Our Reach Exceeds

I was reading in My Utmost for His Highest this morning and this phrase stuck out to me, “A man with the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue; he is devoted to God Himself.”  He went on to say, ‘“Though it tarry, wait for it.” The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have grasped…Our reach must exceed our grasp.’

Most of you already know that my season as Executive Director of Life Choices has come to its end.  But what excites me more than anything, is that the reach of our ministry continues to exceed our grasp!  How do I know this?  Because we still have vision!

As a ministry led by men and women who are devoted to God above all else, He continues to reveal visions.  Like the vision of a dining room table full of young mothers holding a bible study at our Maternity Home.  Or the vision of a thriving men’s program in each of our three clinics.  Or a full-time education program in the local jails.

Have we accomplished a lot?  Yes!  Have we grasped onto more than I ever dreamed?  We certainly have!  But when we stop there, when we become satisfied with our grasp, we are finished.

So we move on, reaching for all that the Lord has for us!  Please continue to reach with us.  We need you if we want to continue seeing His visions become our grasps.  We need you to volunteer, to donate, to PRAY!

Thank you for all the years you reached with me…I am excited to keep reaching as your fellow partner in this work.

For Life,

Chelsea

Marching in the Treetops

The role of believers in the war against abortion can be hard to define sometimes.  You can only look at so many images of precious, innocent babies lying on medical tables, ripped apart and bloody before your fury begins to overtake your thoughts.

I know I have been guilty many times for allowing my anger (righteous as it might be) to dictate my actions, and to be my leader and guide in this battle.  I am the first to admit that I have clenched my fists and shouted at this disgusting act that is permitted legally, medically, and even spiritually by so many in our world today.

As the Director of Life Choices since 2009, on more than one occasion my decisions have been guided by that “righteous” anger.  And I could always quickly and easily spout off Scriptures and statistics and personal stories to defend my actions!

But ironically, those times of following my anger have rarely produced successful results in the battle.  Rather, they have left me feeling unsatisfied and frustrated.

Why?  Abortion IS wrong.  Abortion IS evil.  Abortion IS sin.  Abortion takes the lives of at least 48 Pennsylvanians every single DAY!  My anger should be justified.

This morning I was reading in 2 Samuel 5.  This is right after David finally acquires his long awaited throne and begins to go out and defeat the enemies threatening Israel in the surrounding areas.  And in this chapter was a profound lesson in leadership in the midst of a battle.

Before David went to battle the Philistine army, he inquired of the Lord…who surprisingly had a very specific plan of attack!

David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. ²⁴ As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.”

Why?  What was the point?  Was it absolutely necessary to circle behind the Philistine army in order to defeat them?  Or is there a greater purpose in these directions?

Obedience.  Obedience is critical in our battle against evil.  Without obedience we become a prideful army.  An army that “knows” the best plan of attack.  An army that believes their feelings are RIGHT and their actions should follow.  And an army who’s victories will point to man, and not the Lord.

Romans 12:19 says, ‘Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.’

In this great battle against abortion, it is critical that we wait for His direction before we march.  Does that mean we sit idly and ignore the reality.  Absolutely not!  It means we spend more time in prayer, seeking what His plan is and act accordingly.  Only then will the enemy flee and lives will be saved!

I’d like to think that the Life Choices team has mastered this, but we continue to learn.  We do make prayer a priority above all else!  And you can join us in several ways:

1. Pray for us.  This is simple, but invaluable.
2. Join our prayer times.  We pray every morning as a staff at our Executive Offices.
3. Sign up to receive our quarterly prayer list.  Simply email LCinfo@yourlifechoicesinfo.com.
4. Sign up to receive text alerts when an abortion determined client has walked in any of our clinics!  We will send you a text that says “Lord, not this (Kittanning, Indiana, or Butler) baby.”  You can enter the throne room with us on behalf of that woman and baby.  Email Traci@yourlifechoicesinfo.com to sign up.

Together, to see the victory, we must wait to hear marching in the treetops!

 

Why A Maternity Home?

By now you may have heard about Life Choices’ dream to purchase a lovely house in Butler County for the purpose of opening a Maternity Home which will minister to homeless, expectant women throughout Western PA.  It’s an exciting desire the Lord has put in our hearts and we are anxiously waiting as He uncovers each phase of this journey.

However, we know some of you have questions, and we want to address them openly…

1. Why open a Maternity Home?  As we have over 500 client appointments a year, we see women from all walks of life.  Several of those clients come to us homeless or nearly homeless.  While there are shelters available to them, a shelter is less than ideal.  God’s desire is to do more than provide a roof over their heads.  We want to journey through their pregnancy with them, invest in them, and help them find independence.  One of the biggest, accusations against pregnancy centers like Life Choices, is that we help clients choose life and then leave them to walk their journey alone.  While this is not the intent of our mission, we do know there is more we could be doing with the right resources.  And that is why we MUST open a Maternity Home.
2. Why purchase this particular house (see picture below)?  We know without a shadow of a doubt that this house was handpicked for this ministry.
   – Built as a Bed and Breakfast, this home was intended to house several people at one time.  With the available space, we could house 8-10 women at one time with ease.
   – It has a finished basement that could serve as an apartment for live-in house parents, which is necessary staffing for a maternity home.
   – It is move-in ready, which means little to no remodeling will need to be done before it can be used.
   – The location is IDEAL, with just enough privacy to keep the residents feeling safe, yet close enough to countless resources in the city of Butler.
3. How much money will it cost to run the Maternity Home when it’s opened?  Once the house has been purchased ($600,000), we estimate our yearly budget to average $150,000.  We have already raised the first year’s expenses!
4. What will clients do once they become a residents of the Home?  They will grow…in so many ways!
   – Physically.  With the help of our staff they will have access to doctors appointments throughout their pregnancy.
   – Spiritually.  With regular Bible Studies and relationship building at local churches.
   – Relationally.  They will build friendships with other young women within the home, the staff, counselors, and other networking done throughout the community.
   – In addition, they will learn job trades, finish high school, take college courses, learn every day skills (cooking, cleaning, budgeting, etc.).  No woman will leave the Maternity Home unchanged!
5. How can I support this Campaign?  Right now, we need your prayers and financial support.  Donations of any size are welcomed and will be a huge blessing!  You can purchase a particular room in the Home and name it in honor or in memory of someone.  Or any donation of $1,000 or greater will be displayed in the Home once it’s opened.
6. How can I follow the progress of the Home?  There is a Facebook page designated for this Campaign (Facebook Page).  Or you can check out our webpage (Web Page).  If you’d like to sit down with a Life Choices’ representative simply call 724-545-2826.

Lord, we ask You for this house…

Our Arms Grow Tired

Do you remember the story of Moses holding his staff high so that Joshua and the Israelites could defeat the Amelekites?  And when his arms grew tired Aaron and Hur would stand on either side of him, holding his hands to steady him and give him strength.  And the Israelites were champions that day.

I think this story is a lesson on prayer.  It shows how critical constant support is for those in battle in Christian services…like Life Choices.

When each of our three clinics open their doors, we open ourselves up to a great battle.  Every time our education team enters a classroom, we enter a battleground.  Each time our development team stands behind a pulpit, proclaiming the lives saved in the name of Christ, a battle rages in our ears.

There are many times our arms become tired but we know if they fall, the battle for the lives of these precious unborn babies could be lost.  God has called us to the battle, He has called us to hold up our arms…so why does He let them get tired?  To show us that we cannot fight alone.  We need you!  Will you join us and give rest to our weary arms?

There are several ways you can become an intercessor for Life Choices:
1. You can be added to our quarterly intercessor newsletter.
2. You can receive urgent email prayer requests when we have a client considering abortion.
3. You can receive instant text messages each time an abortion minded client walks into one of our clinics so you can pray with us, “Lord not this baby.”
4. You can join us any Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday morning at 9:00 for prayer with our executive staff.
5. Consider adopting a member of our staff as your personal prayer mission.  My a clinic director or nurse in your community or one of our executive team members.  Contact us for a complete list of our staff.

For more information about any of the above options, email Angela@yourlifechoicesinfo.com or call 724-545-2826.

Cross the valley, He will fall.

So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them.

Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel…

Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me!  If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves!  I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!”  When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken. (I Samuel 17:3-11)

I can see it.  I can see the valley… the great divide between the abortion industry giant and the Church of God.  I can see the giant taunting and saying, I have all your government’s money, I have the trust of your young people, I have the lives of your unborn in my grasp, what can you do to me?  I dare you, try and cross this valley and fight me.

Can’t you hear the taunts?  When you see Planned Parenthood on the news and the rallies of support…can’t you hear them defying the armies of Israel?

But then I turn around and look at those standing beside me and I wonder, are we terrified and shaken?  Are we asleep and covering our ears?  Or are we David’s who are saying, Don’t worry about the Philistine…I’ll go fight him (v. 32)! 

Life Choices is made up of the Davids of our community.  We are crossing the valley, starring Goliath in the eye, and defying the odds with a small pebble.  And we are defeating him!

The giant is falling, not because we receive millions of dollars from taxpayers, but because we have the armies of the Living God on our side!

That is why we have seen nearly 150 babies saved from abortion since 2011!

Maybe you are standing, looking at the valley right now.  Maybe you heard about Planned Parenthood’s disgusting work of selling aborted baby parts for the first time and you want to do something about it.  Maybe you’ve always been pro-life but didn’t know how to get involved.  Well, now you know… contact us.  Visit http://www.yourlifechoicesinfo.com and learn about what we’re doing.  How we’re defeating Goliath with the power of the Lord’s armies.

Join the fight today!  We need you.  The unborn need you.
Chelsea
Executive Director

This is what defeating the giant looks like…

(One of Life Choice’s many victories!)

What’s the real problem?

I recently heard this definition for ministry – A solution to a problem God desires to solve.

Do you ever wonder if what you do matters?  If you are making any difference?

I think there is much wisdom in this definition of “ministry” because it implies something simple, but extremely powerful.  That you must know God, and know Him well, in order to learn what problems He desires to solve.

In American culture today, it seems that problems have become relative.  What one person calls a problem, another person calls a solution.  For example, we believers see abortion as a huge problem!  But as you are well aware, many see pregnancy as the problem to which abortion is the solution.

I would venture to say, those individuals have not spent much time (if any) at the feet of Jesus.  If so, they would find themselves sitting among the many tears He sheds for the unborn stolen too soon from their mothers frightened wombs.

But even with an issue as black and white as abortion, we at Life Choices prayerfully discern an even bigger problem… a problem that goes much deeper than abortion.  The true problem that we are fighting to solve is the disillusion that life has no value.

If individuals first and foremost valued human life than we wouldn’t have to even worry about abortion, STIs, or promiscuity.  Girls would cherish themselves and wait for a man that saw their true value.  Young men would choose a bride and not a weekend hookup.  Couples would choose marriage rather than living together.  And families would grow rather than divide.

But the reality is, since the fall of man, there has been an enemy telling us that our lives have no value and are therefore disposable.  Whether that means disposing of an unborn child, or disposing of your innocence for the “cultural norm”.

What’s the problem that Life Choices is working to solve?  Through the love of Jesus Christ we want to show every person they have value!  How do we do this?  Through our school programs that are teaching our young people healthy choices.  Through our three medical clinics that are teaching men and women when life truly begins.  And soon, through our maternity home that will teach mothers they are worth more!

For more information on what Life Choices is all about, visit http://www.yourlifechoicesinfo.com.

For Life,
Chelsea
Executive Director

What we can learn from Planned Parenthood

According to Google, Brand Loyalty is a result of consumer behavior and is affected by a person’s preferences.  Loyal customers will consistently purchase products from their brands, regardless of convenience or price.

Would you like an example?

Why has Planned Parenthood become the abortion giant and reproductive health “expert” in our country?  Besides the billions of dollars and fuel from the enemy, it’s because they understand brand loyalty.

Planned Parenthood knows if they can get the attention of children as young as kindergarten, educating them on how to make choices, their brand will be forever implanted in their minds.  By the time these children are pre-adolescent and adolescent age and are facing those awkward life moments they will go to the name they have learned to trust…Planned Parenthood.  When these children grow up and want birth control, counseling, abortions, even parenting education they will go to Planned Parenthood.  Why not?  It’s all they know!

Five years ago when Life Choices was beginning to transform from a pregnancy resource center to a pregnancy medical clinic there was a lot of uncertainty and confusion around our new clinic name, My Choice Medical Clinic.  Many of our supporters didn’t quite understand why we could no longer be just Life Choices.

It all comes back to brand loyalty.  You see, for 25 years we had become known in our community as “pro-life”.  And while we very much were and continue to be, that same identity kept the very population of women we were trying to reach out of our doors.

We knew, in order to reach women who were headed for Planned Parenthood, we needed a new brand…hence, My Choice Medical Clinic.  Here we are, 5 years later with over 150 babies saved!  God is good and marketing works!

And now we begin a new chapter at our clinics…adding STI testing.  Why?  Again, brand loyalty.  Our goal is to get our name in front of our young people!  So when the time comes that they need reproductive health services, they come to us and NOT Planned Parenthood…because they’ve learned to trust us.

Here’s our goal: By the time a girl is 20 years old she will have seen our education program in her health class since 7th grade!  When she goes off to a local college she will see our material in her mailbox and dorm lobbies.  When she goes to her Greek Life meetings, she will see our information about free STI testing.  When she goes shopping at a local mall or out for dinner, she comes across our flyers in the bathroom.  And when she or her friend find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy, the first name that comes to mind is NOT Planned Parenthood, but My Choice Medical Clinic!

Brand Loyalty.  Its what we’re doing.