by Mary Peterson, Heartbeat Housing Specialist

When studying organizational development, you learn that the shift between stages is a very challenging season. Moving from founding and early decision making into a stage of sustaining and stability demands different skills and leadership strategies. Below are a few thoughts on things you can do to help ease that transition.

1. Get things written down. 
   Capture big decisions on paper—board policies, staff approaches, programmatic structures. Even if it is as simple as having a place to capture notes, when it is time to draft something like a board orientation or staff handbook, starting with a bunch of notes is a much easier starting place than a blank sheet of paper.  
2. Create systems. 
   You may know how to generate payroll or the staffing schedule or handle an intake interview. But, often that is all "in your head." Think of forms, checklists, habits, communication tools, and things like them as ways to build a training program that can transfer knowledge and responsibility to other people.
3. Take time for the big picture. 
   Trainings, retreats, and other opportunities allow you to step back from the day-to-day tasks and think about your work in a new way. It also gives you an opportunity to re-engerize during challenging seasons.
4. Make room for planning work. 
   When it feels like you are just putting out fires all the time, taking time to think about the long-term can feel like a huge burden. But, having segments of time to think deeply allows you do infrastructure building work and create strong foundations.
5. Invest in staff. 
   Cross-train your staff. Send staff to trainings. Take time for supervision meetings. Delegate to them. By developing leadership in your staff members, you help secure the stability of the organization and can spark an impact that reaches far beyond your organization.
6. Put some money into savings.
   During difficult seasons, having a small savings account might be necessary to weather the storm. Make a habit of saving, even if it is a small amount.
7. Stay nimble. 
   Predictability, structures, and plans are great for sustainability. But, change happens all the time—staff members change, laws change, financial realities change. Create an organizational culture that doesn't panic when it has to adapt.
8. Build traditions and tell your story. 
   Organizations can create a rich identity by taking time to celebrate key moments via traditions. Create opportunities to reflect on organizational experiences and memories.
9. Talk and pray about the future. 
   The future includes the staff who will follow, programs that will change, and volunteers and donors who will be called to the work. Set a tone and expectation that a bright future exists that involves new people and new ideas.
10. Build an organizational identity that isn't dependent on one person. 
    Anchor people to the mission of the organization, not to a charismatic personality. Having key supporters in relationship with multiple people eases the burden on the leader and maintains continuity when transitions happen.

Servants of Excellence

“So from that day on they planned together to kill him.” John 11:53

What was the moment when the religious leaders decided to take the life of Jesus? Oddly, it was just after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

Interesting, isn’t it? Jesus saved a life, rescuing a good man from the grave . . . and the miracle was too much for the scribes and Pharisees. They convened a council to discuss the matter and said, “If we let him go on like this, all men will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

The central issue? Raw power. If they allowed Jesus to continue doing good, no one would look upon them with awe and reverence. Jesus would take their place. The chief priests and Pharisees would no longer rule the people; Jesus would take pre-eminence. And they couldn’t stomach the thought. Too much—their riches, their livelihood and their places of honor—was at stake.

So, they plotted to kill Jesus. All because he rescued a good man.

Things are no different today. Many of us are trying to do something good—rescuing the innocent from death—and there are those who wish to eliminate our voices, our ministries (“fake clinics,” anyone?) and our effectiveness.

They mock us; and they demean us. Though we find it hard to believe any of them would kill us if given the opportunity, is it so far-fetched to consider? If we were in Jesus’ world, where show trials could be convened against anyone the powerful deemed a menace, do we believe the results would ultimately be different?

Jesus’ response to this plot however, is a teaching moment for us. For one, Jesus continued to serve and to teach his disciples. When Jesus was confronted with betrayal, instead of rebuking Judas, Jesus simply said, “What you do, do quickly.”

When faced with false accusers, Jesus was never defensive, always holding fast to the truth. And on the cross, Jesus asked forgiveness for those who sought to kill him.

In Jesus’ day, the rich and powerful thought they won a victory when Jesus went to the cross. They couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead, the cross was the beginning of a mighty movement still growing today.

What about us? When the powerful—with millions of dollars, paid-for lobbyists and PR machines running 24 hours a day—come after us, how do we respond? Like Jesus, we can respond with calm, with truth and with love.

When we do this, the world takes notice. And a movement—one of life and hope—continues to grow.

Click the link below to download the E2 Grant Final Report form.

Reminder: These forms will be sent on to the supporting foundation as received. Please be sure to check spelling, and include a client story. If you absolutely must handwrite instead of filling out the PDF form, please make sure it is legible.

by Christa Brown RN, Abortion Pill Rescue (APR) Coordinator/Medical Specialist

‘‘I didn’t want the baby, but I also didn’t want to have the abortion,’’ a young woman in her early 20s just beginning her nursing career said. ‘‘I just wanted it all to not exist, which is kind of what the pill allows a woman to think can happen.’’^[1]

Taking a couple pills seems easy enough. But can this “easy fix” make a living baby nonexistent?

Another woman stated, “I seem to change my mind every five minutes. I'm booked for an abortion in two weeks. My head tells me it is the right decision, but my heart tells me not to do it.”

It can be the most difficult decision a woman will ever have to make. The promise of an easy fix is enticing. And there are often time, relational, and financial pressures that move the choice forward quickly.

Growing in popularity and availability, chemical abortions (often referred to as medical abortion or abortion pill) account for 31% of all nonhospital abortions and 45% of nonhospital abortions before 9 weeks' gestation in the United States in 2014. At Planned Parenthood clinics in the United States, medical abortions accounted for 32% of first trimester abortions in 2008, 35% of all abortions in 2010, and 43% of all abortions in 2014. Some women prefer chemical abortion to surgical abortion, as it seems less invasive and can be completed at home.^[2] But it is not without physical and emotional risks, and for many a lot of regret.

In 2016 the FDA updated its protocol to a regimen that uses less medication, has a longer time span during which it can be used (up to 70 days after a patient’s last menstrual period) and requires fewer visits to the provider. Twice as many abortion patients are eligible for chemical abortion following the 2016 FDA label change. The overall number of U.S. abortions continues to decline, while the number of chemical abortions continues to increase. ^[3]

The most common chemical abortion regimen in the United States involves the use of two different medications: Mifepristone, sold under the brand name Mifeprex, and misoprostol, sold under the brand name Cytotec.

Mifepristone is a progesterone receptor antagonist. Mifepristone and Progesterone have similar cellular structures and are able to enter progesterone receptors like a key into a lock. However, mifepristone can’t turn the lock, it just sits in the lock and prevents progesterone from going into the receptor. Mifepristone causes the separation of the decidua basalis from the trophoblast. This separation decreases the oxygen and nutrients that can be delivered to the embryo or fetus and make it difficult for the pregnancy to thrive.^[4]

Misoprostol, taken 24-48 hours later, works to empty the uterus by causing cramping and bleeding. A follow-up visit is usually scheduled a week or two later to confirm the pregnancy was terminated via ultrasound or blood test. ^[5]

But what happens when indecision continues and a woman changes her mind after beginning a chemical abortion? Is it possible to choose again?

Prescribing bio-identical progesterone can reverse the effects of mifepristone and is successful in 64-68% of the cases. This reversal treatment works by outcompeting mifepristone for the progesterone receptor sites until the mifepristone is no longer in the system. ^[6]

Progesterone is a natural female hormone. It stimulates the growth of the uterus, causes maturation of the endometrium, inhibits myometrial contractions, builds breast tissue and strengthens the cervix. Called “the pregnancy hormone,” it is essential before and during pregnancy. Following a successful implantation, progesterone helps maintain a supportive environment for the developing fetus. After 8 to 10 weeks of pregnancy, the placenta takes over progesterone production from the ovaries and substantially increases progesterone production.^[7]

Progesterone has been safely used to support pregnancies for over 60 years. In a study conducted by the Pope Paul VI Institute 933 pregnant patients received progesterone during the course of their pregnancies. To date, this is the largest single study of its kind. The incidence of fetal abnormalities was actually lower in that population than it was in the population that did not receive progesterone. Their conclusion was “There is no credible evidence to suggest that its use to support pregnancy, whether that support be in the early days or months of pregnancy or later in pregnancy, is, in any way, teratogenic or responsible for any genital malformations. In fact, all of the available evidence strongly supports its safety when used in pregnancy.”^[8]

In an observational case series of 754 patients who decided to attempt to reverse the medical abortion process after taking mifepristone but before misoprostol and were prescribed progesterone to support the pregnancy,  the researchers concluded that “the reversal of the effects of mifepristone using progesterone is safe and effective.”^[9]

Pregnancy Help Organizations exist to support, educate and empower women to make the best choices possible. Sometimes, there is regret after the initial decision is made by a client and we can offer the assistance they need to attempt to reverse the effects of the abortion pill. Here are some ways your center can help:

• Offer reversal information to clients considering abortion so they understand reversal is possible. This information can be included in referral sources:
  “Abortion Pill Reversal is possible. Contact us for help.
  https://optionline.org/
  Call 1-877-558-0333
  Text “HELPLINE” to 313131”
• Follow up with clients who have begun the chemical abortion process and offer reversal as an option. Many still do not know reversal is available and your call, text, or email might be a welcome glimmer of hope to someone who is regretting their decision to abort.
• When a client presents at your center seeking reversal, have her call the APR Hotline to speak with a medical professional (877) 558-0333. Heartbeat International has Medical Professionals waiting to take her call, answer her questions, and connect her with a reversal provider in her area.
• Seek donors to help a client with the cost of Progesterone for reversal. After paying for the chemical abortion, some clients may not have enough to pay for the progesterone prescription. And even those with insurance sometimes face delays that could affect the outcome of the pregnancy. Having financial assistance available would allow them access to their prescription as soon as possible.
• Become an AP Rescue PMC (Pregnancy Medical Clinic) – These are Medical Clinics that are part of the APR Network and are consulting, counseling, and prescribing for abortion pill reversal. These PMC’s may also administer and follow up with abortion pill reversal clients.
• Become an AP Rescue PRC (Pregnancy Resource Center) – These are centers that are part of the APR Network and are consulting with clients regarding abortion pill reversal. These centers offer assistance such as education about reversal, financial assistance to pay for Progesterone, and ongoing support.
• Locate new AP Rescue Medical Practices in your community – These are private medical practices or pregnancy help medical clinics that might be able provide the protocol for abortion pill reversal and may offer continued care for abortion pill reversal clients.

To receive Abortion Pill Rescue brochure information and/or more information about how to become an AP Rescue PMC or PRC, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

[1] A New Front in the War. New York Times Magazine Web Site. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/18/magazine/a-new-front-in-the-war-over-reproductive-rights-abortion-pill-reversal.html. Published July 18. 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2018.

[2] Mindock, Clark International Business Times. Web Site. "Abortion Pill Statistics: Medication Pregnancy Termination Rivals Surgery Rates In The United States". Published October 31, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2018.

[3] Medication Abortion. Guttmacher Web Site. https://www.guttmacher.org/evidence-you-can-use/medication-abortion. Published 2018. Retrieved July, 11, 2018.

[4] Delgado, G. M.D.,Condly, S. Ph.D., Davenport, M.M.D., M.S., Tinnakornsrisuphap, T. Ph.D., Mack, J. Ph.D., NP, RN, Khauv, J. B.S., and Zhou P., A Case Series Detailing the Successful Reversal of the Effects of Mifepristone Using Progesterone. Issues in Law & Medicine, Volume 33, Number 1, 2018.

[5] Medication Abortion. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Web Site. https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/fact-sheet/medication-abortion/. Published June 01, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.

[6] Delgado, G. M.D.,Condly, S. Ph.D., Davenport, M.M.D., M.S., Tinnakornsrisuphap, T. Ph.D., Mack, J. Ph.D., NP, RN, Khauv, J. B.S., and Zhou P., A Case Series Detailing the Successful Reversal of the Effects of Mifepristone Using Progesterone. Issues in Law & Medicine, Volume 33, Number 1, 2018.

[7] Progesterone and Pregnancy: A Vital Connection. Resolve Web Site. https://resolve.org/infertility-101/the-female-body/progesterone-pregnancy-vital-connection/. Published 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.

[8] Unleashing the power of a woman’s cycle: Progesterone Support in Pregnancy. NaPro Technology Web Site. https://www.naprotechnology.com/progesterone.htm. Retrieved July 11, 2018.

[9] Delgado, G. M.D.,Condly, S. Ph.D., Davenport, M.M.D., M.S., Tinnakornsrisuphap, T. Ph.D., Mack, J. Ph.D., NP, RN, Khauv, J. B.S., and Zhou P., A Case Series Detailing the Successful Reversal of the Effects of Mifepristone Using Progesterone. Issues in Law & Medicine, Volume 33, Number 1, 2018.

by Jor-El Godsey, Heartbeat International President

God pulled off some pretty cool judo. Did you catch it?

Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the United States, SCOTUS for short, handed down a 5-4 victory in the NIFLA v. Becerra case. If you’re not familiar, the case was a challenge to the government over-reach of a California State Assembly law (AB775) in favor of free speech by local, non-profit, pregnancy help centers. The law had a carefully twisted criteria that singled out these pro-lifers to compel them, among other things, to advocate abortion access provided by the State of California.

The decision itself was an answer to prayer – and there had been lots of prayer about the law and in particular as it was being heard and decided at the Supreme Court. Certainly God was in that, as it affirmed His value for championing His Gift of Life. The judo comes in when we step back and look at the whole story from the beginning of the journey to the victorious ruling at the highest court in our land (SCOTUS).

The original draft of the bill, AB 775, that would become the law that would be challenged, did not arise just from a concerned California elected official. The original draft came from none other than Big Abortion itself. NARAL, Planned Parenthood, and their ilk leveraged their political muscle by planting the framework for this bill with one of their elected lackeys. The party of abortion that dominates the California political landscape voted favorably with their Governor Brown making it official. Finally, in their minds, the pregnancy help centers would have to fall in line with their abortion agenda through the might of their government power.

Fortunately, the California pregnancy centers didn’t buckle to this raw abuse of government power. The majority refused to comply pending the outcome of the NIFLA lawsuit. A few were bullied into compliance by the zealous Los Angeles County attorney who, seemingly, has little better to do than threaten pro-lifers trying to help women make the healthiest choice for their baby.

A fundamental principle of judo is to defend against attacks by using the strength and momentum of the attacker. The insistence of Big Abortion to use government to do its bidding was the very strength and momentum that God used to defeat them. Instead of codifying their allegations against pregnancy centers and compelling each to convey their pro-abortion message, the result of their efforts is to have the free speech and right of conscience confirmed by the highest court in the land! Other states (Hawaii, Connecticut, and Illinois, for example) that folowed California's lead can expect to watch similar laws fall like dominoes after the decision this week. In fact, we've already seen progress in the City of Hartford, Connecticut where Hartford Women's Center is breathing a sigh of relief.

This echoes from what Joseph understood (Genesis 50:20), “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” There’s the judo! God turned the narrow (California) legislative attack to a national (all of the U.S.A.) affirmation of pregnancy help centers.

But that’s not all. Through NIFLA v. Becerra, more and more people are hearing about the good work of pregnancy help centers. Lawyers will cite this case for their own free speech battles. Young attorneys-in-training will learn about this case in law school. Multiple media outlets – secular and religious – have been highlighting the conflict between free speech and conscience and the State of California’s overreach. In the process, they’ve conveyed the life-affirming work of PHCs to hundreds of thousands, maybe over time millions, who would never have heard otherwise.

Thank you, God, for the masterful judo lesson. (Understanding that judo was only invented in the 1800s and you’ve exercised the principle philosophy for a lot longer than that.)

by Mary Peterson, Heartbeat Housing Specialist

I live in the midst of the desert - it's easy to look on the landscape of cactus and sand and just see brown, barren land. But, even here, it is spring. The mesquites have sprung out with tiny leaves; the jackrabbits seem to be everywhere, and a hint of green can be seen on the mountainside. I saw a family of baby quail hiding in a plant the other day and couldn't resist cooing in delight.

In the work of maternity housing, we encounter the nitty-grittiness of life on a daily basis.  Some of those situations are fairly typical of the human experience - supporting women who are dealing with the discomfort of pregnancy, facing a difficult decision, or trying to develop new skills.

Other aspects of our everyday reality are extremely challenging - serving adult women struggling with basic hygiene, traumatic experiences, addiction, or abuse in their relationships. Women choosing to remain in patterns of behavior that appear selfish or self-destructive. We have to deal with the reality of asking women to leave our homes, a sometimes brutal transition from a place of safety to a challenging and uncertain future. We get accused of being a much worse and a much better person than we really are.

This reality - of maternity housing - can be very heavy, and at times of exhaustion or overwhelmedness, it can seem bleak or depressing.

But, like spring in the desert, there are signs and indications everywhere of a different reality.  

• A genuine conversation.
• A positive interaction.
• A loving gesture.
• A sacrificing mom.
• An act of forgiving.
• A goal achieved.

When we attune our eyes, there are indications of growth, new life, and goodness emerging.

In the video below, Chris Bell of Good Counsel, shares a difficult scenario that he encountered and transitions into some thoughts on remaining encouraged in the work. May we all remain steadfast in our committment to resist despair and to seek indications of God's goodness at work.

National Maternity Housing Coalition - Chris Bell from Heartbeat International on Vimeo.

Servants of Excellence

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

The other day I was tasked with keeping the scorebook for my son’s 8-Under baseball game, where the coaches pitch, the ball gets tossed all over the place and somehow, the umpires keep track of it all.

Keeping the scorebook is not difficult in this league. It’s a chore in “real” baseball, because scorers must track “official” hits, decide on errors, describe every out in detail (but with numbers only) and more stuff I can’t fully explain.

For instance, if a major league player hits the ball to the third baseman who bobbles the ball before making a throw and the runner reaches first, it’s scored E5 (Error on the 3^rd Baseman). In our league, if all ten (we need an extra) players in the field throw the ball over each other’s heads for 15 minutes and the runner—exhausted—finally reaches home, it’s a home run. Easy peasy.

My job as a scorer then, was simple. All I had to do was track who made outs, and whether a kid got around the bases for a run. That’s it. No errors, no fancy scoring. If at the end of the game my book matched the score book for the other team, all was good. No nuance in this league, believe me.

Sure, when errors are made, the kids are corrected. But we’re not tracking this stuff. We’re just happy they are out there. We’re happy they are playing.

Our game is about encouragement, hits and scoring. And even the word “hit” can have a different definition. Heck, when my kid hits the ball, we’re cheering whether he is safe at first or headed back to the dugout.

One night, the only time he connected with the ball it rolled a few feet into foul territory. He told me later, “I got one hit tonight!” Good enough for me. We’re flexible in 8U baseball.

Which tells me something about God. If we—being the somewhat decent parents we are—are such encouragers, what about God?

Sometimes we see Him as a taskmaster, recording our sins and constantly chiding us for our failings. It’s as if we see Him with a score book, noting nothing but errors and—to take Isaiah 64:6 out of context—seeing anything good we accomplish as nothing but “filthy rags” in His sight.

Yes, we make errors. And a good parent gently corrects a child who makes a mistake—either in the field or in life. But we don’t spend much time keeping track. We focus on the good, celebrating those times when our child hits the ball or performs an unselfish act.

Maybe God is more like a good parent than we realize. Perhaps He is cheering us on, even amongst our errors, urging us to “Go!” and change our world.

One kid on our team cries every time he doesn’t make it to first base. His head drops, he drags his bat back to the dugout and then collapses on the bench in agony. Each time this happens, a coach tries to cheer him up and get him “back in the game.” Almost always, it works.

What about us? Do we focus on our failings?

Perhaps God focuses more on our scoring than on any errors we make. When He closes the book on our day, it may be true that we bobbled the ball of life and threw it the wrong direction. He will correct this at the appropriate time. But I wonder if He turns to His Son at His right hand and says, “Wow, he sure hit the ball on that one play, didn’t he?”

And maybe, like an 8U baseball parent, He smiles.

by Kirk Walden, Advancement Specialist

Nurses Make a Difference: Anytime, Anywhere – Always

Join Heartbeat International in celebrating National Nurses Week May 6-12. We rejoice for each of you who lead the charge in medical care in each of our affiliate centers!

We certainly have plenty of reasons to celebrate the amazing nurses in pregnancy help organizations who serve with compassion and expertise, inspiring client and patient trust. Every day we are confronted with life and death. Yet babies are saved because of the compassion, expertise, and prayer we offer our clients. We inspire clients with the confidence and hope they need to carry their babies to term. We innovate new ideas and methods to best help them. And we empower our clients as they make healthy decisions for their relationships and pregnancies and then eventually in their strong parenting choices. It's these things that lead to amazing little everyday miracles, like precious healthy babies being born into the loving arms of their healthy mothers, sometimes even after an abortion has been stopped in its tracks.

I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak…Ezekiel 34:16

We hope you know, we are always praying for you, and if you have any specific prayer requests or praise reports, feel free to share them any time by clicking the button below!

Sometimes It Can Be Challenging

Anyone who has labored in a ministry for any length of time knows that there can be struggles. Our work can be an odd endeavor. Sometimes our efforts do not produce immediate and “concrete” results that show our work was beneficial and effectual. Sometimes our clients take three steps forward, only to then take five steps back. As we try to wait with positive expectation, sometimes disappointment can creep in.

Don’t Forget Your Calling

It is critical to lean on the Lord because this is His work and His battle. Paul was an apostle, not because of his brilliance, compassion, personal skills, or preaching ability. He was an apostle because he was called. And so were you! The calling is not what we do, it’s who we are. It goes with us everywhere. Our calling is simply to be fruitful in what He has called us to. He does the rest. And His call to a ministry is an invitation to unequaled privilege. We work in the midst of miracles every single day!

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. Hebrews 6:10

He Moves Mountains

God loves the women and babies we serve with such a deep, unending love, He moves mountains for them. And that is a truth we can rest in. As we strive to do all He has called us to do, always remember, He will do more. He wants the best for each life He creates. And He fully knows all you have done and all you have carried.

Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15-7

We Appreciate You!

Each of us at Heartbeat International pray for you and are inspired by you. We appreciate your good works and your willingness to do God’s will each day. Thank you for being on the frontlines of care and for putting clients first no matter how grueling your day. We appreciate your kindness, dedication and healing touch. Today we honor each of you who are quite literally changing the world one heartbeat at a time.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead

There are two little words you may not hear every day. But to each of you, we proclaim a resounding, “Thank you!”

Servants of Faith

But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus—Luke 6:11

We know wherever Jesus went, many loved him and followed. But some—almost always the cultural and religious leaders—despised him no matter what he did.

In the verse above, the scribes and Pharisees in the synagogue were filled with rage because Jesus did the unthinkable, healing a man’s withered hand . . . on the Sabbath. How dare Jesus do such a thing? Couldn’t he have waited until Sunday?

No, Jesus could not wait. He had a point to make. Over the years, those in charge of all things religious had been adding to the law of God, creating extra rules regarding what it meant to “keep the Sabbath holy.” These rules were relatively easy for those in authority to keep; they didn’t have to worry much about tending flocks, finding food and getting oxen out of ditches.

But for those under their religious authority, keeping all the man-made Sabbath rules was an incredible burden.

Jesus then, asked a question when he saw the man with the withered hand. “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm, to save a life, or to destroy it?”

Like every one of Jesus’ questions, this was a good one. It boxed the religious leaders in a corner, pointing out the hypocrisy of their thinking.

Therefore, they were “filled with rage.” To Jesus, it was not surprising to see leaders of his own culture angry with him. He appealed to normal people, and this was too much for them to stomach.

Today, it’s no different. In our culture the “leaders” are those who preach to us about what we must think and how we must behave. They are in Hollywood, the media, and some are in the political realm. They tell us we are to bow down to gods like “choice” and “tolerance.”

Over time, these leaders created their own commandments; commandments which seek to impede—or even stop us from reaching those who need all of us in the pregnancy help community. According to these commandments, we are to cease talking about faith. And, we must desist from speaking honestly about the wonder of human life.

As those who serve in the pregnancy help community, we understand the opposition Jesus faced. Like him, we ask ourselves, “Is it lawful in our society to do good? To save a life?”

Our answer is always “Yes.” Because just like Jesus, we realize there is never a wrong time and never a wrong situation . . . to do good.

by Kirk Walden, Advancement Specialist

by Josh McClure, Guest Writer

I was blessed several years ago to attend a conference where Andy Merritt was the keynote speaker. Andy is a preacher at Edgewood Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia, and is one of the pioneers of the pregnancy help movement.

Andy shared how his church started a center in their building, and watched as it transformed the lives of men and women. I was moved by a lesson he learned along the way, which you can listen to here.

Here is what I learned:

God is merciful and patient. He remained committed to Israel even when they were unfaithful for many years. Yet Israel’s Idolatry led to immorality and the crossing of a line that brought judgement upon, and a long exile for Judah. The first two chapters of Amos show that God judges nations and where He draws a line at the shedding of innocent blood. Amos explains that because of the sins of Manasseh, God would not pardon their sin.

In 2 Kings 21, we see that Manasseh stands apart from all the prior kings because he instituted child sacrifice to a false god named Moloch. This child sacrifice idolatry was to provide prosperity and protection for the Judah.

Manasseh, when facing challenging neighboring nations did not turn to God, he chose to sacrifice children on an idol to secure prosperity. God can forgive any sin, so long as the heart of man is repentant. There is no greater example of this than King Manasseh himself repents in 2 Ch 33:21-25. Yes, we will see the formerly wicked King Manasseh when we enter the Kingdom of God.

And yet, God does not hold back his judgement even when Manasseh repented, because the people did not repent with him. Two generations later, Manasseh’s grandson, Josiah, became king and tore down the idols of Moloch, and he undertook the greatest national reformation we have ever seen in scripture. Peace was in Judah during his reign. But as soon as Josiah dies, his son reinstitutes Moloch worship, and the people join in.

Jeremiah 3:10 describes the nation’s repentance under Judah as a fraud, and Ezekiel 9 is dedicated to the judgment that had finally come upon Judah. Notice, God spares those who groan and lament the state of the Judah, and He focuses the beginning of judgment on the spiritual leaders.

This country is a long way down the road toward judgment. While Manasseh sinned greatly for 55 years and filled Jerusalem with blood, the United States has overshadowed Judah’s shedding of innocent blood by an exponential magnitude.

The people of Judea worshipped Moloch for the same reasons people choose abortion today. We have only become more efficient at it. In one year, more innocent lives are taken in this country than could have possibly occurred in Judah.

Yet there is hope for averting God’s judgment because the people are not uniform in the acceptance of abortion. Regular polls done in this country indicate the majority opinion is that abortion is wrong. Millennials are described as the most pro-life generation in decades. Abortion, along with many other destructive sins, is legal in this country, and there are agents pushing for greater acceptance of immoralities such as these.

In 2015, the State of California passed a law that would require pro-life pregnancy centers to use their walls as billboards to advertise taxpayer-funded abortions. The law also makes it impossible for non-medical pregnancy centers to advertise by imposing burdensome disclaimers to crowd out the pro-life message in as many as 13 languages.

This law was crafted by the pro-abortion lobby and hatched in the California Legislature. Its purpose; to silence those who would lovingly offer an alternative to men and women facing a difficult choice in an unexpected pregnancy.

On the eve of boarding a plane to go to Washington, D.C. to bring our case to the Supreme Court, I was given a picture painted by Sharon Mayfield—a supporter of Pregnancy Care Clinic in San Diego. I had asked her to consider painting it a year earlier, and it came at such an important time. The picture is of King Josiah breaking down the altar or Moloch.

Notice the two emotional responses at seeing this picture. First, there is a feeling of victory, strength, and courage as an injustice is being removed from practice. We draw hope that the idolatry of abortion can be stopped in this country. But let us remember also the failure of Josiah. While he radically altered his trajectory with God averting judgment against the country, the people’s hearts were not changed.

We must recognize that abortion cannot be stopped by mere laws of men, but by changing the heart of the people. This is a one person at a time campaign, and it takes commitment to see it through.

Our country was founded on the idea that our rights including the First Amendment are endowed to us by our Creator, and the Constitution is set in place to protect those rights. It is a gift given by God that we can believe freely in Him, and to act or speak according to our convictions without fear of persecution from man. Infringing these rights is nothing short of tyranny.

California sought to force pro-life clinics and the people who work there to violate their convictions and purpose. No one should be forced under threat to speak a message contrary to what they believe. I believe we will see justice prevail, and California’s AB775 overturned.

The second emotion when viewing this painting is horror and dread at the thought of all the years, and all the innocent lives destroyed on that altar. We are also reminded of the terrible judgment from God that befell Judah, and that same judgment is looming for this country.

The heart shudders at the very image of that idol even as it is being torn down. I have to give a shout-out and recognize the heart of Sharon who took on this project. In some ways, I am sorry I asked her to paint it. I don’t think I knew what I was asking of her. In beholding the tragedy of this picture, I know her heart was burdened by painting it. She shared with me, there were times she had to put it away and not look at it and do other life breathing projects. I saw her breathe a sigh of relief when she handed it to me.

I will never forget Sharon’s sacrifice to paint this prophetic piece. You see, there are very few pictures of the idolatry of Moloch. We have an aversion toward the suffering of the innocent. I cannot bear the image of a child being placed on that idol, just as I cannot bear the image of an aborted baby. This painting is but a shadow of the Idolatry of Moloch. It is victorious and yet still I shudder.

Abortion is performed behind the veil of the womb, our society is blind to it! An innocent life is taken for the benefit of perceived prosperity or peace. Sharon’s painting has pulled back the veil, and given us new context. She has encouraged us that we can make a difference. We can see abortion ended, we can see a culture of life restored. I pray God’s blessing on Sharon, and I pray God would use this picture for His glory, to change hearts (especially of our leaders) and embolden his faithful workers.