National Day of Prayer

The theme for this year's National Day of Prayer on May is Prayer ... America's Hope! It's based on Psalm 33:22, which says, "May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You."
This is an extremely critical time in America's history. From economic pressures, to the ongoing threat of terrorism, to the unraveling of our culture's moral fabric, many people are dealing with a deep sense of uncertainty and apprehension.
However, we can be confident that when we come to God in humble prayer, He hears us and stands ready to respond to our cries for help. Our forefathers sought the Almighty for guidance and safekeeping; and we, too, can depend on His divine intervention if we will turn to Him in repentance and prayer. That will be our purpose as we gather with other people of faith across the nation on May 7th.
There are many ways you can get involved:• Join our LIVE online prayer room every Thursday at Noon CST• Find local events• Connect with volunteers in your area• Request free devotionals• Download prayer resources• Join the Online Prayer Rally• Sign-up for weekly prayer tips via email• Support Regan Smith, driver of the NDP and Furniture Row race car at NASCAR's Talladega event on April 26th• View GOD TV's LIVE webcast and television coverage of the National Observance from Washington D.C. from 9-noon EST on May 7th.
Visit www.NationalDayofPrayer.org to learn more.
Again, I hope you will join with millions of other Americans on Thursday, May 7th, to observe the 58th annual National Day of Prayer.
Sincerely, Donald E. Wildmon,Founder and ChairmanAmerican Family Association

Check the AFA (American Family Association) website by clicking on their link:
http://www.afa.net/family/articles.asp

Stem Cell Research

Given this weeks news that President Obama has decided to sign off on a reversal of Bush's ban on Embryonic Stem Cell research, what does this mean for Americans who do not want their taxes supporting this type of research?

What does this mean for stem cell research? If you are like me, I have not been informed about all of the truths concerning Embryonic Stem Cell research. I knew just enough to know that there was enough of a haze around the reasons for using embryos for research that I truly felt the Holy Spirit guiding me into a decision that this wasn't an idea of the Lord's.

Out of all that I have learned, the biggest shock is that there is no news coverage informing us that Embryonic Stem Cell research has provided absolutely no results. So if Adult Stem Cells can do all the wonders for science....why is there continued support for the embryonic research? By the way did you know that Adult Stem Cells are easily taken from anyone's DNA?

Two sites worth investigating:

The Center for Bioethics Human Dignity:
http://www.cbhd.org/resources/stemcells/overview.htm

Stem Cell Research Cures:
http://www.stemcellresearchcures.com/FactSheetHandouts.html

Continue to pray for the Lord's discernment about this controversy....

FOCA: The Truth Behind the Words

Folks--Thank you for your commitment to opposing the Freedom of Choice Act.

I have included below a few links that will take you to some resources relating to the Act, including the text of the Act itself.

http://www.nrlc.org/foca/index.html
This link will take you to a series of resources collected by the National Right to Life Committee. This includes a link to the Act itself, as well as a link to a list of Senators and Representatives who are sponsoring the bill.

http://www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/FOCA/
This link will take you to the USCCB's FOCA site, including information about the postcard campaign.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/freedom-of-choice-act/articles/support-foca-14393.htm
This link will take you to Planned Parenthood's website where they assert that FOCA will invalidate existing laws limiting access to abortion.

http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/Abortion-Access-to-Abortion-FOCA.pdf
This link is to a NARAL site and includes NARAL's analysis of why it believes FOCA is necessary--to eliminate existing restrictions on abortion and to preserve the right to abortion in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court.

I think it is worth reading the information put forth by the supporters of this legislation to understand what its proponents really want--unfettered access to abortion on demand through every stage of pregnancy. This undermines their claims that the Act will simply codify the Court's holding in Roe v. Wade.

Thank you again for your support and commitment. Please pass this information on to anyone you know who would like to join our effort in opposing this Act. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

May God soften the hearts of those who support abortion rights and may He strengthen us as we undertake this very important work.

God bless you all,
Jeff L

The Value of Life

What makes one life more valuable than another?
We hear in the media all the time about the loss of life in the war in Iraq. As of August 25, 2008, according to the Department of Defense, the total number of casualties since March 19, 2003 is 4149. There is not a person in America that those statistics do not sadden.

But why is it that we don’t hear about the staggering number of deaths of defenseless children in America? In the United States in 2005, according to the Guttmacher Institute (who the government sites as a source for it’s census records) 1,210,000 abortions were performed.

The loss of life in the entire war in Iraq is roughly the equivalent of the number of babies killed in a thirty-hour period in THIS country in 2005. That fact should stop us in our tracks. In ONLY 30 hours Americans legally killed 4143 babies.

We have all heard that the baby is not defined as a human life during the period of gestation, that abortion is currently legal, and there are those seeking to allow the killing of babies at the time of birth. The Pregnancy Resource Center reports that yes in fact studies have shown that these babies do feel pain during the abortion process. Not only do they feel it, but it is documented that they react to it. They are real people and they behave as such. No different than you or I would attempt to retreat from a source of pain, these babies try to escape the pain that is assaulting their bodies, but with nowhere to go and with no one to protect them... they suffer and die.

Why do we grieve and protest the loss of a life that was spared from abortion more than we do the life that was terminated in it’s very beginning? We, as a nation, turn a blind eye to the suffering and killing of defenseless children. We even go so far as to claim that it is the right of the mother to choose to inflict suffering and ultimately death upon that child! Yet we protest the death of those who voluntarily joined the armed forces, knowing that war and death were a possible consequence of their chosen profession. We do not protest for the safety of our police officers or fire fighters with such zeal. The majority of Americans rally, with as much passion as those wanting to end the war, to support the slaughter of millions of American children!!!!

EVERY life should have the same value, regardless of age, race, or creed!!! Over a million children die a year as the result of legalized homicide. Homicide is the killing of one human being by the act or omission of another. Homicide occurs when a person purposely, knowingly, recklessly or negligently causes the death of another.

We need to take a stand as a nation and protect the children that are unable to protect themselves. Abortion should be as important of an issue as the war, and we as Americans are capable of offering that protection to those who are defenseless. We need to make our voices heard, that this killing should be stopped..... at least as strongly as we demand the war to be stopped.

Prayers & Blessings,

Kate C 8/26/2008
ALL lives have the same value!!!!!
http://www.guttmacher.org/ , http://www.defenselink.mil/