For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 NASB

From our hearts to yours....
In Christ, the Son, our Savior and Soon-coming King!
Mary and Therese

Please note: the IOM office will be closed from December 22nd through January 4th.

Good versus Evil....There is Still Time

For any who may still be undecided about the presidential race to be decided next week, please take a few minutes to watch the following video on YouTube. Pass it on to everyone you know. The future of our country, our children's future depends on the outcome of this election.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kri8G-lGYfg

God bless America and preserve us for Your Glory!

Care Net Conference 2008

We are headed to Atlanta, Georgia next week for the annual Care Net Conference. If you are also attending please drop us a line ahead of time; we would love to meet up with you there!

Look for us -- along with Carla Simmert of SafeHaven -- Booth #313. We have some great new products to assist you in your ministry as well as a very fun give-away!!!

Hope to see you next week!
Blessings in Him,
Mary

More on Men and Abortion... Please Let Your Voice Be Heard

There has been quite a firestorm in response to the Reclaiming Fatherhood Conference in Chicago recently. If you know about the wounds fathers feel at the loss of their children, whether through abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth, accident or illness, please share your comments in response to the Chicago Tribune's article. Those of us who know need to share our insights with the world.

Please take just a moment to share your thoughts by commenting on the Chicago Tribune website. Together, one by one, we can begin to right the terrible wrong done to fathers in our nation.

...Changing one heart at a time with the truth....

The Affects of Abortion on Men - Told by a Post-Abortion Dad

Following is a video clip everyone in America should see. It's one man's true story of the abortion of his child and how that loss has profoundly affected his life.

There is a segment of his story that was edited out.... It was the part about how in the early days of his loss he was violently angry and aggressive toward anyone that supported abortion. As he states in this clip, his pain was exhibited in outward behavior -- as opposed to the way most women stuff their pain inside.

Watch and listen as Jason Jones shares his personal story. Share it with everyone you know. Spread the truth that abortion hurts women, it hurts men, and it hurts everyone it touches.

Jason Jones' Testimony

Reclaiming Fatherhood

Last week marked the second annual Reclaiming Fatherhood Conference hosted by the Knights of Columbus in Chicago, IL. It was a wonderful time of learning more about how abortion affects fathers, how men process grief, and how word is spreading that abortion hurts so many.... Following is a quote from the Men and Abortion web site explaining the reason for and scope of such a conference:

The impact of an abortion experience on men is unrecognized by many. Men are hidden partners in every abortion decision. More than 40 million abortions have occurred in the U.S. alone since abortion was legalized here. Worldwide the estimates are that more than 43 million abortions occur in a year. In every abortion decision there is a male involved in some way. The man's role or lack of role in the decision can create a stream of consequences that may accompany the man through the rest of his life. Because men are told they have no say in the abortion decision--that it is about a woman and her choice--they later struggle with the questions they pose to themselves and the emotions they feel. Men often say "I don't feel entitled to my grief. It was her choice. Why do I feel so badly?" More men are recognizing that abortion was a life changing event for them. The difficulty for the man who wants to process the experience, is that there are few resources available to him. Mental health professionals have not recognized that an abortion loss may be a significant event in the life of a man. Addiction counselors, grief facilitators and clergy may not recognize the unresolved grief of an abortion experience that may have occurred many years ago. We are not sensitized to the ways that a hidden loss may play itself out in the lives of those who experience it.

This conference is designed to bring to the forefront what is known about how pregnancy may impact the male partner, the various roles a male can play in an abortion decision, and the implications of reproductive technology as it pertains to fatherhood.

Vicki Thorn of NORPAH is the person spearheading these conferences. Vicki has been involved in abortion recovery for almost three decades and is one of the true pioneers -- along with a number of the other speakers at this conference -- where the abortion wound and subsequent methods of healing are concerned. Other speakers at this conference included: Dr. Vincent Rue, Dr. Catherine Coyle, Greg Hasek, MA/MFT LPC, Tom Golden, LCSW, and Reverend Martin Pable, Ph.D.

It's been a long road, and will be a longer one still, but the truth is being spoken, eyes are being opened, and our world is beginning to learn of the countless numbers of people wounded by abortion. Please keep these speakers and organizations in your prayers. They are on the front lines and the battle is heating up. Visit their web sites, be informed about the work they are doing, and send them notes of encouragement from time to time. They are committed to helping fathers reclaim their fatherhood and their position of leadership in families, our society and our world.

For more information, contact Vicki Thorn.

Godspeed, Vicki -- and to all involved in this awesome work!

May We Never Forget...

"...Reasonable People of Goodwill..."

I love that phrase... "...reasonable people of goodwill..." I've always thought the issue of abortion regulation, particularly as it pertains to partial-birth abortion and the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, was one of logic, reason, and common sense. Are we a people that condones the annihilation of term or nearly-term babies through partial-birth abortion? Are we the kind of people that would allow a baby to die alone (without attempting to save him/her) in a cold, stainless steel bowl simply because s/he survived an abortion? What kind of people would allow such atrocities to occur regularly? What kind of government would sanction such practices?

Well, come November you will have a chance to make a difference where such issues are concerned. Please exercise your right to vote. Please vote as "...reasonable people of goodwill...."

Following is a quote by Republican candidate John McCain. You decide.

"Americans expect more of their leaders . . . [Obama's] extreme advocacy in favor of partial-birth abortion and his refusal to provide medical care for babies surviving abortion should be of grave concern to reasonable people of goodwill on both sides of this issue. There is a growing consensus in America that we need to overcome narrow partisanship on this issue for both women in need and the unborn. We need more of the compassion and moral idealism that my opponent's own party, at its best, once stood for. No one is above the law, and no one is beneath its protection."

Indefensible: Barak Obama's REAL Stand on Abortion

I try to steer clear of politics as much as possible, but there are times when, as a conscionable Christian -- nay, as a conscionable human being-- I have to speak up. This is one of those times. See and hear the story for yourself. It is not graphic, but it will move you.

Question: Do we really want a man like this leading our county?

If you believe Mr. Obama is bad for our country forward this link to everyone you know: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIdbYjmbFzo

And God have mercy on us all if he is elected....

APA's 'Findings' on the Abortion-Depression Link

When I heard the American Psychological Association was investigating the link between abortion and depression I was hopeful; at the same time I didn't expect them to reverse their previous decision. (To my knowledge, Post-Abortion Syndrome wasvalidated in the DSM-III, but the APA removed it in the revised DSM-IV.)

Yesterday I received notice their 'findings' were that there was "no substantial link" between abortion and depression, etc.

Read the full report at LifeNews.com.

Even so, God is good ALL the time!

Abundant blessings in Him,
Mary