Right to Life of Owensboro Newsletter January 2016

Volume 45 Issue 1 January 2016

Right to Life of Owensboro

NEWSLETTER

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Sanctity of Life Sunday January 17, 2016

The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother He named my name.

Isaiah 49:1b

Consider donating to any of our local pro-life agencies (listed on page 12) in honor of Sanctity of Life Sunday.

ORIGIN: On January 13, 1984, President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation designating January 22 as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. (January 22, 1973, was the day the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion-on-demand in all 50 states.) Churches around the United States use the day to celebrate God's gift of life, commemorate the many lives lost to abortion, and commit themselves to protecting human life at every stage.

January 22, 2016 12 noon Join us for the

“Commemoration at the Courthouse” for a short prayer vigil to remember all lives affected by abortion.

EDUCATION Reagan's 1984 Proclamation Proclamation 5147 National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 1983 January 13, 1984 A Proclamation The values and freedoms we cherish as Americans rest on our fundamental commitment to the sanctity of human life. The first of the “unalienable rights� affirmed by our Declaration of Independence is the right to life itself, a right the Declaration states has been endowed by our Creator on all human beings -- whether young or old, weak or strong, healthy or handicapped.

Since 1973, however, more than 15 million unborn children have died in legalized abortions -- a tragedy of stunning dimensions that stands in sad contrast to our belief that each life is sacred. These children, over tenfold the number of Americans lost in all our Nation's wars, will never laugh, never sing, never experience the joy of human love; nor will they strive to heal the sick, or feed the poor, or make peace among nations. Abortion has denied them the first and most basic of human rights, and we are infinitely poorer for their loss.

We are poorer not simply for lives not led and for contributions not made, but also for the erosion of our sense of the worth and dignity of every individual. To diminish the value of one category of human life is to diminish us all. Slavery, which treated Blacks as something less than human, to be bought and sold if convenient, cheapened human life and mocked our dedication to the freedom and equality of all men and women. Can we say that abortion -- which treats the unborn as something less than human, to be destroyed if convenient -- will be less corrosive to the values we hold dear?

We have been given the precious gift of human life, made more precious still by our births in or pilgrimages to a land of freedom. It is fitting, then, on the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v.

Wade that struck down State anti-abortion laws, that we reflect anew on these blessings, and on our corresponding responsibility to guard with care the lives and freedoms of even the weakest of our fellow human beings.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Sunday, January 22, 1984, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon the citizens of this blessed land to gather on that day in homes and places of worship to give thanks for the gift of life, and to reaffirm our commitment to the dignity of every human being and the sanctity of each human life.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of January, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighth.

join us by A Call to Prayer and Fasting for the Unborn

Intercessors for America is calling the Church to a seven-day fast starting January 17th.

Please join us by signing up below to receive 7 free daily devotions concerning the sanctity of life. http://www.nationalsanctityoflifesunday.com/#home-intro

EDUCATION 2016 Prayer Focuses What will we be praying for in this seven-day window? The very things that will make a difference in the lives of the unborn. http://www.nationalsanctityoflifesunday.com/#home-intro

Day One

The Unborn Life

The question “When does life begin?” is central to the argument against abortion.

Day Two

The Supreme Court There is no group of individuals who have more earthly influence over the plight of the unborn in America than the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Day Three

Deciding Birth Parents While the Supreme Court holds the key to protecting the unborn as a group, the people who are in the best position to protect them individually are the deciding birth parents – those parents of the unborn who are deciding what to do.

EDUCATION Day Four

Abortionists It is frighteningly easy to demonize people as the perpetrators while forgetting the fact that they are blinded by significant, powerful spiritual forces of darkness.

Day Five

The American Family In the natural process of things, families care for their children. The murder of countless infants in our day is more than unusual. It is unnatural.

Day Six

Post Abortive Parents There are conservatively 20 million women in our nation who deal with the guilt, pain and regret of having ended a human life.

Day Seven

Adoption Adoption is the next frontier for the pro-life movement. We must support it with our words, our finances, and our actions until no one can say that there are unwanted children in America.

Board Members Officers Jerry Embry President Gayle Rhodes 1st Vice President Kevin Dorth 2nd Vice President Stacey Davis Secretary Wes Hamilton Treasurer Board Members at Large Taryn Rice Newsletter Editor Katelyn Stallings Michelle Byrne Kenny Barr John Thompson Mike Mudd Laura Ruth Edge Stuart Squires Shannon Sandefur Andy Norris Robin Beatty Executive Director

YEARLY DUES REMINDER Would you like to ADVERTISE in RTLO’s newsletter?

Lifetime Dues $500 Family $30 Student $15 Amount enclosed:__________

Name:___________________________________ Below are ad options: Half page= $100 month for 12 months= $1200 Address:__________________________________ Quarter page= $70 month for 12 months= $840 Eighth page= $50 month for 12 months= $600 _________________________________________ Contact the office and get your information out monthly to the pro-life community.

Phone:___________________________________ Email____________________________________

Your membership runs with the calendar year: January through December

EDUCATION 53 Abortion Clinics Closed in 2015, 81% of All Abortion Clinics Open in 1991 Have Shut Down Cheryl Sullenger Dec 22, 2015 | 12:34PM Washington, DC

The total number abortion clinics in America continues to decline, following a nationwide trend extending back to 1991. In 2015, abortion clinics closed at a rate of more than one per week with 53 abortion clinics shutting down or halting all abortion services.

Operation Rescue directly surveyed all abortion facilities in the U.S. from December 1-15, 2015 and found the following: • 42 Surgical abortion clinics halted all abortion services.

• 11 Medical abortion clinics halted all abortion services.

In addition, a number of abortion facilities reduced services: • 16 abortion clinics halted surgeries and now offer only medication abortions.

• 12 abortion clinics stopped dispensing abortion drugs and now only offer surgical abortions, noting that the abortion pill was “ineffective” or “too dangerous.”

In all, 81 abortion clinics closed or reduced services in 2015.

Currently, there are 517 surgical abortion clinics and 213 medication abortion clinics remaining active in the U.S., the lowest numbers in decades.

In 1991, which is considered the high water mark for the number of abortion clinics, 2,176 surgical facilities offered abortions. Since then, 81% have closed.

In 2015, 21 new facilities began selling abortions. This includes 7 new surgical abortion clinics and 14 medication clinics that opened or converted from referral offices. Several other abortion facilities reopened after struggling with location issues or having been shut down by the state as unsafe. This represents a net loss for the Abortion Cartel of 9 abortion clinics nationwide and 219 since 2013.

This represents bad news for the Abortion Cartel: Americans are increasingly rejecting abortion in favor of life.

The reduction in abortion clinic numbers coincides with a report released by the Centers for Disease Control earlier this month, which announced that the number of induced abortions decreased to the lowest since 1990.

“There is a direct correlation between the number of abortions and the number of abortion clinics. When abortion clinics close, abortion numbers decrease and lives are saved,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.

For more on this story please go to http://www.lifenews.com/2015/12/22/53-abortion-clinic-closed-down-in-2015-81-of -all-abortion-clinics-open-in-1991-have-shut-down/

HOW CAN I SUPPORT RIGHT TO LIFE OF OWENSBORO

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Letter from the PRESIDENT To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. ~Eccl. 3:1 At the beginning of a brand new year, it is helpful to remember this verse from the Bible. We look back and see all the blessings, hard work, successes, and progress made in our fight to restore the sanctity of human life. But we cannot rest on past victories. As we enter this new year it is a time to press forward with renewed energy and determination to continue to educate everyone on their God-given intrinsic value.

A time to be born, and a time to die is the next verse in Ecclesiastes chapter 3. Unfortunately, in abortion those times are often within moments of one another. We realize things happen that cut young lives short and this is a tragedy. But what's worse is when the adults decide this young life should end before it has hardly begun.

Looking forward into 2016 we are encouraged by a newly elected pro-life governor in Kentucky. The presidential race will begin to heat up and it will become clear that it is very important to vote for pro-life candidates. In the meantime, RTLO will continue to promote the value of human life in our community. We will not rely on empty rhetoric but use the truth of science and the truth of faith. The darkness of ignorance cannot be overcome by hate. Only truth and love can do that. With God's leading and your help, we will do just that. Help us light up the darkness.

Happy New Year, Jerry Embry President, RTLO

EDUCATION A Father’s Goodbye Fathers.

Dads have zero legal options for stopping an abortion, no matter how willing they are to care for the child.

The abortion decision rests entirely with the mother. Period.

Theo brought his girlfriend to a local pregnancy center to explore alternatives to abortion. From the start, he wanted the child and pledged his support. His own mother offered to help. None of that mattered. His girlfriend was bent on abortion and ultrasound didn’t change things.

Our child was at 8 weeks gestation and had fingers, toes, eyes, everything. I saw and heard my child's heart beat and I cried. It was an overwhelming and beautiful experience for me until my girlfriend looked at me and said, “What are you crying about? Worms have heartbeats too.” She insisted on scheduling an abortion as soon as possible. Her sister was paying for everything. She then informed me our relationship was over.

I called the abortion clinic and asked about my rights; they said, “You don't have any, and don’t call back.”

I then asked, “What do you do with the aborted babies? I want to bury my child.” They told me that it wasn't a child, it was a fetus, and to never call again or they would involve the police, and if I showed up on Saturday to try to stop my girlfriend from having an abortion, they would have me arrested. My hands were tied. As father, I had no legal right to protect my own child from a death committed by a “doctor.” I called everyone imaginable to see what my rights were and I got the same answer: “You have none!”

The week before my child was aborted; I tried one more conversation with my girlfriend. But she was adamant about having an abortion and told me to leave. I then asked her if I could do one last thing before departing. I got on my knees and kissed the stomach of the mother of my child and said, “I love you, and Daddy will see you in heaven.” I then took the ultrasound pictures and left.

As a man, I wasn’t allowed to grieve the loss of my unborn baby. I was told things like, “Your child wasn’t even born, so get over it” or, “it wasn’t a baby yet.” None of those things helped me heal.

But God didn’t abandon Theo. In the midst of the pain, pro-lifers invited him to a post-abortion Bible study where he heard the gospel. “Those were the only people who understood me.”

Today, Theo is a healed man. He’s married and serves as the Executive Director of a Crisis Pregnancy Center, where his own story saves many from abortion. The gospel makes all the difference in the world.

Here at LTI, we combine pro-life apologetics with gospel proclamation. We relentlessly pursue three objectives with our pro-life presentations, whether in schools or with media: 1) Convey a persuasive pro-life apologetic that saves unborn humans from the dumpster.

2) Proclaim a gospel of reconciliation that restores post-abortion men and women to full fellowship with their Creator.

3) Equip Christians to engage the culture with pro-life truth.

Pray for us in 2016 as we move forward with these objectives. We just added a new speaker. We’re scheduling schools and church youth groups in a new metro area—Dallas. And we’re influencing political campaigns. We’re succeeding because you care.

Thankful for healing mercy, Scott Klusendorf, Life Training Institute President

Marilee’s Message “I know that God Has Forgiven me, but How Do I Forgive Myself?”

This is a question that I have been receiving frequently from post abortive mothers since the release of my testimony in October at the Right to Life Banquet. The dilemma about this question is that I cannot answer it for anyone, except myself. What I can do is tell any post abortive mother in this situation how I found a way to forgive myself.

I had my abortion almost 15 years ago and every day since I made that decision, I have asked God in my daily prayers to forgive me. I know in my heart God forgave me the very first time I asked Him to, but my head was having difficulty grasping this. I kept asking Him to forgive me the past15 years. I was a 16 year old broken-hearted girl on my bedroom floor, but the difficulty was in forgiving myself.

God spoke to my heart on July 28th, 2015. He opened my eyes wider than I really wanted them to be opened. I just wanted to know I was forgiven. I began to realize that I can never forgive myself if I cannot accept the forgiveness God granted me those many years ago. God spoke to me and said I was to be a voice for the unborn and to fight against abortion for as long as I have a living breath within me. I knew I could not do what He was asking of me if I did not accept His forgiveness, could not accept my own forgiveness and that of my unborn son. So for me the time to move on is now. I know that I have been forgiven 100%. The self hatred and the beating myself up is in the past. The pain was horrible, but as of today I have released that pain. I have chosen to move forward to honor the child that I chose to abort; I have chosen to move on in honor of my son.

Truth being told there will always be an ache in my heart for choosing to save myself rather then giving birth to my son. I chose the “easy way”, the selfish way. Yes it was truly selfish, but it should never be considered the “easy way”, because it is a lifetime of pain and regret. I now know that I can stop beating myself up and feeling like I failed God and my son. I can now stand up and speak for the unborn. I can forgive myself and know that it is okay to do so. Our Lord can take even the most disgusting of circumstances and use them for His glory. God does not want us to suffer. God has our babies, my baby son wrapped in His loving arms holding him till I get to meet him someday. Until then, I have forgiven myself and begun my life anew living in the trust and hope that God will continue to guide me on days when I need His comfort and strength the most. With God all things are possible.

WIMM Catholic Radio

Thanks to all who sponsored Right to Life of Owensboro’s 2015 Annual Banquet

Edge Body Boot Camp

Thanks to all who sponsored Right to Life of Owensboro’s 2015 Annual Banquet

Right to Life of Owensboro

Commemoration- Friday January 22, Courthouse Chili Supper/Silent Auction- February 20, Blessed Mother May Community Event- May 5, WKU-O Chalk Out- June 15, RTLO Office Sidewalk Story/Craft Time for Kids– 6-9 thru 7-18, RTLO Office Art Show– TBA, The Creme Golf Scramble– July 16, Ben Hawes Walk for Life– September 3, Our Lady of Lourdes Banquet– TBA, The Hines Center

Local Pro-Life Agencies Birthright 270-570-5319, Terri LaHugh Care Net Pregnancy Center 270-685-5077, Donna Flaspoehler Catholic Charities of Owensboro 270-852-8328, Rita Heinz Opportunities for Life

The RTLO mission, in part reads...

“The purpose for which RTLO is organized is to encourage among the general public an understanding of the dignity and worth of each human life, whatever his or her state or circumstances; to foster respect for human life before and after birth, particularly for the defenseless, the incompetent, the impaired and the incapacitated: to promote and encourage passage of amendatory and statutory measures which will provide protection and support for human life...”

1-888-496-3638, Brenda Thomson Project Rachel 270-683-1505, Betty Medley Rachel’s Vineyard 1-877-467-3463, Debbie Ward

Celebrate Life Celebrate Life Celebrate Life Celebrate Life Celebrate Life Celebrate Life Celebrate Life Celebrate Life Celebrate Life

NEED HELP? CALL 1-800-822-5824 or 270-685-5077 Jerry Embry Robin Beatty President Executive Director ________________________________________________ Phone:270-685-4922 Fax 270-684-0625 rtlo1973@att.net Online: www.rtlo.org 1115 Tamarack Road, Suite 200, Owensboro, KY 42301 ________________________________________________

Right to Life of Owensboro, Inc.

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