Last week I asked Perry to call a Special Session and laid out strategies to help us get the pro-life bill passed this time. The Session is now underway and I would like to give you an update on how things are going at the Texas Capitol.
The Story Behind the #Stand4Life Hashtag
Last week we decided to do something to help promote grassroots pro-life unity. So we invited all the pro-life leaders we knew to a conference call. The first item of business on that call was to try to pick one hashtag we could all use together. After a considerable debate we all settled on #Stand4Life.
Then we started organizing the grassroots activities for Monday and then for Tuesday. We had leaders on the call from all over Texas in addition to leaders from national groups.
How the #LetTexasSpeak Rally Went from Idea to Reality in 18 Hours.
On our Monday night call, Jason Vaughn had the interesting idea to hold a three-hour rally where we let the people of Texas share why they are pro-life. I thought it was a terrible idea but we went with it anyway.
The vision behind #LetTexasSpeak was to show the world that Wendy does not speak for Texas. It is time to let the voices of the Texas people be heard. So that night we purchased www.LetTexasSpeak.com and I called in video guru Alex Lerma to livestream the whole thing.
We did not go three hours. We went nine!
While the House committee was considering the bill, we had continuous speeches and worship in the rotunda. Pro-lifers all over Texas shared their stories from 3:30 in the afternoon to 11:45 at night. We would have gone till midnight, but we heard rumors the pro-aborts would riot around midnight. So, we did our best to vacate the Capitol by midnight.
Interestingly, the other side did not want Texas to speak. It didn’t matter if the speaker was a man or woman, old or young, Hispanic, Asian, black or white. They did everything in their power to drown us out. Those efforts were fruitless since we were the ones holding the microphone with a clear signal to the live internet feed.
Follow the Stand4Life YouTube Channel for video of the speeches.
How Adversity Unified the Church
Christians from all over Texas stood together for life. Catholics prayed the rosary next to Charismatics praying in tongues, next to Baptists reading their Bibles, next to immigrants praying in Spanish. I think Martin Luther King’s dream was fulfilled yesterday in the Texas Capitol.
There is nothing we can’t do when we stand together.
Why “Hail Satan” is Trending on Twitter
At one point a small group of pro-aborts started chanting “hail Satan” and swaying back and forth while we were singing “Amazing Grace.” This got picked up by the news and soon started trending on Twitter. Then suddenly the whole world started talking about Satan. It is still trending as I write this. I have never seen the left do more spiritual warfare than I have so far this week.
This video shows some of what we faced:
This has been by far the most intense spiritual battle I have ever seen.
Meanwhile in the Other Rotunda…
While we were in the lower rotunda praying, a group of pro-aborts sat in the main rotunda doing some sort of spiritual ritual.
My sister started worshipping God on the side of the rotunda near where the orange shirts were chanting. At first it was just her, but soon other believers joined her. Before long, a worship meeting broke out as more and more believers joined in. In the end there was no one left in the upper rotunda but people praising the name of Jesus.
Tweetables:
- We are no longer just fighting for the unborn. We are fighting for the soul of a nation. #Stand4Life Click to Tweet
- With one side hailing Satan and one side praising Jesus there is no secular side left. #Stand4Life Click to Tweet
- There is no neutral side. On one side we have death. On the other we have life. #Stand4Life Click to Tweet
- It’s easy to bully when surrounded by comrades. It takes courage to #Stand4Life when outnumbered. Click to Tweet
The Amazing Courage of the Pro-Lifers
Of the nine hours of speeches, one stands out to me the most. Let me set the stage for you.
Hundreds of people were walking around us, chanting and cursing us. And yet one by one regular people were approaching the microphone to share why they were pro-life. One particular woman stood trembling for at least thirty minutes trying to get up the nerve to step onto the stool. God had put a message on her heart to share, and finally she stepped up and shared it.
She was terrified, but she did it anyway. That is true courage. Will you stand with her next time?
It was amazing to see the anointing fall on people one after another. I was shocked at the composure each speaker had even with all the jeering and yelling by the other side.
What Next?
There are four critical votes and we have just passed one of them. Those of us who have been at the Capitol are worn out. I am weary to my bones. We need reinforcements. If you have not yet come down to the capitol we need you there on Monday July 8 and Tuesday July 9.
Follow the Texas Alliance for Life email newsletter for details of committee times and other events.
Thomas you rock! Thank you for being our Sargent in arms to lead…guide… And watch us on the way. Thank you for your faithfulness and obvious love of God and his son, Jesus Christ! Well done good and faithful servant!
In Christ,
Lissa Pena-JANKNEGT
Thomas, I have always been a fan of your innovative work. However, this is your finest hour. Thank you letting the Holy Spirit use you as a powerful instrument in the fight for life. God bless you and all the brave people who #Stand4Life.
Praying for you guys!! Thanks for the details:)
Thomas,
I am so proud of you, and so pleased that, with your technical expertise, you were able to build this effort so remarkably quickly. You countered and stymied Planned Parenthood’s expensive strategy to use Craig’s List to recruit and hire demonstrators, to disrupt the legislative proceedings, to intimidate our state legislators, and to drown out godly public support of HB 2.
I watched all the streaming videos, and wished that I had been there, to be part of your courageous little group, to pray and sing and testify with you, and to help convey to all observers how most Texans really feel about the mass murder of American babies.
Please do NOT stop, Thomas!!!! Continue with this work. We Christian Conservatives MUST unite against abortion. I was there on Tuesday of this week. I pray I can be there next week, too!
God bless you Thomas. I wish I could be in Austin with the pro life movement. I will pray for you all courageous people.
Thomas, you are a powerful example of a young man committed to the Lord’s Life- Love Parade. Jesus did not make the womb to be a tomb, and you are delivering that message in a powerful way. I stand in awe of you and all the young men young women who took positions of power to show up and STAND UP! You all are great examples to my generation who tire so easily. Thank you!
That is my son, Thomas, Jr!
You done good!
We are with you! If you want some more flavor for the things endured for 9 SOLID HOURS, the video at the top of the post will give it to you.
I have not been a member of the Pro-Life effort directly before; been way too busy helping run our local Tea Party (where we have garnered a fair amount of experience dealing with protest/counter-protest efforts during the healthcare stuff, but this was a level of vitriol I had NEVER seen before. And your crew handled it with more class than I could! I’ll be back to learn from your crew this week (and maybe teach a bit as well, now that I have a gist of what you are up against- and your operational philosophy during such challenges.)
http://northtexasteaparty.org/2013/06/28/contesting-mob-rule-in-austin/
Thomas, Keep the faith and REST UP. I, too, am weary from being in Austin this week. In fact, I had a migraine today that I think may have been rooted in a week of stress. I slept a lot today and will continue to rest up for next week. God bless you in abundance for all you do, have done, and will continue to do. You are a wonderful example of peaceful, prayerful leadership and there are no criticisms of you in this forum that can be justified.
Thomas,
Regarding the short video of your Lifers singing “Amazing Grace” while the Deathers chanted “Heil Satan”:
A better display of angelic warfare would be hard to imagine. It’s awesome that your crew captured this moment, and published it. It made national news. Drudge and several smaller outlets carried it. You can’t get better PR than what the Lord has provided.
I’m so proud of you, Thomas! We must all pace ourselves, so we can endure to the end of this fight! Thank you for your leadership, and your work to unify the prolife groups. May God continue to use you for His glory!
God bless you. Keep fighting the good fight.
Thanks for your efforts. I’ve covered it, and sent it out to several churches for they to pray for you and all who stand for life.
http://conservativehideout.com/2013/07/08/hail-satan-update-reinforcements-needed/