New Breakthrough in Cloning Humans: Counting the Dangerous Cost

Scientists in Oregon announced yesterday that they have successfully cloned human cells. And, then, in order to use them to extract embryonic stem cells, that newly created tissue was destroyed. Those stem cells will theoretically be used by the donor of the DNA used to replicate their organs and treat their diseases, should the need arise.

In simplistic terms, what occurs is that eggs are received from a donor and the genetic content from the woman is removed. It is replaced with DNA from the skin cells of another donor, male or female. Then, through means of a chemical reaction, the cells begin “to fuse and begin development.”

This is the part that I find quite intriguing. Scientists have been able to form a blastocyst, which is a hollow ball of 50 to 100 cells. At this point, the blastocyst has to be implanted in a human womb where it develops into an embryo. So far, with primates (they have only tested monkeys so far, no humans) the implantation has not been successful, whereas they have been able to clone rabbits, sheep, goats, cats and cows.  Some feel that cloning monkeys, as well as humans, is only a matter of time: that is, if we, as a society allow it. One question that came to my mind was: would God allow it to occur? Is there something divine in the creation of human life that cannot be replicated in a laboratory? I wonder.

With these stem cells, however, they have been able to add chemicals which transformed them into different human tissues, including beating human heart cells, reported Shoukhrat Mitalipov, a development biologist at Oregon Health and Science University, who was a lead author of this most recent study. He and his team have attempted to transplant blastocysts into the womb of many monkeys, but have had no success at achieving pregnancy. “We don’t know why this is,” said Dr. Mitalipov. “You can make embryonic stem cells, but it doesn’t mean that the embryo will implant.”

Their main goal with this latest experiment is to create tissue which can be used in the genetic donor to replace an organ if it gets damaged, or to treat things like Parkinson’s Disease. However, this is already being accomplished through use of the adult skin cells without implantation into an egg. Scientists have been extremely successful in transforming skin and other cells into what are called “pluripotent cells” which can be used in the same way as embryonic cells but without the destruction of life. Which leaves me asking: why do scientists feel they need to keep tampering with newly formed life when the same things can be done with adult cells?

It doesn’t really make sense to believe that life begins at any other point that when egg and sperm meet and the newly formed cells, with a unique set of DNA, begin to multiply. So, what is created when scientists take an egg, empty it out, and replace it with the DNA of only one person? Those cells begin to divide and multiply, just as newly formed life does. In sheep and cows, it has been implanted to create an identical animal to the donor. If that human cluster of cells is destroyed, has a human life been destroyed?

Scripture tells us that God knew us when we were being formed in our mother’s womb. What sets us apart from animals is that we are imparted with an eternal soul, which will never die. At what point does the soul enter in? I believe it is at the moment of conception. However, can this happen in cloning? Are those blastocysts really human life? Should we be concerned?

Another aspect which needs to be considered in all this is the process that takes place to collect the human eggs which are necessary for testing to occur. The harvesting of eggs has become a very controversial subject. In most cases, women sell their eggs to meet the growing demand. However, the process that they have to undergo has proven quite costly for many.

Since women usually only release one egg a month, a series of hormone injections are given to egg donors to increase their production. Then they have to undergo a painful procedure to remove their eggs. the process, called ovarian hyperstimulation (OHS) has proved very dangerous and even deadly.  Egg harvesting tends to target the poor and minorities, who desperately need the money it provides.

I admit to not having a scientific mind. Much of this is far beyond my understanding. However, as I have stated often, I do not understand why we continue to pour millions of dollars into embryonic stem cell research when adult stem cells are already successful in treating so many things. As far as I can see, adult cells can be used in every way that they desire embryonic cells to be used, but without any loss of life. Also gone are the Frankensteinian overtones.

We have lost enough respect for human life after 40 years of abortion on demand. Human cloning will only denigrate the sacredness of life even further. Life is too precious to be used in experimentation and to advance the human ego.  It is time for us to rise up and say: “No more!”

Keeping it true!  Barb

 

Victory in Gosnell Conviction: Linking the Words Abortionist and Murder!

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the picture at the left is of a human being. If you show this picture to the smallest child, they will tell you what it is. This is actually a model of a baby in the womb, at approximately 26 weeks. By 12 weeks after conception, everything is present that will be needed for life: all organs, a fully functioning spinal cord and brain, arms, legs, fingers and toes. All that is required is time to grow and get big enough to function outside the womb.

Kermit Gosnell got cocky in the years he was eliminating children from the womb. No one ever checked on him. He was doing the dirty work of the abortion industry- the late-term abortions. There are only a handful of men and women willing to destroy babies in the third trimester, when bones get bigger and life outside the womb becomes a possibility. He knew, like all of us, that abortion is a protected area. It is screened from the public eye; a “sacred cow” that the main-stream press refuses to touch and  proponents of abortion zealously guard.

Who knows how the evil progression occurred: the slide from actually making sure that babies died before being removed from the womb to simply sending women into labor and cutting the spinal chords of those that were born alive. It certainly cost Gosnell less in both time and money. He no longer had to invest in costly drugs, like digoxin, to stop the baby’s heart. Gone were complicated surgical procedures of removing body parts, piece by piece. He simply gave women the drugs they needed to send them into labor, and sent them into various, filthy corners of his facility to agonize through labor and give birth on disgusting, germ infested toilets. Then, one snip and the baby was gone.

Any way you paint it, late-term abortion is nasty business. There is really no way to take away the rotten smell or destroy the ugly images. Even in the more sanitized clinics, once the procedures are described in detail, they turn the stomach and force us to look away. Those who favor abortion try to argue that most late-term abortions exist because the baby is deformed and would not survive birth, or because the health of the mother is at risk. I argue that, in the first place, that is not true, and, second, knowing as we do what happens in these procedures, why would we ever look at it as an act of kindness? There are better, life-giving options for those who are facing the birth of a handicapped child.

I rejoiced when Gosnell was found guilty of 1st Degree Murder for the deaths of three of his tiny victims. From what we have heard, those three represented many, many more who met a cruel death at Gosnell’s hands. As much as I celebrate this victory, it just points out the hypocrisy of our system of justice. If only Gosnell had taken the route of other late-term abortionists and given the shot of dixogin to stop the hearts of these same three children before delivering them dead, there would have been no murder charges. He may still have gone on trial for breaking Pennsylvania’s law prohibiting abortion after 24 weeks, but the word “murder’ would never have been mentioned.

Same three babies, but outside the womb they are human, inside they are not.  Outside, it is murder, inside it is “no big deal.” How does that make any sense? I refuse to let it make sense, because once we do, it becomes easier and easier to shrug it off. Or, even worse, we become like Leroy Carhart, who compares dead babies in the womb to “meat cooking in the crockpot.”

Don’t get me wrong: I think this trial and verdict are HUGE! The plight of unborn children in abortion clinics have gotten attention like never before (in spite of the lack of news coverage.) I watched last night and all three main networks (CBS, NBC and ABC) reported it in the first ten minutes of coverage. If Gosnell gets the death penalty, it will probably run again. Linking the words “abortionist” and “murder” is amazing! I just pray that it sticks in the hearts and minds of the American people.

Now is the time for us to keep fighting! Medical technology is on our side. Babies are able to survive birth at earlier stages all the time. And, the ultrasound continues to clarify and bring to life the images of tiny babies in the womb. The power of the Gosnell trial was that the twisted reality of abortion, dead babies with snipped spinal cords, came to life before our eyes. Evil can only flourish when it is kept in the darkness. Let’s work together to continue to bring it into the light!

Keeping it real! Barb

The Twisted Logic of Leroy Carhart: How to Justify Performing Late-Term Abortions

If you haven’t already heard or seen it, Live Action released their latest video in their series on late-term abortionists yesterday, focusing on long-time Bellevue abortionist, Leroy Carhart.  There are many aspects of the approximately ten minute expose’ which are very disturbing. For instance, Carhart’s line describing an unborn child dying and growing soft in the womb being like “meat cooking in a crock pot.” That could easily win an award for being the most tacky, evil and insensitive line about abortion ever, especially as it was spoken to a young woman who he thought was seeking to abort her 26-week-old child.

I found the entire thing sickening. Who can visualize almost fully grown babies being injected with digoxin, which triggers a heart attack, and then lying in the womb for three days, slowly rotting so they can slide out more easily and not be repulsed. And, I found it very interesting that he freely used the word “baby” and “killing.” Gone was the pretense that this was some type of non-human “fetus” or “product of conception” in her womb, or that the little boy or girl was going to come to a “fetal demise” instead of being killed. However, maybe the disturbing philosophy that Carhart began to espouse next goes a long way to explaining all that.

About three-fourths of the way into the video, Carhart makes a very random comment to this 26 week pregnant woman. He says that the baby she is talking about aborting will be “a part of you forever.” He continues: “I mean if you expect it to go away in a week, that’s the wrong approach to it, okay?” I was shocked to hear this, since it is the same argument I would make in trying to talk someone out of aborting. Once a woman conceives, that baby is a reality. She will spend the rest of her life either raising her child, knowing the child is being raised in another loving family (through adoption) or mourning the child whose life was ended in abortion. Dates that the baby was due and anniversaries of abortions are rarely forgotten.

It was the next statement that showed the immense gap between his way of thinking and mine: “I think you’ll be affected for the positive. I think you can make very difficult, hard decisions that will help shape… the rest of your future and make you work harder for the things that are important. And I think out of respect and love and honor for this baby you’ve lost, you will find yourself being a better person.”

Wow! How twisted is that? In other words, destroying the life of her child will make this woman work harder at making her future a success, since her sacrifice was “so huge.” Carhart believes she will be a better person, because she was able to make the “hard decision” to destroy the life of her unborn child. That if she puts her career or life ahead of her child’s, she can be stronger and more successful. It appears that he even construes the act of death and dismemberment as being an “act of love and respect and honor.”

Actually, Carhart has come up with a warped interpretation of what actually is a reality in women who have had abortions. Post abortion syndrome usually sets in years after the abortion when the woman gets to a point in her life where she has gotten her education or the job she longed for and realizes that neither were worth the immense sacrifice of a child. Those things which seemed so important now ring hollow when compared to what she has lost. And the guilt in knowing that her loss was also her responsibility, made because of self-centered choices, can be devastating!

Carhart goes on to speak to post-abortion syndrome as well, stating that he has never seen a case of it. He speaks of a 16-year-old patient who had aborted at 26-weeks and was then hospitalized for an attempted suicide. However, he refuses to link her desperation to the fact that she has just given birth to a dead, fully formed child. No, it could never be that! He states that she was actually in desperation over her healthy and active one-year-old, which he says she wishes she had never had. Yes, Mr. Abortionist, I imagine you have to do a lot of rationalizing to justify the dead children you pull out of women everyday!

At the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling, we have literally seen hundreds of women struggling to overcome the guilt and despair they face after choosing to abort their children. One woman came to us who was so depressed that she could not even work or leave her home. Twenty years before she gave birth to a fully formed dead baby into a toilet at a clinic, and she was still having vivid nightmares and sobbing everyday. Thank goodness for the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ. Because of Him, this woman has been able to find new purpose and to move on with her life.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not sure I want to live in a world where women can abort their children and move on like nothing has happened. In order to do that our natural instincts as human beings to nurture and protect would have to be destroyed. Sadly, that is occurring more and more in our society as worship of self takes over. However, I know for a fact that most women who abort live damaged lives in the aftermath.

In the Omaha area, we have been trying to stop Leroy Carhart for a long, long time. Perhaps this video shows us that he does have a conscience that can be touched. I’m praying that the Lord will one day open his eyes to see the full truth of what he is doing. It has happened to others, and it can happen to him as well. And, thanks again Live Action and Lila Rose, for bravely exposing the truth!

Keeping it true!  Barb

The Irresponsibility and Danger of Allowing Young Teens To Purchase Plan B

Are you raising a girl in her teens? Or have you raised a daughter? Then you can confirm the statement of the American College of Pediatricians that “research has now documented that the frontal cortex- the important decision-making areas of the human brain- are not fully developed until the mid-twenties.” In other words, young people (girls and boys!) do not always make very rational decisions. This is the reason that until they reach the age of consent (usually 18 or 19) teens are required to live with a parent or guardian.

However, in the political insanity to secure “reproductive rights” for women, it has been decided that when it comes to matters regarding sex and pregnancy, parents are stripped of their ability to protect their daughters. When teenagers come to the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling, they do not need to have parental consent. In fact, we cannot give parents any information regarding their daughter’s pregnancy (or lack thereof) without the child’s (and, yes, a young teen can qualify as a child!) permission.

States like Nebraska have at least had the sense to pass a law that parents must give permission for their minor daughter to have an abortion. However, this is all too easily circumvented by judicial bypass. Young women have died as a result of abortion drugs such as RU-486 being sent home with them to take. When things took a turn for the worse, they were afraid to tell their parents, who were clueless that anything was going on. As a result, medical help was not pursued until it was too late.

And, of course, there are many more cases than that of teens who have aborted without their families knowing. Physically things seem fine, but her moods and attitudes have changed. Depression sets in, sometimes accompanied by alcohol and drugs, and the parents are left wondering what in world happened. A young girl is not equipped to take on huge things such as pregnancy without the loving care of their parents. I would even argue that sex is too huge for any teen to take on, with parental care or not, but certainly not alone.

Right now we are witnessing a battle concerning the family of drugs which fall under the category of “Plan B.” They are designed to be taken within 48 hours after a sexual encounter to prevent pregnancy. Supposedly, they will not do anything if a fertilized egg is already implanted in the uterine wall.  These medications have been touted as the miracle answer to teenage pregnancy. And, recently, a federal judge decided that they should be made available to girls, regardless of their age, and be as easy to purchase as an aspirin.

In response to that court decision, on April 30, the Food and Drug Administration lowered the age that a young woman (or man for that matter) could purchase Plan B to 15. In addition, they mandated that the drug should be taken from behind the counter and placed on the shelves near the condoms.  Then, yesterday, the Obama Administration appealed April’s court decision to eliminate age limits on Plan B. What that means exactly is not yet clear (at least not to me!)

Now, in order to help you understand if Plan B causes abortion or not, let me help clear up some of the confusion. It all comes down to the definition of when life begins. For ages and ages, it has been concluded that life begins when the egg and sperm combine, creating a fertilized egg with a new, unique set of DNA. If things progress as they should, that set of cells will continue to multiply and develop into a human being. You and I were both once a fertilized egg, the combination of an egg from our mother and the sperm from our father.

However, in recent times, the definition of when life begins has been changed to state that the magic moment does not occur until the fertilized egg is implanted in the uterine wall. You see, if this is true, then it allows the powers that be to state that neither the birth control pill or Plan B causes an abortion, because this is one of the ways that these medications work. If they are unable to stop fertilization, then they make the lining of the uterus hostile to implantation. Convenient, isn’t it?

Getting back to Plan B: as you listen to the arguments in the days to come, keep in mind these concerns to young teens having access to the medication which have been drawn up by the American College of Pediatricians:

1. In England and Wales, where teens have free access to Plan B, not only have pregnancy rates not gone down, but the rate of sexual activity has increased and, along with that, so has the rate of STD’s.

2. Easy access to Plan B may place adolescent girls at increased risk for sexual predators. I was not aware of this fact, but according to this report, over half the babies born to 15-17 year olds are fathered by men in the twenties.

3. As I mentioned before, teens, particularly young teens, need parental guidance. They are more likely to misuse any type of medication (I know of girls who take it every time they have sex or take a lot of it once they know they are pregnant- both of which are misuses of the drug.)

4. Girls who are victims of sexual assault need to have professional care and attention. It is feared that too many will simply take Plan B, rather than face the embarrassment of reporting their assault.

(For the full report from the American College of Pediatricians, click here.)

Bottom line: it is crazy to hand any medication into the hands of young people who are not likely to handle them in a responsible manner, just like it has always been irresponsible to leave decisions of sexual activity and pregnancy in the hands of teens, separating from parental guidance and love. Not only is it dangerous, but it has not had the effect of lowering the teen pregnancy rate that was desired in the first place.

The federal judge stated that not allowing girls full access to these drugs was just a political ploy. I would respond that his irresponsible decision was devoid of fact and a severe lack of knowledge of the teenage mind.  Let’s hope someone with better sense and judgment makes the final decision on this matter.

Keeping it real!  Barb

Live Action Exposes: Gosnell Is Just the Tip of a Very Evil Iceberg

The Gosnell trial was sent to the jury today to decide his fate. Will the notorious abortionist be found guilty of snipping the spinal cords of  babies which happened to escape the womb alive? His defense attorney argued that there is no proof that any of those babies ever drew breath. However, then the question remains: why did he sever their nervous system if they were already dead?

Lila Rose and her team at Live Action recently conducted undercover research at several late-term abortion clinics to find out if Kermit Gosnell was a lone wolf, or if children who survived abortions fared better anywhere else. Tragically (and sickeningly) she found most abortion clinics make sure there are no survivors.

In 2002, Congress passed what is known as the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act. This legislation:

• Defines a “Born alive infant” as “Person, human being, Child, Individual”
• Gives rights as a human to any child born within the United States.
• “Born Alive” is defined as the complete expulsion of an infant at any stage of development that has a heartbeat, pulsation of the umbilical cord, breath, or voluntary muscle movement, no matter if the umbilical cord has been cut or if the expulsion of the infant was natural, induced labor, cesarean section, or induced abortion.

Live Action has already released two of their undercover videos (which can be found at www.liveaction.org/inhuman. ) In both, the workers at the abortion clinics made it very clear to an actress portraying a woman twenty-four weeks pregnant seeking an abortion, that they would not attempt to save her baby’s life if it happened to survive.

Here are the words which Washington, D.C. abortionist, Cesare Santangelo, used in response when the woman asked him what he would do if her baby was born alive: “Technically- you know, legally, we would be obligated to help it, you know, to survive. But, you know, it probably wouldn’t. It’s all in how vigorously you do things to help a fetus survive at this point. Let’s say you went into labor, the membrane’s ruptured, and you delivered before we got to the termination part of the procedure here, you know? Then we would do things- we would- we would not help it. We wouldn’t intubate. It would be, your know, uh, a person, a terminal person in the hospital, let’s say, that had cancer, you know?…. Like ‘do not resuscitate’ orders. We would do the same things here.”

At an abortion clinic in Bronx, New York (a city where more children are aborted than born alive) the worker was more brutally explicit. She advised the actress that if her baby was born alive at home, she should just “flush it down the toilet.” She went on to say that if the baby survived while in their clinic, they would just stick it in a jar of solution. “The solution will make it stop. It’s not going to be moving around in the jar…. that’s the whole purpose of the solution.”

It’s like we’ve pried open some tightly sealed doors and discovered a filthy, degraded, dehumanized nightmare inside! How are these things allowed to continue in a nation such as ours? Women that were victimized inside of these hell-holes have been complaining for years, but no one has listened. As long as abortion is safe, our society has turned a blind eye.

I am grateful that Live Action is just beginning to release their videos. We must not allow the Gosnell trial to end and then return to life as normal. These killing centers have to be stopped! Like usual, the press is ignoring it. It will be up to people of conscience to lift up our voices in protest.

Sometimes the battle seems futile, like there is no one listening. However, I don’t speak up for that reason. I just can’t let these innocent, voiceless ones die without doing all I can to save them. Or, to rescue their mothers from being cruelly victimized. I am accountable to God to present the truth as I know it. I know many of you feel the same way.

Pray for Lila Rose and Live Action. They come under tremendous pressure to stop the work they are doing. Someday their reward will be great. Hopefully, if we join them and should loud enough, the insanity will end.

Keeping it true!  Barb

Adult Stem Cells: Regenerating Brain Cells and Helping Us Lose Weight (And Everything in Between)

I don’t know about you, but I really needed to focus on something positive today. I always get excited when I read about new developments in ADULT stem cell research. Actually, if you read about any actual success with stem cells, you are reading about Adult stem cells, because there hasn’t been any breakthroughs with Embryonic stem cells, at least not in humans. (However, be alert: there are those who would like to confuse you on that matter!)

I think that adult stem cell research is poised on the brink of amazing, unbelievable developments in curing everything from brain injury to cancer. As I’ve mentioned several times in this blog, I am a big believer in this type of research. Not only do embryonic cells cause the death of an unborn child, they also are too unstable to safely use in human beings. Plus adult cells can do anything that embryonic cells can do and more.

Thanks for my friend, Denny Hartford, I was alerted to the fact the scientists have recently discovered a way to take stem cells from a patient’s blood marrow and combine them with an antibody which will turn them into brain cells. These newly developed cells can then be used to treat neurological diseases and injuries. This brings into play a myriad of different conditions, from sleep disorders to epilepsy, even all the way to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.  This treatment can also be potentially used for injuries to the brain and spinal cord.

As I was doing research on this on adultstemcell.org, I came across an interesting article concerning stem cell treatments for weight loss.  Being a self-respecting woman who is on a continual diet, my interest was immediately piqued. How in the world can adult stem cells help in losing weight?

Now, I am glad I read this information on a scientific website. I am a huge skeptic as far as promises of weight loss are concerned. You know, those ads which promise that you can just take a pill and the weight will fall off in your sleep? As far as I’m concerned, there are two things which bring about weight loss: consumption of fewer calories and exercise.

According to my understanding (and keeping in mind that I do not have a scientific mind!) adult stem cells contribute to weight loss by creating new muscle cells. As you exercise, these muscle cells are then able to replace fat cells. Turns out that some of us just don’t have enough muscle cells to begin with and need to add a few more. Who knew?

Supposedly, these terrific little muscle cells would be able to be added to our systems through supplements and organic products. If I find out exactly what they are and how you can get them I will let you know. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? (Except, yes, you do still have to do those work-outs!)

It is exciting to read about all the amazing things which adult stem cells have done! The state of Kansas just signed into law a huge grant to transform the research department at the University of Kansas into a center for the development of cures from adult stem cells. Just think! Maybe one day I can head down there to receive injections to cure me of my Rheumatoid Arthritis! No more weekends feeling crappy because of the medication I now have to take!  No more fatigue or agonizing joint pain.

Even more important, if those I love develop cancer, there may be a cure in sight. Wouldn’t that be amazing? And doesn’t that sound just like God? He created our own cells with the power to heal our diseases! We just had to unlock the secret. And, it can all be done without innocent victims dying in the process.

Keeping it true!  Barb

Horrific Week in America: Making Sense of the Pain

The bombing at the Boston Marathon; the explosion of a plant in West, Texas; the trial of abortionist and murderer, Kermit Gosnell: pain, pain and more pain! Add to this the fact that we all have our own day-to-day struggles which threaten to pull us over the edge. How cruel life can be!

I was reminded of the line from the movie, The Princess Bride. Princess Buttercup is speaking to the masked man, unaware that he is her true love whom she thought was dead. She says to him, “You mock my pain!” He retorts back, “Life is pain, Highness! Anyone who says differently is selling something.”

It’s true, isn’t it? It has gotten so I have am careful to not watch too many news programs or listen to talk show hosts, or else I go into pain overload. Sometimes it is just too much to bear.  I’m so glad that Jesus warned us that there would be tribulation in this world. And, the book of Revelations clearly reveals that things will get much worse before they get better. So, how do we survive in the midst of so much pain and suffering?

Actually, as much as I dislike it, I realize that pain is sometimes a good thing. If we get to the point in our lives where we no longer suffer along with others or feel their pain, then we are truly in trouble.  C. S. Lewis makes this statement in his book, The Problem of Pain, “We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” If the time comes that we no longer hear the cries of suffering all around us, it will be time to worry about the world we are living in.

This is my biggest concern with stories about people like Kermit Gosnell. He is as horrible as it gets. How can people read about babies being decapitated or women lying in filth and being infected, and even dying, because of neglect and disregard for human life and not be pierced to our core with anguish and pain? And yet, not too many people have even heard about the case. And, if they have, the horror almost runs too deep. It is easier to ignore it and go on with life.

Tragically, we have so many distractions in this world that we can easily ignore the horrible things that occur all around us. Every once in a while, a tragedy of the huge scale of the bombings in Boston occur, which draws us all in. We can all feel the pain of having a child or a family member having their lives snuffed out in such a random and meaningless manner. If they were not safe on a city street, watching a marathon, then can we ever be totally safe in our own lives?  For a week, we rally as one nation, setting aside our differences to grieve together. Then we go back our normal existence.

Actually, it is not the huge disasters that deeply wound my heart as much as the growing signs of callousness, selfishness and unconcern that I witness consuming our society. More and more our lives revolve around us: if we are not personally touched, it does not really concern us. We turn on our televisions when we get home from work and anesthetize ourselves with meaningless sitcoms or reality television.

I realize that I am in somewhat of a unique position. I am surrounded everyday by people in the midst of personal tragedy. Some of them have been living reckless lives playing sexual roulette and  have come crashing to earth by the discovery of an unplanned pregnancy.  There are still those who face it with courage- fully realizing that they must grow up and face the consequences of their actions. However, all too often, the response is to be more concerned with self and to “get rid of the problem”, which just happens to be a child. Actually, to be honest, that reaction is more common with the men involved than the women, but without his support it is difficult for her to be brave.

 

I was devastated last November. I didn’t think I could face the future that I saw coming. However, God spoke to my heart and showed me that He had an assignment for me to do, and that I needed to be obedient to keep my eyes on the goal He set for me and to walk in that path. I could pray about other situations, but I was not to carry those burdens for they would crush me.

That would be my advice to you as well. Seek God for what He would have you do and then be obedient. Don’t be afraid of keeping your eyes open to the suffering around you, but don’t get crushed upon loads that you are not meant to carry. If you listen to God in the little things, He may not find it necessary to grab your attention with pain. Remember: “His yoke is easy and His burden is light.”

On the other hand, don’t look upon pain as the enemy. It is possible that God may be using it to change your life. Personal tragedy helps people to see their need of a Savior. It can pull us out of ourselves long enough to allow God to change us. Don’t let the pain or the tragedies in your life be wasted. Jesus longs to use them for good if only we will allow Him to.

Keeping it true!  Barb

The Silence of the Press: Poor Women and Unborn Children are Acceptible Sacrifices to Keep Abortion Legal

Horrible, horrible things were done in Kermit Gosnell’s house of horrors. It is the stuff of nightmares. Poor women put onto filthy, bloody operating tables, penetrated with unsterilized instruments covered with the infectious diseases of those who had come before them. The “doctor” had discovered that it was easier for him to deliver the late-term babies before killing them. Then, once the child lay crying in his hands, one snip at the back of the head severed the spinal cord, as he put it, “to ensure fetal demise.” After all, he rationalized, the result of abortion is a dead child, isn’t it?

Gosnell epitomizes the worst of the worst of the worst as far as abortionists go. People who regularly yawn at reports of millions of aborted children a year have shuddered in horror at the visual of breathing, crying children receiving the “snip of death.” And it is terrible! However, to my mind, our country has been embroiled in one huge nightmare for years, only it has been hidden in the secret depths of the womb. For, really, in a warped, twisted way, Dr. Gosnell is correct: a dead child is a dead child. What difference does a few minutes make? The boy or girl taken apart, limb by limb in the womb, is no less horrific than the breathing child having its spinal cord severed.

It is a well-known fact that evil flourishes in the darkness. It is amazing that there aren’t more out there like Gosnell. Well, actually, there are. They are just smart enough to know that they need to keep their facilities relatively clean and sterilize their instruments. Otherwise, there are lots of “houses of horror” out there. Leroy Carhart runs one right here in Omaha. Fortunately, Nebraska law prevents him from killing children over 20 weeks. However, I’ve seen ultrasounds of fully formed children at 15 or 16 weeks, legs and arms moving, even sucking their thumbs, and I am not comforted!

The state of Pennsylvania decided a couple of decades ago not to inflict regulations on abortion clinics, since it might impede the “rights” of their women to choose abortion. They wanted to make it as easy as possible.  One of the basic tenets of Christianity is that “man is basically evil.” Left to ourselves, with no one to regulate or to keep us in check, it has been proven over and over that there are many who will slide into the lowest forms of degradation. Gosnell is just such a man. He made millions off of the suffering of helpless women and children.

There were many women who tried to alert the authorities to the horrors going on in Philadelphia. No one really paid much attention. A member of the National Abortion Federation came to Gosnell’s clinic soon before it was raided in 2011 and did an inspection since Gosnell had requested their endorsement. The woman was appalled enough by what she saw that she refused to grant the membership. However, she also kept silent about the horrendous conditions she witnessed. Like most of the press, she would rather allow poor women and babies to continue to be butchered like animals than put the sacred cow of abortion on demand at jeopardy.

For, in spite of all the lame excuses being bandied about, that is exactly the reason for the silence of the press on the story of Gosnell’s trial. It is also the reason that the overwhelming evidence on the link between breast cancer and abortion is ignored. The lives of a few women are considered acceptable collateral damage in order to keep abortion safe. They have proven over and over that this is not a battle for the rights and welfare of women: it is a war upon life in the womb. Nothing else makes any sense.

I could go on and on about the horrible atrocities that Gosnell and his team committed. If you like, I can refer you to other stories and blogs which will tell them in detail. I could also rant and rave for days about the silence of the press and our government about this story which rivals any atrocity which has ever been committed. However, that is not the point of this blog.

As grateful as I am that the graphic, horrible nature of this story is forcing Americans to look the atrocity of abortion in the face, my biggest fear is that Kermit Gosnell will be seen as only an aberration, an “abortionist gone wild,” and once he is put away everyone will breathe a sigh of relief and move on.  I’m afraid that our national cry of horror and disgust is only because that which is usually done in darkness has now been brought graphically into the light, and that once Gosnell is shut away (please, God, let that happen!) we will let the horror-show slide back into darkness, out of sight, out of mind.

Do I care about the women who came to Gosnell, only to face filth and infections and mutilation? Of course I do. However, sterilization and spotless facilities will not stop the real travesty from occurring. Thousands have died in agony in the darkness of the womb as Gosnell’s trial has rolled on, and will thousands more will meet their doom when it is over.

One story from the trial which particularly horrified me was of a baby which was born alive at the hands of Kermit Gosnell and was screaming in agony. This little boy or girl had been aborted in the second trimester and did not yet have any eyes, but that did not stop the excruciating pain it felt. While the mental image of that poor child haunts me, so does the thought of the thousands of other babies at that stage that are cruelly torn apart every year. We cannot see their anguish, but it is just as real. Who will come to their defense? When will their executioners be brought to justice?

Keeping it true!  Barb

Banquet Day Miracle: How the Power of Prayer Saved a Life!

At the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling, we have seen over and over how prayer changes lives. We often have women come in to find out they are pregnant who will barely look at the ultrasound screen and insist that they are heading straight to the abortion clinic. We have a team of men and women that have committed themselves to praying for cases such as this. And, even though some do go ahead and abort, many do not.

Emma (not her real name) is just such a case. When she left our office, she already had scheduled an abortion. Neither she nor her family believed in it, but she had a much older boyfriend, who lived miles away in a different state, that had convinced her that getting rid of the baby would be the best thing for everyone. He offered to fly out and be with her and to provide the funds to make sure it all got “taken care of.” Immediately, e-mails went out and we began to pray.

Emma’s boyfriend had been telling her that if she had the baby, her life would be over. She would never be able to pursue her dreams. Nothing would be the same. And, in a way, he was correct. Having a baby changes everything in life. It can make dreams more difficult to obtain. However, in her heart of hearts, Emma knew that destroying her child was not really the solution.

When people talk about abortion as a woman’s choice, they are ignoring the fact that most women abort because of pressure from other people. In most cases that other person is the father of the baby. If he provides support and love to the woman, she will carry the child. If he rejects her or wants her to abort, in most cases that is exactly what she will do.

Emma was definitely feeling the pressure. Her boyfriend told her about all the money he was spending to come out here and go with her for the abortion and that she better not change her mind. Strangely, through miscommunications (or miracles!) he did not get on his plane. And, Emma cancelled her appointment.

That night Emma was feeling depressed and had some physical pain as well. A friend called and asked her to go to church with her. As much as she didn’t feel like it, Emma went.

There was a woman guest speaker that night, who prayed for Emma. Without knowing her situation, she prayed things like: “you are not making a mistake,” and “you can still have hope in the dreams God has given you.” And, best of all, she told her, “your child will do great things one day.”

When we spoke with Emma, she was excited and filled with joy. God had taken time out to speak directly to her about her life and her child. What an amazing God we serve!

Please continue to pray for Emma and her family. Please also pray for our banquet tonight. We desire for God to move and have His way amongst us! He has always provided abundantly for all of our needs and we trust Him completely, but we also know that prayer can make all the difference!

Keeping it true! Barb

Kirsten’s Story: “Planned Parenthood Turned Me Away, but the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling Made All the Difference!”

When Kirstin found out she was pregnant, she made her way to the place that everyone had always told her helped pregnant women: Planned Parenthood. She had been pregnant three times before, but had aborted every time.  With this baby, she really wanted to make things work, however she wasn’t feeling right and she was bleeding a little bit.

Kirstin remembers feeling stunned when Planned Parenthood told her they could not help her. Instead, she was told she would have to see a physician. She doesn’t know for sure if that was because she had no intention (at least at that time) of aborting, but she knew she didn’t have insurance or enough money to go and see a doctor. No one had even officially told her that she was even pregnant.

A friend told Kirstin about the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling. As it turned out, she passed by it everyday since it was near her home. She called and came in for a pregnancy test and ultrasound. She was amazed by how friendly everyone was, especially after her not-so-friendly encounter with Planned Parenthood. At that time, she was determined to parent her baby and told her advocate so. Her decision was solidified when she saw her baby on the ultrasound screen.

Kirstin had been pregnant four times but this was the first time she had been offered an ultrasound. On the screen was her little baby, arm and leg buds clearly visible, moving vigorously, even appearing to wave. Kirstin describes it as the “most beautiful moment I have ever felt in my life.” At that moment she realized that “there’s a real human inside me.” She left the office excited to have her child.

Then a month passed and the circumstances in Kirstin’s life changed.  She had no job and life was filled with stress. The lure of the past came creeping back and she thought that if she was going to abort she needed to do it soon. Statistics show that once a woman has an abortion, she is more prone to do it again. With each subsequent abortion, the risk continues to increase.

Then Kirstin received a call from the AAA CPC. Every pregnant woman is called periodically throughout her pregnancy to make sure she is doing okay. Previously, Kirstin had indicated an interest in our Post Abortion Trauma Healing (PATH) Bible Study. During the phone call, she was offered this opportunity again. As it turned out, this call and the class changed the course of both Kirstin’s life and that of her unborn child.

During the PATH study, Kirstin was assured that God loved her in spite of her past abortions and that, like all of us who have sinned, she needed to repent and accept God’s forgiveness. Kirstin had already been drawn back to church and a relationship with the Lord before becoming pregnant. This study helped to solidify that and assist her to leave her previous path of abortion behind and move ahead with new life in Jesus for both herself and the tiny baby growing within her.

Kirstin then took the Parenting 101 course which is offered to new parents. She loved that so much that she continued on to take a Nutrition Class, a Breast-feeding Class, and a Child-Birth Class. She is also involved in a series of Bible Studies which are offered at the Center for spiritual growth. Kirstin declares that the Center has changed her life and we’ll never get rid of her. (We hope that is true!)

Kirstin’s story will be highlighted in our Fundraising Banquet, which will be held on Thursday, April 11. This brave young lady exemplifies all we hope to accomplish in the lives of young women in our community. In a non-coercive way, we strive to arm them with the truth and to provide them with the resources they need to make a choice for life. Our classes offer a wide range of topics to meet the needs of both the expectant mother and father. This is a tough world and there is lots of pressure to “get rid” of anything, like an unexpected pregnancy, that causes problems or inconvenience. We are at least one voice that is here to tell them that we care about them and their child and that we will do all we can to help them through the tough times.

We hold our Fundraising Banquet every year because we cannot do this work on our own. The AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling does not accept one dime of federal money. We share the Gospel with every woman that allows us to, and we will not do anything that might jeopardize that.  Therefore, we are dependent upon the generosity of private individuals to provide the funds to keep our doors open.

We are also excited to have Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and outspoken pro-life champion, as our key-note speaker. (For more on Dr. King, click here.) In addition, we will be unveiling our exciting plans for opening a branch office in West Omaha. If you would like to attend this event, please call me at 402-390-9700 or e-mail me at bmalek@aaacpc.com by next Monday, April 8.

Kirstin gave birth to a beautiful little girl named Olivia on September 6, 2012. She adores that beautiful child and could not be happier with the decisions she made. Kirstin admits that she is not sure what she would have done if the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling had not been there for her. And, on our part, we are so thankful we were able to play the role God has given us!

Keeping it true!  Barb