a struggle to do what his body is designed to do.

The same thing is true of our walk with God. We are designed to walk in obedience to God every step of the way. However, when we have not for a very long time, those first new steps with Him are not always easy. The repercussions of a history of NOT doing what we should have been doing can reverberate for a long time. I think that is what L is currently experiencing as she tries to follow Christ.

This doesn't mean we shouldn't walk with God. It means expect there to be bumps in the road, struggles from the sins that have accumulated, and pain as we adjust to the new life.

But it is worth it. Don't give up.

When Ragnar's weariness subsided, he was at the door again, begging to start anew. That is the right attitude.
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2 Corinthians 12:9-10 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Encounter with a Satanist And God at the Abortion Center

A child rescued from abortion through Cities4Life intervention, born May 15

"Hi, I'm a Satanist and my pregnant friend is also a Satanist, a heroin addict, and was raped. Tell me about all your resources that can help us????"

I have been a pro-life sidewalk counselor at the Southeast's busiest abortion center for 3 1/2 years now. There is no doubt that I had it EASY when I started. God is definitely ramping up the intensity of the challenge. He gives us only what we can handle, but this was a new level of terrible, hard issues.

What complicated my day out there on the sidewalks Friday was my granddog Ragnar. That one year old dynamo dog was uncrated in my house as I didn't have the heart to crate him. I'd only be gone two hours...right? Could I topple a Satanist's twisted notions of the world and morality and spirituality before my house exploded from an uncrated puppy?

Could I make ANY inroads with an abortion minded, drug addicted, raped and pregnant Satanist even without the distraction of the puppy at home???


I love what our Cities4Life director once told me about how to respond when confronted with impossibly difficult issues. Begin with what you DO know and proceed from there. In other words, none of us can know all things. But there are truths we do know. Start there. That is what I did.

I listed our resources.
"But here's the problem," the Satanist said, "She doesn't want the baby. Can you imagine being raped and having to live with the evidence of that every day? And have you ever seen a baby in NICU withdrawing from heroin?"
"Yes," I said, "I have. But here's the thing. If I were raped, I would pursue with every ounce of my being the conviction of the man who raped me and have the full weight of the justice system come down on him as the criminal...but the baby is innocent. The baby had nothing to do with the crime of his father. The root issue here is about the sanctity of life. Is that a baby in the womb, and if not, what is it?"
She agreed it was a baby in the womb, and human.
"If that is a baby human in the womb, answer this for me. At what point does that baby in the womb NOT deserve to live?"
"Well if the baby is born addicted to heroin, or to a mother who doesn't want him..."
"Is he better off dead??? Does her wanting him or not determine his value?"
"I admit that he might end up to be someone who cures cancer, but then again he might end up a serial rapist like his father."
"That argument could be used for any unborn baby. Because they might turn out bad, should we just kill them all? How is that logical?"
She paused.
"Do you agree human beings have an intrinsic value and right to life?" I asked.
"I don't believe in God, if that's what you are asking. I'm a Satanist. Have you ever tried Satan?"

"Well I believe the abortion center is Satan's realm," I said. Then I proceeded to tell her very briefly of my life before knowing Jesus and all the evil and despair that had caused. It was Jesus who turned my headlong plunge towards destruction around. "But, back to the intrinsic value of human life. From a purely scientific, humanistic point of view, do humans have value, a right to life? Do you agree all of our rights are predicated on the right to life? And if we don't have that right, at what point do we not have that right? When does our value shift? At birth? A second before birth? A month before birth? Can you name any point other than conception that makes any logical sense? When do the unborn slide from non-person into personhood with the right to life? Can you name that moment?"

"Abortion is legal," the woman said. (I'm guessing she could not logically name that moment.)
"So was slavery. Did that make it moral?" I asked.

Surprisingly, she caved here and admitted she would grant me that it was never ok to kill a human baby in the womb and she would not do it personally. "But my friend has the choice to do it or not."
"Would it be ok to give her the choice to kill a baby outside the womb because of her situation?" I asked.

She returned to the problem of someone who was addicted to heroin giving birth to an addicted baby.
"Then she needs to go to rehab and get off heroin. We will help bring her there.Heroin is a dead end street that leads to destruction," I said.
"But the stress of stopping heroin is very hard..."
I stared at her.
"Stress during pregnancy is very bad for the baby," she explained.
"But abortion is not?" I asked.

She continued in a non-sequitur, and I was unsure of the thought process that led her to her next statement. "Research shows that humans are motivated by greed and power."
"I'm not," I said, "The research is wrong. I don't buy your premise. Every morning when I wake up I ask God to use me for His glory, and every night when I go to bed I thank Him for His blessings."

The Satanist felt the need to end our discussion then, though she said she understood my points, and even agreed with them. "But these people feel bad enough," she said, "You are making them feel worse."
"They should feel worse!" I said, "What they are doing should cause guilt. It is a mother taking the life of her own child. That should cause despair!"
Surprisingly, the Satanist took my literature with my name and phone number on it. I thanked her for talking with me, and prayed somehow God would work in her terribly sad and twisted life.

Three women chose life, but God's miracles had not ended. Remember, I had left my granddog, Ragnar, uncrated in the house thinking I would be gone only two hours. He is a one year old puppy. It was going on four hours since I had left him. I was sure to return to a home covered with poop, pee, and shredded furniture. I was saying Goodbye to the other counselors when a car drove slowly down the road.

Two women in the front seats were about to enter the abortion center parking lot. They stopped their car for me. If Ragnar destroyed my house, so be it. The women pulled over to the curb to tell me their situation. It turns out these women had NO idea this was an abortion center. One of them had been to the ER with abdominal pain, and the doctor had referred her to the abortion center! Both women were pregnant, and horrified that they had been sent to an abortion center. They both had limited resources, but wanted to see a doctor.

I gave them resources for a low cost OB/GYN clinic, and we gave them gifts and prayed with them. I have no doubt that the woman who had been to the ER would have been pressured to abort had they gone in the abortion center. We have had countless women come out of the abortion center and tell us they were told their baby's heart was not beating, but when they went on our ultrasound, the beating heart was evident. Those two women might have been encouraged to abort had we not been there!

Five mothers were rejoicing as a result of our presence at the abortion center that day. I jumped into my car and raced home, wondering what devastation I would find.

None. That wonderful puppy had not delivered a single spot of damage anywhere. If that is not proof that there is a God personally involved in my life, I don't know what is.

I loaded him in my car and told him we were going kayaking as a reward! Along the way, I shared my hastily prepared chicken burrito with him.

He lay down in the kayak with his head in my lap, sniffing the wind. The worries of the day melted away in the warm sun and the rocking boat.

Thank you Father for using me, and for using every member of the Cities4Life team, and thank you for this wonderful dog.

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We are so hopeful to gather enough volunteers that we can have a morning and afternoon crew out there, praying and helping those misguided, lost, and broken souls. Please email me at vkaseorg@cities4life.com for information and training.
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1 Peter 5:8

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 John 3:8

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

2 Corinthians 11:14

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

John 8:44

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

What Happens at Grandma's....

Really? Chex mix? They never feed me Chex Mix at home...

"And that is why this MUST be our little secret."

 "Can you keep a secret, Ragnar?"

Ragnar, the granddog and I had a GRAND day. As soon as he was dropped off at my house, the party began.

First, smooching on the couch and plotting all the fun we were going to have that the stuffy old parents never let us do....

 Long walks ....it took five miles to convince him he was tired.

Sighting of baby fawn, just born, nursing from mama deer-est ...

 Resting on the floor and icing our sore joints...Well, one of us was icing. The other was bonking the icer's head with a hard bone.

Eating bits and pieces of whatever is in the fridge....using fngers, not forks....shhhhhhh.....

going for a drive with the window down to feel the breeze in our ears....

Relaxing on the forbidden couch....shhhhhhhhhh....

Just don't tell the folks, Ragnar. What happens at Grandma's, stays at Grandma's.

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I know some of you come for a daily dose of inspiration. You may be hard pressed to find any spiritual truth that can guide you through your day from today's blog. However, there IS a message. God provides respite in the midst of the storm. When we take life too seriously, we lose one of God's blessings: laughter. Delight. Frivolous joy in the wonder of His world. Find the joy. It is always there.

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Mark 7:27-28

And He was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs."
2 Kings 8:13
Then Hazael said, "But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" 

Angelic Choir Singing in the Darkness

I could not believe it when I stepped out on the sidewalk of the abortion center Wednesday. I had seven new volunteers-- young, eager, Christ-filled volunteers-- brimming with hope and eager to be used of God. The sidewalk was lined with people speaking on behalf of the little babies who cannot speak for themselves.

And a group of those new volunteers sing!

Listen to this:

Two women chose life for their babies that we know of...but I have to believe that many hearts in that place of darkness saw a glimmer of light and saw what is possible when the presence of Christ enters the bleak despair of our blackest sin.

So many people ask me how I can do this work, day in and day out. Don't I find it heart-breaking? There are certainly heart-breaking aspects of what we do there, but the joy of abiding in God's will and still finding the glory of His presence in such an evil place cannot be explained unless you have been there. If nothing else, someone is present to mourn those babies' death and to acknowledge to the world that they have enough value for someone to stand in all kinds of weather in defense of the sanctity of those babies' lives.

And if not me...then who? I agree it is easier to assume some one else will show up. But what if they don't?

If God is calling and you do not listen to His voice...now that is heart-breaking. And you will miss the new Cities4Life heavenly choir serenading those little babies that so many have closed their eyes and their ears to.
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Our dream is to have volunteers present for all the hours the abortion center is open. Please consider joining us on the sidewalks of the Southeast's busiest abortion center. Email the volunteer coordinator (me...) at vkaseorg@cities4life.com . Who knows, maybe you sing well enough to join our new C4L choir...
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Psalm 104:33

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

Ephesians 5:19

Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

Psalm 95:1

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

A Reminder That God is All We Need

This mama goose was taking her job seriously. She made sure that her babies were safe, like all good mothers. I snapped several photos since the irony of the mama goose so ferociously protective of her babies on the sidewalk of an abortion center never ceases to inspire me.

God was reserving a special lesson for us. Our RV with the mobile ultrasound broke down, and will be out of commission for three weeks. This is one of our favorite tools to offer to the women: free ultrasounds. Most choose life if they see their baby's beating heart.

But now, no RV. To add to our sorrow, there was a mistake on the sound permit, so we would have no amplified sound. We know our voices can reach all the way to the abortion room at the back of the building when amplified. My small voice barely reaches the front porch unamplified. And the last tidbit, our two regular Tuesday counselors were not able to come. That means we had a bare-bones team of three with no ultrasound, no sound system, and then the rain began to pour out of the sky.

The geese marched down the street, herding their babies, taking advantage of the empty sidewalks.

Good thing God is all we need because He is all we have.

Oh...and my megaphone.

one of my favorite photos of me with my megaphone...old photo from newscast

I put it to good use. We were SOAKED by 1:00. One member of our tiny trio went home, but Daniel and I stayed long enough to have the wonderful bonus of knowing two women chose life. Perhaps the most gratifying one was a very young woman, probably between 16-18 years old, who entered the parking lot sobbing. She took our literature from Daniel, the director of Cities4Life, but despite all my pleas over the megaphone which I prayed she could hear, she went in to the center.

To our delight, she came out a while later, and sat in the car with her driver. I had a good hour to speak to them over the megaphone. I spoke non-stop since I was the only one with a megaphone, the rain was pouring down, and what else could I do? Besides, Daniel assured me that God would open the ears of the women so whatever they needed to hear, they would hear. The abortionist arrived, but still the young woman and her driver sat in the car.

We rejoiced when the driver started the car, and they drove away!


Maybe you are facing a life crisis, a point in your life when all that you had come to count on and to depend upon has been taken from you. Maybe your health has gone south, your physical abilities have waned, all that you have loved has slowly been wrenched away. What is left? Where is the meaning, the joy, the purpose that all those things used to satisfy? If life is precious, is it no longer precious when our capacity to do what our body was designed to do is gone?

Let me make a suggestion. Try God. Try praying that God would reveal Himself to you and that even now, the mission He has for you would become apparent. Maybe it is taking a long look at who you are and asking God to help you become who He wants you to become. Maybe it is studying His word and sharing those truths with other lonely, hurting, despondent people. Maybe it is praying diligently for your spouse, your neighbor, your children, your community, your state, your nation, your country, your world. Maybe it is opening your eyes for the first time to the reality that this world will pass away but God is eternal and you too were created for eternity. It gives all suffering a new perspective. What are you doing to prepare for that eternity if indeed it is real and if entrance is open to all, but God who created you tells you you can only enter through faith -- faith that He exists, that He is who He claims to be.  Who is He? Scour the Bible. If you seek Him, you WILL find Him.

My text to Daniel that morning when I found out we would have no RV, no sound, and no counselors except us in the pouring rain was that I thought God was sending us a message. By removing all we come to depend on, He is showing us that none of it is really the source of any result or any true hope.

God is the only hope we have. God is all we ever needed. Now and then, He reminds us of that.
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"It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us." - II Corinthians 1: 21,22
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Philippians 4:19

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 5:7

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Hebrews 4:16

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Rescuing Those Stumbling to the Slaughter

I went on a walk yesterday after my time out on the sidewalks of the abortion center urging women to choose life. (Two did!) While enjoying the sun, the breeze, and the peaceful quiet street, I heard a voice call out, "No, stay....stay....hey, get back here!!!"

I looked up to see a little dog trotting over to me, hackles raised, lip curled back, emitting low growls. Slowly I pulled my mace out of my belt pack. I always bring mace since I am often out walking or biking or kayaking...and dangerous creatures could be anywhere.

The owner rolled her eyes at me.
"He won't bite," she said. I did not appreciate the condescending tone in her voice. Especially in light of the fact that her dog was now a few feet from me, growling. He was in the typical  ready-to-attack stealth crouch.

"Your dog is growling at me," I said, pointing the mace at him. "If he tries to bite, I will mace him."
"He's growling because you are in a defensive stance," she said.

I blinked at her, biting back my own growls. She had a loose dog, clearly not under voice control, who was now inches from my ankles with raised hackles and growling....and it was MY fault?

Fortunately, she snatched the dog before he pounced. He continued to growl as she petted him. I cannot tell you how badly I wanted to mace HER and tell her she was an idiot like all the idiots with untrained dogs who think they have the right to infringe on my right to walk safely down a public street.

Instead, I told her calmly that I have been bitten by dogs who the owners claim don't bite. Dogs sense when someone is nervous, and it is understandable that someone is nervous when they have been bitten in the past, and a dog approaches them growling.

The owner never apologized, and was clearly angry I had threatened to mace her dog. I thought of a verse I had quoted over the microphone at the abortion center sidewalks earlier in the day: "The heart is deceitful above all else...who can know it?"

We are so deceived in our little bubbles of self commendation and rationalization. NO ONE looking at that growling dog would have believed the dog doesn't bite. The owner didn't want to believe the truth that was smacking her in the face. She had a badly-trained, mean little dog who would gladly have bitten me given another minute of freedom.

That morning, on the abortion center sidewalks, I stopped a car with an abortion-minded woman. I spoke with her for forty minutes. Every question I asked her demonstrated a heart that was terribly deceived. She wore a necklace with a diamond studded cross, and claimed to know God. I asked what she felt God would think of this abortion she planned? She told me he would think it was evil...but she would do it anyway. Since He was a forgiving God, she would abort and then ask His forgiveness. When I asked what made her feel abortion was her only option, she shrugged. She didn't know. I told her I assumed her situation felt dire, or she wouldn't be here. She told me that was not really true. She just didn't want the baby.

She agreed the baby was indeed a baby, a human inside her womb. When I offered a free ultrasound, she said she'd already had one. She had already seen the baby's beating heart.

"I really need to go now to my appointment," she told me.
"You really need to go now to kill your baby?" I asked.
"Well, if you put it that way..."
"How would you put it?" I asked.
"You are making me really uncomfortable."
"Would I be making you uncomfortable if we were discussing you getting a tooth pulled? Or do you think you are uncomfortable because you know what you are doing is wrong?"

Her "friend" who was in the passenger seat continued to urge the woman to just drive on to the abortion center. The woman who was at least conflicted enough to engage with me for forty minutes was not the one with the pedal to the metal urge...it was the "friend."

I felt totally defeated when the woman thanked me for what I was doing there, even admired why we were there, but now she had to go. She drove into the abortion center.

******
As I said goodbye to the woman with the growling dog, I hoped that the next time someone was walking down her road, the little dog would be leashed. Had she learned anything by the encounter with me or was all I had said in vain?
******

Proverbs 24:11-12

¹¹ Rescue those who are being led away to death,
    and save those who stumble toward slaughter.
¹² If you say, “Look here, we didn’t know about this,”
    doesn’t God,^[a] who examines motives,^[b] discern it?
Doesn’t the one who guards your soul
    know about it?
Won’t he repay each person
    according to what he has done?

Wasteful Use of Police Resources to Squash a Message

Three Policemen respond to 911 call Thursday at abortion center

With violent crime on the rise in Charlotte, one would think the city would be careful to allocate police resources to the areas and circumstances where violent crime occurs. Those who honestly care about the safety of our citizens would not squander the time and energy of Charlotte's brave officers in blue for frivolous concerns. Right?

This past week, three different police cars responded to a 911 call to come to A Preferred Women’s Health Center on Latrobe Avenue, where 15-50 or so abortions are performed daily. (SIX cars were summoned on Saturday.) Was this to respond to a woman bleeding to death from a botched abortion? Was a pro-life advocate threatening to storm into the center and assault the abortionist? Were guns being brandished, or gang fights erupting to necessitate three police cars with all the accompanying force behind them to protect our community?

No. The crime necessitating the 911 call from the pro-choice crowd  was they thought Cities4Life volunteers might be speaking above the allowed decibel level on our legally permitted sound system. (We were not.) The officers checked our permit to see if we had the legal right to amplify our voices.  (We did.) They measured the decibel level…twice. We were within the legal limit. 

They remained parked nearby for at least a half hour, and returned an hour later to watch our dangerous recitation of Bible verses, and offers of tangible assistance to the mothers in crisis. The police were not at fault. They were required to respond to the 911 calls and have been alerted by the city manager and city council to keep the peace on Latrobe Ave. 

Meanwhile, that same week, the 31st homicide to date in Charlotte took place. That same day, a shooting occurred in the afternoon in the 2900 block of Mulberry Church Road (Nowhere near Latrobe Ave.) Police reported that a call had been made regarding an assault with a deadly weapon, and when officers arrived, one person was found with serious injuries.

Please don’t misunderstand. The shooting took place in the afternoon, probably after the police had departed from Latrobe. I don’t wish to mislead you. However, the police know the hot spots in the city where the rate of violent crime is likely. It is NOT on Latrobe avenue, and it is NOT from the gentle Christians gathering to pray and help women in desperate situations.

The only violence that is happening on Latrobe Ave is the daily slaughter of an average of 20-30 babies each day by abortion. The pro-choice crowd has instigated violence against the pro-life group, and we are regularly threatened. It's interesting that despite that fact, the vast bulk of 911 calls are from the pro-choice folks.

The loving non-judgmental messages from the pro-choice crowd

 I personally spend 3-4 days a week on the sidewalks of the abortion center on Latrobe Ave, peacefully presenting women with free help and resources other than abortion. The ministry I work with, Cities4Life, has been a peaceful and useful presence for the past seven years with many women choosing life as a result of our intervention. We have helped countless women cope with their unplanned pregnancies through our network of private supporters without a dime of tax dollars spent. Not once have I seen a member of our ministry instigate a single act of violence, or even use bad language. The same cannot be said of the pro-choice contingency.

A friend of the abortion center security guard who storms towards us threatening to beat us up if we don't shut up

Yet regularly, the pro-choice counter-protesters at the abortion center call the police. Every day, at least two policemen come to check our sound system permit, or respond to complaints that we are blocking traffic on a street with very low traffic that is wide enough for four cars to fit. 

Between October 2016 - March 21, 2017, there were sixty-one 911 calls in which a minimum of two policemen were required to come to assess the emergency. Six of those calls were from the pro-life groups and fifty-five were from the pro-choice group. I remember one of those calls because I made it. An angry driver came within inches of my face, fist balled, and told me she was going to make me shut up, though she said it with choice words I cannot repeat. The clinic "security" did nothing to move her away from me. He was quick to tell me not to put a toe over the black pavement of the private driveway, however, or the police would be called. I called the police when the woman continued to threaten me, inches from my nose which has never yet been broken in sixty years and it was looking like it would not make it to sixty-one.

On the other hand, the calls from the pro-choice group never involved a danger of violence. The calls were always related to wanting police to check our legally obtained sound permit, to be sure the decibel level of our sound system was within legal limits, and to insure we never stopped cars on the street to hand out our literature of free, helpful resources.

Dangerous pro-life advocate shutting down sound system because of typo on permit. Children risking life and limb dancing as he sings Bible songs to them

Many times, I have seen three or even four police cars come because of the pro-choice people's complaints. Meanwhile, Charlotte is having a banner year of violent crime. In the first quarter of 2017, violent crime increased by 14.4% (http://www.charlottenc.gov/CMPD/Safety/Pages/CrimeStats.aspx). Perhaps the leadership that feels a police presence is necessary to see if the street is being blocked for ten seconds or the sound is a decibel above the legal limit for three accented words on the sidewalks of Latrobe Ave. should instead consider diverting Charlotte's precious police resources to places where people (other than the unborn) are being murdered. Let the one group that is making a dent in the slaughter of the unborn continue their peaceful attempt to provide real alternatives that save lives.

If this wasteful use of tax dollars concerns you, please contact the city manager, Marcus Jones, at 704-336-2241 or Mayor Roberts at Email: mayor@charlottenc.gov, 704-336-2241.

Meanwhile, this morning, my team and I return to the sidewalks of the Southeast's busiest abortion center, knowing if we are not there, 50-60 little babies will die today with no one speaking against this horror. One day last year, our presence convinced eight women to choose life. Please pray that today the many police likely to be there will witness a mob: a mob of women rushing away from the carnage with their babies still safe in their wombs. It is possible our shouts of rejoicing may exceed the legal decibel sound limit.
**************
Please join us. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. We need weekday volunteers. Contact me at vkaseorg@cities4life.com
**************

Mark 8:36-37

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?

John 14:15

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Psalm 90:12

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.