Not on My Watch!: A Mom’S Fight for the Heart and Soul of Her Country

By Monica Boyer

Many people curse the darkness and complain about what is wrong in society, without providing any light. Monica Boyers story is different. Not on My Watch is the story of one mom who saw her country falling apart at the seams and felt she had to do something about it.

Monica was simply living her life as a middle-class mom, in middle-class America. One day while driving in her minivan, she happened to glance into her rear view mirror. In it, she saw the four little reasons to become involvedthe precious children God had given to her. That day, the headlines seemed daunting, the future was unclear, and those four children meant so much to her. She suddenly realized she had to do whatever she could to pass on an America that was no less great than the one that was passed on to her.

For the past eight years, Monica has been actively involved in the political process, serving as a watchdog for family values and protecting the sanctity of life. Three years ago, she accepted the commitment to protect freedom by becoming a leader in the TEA Party movement. As she explains in Not on My Watch, with passion for her God, a commitment to country, and the burning desire to safeguard her family, she is committed to continuing to fight at the local, state, and national level.

Not on My Watch is not so much about remarkable talent, or even being at the right place at the right time. Its about hearing the call, and having the courage to stand when the world around you seems to be crumbling.

Micah Clark, executive director, American Family Association of Indiana

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 29, 2012
• ISBN: 9781475943863

Monica Boyer

Monica Boyer is currently the president of Kosciusko Silent No More and cofounder of Hoosiers for a Conservative Senate. She fights for conservative values in the local, state, and national political spectrum. She and her husband, Brian, have four children and live in Warsaw, Indiana.

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Copyright © 2012 by Monica Boyer.

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ISBN: 978-1-4759-4379-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-4387-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-4386-3 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012914919

iUniverse rev. date: 08/23/2012

Contents

Foreword

Preface

CHAPTER 1 The Call

CHAPTER 2 Boot Camp

CHAPTER 3 Rallying the Troops

CHAPTER 4 The Debate

CHAPTER 5 The Belly of the Beast

CHAPTER 6 Sorrow

CHAPTER 7 Fix the Hearts First

CHAPTER 8 A Call to the Church

CHAPTER 9 The Blueprint

CHAPTER 10 A New Way to do Politics

CHAPTER 11 Meeting with the Senator

CHAPTER 12 Unity

CHAPTER 13 The Convention

CHAPTER 14 The Race

CHAPTER 15 Joy in the Morning

CHAPTER 16 Just Trust Me

CHAPTER 17 The Final Push

CHAPTER 18 VICTORY!!

CHAPTER 19 The Victory Lap

CHAPTER 20 Not on My Watch

Epilogue What Comes Next

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Her mind flashed back to the last trip to the nation’s capital when she had stood before Abe Lincoln’s feet, overwhelmed with grief, sorrow, and unexplainable

raw emotion.

Freedom was on life support in America.

She remembered whispering to this solemn statue how sorry she was that she had let this happen on her watch, and how she promised she would do everything in her power to bring the nation back to its founding principles.

Not On My Watch

To my dear husband Brian,

The endless hours of praying for me, being Mr. Mom to our kids and your unwavering support allowed me to take this journey of a lifetime for the heart and soul of our nation. Without your love and encouragement, I would not have had this chance to put just a tiny thumb print in the pages of history. You are my life, my love and my soul. For you I am eternally grateful.

To my four wonderful children,

Tony, Alex, Kyle and Sarah, my prayer for you is that at the end of my life as I draw my last breath, I will have left you a legacy. I pray you will be the men and woman God created you to be, and the America your dad and I leave you with will be the shining city on a hill it was intended to be.

To my mom and dad,

Thank you for raising me with the courage to stand on my own. Thank you for raising me with Godly principles that formed and shaped my life. Because of these principles, I am able to stand with no fear, knowing with God, nothing is impossible. (And to Grandpa B, they tell me I get my fighting spirit from you. Thank you for that.)

To Jim Heierman, co-founder of Kosciusko Silent NO More,

I am so grateful for your leadership and your heart for God. Thank you for your guidance and your steadfast, willing spirit. Your fearless leadership and your willingness to say yes to the CRAZIEST ideas are the reason we are still here today. Thank you for hopping on this ride of a lifetime. You are my example, my mentor, and my friend.

To Greg Fettig, co-founder of Hoosiers for a Conservative Senate,

You are the man who was willing to answer the life-changing phone call that would alter the course of history not only in Indiana, but the nation. You never gave up. You taught this girl to grow tough skin. I am so grateful you answered the phone that day. I am a better person because I have had the opportunity to work and lead with you. Thank you for never giving up. I am grateful for you.

To the board of Kosciusko Silent NO More,

We have grown from strangers to family. Thank you for sharing the vision and being willing to act. To the Indiana Patriot Leaders and teammates who have forever changed my life. Taking our place on the front lines, linked with each of you has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime. We went from strangers to lifetime friends. I would also like to thank the contributing editors to this book. Troy Hill, Janice Birnbaum, Lori Viars, and Tressa Nichols, without you, my words would still be a discombobulated mess in my head! Thank you for the hours you spent editing.

Finally and most importantly,

I thank my Savior, Jesus Christ, who instilled this passion in my heart. His never ending love and embrace helped me learn how to listen for his voice and obey. It is for Him and Him alone that I am compelled to push forward.

If you have ever heard the saying, all politics are local, This book explains what that means.

It’s the compelling story of one mom, who simply decided she had to make a difference. In doing so, she impacted her community, her state, and the nation.

Not on My Watch is not so much about remarkable talent, or even being at the right place at the right time. It’s about hearing the call and having the courage to stand when the world around you seems to be crumbling.

Micah Clark, Executive Director

American Family Association of Indiana

Foreword

By Janet (Folger) Porter

If you don’t think the people have a voice against the Republican establishment, just ask Dick Lugar.

Feel ordinary? Good. Inadequate? Great. Afraid to speak in public? Perfect. You are all the more likely to be the next leader God will use to change the course of history. How do I know that? Because I know Monica Boyer and I know Monica Boyer’s God.

Monica Boyer is the woman who went from: "I can’t call into your radio program and speak to all those people. to Please hurry with the forward to my book; I have someone who is trying to introduce me to Glenn Beck."

How does that happen? With this book in your hand, you’re about to find out. But books don’t have trailers, so here’s a little preview:

Once there was an entrenched Republican Senator who thought he could get away with whatever he pleased. Like so many before and beside him, he had grown used to the title, the power, and the accolades. He lost sight of what it meant to be a public servant and routinely voted against the values of the families for which he worked. He was big. He was powerful. He had a lot of money.

I can almost hear the annoying buzz interrupting the bustle of aggrandizing business that is customary for those in the world’s most exclusive club.

Senator, there’s a Monica Boyer here to see you.

I only wish I had been there to make the introduction: Senator Goliath, meet Monica.

I can imagine the thoughts and conversations that might have taken place. I can hear Senator Goliath thinking, She must be naïve to think she can change anything but a diaper! Someone needs to pull this little mom aside and tell her how Washington works. People like me don’t lose elections, little girl.

Monica dismissed all the naysayers who said it couldn’t be done and said, Watch me. Not because she was big and powerful, but because she has a God who is so big, He trumps every power player out there . . . combined.

I met Monica several years ago while speaking at a Right to Life banquet in Indiana and then again at a Faith and Freedom Rally where she brought me in to speak. She had read my book, The Criminalization of Christianity, and listened to my Faith2Action radio program.

This was before she knew the secret she’s about to reveal in the pages to follow.

You see, Monica thought what a lot of us once thought. To change the world, you must have some special gifting or talent. She was under the impression you must be some special person to step out and speak up about where we go as a nation.

That day, I sat Monica down and explained how I had been the girl who was afraid to give a speech in school. I was among the least likely to be picked on the team to fight for life, liberty, and the family. But a while back, I learned something vital. The secret to success isn’t found in us. It’s found in the God who made us. The One who said, Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. The One who said, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The one who said, with Him, all things are possible.

It’s either true or it isn’t.

You have a choice to make. As for me, I’m betting everything I have that it’s all true, that the God of the universe is everything He claims to be. Don’t believe me? Ask Monica. Watch and read about the things God can do through ordinary people who believe Him enough to step out and do what can’t be done.

A few weeks ago, I was battling to pass the nation’s first Heartbeat Bill (to legally protect every unborn child whose heartbeat can be heard). Beaten up and bloodied, I called Monica for inspiration. She adapted the Gandhi quote and shared it with me:

First they ignore you,

Then they mock you,

Then they attack you,

Then they lie about you.

Then you win.

After talking to Monica, I had the courage to continue the battle, knowing if I was in stage four, victory can’t be far away.

So if you grieve over the direction our once-free nation is headed, you can do something to change it. Really change it. Put your fears and your insecurities behind you, because it’s not about us. It’s not about the giants who occupy this land. It’s about the God who works through ordinary people to slay them.

Now when you feel surrounded, intimidated and inadequate, look up, read this book and remember: Goliath lost.

Janet (Folger) Porter lobbied to pass the nation’s first ban on Partial Birth Abortion and currently serves as President of Faith2Action, the nation’s largest network of pro-family organizations. She can be found at www.f2a.org and www.HeartBeatBill.com

Preface

The purpose of this book is to give you a tiny glimpse of how one mom, one woman along with her God and an incredible team can make a difference: how by saying yes to whatever God has for you, can literally turn a page in history. It doesn’t matter what obstacle you think blocks your way, what gifts, talents or abilities you think you don’t have, or even how many kiddos you have running around your ankles. This book serves to encourage, empower and urge you to never give up no matter the cost. To have faith in the One who created you even when it doesn’t make sense.

Not on My Watch is a personal journal and an example of what happens when you fully surrender your life to the cause of Christ. I intend for it to give you confidence in who you are in Christ and for you to see the power of what happens when you say yes to the cause even if it looks like an impossible task.

This journey is intended to inspire those who want to live beyond themselves and make a difference to impact this world but don’t know where to begin. If you are a mom, this book will challenge you to think outside your mom box and entertain the idea that not only do you have the most important job in the world, raising little life changers, but you also have the ability to impact the world when God gives you a passion to do something for the nation and His Kingdom. If you are a dad, prepare for the challenge to be the man of God you are called to be. You will be challenged to lead, even when doing so is not politically correct. If you are a young person, it will show you that with courage, a little faith, and persistence, one person can make difference. You will learn to have the courage to stand apart from the crowd. If you are a part of the senior golden eagle crowd, you will be convinced now is not the time to spend your retirement years sitting in an easy chair. Every one of us is called to fight with every breath we take to protect our children and generations yet to come. We are called to fight for the freedoms that our forefathers fought so hard to give us.

I pray this book will help you to not only know how to listen for God’s voice, but give you the inspiration to say, No matter the cost, I will choose to obey. It may take a little bit of creativity, but I am living proof it is worth it all in the end.

Finally, I pray something will rise up inside of you to bring you to the moment in time when everything else fades, and you can say those words . . .

Not on My Watch!

CHAPTER 1

The Call

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" ~ Esther 4:14 NIV

March 8th, 2004, was the day that forever changed my life . . .

Words still echo through my mind as if I were still sitting in that very spot.

Words that will remain with me until the day I die.

Words that, when spoken, would mean nothing to an average person on an average day.

Words that still bring tears to my eyes when I let my mind drift back to that day sitting on a bench on the third floor of the Indiana Statehouse.

Words that resounded over and over in my ears as my heels clanked down the marble steps and out to my car. It would be a long trip home, and a long conversation with God.

The words you ask?

I have to go.

Strange words to most, but they will make sense as I tell you my story.

As a business owner, wife, and mother, I was living the best of both worlds. For ten years, I had been fortunate enough to own and operate a successful home daycare business. I was a stay-at-home mom who was both contributing financially to our family and raising our children. My husband Brian and I were blessed with three boys. Our fourth, a baby girl, had just made her grand appearance in the Boyer home. It was a good life.

I was