The Countercultural Times

The Justice Ride Team “I really appreciated you on the Justice Ride! I can't imagine how much effort you put in that week, but know that you made the week fantastic! … I really don't know how to describe to you how much you welcomed me and made me feel a part of the group! I can't wait for the next Justice Ride!” – Ellianna, a first-time Justice Rider Ellianna takes advantage of an opportunity to pray with a student at Florida State University. Our team just completed the most exhausting week of the year: the spring Justice Ride. On this trip, I had a new perspective instead of simply doing outreach. You see, we are a discipleship organization - raising up the next generation, equipping and preparing them to take on the culture of death and win. Some of my specific roles were overseeing/organizing outreach setup, watching for problems throughout the day, working security, that type of thing. One thing about this Ride that was special to me was that for the fir...

“…And such were some of you.” I Cor. 6:11 These words went through my mind, and I turned away from the rest of our team as tears began to drip down my face. I was thinking of how merciful God has been to me, the redemption I have experienced, and how lavishly He has poured out His grace on me.  This took place while our team was in D.C. at the Women’s March on Washington. After a turbulent day of outreach, we were heading out and our group had stopped to let the rest of our team catch up with us. As I looked across the masses, one thing that they all had in common struck me: they were all hurt and without hope of healing.  It started to make sense: their anger, violence, and hatred. They are a lost people, reacting to their wounds in the only way they know how. Christ is our healer, and people without Christ are also without healing. Upon this realization, I’m increasingly challenged to reach out to the hurting/wounded people around me and share the hope that we have in ou...

In just a few short days the Created Equal team and I will be in our nation’s capital – to stand together in solidarity for women, both born and preborn, and all babies who are vulnerable to abortion. We will be reaching out to the crowds at the inauguration, and conducting outreach at “Women’s March on Washington” - a protest of our president-elect and what he has claimed to stand for. This group of radical feminists says: “In the spirit of democracy and honoring the champions of human rights, dignity, and justice who have come before us, we join in diversity to show our presence in numbers too great to ignore. The Women’s March on Washington will send a bold message to our new administration on their first day in office, and to the world that women's rights are human rights.”  But what human rights are they speaking of? Born women, that’s who. It grieves me to see so many discriminating against the preborn. “H uman rights” they say, but equality isn’t equality if you only g...

This month I have been reflecting over what has happened in 2016, and the best word that comes to mind is: blessed . I’m blessed with an amazing family. I’m blessed with a job that I am not only passionate about, but also one that I love. I’m blessed with like-minded colleagues who love each other – they really have become some of the best friends I have. I am blessed with a Godly team of friends who stand with me, pray for me, and donate to support my work. I am humbled. Back in December of 2015, God was preparing my heart to move away from home to Columbus to do His work with Created Equal. Since then I have grown so much personally--in my walk with God, in my faith, in my ability to defend my beliefs, and many other ways. One opportunity I’ve had to share Christ was when I approached a homeless man at a laundromat. He had been using the laundromat phone to call someone and was telling them that he was going to turn himse...

The Boy in my story He was just a little boy, maybe 6 or 7 years old, carrying what appeared to be an old laptop and obviously heading somewhere. From when I first saw him, I was struck by the sincerity of his countenance and wanted to talk to him. Our team was outside of a local killing center here in Columbus, and we were just packing up when I noticed this boy had stopped and was staring at one of our signs. I wasn’t sure if he understood what he was looking at, so I went up to him and asked him what he thought about that picture. He shrugged. I told him that is what abortion looks like and that is what happens inside of this building. His concern for these children was evident on his face as he asked: “They kill babies? Why?” I didn’t know how to explain it other than telling him that some people think there is a good excuse for it. “That’s not good,” he said, shaking his head. Pointing to a prenatal image of an 8-week-old baby, I asked him if he knew that’s what he looked ...

“We’re not just murdering children for the sake of murdering children, right? We’re murdering children for, either one, utility, well -- probably just utility actually.” -- Ryan I was talking to Ryan and Grant, two young men at the University of Akron, who were explaining their views on human value. Grant started out the conversation by explaining that he thought humans get their natural rights when the umbilical cord is cut, to which Ryan pointed out that Grant was just making an arbitrary line. Grant laughingly admitted that his view is hard to defend and needs an arbitrary line. Ryan’s basic disagreement with my position is that I believe all humans have intrinsic value, given to them by a Creator. He explained that he thinks humans give humans value and went on to make the above quoted statement. If humans truly do only have value given to them by other humans, then humans can decide that one group of humans (like the preborn) are just a drain on society and therefore have no va...