MOSAIC/THRIVE ST. LOUIS Pregnancy Centers

Cash Cows of Metro-St. Louis: Certain pro-life organizations would rather perpetuate abortion than prevent abortion

January 2012

      Why do pregnancy centers that collect OVER $1 million per year and pay their directors $80,000 per year exist? Because they are “window dressers”. They have lost their focus and have fallen in love with making money. They have turned into financial businesses. Unfortunately, this is exactly what Thrive St. Louis and Mosaic Pregnancy Center do. They are supposed to be helping women and their unborn children. At both of these centers, pregnant women have to be a so-called “client” of theirs, take classes, and register before they give birth to their baby to receive any help. If a desperate mom in need of baby supplies and immediate assistance visits one of these centers for help after she has given birth to her baby she cannot get any help, unfortunately, because that is their standard policy.

     Mosaic Pregnancy Center just last year collected approximately $760,000 in donations and grants, and approximately $550,000 was paid out in salaries and employee benefits alone, http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments//2010/371/218/2010-371218460-072720ba-9.pdf. Only a few thousand dollars actually went towards helping moms and babies in need. What a disgrace and shame! They have turned their operation of a pregnancy center into a money grubbing business. At least they have quit advertising in the Catholic Times newspaper asking for more money under the guise of a Catholic organization. A couple of years ago, they presented an advertisement in the newspaper saying, “As Catholics, we,” trying to pass themselves off as a Catholic organization in order to collect more money.

     Almost two years ago, March 9, 2010, at Illinois legislator day, Mosaic Pregnancy Center director Kathy Sparks was passing herself off to legislators in Springfield, IL claiming that she was the ministry performing ultrasounds outside the Hope Clinic in Granite City. We caught her red-handed as we were only feet behind her in the reception line greeting the legislators. Maybe that is why she took off and out the doors when she saw us in line. You can only imagine how embarrassing it was as we introduced ourselves to the lawmakers and had to correct them. Performing free ultrasounds outside the Hope abortion Clinic has been a part of Small Victories’ daily ministering as we have for the past twenty years.

     The reason our ministry started was because Sparks’ center was referring women for abortions and was not helping desperate women in need. Referring girls to the abortion clinic was brought to our attention by a pregnancy center in Collinsville, Illinois. They, too, were encountering business cards from New Beginnings/Mosaic that referred girls to the abortion clinic. Marilyn Welling was one of the several volunteers who brought this to our attention.

     Another instance of deception is the Shawn Reagan fiasco. On March 17, 2005 our ministry was alone standing outside Hope abortion Clinic. Once again, another underage girl was brought for an abortion. Her frantic parents showed up outside the mill pleading, trying to get inside after their daughter’s school notified them that she was not in school. They discovered that she had been brought for an abortion that they had no knowledge of and did not want to happen. The girl’s mother, Shawn Reagan, cried out, “That’s my grandchild! I should be in there with my daughter.” Shawn was arrested and placed inside a police cruiser. For several hours we called law enforcement officials and the State’s Attorney to no avail. We contacted the local media, and they covered this tragic situation fairly well. This mother had no access to her daughter or grandchild. Only hours later was this 14 year old girl thrown out to her mother who sat in a squad car most of the time.

    The family had many problems after this episode. It was all over the media. Kathy Sparks took full advantage of this tragic situation by imploring Shawn Reagan to do three fundraising banquets for New Beginnings/Mosaic. This was relayed to us by Shawn Reagan herself after Kathy Sparks paraded her around from fundraiser to fundraiser like a trophy. I asked Shawn, “Did you get paid for this?” She answered, “No.” “How did Kathy Sparks help you?” Shawn replied, “All Kathy Sparks did was give my daughter a pregnancy test in the beginning, and then she just paraded me around to do fundraising banquets for her.” I questioned, “Well, how did this help you?” Shawn responded, “It didn’t. You’re the one who helped me and my daughter outside that abortion clinic.”

    This displays the character of Kathy Sparks. She is there to LOOK like she is doing pro-life work while she hijacks the work of others who are. We crashed her little “glory party” when we showed up at the Missouri state capital where legislators and media were listening to testimonials concerning underage girls being brought over state lines to Illinois to have secret abortions http://www.smallvictoriesusa.com/News/2005/A%20Day%20at%20the%20Circus%20Sep.html. Kathy Sparks, along with Representative Jane Cunningham and former Pregnancy Resource Center director and Sparks’ mentor John McCastle sat with Ms. Reagan. Surprise, we were seated with the pro-aborts. When legislators asked for any further testimony from witnesses we held our hands up and were asked to present it. We gave them heaven and told the truth about who and what organization is standing outside this abortion facility in Granite City, Illinois holding these distraught mothers of underage girls coming across state lines. And it is not Kathy Sparks.

    We gave the lawmakers facts and statistics on this occurrence and the rise of abortion clients coming from Missouri. We shared several tragic situations and also informed them that we are the only pregnancy resource outside this abortion mill that is open everyday as an alternative to abortion-bound women. We also stated that we do not discriminate. We help everyone in all stages of pregnancy and at all hours. Girls do not have to jump through hoops in order to receive assistance.

    Why would Kathy Sparks choose to selectively help pregnant girls? She goes so far as to state on her brochure that girls must come to her pregnancy center at the onset of their pregnancy and must take classes in order to then receive help. In addition, Sparks limits ultrasounds to women who are only in their first trimester. This is exactly why abortion-bound women are not walking into pregnancy centers like Mosaic and Thrive seeking help. Rather, they are dashing to abortion mills that are more than willing to provide an immediate “solution.” And that is why our ministry is so vital.

    Thrive St. Louis collected $1.7 million last year and less than 10% went to actually help moms and their unborn babies http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments//2010/431/304/2010-431304395-070129d1-9.pdf. Over half of the amount they collected went towards salaries and employee benefits, with very little going towards helping women in need. Thrive St. Louis is still in denial over hiring a pro-choice Miss Missouri to speak at their major fundraising banquet in 2004. http://www.smallvictoriesusa.com/News/2004/missmissouri.html

    Ministries such as the two above should not be masquerading themselves around as doers of God’s work when they are actually living off of the abortion holocaust ravaging our nation. Innocent babies are dying, and they are worried about how much money they can make. They have lost their focus. Instead of preventing abortion they are propping it up. If abortion came to an end tomorrow they would be jumping off their buildings. Why aren’t newspapers like the St. Louis Post Dispatch or the disgraceful St. Louis MetroVoice run by Jim Day reporting these facts? WHERE IS THEIR ACCOUNTABILITY?

    Jim Judge of the Better Business Bureau of St. Louis recently reported that with any non-profit organization, over 65% of the money collected should go directly towards their stated purpose, not to salaries. It is very clear that both of these organizations do not come anywhere close to meeting this guideline. Both of the directors of these organizations and anyone else in the organization that receives a paycheck should be exposed as frauds.

    Our Small Victories ministry collected $101,000 in donations last year and almost 75% of the money collected went towards helping moms and their babies, both directly and indirectly, as well as helping others in need.

     So, the next time you think of donating to Mosaic Pregnancy Center in Granite City or Thrive St. Louis, think of two wolves in sheep’s clothing, or just better yet, throw your money out in the street and watch it blow down the road. Elaborate closed buildings do not help desperate women in need or save babies scheduled to die. When a pregnancy center discriminates and makes it hard enough for pregnant women to receive the bare essentials, it is just pushing them into the abortion clinic that is open and willing to help mothers terminate their pregnancies. Both of these centers stand behind their faith and feel justified with their rules and regulations, but Jesus would never stay in a building and pay himself an exorbitant salary. He went out into the streets seeking the lost and needy. Babies are not dying at pregnancy centers; they are dying at abortion mills.

Proverbs 14:31 “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”



SHE'S HERE..SHE'S HERE!!! A Christmas Miracle..

Thank You Lord, she is beautiful .  Only 4 lbs.2 oz. as she arrived prematurely Her features are tiny and wonderfully made.  We first met her and took her first picture when she was 8 weeks old. inside our ultrasound van after her mother walked back out of the abortion mill in Granite City.  It was a fight for her innocent life.  We begged and pleaded with the abortion bound mother as she stormed passed us that  morning. The accomplice took our literature, but brushed us off as we pleaded mercy for this little one.  Praise God, they came back out and looked for our van which had already left for the day. She called me and we returned the next day to show her that precious gift growing inside her womb.  

     We compassionately listened to her struggles and plight . We knew, she really didn't want to go back in there and kill her baby. We lovingly shared our ministry and all our resources we could help her with and we saw a change in that van, we knew if we provided the materials and support she would see real hope. We provided the monetary resources she needed that day to stay in the housing she was currently residing and to keep the utilities on. God made it possible for this distraught mother to see Jesus through our working hands and efforts to keep the baby alive and both of them thriving.    

      Of course the devil was behind the scene sowing seeds of doubt. This young mother had every excuse to take her unborn baby's life as she was a high risk pregnancy..but we prayed several times over this mother and baby and the Lord provided the protection and the specialty physicians to deal with delicate condition. 'I rebuke you devil,..you are not getting this baby. You have no authority over this child or this mother, now, get behind me Satan" we declared. 

                                         So today, very early, this beauty made her stunning debut weighing a little over 4 lb.s . She fits in your hand and wailing, which is always a good sign.   Please meet lil' Miss Kaelin Alexis ..and know that are blood , sweat and tears are not in vain.  Lil Kaelin is living proof that being a window to the womb and helping abortion minded women on the spot, outside abortion mills, does save lives.  Just ask lil' Kaelin. Our Christmas miracle. 

             "Heavenly Father, You created us in Your own image, and You desire that not even the least among us should perish.  We ask now, in Your love, to protect us against the wickedness of the devil, and those little ones whom You have given the gift of life,..In Jesus Name we pray. 

    Be encouraged,

         ~Angela   

Kicking the Bucket

On a personal note, Salvation Army has never helped me in placing homeless pregnant girls through the years. Their excuse was always, "Pregnant women are a liability and we don't want to be sued if anything happens to them in our facilities".

Salvation Army marching toward abortion support?

Exceptions already approved in international position statement

Posted: December 17, 2011
10:00 pm Eastern
By Anita Crane
© 2011 World Net Daily

     This is the season of the year when Salvation Army volunteers are on the streets and outside stores ringing their bells to encourage donors to fill their red kettles with money for the poor. The longtime Christian organization provides food, shelter, elderly services, disaster relief, prisoner rehabilitation and many other forms of aid.

    But it also has adopted a position statement that is a step toward abortion, and pro-life leaders are expressing alarm at what they see developing.

    In its statement on abortion, the Salvation Army says: "A number of biblical and theological principles underpin The Salvation Army's position on abortion. …

    Get "180," the DVD that shows how when confronted with the facts of abortion, people do a "180" turn to oppose the procedure.

    "The Salvation Army believes in the sanctity of human life. Humankind was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). All people – without exception – are of value to him, holding a special place in his creation (Psalm 8:5), irrespective of age, gender, race, religion, health or social status, or their potential for achievement."

     But it also states, "A serious commitment to the protection and care of the unborn calls us to a commitment to the prevention of unwanted pregnancy through means such as access to reliable birth control, safety in relationships, and societal respect of women."

     Specifically, it says the Salvation Army "believes that termination [abortion] can occur only when carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother; or reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a fetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period."

     And it continues, "In addition, rape and incest are brutal acts of dominance violating women physically and emotionally. This situation represents a special case for the consideration of termination as the violation may be compounded by the continuation of the pregnancy."

    Christian human rights activist Rebecca Kiessling, an attorney, speaker and author who defends rape victims and was conceived during the rape of her mother, was surprised.

    "This [abortion] statement is one of the most disheartening things I’ve seen," she told WND.

    She donates to Salvation Army and, as a mother of five, frequently shops at Salvation Army Thrift Stores.

   "They are clearly trying to set forth a biblical standard. They say that God defends the weak and those who are marginalized and that He is a God of justice, but the Salvation Army has now marginalized children like me who were conceived in rape. In other words, they support the death penalty for innocents like me who were conceived out of violence. Yet the Bible says that a child should not be punished for the crimes of [his or her] father," said Kiessling.

    "The Salvation Army is all about rescuing treasures and trading beauty for ashes with the used clothes and household items people donate to them, but they can't seem to do the same for rape victims and their children," Kiessling said.

     Salvation Army Commissioner M. Christine MacMillan was contacted by WND and asked to respond to three questions: (1) Does the Salvation Army fund abortions in any way? (2) Does it lead women to abortionists in any way? (3) Why does it cite and link to the Guttmacher Institute, which is affiliated with the abortion chain Planned Parenthood?

    She declined to answer, saying instead she might call back. She didn't.

     Leticia Velasquez, a mother of three, including one child with Down syndrome, is an author and founder of Keep Infants with Down Syndrome or KIDS. She said, "The Salvation Army should re-consider their position on this critical issue, as it is not consistent with a pro-life stance.

    "An abnormal prenatal diagnosis does not lower the God-given dignity of a baby. We believe that all human life is sacred from conception until natural death. If a baby is destined to live only within her mother's womb for a few brief moments or days afterward, then we must give that child the full span of life and not end her life by abortion."

     Likewise, Stephen Phelan of Human Life International told WND, "The 'International Position Statement on Abortion' from the Salvation Army is seriously problematic, both for its interior contradictions and for the fact that it explicitly links itself with the Guttmacher Institute, which openly promotes unrestricted access to abortion around the world. Indeed, the organization is named after Alan Guttmacher, the abortionist who was a transformational president of Planned Parenthood and who was a tireless advocate for abortion."

   Alveda King, director of African American Outreach at Priests for Life, expressed similar suspicion.

   "Good organizations become 'infiltrated' by forces that promote abortion, the breakdown of marriage, sexual immorality, etc. They come as wolves in sheep's clothing and appear to be harmless and even helpful. Then they begin to reveal their true or basically untrue colors. This is sadly maybe what is happening to the Salvation Army. Not for sure, but maybe."

     "So much of the Salvation Army statement is commendable, but parts of it read like it was written by the Guttmacher PR department to ease the conscience of those who are not yet in support of unrestricted abortion. These contradictions are irreconcilable," added Phelan, HLI's communications director. "The mere appearance of support from Salvation Army can be used by the huge international abortion cartels to justify their work."

     "My first pastor was a Salvation Army officer. The Army has long been an uncompromisingly strong witness of Christian truth, but they have got it terribly wrong here," said Rev. Rob Schenck, a minister on Capitol Hill and chairman of the Committee on Church and Society for the Evangelical Church Alliance.

     Schenck and his twin brother, Paul, now a Catholic priest, were targeted by the state of New York and the Clinton administration for defending unborn babies and their mothers outside abortion clinics and other public places, including places where President Clinton appeared. In 1996, the twin brothers and all pro-life demonstrators were vindicated by the U.S. Supreme Court when eight out of nine justices ruled in favor of Schenck v. the Pro-Choice Network of Western New York.

    Wendy Wright, interim executive director of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, agreed with Schenck and HLI about the Salvation Army.

    She said, "The Salvation Army has an admirable history of reaching the most outcast and shunned in society, the broken and destitute, the hardest of cases. This policy treats the most shunned and broken of unborn babies, the hard cases, and shuts them outside humanity's house. Simply put, it violates God’s commandment that 'thou shalt not murder.'"

   "Not only is their position weak and unbiblical, but it's contrary to historic Christian moral instruction and to the good work of the Christian Holiness movement that is their heritage. This is an aberration that must be corrected immediately if the Army is to maintain its Christian integrity," said Schenck.

    Wright said the Salvation Army's stance on abortion "denies the humanity of a child to say she can be killed because of the crime of her father. Or that deliberately taking a child's life is somehow better than allowing God room to work, to do a miracle, and to shower that child with love for as long as possible. Following the Salvation Army's counsel would mean that the only touch that some severely disabled babies would ever feel is not the loving arms of her mother, but the sharp blade of an abortionist."

     Considering the Salvation Army ad and its good works in urban minority neighborhoods, Day Gardner, president of the National Black Pro-Life Union, said, "I'm very disturbed if they support abortion in any way, especially because I always give money to the bell ringers I see outside stores before Christmas. I find the whole thing rather disturbing because they are doing this in the name of Jesus Christ, Who came into the world under very difficult circumstances – as a poor and homeless baby.

     "I have been working with a mom, a young black woman in Chicago, who had conjoined twin boys that shared a heart. People told her she should let them die because they wouldn't live long. Their mom is very strong in Christ, the boys lived 18 months and she said she would not have traded her time with them for anything."

OVER THE COUNTER ABORTION PILL ..NIXED

Forward by Angela Michael

        A familiar staple will no longer be conveniently accessible in between the colorful packages of chewing gum and sweet treats at the grocery checkouts. Praise God! It appears a light came on within the minds of the Health and Human Services Secretary and President Obama. The aborticant, the Plan B Pill, will no longer be available to little girls without a prescription. It makes sense. You wouldn’t hand a gun to a 12 year old and tell her to learn how to use it without proper supervision and instructions would you? Would it be asking too much if the former senator, now President, from Illinois would go one step further and protect little girls in Illinois by placing parental rights back into the hands of the parents that are raising those underage teens, and lift the injunction a federal judge placed on this law that has been on the Illinois books since 1995? The ACLU and abortion industry in Illinois think they make better parents than those who are footing the bills and are held responsible for those children when it comes to sex and abortion. Ensure it’s passage by enforcing the law, immediately. Let’s go back to Plan “A” as in abstinence. Better yet, there is always Plan “C”, as in Christ.

Morning After Pill Not Allowed Over The Counter Because Girls Allegedly Won’t Understand It

Plan B came this close to being offered in drug stores without a prescription until Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overturned the ruling. She claims that young girls under the age of 17 won’t understand how to use the emergency contraception.

The Food and Drug Administration was entirely prepared to lift the age restriction which currently permits the pill in pharmacies to girls 17 years old and up should they have identification proving their age. The New York Times reports that Sebelius overturned the decision because a 17 year old is more capable of understanding how to use the pill properly than say a 13 year old:

“It is common knowledge that there are significant cognitive and behavioral differences between older adolescent girls and the youngest girls of reproductive age,” Sebelius said in a statement. “I do not believe enough data were presented to support the application to make Plan B One-Step available over-the-counter for all girls of reproductive age.”

But the FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg tells the Times that she and her agency’s drug-safety experts did very much take into consideration the safety of young girls. She said:

“There is adequate and reasonable, well-supported and science-based evidence that Plan B One-Step is safe and effective and should be approved for nonprescription use for all females of child-bearing potential.”

A simple pill that can prevent you from becoming pregnant following a rape, a broken condom, or poor choices doesn’t seem all that complex to an eighth grade girl — if not completely mythical. Having those options right along with condoms could have put a serious dent in the number of unplanned pregnancies in the States, as well as abortion rates.

Our daughters need more education about safe sex practices and options, not restrictions.

-Koa Beck

"WE'RE GOING TO SAVE A BABY ON A PARKING LOT "..

November 30th   

      We received her distress phone call last night and promised to meet with the girl the following evening.  After her shift, she would meet us on a parking lot and talk.  We had a commitment  before our appointment.  We were invited to a church sponsored concert, the guest musician and singer was a devout Christian, Mitch McVicker.  He was formerly with Rich Mullins before his untimely death.  He was performing in Highland this evening, what a blessing.  A one man show. He loves the Lord and was so talented.  His songs of worship and praise just encouraged us for the task at hand. We were about to save a baby.     We had to sneak out before Mitch was done, but, we expressed our gratitude to his entourage and his Dad.  We exchanged contact information and purchased a CD.  His Dad heard we were running for office and we acknowledged and he wished he could vote for me, but,  I said, "You can do something even better, I need your prayers, we have to leave early as we are meeting a young pregnant girl, we're going to save her baby, we need prayers." "Yes ma'am", he answered "God bless you both",  he said as we left.  

     

       Fast forward:  on a dark lit parking lot we quickly set up our ultrasound van.  Brr.  It was cold. The generator kicked on PTL!  We were off..a few minutes later she parked her car and came inside our van.  Oh my!  I remembered this girl..from behind her back, a little girl appeared rather shy.  "Chanel"  then reintroduced me to this little one. "You saved her seven years ago.. My mother was making me go to the abortion clinic, but, you met with us and you calmed my entire family down and helped us so much,..  When this happened, you were the first person I thought of as you helped me so much last time". I asked her, "What does your mother think of your daughter now?"  She replied, "She is her world!"  I responded, "I'm glad things worked out for you."  

       

     I asked her daughter if she would like to help me with the scan. Up and down she nodded. We gloved up and quickly scanned, and there on the screen an approx 6 week old baby appeared,. "Chanel" started gently weeping, while her daughter watched in glee. "Look mommy there it is". She shared her plight and we went over a strategy, especially since her mother was pushing for an abortion last time. "It's seven years later, you are standing on your own two feet, and these are the resources we can help you with."  We advised her for a physician follow-up and answered her immediant needs.  She was feeling better about her situation.  We viewed the baby swimming in an ocean of fluid.  "It's so active ", she said. "Your baby is auditoning for it's life," we said.  She then sat up and gave me the tightest hug. "Thank you so much. I'm so grateful there are great people like you that help people like me at all hours and unconditonally", she said. "Wow, that means alot to us, as the thanks are few and far inbetween." "No, I really mean it", she said,  "You guys are so busy with your kids and stuff  and you come out on a cold night to help me.  Thank you just doesn't seem enough", Chanel said. I replied,  "No, you blessed us tonight, saving your baby is our reward."  

    We handed her some more mom-to-be literature and a treat for her little girl who was enjoying the whole experience.  The little girl turned to me, hugged me and said, "Thank you for saving me." WOW! We watched them get into their car and drive away. Daniel helped me tear down and place the signs back into the van on this chilling , cold night. "You see Daniel, that's what is all about. You have to love and help pregnant girls unconditonally, at all hours , even in the dark of night. Jesus went out to the lost and needy. He knows that where there is love, life will grow." ..                "Thank you Lord for guiding our feet and living through us and blessing us with the fruits of our labor's."

~Angela

A BOUNTY OF THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS

Welcome to the Michael Thanksgiving 2011

      Our family just loves this somewhat forgotten holiday between Halloween and Christmas. It is the day to give thanks for all our blessings and gather round the table for a delicious festive feast. It is a day to cherish those whom we hold dear and remember how we got here to enjoy all our freedoms; a day to remember the pilgrims and the sacrifice they made for future generations to go on in this new land; a day to give thanks to the Lord, for without His divine hand we could not be here; a day of traditions…but this year we did something a little different; we honored the sacrifice our 30 lb fowl made to be the honored guest and delicious centerpiece on our dining table. His journey began Thanksgiving eve (history in the making!) as the children kept arriving and toting their laundry baskets, the chefs and apprentices were in the command center (that being the kitchen) prepping and praying over our main guest and loading him with stuffing and garnish. We placed him gingerly in the warm oven, and all through the short night, we could smell the aroma of turkey.

    At the crack of dawn, Hannah joined me to surprise everyone with homemade donuts and rolls as we began the morning full of baking and cooking. When asked if she wanted a donut, Hannah looked at the large baked turkey on the counter top and said, “No, I’d rather have that chicken leg.” We laughed as she was referring to the over-sized drumstick protruding from the foil. It’s so good to have the kids’ home with us. So many beds and bodies in one house. Soon, all were up and helping out. Of course, when we asked for volunteers to help with making the “Michaels Melt-in-Your-Mouth” chocolate chip cookies, Hannah was first in line with her stool. As we measured and mixed, our three year old was in charge of adding the chocolate chips to the batter. More chips ended up in her mouth than in the mixture.

     As I looked around our kitchen, I was so thankful for all our blessings each day. The love and care they showed to others and each other, means that we must have taught them something right. Finally everyone was home and we gathered around our plethora of steaming dishes and garnishes adorning our oversized table. It was so rewarding to see all those faces and hear the chattering. As we prayed over this feast, this year we asked each family member to mention something they were thankful for. It was touching. Most mentioned “family.” Of course our youngest daughter said, her kitty cats and Mommy. Aside from that, we all acknowledged the Lord as the centerpiece of our family with grateful hearts. Our family is a circle of love, with every birth and every union, the circle grows. Every joy shared, adds more love. And every crisis faced together, makes the circle stronger.

    With the clanging of dishes and the roar of football games in the background some of us got to nestle down into our “turkey coma’s” as the Thanksgiving Day wound down into night. Our daughter Savannah then submitted an offering of “thanks” for all to enjoy! O, I don't have to look far to see how blessed I am and what I'm thankful for; breath in my lungs, a heart that beats, eyes that see, ears that hear; food, shelter, clothing; the things we can take for granted every day; things that millions of people don't have; a family, true friends, and a relationship with a very real and very faithful God. God's love and grace is so real and evident to me, I would be lost without him and have him to thank for every good thing in my life. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”Colossians 2:6-7



    As another Thanksgiving Day shows itself I am able to enjoy it at home with my family. Traditions are carried on throughout the day, and it's never dull around here. It's all hands on deck for cooking, cleaning, baking and enjoying each other. Watching my little sister eat more chocolate chips than she put into the cookie dough. Smells of a cooked turkey traveling throughout the house. Little things like laughing and sharing hugs and having a family to do that with. I do have so much to be thankful for.



    I bet you can say the same thing. I hope you can. Yes, life isn't usually a basket of sunshine, but being grateful for the blessings we have while enduring the hardships will be well worth it. They say nothing good in life comes easy. Maybe you have to dig down deep to see what you're grateful for, and how God has blessed you. That's okay; it doesn't mean He is a less faithful God. Take the time to thank him, especially in the midst of hard times. This Thanksgiving remember the littlest to the biggest blessings in your life and walk with a grateful heart.

Thank you Lord, and Happy Thanksgiving !

Scissors, Suction, or Blunt Trauma

Children continue to be an endangered species, born and unborn.

We no sooner arrived home in the dark of night after our vigil outside the Midwest largest late term abortion mill, Hope Clinic in Granite City, when our daughter called us to mention a baby was missing from a family in Afton, Missouri. His name was Tyler Dasher and he was the same age as our youngest son, Isaac. Of course the news of the death or murder of a small child is always shocking and riveting, but, consider this; had that child been three months younger, it would have been perfectly acceptable as far as American society is concerned. You see, we have allowed murder in the womb for over 38 years inside abortion facilities; all the way up to 9 months, for any reason.

                                                          Reportedly, like a thief in the night this sleeping child was snatched from the security of his crib while his mother lay sleeping in the other room. When she awoke in the morning she discovered his disappearance and law enforcement soon lined the streets of this neighborhood. By the dusk of evening his tiny body was found less than a mile from his home, cradled underneath a pine tree in a small walking park; his blue blanket lay with him. Wailing could soon be heard from the crowds gathering outside this innocent child’s home. Yes, the medical examiner confirmed it was the missing little boy; he was dead. The lead investigator told reporters, “Only a monster could do this to a small child and leave him in that condition”. He died violently.

BREAKING NEWS: Local media is now reporting that an arrest has been made early this morning. The mother of little Tyler has been charged with his murder. “Shelby” led authorities back to the crime scene and back to the tree where she disposed of his small beaten frame. In most murders investigators say the perpetrator is usually someone in the family or someone closest to the victim. But if you think about it, there’s another reason we should have suspected the mother; you see, we have allowed mothers to pick and choose which child is worthy of life… for decades. Noticeably, reporters behind the news desks were outraged when first reporting this missing child and finding his lifeless body. Now that a suspect, the child’s mother, has been arrested and named, their demeanor has gone apathetic. As if to say, “Oh well” just another day. In other news…

You see this is how we treat children in society; like garbage. This past September we reported the horrible deaths of two East St. Louis, Illinois children ages 4&5 at the hands of what was considered their greatest protector, their mother. But instead of a scalpel or suction tube, this mother used a shotgun to relieve herself of the responsibility of motherhood. http://www.smallvictoriesusa.com/Articles/2011/Scissors%20Suction%20or%20Shotgun.html

It all goes to prove; when citizens allow bloodshed in the womb, we will reap it in the streets. Everyday babies are barbarically ripped apart inside abortion mills. They too die violently. Understand, we are not being insensitive of this terrible tragedy, but, the increase of violence on the streets, our homes, and our jobs, is a symptom of what is being sown in the womb. We have become a nation of savages. Life is cheap. No respect for life. That is why mothers and their accomplices don’t even blush at the sin of shedding innocent blood, or its ramifications. Child-killing has become so acceptable, it’s just another day. I’ve often repeated a saying, “When you make the monster, you have to live with that monster”. We have polluted our land with innocent blood for over 38 years, why should we be shocked when a mother decides to kill her baby outside of the womb? It’s just a different weapon, and location.

If this tragedy hasn’t broken your heart enough, as we close, breaking local news is reporting that two young children, ages 1 & 3, have been found wandering the streets of Granite City, Illinois in 40 degree temperatures with no clothes on. Parents are no where to be found. God help us!

Innocent children don’t stand a chance. This is the “monster” the chief investigator referred to. Who is most responsible for child killing? We need only look into the mirror.

“If our American way of life fails a child, it fails us all” `- Pearl Buck