Thursday, July 30, 2015

Does Planned Parenthood Care No Matter What?

“Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.  The He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure.” Psalms 2:1-5


Oh Heavenly Father, we come to you today on behalf of our nation.  Oh Lord, the people have indeed plotted a vain thing.  The governments and rulers of our nation have created laws against You and against Your anointed.  Oh Lord, we as a people have allowed them and have bowed down to the idols of selfishness and self-reliance.  We have sacrificed our sons and daughters on the altars of self-interest.  Oh Father, we ask for you to hear our cry and forgive us and forgive our land.  We ask for You to speak and for truth to be unveiled and justice to come.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

My heart pounded as we entered the door of Planned Parenthood.  Anxiousness hovered over me like a dark cloud on a dreary day.  I walked to the desk to sign in.  The lady behind the counter measured up my fear and quickly suggested a pill to ease my nerves.  She handed me the pill and water.  Within moments, lightness overtook the heaviness of dread.  I couldn’t feel.  Everything seemed funny.  Then my name was called…from that point on, nothing was funny.

A nurse escorted me down a long hallway and into a cold sterile room.  There was a metal table.  I knew immediately I wanted to leave, but it seemed too late.  Then pain.  Screams.  Wailing.  Uncontrollable tears. 

Then it was over.   I was no longer pregnant.  In the waiting room, I knew…I knew what I had done was wrong.  I had tried to convince myself that it was only tissue.  I had tried to convince myself it was only a blob of nothingness.  My baby was 11 weeks old when I aborted.
At 11 weeks old, she had hands, feet, fingers, and toes.  Babies can be seen dancing and playing in the womb at 11 weeks old.

  This is a picture of my 13-year-old son at 11 weeks gestation.


Why didn’t anyone tell me? Why didn’t I know? Would it have mattered?  I’d like to hope so.
In April 2014, I went back to visit that Planned Parenthood for the first time in twenty-one years to pray healing over the land.  Karen Ellison, the founder of Deeper Still and some other Deeper Still team members and long time friend, Jill Balkema, walked around the building with me looking for a spot to pray.  The building had an aura of decay and death even evidenced by its outward appearance.  It was as if the death that happened on the inside of the building couldn’t help but seep through and spread to the outer as a wound bleeding inside rises to the surface as a discolored and eye-sore bruise.  



With the door in sight, my only thought was, “I wish I would have never opened that door. “ Then, as we prayed, the sign by the door was brought to my attention.  “Care. No matter what.”

I wonder?  Do they really care no matter what?  What about the lives lost daily?  What of the women left wounded who come into their doors?  What about those standing outside crying because of a choice made years ago?  If I had told them my story and how an abortion nearly destroyed me, would they had listened?  If they read this post, how would they respond?
Please don’t misunderstand.  I don’t blame them.  It was my choice.  My question is a rhetorical one.  The answer…an obvious one. 

Planned Parenthood has been in the news much lately as the public has gained knowledge of their practices in harvesting and selling aborted fetal tissue.  Planned Parenthood received $528 million dollars last year of tax payer’s money or $1.4 million per day (Lifenews.com).  Congress is in the process of trying to bring a vote to the floor to have Planned Parenthood defunded by tax dollars. Let us continue to pray for the lies to stop and truth to surface. 

That day in April 2014, as we stood outside Planned Parenthood in Champaign, IL and prayed, a lady came out and asked us to leave.  Did that lady care why I was outside crying? Twenty-one years of heartbreak and pain.  Twenty-one years of “what if”.  Twenty-one years of wishing I had never walked through that door.  A twenty-year-old girl I will never see this side of heaven. 

“Care.  No Matter What. “?   It is time for truth. 

Please join us in praying for truth to prevail and click on the link below to sign the petition for Planner Parenthood to be defunded.







Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Rear Guard Prayers

“Now because of this King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amaz, prayed and cried out to heaven.  Then the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria…Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”  2 Chronicles 32: 20-22

Father, we thank you that you fight on behalf of Deeper Still.  We thank you that you send your angelic armies out before us and cut down every enemy scheme and tactic.  We thank you that you protect Deeper Still, the Deeper Still Team and deliver your people. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Hezekiah was a king who honored the Lord by tearing down the high places and all alters and images of false gods. It says in 2 Chronicles 31 that he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God.  In 2 Chronicles 32, it says, After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities thinking to win them over to himself.(emphasis added)

The enemy came to attack after Hezekiah was so faithful.  We have an enemy too who may try to attack after we have done what is good, right and true.  We need prayer warriors like King Hezekiah and Isaiah who will pray and cry out to heaven. 

And I love how when they cried out and prayed, the Lord fought for them.

They had prepared for battle.  In 2 Chronicles 32:3-7, it describes all the extensive ways they had prepared and fortified themselves to stand up under attack.  King Hezekiah encouraged his armies stating, “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him.  With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and fight our battles.”

The enemy “called out with a loud voice in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and trouble them.”   Our enemy also tries to call out in a loud voice in a language we understand to frighten or trouble us.  When our enemy calls, we need to cry.  Not cry tears, but cry out.  Our cries should always be louder and greater than the enemy calls. 

King Hezekiah and his people may have been frightened or troubled.  But, they were prepared and pressed on in prayer.

They prepared and pressed on in prayer.   In the end, they didn’t even have to lift a spear.  It says an angel of the Lord came and cut every single enemy down!  Hallelujah!


Yes, we have an enemy.  Yes, he is out to destroy us and make us doubt God will come on our behalf. He comes thinking he can overtake us.  But, greater is He who is in us than He who is in the world (1 John 4:4).  The numbers are in our favor. There are more with us.  The Lord our God is with us to help us and He fights our battles.  We just need to cry out, stand and watch Him be victorious!