It was 1943 and the young lady lived happily in Greece with her family. She was a Jew. Her name was Garmaine……… Garmaine Pitchon.

One day there was a knock at her door and strangers told the family that they would be in danger if they remained in Greece, so they were being relocated to a place where they would be safe. They were told to board a train, where they were packed in unsanitary conditions for their long ride to their ultimate destination ….. Auschwitz.

Recently I had the privilege of walking those train tracks into the station where they were told to get off the train and were separated into groups. Within about ninety minutes most were forced to strip naked and sent into a giant shower, only there were no shower heads, only gas. With tears in my eyes, I have stood in the “shower” where more than a million Jews were gassed.

Of those who for various reasons were not gassed, they suffered tremendous atrocities. Garmaine had to watch her grandmother shot in the head before she went to Cell Block #10, where those chosen for medical experimentation were housed.

Carl Clauberg experimented with sterilization in the camp. Part of Block No. 10 was put at his disposal. Several hundred Jewish women in Block No 10 were used for his “medical” experiments. Clauberg developed a method of non-surgical sterilization that consisted of introducing into the female reproductive organs a specially prepared chemical irritant that produced sever inflammation. Within weeks, the fallopian tubes grew shut and were blocked. Clauberg’s experiments killed some of his subjects and others were put to death so that autopsies could be performed.

They were searching for a convenient means of mass sterilization that would enable the Third Reich to carry out the biological destruction of conquered nations by “scientific methods” by depriving people of their reproductive capacity.

Then it was Garmaine’s turn to present herself for sterilization. Once on the table, the German doctor made an incision and removed one of her ovaries. As he was about to do the other, there was suddenly an Allied air attack and the doctor ran for personal protection. A Jewish doctor, also a prisoner who was shortly later exterminated was forced to assist in the medical procedures. Before leaving, the German doctor commanded the Jewish doctor to finish the procedure on Garmaine.

As he began to do so, he leaned over and whispered to Garmaine, telling her that he had to make an incision to look like he had done the procedure, but he stopped short of any removal. He told Garmaine to do two things, first to disguise any monthly evidence that would show she was not sterilized and secondly he said “When you have your first baby, think of me.” That first baby is my now close friend Sol Pitchon, who came to America and surrendered his life to Christ and dedicated his life to saving babies, as he believed God had saved him “for such a time as this.”

Working in crisis pregnancy centers for the past nearly 25 years, Sol has saved the lives of more than ten thousand babies who would otherwise have been aborted and he continues to do so.

That’s why God saved the life and reproduction ability of Garmaine so Sol would be born to her and save the lives of so many others!

The ultimate way God turns what was meant for evil into good is through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sin does not glorify God. But God uses sin for his glory by saving us from sin. … Therefore when we allow God’s grace to redeem us from our sins, God is turning what was meant for evil into good.

Thank you God. Thank you Sol.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

COVETNESS:

The only thing we should covet is a closer relationship with God. The Bible tells us that covetousness is idolatry. That’s because the thing you desire becomes the central focus of your heart and mind. All your waking hours are spent scheming ways to get that thing for yourself.

The Bible says we are to covet just one thing. “But covet earnestly the best gifts (of the Spirit)” (1 Corinthians 12:31 KJV). The only thing we should covet is a closer relationship with God. If you are going to crave anything at all, crave the power of God’s Spirit working freely and fully in your life.

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Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption that surrounds us.

The world we live in is not friendly to the pursuit of minimalism. Its tendencies and relentless advertising campaigns call us to acquire more, better, faster, and newer. The journey of finding simplicity requires consistent inspiration.

For that reason, I hope you will make an effort this weekend to find a quiet moment with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy some of these hand-picked articles to encourage more simplicity in your life.

— The Minimalist

— o —

Pixar Animation Studios has become perhaps the most preeminent name in children’s entertainment. They have been a mainstay at the Oscars for more than two decades and, this year, developed two of the five movies nominated for Best Animated Feature Film. Soul took home the award, becoming the eleventh such Pixar property to do so.

The success of their recent offerings is not the only reason they are in the news today, however.

Last week, word began to circulate that they were looking to cast someone to voice the character Jess in an upcoming project. Jess is described as someone who is “compassionate, funny, and always has your back.” They are looking to for a 12–17-year-old who is “enthusiastic, outgoing, funny, and energetic” who also feels “comfortable acting in front of a microphone” and can “authentically portray a 14-year-old transgender girl.”

If that last part caught you by surprise, that’s kind of the point.

—Ryan Denison

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Following after emptiness only makes you empty. – Dan Shock

If you want to fly, you have to give up everything that weighs you down. – Toni Morrison

The circumstances you face aren’t nearly important as the conclusions you draw. – Pastor Ken Whitten

No work we undertake will be of any value, unless the Lord is with us. – Dan Shock

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Giving to the Lord should be the greatest joy and the greatest happiness that you know. Anything I offer to God must come from a willing heart if it’s to have any value.

There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self. – Aldous Huxley

If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools. – Plato

St. Augustine noted, “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.

EVERYTHING IS TRAINING FOR SOMETHING. – Men of Iron

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul – and sings the tunes without the words – and never stops at all. – Emily Dickinson

I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship. – Louisa May Alcott