LifeSavers Ministries Weekly Ministry Focus
Volume 1, Number 3 January 17, 2000

Contents:

Christian mother seeks to abort grandchild (and other ministry reports)
Scripture Focus
Prayer Suggestions
How many crosses does it take?  (Commentary by Tim Palmquist)
This week's schedule
Next week's schedule
Special Thanks
Sizzler Discounts
Publication information



Christian mother seeks to abort grandchild

     Last Monday, no abortions were committed.
Tuesday the abortionist was very busy.  Here are a
few selected reports from last week's ministry:

          "Cindy," 16, came to the abortion chamber for a
     pregnancy test.  Her mother accompanied her,
     and was determined that if "Cindy" was pregnant
     her baby should be aborted (although "Cindy"
     didn't agree).  They attend a large local
     Foursquare church.  Terri convinced them to
     come to the LifeHouse for a pregnancy test,
     which was negative.  Terri showed them a video
     and provided literature on fetal development and
     abstinence.  The test results were negative.  She
     may return for a follow-up test in a few weeks.

         "Tammy," 19, came to the abortion chamber for a
     pregnancy test, but Terri convinced her to come
     to the LifeHouse.  When she saw that the results
     were positive, she cried.  Terri gave her some
     baby gifts.  Terri contacted her later that evening
     and she said she wouldn't abort. 

          "Rene," 20, called and talked to Terri.  She is 2
     1/2 months pregnant, and considering abortion,
     because she has 3 children under 2 years old, and
     her boyfriend just died.  She needs money to buy
     diapers and pay her utilities.  She attends a
     Protestant church.

         On Saturday, Terri and Beth sidewalk counseled
     in Fresno.  The calloused attitudes of many they
     spoke to (including two women who were
     aborting their seventh babies) left them in tears.
     They met a Hispanic girl from Visalia who was
     scheduled for an abortion.  She said "God and I
     had a talk today, and it will be ok."  After she and
     her boyfriend talked with Beth and Terri for a
     long time, she decided not to abort.  At least one
     other baby was also saved from abortion.



Scripture Focus

Isaiah 1:12-20
     "When you come to appear before me, who has
asked this of you, this trampling of my courts?  Stop
bringing meaningless offerings!  ...I cannot bear your
evil assemblies....  They have become a burden to me; I
am weary of bearing them.
     "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will
hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I
will not listen.  Your hands are full of blood; wash and
make yourselves clean.  Take your evil deeds out of my
sight!  Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!  Seek
justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of
the fatherless, plead the case of the widow."
     "Come now, let us reason together," says the
Lord.  "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be
as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they
shall be as wool.  If you are willing and obedient, you
will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and
rebel, you will be devoured by the sword."
 Whenever your mind wanders, and you are tempted to
engage in idle conversation, please direct your mind back
to meditating upon  this scripture.



Prayer suggestions:

  Pray that the "Cemetery of the Innocents" at the
LifeHouse will cause women who are entering the abortion
chamber to pause and reflect upon what would be best for
their babies.
  Pray for God's protection against every person who
might wish to harm the volunteers.  Thank God for the
many ways He has protected us over the years.
  Pray for Judy DiGiorgio, nurse practitioner in the
abortion chamber.  Ask God to help her see as she looks in
the eyes of her own child that every child is precious.
  Pray for the Palmquists and Clare Aldrich as they
consider driving to Washington for the March for Life on
Jan. 24.  (As of Monday, these plans are still uncertain due
to sick children.)
  Pray for local pastors and church leaders, as the white
crosses are displayed at churches this week.  Ask God to
bring conviction upon them that He wants them to do more
than just make a symbolic statement against abortion.  Ask
God to help them see that they need to get involved on a
regular basis in saving the babies who are aborted every
week in our own community.
  Pray that "Cindy" and her mom (see report above) will
be motivated to surrender their lives more completely to
God.



How many crosses does it take?
Commentary by Tim Palmquist

     Over the past few days, we spent many hours measuring,
cutting, assembling, painting, and arranging hundreds of simple
white crosses, attempting to make them all look exactly the same.
As we left the LifeHouse after midnight the other night, I noticed
that I had accidentally left the light on in the office upstairs.
Normally, I would have stopped to turn it off, but we were so tired
that I decided not to bother.
     The following evening, I was hammering the 75 crosses
into the LifeHouse lawn, meticulously measuring the distances to
create an orderly and respectful "Cemetery of the Innocents"
display.  I was about halfway done when I noticed that the light
from the office upstairs was shining down on the lawn,
spotlighting a cross.
     The light illuminated just one cross (which was broken)
of the dozens on the lawn.  To me, this seemed like no accident.
I sensed that God was trying to teach me something: we see
75 crosses, but God sees only one.  Every abortion kills a
unique child, created in God's image.  God's boundless love fully
embraces each child, as if no other children existed.
     This week, we join with 10 local churches, drawing
attention to the tragedy of abortion by displaying fields of crosses
which represent the statistical number of abortions committed
during specified periods of time.  The churches are calling
attention to the number of abortions nationwide.  (However, at the
LifeHouse, we chose to focus on the number of abortions
committed locally, to emphasize the Church's responsibility to
seek to save the children who are dying in our own community.)
     It is important for churches to emphasize the number of
abortion casualties, so that churches recognize their own need to
respond.  Recognizing the problem is great, but if all we ever do is
curse the darkness without lighting a candle, we have become part
of the problem.
     Our LifeSavers motto is "saving babies... one [heart] at a
time."  It's more than just a motto, it is our method of approaching
the vast problem of abortion.  We don't spend most of our time
talking about whether or not the Supreme Court will allow partial
birth abortion to be outlawed, or discussing the pro-life positions
of the presidential candidates, or collecting signatures to enact
parental consent legislation.  Why?  Because none of these efforts
will help the baby who is scheduled to die today.
     As we speak to each woman entering the abortion
chamber this week, let's try to see her through God's eyes.  Not as
one nameless, faceless, element of a large statistical value.  Let's
speak to each woman as if she were the only woman in the world,
and as if the child in her womb who is scheduled to die is the only
child in the world.  While we're on the front lines, we can forget
about the societal problem of abortion for a while, and focus on
each individual abortion.
     Yes, it is a horrible tragedy to consider 4000 babies
dying in our nation every day, 167 babies every hour, 28 babies
every 10 minutes, 14 every five minutes, or even the 75 babies
dying here in our own community every week, but let's not lose
sight of the fact that if only one child had ever been aborted, it
would be a horrible tragedy in God's eyes. 
     Unfortunately, a "Cemetery of the Innocents" which
included only one white cross probably wouldn't affect many
people.  Sometimes we need to see the numbers visually to break
our heart.  But how many crosses would it take to break the heart
of God?
     Only one.



This week's schedule
[If you are unable to participate in this ministry, please
use this schedule to help you pray for those who are on
the front lines.]

Monday, Jan. 17
                    Colleen        8 -  10:30
                    Jose           8 -  10
                    Carlotta?   9:15 -  11:15
                    Rosa          10 -  12
                    Terri      10:30 -  4
                    Mike         12? -  1

Tuesday, Jan. 18
                    Lewis       7:30 -  9:30
                    Carlotta?   7:30 -  9:30
                    Jose           8 -  10
                    Albert        10 -  12
                    Ione          10 -  12
                    Fr. James     10 -  12
                    Terri      10:30 -  5?
                    Monica?       11 -  3
                    Mike?         12 -  1


Next week's schedule

Monday, Jan. 24
                    Colleen        8 -  10:30
                    Jose           8 -  10
                    Carlotta?   9:15 -  11:15
                    Rosa          10 -  12
                    Mike         12? -  1
                              We need help        10:30 -   12
                              We need help!!         12 -   4

Tuesday, Jan. 25
                    Vince          7 -  9
                    Lewis       7:30 -  9:30
                    Carlotta?   7:30 -  9:30
                    Jose           8 -  10
                    Albert        10 -  12
                    Ione          10 -  12
                    Fr. James     10 -  12
                    Monica?       11 -  3
                    Mike?         12 -  1
                              We need help         9:30 -   10
                              We need help!!         12 -   5



Special thanks
to those who helped construct the white crosses:
     Amber and Gary Hatfield and family
     Clare Aldrich  Mike McCabe
     Jose Iguain    Carlotta Fondren
     The Palmquists



LOCAL SIZZLER RESTAURANTS are offering a
15% discount to LifeSavers volunteers.  If you wish
to take advantage of this offer, ask Terri Palmquist for
a discount card.


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