Throughout your child’s life, there will be many firsts. As parents, grandparents and even on-lookers, we can feel the excitement and the joy. What a thrill to be around children!
 
Is that what you are thinking as you prepare this year’s Thanksgiving meal or sit around the festive table? Do you have a separate table-‘the kids table’? Do you shoo them out of the kitchen because they are under foot?
 
There is nothing wrong with having a kids table, or a specific area for the kiddos to play. The real question is, why do you? What’s your reasoning behind sending them away?
 
Psalm 127:3-5a
​Children are a heritage from the Lord,
    offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
    are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
    whose quiver is full of them.
 
This Thanksgiving, when your son asks to mash the potatoes, let him. Yes, he’ll probably take a lot longer than you, make a mess and the potatoes might be lumpy. It’s ok. Be thankful that your son has the strength to mash and the love of work.
 
Today when your granddaughter gets a case of the giggles and rolls around on the floor while you are rushing to get the good china on the adult table, stop and laugh with her. Be thankful that your granddaughter can smile, laugh and roll around.
 
This holiday when the cousins play video games, ask if you can have a turn. Take the time to let them teach you. They’ll be so thankful you did. They’ll never forget the year you stepped into their world.
 
God’s promise is true everyday - children are a blessing. If men and women facing an unexpected pregnancy see your joy towards children, perhaps they will be more excited about the pregnancy, more willing to give the child life.
 
This Thanksgiving when the children at your celebration are loud and messy, take time to thank God for your quiver full of blessings. Be joyful around children for LIFE.

Author: Katina Meinel

Katrina is a devoted wife and mother of four children. She homeschools all four children, nanny's two more, and keeps the home fire burning...quite literally in the outdoor wood burner. Her husband encourages her to share her gift of writing with the world.

Fourth in the FUEL Series...

We must LOVE – always and everyone. Love is an attribute that everyone claims to have. No one ever wants to be considered unloving. But whether we truly live our lives in love or not is 100% dependent on the walk, not the talk. We are God’s hands and feet in this world. Talking amongst ourselves of how we love others, or nodding agreement to messages of love in church on Sunday mornings, is not enough. It simply isn’t. We must ask God to help empty us of ourselves, so there’s a deep well within us that can be filled with his love for people. That love is unconditional, because God’s love for us was in the first place.

Love is growth. We cannot be who we are today and effectively love those in the world, or each other (fellow believers), as God calls us to, without acknowledging ways we can change for the better. But we can change! God’s love is change! And when we go forward into a world in need of love and humility, brimming over with the love of Jesus for sinners like us, changes will take place. It must become our way of life. It’s more than a hat to wear when we think we need to. And every last human life deserves our love!

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” - Philippians 2:3-4

What do you think of F.U.E.L.? Can these principles be empowering for you in your Pro-Life journey? If we want to “be the change you wish to see in the world,” then certainly we must get busy arming ourselves for this battle. Just remember who you’re really fighting, who’s fighting with you, and who you’re aiming to win over.

Fight on, Pro-Lifers!

Author: Jeff Ulrich

Jeff is a husband, father, and graduate school student. He attends Hope Lutheran in Oconomowoc. Jeff’s background in ministry education and future in the counseling field reflect a heart that loves to serve others and make a difference. He shares his personal or spiritual reflections in his own time at www.missionpossiblejeffulrich.blogspot.com

Third in the FUEL Series...

We must ENGAGE with our culture. Volumes upon volumes could be written about this – and already have been. This is the arena where what we preach and believe must be practiced. Before I say more, see how the Apostle Paul put it, in regards to his own ministry:

“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible…I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do this all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” – 1 Cor. 9:19 & 22b (emphasis added)
 
Remember, brothers and sisters, it’s the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm” that we fight. Those blinded by that evil, our fellow human beings, we’re not fighting – we’re saving. We want to win them over to this cause. Moreover, we ultimately want them to be won over to the truth of salvation, so they might know the peace, freedom, and comfort that the Christian following offers. THAT is our endgame.
 
Engaging with anyone and everyone in this present day culture in America is very hard, because Jesus’ followers are naturally different because of the transformation of our hearts and minds. But we’re called to be set apart on the inside, not outwardly – at least not in every way. While we don’t want to harm our faith by engaging in outright sinful acts that are part of some lifestyles today, we must never forget that it’s by the same grace that they too were forgiven on the cross, and we would live the exact same way, in our own ugly rebellion, if not for Christ living in our hearts. Honestly, being a Christian means giving ourselves up. Do you want to win over others to the truth? Then you and I must become slaves to them. That is, we must let ourselves be mastered by whatever reasonable means it takes to reach others.
 
This is an art form. Some of us are naturally gifted at making friends, or at being sociable in general. Others of us have to force ourselves out of our comfort zones quite a bit. But a close look at Jesus’ own life reveals that he was never one to seek personal comfort. He came to seek and save the lost. That is our mission too. We can only achieve this by meeting with, sharing meals with, and talking with the very ones we differ from. That’s how our Savior did it (think of the story of Zacchaeus, the Samaritan woman at the well in the desert, and many others). We must engage with others, roll up our sleeves and live life alongside them, and “be all things to all people” so that there’s every chance to win them over to the ways of life.


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Author: Jeff Ulrich

Jeff is a husband, father, and graduate school student. He attends Hope Lutheran in Oconomowoc. Jeff’s background in ministry education and future in the counseling field reflect a heart that loves to serve others and make a difference. He shares his personal or spiritual reflections in his own time at www.missionpossiblejeffulrich.blogspot.com

Second in the FUEL Series...

We must UNDERSTAND who fights with us and for us. So many times in life, the issues we face can feel so insurmountable because we fall into the line of thinking that we’re taking things on by ourselves. How often we forget how great and BIG a God we have!

The God we have standing for the things we stand for is one whose qualities are worth remembering every single day. He is not a lucky rabbit’s foot, a magic 8 ball, or a brazen or wooden image we keep in a little shrine in our living room. The God who stands for the beautiful lives of unborn children in the womb is none other than the very creator of this entire universe. He is the God who broke his own heart to give us his son, Jesus, as a Savior. He is the God who sends his Spirit into hearts of people to work the miracle of saving faith.

“But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.” – Jeremiah 10:12-13
 
Prayer and meditation. That is where personally understanding God takes place, after diligent study of Truth found in God’s word. That’s why Jesus began teaching the disciples about praying with “Our Father, who art in heaven…” When we pray to God with acknowledgement of how awesome he is, we ourselves are reminded in our souls of the size of our God. Taking time in peace and quiet regularly, to meditate on our thoughts, His word, and evidence of Him – such as the grandeur of nature – helps reinforce just how amazing our Lord is. That’s who we call on for help in this pro-life battle!


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Author: Jeff Ulrich

Jeff is a husband, father, and graduate school student. He attends Hope Lutheran in Oconomowoc. Jeff’s background in ministry education and future in the counseling field reflect a heart that loves to serve others and make a difference. He shares his personal or spiritual reflections in his own time at www.missionpossiblejeffulrich.blogspot.com

First in the FUEL Series...

We must first FORTIFY ourselves. Not that this battle is to be one of constant debate or argument, because we should definitely seek to meet others where they’re at to begin with. But once any form of relationship or connection is formed where ideas can be exchanged, it’s vitally important that you’re informed. It’s been said that “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care, but then you better well know something!” This fortification process comes through knowledge.

The first and most important aspect of knowledge is obtained from God’s Word. There is no higher authority on morality than God himself, for he created the moral code that lives in our consciences. He has made everything clear that we need for earthly wisdom in the Scriptures. The more we dive into God’s Word, the better informed we are about where God stands on life and death issues. Learn some passages that show clearly where God stands on valuing life in the womb. Be prepared to give Biblical answers; God’s answers should be our go-to weapons.

Secondly, learn as much as you can about the issues, attitudes, and facts of the pro-life vs. abortion debate. To gain credibility with the many folks in society who operate on facts of their own (or so they believe), we must be armed with concrete understanding of the issues. With the help of internet searches and great books written by Pro-Life authors, we can become very well read and well versed about what facts and issues matter to us and to our “opponents.”


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Author: Jeff Ulrich
 
Jeff is a husband, father, and graduate school student. He attends Hope Lutheran in Oconomowoc. Jeff’s background in ministry education and future in the counseling field reflect a heart that loves to serve others and make a difference. He shares his personal or spiritual reflections in his own time at www.missionpossiblejeffulrich.blogspot.com

The journey upon the Pro-Life path is one that must be walked with conviction and determination, and a hatred for the evil that has claimed millions of lives of unborn children for decades. But it’s an all too common occurrence that any animosity we feel for the abomination of abortion becomes vitriol directed at our fellow humans. On our streets, in classrooms, in the halls where elected officials have debates, and especially on social media, such horrible and – frankly – unchristian behavior can be found in the treatment of those who differ from us on this all-important subject.

But it’s not our fellow human beings who deserve this wrath. We must remember what Paul wrote:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  - Ephesians 6:12
 
This battle to renew the value of life in the womb must be fought indeed. But we mistakenly take out the aggression that stems from our distaste for this subject of abortion on those whom we must ultimately come to view as our mission field, and not just “opponents.”

Make no mistake about it. It isn’t being overly dramatic to call this pro-life cause a “battle.” But it’s a spiritual battle, not a relational one. Anyone truly fighting in the battle needs fuel for the battle.

In fact, we need F.U.E.L.

F – We must FORTIFY ourselves first.
U – We must UNDERSTAND who fights with us and for us.
E – We must ENGAGE with anyone in our culture whom we hope to influence.
L – We must LOVE – always and everyone.


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Author: Jeff Ulrich

Jeff is a husband, father, and graduate school student. He attends Hope Lutheran in Oconomowoc. Jeff’s background in ministry education and future in the counseling field reflect a heart that loves to serve others and make a difference. He shares his personal or spiritual reflections in his own time at www.missionpossiblejeffulrich.blogspot.com