Lumina - a ray of light after abortion

July 4th

Please remember to pray for all our service men, especially those in Iraq and Afghanistan!

For those of you in N/CT..don't forget about The Life Fest at the Sisters of Life !

http://sistersoflife.org/flyer_for_life_fest.pdf

I Believe In Love

I am reading the book "I Believe In Love" by REV Jean d'Elbee. I have read the book before many years ago but took it up again on the advice of friend. I am happy I listened. It is a beautiful book. I hope to share some passages and thoughts with you in regard to post abortion healing.

"God is so truly love itself that even before promulgating the punishment, He announced the Women and her Son victors over the serpent. If Adam had understood this, even before leaving the earthly paradise he would have been able to utter the astonishing cry of the church on Holy Saturday; "O truly necessary sin of Adam, which was wiped out but the death of Christ! O happy fault which merited such a Redeemer" Felix culpa, happy fault, which has meant for us so many sufferings, it is true, but so marvelous a Redemption!"

While I certainly would never be happy for my abortion which denied life to another human being, my son, I do relate to the fact that my abortion was the thing that ultimately led me to Christ. I have no doubt that my son Joshua was the catylst for my quest for a relationship with Christ and I also know that only a Redeemer could heal me of all the "many sufferings" I experienced as a result of that choice.

"That first sin, rejection of an infinite love, could not be repaired by anything but infinite love. The word of God came incarnate in order that love might triumph in Him and through Him."

It takes great love to heal great sin....no one but Christ can can supply that.....
Jesus we trust in You!

James Pendergraft looses appeal

Thank goodness someone is thinking of womens safety, never mind the babies..Pendergraft is a late term abortionist...ya know, the kind NARAL, NOW and PP think are heroes...

Today Orlando, FL, late-term abortionist James Pendergraft lost his appeal in the 5th District Court of Appeal, and the suspension of his license by the FL Board of Medicine stands.

According to a court document filed today, "Dr. Pendergraft violated sections 456.072(1)(k) and 458.331(1)(g) when he performed a third trimester abortion in his clinic, which is not a hospital."

Check out Jill Staneks site for the rest: http://www.jillstanek.com/

Twisted Sisters

Ok, I admit it. I am sick to death of these pro abortion women’s groups who claim to have women’s best interest at heart. How dumb do they think we really are?

 In the course of one day I have been bombarded by emails from groups such as NARAL and The Feminist Majority Foundation. Both, of course, claim to be standing up for “Women’s Rights”.

 The Feminist Majority Foundation sent out an action alert to end “Abstinence Only “ funding. They claim abstinence education is “wasteful” and a “failure”. They state that according to the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Guttmacher Institute, teen pregnancy rates in 2006 & 2007 have risen. They blame this on abstinence only education! Are they serious???

 Besides the fact that the Guttmacher Institute is an arm of Planned Parenthood, how is it that they come to the conclusion that abstinence has caused the rise in pregnancy rates? Does refraining from sex make you pregnant?  Have they taken a look at Planned Parenthoods Teen Wire site lately? Have the congress people, or for that matter most parents? If not, they should. It is there that you will really learn why the teen pregnancy rate is climbing.

 Visit the site and your teen can learn about oral and anal sex, or, how about porn? If they don’t know how to do something, no fear, Planned Parenthood will teach them.

I am sure any parent would love the video named “How Many of You Out There Are Abstinent?” which mocks the decision not to have sex. Or how about ”The Sexually Transmitted Infection Petting Zoo”, or if your looking for fun, how about playing “That Would Suck”.

Sadly, most parents have no idea what Planned Parenthood teaches and does, and our current administration, unfortunately, is increasing their funding and giving them access to our children in schools. But enough of the Feminist email, let’s move on to NARAL.

This was about the third plea to buy a wrist band with words embraced by George Tiller, the famous late term abortionist murdered recently, “Trust Women”.  NARAL wristband campaign says it shows women can make their own reproductive health care choices. They call us to “pay tribute” to Tiller and keep his mission alive.

I for one, would love to keep the truth about his mission alive. I would love to keep exposing the harm Tiller did, not only by murdering 60,000 unborn babies, but to countless women and men who, because of embarrassment and secrecy are unable to speak out about his actions. I would love to describe pictures I have seen with my own eyes of dead babies in their parents arms in his attempt to make a completely abnormal situation seem normal. Yes, you heard me right. Tiller would dress the babies he just killed and place them in their parents arms and take pictures. Sure Tiller “trusted” women. He trusted them to make him rich.

And what about we women who are post abortive? Did Tiller trust us, or for that matter does NARAL? Of course not!  Do they voice our concerns and legitimize our experiences? No. They deny our voices and continue to say there is no such thing as post abortion stress in spite of the mounting evidence and the numbers of women now coming forward.

Do they “trust” or stand up for those who are murdered for refusing to abort, or those injured by “safe legal” abortion”. Never.  Do they shout in outrage over abortionists who kill women or leave them sterile? I have never heard it. They only “trust” those who agree with their agenda, the rest of us do not seem to matter.

NARAL would, I am sure lay claim to the APA’s latest paper denying post abortion stress, but anyone with any knowledge knows that the researchers, one being Brenda Majors,  are all involved in pro abortion organizations. If they want to hear of abortions harm, then they should meet with the thousands of women from organizations such as The Silent No More Campaign, or Operation Outcry or the countless other groups of women that have risen up to speak out about abortion’s harm, not only to the unborn but to them.

Yes, the emails make me angry and that is one reason why I have this quote at the end of my email signature. "In every moment, in order for you to see what God truly expects from you, you have to take your eyes off your own image and fix them on the Lord." (Behold I Stand at the Door and Knock, pg. 49) It is a good reminder of the real truth. It keeps me focused and  it keeps me sane in this crazy world of abortions twisted sisters.

Abortion Has Greater Impact on Parenting Than Other Forms of Pregnancy Loss,

The Elliot Institute News
From the Leader in Post-Abortion Research
Vol. 8, No. 8 -- July 1, 2009

Visit Us Online: www.AfterAbortion.org
The UnChoice Campaign: www.TheUnChoice.com

 

IN THIS ISSUE:

* Abortion Has Greater Impact on Parenting Than Other Forms
of Pregnancy Loss, New Review Finds
* Help Us Get Into the Top 5 on Squidoo!
* Learn More, Lend A Hand: How to Find More Information and
Take Advantage of All the Elliot Institute Has to Offer

***********************************************************

Abortion Has Greater Impact on Parenting Than Other Forms
of Pregnancy Loss, New Review Finds

***********************************************************

A new review of studies examining various types of prenatal
loss and the effects on subsequent parenting has concluded
that abortion may be "particularly damaging to the
parenting process."

The article, published in Current Women's Health Reviews,
looked at already published studies on miscarriage, induced
abortion and adoption. The author, Priscilla Coleman of
Bowling Green State University, focused on psychological
reactions to these various types of loss and discussed how
they might affect a mother's relationship with children
born after the pregnancy loss.1

It is now known that women usually begin feeling maternal
attachment in the early stages of pregnancy. The paper
notes that despite the increased responsibilities and
stress involved in raising children, "numerous studies have
documented positive psychological characteristics associated
with motherhood including increases in life satisfaction,
self-esteem, empathy, restraint, flexibility and
resourcefulness in coping, and assertiveness." Losing a
child before or at birth, for any reason, however, "can be
a profound source of suffering."

While all forms of pregnancy loss can cause emotional
distress that can impact future parenting, emotional
responses after induced abortion are more likely to go
unresolved and to persist longer than emotional distress
after miscarriage or adoption. 

While "society understands that women who miscarry or
relinquish a child through adoption may experience sadness
and grief; however, grief after socially sanctioned because
abortion is not acknowledged by our culture as a human death
experience," and help to deal with the experience is usually
not offered.

"In many cases, women may suppress thoughts and emotions
related to an abortion, because they have not been able to
process and or/openly express negative emotions," Coleman
wrote, adding that the lack of acknowledgement and support
after abortion gives the "covert message that others would
rather not hear what we have to say, and this makes it
difficult to even identify our reactions to our losses."

Finding help and support after abortion is further hampered
by the belief that, unlike other forms of pregnancy loss,
abortion is optional and therefore women experience less
distress afterwards. However, having an abortion is
"sometimes quite inconsistent with the woman's true
desires" (one survey found that 64 percent of American
women who had abortions reported feeling pressured to
abort)2, and many women, especially those who feel
conflicted or didn't want the abortion, do feel emotional
distress afterwards.

"The best evidence regarding negative effects of abortion
indicates that 20-30 percent will experience serious
psychological problems," Coleman wrote. "With 1.3 million
U.S. abortions performed annually, a minimum of 130,000 new
cases of abortion-related mental health problems appear each
year."

And while abortion advocates frequently argue that abortion
is better than carrying an unplanned pregnancy to term, the
evidence suggests otherwise.

Studies of women with unplanned pregnancies found that
women who aborted had higher risks of depression, substance
abuse and anxiety, and teens who aborted an unintended
pregnancy were more likely to experience negative mental
health outcomes than their peers who carried to term.3
Further, a recent New Zealand study led by a pro-choice
researcher found no evidence that abortion provided any
mental health benefits to women even in cases of unplanned
pregnancy.4

How Abortion Can Impact Parenting

The paper described a number of ways that a previous
abortion can effect a woman's relationship with her living
children:

* Increased depression and anxiety. Abortion has been
linked to higher rates of maternal depression and anxiety
before and after birth, which may effect the woman's
relationship with her children. In addition, depression is
a common predictor for child abuse.

* Sleep disorders and disturbances. Women who have had an
abortion are more likely to experience sleep disorders
compared to women who carry to term, and one survey found
that many women attributed the sleep disorders to a past
abortion. These sleep disturbances "could render the high
energy demands of parenting more complicated."

* Substance abuse. Studies have found that women who had an
abortion were more likely to engage in substance abuse, and
also more likely to smoke or use drugs or alcohol while
pregnant. Mothers who abuse drugs or alcohol are more
likely to "engage in authoritarian and punitive parenting
practices," and parental substance abuse increases the risk
that the children will suffer abuse or neglect.

* Child abuse. Abortion has been associated with lower
emotional support for one's children and with a higher risk
of child abuse and neglect.

Abortion has also been linked to higher rates of suicide
and to a wide range of mental health disorders. Coleman was
also the lead author of a study published in The Journal of
Child Psychology and Psychiatry, which found that the
children of women who had abortions have less supportive
home environments and more behavioral problems than
children of women without a history of abortion.5

While the review noted that not every woman may experience
psychological problems after abortion that will carry over
into their personal relationships, "some women will have
carryover effects into the parenting realm." The paper
pointed to a need for better screening and awareness of
possible psychological problems after miscarriage, adoption
and abortion, and for more research to examine the effects
of abortion.

~~~

Learn more: For more information on  the impact of
abortion, download and share our free "Recent Research"
fact sheet at www.theunchoice.com/T/RecentResearch.pdf

Citations

1. PK Coleman, "The Psychological Pain of Perinatal Loss
and Subsequent Parenting Risks: Could Induced Abortion Be
More Problematic Than Other Forms of Loss," Current Women's
Health Issues 5: 88-99, 2009.
2. Rue et. al., “Induced abortion and traumatic stress: A
preliminary comparison of American and Russian women,”
Medical Science Monitor 10(10): SR5-16, 2004.
3. For studies, see the Recent Research fact sheet at
www.theunchoice.com/T/RecentResearch.pdf.
4. DM Fergusson et. al., "Abortion and mental health
disorders: evidence from a 30-year-longitudinal study,"
The British Journal of Psychiatry (2008), 193: 444-451.
5. PK Coleman, DC Reardon, JR Cougle, “Substance use
among pregnant women in the context of previous
reproductive loss and desire for current pregnancy,”
British Journal of Health Psychology 10: 255-268, 2005.

******************************************

Help Us Get Into the Top Five on Squidoo!

******************************************

Squidoo is a popular web site with a hand-built collection
of nearly 90,000 pages. Users can build a free page (or
pages)  about any topic that is important to them, and it's
a great way to share information with others in a quick
format.

The Elliot Institute now has three lenses on Squidoo and is
adding more. Our UnChoice lens is in the Top 100 in the
News/Politics category on Squidoo. The more visitors to the
lens, the higher the ranking is. If we get it into the Top
5, it will be featured on Squidoo's home page and seen by
everyone who visits the site!

Help boost us into the Top 5 by going to
www.squidoo.com/theunchoice.

Ask your friends and family to visit also by forwarding
this link to them: www.squidoo.com/theunchoice. This is a
great opportunity to educate them and help raise awareness
of the epidemic of unwanted, coerced and forced abortions
... while also helping ensure that even more people will
learn about this issue by boosting our rank.

This is an important issue that is currently being
out-ranked by news about the Presidential puppy, an alleged
moon-landing hoax and even Al Capone. We think we can do
better. What do you think?

Be a part of our "Get in the Top 5" effort by visiting The
UnChoice lens at www.squidoo.com/theunchoice.

Thank you for your help!

*************************

Learn More, Lend A Hand

*************************

Below are some ways for you to join in our work, and take
advantage of all that the Elliot Institute has to offer:

Learn More, Share More

* Visit www.TheUnChoice.com for information and user-friendly
resources to help raise awareness about widespread unwanted
abortions and related injustices and harm.

* Visit www.AbortionRisks.org, a collaborative information
portal where researchers, healing ministries and others can
contribute news, information and insights. Includes the
Thomas W. Strahan Memorial Library, the world's most
comprehensive library on post-abortion research.

* Read back issues of this e-newsletter at
www.theunchoice.com/backissues.htm

Be A Part of This Ministry

* Make a donation to support our work. To find out how, go to
www.theunchoice.com/donate.htm

* Link to our site. If you have your own web site, Facebook
page, blog, etc., go to www.theunchoice.com/sitelink.htm to
find out how to link to the UnChoice site.

* Encourage others to sign up for this free email list at
www.theunchoice.com/JoinList.htm

Contact Information

Our offices are closed the week of June 29-July 3. If you
need to contact us, please send an email to
amy@afterabortion.info. We apologize for any inconvenience.

***********************************************************

Please Forward this email to Your Friends and Associates.
But if you do forward it, you should remove the unsubscribe
link at the bottom or they may unsubscribe YOU by mistake

***********************************************************

Elliot Institute
PO Box 7348
Springfield
IL 62791
United States
www.afterabortion.info

Here's looking at you Lord

switching back to where our eyes should be....there is a reason why this quote is at the bottom of all of my emails...

"In every moment, in order for you to see what God truly expects from you, you have to take your eyes off your own image and fix them on the Lord." (Behold I Stand at the Door and Knock, pg. 49)

 

NARAL

Not far behind The Feminist Majority Foundations email I found this...another appeal to "Trust Women". NARAL does not trust women, it promotes abortion. And George Tiller certainly did not trust women in spite of any arm band he may have worn...unless he mean "trust women to make him rich" If NARAL trusted women it would hear women like us who speak of the damage of abortion, but as usual, they continue to deny our voices and shut out our cries...

Breaking news: The message to “Trust Women” could not be more critical at this time. Unless we act now, women could lose coverage for abortion care because key anti-choice lawmakers want to ban reproductive-health services from being covered in the new health-care system. We’re going from office to office at the Capitol, teaming up with our partners in other organizations, and exposing this anti-choice attack through the media. But we can’t win without you. Get your “Trust Women” wristband today.

Dear Theresa, Our “Trust Women” wristband campaign is wrapping up, but we still need you to take part.  Why?  Because our opponents are ramping up their attacks. So please stand with thousands of other pro-choice Americans nationwide who have already declared their support. Show that you “Trust Women” to make their own reproductive-health choices.   Donate today and get your “Trust Women” wristbands. In honor of Dr. George Tiller, who often wore a button that simply read, “Trust Women,” NARAL Pro-Choice America is asking you to pay tribute to his legacy and keep his mission alive. Operation Rescue is now targeting Dr. Leroy Carhart because he wants to open a health center in Kansas for patients who can no longer seek care from Dr. Tiller.  Operation Rescue has vowed to stop Dr. Carhart and is using the same relentless tactics it used against Dr. Tiller for years.1 Fill in the map from coast to coast! Join your fellow pro-choice Americans by getting your “Trust Women” wristband today. With your donation, we will send you “Trust Women” wristbands to wear and proudly share with your friends and family. You and your friends will be able to register your wristbands online to join pro-choice Americans in towns and cities across the country in solidarity. Your support will help NARAL Pro-Choice America work to end the politics of hate and fear, help us lobby against attempts to use health-care reform as an opportunity to take away women’s abortion coverage, and continue our work to protect choice for generations to come. Stand up and be counted among those who “Trust Women” today! Sincerely,     Nancy Keenan, President, NARAL Pro-Choice America P.S. Please help us show politicians that pro-choice Americans across the country “Trust Women” to make their own reproductive-health choices. Contribute now and be a proud part of our "Trust Women" campaign. 1. “Operation Rescue Starts Research Project Against Abortion Provider,” The Kansas CW, June 29, 2009

Truly caring for women

Having worked with many young teens who are distraught over a past abortion and often suffering from STd's this email got from the Feminist Majority Foundation calling for an end to funding of abstinence only education makes me very angry...
It also amazes me that these groups who push for sex any way any time (just check out PP's Teen Wire Site) have the nerve to blame teen prgnancy on abstinence! How dumb do they think people are????

use the number they give and voice your concerns!Tell them you want abstinence only education...it is the only true way to prevent pregnancy and STD's!

Dear Theresa,

Tell the Labor, HHS Subcommittee:  End Abstinence-Only Funding Now! And call Subcommittee and Call Chairman David Obey, (D-WI-7), at 202-225-3365 and tell him that failed abstinence- only sex education programs must not be included in the FY 2010 spending bill for Labor HHS.

On July 8, the House Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (Labor HHS) will be considering funding for FY 2010.  Email the Labor HHS Subcommittee and Call Chairman David Obey, (D-WI-7), at 202-225-3365 and tell them that failed abstinence-only sex education programs must not be included in the FY 2010 spending bill for Labor HHS.

The evidence is irrefutable that spending for abstinence-only sex education is not only wasteful, but the programs put young women's health at risk. Study after study documents the failure of these programs.  A 2004 study by the House Committee on Government Reform, conducted at the request of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-30-CA) found that over 80% of the curricula used in the largest federally funded abstinence-only programs contained "false, misleading, or distorted information about reproductive health."

The latest report, just released by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Guttmacher Institute, reflects a rise in teen pregnancy rates in 2006 and 2007 and fewer teens are using contraception.  These appalling statistics should not come as a surprise. During this same time period, millions of dollars that could have been used to provide guidance based on age appropriate sex education in our schools and communities has been diverted for ideological reasons to failed abstinence-only programs. 

We must tell Chairman Obey and the Members of the Labor HHS Subcommittee that now is the time to stop funding for these programs that are destructive to our young women and men.  Email them today and please call Obey's office at 202-225- 3365.

For Equality,

Eleanor Smeal President

Norma Gattsek Government Relations Director

From Lebanon

from Br Youseff who is currently in Lebanon regarding the TV shows:

Dear friends!

May the Lord give you His peace!

I ask you to pray  one "Our Father" for the viewers of the Catholic TV Telelumiere and for God's will for our all our work here in Lebanon.

For those they can see the interview on Noursat, it is on July 6th at 6:00pm Lebanon's time.

 God bless you all

Your brother,

Br. youssef-mariam, CFR

Here is the link http://www.telelumiere.com/eng/index.html

I am not sure if we can get it here in the US, but those of you in Europe will be able to!

Please pray for this mission!

So, Now you know!

Sorry I have not been posting much lately. Vacation is creeping up (july 14- july 28)and I am trying to get a lot done before I am gone.

I will be out 2 weeks, spending time in CA..visiting my son and his new wife

then off for retreat in Santa Barbara with The Families of Nazareth Movement http://www.familiesofnazareth.us/
followed by a trip to St Louis to assist their Project Rachel Ministry in
http://stlouisreview.com/article/2009-06-25/weekend-retreat-help-heal-post-abortive-stress their first "Hope & Healing Weekend", one of the weekends we do in the Entering Canaan Ministry http://www.sistersoflife.org/ec.html
I am really looking forward to both the vacation and the opportunity to work with Marisol Pfaff  and the Project Rachel program in St Louis! Make sure to keep us in prayer!

So, in the meantime I have been working on some fliers for next year

as well as some new pamphlets including a "Materials" pamphlet that will allow people to order all our pamphlets and our new manual for the "Afternoon of Prayerful Remembrance" which we pray will be done in diocese throughout the country.

so, now you know!