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There’s this saying, “You only know what you know, until you know better.” This statement accurately describes my journey of understanding abortion and the pro-life movement.

Seven years ago, when I felt God calling me to be active in the pro-life mission, I had no idea where my calling would lead me. All I knew was that I was to be obedient and try to understand as much as I could about the pro-life movement and information surrounding abortion.

It’s humbling to realize you know so little about something you may be very passionate about. I might have been a bit naïve at first. Ha! But seven years later, I can now say I know so much more about the abortion issue and the pro-life movement. And yet, sometimes, it feels like I have so much more to learn.

Here’s one thing I do know. Saying you’re pro-life is also committing to educating yourself about the overall movement. It’s about relationships and realizing many individuals and organizations have the same mission with a different focus.

As a pro-life Christian, it has been encouraging to witness more church leaders and prominent Christian voices take a stand for life. They are speaking the truth about abortion but with a compassionate, Christ-like response—that holds the life of the mother with equal compassion as the life of her unborn baby.

But I am also concerned about how some of these prominent Christian voices portray the pro-life movement. They often talk about loud, angry voices at abortion clinic sidewalks or hateful signs at Life Marches. An angry mob who doesn’t care about the women and men who face unplanned pregnancies, but only the unborn baby in the womb. That’s not the pro-life community I have come to know.

And then I learn these same Christian leaders have not educated themselves about the pro-life movement. They haven’t joined the thousands and thousands of mostly young marchers at a recent March for Life, and haven’t formed relationships within the community. They don’t know all they could— and they need to know better.

In my seven-year pro-life educational journey, I am always amazed at the compassionate response to abortion:

  • The sidewalk counselors who pray quietly for the women who will enter an abortion clinic that day. Or those who gently approach the mothers and fathers asking if they may talk with them about another alternative to abortion.
  • The pregnancy center employees and volunteers who have face-to-face conversations with abortion-vulnerable women and men. They witness tragic circumstances with crisis pregnancies but are determined to offer a compassionate, loving response no matter the outcome.
  • The numerous pro-life organizations that donate thousands and thousands of needed baby supplies to mothers who choose life and are in desperate need.
  • The church groups who make handmade baby quilts for their local pregnancy center or who donate diapers and formula.
  • The prayer warriors who stand outside government buildings and seek the throne of God over ongoing abortion legislation. Their prayers are silent in voice but passionate in their prayer-focused mission.
  • The ministries who walk through the healing process with post-abortive women and men, offering them freedom and forgiveness through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The list goes on, and I am humbled and encouraged by those who stand together in this movement called pro-life. It has profoundly affected my faith as a follower of Jesus Christ. I understand more about the grace of God because of the relationships I have formed within the pro-life community.

Are there facets of the movement who lack a Christ-like response? Yes, absolutely, but they are a small segment, and they do not represent the pro-life movement as a whole.

So here’s my challenge to pastors, leaders, and prominent Christian voices who are willing to stand openly with the message of life. Educate yourself about the pro-life movement and mission. Don’t set yourself apart before you have all the facts in front of you. Venture outside the walls of your church and denomination to build relationships with pro-life ministries. Join us in January for the March for Life, and witness the overwhelmingly compassionate, Christ-like response to abortion. Please don’t take a self-righteous posture toward the pro-life community. We need unity because even though our focus may differ, our mission is the same. And let’s all agree to keep learning and growing so we know better how to be genuinely pro-life, or Pro Abundant Life (Matthew 28:18-20) as Christ calls us to be!

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Several years ago, when something outrageous happened in our culture, I would get all riled up and head to my laptop to blog my latest opinion on the matter. Like everyone needed to know my perspective? Ha!

I am a writer. It is in my DNA, and this blog was initially created to be a place for my passionate opinions to spill out. You could choose to read or not.

Lately, I feel a little hesitant to blog anymore. It’s not that I don’t have those same impassioned responses to cultural events. It is more of just a sadness that overwhelms me over the society that we live in. Why even waste my time blogging my perspective?

But for what it’s worth, I want to share what is on my heart about the Super Bowl halftime show with Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. I witnessed the first several minutes, but then my husband and I decided to turn the channel. We knew where it was headed. We weren’t shocked because this is what our society embraces as entertainment. We can blame Pepsi for allowing that kind of halftime show, but let’s face it, a long time ago we as a culture signed off on allowing the over-sexualization of women—and men—through our televisions. It’s who we have become as a culture.

I don’t want to dwell on the halftime show. You have probably already read enough social media posts and articles about it, ad nauseam. What I do want to convey is a verse in the Bible that speaks to my sorrow over this event.

In Psalm 139:13-14, David writes: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  

Take a minute and read that verse over again. Let it sink in. You were created by God. You are made in His image and are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Friends, we weren’t made for a culture that throws out degrading sexual images at the slightest whim. That’s not the reflection of being fearfully and wonderfully made. And that’s not how we praise our Creator.

As believers in Christ, when you truly understand that God “knit you together in your mother’s womb” and uniquely designed you, then that’s the image you want to reflect—a mirroring that honors the One who loves you as He created you.

Oh, my heart goes out to Shakira and J. Lo, who think their body image and talent have to attract a sexual response from society.

My heart goes out to men and women who feel their worth only comes from their sexuality and desires.

My heart goes out to those who feel that their gender is not determined by God, who so uniquely created them for His purpose.

My heart goes out to those who feel unworthy: trapped in addiction, depression, regrets, and failing to grasp God’s unrelenting love for them.

So here I am writing with sadness because I know how difficult it is to embrace the concept of what “fearfully and wonderfully made” means in our society. I witness it being rejected over and over again because God is rejected.

The enemy will try everything to blind you from that powerful concept of God’s endless love for you. He always distorts your reflection so that you will reject the beauty of your image designed by God, your Creator.

Face it, you are a work of God’s divine hand! You are not a mistake. You have a purpose. God knit you together in your mother’s womb designing your gender, your sexuality, your looks, your emotions, your talents… with YOU in mind!

For me, the halftime show was about the grief I feel for our world. We are lost in a reflection that bears no image to our Creator. We were made for dancing to a different beat to praise and honor the beauty of who we are through the salvation of Jesus Christ. And when you truly grasp the magnitude of that purpose, you’ll honor your image (your body) in a way that doesn’t require anyone to turn the TV channel. Because “fearfully and wonderfully made” is a joyful celebration of God’s design for all of society.

Let’s celebrate and embrace that image, share it with the world— even if it is continually rejected— and more importantly, let’s reflect that in our lives for our children’s sake.

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Amy behind the microphone at CBS Sports Radio

Impressive! That’s an easy way to describe my friend Amy Lawrence.

I often thank God for leading me to wonderful friendships during my college years, and Amy is a part of that group. What makes Amy so unique? Not only is she a caring friend who is also a follower of Christ, but she has one of the coolest jobs.

Amy hosts the national CBS Sports Radio broadcast After Hours with Amy Lawrence. She is one of the only females you will hear hosting her own sports radio program. Let’s acknowledge here: glass ceiling—broken!

But what I appreciate about Amy is that although she has pioneered her way through the sports media industry and has navigated her share of ups and downs as a female in reaching her career goals, she doesn’t use her gender to force her way into a male-dominated environment. Instead, she simply works hard and gracefully maneuvers through the criticism (and sometimes through the prejudice) with a positive and grateful attitude.

Amy is a breath of fresh air in a society of feminist striving and outrage. She’s very much a proud female who also knows a thing or two about sports. But Amy focuses on more important challenges, like how to represent her faith and values in life, work, and ministry.

Welcome to my interview with Amy…

 

Julie: What’s one great CONNECTION that impacted and shaped your career path in sports media?

Amy Lawrence: When I made my full-time jump to sports radio in Oklahoma City in 2002, I frequently crossed paths with an established TV anchor. I would see Bob Barry Jr. at football and basketball games, press conferences, and other local events. Unlike most of the men who worked in the market, he was kind and helpful to the “outsider.” I came to rely on him when I had questions and concerns about the job, and Bob always made time for me.

After a year of hosting my first talk show, I was fired unexpectedly…and it sent me reeling. I’ll never forget those first few hours trying to process the news and struggling with fear. How would I pay my bills? Should I move home? Is my career over?? In my desperation, I called Bob and cried my eyes out. He listened, encouraged me, and then gave me the best piece of career advice I’ve ever received: “You haven’t made it in this business until you’ve been fired at least twice.”

Bob already understood what I would come to recognize in time. Failure is a very real and necessary part of success. We haven’t truly succeeded in life until we’ve fallen flat on our faces once, twice, three times…as many times as it takes. The triumph is getting back up and trying again, not allowing that failure to serve as a deterrent, but instead, turning it into a powerful lesson and motivator. I’ve been fired twice and dropped from a hosting rotation twice. Every time, a better opportunity was waiting around the next bend in the road. Bob helped me to see that failure is not a dead end.

 

Amy interviewing former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman

Julie: How do you set yourself apart as both a follower of Christ and a woman of excellence in the workplace?

Amy Lawrence: This question makes me laugh out loud since I naturally stick out like a sore thumb as a female in the male-dominated arena of sports radio. I can go weeks at a time without running into another woman at work. But that’s not enough. I want people to know what I stand for and why I’m different.

Two ways leap to mind immediately, especially in this age of social media. Compassion and respect are sorely lacking in person and online in 2018. Making the time to care about people and let them KNOW I care about them are two steps I try to take in my interactions with co-workers and listeners. Recently, a colleague shared with me about a family member who’s battling cancer. I was grateful that he trusted me and that I could tell him I’ll pray for her. It made a major impression on him. He said to me recently, “It’s good to know that you care.”

Respect is a lost art in a world where social media and texting have replaced face-to-face conversation. When people can remain anonymous with no accountability, they will do and say whatever they like with no fear of repercussion. It has taken years; but I’ve learned that refusing to respond in kind to trolls and critics, using humor to deflect insults, and reacting with self-control sets me apart on a forum that resembles a cesspool most of the time. As much as I despise the way humans treat one another online, I’m thankful that God gives me the platform to be different.

 

Julie: How does a Christian woman fit into a world rife with feminism?

Amy Lawrence: This is such a challenging subject for me because I believe in equality for women with all my heart–and not only for women in America. I celebrated when women in Saudi Arabia were finally granted the legal right to drive this summer. I hate that women are still treated like property or second-class citizens in some parts of the world. Every trip I take outside the Unites States reminds me how blessed we are in this country. As females, we can pursue any career that we choose, however atypical. But just because we CAN doesn’t mean it’s easy.

I’ve battled discrimination and prejudice at every stop along my professional journey; some of the prejudice is so deeply inherent that people aren’t even cognizant of their warped views. I want to be a woman of strength, integrity, and confidence. I want people to respect me for my determination, tenacity, intelligence, and independence. Those qualities should be valued in WOMEN as well as in men. Despite resistance, those are traits to which I aspire. That’s feminism: recognizing that strength and assertiveness and self-sufficiency are valuable and desirable, regardless of gender. Feminism is believing that every person on the planet, male or female, should have access to the same opportunities. Feminism is a fancy way of asking for equality.

One lesson I’ve learned the hard way, though: “equal” doesn’t mean the same. I used to think I needed to be the same as the men in the sports media industry. I tried talking like them, laughing at jokes and stories I didn’t think were funny, blending in as much as I could. When being “one of the guys” didn’t open the right doors, I tried to force my way into the “club.” I developed a tougher, defensive exterior to prove to my bosses and colleagues that I could hack it and to show them that I was just as strong as the strongest guy. I dug in for a fight, and my first instinct became fighting, even when fighting wasn’t necessary. It took me a long time to understand that I can’t eliminate prejudice with demanding rhetoric; I can’t make people treat me equally. I can only control my response to the discrimination. I can carry myself with professionalism and integrity in the hopes these qualities will open the eyes of people who don’t consider me equal because I’m a woman.

At this point in my life, I always come back to grace. I can be strong; I can be tough. I can be assertive and confident and opinionated. But I have to lead with grace. Because God’s grace covers my mistakes, I should extend grace to others.

When colleagues or listeners or social media users are rude and disrespectful and tell me I don’t belong, I can still offer grace. When I’m passed over for a job or promotion because I’m a female, I can still choose grace.

When feminism is coupled with patience, humility, self-control, sincerity, and authenticity, it’s an unstoppable force! Not only do I represent myself in a manner in which I can be proud, but I disarm my critics. If they still choose not to see me as equal, grace allows me to let it go and move forward without the negativity breaking my stride.

Grace is attractive, even to the staunchest naysayers. Grace brings people close enough to see why I’m different and why equality is deserved. With grace, feminism drops the ugly connotation and ceases to be a bad word.

 

Julie: Is there an aspect of feminism that doesn’t represent who you are?

 Amy Lawrence: It definitely bothers me when all women who believe in equality are thrown together in one large cauldron of beliefs, values, and political views. Not all feminists can be painted with one broad brush. Not all feminists are liberal; not all feminists vote Democrat. And not everyone who believes in equal rights for women supports abortion. I believe life starts at conception, and I believe babies should be protected, even in the womb. Going back to my early teens when I first understood abortion, I declared myself to be pro-life, and I’ve never wavered. Life is precious and fleeting and too often taken for granted. Life is a GIFT, and I don’t believe my rights as a woman should include the right to terminate another’s life. Very few things are cut and dried or black and white; circumstances can be complicated and messy and far from ideal. However, there are some values to which I cling no matter what. The right to life will always be paramount for me.

 

Julie: What’s the toughest challenge you’re facing in your life right now?

Amy Lawrence: Throughout the last year, I’ve grappled with the same obstacle over and over. I KNOW that fear, guilt, doubt, and the trap of comparisons are not from the Lord. He doesn’t operate there, and we won’t find Him there. However, the enemy uses those tricks whenever and wherever he can.

My stumbling block always shows up in the form of the question WHY? Why is this road so hard? Why do I have to walk it alone? Why don’t I hear you? And the question that reduces me to a puddle every time: God, why do you watch me cry and not do something if you love me the way you say you do??

I can get so lost in the doubts and confusion when what I SEE doesn’t seem to line up with what God says in His Word. But I always come back to the same place. When I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I surrendered my life and control to Him. HE is God; I am not. My life belongs to Him. Sold out means 100% of me. Even Jesus told the Father “Not my will but yours be done” when He faced the cross (Luke 22:42). That surrender is a daily step for me; and at times, it feels like a part of me died.

It doesn’t sound very appealing, does it? Why would anyone want THAT?? What’s the trade-off when we become Christians?? It takes time to understand, and I’m not sure we can fully grasp what it means until we get to heaven…but there IS a trade-off.

For starters, we have access to the God of the universe! Not only does He love us intimately and know every detail about our lives; but He cares about all our hopes, dreams, goals, and desires. He doesn’t forget a single prayer; He doesn’t waste the tears. With that access comes peace. God offers a peace that is often unexplainable but also undeniable. It’s not rooted in circumstances; it comes from knowing HE is in control so I don’t have to be! The peace is a direct result of trusting Him to make all things work together for my good. When I get impatient, I try to come up with the answers and the solutions myself; but there is no substitute for the peace that comes from freedom in Christ. It is PRICELESS!

 

For more about Amy visit:

 

Amy’s Blog ——–> Play by Play Day by Day

 

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CBS Sports Radio Host Amy Lawrence lives for Jesus first

 

 

 Julie’s new book titled Giving Hope An Address is now available.

Click book for more information. 

 

 

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Let me set the scene for you regarding this photo.

I was sixteen years old on a mission’s trip to Germany. It was a bike tour from Bingen to Bonn where we stopped along the way at different towns and ministered in the streets through pantomimes. Our faces painted, no words just gestures, and sharing our faith through action. A crowd would gather around us, and after our pantomime act someone would speak and share their faith testimony.

I have never enjoyed being in front of a crowd. My fair skin will often reveal my nervousness with red blotchy patches of embarrassment. However, this time there was a sense of comfort hiding behind that white face paint and only having to express actions and not words.

But then one day on our mission tour, I was approached with the most interesting question by one of the leaders. He asked me, “Would you share your testimony today after our street scene?”

I honestly answered him, “I don’t have a testimony!”

He looked a bit puzzled and questioned me, “Julie, are you a follower of Christ?”

I nervously laughed, “Um, yes but I don’t have a story. I have never done drugs, been involved in a crime, and I made a decision to follow Christ when I was about five years old. My life is pretty boring. I don’t have a testimony!”

You have to understand my frame of reference here. I was raised in a ministry called Teen Challenge. It’s a faith-based drug rehabilitation program that has ministered to many men and women with life-controlling problems. It’s a ministry that I have recently written about in my book titled Giving Hope An Address.

At sixteen years old, all I understood about sharing a testimony was that it somehow had to include a former life of drugs, abuse, crime, prostitution, and maybe even a prison sentence. That was all I knew about sharing what Jesus Christ had done in a person’s life.

When you grow up listening to residents in a Teen Challenge program tell their testimonies of amazing transformations of God’s saving power from addiction, your own somewhat sheltered life looks a little dull in comparison.

But I’ll never forget the words the youth leader said to me after my naïve proclamation. He looked into my eyes and pointedly said, “Julie, you have one of the most powerful testimonies. You have been caught in the grasp of God’s hands at an early age, and by God’s grace YOU ARE KEPT.”

I still choke back tears remembering his words to me. I will never forget them.

Even when I feel like I don’t live up to the life I am supposed to live as a follower of Christ, I still remember— I am kept.

When life is hard—I am kept.

When I experience pain—I am kept.

When I feel unloved—I am kept.

When obedience is difficult— I am kept.

God’s promises are true whether we fall in the grasp of His hands at five years old or fifty years old.

One of the reasons I wrote my recent book was to express my gratitude for all those who walked through the doors of Teen Challenge and were willing to let God transform their lives as testimonies of His grace and mercy. Their life transformations and their willingness to share their stories, sealed in my heart a devotion to Christ that has kept me. I am always learning and growing in the knowledge of who Christ is in my life, but I can STILL say with confidence that I AM KEPT.

 

Never underestimate the power of your testimony, friends!

Share what God has done in your life no matter how boring or how tragic you think your testimony is. Never let embarrassment or shame keep you from sharing your story with others. We are called as Christians to share the light of Christ to the world.

It would certainly be easy just to share my faith through actions and not words. To hide behind a painted face and not reveal who I really am. But I can’t do that no matter how difficult it is to express myself with spoken words and with blotchy skin.  Because when you experience the powerful testimony of being kept by the hands of God, it’s a place you want others to experience with you.

Share the hope of being KEPT. It’s a testimony that never gets old.

 

 

Note:

My blog is changing. I want to use this platform to share other people’s stories and testimonies. Today I started with my own.  From time to time, I might share another person’s story with you through a blog or interview format. So stay tuned by subscribing to this blog.

And in case you missed it, here’s another powerful testimony by my friend Kelly that I shared last year.

http://www.theradiancefoundation.org/eva/