Current Abortion Statistics

Posted on by metroupe

For those who want a factual basis for claims on the abortion issue, the Alan Guttmacher institute has a website and publishes respected data on this subject. This page is a good place to go to find an overview on the whole issue. It is also full of references and footnotes. It is truly startling.

• Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended, and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion. Twenty-two percent of all pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion.

• In 2005, 1.21 million abortions were performed, down from 1.31 million in 2000. From 1973 through 2005, more than 45 million legal abortions occurred.

• Each year, about two percent of women aged 15-44 have an abortion; 47% of them have had at least one previous abortion.

• Forty-three percent of women obtaining abortions identify themselves as Protestant, and 27% as Catholic.

May we be like the people in Ezekiel 9:3-5 who sigh and cry over the abominations.

Fuel in the Furnace of Salvation

Posted on by metroupe

Here is an insightful quote from Eugene Peterson. It is from his book “Run with Horses.” He is addressing the 2 visions in Jeremiah of the budding almond rod (God will accomplish his word) and the boiling pot from the north (God is in control of evil):

“We cannot afford to be naive about evil– it must be faced. But we cannot be intimidated by it either. It will be used by God to bring good. For it is one of the most extraordinary aspects of the good news that God uses bad men to accomplish his good purposes. The Great paradox of judgment is that evil becomes fuel in the furnace of salvation.

“Uninstructed by this vision, or something like it, we loose our sense of proportion and are incapacitated for living in open and adventurous response to whatever comes to us through the day. If we forget that the newspapers are footnotes to scripture and not the other way around, we will finally be afraid to get out of bed in the morning. Too many of us spend far too much time with the editorial page and not nearly enough with the prophetic vision. We get our interpretation of politics and economics and morals from journalists when we should be getting only information; the meaning for the world is most accurately given to us by God’s word.”

Run with Horses, Eugene Peterson(1983) Intervarsity Press p. 54.

Our Destiny Is To Say These Small Words Forever

Posted on by metroupe

“I have often wondered, perhaps in part simply because the term is so rarely used today, what it might mean to ‘glorify’ God forever. It will undoubtedbly mean a great many things, but one of them surely must be that we will continually thank him.

We will thank him for his graciousness and goodness to us, and for inviting us into conversation. Along this line, I would think that we anticipate our ‘chief and highest end’ every time we behold something beautiful and find that after we have exclaimed, ‘Ah, how wonderful!’ we are almost compelled to say ‘Thank you!’

Our destiny is to say these small words forever and so experience the gratitude that is the perfection of happiness.”

—Craig M. Gay, Dialogue, Catalogue & Monologue (Vancouver, BC: Regent College Publishing, 2008), 48-49

Great Time!

Posted on by metroupe


This last week April and I were able to get away for a few days and spend time strengthening our marriage. Throughout our 17 years of marriage these times have been critical in helping us grow closer to one another and closer to Christ. We had a special opportunity to go horseback riding on the beach! This has kind of been a lifelong dream. This photo is taken at Oceano State Beach, near San Luis Obispo.

Over the years I have found that a large part of trying to be a “good husband” involves ample time to talk to my sweetheart. I think that 80% of loving your wife as Jesus loves the church is done in conversation, and getting away from normal obligations and time tables can encourage conversation that is deep and free.

Conversational Apologetics

Posted on by metroupe

Here is a link to 2 great talks on conversational apologetics from a guy who is very funny and very adept at reaching people with the gospel. This is good stuff…it is from Michael Ramsden who works with Ravi Zacharias Ministries. I have found that learning how to share my faith and answer common questions has strengthened my own heart and slaked many a doubt.

An Old School Word on What is Missing

Posted on by metroupe

“The love of the Spirit”

“Perhaps much of our slow progress in the walk of faith is to be traced to our overlooking the love of the Spirit.

We do not deal with Him, for strength and advancement, as one who really loves us, and longs to bless us, and delights to help our infirmities (Rom 8:26). We regard Him as cold, or distant, or austere; we do not trust Him for His grace, nor realize how much He is in earnest in His dealings with us.

More childlike confidence in Him and in His love would help us on mightily. Let us not grieve Him, nor vex Him, nor quench Him by our untrustfulness, by disbelieving or doubting the riches of His grace, the abundance of His loving-kindness.”

—Horatius Bonar, “The Holy Spirit”

My Bass

Posted on by metroupe

I live near the Aqua Duct, really near it. I have spent countless hours trying to catch a fish. No kidding, almost a year. All kinds of bait and lures, all times of day, lunar calendars, Field and Stream magazine, nothing helped. But in September 2007 I did it! Yahoo! it was a big striped bass!