InspireLife Now Blog

Pro-Life Tribe invites you to visit the Inspire Life Now Blog for an excellent analysis of the Focus on the Family ad, scheduled to air during the Super Bowl featuring Tim Tebow and his mother Pam.

http://inspirelifenow.blogspot.com/2010/01/care-net-calls-tebow-ad-opponents-slam.html

When It's Time to Speak Out

Editor's note: This post was first seen as The Promise of Holy Boldness on my other blog . But I'm posting it here since it relates so well to the power pro-lifers can exert when we all work together.

____________________

Have you ever witnessed the glorious transformation of a timid, gentle, soul into a bold proclaimer of truth?

I have. Years ago, a subcommittee in the Oregon State House of Representatives was considering the merits of crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). A pro-abortion group had called into question the work of CPCs and was attempting to shut them down--permanently.

People on both sides were invited to testify.

Representatives of Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups testified first and did their level best to condemn the centers and their staff of "deceptive and misleading practices."

When they had finished, the chairman of the House subcommittee invited representatives of the other side to speak.

One by one former clients of CPCs calmly testified that they'd found:

genuine concern,

pressure-free environment,

free goods and services,

confidentiality, and a

non-judgmental attitude.

You could tell that many of these women felt intimidated testifying before this august legislative group.  Yet when it came to defending the truth about organizations that had helped them in difficult times, these gentle souls were bold as lions.

The same thing is happening across the land with women who have experienced abortion firsthand. After years of suffering pain and remorse of post-abortion stress, they have found the courage to join the Silent No More Awareness Campaign and are boldly proclaiming the truth about abortion . . . warning others not to participate in it.

This is holy boldness in action!  

The Apostle Paul told Timothy "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." When it comes to speaking truth, we can be bold--speaking the truth in love, yet with the boldness of lions.

"The wicked flee when no one pursues,

but the righteous are bold as a lion."

~Proverbs 28:1

 

By the way,  the House Subcommittee found in favor of CPCs.

A Day in the Life of Jerry Thacker

About 10 years ago, I took a trek across the country and visited what were then called crisis pregnancy centers in various locations.  I talked with board members, directors, volunteers and even clients. My goal was to ask them what could help them as they went about fulfilling their mission of helping women in crisis. One of the items they mentioned was that there was no magazine specifically for them to use in training the stakeholders in their ministries.  With this knowledge in mind, we started At The Center Magazine. Funding was secured from a generous foundation sponsor and article content has been driven by continuing research and the comments of those who found the information helpful.

Well, a lot has changed since that time. The centers are now mostly called by the name Pregnancy Care Centers and the need for them to help women who carry the unborn make a decision for life has never been more important. In addition, many centers are active in spreading the word of abstinence-only sex education training and some centers have quite active programs in helping those who have had abortions cope with their fatal decision. Of course, meeting the spiritual needs of the clients who come through the doors of each center has been an important function not only for them, but something for which At The Center magazine has also provided help and counsel.

For more than 7 years, At The Center Magazine was published in paper format and nearly 20,000 copies were mailed each quarter.  As the publishing world has changed, we have changed as well.  Now, At the Center is an electronic webzine. Moving to the internet and doing away with the paper version has lowered costs, but more importantly, it has allowed us to post articles from the very first issue up to the most current on the internet in Adobe Acrobat readable files. (Some 378 articles) This allows for immediate printing to paper of the exact number of copies the reader needs. (I guess today we would call that "green" and consider it a good thing.) 

At the Center is produced by Right Ideas, Inc., a Christian-owned research and publishing company in Fleetwood, PA. We suggest you sign up all stakeholders in your ministry to receive the monthly update by email that will remind them of the valuable information available to them on the site. Include every board member, volunteer, staff member and each donor that gives to your center.

Jerry Thacker, Publisher
jerry@rightideas.us

Website: www.atcmag.com/

Sign Up: http://www.atcmag.com/departments/subscribe.asp

An Extremely Helpful Resource - Free Book

Editor's Note: Just this morning I read a press release about a free book for young girls who are unexpectedly pregnant and are in a state of confusion. The following is an excerpt from Serena Gaefke's website   Serena is making this download free with one click.

101 Girls Guide.com
Helping girls make informed choices about abortion
Are you having trouble deciding what to do? It's a tough decision either way you look at it.  There are many reasons you could probably list right now as to why you should have an abortion, but have you ever considered all the reason's not to?  While this site expresses an opinion about abortion, it is your choice, first and last. But what is 'choice' worth if you aren't making an informed choice? Why not be informed so that whatever you choose you can go ahead and know that you made a choice you can live with, one you will be happy with, even if you come across this same information later. If abortion is right, you won't be offended by any of the information here. But if abortion is wrong, won't you be glad you found out in time?

To help the most women possible, the first edition of this book is being offered for FREE at this time.

Go to 
www.101girlsguide.com  for a free copy of "101 Reasons Not to Have an Abortion: A Girl's Guide to Informed Choices" (e-book PDF format).

Four years in the making - yours with one click!


www,101girlsguide.com

An Extremely Helpful Resource

I found this wonderful website that includes more web addresses than I've ever seen in one place for pro-life organizations. Hope you find this helpful!

http://www.christianliferesources.com/?links.php

A Day in the Life of Lisa Holub

Editor's Note:  Lisa Holub has a long history of working with pro-life ministries, including Care-Net and LifeSteward Ministries. However, Pro-Life Tribe gratefully posts these thoughts from her personal life, thoughts that exhibit  how pro-lifers can affirm life without formal involvement in an organization. Here is Lisa's story.


My 90 year old father-in-law passed away in our home on October 6th from end stage Alzheimers. It became quite intense as a caregiver to him the last 4-6 months of his life. We still have my mother-in-law at home (she's 86) and she has a different form of dementia that is still mild in its stage. The Lord has given me a whole new appreciation for the sanctity of human life in all its stages and forms. Handicaps, illnesses, whatever the case may be, do not change the worth of the individual in God's eyes.

I remember one day vividly. I had just come out of dad's room in which I had to change his sheets again, get him in a clean diaper, and deal with him not understanding what was going on. As I walked down the hallway I complained to myself; well, I was actually just having a pity party! The Lord stopped me in my tracks and said, "If that were Me in there, would you be complaining? He is 'one of the least of these' and when you do things for him you are doing them for Me." 

That sobered my thinking immediately! Of course I wouldn't be complaining if I knew that Jesus was the one for whom I was caring. I have always believed in the sacredness of human life as it is created in God's image, no matter what stage of life. Now I was challenged with living it out.

I'm glad to say that I am no longer the same person I was even 3 months ago. God is not through with me yet and is changing me from glory to glory.

President Ronald Reagan's 1987 Pro-Life Speech

On this 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, take a few minutes to listen to a great patriot, former President Ronald Reagan, as he addresses Grove City College Center for Vision and Values on July 30, 1987.
http://www2.gcc.edu/media/other/ReaganLifeVideo.asx

The 37th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Today is the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the day pro-life people honor the more than 50 million babies who have lost their lives to abortion.

Thirty seven years! For thirty-seven years and even longer, some souls have fought against this evil. Others have joined the movement along the way. When will it all be over? When will victory be achieved? When can these warriors lie down and rest?

Maybe soon. A new Knights of Columbus (Marist survey) shows that there is a strong majority of Americans who believe abortion is "morally wrong." It breaks down like this among the various generations:

         Greatest Generation (those 65+) 60+%
          Baby Boomers (45-64)                 51%
          Generation X (30-44)                   60%
          Millennials (18-29)                       58%

Maybe pro-life individuals will gain the upper hand as generations join forces and voices.

I've been encouraged looking at the numbers of Gen X'ers and Millennials who are becoming involved in the battle for life . . . among them leaders like Lila Rose, Katie Walker, Abby Johnson, and Ann Cowan, to name a few.


On the other hand, if it takes longer, we can be confident that victory is ours. If we can't turn things around without God's direct intervention, we can be sure He will intervene. He is, after all, the Giver of life and the only one with the right to take life.

"On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples,

the sheet that covers all nations:

He will swallow up death forever.

The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces,

he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth.

The LORD has spoken."

~Isaiah 25:7-8

Have you a pro-life victory you'd like to share?

Roe v. Wade Pro-Life Rally Experienced

There were many pro-life rallies today across the country, but I can tell you that the one held in Portland, Oregon, was amazing!

The heavens wept (literally) as bells tolled 51 times, once for each million of the 51 million babies who have been lost to abortion in America since Roe v. Wade became the law of the land in 1973.

Speakers included Archbishop John Vlazny, Cindy Brunk of Silent No More, Tamra Johnson of 40 Days for Life, Dr. Frank Rosenbloom of Oregon Right to Life, Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers of Aurem Cordis, Ann Cowan of University of Portland, and Pastor Ron Sunseri of Morning Star Church. Music was provided by Dan and Georgene Rice and their great band.

Through her story of post-abortion stress, Cindy shared effective ways of reaching the millions of men and women who are still struggling with their guilt and shame.

Deacon Harold's rousing message included a call to African-American men to become heroes by protecting and nurturing their families.

Ann Cowan rallied her peers, the next generation, to take a stand for life and press on unafraid, girded with hope for a better world.

I could go on and on. Every speaker thrilled the audience with words of wisdom and encouragement. It was a great day. The audience was respectful and upbeat despite heckling from pro-abortion picketers.

I hope other Pro-Life Rallies across the country had similar experiences. Why not write and tell us about them!

Roe v. Wade Prolife Rally

This is the week for all pro-life ministries to come together and commemorate the millions of babies whose lives have been lost to abortion.

Fifty-one million little ones received no funeral or burial; yet they deserve to be remembered and mourned. Their blood cries out to us as a call to be strong and vigilant, to overcome evil . . . with good.

How do we do that? Keep doing what we're already doing--working within the law to peacefully change the minds and hearts of the public.

Whether you're working for change

• in a pregnancy center, 
• in the political realm,
• on college campuses,
• in the public square,
• at abortion clinics, and even
• in your churches

remember that life is sacred. And the sanctity of human life extends to all, even those who don't yet recognize they're made in the image of God.

Polls show that public sentiment toward abortion is turning. The day is coming when all will be free.


To modify slightly the text of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech:

"All of God's children, 

black men and white men, 

Jews and Gentiles, 

Protestants and Catholics, 

born and unborn [italics mine]

will be able to join hands 

and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 

"Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."

What a glorious day that will be! In the meantime if a pro-life rally is scheduled in your area this week-end, plan to attend and join hands in defense of life and the day when we will all be free at last. 

Pro-Life Tribe Thanks God for Pregnancy Care Centers Worldwide!

Pro-Life Tribe joins other pro-life organizations across the country and around the world in thanking God for the work of pregnancy resource centers as they share His love and helpful services to women who are undecided about their pregnancies.

Because of these non-profits and the dedicated women and men who support them through their time, talents and funds, babies lives are being saved and women are being spared from the heartbreak of abortion.

As we acknowledge Sanctity of Human Life week (January 17-24), may we redouble our commitment to pray and work toward the day when the lives of all innocent little ones will be protected in the womb.

A Day in the Life of Karen Wells, Doula

As a Birth Doula, I provide birthing women and their families emotional, physical, informational and spiritual support throughout pregnancy, labor and delivery and postpartum. My passion lies providing tools for couples to experience a healthy, satisfying birth as they define it. By empowering moms and dads with knowledge and confidence, they can see many of their desires come to pass; all the while, laying a foundation for the successful parenting of their children.

I consider it an honor to walk alongside my clients as they experience the holiest of moments. In no other place can one see, not only the birth of another human, but also witness the birth of a mother and the birth of a father. This is an environment that is to be protected and revered.

As a Doula, I herald the beauty and majesty of life in the womb and life outside of the womb. I have the privilege of being the voice of the baby, as I encourage a mom to keep going and not give up. I also speak God’s gentle words to a dad, by reminding him that he has been chosen for this task; and whom God chooses, He equips. The families I work with are proof that pregnancy and birth are not just conditions and procedures to be endured, but incredible seasons of life to be celebrated.

When a day is done, I take satisfaction in knowing that the more I value and honor pregnancy and teach others to do the same, I can have an impact for the littlest voices in the womb.

For more information on Doulas and tools for pregnancy and birth, please visit my website www.gatewaybirthservices.com.

Karen is the author of “The Miracle of You – Inspirational Promises for Expectant Parents”. This full-color, hardback book is the perfect gift for a pregnant mom. Through the pairing of stunning and true-to-life illustrations of fetal growth and statements of God’s love and purpose, families are able to speak into the life of an unborn baby before he or she is even born!