Right to Life of Michigan Yard & Bake Sale

"We all have a voice. Some are bold and daring. Others thrive behind the scenes. And some prove that actions still speak louder than words. From Jan. 18 - 25, 2009, join millions of believers using their unique voices to support the Sanctity of Human Life."

You have a voice. Discover yours at http://www.beavoice.net/

(Information gleaned from Focus on the Family January 09 Bulletin)

Would you please continue praying that the hundreds of crosses we planted for Right-to-Life and the unborn will have an on-going impact on the hearts and lives of all who saw them? Only the Lord knows the fruit that will one day be born because of the efforts of those who gave of their time to carefully put each cross into the ground of Grace Bible Church. Another Thank You to those who volunteered in this year's outreach.

In light of our having put Right to Life Crosses on our church lawn this past Saturday, it seems fitting to now post the following article. This was written by Louise Moore earlier this year, then submitted and later published in the News Herald Newspaper:

"To the Editor: It was announced recently that 4,000 men and women have lost their lives since the Iraq war began five years ago. My heart goes out to the families and friends of these precious people who died for freedom's sake.

I do not wish to take away from their sacrifice, but it occurred to me that these men and women had a choice and made a conscious decision to serve their country, knowing it might cost them their very lives.

I salute them as I know the anguish of losing a loved one to war. I also know the heartfelt relief of a loved one coming home after faithfully serving his country. I've seen a flag given to a grieving mother as her son is buried and I've hugged a returning soldier who sees his infant son for the first time.

Then I think of the number of babies that are aborted in this country each day and find the numbers appalling.

I read this on the Right to Life of Michigan web site: 'According to recently released statistics, the number of abortions performed in Michigan slightly increased in 2006 compared to 2005. The report from the Michigan Department of Community Health states that 25,636 abortions were performed in Michigan during 2006 compared to 25,209 in 2005, an increase of 1.7 percent. This is still the second lowest number of annual abortions ever recorded in Michigan and represents a dramatic 47.8 decrease since 1987.'

These numbers are for Michigan alone. What are the totals for the entire country? For the world?

We mourn the fallen soldiers and rightfully so, but who mourns the babies who aren't given the chance to live to see the light of day? Who weeps for them?

Men and women who die in service have had a voice and used it to let us know their choices. The unborn is hushed before it ever utters a word outside the womb.

We decry and protest the war in Iraq, but far too many quietly step over the issues of the right to life for the unborn."

A special note:

If you or someone you know has known the pain of abortion and you need help in dealing with the trauma this can bring, we want you to know that there is forgiveness and healing to be found in Jesus Christ. Please call our church office, 734-282-0115 and let us help in the healing process.

At Grace Bible Church we believe in the right to life....

Psalm 139:13-17

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

Conception and the growth of unborn babies is truly a God-given miracle ...

Day 1: fertilization: all human chromosomes are present; unique human life begins
Day 6: embryo begins implantation in the uterus.
Day 22: heart begins to beat with the child's own blood, often a different type than the mothers'.
Week 3: By the end of third week the child's backbone spinal column and nervous system are forming. The liver, kidneys and intestines begin to take shape.
Week 4: By the end of week four the child is ten thousand times larger than the fertilized egg.
Week 5: Eyes, legs, and hands begin to develop.

Week 6: Brain waves are detectable; mouth and lips are present; fingernails are forming.

Week 7: Eyelids, and toes form, nose distinct. The baby is kicking and swimming.

Week 8: Every organ is in place, bones begin to replace cartilage, and fingerprints begin to form. By the 8th week the baby can begin to hear.

Weeks 9 and 10: Teeth begin to form, fingernails develop. The baby can turn his head, and frown. The baby can hiccup.

Weeks 10 and 11: The baby can "breathe" amniotic fluid and urinate. Week 11 the baby can grasp objects placed in its hand; all organ systems are functioning. The baby has a skeletal structure, nerves, and circulation.

Week 12: The baby has all of the parts necessary to experience pain, including nerves, spinal cord, and thalamus. Vocal cords are complete. The baby can suck its thumb.

Week 14: At this age, the heart pumps several quarts of blood through the body every day.
Week 15: The baby has an adult's taste buds.

Month 4: Bone Marrow is now beginning to form. The heart is pumping 25 quarts of blood a day. By the end of month 4 the baby will be 8-10 inches in length and will weigh up to half a pound.

Week 17: The baby can have dream (REM) sleep.
Week 19: Babies can routinely be saved at 21 to 22 weeks after fertilization, and sometimes they can be saved even younger.

Week 20: The earliest stage at which Partial birth abortions are performed. At 20 weeks the baby recognizes its' mothers voice.

Months 5 and 6: The baby practices breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid into its developing lungs. The baby will grasp at the umbilical cord when it feels it. Most mothers feel an increase in movement, kicking, and hiccups from the baby. Oil and sweat glands are now functioning. The baby is now twelve inches long or more, and weighs up to one and a half pounds.

Months 7 through 9: Eyeteeth are present. The baby opens and closes his eyes. The baby is using four of the five senses (vision, hearing, taste, and touch.) He knows the difference between waking and sleeping, and can relate to the moods of the mother. The baby's skin begins to thicken, and a layer of fat is produced and stored beneath the skin. Antibodies are built up, and the baby's heart begins to pump 300 gallons of blood per day. Approximately one week before the birth the baby stops growing, and "drops" usually head down into the pelvic cavity.

Sources Used:
Bergel, Gary (Produced by NRLC) "When You Were Formed in Secret." 1998.
Flanagan, Geraldine Lux. Beginning Life. The Marvelous Journey from Conception to Birth. New York: DK Publishing Inc., 1996.
Hopson, Janet L. Fetal Psychology. Oct. 1998. 07 Jan 2003.http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/tul/psychtoday9809.html.
Internet Sources:
"Fetal Development." 07 Jan 2003.http://www.w-cpc.org/fetal1.html.
"When Does Life Begin? Abortion and Human Rights." National Right To Life.

A heart-felt Thank You! to all who volunteered last Saturday. On Sept. 6, a group of folks from Grace Bible Church met to put up Right-to-Life Crosses on the church lawn. It is our hope and prayer that these crosses will be a visual reminder that life is sacred and that there are pregnancy options other than abortion.

Our Volunteers - Thank You!