Changing One Heart for Many

This couldn't wait until Monday. 

Although I'm not good at comprehending all the political talk on Capitol Hill, I do know that our Representatives need to hear from us! Here the link: Stop The Abortion Mandate that gives you the latest information about what's happening with the healthcare bill.  You'll find the link there, enabling you to connect your Representative.

If you've experienced an abortion(s), please share with them your story. I believe when we tell our story and how our "choice" touched our lives, it changes the heart. My letter went out yesterday.

Exodus 14:15 (NIV) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.

Our prayers are very important, they move the heart of God. But I also know that God calls us to take action. For the last several years, I've spoken out on how abortion affected my life but I never got involved in the political part of it. The only time I move in that direction is when I cast my vote during election, it's always for the candidate who is against abortion, but in the last year I've been a voice for the unborn by letting politicians know where I stand.

Please won't you take a few minutes, that's all it takes, just a few minutes and let those in Washington hear from you. There are future lives depending on us.

On Monday I will have a video and prayer...Thank you for your faithfulness!

Thank you!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!

To all of you who nominated my blog over at Internet Cafe Devotions for TOP 100 Christian Women’s blogs. What an honor it is to be placed among some talented writers, it has truly blessed me. 

Changing One Heart for Many...

If you’re visiting for the first time and you don’t know my story (God’s Story), you may want to check it on the left-hand side bar under “My Secret Sin.” I was one of those human beings who needed a heart change. If you have had an abortion, I want you to know you will find no condemnation here, but you will find Truth wrapped in grace and mercy. God has brought you here because He doesn’t want you to hurt and feel ashamed anymore, but what He does want from you is to trust Him with your pain. Will you do that? I hope so. If you need to talk or need prayer, click on ‘profile’ for email.


 There was the truth, her friend’s 13-week-old baby moving on the screen during the ultra-sound. It all came flooding back, the memory of her abortion as she held the 2 1/2-inch, 12-week fetal model in the palm of her hand. This would have been the size of her baby at the time of the abortion. Looking at the tiny soft model, she kept repeating…"I didn't know, I didn't know."

Like most of us, we didn’t know or maybe we didn’t want to know, either way when the discussion of abortion comes up its a good idea to be able to talk about the personhood and not situation. At our center's banquet this year, we handed out a powerful book, ‘Why Pro-Life’ by Randy Alcorn. This book tackles the controversy issues with compassionate answers to some of the difficult debates one might face with abortion.

Do you know what takes place at the time of conception?

Before my abortion, even though I saw the heart beat at 6-weeks, I still thought I was dealing with a bunch of cells and it had no sense of feeling in the first trimester. Boy was I wrong! Here are a few things that I’ve learned since then.

1. The baby has its only DNA
2. 5 to 9 days after conception, his or her gender can be determined through scientific testing.
3. The preborn after conception may not appear human to us because of how we judge the appearance of a human being. However, it is at this stage of what we humans look like.
4. Twenty-one days the heart is pumping blood though the body.

When we choose to ignore the truth about the unborn, it can be very deadly.

Hosea 4:6a My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Heavenly Father,
We come and give praise to Your Name, all Mighty God. We look to Your for instruction, and to show us Your ways and Your heart.  As a nation and as individuals , we have drafted from Your Turth...please forgive us.
We ask for You to bend down and hear from those that praise Your name and look to You for guidance. We pray that our government and the people of this nation will be brought to a place where they will see the destruction that is taking place because of their own knowledge. We pray for Your ways, desires, and truth to fill the hearts of those that call upon Your name. In Jesus Mighty Name...Amen!

Changing One Heart for Many

If you’re visiting for the first time and you don’t know my story (God’s Story), you may want to check it on the left-hand side bar under “My Secret Sin.” I was one of those human beings who needed a heart change. If you have had an abortion, I want you to know you will find no condemnation here, but you will find Truth wrapped in grace and mercy. God has brought you here because He doesn’t want you to hurt and feel ashamed anymore, but what He does want from you is to trust Him with your pain. Will you do that? I hope so. If you need to talk or need prayer, click on ‘profile’ for email.

 On February 8th I posted about Christians who are pro-abortion.  I want to thank you for praying and the supporting comments that were left.  But I don’t always receive such support. Many times I contribute to Cypress Times which is located in Texas; some times I’ll use the same posting from my blog. I’m not sure if I think they are so interesting that I need to share them again or it’s just easier not to have to come up with a totally different topic. Anyway, I posted February 8th ‘Changing One Heart for Many’ and received this comment: “I think it's very dangerous when a person makes such a stern judgement about their fellow Christians. We are all responsible for our own walk and it is not up to me to determine if someone is truly born again based on something as gut wrenching as abortion. We are all individuals and we're allowed to be wrong and still be Christians.” Read the rest here by scrolling down the page.

Last week a young lady made this statement to me “I was given some booklets that had to do with spiritual counseling at the clinic where I had my abortion. It led me to believe that being religious and having an abortion was okay. I felt a little better for a while.”  Later that evening I wanted to check out just what she was talking about, so I went to the abortion website and this is what I found.
















After watching the video, I thought “we need to pray”. We are fighting a spiritual battle. We need to be the voice that will speak the truth of God.  As followers of Christ, should we not be concerned of the deception that is blinding those who call out “Lord, Lord” yet choose to twist the Scriptures. Should we not be concerned about the millions of pre-born babies that are being aborted? Should we not be concerned for the women who believe that there is only one ‘choice’ in facing an unplanned pregnancy?

Ephesians 6:12 (Amplified Bible) For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

Father God,
There are times when we look around and see a battle that appears to big for us to fight. But You , Oh Lord, see a speck of dust that will be blown away by one mighty word spoken from Your mouth. Help us not to become discouraged as we fight this battle.Give us wisdom to know how to pray and the strength to stand against the enemy.

We pray for the lives of those who are lost in religion to see Your Truth. Awaken the heart so that they would come to a place of repentance and enter into a relationship with Your Son , Jesus. We ask this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
   

Changing One Heart for Many

If you’re visiting for the first time and you don’t know my story (God’s Story), you may want to check it on the left-hand side bar under “My Secret Sin.” I was one of those human beings who needed a heart change. If you have had an abortion, I want you to know you will find no condemnation here, but you will find Truth wrapped in grace and mercy. God has brought you here because He doesn’t want you to hurt and feel ashamed anymore, but what He does want from you is to trust Him with your pain. Will you do that? I hope so. If you need to talk or need prayer, click on ‘profile’ for email.

There’s a clinic in our town where they offer the woman a stone just before they walk her down the hall to perform the abortion. This stone is to symbolize the difficult choice she is making and to help her through it.

The first time I heard about this was when a young lady came to the center for a pregnancy test. As we sat across from each other, I started to ask her some routine questions which lead to her sharing with me about her abortions. Half way through her story she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small semi-glossy stone. I’m sure the look on my face was puzzling, because it was then she began to explain where she got it and why it was given to her. She said they told her that this stone would help her get through this difficult time and that it would bring healing. For the first time I was at a loss for words. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

As I sat there listening to all the reasons why she went through with her abortions, I could see the pain in her heart as her fingers wrapped tightly around the stone. She assured me that life for her was just fine, but her fingers were telling me a different story as they were turning white from clutching the stone.

On my way home, her words kept rolling around in my mind. I thought “why a stone?” Then it dawned on me. Some religions believe that stones bring healing and others believe they protect you from evil spirits. I’m familiar with this way of thinking because my older sister practices this stone believing faith (?).

The next morning during my time with the Lord, He brought me to Ezekiel 36:26. He laid on my heart that many of us have false idols in our lives, just like the Israelites did. When we decide to take hold of  false ‘truth’ in this world, our hearts become callous and in time turn hard … just like the stone that the young woman was holding in her hand. The voice of God starts to grow faint. We start to act on what we feel and not on God’s truth, or we become too ashamed to ever believe that the God of the Universe could love us.

Many times I think about that stone and what it truly represents. It’s a reminder of what could have been, what should have been, if only we hadn’t placed our desires before God’s. I remember when my desires caused me to ignore the voice of God.  How thankful I am that God didn’t leave me in that place. It wasn’t easy facing what I had done, but it never is. My willingness to lay down my filthy rags for His righteousness was the beginning of my stony heart becoming a heart of flesh.

When placing our lives in God’s hands, our hearts become flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Father God,
Your Word is Life. You are full of mercy and grace, so we ask , oh Lord, to pour down on us. We pray that hearts would be soften and the foundation that has been built against You would crumble. Despite all that we have done as a nation, You desire us to be Your children.
We as believers in Jesus Christ, come together asking that many hearts of stone will become flesh at the very touch of Your hand. In Jesus Mighty  Name, Amen.

Changing One Heart for Many

 


If you’re visiting for the first time and you don’t know my story (God’s Story), you may want to check it on the left-hand side bar under “My Secret Sin.” I was one of those human beings who needed a heart change. If you have had an abortion, I want you to know you will find no condemnation here, but you will find Truth wrapped in grace and mercy. God has brought you here because He doesn’t want you to hurt and feel ashamed anymore, but what He does want from you is to trust Him with your pain. Will you do that? I hope so. If you need to talk or need prayer, click on ‘profile’ for email.

Whether I speak to an audience of many or just one, sharing that over 20 years ago I decided to have an abortion, I can hear sounds of emotion in the air. Here’s my thought during that moment, Are you pro-abortion (pro-choice) or pro-life?  It may surprise you that I called myself a Christian and believed abortion should be legal, never thinking in a million years that I would go down that road.

Being a Christian and pro-choice is not as uncommon as you might think. I was actually quite surprised when I did a Google search. I found words that compared an unplanned pregnancy to a mistake or a punishment. I read several articles that even stated that until the baby takes its first breath outside of the womb it’s not considered a person to those who are pro- abortion (pro-choice).

I must be honest here; I was pro-abortion (pro-choice) for many years after my abortion. Are you surprised? I went to church every Sunday and I read my Bible.  I knew God had forgiven me, yet I struggled to love my daughter who was born 4 years after the abortion.  Numerous times I would cry out to God, asking Him why I felt this way. Then one day as I was preparing my testimony, God led me to Psalm 127:3.  He showed me that my pregnancy wasn’t a mistake or a punishment, but it was a child. I served Him with my words. I worshiped Him with song. But I had not completely humble myself. For the first time I saw my abortion as my child, a life that God created.

From the White House to the churches, many still believe that a unplanned pregnancy is a mistake or a punishment. Many of us have ways of justifying our actions or not fully submitting to God’s truth…I know I did.

Psalm 25:9 He leads the humble in doing right,
      teaching them his way.

Father God,
As believers in Christ, we acknowledge that You are the Creator and we are Your creation.  Search us, oh Lord, and show us the areas that we still hold on to that doesn't  glorify Your name.  Stir our hearts to be willing to set aside our ways,our thoughts and humbly lay them before You.
Forgive us for the times that we didn't trust You in situations that we choose to face alone.
We pray, Father God, that our president and this nation would start to hear the cries of all the innocent blood that is taken because of abortion. May they be reminded, as they look upon the faces of their loved ones, that life isn't a choice but a gift from God.
Convict the hearts that stand against You, so they will humble themselves and learn Your ways. In the Mighty Name of Jesus...Amen! 

Changing One Heart For Many

If you’re visiting for the first time and you don’t know my story (God’s Story), you may want to check it on the left-hand side bar under “My Secret Sin.” I was one of those human beings who needed a heart change. If you have had an abortion, I want you to know you will find no condemnation here, but you will find Truth wrapped in grace and mercy. God has brought you here because He doesn’t want you to hurt and feel ashamed anymore, but what He does want from you is to trust Him with your pain. Will you do that? I hope so. If you need to talk or need prayer, click on ‘profile’ for email.

I once knew someone who was known for pulling out her little device that ‘guaranteed’ to tell you the sex of the child that was hidden in your womb. This gadget consisted of a long piece of thread attached to a sewing needle. She would grab the end of the thread and dangle the needle over the palm of your hand. Slowly it would begin to move, and depending on the direction of the needle … whether it went in a circle or a straight line … she could tell if you were carrying a boy or girl. Now I didn’t believe it, but I will say she had 50-50 chance of being right.

Today, we don’t need to look for the woman with a needle in her pocket, but instead, we can get an ultrasound that will show the very life growing inside the womb. This instrument plays an important role in many crisis pregnancy centers. It saves lives. It changes hearts.

I remember hearing about a young lady who called our center looking for help. She told her family that she was pregnant. They were not happy and were pressuring her to have an abortion. We suggested that she come in for ultrasound, hoping it would make a difference once her mom looked at the screen. However, the day of her visit, her mom decided to stay in the car during the ultrasound. As soon as the instrument began touching her womb, the picture took on life. There was the baby, 11 weeks old. She became so excited that she said “My mom has to see this. Can you go and get her ‘cause I know she’ll change her mind.” Having seen the baby, the mother did change her mind. The baby was given life. A heart was changed.

There’s someone else whose heart has been changed through an ultrasound, too. Abby Johnson is the former director of an abortion clinic in Texas. She no longer encourages women to end a life, but instead she speaks out to help save lives of the unborn. (The video although it's not graphic, you may not want children around.)

Psalm 139: 13-15
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

Father God,
We, as believers, lift our voices to give You praise. Holy is Your name.You are the Creator of life, knowing all things. Thank you for the opportunity that You have given us to look inside the darkness of the womb. We ask that Satan's plan to destroy the lives of the unborn would be bound, in the name of Jesus! That those who are planning to have an abortion or are involved in abortions, will see the work of Your hands and will change their minds. No longer  can we live in denial of when life begins.Thank you for the many hearts that are changed everyday because of this ultrasound and for lives that are being saved.
In Jesus Mighty Name...Amen!