Abortion: On The Front Lines

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My heart is broken today.  As broken as it was when I wrote this post back in September.

I'm sure we've all heard about the horrors in Philadelphia and the trial of Kermit Gosnell.  The tragedy that is taking place in our cities every.single.day is breaking my heart.

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Last Friday, an abortion mill in my hometown was shut down due to missing records for both employees and patients, a lack of the proper sterilization of equipment, a lack of qualified RN’s on site during surgeries, improper dispersion of medications in dosage and types, expired drugs being kept on hand for use, patients being treated in a dirty, blood-stained environment, poor upkeep of important equipment, patient injuries, and more!

Three business days later they were open again...

Today they're back to murdering babies and ruining the lives of women.  When will this stop?

The Lord has burdened by heart so deeply for this cause...

I've held the signs outside of my church on Sanctity of Life Sunday...

I've blogged about it...

I've tweeted and Facebooked it...

I've done a lot of talking...

But, today He's called me to action.

I'm coming to you today for prayer.  I have been connected with an organization that makes their presence known at our local abortion clinics 6 days a week.  Christian men and women stand on the sidewalk outside of these clinics and pass out pre-abortion information as women come in for abortions.  They set up speakers and lovingly speak to the women as they walk in; sharing scripture and encouraging them to rethink what they are about to do.  They even offer free sonograms for women as well as sidewalk counseling for those that are willing to listen.  Almost every day these prayer warriors save at least one baby from certain death.

The Lord has asked me to step out and be a part of what Cities4Life is doing in our community.  

I have to be honest; I'm terrified.

I'm terrified of seeing the faces and bellies of these women, knowing what they're about to do.

I'm terrified of being looked at as a "crazy Christian".

I'm terrified of not being equipped to minister to them.

I'm terrified of the unknown.

But, I know the Lord is asking me to become uncomfortable for his honor and for his glory.  I know that He is not pleased by the silence from the Church on this issue.  I know that one day I'm going to have to answer for what I did...and I don't want to say, "Nothing".  

Will You Answer the Call from cities4life on Vimeo.

I want to look my Savior in the face on that glorious day and be able to say, "I stood up for the innocent, I loved the unborn, I spoke out against their murders, and I loved their hurting mother's."

Please pray as I go to the front lines in the weeks to come.  Pray for my heart, pray for these women, pray for these precious babies...pray for our nation.

“We may not have the ability to change all of the world's wrongs, but we can make a difference where we are.” 
― Dillon Burroughs

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Her Story -- Part 1: The Text

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I'm hoping to share Kharis' story here the same way I did Moriah's.  I know a lot of people feel like their adoptive children's birth stories are their own to tell, but I look at my blog as a way to remember these moments of our lives and I also want to share with you (the ones that supported us through prayer and financial giving) because I feel like you deserve to know how your prayers have been answered in amazing ways in our family.

So here's part one.  There's no telling when part two will come together, so bear with me :)

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A childhood friend of mine was due the day after Kharis and had her baby on March 27 so my anxiety really got going then!  I know everyone's labor and delivery is different, but I was so ready to meet our little girl!  Needless to say, Ms. Kharis made me wait a full week and a half to meet her!

It all started with a text from our birthmom's mother on Thursday April 4 around 9pm.  We had as much as we could ready for a while and were really just waiting for the go ahead to come down.  Unfortunately, I had just put Moriah to bed and told her I'd see her in the morning...little did she know, Mommy and Daddy weren't going to be home in the morning :(

Around 9pm we received the text letting us know that our birthmom had been contracting all day and that they seemed to be getting stronger.  At that point I wasn't sure if we should go or wait.  We started packing (just in case!) and I called my parent's to let them know what was going on.  Since Moriah was already in bed I asked my Dad if he would be able to come over and spend the night in case we did decide to leave.

The more I packed and the more I thought, the more I realized I would never be able to sleep.  I told Q that I was ready to go!  We weren't able to be there when Moriah was born (we didn't hold her until 17 hours after she was born), so I wanted to make sure I was there for Kharis' birth.

My dad showed up around 10pm and we were waiting at the door ready to get on the road!  We'd planned to rent a car that weekend, but we prayed over our little Toyota Corolla and hit the road...our girl was on her way; sooner or later!

We drove (or should I say Q drove) until I couldn't ride any longer and stayed in a hotel somewhere in Georgia.  Our birthmom (M) had a scheduled appointment the next morning so we awoke to a text letting us know she was in early labor and that they'd be going to the hospital later in the day.  We got back on the road around lunch time and arrived in Florida around 4pm.  We headed to our friends' home that we'd be staying with and just waited to hear the newest update...

To be continued...

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Prayers for Girls (and Boys) {Review and Giveaway}

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Tommy Nelson sent me a copy of Prayers for Girls and Prayers for Boys to review and keep back in April and they're allowing me to share a copy with two of you today!  All opinions are my own, of course!

Moriah is still in the page ripping stage with her books, so I always love the opportunity to receive new board books for her.  I don't have to worry about her looking at them by herself and fearing that they'll be ruined by the end of the day.  These cute books each have great illustrations and a little handle to carry the book around with, which makes it easy for toddlers to grab and go!

Prayers for Girls and Prayers for Boys encourages young children that prayer is great anytime, anywhere, any way, with anyone, and that God always listens when we speak to him.  Not only does it teach where, when, and how to pray, but it encourages being thankful to the Lord for all of their blessings, too.

Because this is an honest review, I was caught off guard by one of the first few pages that said, "Praying with God is like speaking to a friend.  As you get to know Him, your problems will end."  Even at a young age I don't want my children to think that a relationship with Christ will guarantee them an easy life.  In fact, for those of us that have been Christians for any length of time, we can vouch for the fact that the Christian life is hard, yet rewarding.  So, even in the books that she reads, I want Moriah (and Kharis) to know that God calls us to lay down our lives, not surrender to an easy one.

Here's what Tommy Nelson has to say about these resources:

Prayers for Boys/Prayers for Girls

*ages 1-4

*Great choices for parents looking to introduce their children to the importance of prayer.

*These selections help parents not only lead their children through prayer, but these small, soft, padded board books with handles are a great child-friendly gift for any occasion.

Today, two readers will win a copy of Prayers for Girls or Prayers for Boys.  The winner chooses which one they would like.  Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.

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