tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61202909772514059602024-03-12T16:38:30.721-07:00MyChristianBlogI have created this blog especially for those of you who have a Christian worldview; however, anyone is welcome here! Anywhere you scroll this page, you'll see a floating follow button at the top right of your screen. Click it to follow this blog! I welcome your comments, even if you disagree! To comment, just hit "Comment under any post. Welcome here! Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-1459530762170328522016-09-12T14:05:00.000-07:002016-09-12T14:06:51.022-07:00TESTING
<a href="http://alllivesaresacred.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/paper_petition-1.pdf"> CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD</a>
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<br />Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-51830201788291069832016-06-13T12:03:00.002-07:002016-06-13T12:09:26.499-07:00Ban Abortion, Protect Unborn Human Life! Now on Change.org
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:<br />
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Months ago, I started a petition on ThePetitionSite. It's called "Ban All Abortion! Protect All Unborn Human Life!" It's a call to the U.S. President and the U.S. President to work toward an outright ban on all abortions, nationwide. Yesterday, I began this petition also on CHange org. Besides call for the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, this petition calls for measures that would make parenting and adoption more attractive. It also calls for legislating, nationwide, temporary (2 year) foster care as an option for those Facing unplanned pregnancies. AS followers of Jesus, we are to do all within our power to rescue those who being "led to slaughter." The word abortion isn't once mentioned in the Bible, but God makes it clear that He sees us as human from the minute we're conceived. At one time, each and every one of us was a pre-born baby. If we had been aborted, we wouldn't be here. Life is hard and this world is full of trouble, but all people have a right to live. That includes us before we are born. So please look over this petition and its provisions to make abortion alternatives more attractive. As followers of Jesus, we need to speak up for those who have no voice!<br />
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Thank you,<br />
Lisa DeSherlia<br />
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<script src="https://d18kwxxua7ik1y.cloudfront.net/product/embeds/v1/change-embeds.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<div class="change-embed-petition" data-petition-id="7281572"></div>
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Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-88672779210391261582016-05-10T13:39:00.001-07:002016-05-10T13:39:52.713-07:00Moral Rock and Hard Place?<a href="http://www.oneladyfights4life.com/2016/05/caught-moral-rock-hard-place/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=blogger_post&utm_source=blog">Moral Rock and Hard Place?</a>Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-74584634681545275582016-04-09T18:43:00.001-07:002016-04-09T18:43:05.915-07:00If Jesus Ran for Public Office<a href="http://www.oneladyfights4life.com/2016/04/jesus-ran-public-office/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=blogger_post&utm_source=blog">If Jesus Ran for Public Office</a>Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-50289053865960654672016-04-01T14:29:00.001-07:002016-04-01T14:29:10.325-07:00TITLE<a href="https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/replace-planned-parenthood-services-release-funds-for-life-affirming-womens-services.html#.Vv7oFtLqr_U.blogger">TITLE</a>: We, the undersigned, call on the US government to replace Planned Parenthood services by doing the following:<br />
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1). Increase Medicaid re-imbursements to obstetrition-gynecologists so they will more be willing to accept Medicaid and serve poor women...Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-24018877148757924402016-02-01T19:44:00.000-08:002016-08-16T18:40:36.353-07:00Is There A Christian Vote?
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Every election year, we hear about the "evangelical vote." Political commentators talk about the "religious right wing voting bloc." <br />
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This election year is no different.<br />
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I'm paying more attention to the political landscape than I usually do. This is because others keep TV tuned into political stations. In the Republican Presidential campaign talk, I have been hearing talk about "the Evangelical vote." By this term, political commentators are talking about voters who list themselves as practicing evangelical Christians. These are voters who have a Christian worldview, profess faith in Jesus as Savior, and are prolife. This voting bloc typically oppose abortion, oppose gun control, and oppose "big government." Since strong conservatives embody these values, most "Religious Right" voters vote Republican and conservative. I have long been aware of this, and the only political initiatives and issues that conservative "relgious right" people give priority to, are abortion and gay marriage. Is there a "Chrstian Vote" and do we have to vote a certain way in order to be pleasing to God?<br >
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<b>The "Religious Right" and the "Religious Left"</b><br />
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Because of personal experience and research, I know there are "right" and "left" Christian worldviews. And they oppose each other. I have already outlined the values that the "right" focus on. These are opposition to abortion, opposition to gay marriage, and opposition to "big government." "Big government" includes means-tested programs like Food Stamps, Medicaid, universal health care, family and medical leave, early childhood education, and anything that as my mom pusts it, "helps people." On the other hand, the "left" among "progressive liberal Christians reverses their priorities. They often support "marriage equality," are indifferent to abortion or even support it, and support "big government." "Left progressive" Christians tend to support universal health care, Food Stamps, Medicaid, medical and family leave, early childhood education, and all those programs that "help people." "Conservative" Christians see the government as our problem and declare that the government can't save us. They value privatization of government programs. The government exists to protect and defend human life, even if it invades privacy. "Progressive" Christians, on the other hand, believe that the government can help us in many ways and should take care of our needs. They strongly oppose the government "butting in" our private lives and so they either are silent on or support support marriage equality are are usually silent on or support abortion. Notice a pattern? Both sides have Biblical elements; both sides have elements that violate biblical principles.<br />
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<b>My Personal Experience</b><br />
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I grew up in a family that was dyed-in-the-wool Democratic. This has not changed over the years. Democrats are seen as good and wanting to help people; Republicans are seen as evil and not caring about the well-being of people. This extended to abortion "rights" when abortion was legalized. It was when I entered adulthood and began taking God seriously, that I found some of these Democratic policies at odds with my beliefs. This was especially in the area of abortion. I was saddened, frustraed and angry that I could no longer support Democratic candiadtes that I would have supported, if they would protect the unborn. I still am not happy that I can't support Democratic leaders because they will not protect the lives of unborn children. I used to "resolve" this by voting for a mixture of Democrats and Republicans. Why did truth and righteousness have to be linked to a party? Was God a Republican? I know that when John and I were attending one local church, one person used this bumper sticker: "Friends don't let friends vote Democratic!" I felt uncomfortable and out of place in my largely conservative church families in most congregations I have been in. THat is because though I identified as prolife I also identifed with Democrats in many ways. However, more recently, when John and I joined a local church that was more "progressive" with a leadership that was openly "left" in beliefs, things shifted. I was uncomfortable but because of my I identified as prolife and this congregation was silent about abortion and openly supportive about "gay marriage" and "gay ordination" to the pulpit. I know that this is not likely to resolve itself and I have become at peace with it.<br />
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<b>Politics and Following Jesus</b><br />
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I know many in the Church believe that if we follow Jesus, we should get out of politics. I know of Christ-followers who will not even vote. They state that voting for "the lesser of two evils" is still viting for evil.In many Christian circles, we are advised to vote for the "lesser of two evils" and for the candidate who will do "the least damage to the country." In looking at Jesus' life and teaching, we see that we are told to "Render to Ceasar what is Ceasar's" and "Render to God what is God's." What are we to make of this? In the Epistles, we are told to pray for the government and honor them. Back then, they did not have free elections and we have to draw principles out of the Bible and apply them to voting for candidates especially when we are undecided about whom to vote for. When I find myself voting for candidates I dislike because they protect the unborn (at least), I tell myself that I'm electing a person to public office, not marrying them. As Christ-followers, we are to pray for those we don't support, especially who don't protect the unborn, praying that God will open their eyes and bring them to repentance. No matter who is in power, Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We have to bear this in mind of someone gets in that we don't like or agree with. There are no hard and fast rules about how to relate to the political process, only to pray for those in power, honor them, obey the law but put God first when there is a conflict (and graciously accept the consequences). Politics are not our savior; Jesus is. Politics are not our enemey; the devil is. My Bible tells me the our fight is in the spiritual realm not in the political realm.<br />
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God is not a Republican or Democrat; God is God of all! <br />
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Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-38385848090362234032016-01-13T17:47:00.000-08:002016-01-13T17:47:28.094-08:00Two Simple Things Followers of Jesus Can Do For the Autism Community
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Dear Brothers & Sisters in Jesus:<br />
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This post is about autism. You may have heard of autism. You may even know or have a family member with autism. <br />
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<b>What Is Autism?</b><br />
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Autism is considered a complex neuroligical condition. It shows up in many different ways. It shows up in many different degrees. That is why it is called "an autism spectrum." From one end of the spectrum you have the nonverbal person who needs constant help with self-care. On the opposite end of the spectrum you have the person who is socially awkward, but is a stunning success in business and is independent. It is estimated that now, one in eighty-eight people are autistic. I don't know if this counts those who are undiagnosed. Autism is a neurological condition that affects the way a person takes in information. If a person has sensory or anxiety persons, these affect his socialization. To the degree that he lives with one or both, social skills will suffer. Autism affects how you communicate. It ranges from being nonverbal to being verbal but not knowing how to carry a conversation.<br />
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<b>What Does This Have To Do With Me?</b><br />
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We are called to love all people.We are called to speak up for those who need our voice. Even now, autism services are often unaffordable to minority families and low-income families. What are autism services? They are diagnostic services to screen people who are suspected to be autistic. They are support services for those who are already diagnosed. Adults have little access to autism services, diagnostic or support services. Autistic adults have a high unemployment rate. It is an estimated 7o percent. The biggest challenge faced by teens with autism is aging out of autism services. What can we do about this? Simply put, join me in supporting a petition calling for the government to fund diagnostic and support autism services. How will the government pay for autism services? you may well wonder. If you read the text to my petition, you will read that funds were set aside to "cambat autism" (a phrase I dislike), but have never been appropriated. The government can get funds out of that. Bluntly, they can increase everyone's taxes or take the funds out of "pork projects." We can make a difference.<br />
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When people's needs go unmet, we all pay. <br />
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Yours In Christ's Service,<br />
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Lisa DeSherlia<br />
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<a href="https://www.change.org/p/president-of-the-united-states-speaker-of-the-house-u-s-house-of-representatives-u-s-senate-us-department-of-education-release-for-autism-services-in-all-50-states"> If you have not yet signed this petition, sign it! </a> <br />
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<a href="https://www.change.org/p/president-of-the-united-states-speaker-of-the-house-u-s-house-of-representatives-u-s-senate-us-department-of-education-release-for-autism-services-in-all-50-states"> If you have already signed this petition, share it!</a> <br />
<br />Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-15009150502345108312015-12-30T18:52:00.001-08:002015-12-30T18:52:20.329-08:00Dollars for Missionaries! - Gospel for Asia<a href="https://www.mygfa.org/8bo/#.VoSYWTZcBS4.blogger">Dollars for Missionaries! - Gospel for Asia</a>Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-8567674683824801192015-12-26T10:36:00.001-08:002015-12-26T10:36:01.379-08:00The Prolife Message of the Christmas Season<a href="http://oneladyfights4life.com/2015/12/the-prolife-message-of-the-christmas-season/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=blogger_post&utm_source=blog">The Prolife Message of the Christmas Season</a>Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-22203267532380165492015-12-21T13:06:00.001-08:002015-12-21T13:06:57.069-08:00Are Some Forms of Prolife Work More Valid Than Others?<a href="http://oneladyfights4life.com/2015/12/are-some-forms-of-prolife-work-more-valid-than-others/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=blogger_post&utm_source=blog">Are Some Forms of Prolife Work More Valid Than Others?</a>Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-71114975584275661212015-12-11T22:51:00.001-08:002015-12-11T22:51:27.368-08:00Are Prolifers To Be Blamed for the Recent Planned Parenthood Attack?<a href="http://oneladyfights4life.com/2015/12/are-prolifers-to-be-blamed-for-the-recent-planned-parenthood-attack/?utm_campaign=shareaholic">Are Prolifers To Be Blamed for the Recent Planned Parenthood Attack?</a><br /><br />
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This post is from my new site and I hope you will check it out.Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-52468923084316110592015-12-10T20:14:00.000-08:002015-12-10T20:20:20.003-08:00Followers of Jesus, Give Moms & Babies the Gift of Life This Christmas!
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I'm sure your mail and your email inbox are full of calls to give to charities. Many of these charities and causes they stand for are legitimate and worthy of support.<br />
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Christians and other refugees of minority religions are fleeing ISIS and desperately need help. Millions have never heard of Jesus and their evangelization must be paid for by God's people. Girls and women are trapped in the sex industry and need to be rescued and then be given help to rebuild their lives. Always, children and families throughout the world need resources and ongoing support just to live. Persecuted Christians need resources and support to live out their faith and know that they are not forgotten. I'm sure you have heard the TV commercials for monthly support to support wounded veterans, starving children, and abused animals.<br />
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All deserving causes.<br />
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I would appeal to you to consider one public charity that empowers prolife pregnancy resources to extend and expand their ministry
of helping moms and dads in crisis and in so doing, saving their babes from being aborted. How does this work?<br />
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Save the Storks is a public charity, according to my research. All they do supports the work of prolife pregnancy resource centers and virtually all these centers are faith-based, Christian nonprofits which receive no federal funds. This is unlike Planned Parenthood, which receives federal funds and which many in the prolife movement are seeking to get stripped of all their federal funding. Save the Storks partners with pregnancy resource centers by offering them grants, often up to $50,000 at a time to more effectively do their lifesaving work. <br />
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I know that I have written of these prolife pregnancy resource centers and you may already know about them. IN fact, you may be one who volunteers in such a center. If you do not know what a pregnancy resource center is, these are places designed to empower those facing crisis pregnancies to choose life for their babies in spite of often being pressured to abort by well-meaning parents, husbands, boyfriends or others whom they trust and whose opinions matter to them. All the services these centers offer are free, and this is possible because these centers rely heavily on donors and volunteers to keep them afoat. No matter how much we may praise these centers, the truth is that their lifesaving work would not be possible without our prayers, donations, and volunteer time. <br />
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And the things that Save the Storks do for them would not be possible, either, without our prayers, financial suppoort, and the volunteer efforts of those who live in their headquarters area. Save the Storks offers grants to pregnancy resource centers as I already mentioned. The Storks also builds what they call "Stork Buses," mobile medical units built much like mobile mammogaphy vans that so many of us women use to get our mammograms. How do these mobile medical units empower pregnancy resource centers to expand their services? These Stork Buses come fully equipped with ultrasound equipment for clients who board these buses. Pregnancy resource centers, indeed the prolife moveent, have long used ultrasounds to illustrate the humanity of the unborn, most notably since the late Bernard Nathanson, MD's "Silent Screm" ultrasound depiction of an abortion. Centers use ultrasound to confirm pregnancy, show clients the reality and humanity of the babies they are carrying, and educate these women about the prenatal development of their babies. These mobile medical units are designed for total privacy; they are sound proof and are climate-proof. So they are ideal for counseling.<br />
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These mobile medical units make pregnancy resource centers more accessible to pregnant girls and women in crisis. This works by these units being parked outside of Planned Parenthood facilities, college campuses and other places where abortion-vulnerable girls and women are most likely to be found. Sidewalk counselors and others can encourage girls and women to avoid abortions by getting on these mobile medical units and finding real help and answers at pregnancy resource centers. Before there were mobile medical units, it was much harder to convince girls and women to reject abortion and access pregnancy resource centers. But many pregnancy resource centers do not yet have such mobile medical units and it is harder to get many who need them, into their doors. None of this is possible without donations.<br />
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Save the Storks shares that almost four out of every five women who board these Stork Buses chooses life for her baby. Also, this charity is working on other high-tech ways to reach abortion-vulnerable girls and women and to get more of them into the doors of prolife pregnancy resource centers. This is serious lifesaving work!<br />
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<a href="http://www.savethestorks.com/fundraiser/helpmomssavebabies"> Click here & find out how you can help!</a><br />
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The photo above is provided courtesy of Save the Storks, Inc..
Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-25845367360039384162015-12-03T20:01:00.004-08:002015-12-03T20:01:45.503-08:00Blogging As A Follower of Jesus
As this title indicates, this post is about blogging and when followers of Jesus do it.<br />
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This is my less-established, Blogger blog that has only six followers. As the current headlines tragedy is still unfolding, I do not feel that I'm informed enugh to really write about it. Also, maintaining multiple blogs is eating into my time because of a new, self-hosted Wordpress website that I have taken on. I have two Wordpress.com blogs that focus on sanctity of life issues, especially abortion, crisis pregnancies, and creating a culture of life that respects life from conception to natural death. Though these blogs are prolife blogs, they are not targeted to a nice audience of Christ-followers, though I'm sure that, because followers of Jesus tend to be prolife more often than non-Christians, you would find those blogs of interest. I don't avoid the topic of Jesus on Christian things on my posts for a general audience but I do not post on issues as they primarily followers of Jesus. <br />
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Because of the self-hosted website, I have come to realize that I have less time to maintain my blogs. So I may post less, like twice a month instead of once a week. The same may hold true on my Wordpress.com blogs. This is so I can post more often on the self-hosted website, and it is meant for a general audience, though I will always write out of a worldview that is both Christ-centered and prolife.I know that there are many Christian blogs, and it seems to me that as people are increasing going online, so should we so we can be witnesses to them. Of course, I know that there is such a thing as "Internet addiction" and "Facebook depression" and I must confess that I have experienced both. Online, it is easy to compare ourselves to others, whether you are talking about a friends or followers count on social media sites or the illusion that the lives of other users are wonderful while yours is not. I have always found that I do a better job of communicating my faith online than I do in person. That is one major reason I have a social media presence, the other is prolife advocacy.<br />
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In this past month, I have spent much time setting up my OneLadyFights4Life website. I have picked that for a domain to sum up why I have set up the website, and that I have set it up, hopefully, to save lives. I have a blog there and I have already drafted a post, which is not yet published. Topics planned include abortion, crisis pregnancies, issues facing children and adults with special needs, missing children and adults, and global poverty, oppression and religious persecution. I have been spending much time experimenting with different plugins, and deleting those that do not work or that are incompatiable with other plugins. As I am not showing up in the major search engines, I know that I need to invest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services. SEO is defined as setting up a blog or site so that it ranks high in Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Yes, I know that you can add a custom domain to a Blogger blog or a Wordpress.com blog, but in the case of both my Blogger blogs, adding a custom domain would would mess up all my post and page links and force me to have to start all over again. So I have set up a self-hosted site, and you can expect more developments. <br />
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<a href="http://oneladyfights4life.com"> If you are interested in visiting the site, visit here. </a><br />
<br />Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-31391505960078480142015-11-19T17:59:00.000-08:002015-11-19T17:59:16.361-08:00What Is the Christian Response to the Attacks in Paris?
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyIHBCxShTxZYtDSY7YQJarg9bOkHHK_VDZ2j34CHYMpAdDyRcEHkj0nHIVTaAqMyABtOTonWTjKqEZYk3TGTgc-H37sffoVG_OPoyc14jIO1RlNHVJjEr4VvjCdRRT7WhDnJjm-HXuTN/s1600/11038653_932072666828473_6804545949174564414_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyIHBCxShTxZYtDSY7YQJarg9bOkHHK_VDZ2j34CHYMpAdDyRcEHkj0nHIVTaAqMyABtOTonWTjKqEZYk3TGTgc-H37sffoVG_OPoyc14jIO1RlNHVJjEr4VvjCdRRT7WhDnJjm-HXuTN/s320/11038653_932072666828473_6804545949174564414_n.jpg" /></a>
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<br />
Another deadly terrorist attack.<br />
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Place of attack; Paris, France.<br />
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130 people murdered, over 350 injured, 99 seriously injured.<br />
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On this past weekend of this attack, Facebook blew up with posts calling for the crackdown on ISIS and the halting of the immigration of Syrian refugees in light of all this. Just as the Bible has predicted, our hearts are failing us with fear. States are already going on record as saying that, to keep their citizens safe, they refuse to accept Syrian refugees. Anger at President Obama mounts as he defends his policy to allow Syrian refugees into the U.S. even as he vows to fight terrorism and "defeat ISIS." I have been seeing more and more posts, from Facebook users who are believers, show opposition to admitting refugees, out of fear of letting in terrorists. <br />
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What is to be the response of a follower of Jesus to all of this?<br />
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At a worship service where I was vsiting this weekend, the sermon included this very topic. The pastor told us just how we need to respond, as Christians. <br />
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<b>Recognize That God is Still in Control</b><br />
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It seems that right now, ISIS has control and are leaving people terrified of them and what they can do. It seems that more and more, we are headed to becoming a police state. Our civil liberties are slowly eroding, and now there is all this talk about stepping up military involvement to "stop ISIS." I can understand why people are running scared, especially those who do not know God and His power to change our sinful hearts, even the black, unfeeling, sociopathic hearts of the members of ISIS. Yet we who know God, should believe that God can concert and transform even brutal killing machines such as ISIS members. What does this mean? It means we need to pray. We certainly should pray for all the victims of the attacks, including those who were eyewitnesses of this horror. Pray for a spiritual awakening in France! It is estimated that there are many more atheists than Christians in France. France is said to be more secularized that any other country, plus they have a high abortion rate. Can this tragedy bring about a movement for Christ in France?<br />
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<b>Pray for Not only the Victims but Our Enemies</b><br />
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I know that ISIS members are the most hated individuals on the face of the earth. "Bomb them all into oblivion!" and "May they all rot in hell!" and "Stop them now!" are totally understanable rallying cries especially when coming from those who do not know God. These people would just as soon kill us as look at us; they thrive on killing and bloodshed and are killing machines. But we who are believers need to try to see these ISIS members as Chris sees them. He sees them as sinful pesons who desperately
need to be saved and transformed. These ISIS members are people for whom Christ died, just as we are. Every one of them was once aa baby and then a young child, and most were indoctrinated and radicalized very early in life or at other times when they were vvulnerable, as in feeling alienated or without any purpose. We Christians, as followers of Jesus, have a mandate to pray for our enemies. And ISIS members certainly ARE our enemies in every sense of the world. They hate us. But we are to pray for those who hate us, even want to kill us! Yes, that is tough. It seems unfair.<br />
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<b>Realize That We All Have Sin</b><br />
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The call to pray for our enemies makes sense only when we realize one thing. We must never forget that once, in God's eyes, all of us were His enemies, criminals, and evil. He sees us all the same. Our sinful natures just express themselves in different ways but He sees us all the same. He sees us all as sinners, lost and enemies until He, by His grace, saves us. Only in this context does it make any sense to pray for people like ISIS members who thrive on shedding innocent blood especially of followers of Jesus in ISIS strongholds, who are suffering even worse than everyone else. Over and over, they testify that they pray for their persecutors, and often God transforms these persecutors. <br />
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Most of all, let us keep hope alive, because ISIS does not have the last word. Almighty does. Praise Him!<br />
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Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-71872785705739649272015-11-12T17:54:00.001-08:002015-11-12T17:57:29.852-08:00Take Minutes 2 Be a Voice 4 Moms & Babies!
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Defund Planned Parenthood!<br />
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No more government funds for Planned Parenthood!<br />
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Congress must defund Planned Parenthood immediately!<br />
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Stop Planned Parenthood!<br />
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Shut down Planned Parenthood!<br />
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These calls to neutralize and even destroy this organization are indeed well meant. I don't want any of my money to go to this organization, either. I know that federal funds do not, or are not supposed to, go to Planned Parenthood. Yet the idea of government funds going to an organization that oversees over 330,000 abortions (every abortion represents a baby) does not sit well if you believe that life begins at conception.<br />
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Yet we cannot forget one thing.<br />
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Planned Parenthood, while the largest provider of abortions, is not the only abortion provider. Not by a long shot. Private doctors and private abortion clinics also do abortions. More needs to be done to end abortion, than boycotting abortion providers and trying to defeat and destroy them. As women and their significant others (parents, boyfriends, husbands, doctors),
turn to abortion often because of a lack of options, how about eliminating the very MOTIVE that causes women to often go out of town to procure abortions? Desperation, ignorance, fear?<br />
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Yes, we in the prolife community are all too aware of pregnancy resource centers that provide women with free, confidential, safe, and caring services. Many women and their families do not know of these centers. If they do, what they have heard about these centers likely comes from disgruntled former pregnancy resource clients, or from a biased media. A certain news anchor refers to these centers as "phony clinics" and they have gotten much bad press as being deceptive, misleading, and failing to deliver the confidential, qualified services they promise to clients. However, there is much more evidence in favor of these centers and the lifesaving work they do in assisting women which saves many babies who would have been abortion. But girls and women have often been lied to, and so are unaware of their options.<br />
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With more funds going to life-affirming medical and services (which pregnancy resource centers often refer their clients to), these women would have even more options. <br />
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I'm talking about funds to go to the estimated 13,000 community clinics that serve women and families.<br />
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I'm talking about subsidies for single parents and low-income families.<br />
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I'm talking about increasing Medicaid reimbursements to OB/GYNS, to give them more of an incentive to serve poor low-income girls and women.<br />
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If even one of these measures was implemented, especially the first, it would be a big step in the right direction. There are almost 300 signatures on this petition, but many more are needed. If you have already added your name and even shared this, I thank you for your support. If you have not yet signed and are a follower of Jesus, know that we are called to speak out for those who are vulnerable. Who is more vulnerable than an unborn baby? Most of their moms, in crisis, are also vulnerable because of the very circumstances that culminate in their crisis pregnancies.<br />
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Let me call everyone of us, who follow Jesus and who identify as prolife, to a simple but meaningful act. I'm calling supporters of this petition to visit the webpage (it takes a few seconds to load the "share" button) to share this petition, one more, with your own social networks. If you have not yet signed this petition, I encourage you to add your name to it.<br />
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<a href="http://ow.ly/SmBLu"> CLICK HERE TO SHARE THIS PETITION OR SIGN IT!</a><br />
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Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-40218557240506673512015-11-05T20:32:00.000-08:002016-07-26T15:45:02.109-07:00An Open Letter To Cecile Richards<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ksUKh7FaRiqHdJwJQ4CKQemie1V0FzI0bKXmXDVfEPbI7watMBfTlPJCaC3wGoythay3VuXHzP3kevIN-Pq1Kxsfy7pQP7sAu13Q59uqCvCZruxXr1g851UUP-TSPX9h-YC5aWXaCy0e/s1600/4a214b78-f8d0-4688-99ec-e7caa2502c11_zpsvt71oqpo.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="dear Cecile Richards" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ksUKh7FaRiqHdJwJQ4CKQemie1V0FzI0bKXmXDVfEPbI7watMBfTlPJCaC3wGoythay3VuXHzP3kevIN-Pq1Kxsfy7pQP7sAu13Q59uqCvCZruxXr1g851UUP-TSPX9h-YC5aWXaCy0e/s320/4a214b78-f8d0-4688-99ec-e7caa2502c11_zpsvt71oqpo.JPG" title="Prolife Banner" /></a>
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Dear Cecile Richards:
I speak as a person who believes that all life is sacred. This includes the poor, those with disabilities, women, men, those without homes, those who are unborn, those with mental illnesses, even criminals and abortion workers.<br />
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Even the lives of abortionists and directors of abortion facilities. <br />
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I know that you probably believe that you are doing women a service. Many people in this culture believe that abortion is health care, a reproductive right and a choice that should be available to women. So you are not unique in that regard; you are reflecting the worldview of many in this culture. Yes, it is legal and doctors are required to inform their patients in crisis pregnancies and high-risk pregnancies of abortion as a viable, legal option. Why, if our doctors, whom so many hold in such high esteem in our culture, so often recommend it to patients with high-risk or crisis pregnancies, it must not be bad.<br />
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I saw parts of the Planned Parenthood hearings when you were being grilled before Congress. I watched as you defended your organization, and declared that the videos exposing Planned Parenthood were doctored. People closest to me agree with you about those videos. I will not defend the videos as I have not had a chance to view them in-depth and in their entirety. I know that Live Action, run by Lila Rose, have made undercover videos of your organization. I have not been inside a Planned Parenthood facility, but I have loved ones who have used their services. Thanks to the grace of God, I have not faced the abortion issue personally. I had a high-risk pregnancy with my daughter, but I was blessed with religious faith and a good support system. I know that many of the girls and women who use your organization or other abortion providers do not have options or are not aware that they have options.<br />
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I know that many in the prolife movement condemn you and others in the abortion industry, as evil incarnate, and judge you. They forget that all of us are sinners who have fallen far short of God's holy standards. Myself, I have enough to do in keeping up with and overcoming my own sins and imperfections to ever worry about yours or anyone else's. But you are in a position of leadership and many women and Planned Parenthood employees and volunteers look to you. What if what you are passing on to them is, in fact, a lie? I mean, could it be that the notion that abortion is healthcare, a reproductive right and a choice, is a lie? If that is true, then it is a serious thing that you are guilty of.<br />
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Have you ever asked yourself what the abortions done on women (over 300,000 yearly under the watch of Planned Parenthood alone) actually do? I wonder if, in your more honest moments, you wonder if indeed that these abortions kill the babies of these moms who seek abortion services because they have been fed the lie that abortion is the way to deal with a probem pregnancy, whether due to social, economic, medical or eugenic reasons. Surely you, like so many others in favor of abortion or who don't like it but who think it should be available to others, know deep down that the fetus is in fact a baby, one who is just not born. If that is so, it must be dehumanizing, dreary, tiring, and traumatic to take lives as you justify it as a service.<br />
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This is not written to try to convert you or anyone else to the prolife movement, as a post like this is highly unlikely to do that. First, you need to be converted to the Person of Jesus Christ, Who came to this earth because of God's love for you and me, to die for our sins. You are invited to repent (change your mind about sin and the direction of your life) and then trust Jesus to take away your sins. Then He will change your worldview, your attitudes and behavior. You will find yourself working to save lives, not destroy them! If God can do it for former abortionists or abortion workers like Dr. Bernard Nathansonson and Abby Johnson, He can do it for you!<br />
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Meanwhile, when you decide that working in the abortion industry and taking lives is no longer for you and you are tired of it and want to get out, there is a resource. <br />
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<a href="http://abortionworker.com/"> Visit this website and find that there is help for you also.</a><br />
<br />Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-24416543196977373722015-10-29T20:23:00.000-07:002015-10-29T20:23:09.863-07:00Remembering Them In Prayer
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This is about that time of year.<br >
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I'm not talking about Halloween.<br />
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I'm talking about the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP), which is observed every year on the weekend of November 2. <br />
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<b>Who Are The Persecuted Church?</b><br />
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The persecuted Church consists of followers of Jesus in restricted countries and areas of the world (as shown on the map below, courtesy of Gospel for Asia. These believers live in countries where Communism, Buddhism, Hinduism and most often, Islam, is the state religion. They suffer everything from discrimination, government harassment, threats, social or family ostracism to violence, arrests, jail, prison or death in connection to their faith in or service for Christ. Their main resquest to us Western Christians is, "Please pray for us!" <br />
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<b>Why Does Prayer Mean So Much to Persecuted Believers?</b><br />
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As followers of Jesus, we believe that God moves in power when we pray. This means much especially to persecuted Christians outside the West, who are usually literally forced to trust God totally, because they usually have little in the way of material possessions and face the reality of persecution and can easily identify the enemies they face to following Jesus. So they come to know, firsthand, what it means for God to move in power and unmistakably in their lives and in the lives of their families and communities. I have read plenty of accounts where their lives and experiences read like the modern-day Book of Acts! So when they ask us to pray for them and they sense our prayers because of God moving in their lives and giving them strength to stand firm in faith, it means everything to them<br />
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<b>What Can We Do?</b><br />
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We can pray, give, and we can raise awareness. I wonder if the silence of so many pastors and other believers in the West about global religious persecution of our brothers and sister who share our faith but not our freedoms, is because of lack of awareness. There are many ways we can stand with our fellow believers who share our faith but not our freedoms, but prayer is the most important Yes, it is hard to know what to pra about but there are websites where you can educate yourself, learn how to pray, raise awareness through their updates, and even donate for the strengthening of severely persecuted followers of Jesus and the the furthering of the spread of the Gospel in persecution countries and areas of the world. The links are provided below at the bottom of this page.<br /><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNpsYUDU5lVb2Nf8BuJrBnbcJdybmDCDyx6Uw_zmYZo2gNf6E03Ab-607PpUJ7ZBmAM3wLSSqcapiD0zy-XIafcbupVSQVXIxehy3RaKlbfE4ujiLFE4Byqh5s5ot0WvlSfl_pRfJkFUW/s1600/2015-Top-10-persecution-map-800x533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNpsYUDU5lVb2Nf8BuJrBnbcJdybmDCDyx6Uw_zmYZo2gNf6E03Ab-607PpUJ7ZBmAM3wLSSqcapiD0zy-XIafcbupVSQVXIxehy3RaKlbfE4ujiLFE4Byqh5s5ot0WvlSfl_pRfJkFUW/s320/2015-Top-10-persecution-map-800x533.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.persecution.com"> Voice of the Martyrs</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.opendoorsusa.org"> Open Doors USA</a><br />
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Voice of the Martyrs and Open Doors USA have offices in many countries throughout the world. If you are not in the USA, you can
find these offices closest to you.<br />
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<a href="http://www.gfa.org"> Gospel for Asia</a><br />
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God's blessings to you as you stand with persecuted believers not only during IDOP but every day of the year!<br />
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The above video and the map have been provided courtesy of <a href="http://www.gfa.org"> Gospel for Asia.</a><br />
<br />Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-76163183826723918182015-10-20T11:42:00.000-07:002015-10-20T11:42:03.493-07:00A Loving Tribute to a Special Lady
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Feel like sharing this with you... This reply is directed as much to Vicki Thorn as it is for a man's testimony. She came to our Respect Life Banquet on 1/31 at Holy Family Church in Rockford, IL as a featured guest speaker. Her words throughout the speech were, are, and will always be very powerful, touching the masses. That said, there is one thing which I elaborate further upon in the subsequent paragraphs, that she said that has stuck to me like a magnet. When I wrote these words, I began to cry unlike I have done in a very long time. I believe that her words were a form of beautiful healing.<br />
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I emphasize that I have never had a relationship with another lady, but this testimony is more based on a fear of the unknown. Her words piecred my heart like a straight arrow in the night when she was talking about how abortions took place back around when my granddad and my parents were born. I understand the fact that evil exists, but that being said, I know with faith in Jesus that we are stronger than our frail bodies will ever be. God's timing could not have been more perfect for me. I was an epileptic with uncontrollable seizures, as medicine never controlled or stopped them. Also, I had pretty severe stuttering and so I received God's grace by having this corrected. I have received physical healing many times and am so blessed for that.<br />
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However, what I do believe where Vicki has made the most impact, as I described above, is I'm so very thankful that I was born when I was instead of when my parents/grandparents were, as I fear that I would be society roadkill. I know my parents would never be subjected to that type of decision, so this is not about that. But as the fear of the unknown, thinking back that long (100 years or so), I may have been born, but really who would have wanted me? I just cannot imagine the pain, emotional and mental that would've been with me if that was the case. I know every generation has loving parents. That is not why I write this. But what if I was in the wrong hands, and they thought I was imperfect? Just because of seizures, as epileptics are passed over for mental issues far too often.<br />
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I probably will always have this hole in my life (which is extremely real, even though they are perceived thoughts on how my life would have been different), so I will probably always need for myself, to at least cope with this type of situation. But, it saddens me that people, far too many, just don't know how valuable a human life is, let alone the priceless gift of holding a newborn.<br />
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I write this because it is a testimony to Vicki's beautiful work that she was granted the gift from God to carry out the mission that she has for pretty much my entire life. I am blessed very much to know that she is an advocate, seemingly and perceptively powerful voice that we need more of. For that, we are extremely and infinitely appreciative of her tireless work.<br />
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So Dear Lord, I pray that you show your face to us each breath we take, as life this day is no less or more valuable than the last in and of itself. Other things may be priceless, whether big or small (be it a bird chirping, seeing the sunset in Hawaii, marraige, and so on). But the top two are the gift of life and you infusing my life with a multitude of blessings through your healing touch. I thank you for the gifts that you gave me, even to the point of entering this world when I did. I may not feel compelled each and every day to discuss the sensitivity of how my life could have been different, but if it was not for accepting you, Jesus, as Lord and Savior, I just don't think I would have the strength to live each day, let alone defy the belief of society that says, hey, your life is worth this much (kind of like what slavery may have been back in the day) instead of being worth more than the finest bar of gold that there would be. Therefore, in closing, in despair, you give me hope. In hurting, you comfort. In grief, you love. As humans, I cannot comprehend the level of love you have, but it's all encompassing, and very powerful. I cried many tears today thinking of this very fact, Lord. Thank you for all the reassurances you have given me, and to use Vicki as a leading voice, a beautiful ray of hope that she is. She is definitely an instrument that has done thy holy will, because she accepted your calling via the nudge from the Holy Spirit. Words cannot express my thanks and gratitude that I have to find out this was as prevelent as it was, and still is pre and post Roe v. Wade. This is a grave religious, social and moral injustice, as we, as part of God's Army, need to stand in peace and show society that there is no place whatsoever under your authority for this behavior. Please shine your light, the booming, humungous beams of light, down into our soul, now and forevermore. Amen, Alleluia, the Savior Reigns. Mother Mary, Queen of Peace, Out Lady of Guadelupe, St. Michael, and all of the other Saints, Archangels, Angels, and Spiritual Brothers and Sisters, please lift me up and pray for me always.<br />
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And to you Vicki, God Bless You and Your Work on this all important mission.<br />
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With Love, Through Christ,<br />
<br />
John Fayhee<br />
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Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-64670672460037450202015-10-15T09:15:00.000-07:002015-10-15T09:15:03.596-07:00Prolife Feminism Yesterday and Today
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This books, a large collection of essays, has been compiled by Mary Krane Derr, Rachel MacNair, and Linda Naranjo-Huebl. It is the revised and much-expanded earlier version of this same book with the same title. This in-depth book begins with an Introduction to the entire book and gives a the historical overview of feminism and the three Editors' credits to some people who made the book possible. Then the Editors open with an Introduction to Part one, which consistes of essays by past feminists, from Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) to Dorothy Day (1897-1980). Then the Editors continue with Part Two, with an Introduction that helps the reader transition, in historical context, to modern prolife feminism. Part Two begins with essays by Fannie Lou Townsend Hamer (1917-1977) to Linda Naranjo-Huebl. The Editors end Part Two with a Bibliography, many pages of Endnotes with sources used in research, and an Index. <br />
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This book is the greatly revised and updated version of an earlier version of this book. It is a big book, and it took awhile to get through it. I found the earlier essays by ealier feminists challenging to follow, as their styles of writing and language tend to be more from earlier times and more arcane. Many of them seem to have been taken from larger writings and my concern is that prochoice people can argue that these writings were taken out of context. In fact, I have read a review or two where current feminists scoff at the idea of "prolife feminism," clearly declaring that these writings have been taken out of context. Clearly, though, these feminists denounced abortion as not serving women and as using them for profit, as well as killing their children. The writers of this book come from diverse religions, walks of life, ethnicities, and some are LGBT.
I liked the variety and styles of essays, including question and answer formats for some of them. These writers adopt a "consistently prolife ethic," where they assert that they are prolife not only about the unborn, but about all people at all ages and stages of development. Reading this book dispels the notion that to be prolife, you have to be a Christan or any "religion," support and vote only for Republicans, and be for other "conservative" issues like unregulated gun rights, the death penalty, military involvment, and oppose means-tested government assistance programs (like Food Stamps and Medicaid). One big beef of mine with so many who identify as prolife but who oppose so many government assistance for low-income pregnant women, poor single moms, early childhood education and other services that many vulnerable citizens rely on just to survive. It seems hypocritical to denounce abortion as evil and as murder, while being unwilling to make changes in society that would make carrying untimely and crisis pregnancies more appealing. It seems that all the writers of this book's essays would agree.<br />
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I recommend this book for all those who identify as prolife. It can show them that you do not have to fit the conservative and right-wing profile in order to respect all life and protect it from conception on. I recommend this book for all who call themselves prochoice, as a woman-centered book like this may be more acceptable to those who identify as prochoice or feminist (or both) than most prolife literature. Most average prolife literature is more baby-centered and the well-being of the woman seems to be secondary to what comes off as the primary subject of concern: the baby. This is not a Christian book, though some of the authors of the essays in the book identify as both Christian as well as prolife feminists.
Books like this can change the tone of the abortion debate so I can recommend it to those on either side of the debate.<br />
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Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-70776136815657964992015-10-07T14:08:00.000-07:002015-10-07T14:08:20.626-07:00An Unforgettable Retreat Experience
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This is from one of my church retreats... Prior to knowing Jesus as my Risen Savior, I don’t know if I had a sense, let alone understanding, what could be done through His will, and I really don’t know how strong my faith life was. However, through my life experiences, overcoming obstacles has positively impacted my faith life, as today my faith is the key to any success I’ve had. It is supposed to be our engine, but we have to turn the key to ignite it; however it can sputter as well. In no small way to these circumstances, my life has become much more enriched. <br />
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I have had many situations where I have had to show a great deal of faith to overcome obstacles while being a first-hand witness to Jesus’ healing and powerful touch and, as a result I have become more aware of how He has been working through me. The first way has been my speech issues (namely stuttering). Previously, I received assistance from about 3 or 4 speech therapists all the way from pre-school to high school as we tried many strategies that didn’t work, as my face would be a deep red like an apple, especially if I was talking in front of people. <br >
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After a lot of research, guidance and prayers, my family and I decided that I should go out to Norfolk, VA to what I phrase a Speech Boot Camp for three weeks at the Eastern Virginia Medical School. The participants tried to overcome their stuttering through Jesus’ Divine Healing, as the instructor also stuttered. This is predominantly a condition men historically face much more than women. The patella blocks the air flow out of the mouth similar to a cat or dog trying to get through a door flap and is stuck. So stuttering can be deeply embarrassing for people with it, especially since it is tougher to speak in a quasi-normal way the longer it hasn’t been mastered (just as it was for Moses when he was delivering the Sermon on the Mount).
The first thing we did was re-learning how to breathe by lying down on the floor. After this, we relearned how to correctly annunciate basic words and group them in sentences, such as ‘The dog ran.’ The way to determine if we were correctly speaking in a phonetic way, a different light came on compared to if it was wrong. As the first few days went on, gradually there was more advancement to more difficult words and situations. Another more advanced phase was to find businesses in the phone book and ask them basic questions, such as how much is the pizza. Once this took place over the course of a couple days, then we would go a close-by business in person and order lunch, which also helped us assimilate back into society.<br />
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Once I returned from Virginia I started to experience the real love of Christ as everyone started to notice good improvement with my fluency, as this gave me added confidence. Consequently, Jesus showed me through His intercession how lots of practice through the speech boot camp, take home material and other real life situations made my life easier. A couple of years later I went back to Virginia for a week refresher course to obtain further instruction and refine what I had learned and practiced.
The next issue was my epilepsy, as I have been officially diagnosed since I was 3 months old (as I had gray skin for what is believed to be lack of oxygen from birth). I have been through 10 medications (with a variety of dosages within each) and 6 neurologists. Because this never had been controlled with my medicine, we finally started expanding our thought process to consider more ‘radical’ options including, but not limited to, brain surgery, as I went through many types of tests to see if I was a candidate. This really made me uncomfortable for a couple of reasons, as I didn’t want to relearn how to talk with all of my strides I had made and also was concerned about my peripheral vision being reduced or non-existent and didn’t know how realistic an option this would be; however, Jesus through His intervention comforted me. <br />
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I was in the hospital for 12 days in May of 1999, getting out on that Memorial Day. Probably half way through the stay, I had an EEG and they reduced my medicine to half of the normal level to try and trigger a seizure. Well, I had a grand mal seizure (the first and only one of those in my life). This ended up showing the doctor and surgeon where it was coming from, so fortunately there was no form of blockage anywhere that prevented a clean cut (which fortunately was only a pinky incision instead of across my head type of cut), so all of the area that was creating the problems was able to be removed by God’s grace. So to this present day, I have never had another seizure. Furthermore, I know that my whole reason for being who I am today results in no coincidence whatsoever to these experiences, regardless of how trying they have been then or now.<br />
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I know God placed these people in my life when I needed them most. My faith life is very much stronger as a result thanks to God’s healing touch. In the time since my medical procedures, I have had many rich and unforeseen blessings.<br />
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As deeply enriched my faith life has become from these medical situations, a true blessing that started to energize my faith life was when I was able to go to the Vatican, Rome and Assisi for a pilgrimage with my Newman Center at WIU just after Christmas of 1999 for the Catholic Jubilee, as we were there for 10 days. Among the many things we were able to do was have Daily Mass and participate in Papal Audiences at the Vatican, and also had Daily Mass in Assisi, and toured the many religious sites in both places. I will always hold very close the 3 Vatican pictures that their photographers took that I have (as I am in two of them), as this is a life time reminder of some very powerful spiritual experiences, especially since I am in a shot with Pope John Paul going by in his Pope mobile and also am in a big group shot with St. Peter in the foreground.
Due to my medical history, I never thought I would be able to drive. In high school, I was able to do the classroom part of drivers ed, but I was not permitted to go any further. So in June 2002 (which was 3 years after my surgery), that all changed. I started to learn how to drive with my dad and granddad. This was quite a process, because they have driven for 6-8 decades and could tell me many things about what to do, especially since even though I was 25 years old, I was mentally just like a 16 year old in terms of driving ability. Well, in 4 months, I was able to obtain my license and then two weeks after that, I moved 6 hours from home to St. Joseph, MO as a VISTA member (which is basically like the domestic Peace Corps). This was a huge leap of faith, as I had never lived outside of my home county my first 25 years, and then all of a sudden some sort of reality set in about having to live on my own being away from my parents nest and support, even though I was oblivious to what that life was going to be like. The change hit me like a big tornado going right through my soul before I could blink an eye and rethink if I made a wise decision. Once again, Jesus through His intercession helped me through this experience.
God has been present in my life through good and bad (even though I have had many signs of His tough love since then, in particular with my too many to count accidents and tickets). I realize that things happen for a reason and we do not always know what the reason may be. I feel in a sense my life has been a real blessing because even though in my teens and into my early 20s that even though the epilepsy wasn’t controlled, I never got addicted to drugs, smoking, or drank and never have had a desire to even try. Therefore, in some way, shape or form, there is always a silver lining, regardless of how easily it may be acknowledged, especially since I think most of these times I have learned something tangible from the experiences to make my faith life that much stronger as I have been much more successful than I, let alone my family would have ever imagined prior to how my medical situations gave me a new lease on life.<br />
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My final closing thought is this:
The longer I live; attitude has become much more important than facts. It is also more important than the past, education, money, circumstances, failures or successes, or than what people say or do as well as appearance, giftedness or skill. My life will be enhanced or broken because of this, and my faith life is impacted similarly. I have a choice every day regarding the attitude that I embrace for that day. While I cannot change the inevitable, the one thing I can do is play the only fiddle I have and that is my attitude. Consequently, life seems to be 10% of what happens to me and 90% how I react.
So Dear Lord, I am very grateful that you have shown your face in my life, as You continue to give me the courage, strength and will power to practice my faith daily, as well as helping me overcome these and all obstacles, as my life has been worth fighting the good fight for and am very grateful for the gift of life You have blessed me with. I hope and pray for many more blessings to come my way, in whatever way they may be presented. Please continue to provide me the strength & courage to face each day with the same fortitude that You have blessed me with to this day, and help me to focus on those around me and keep me mindful of the trials and challenges they are dealing with that I may provide support, understanding and encouragement to help them through their struggles similar to how You have continued to help me.
Thank you!<br />
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John Fayhee<br />
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Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-5683392521577879032015-10-01T13:56:00.000-07:002015-10-01T13:56:46.148-07:00View This Video, Share It & Save A Life
In the past few years, 4D ultrasound has emerged and it clearly shows the the reality of the life and humanity of the unborn child. It is been proved that when moms are shown ultrasounds of their babies, they are much more likely to reject abortion and choose life for their babies. This is why pregnancy resource centers use ultrasounds for their clients with positive pregnancy tests. They know that when these clients are shown ultrasounds of their babies, they can see that their babies have body parts and can move, and masses and clumps of cells do not possess these characteristics. And 4D ultrasounds show the unborn child more clearly and are being used more and more often though I understand that they are expensive and insurance typically does not cover them. Christians, we are called to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. You can do that by sharing this video and pray that abortion-minded girls and women will find it, view it, and choose life for their babies.<br />
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Will you do this simple thing to be a voice for the unborn?<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RBKKnCtNeRU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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This video is provided courtesy of <a href="http://www.all.org"> American Life League.</a> I'm not a partner of or affiliated with this nonprofit.<br />
<br />Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-14329719221233864492015-09-21T15:30:00.000-07:002015-09-24T15:59:42.314-07:00Democrats for Life by Kristen Day
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THis is a specialty book, written by the Executive Director of the organization called Democrats for Life. This book opens up with the author's acknowledgements to those who made the writing of this book possible. Before the first chapter, she opens up with a Prologue that sets the tone for this book and gives some background for the state of the Democratic Party today. This Prologue and each of the following 15 chapeters,ends with notes which cite the sources that the author used for that particular chapter. THe author ends with three attachments. Attachment 1 contain charts that trace the evolution of positions on reproductive issues over the years, for both Republicans and Democrats. Attachment 2 shows how the Democratic Leadership has lost its "grip" on being prolife about abortion,even as Republicans gained a hold over the prolife position. The final and third attachment is a written initiative on how to end abortion by providing resources and support to girls and women that will empower and motivate them to choose life for their babies. <br />
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This book provides lots of good information for its short length. Growing up in a family who are loyal Democrats, I found this book to be of special interest. I hate it that one political party is identified as "the immoral party" that followers of Jesus should avoid, and we are told, by our Pastors and CHristian leaders who opine on poltics, that we must vote for the party "that reflects our Christian values." This almost always translates to voting for Republicans, whether we like them or not and even if we disagree with them on most things. Those followers of Jesus who support the Democratic Party (and their stress on caring for the poor, the vulnerable, the disenfranchised and those living on the margins of society, have ben made to feel that we cannot follow Jesus and vote for Democrats. This book traces how Democrats came to support abortion and to be identified with it; it is the Democrats in power who often identify with abortion on demand and espouse it as a "choice." This book shows us that many typical citizens and "little people" who are Democrats are actually prolife but have been silenced and disenfranchised by the powerful in the Democratic Party. There are prolife Democrats in Congress, but they are a minority. I know that we Christians in the US have been told that following Jesus and standing up for truth equal supporting Republicans as it is Republicans who most often identify as prolife about abortion, and oppose same-sex marriage. Not all Republicans are prolife, including among the pwerful. This book is not written from a Christian perspective, but from a secular perspective. I know, though, that it is most unfortunate that the term "prolife Democrat" is often considered an oxymoran, or that such Democrats are "Democrats in name only." This book asserts, and I agree, that we will never stop abortions unless or until being prolife about abortion stops being seen as a "republican issue" and more and more prolife Democrats "find their voice" and work with Republicans to try to end abortions. Democrats in political leadership have convinced many Christians that they do not represent the concerns and interests of followers of Jesus who value matters such as the sanctity of life, the sanctiry of marriage and the family, and religious liberty. This is sad!<br />
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This is not a Christ-centered book, but I recommend this book for Pastors and Christian leaders so they can better understand those in their parishes and among their followers who may support the Democratic Party. They need to understand that some of us feel (and are) disenfranchised by this disconnect in the Democratic Party leadership. This book should be required reading in political science classes. I recommend this book for all open-minded Republicans, to dismantle their biases about those who support the Democratic Party. I recommend this book to open-minded Democrats so they can educate themselves about the political aspect of abortion. Finally, I recommend this book for all DEmocrats who oppose abortion and feel disenfranchised, for their encouragement. <br />
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<a href="http://democratsforlife.org"> Visit the Democrats for Life Site Here</a><br />
<br />Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-73567837811378676072015-09-17T09:02:00.001-07:002015-09-17T10:05:38.359-07:00Will Simply Defunding Planned Parenthood End Abortion?
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In the past months, a series of some nine videos have surfaced, indicating that Planned Parenthood has been involved in harvesting and selling baby body parts. <br />
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Since then, there have been angry and outraged demonstrations, marches and multiple petition, calling for the following:<br />
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Congress must defund Planned Parenthood immediately!<br />
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Congress must promptly dry up all taxpayer funds to Planned Parenthood!<br />
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Investigated Planned Parenthood!<br />
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Prosecute Planned Parenthood!<br />
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Shut down the government until Congress takes action on Planned Parenthood!<br />
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The outrage is understandable. But something is missing from all these calls to declare all-out war on Planned Parenthood.<br />
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Today as I write, a tenth video has surfaced. The calls are getting louder and louder to simply dry up all taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. According to the advocates of this drastic action, ending all taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood would protect the unborn because
a source of funding would be dried up and it would dis-empower them. But would defunding this institution protect the unborn?<br />
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Let me answer this question with a question. Why do most girls and women seek abortions?<br />
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According to both experience and much research, most girls and women so often look to abortion as their only option because they are not ready to parent their own babies. They find the idea of "giving up" their babies for adoption horrific. Often many turn to abortion because they are terrified that their families will find out and they will be rejected or ostracized. Then many turn to abortion for economic reasons, because they feel that they "cannot afford" to raise this child. Yet they cannot cope with the idea of "giving up" that child for adoption, knowing he or she will be out there but is being raised by strangers. And, we have become such an abortion-accepting culture that abortion has come to be seen as girl's and women's healthcare! But is it?<br />
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I don't know what actual percentage abortion comprises in Planned Parenthood's services. According to sources, they do about an estimated 330,330 abortions yearly. As followers of Jesus, we see each abortion as the taking of a human unborn life. This means that Planned Parenthood is responsible for the loss of about 330,000 lives a year. It is true that federal funds may not directly go to abortions, but should taxpayer dollars go to an institution which oversees 330,000 murders a year and profits from them?<br />
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That is where all the calls to defund Planned Parenthood come in. But will that alone stop abortion and protect the unborn?<br />
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I admit, when I hear all the calls to defund Planned Parenthood and even how much money that will save the US, I wonder, "Where does this leave all the people who truly feel that Planned Parenthood is their only option because they cannot afford private OB/GYNS (who typically do not accept Medicaid). Also, so many truly feel that abortion is their only option in times of crisis. Doctors tend to too readily counsel women to abort for eugenic or therapeutic reasons. Yes, too many families and friends of girls and women pressure them to get abortions and these girls and women, desiring to please, comply. Sadly, I know of people who have turned to abortion because of family pressure. How will simple drying up of taxpayer $$$ end these scenarios born out of fear, ignorance and desperation?<br />
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I could not understand why no one, of all these people who are demanding that Congress simply defund Planned Parenthood, are not calling for those taxpayer dollars to be re-allocated to other, life-affirming services for girls and women. So I created a petition for this purpose. It calls for the increase of Medicaid reimbursements to OB/GYNS so they will have incentives to care for low-income girls and women. The petition also calls for an increase in subsidies to qualified adoptive parents. It also calls for funding for community clinics where abortions are not done and for funds for single mothers so they can spend more time with their children.
The petition also calls for Congress to pass legislation that will create the option of temporary foster care for girls and women in crisis pregnancies so another, life-affirming option will be open to them. <br />
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Are these perfect solutions? No, of course not. They are steps in the right direction, in my humble opinion. <br />
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For Congress to listen to us, a "critical mass" of signatures (around 100,000) are needed. If you agree that this petition is important, I hope that you will not be one of those followers of Jesus who believe that we should "stay out" of so-called poltical or controversial issues. This is not about politics or issues. This is about the lives and futures of babies and their mothers. <br />
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Will you both SIGN and SHARE the petition? <a href="http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/replace-planned-parenthood-services-release-funds-for-life-affirming-womens-services.html"> Go to the petition here. </a> Thank you!<br />
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Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-40183502823026309082015-09-01T18:11:00.000-07:002015-09-01T18:11:07.104-07:00Release One of These Three Children from Poverty
Dear Fellow Followers of Jesus:
These photos I have put up below are of three children that I was matched with through Compassion International, a Christian humanitarian nonprofit. I received their information through Release3, their program where supporters can request three children and commit to seeking sponsors for each of the three children assigned to them. I have until the end of this month, September, to seek sponsors for each of these three children. These three children are in urgent need of sponsors. I know that we all have financial pressures and the costs of living in the West are high. But children like these little ones pictured, face bleak features without caring sponsors to make the work of dedicated Christian workers possible. Not only will these children receive food, clothing, education, and other practical social services but they will receive teaching about Jesus and the Gospel, and will be shown Jesus' love in action. This indirectly helps their families and larger communities. <br />
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Here are the three children. Look at their photos and basic information:<br />
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I am praying that each of these three precious children will find sponsors. I pray that they each will have sponsors by the end of this month. Will you be the answer to my prayers?<br />
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If you are interested in sponsoring one of these children, please write down his or her name and country as listed in the picture (s) above. Then contact Compassion International at 1 (800) 336-7676. Their office hours are Monday to Friday, 7:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. (MT). Provide the person who answers your call the name and country of the child you are interested in sponsoring. Let the person you talk to know that you found out about the child you are mentioning through the Release3 program.<br />
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Thank You For Making A Difference in Jesus' Name!<br />
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These photos are provided courtesy of <a href="http://www.compassion.com"> Compassion International.</a><br />
<br />Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120290977251405960.post-84049970473836572042015-08-27T13:16:00.001-07:002015-08-27T13:16:04.029-07:00Dear Christian Friend Who Has Participated in Abortion
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I write this to fellow Christians who have turned to abortion because of pressure from important others.<br />
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I write this to fellow Christians who have turned to abortion because no one in their Christian community has shown support.<br />
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I write this to Christians who chose abortion believing that "God would forgive anyway."<br />
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I write this to Christians who sit in church fellowships secretly regretting abortions they have had or enabled.<br />
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I write this to all pastors who have provided little leadership on abortion.<br />
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I write this to Christians who may even support abortion in the name of political correctness.<br />
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I know that this is not a topic that we like to talk about. However, over seventy percent of all Americans identify as followers of Jesus while an estimated 4000 abortions take place daily. So this implies that many in our local church fellowships have participated in abortion in some way, whether aiding, abetting, or even compelling others to choose abortions, or choosing abortion in your own life. I know that many pastors, youth ministers and other local church fellowship leaders are silent on this social epidemic and offer little or no leadership on it. They may address it on Sanctity of Life Sunday, if they do that. Many of them may fear speaking of it for fear of upsetting you or bringing back bad memories or re-opening old wounds. As is true with any failure, poor choice or sin, time does not heal nor does denial make anything disappear. The issue just festers and will erupt later, often in forms that are not pretty. This may be why so many suicides and crimes occur, because people "snap." Actually, I think most "snaps" are just cases of hurts that have built up and have been stored up over time.<br />
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No, I have not personally experienced abortion myself. I know others who have and while they do not speak of that, I wonder what they think in quiet moments or when the topic of abortion comes up in conversation. Please know that abortion is not the unpardonable sin and, like any sin, you can be freely forgiven if you confess your sin, turn from it and turn to God. I invite you to do that today. Whether you feel sorry, guilty, afraid, or even defiant or bitter, you can share your feelings with God and find help. Whatever your role in abortion may have been, whether talking others into abortion, driving them to a facility that does abortions, having your own abortion, or even doing abortions, God can and will forgive you if you repent, turn from sin and turn to Jesus in faith. I have included a link to a website where you may be able to find help.<br />
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God is the God of second chances. Let Him give you that. Will you?<br />
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<a href="http://hopeafterabortion.com/"> Visit Here to Find Out More</a><br />
<br />Lisa DeSherliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14619975082765983408noreply@blogger.com0