Timmerie's Blog: books

Chapter 4, 'The Cause'
Chapter 5, 'The Bond of Compassion'
Chapter 6, '40 Days and 40 Nights'
Chapter 7, 'The Code of Conduct'
Chapter 8, 'My Enemy, My Friend'

Chapter 9, 'Irreconcilable Difference'

Chapter 10, 'Unplanned Chapter 10, The Hurricane'

Chapter 11, 'The Boardroom'

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Unplanned Chapter 9, 'Irreconcilable Difference'

For abortion or against abortion? Abortion is okay at six weeks, but not at 22 weeks? Throughout this chapter Abby shares about an inner and outer battle with her pro-abortion stance. Whether aware at the time or not Abby would pick and choose when abortion was not okay, and when excuses were made to justify her pro-abortion position.

During a counseling session with a woman who was past 21 weeks along Abby was horrified that the woman insisted on having an abortion. While she counseled the woman, Abby called the child in the womb a baby and not a fetus! To her, the difference was that a child was at a viable age by about 21 week into a woman’s pregnancy. Even though the abortion minded woman had the abortion procedure for the “viable” child in her womb explained to her, the woman didn’t care how it was done. She just wanted the baby gone. Reluctant and highly disturbed, Abby gave a referral to the woman for a clinic that performed late term abortions. (I found it interesting that Abby used the same tactics as sidewalk counselors by talking about the horrific procedure and the development of the child in the womb.)

Later that evening Abby shared with her husband: "I just couldn't believe how casual she was about it! I feel sick about it. Just sick. How can she say it's the same whether the pregnancy is six weeks along or twenty-three? That's just ludicrous!" (Abby Johnson, Unplanned, 97)

After this comment Abby’s husband, Mark challenged her by asking if the child’s worthiness of life is any different because the pregnancy is further along? With little response to Mark, Abby continued to question late term abortion and her inconsistency. Abby later noted her friendship with notorious late term abortionist George Tiller and what a “kind” person he was, but she often wondered how he could justify performing late term abortions. Abby’s battle within continued one day in church during a period of silence for a “confession of sin” where she struggled with the thought of whether or not to confess her involvement in abortion.

For me it’s incredible to see how people make judgment calls as whethere or not the action of abortion is okay or not depending on the babies age, size or development. Abby is not the only person who feels this way. I know some extremely pro-life people who believe that abortion is okay as long as it’s in the first trimester. These are people whose beliefs we must challenge, because they are more likely to acknowledge the reality of the unborn child’s life, no matter how young or small. They are also more apt to morn the loss of a child to a late term abortion than those who support all abortion. Many people are unaware of the fact that abortion is legal through ALL 9 months of a woman’s pregnancy not just when people consider the child ‘a blob of tissue’ but moments up until the child is born. We must educate and continue to challenge the pro-abortion position!

Order Abby’s book and join this discussion: http://www.unplannedthebook.com/

Checkout my reflectione from:

Chapter 4, 'The Cause'
Chapter 5, 'The Bond of Compassion'
Chapter 6, '40 Days and 40 Nights'
Chapter 7, 'The Code of Conduct'
Chapter 8, 'My Enemy, My Friend'

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington

Monday, March 14, 2011

Unplanned Chapter 8, ‘My Enemy, My Friend’

At this point in the book Abby has taken over as the Planned Parenthood director for a clinic in Texas and the first few weeks turn out to be very eventful . . .

As the new director of Planned Parenthood Abby had two goals she really worked to accomplish:

Reduce the numbers of abortions by pushing contraception.
Create a strong relationship between Coalition for Life and her Planned Parenthood.

Because of Abby’s horrible experience with the chemical abortion through a method known as RU-486, she strongly advocated against the use of this form of abortion, especially after the six week point in a woman’s pregnancy. Out of fear, Abby trained her employees to provide informed consent for chemical abortion RU-486. When clients insisted on aborting by RU-486 she emphasised that employees tell patients that, “it might be bad -- really bad.” Many women called the clinic after taking the pills because there were experiencing severe bleeding and cramping, and thought they were dying. Abby was especially concerned for patients who returned for a surgical abortion after a failed or incomplete chemical abortion.

One day a young woman came into the clinic asking for advice regarding a chemical abortion. She had no money but obtained four abortion pills. Abby wanted her to be safe and offered a free chemical abortion, which the woman obtained. A week after the woman’s abortion she came back and was still pregnant! The woman was 7 ½ weeks along in her pregnancy with a healthy baby, this woman took it as a “sign from God” and chose to keep her baby!

As is common in the pro-life movement, Abby speaks of overly zealous pro-lifers who are not very gentle in their approach, very different from the conduct of Coalition for Life. These people would show up now and again outside of the Texas Planned Parenthood and cause problems. “Even as a believer in women’s right to choose, I hated to see such actions strengthen the cause of abortion, and that is precisely what they did.” Abby Johnson, Unplanned (88).

The good actions of many can be quickly over looked when there are such horrible actions by others: In one week, Abby once received three death threats, one at home, one at work, and one stuck to the windshield of her car. One even mentioned Abby’s daughter Grace by name and said it’s “too bad” she will no longer have a mom. Abby’s peaceful demeanor with Coalition for Life volunteers was compromised by these notes. Something that really struck out to me is when Abby looses her temper over the situation. After witnessing a clinic protester taking photographs of clinic patient's license plate numbers, Abby called out to the peaceful Coalition for Life volunteers, “He solidifies your opposition against you.” Abby Johnson, Unplanned (89).

One day Elizabeth, a Coalition for Life volunteer, left a beautiful bouquet of lilies for Abby with a car reading:

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with JOY. Psalm 126.

I’m praying for you Abby!

This loving act from Abbey’s opposition touched Abby deeper than we can imagine! More is accomplished by treating others kindly than threatening them with hateful speech.

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Unplanned Chapter 7 'The Code of Conduct'

It saddens me that those who work for abortion clinics are often fearful for their safety and sometimes have threats on their life. During this chapter Abby writes about the peaceful presence outside of the Planned Parenthood she worked at in Texas. Despite the peaceful presence instituted by the efforts of Coalition for Life there was a big deal made about the safely of clinic workers and the rhetoric enforced when speaking about sidewalk counselors.

The transportation of some abortionists would be such a dramatic and big deal that they would: park at a secret location, were picked up away from the secret parking place by clinic staff, then driven with a sheet covering them in the back seat, and run in a side security entrance -- before dawn-- with the sheet covering their head. Why are such drastic measures made to disguise and protect some abortionists? If abortion is legal what is there to fear? Clearly some of these abortionists are doing things illegally and/or fear for their life because of the type of work they do. Why would you take a job that brings such fear and dramatic precautions to your life? This I cannot understand.

Planned Parenthood has taught their employees rhetoric for years and Abby shares that she was trained to call peaceful sidewalk counselors "anti-choice extremists" that would harass anyone going into Planned Parenthood to take away their “right to choose”. Pro-life advocates don't need fancy rhetoric that depicts the other side as something they aren't. This reminds me that we have truth and evidence on our side, but that's not all... We want women to be confident in their choices and not weep from effect of post abortion syndrome for years to come. We want the children in the womb to be looked at with dignity and not torn apart after being called a 'blog of tissue’. Stand with women today!

Happy International Women's Day! I stand for respecting women both inside and outside of the womb!
(Repost this on Facebook and Twitter today!)

What is something that stood out to you about this chapter? A lesson learned or something interesting?

Order Abby’s book and join this discussion: www.UnplannedTheBook.com

Checkout my reflection from:

Chapter 4, 'The Cause'
Chapter 5, 'The Bond of Compassion'
Chapter 6, '40 Days and 40 Nights'

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington

Monday, March 7, 2011

Reflection on Abby Johnson's Book 'Unplanned'

Over the last few months I've been reading Abby Johnson's book Unplanned where Abby shares about her experience of working at Planned Parenthood then converting to the pro-life side two years ago, after watching an ultrasound guided abortion. Please join with me in reflecting upon Unplanned by commenting and sharing your thoughts about the book.

Read my reflections on chapters 1-6 and stay tuned tomorrow for chapter 7's reflection: