We post multiple times per week on the Abundant Life Blog. So, it’s not a small thing to be one of the top 22 most-viewed posts of 2022. We want to take a moment to thank you. Thank you for following us, reading our posts, and sharing and engaging in a loving way with our content.
We hope you’ve been helped with tips, tools””and most of all””encouragement for the Pro Abundant Life movement. What follows are the top 22 blog posts of 2022 based on pageviews.
The Top 22 Abundant Life Blog Posts
Post #1: CareCast: Interview with Jennifer Maggio
This was a special episode of CareCast with Roland Warren, Care Net’s president and CEO, and Jennifer Maggio, founder and CEO of The Life of a Single Mom Ministries. This episode of CareCast was recorded live at the Care Net National Conference 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. It was our first-ever conference to be hosted in the aftermath of the Dobbs Decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade. More than 1,600 pregnancy center staff and volunteers gathered to sharpen their skills for reaching out with Christ’s compassion to women and men considering abortion. Listen in on Roland and Jennifer’s conversation.
Post #2: Care Net TV: Miami Valley Women’s Center
On this episode of Care Net TV, we celebrate with the Miami Valley Women’s Center as they commemorate 40 years of ministry! Roland and Executive Director Sheri Lawson discuss the work Miami Valley Women’s Center has done over the past 40 years and how they’re continually and effectively serving the Dayton, OH area with 4 brick-and-mortar locations. Watch Sheri’s interview!
Post #3: CareCast: A Pro-Choice Pastor’s “Logic”
A pro-choice pastor has used Psalm 139 to justify what she sees as the “holy experience” of having an abortion. To her, abortion is ok because it is not a physical act of ending a life that God has made, but instead ending a story that God is writing. Does this make it any better? Hear what Roland and Vince have to say in this episode of CareCast.
Post #4: CareCast: Senator Warren’s War on Pregnancy Centers
After Roe v. Wade was overturned, Senator Elizabeth Warren picked a target to take out her anger against the pro-life movement — pregnancy centers. Why did she choose pregnancy centers? And why is she dead wrong in her wild attacks against these amazing ministries? In this episode of CareCast, Roland and Vince discuss how Senator Warren must think that women are stupid.
Post #5: Care Net TV: Save-a-Life Vestavia
On this episode of Care Net TV, Roland talks with Lisa Hogan, Executive Director of Sav-a-Life Vestavia in Birmingham, AL. Lisa shares how Sav-a-Life has served its community for over 40 years and recently merged with another local pregnancy center to effectively expand its reach in the Birmingham community. Watch Lisa’s interview.
Post #6: Is the Bible Against Abortion? MSNBC Host Says “No”
In September, Joe Scarborough of MSNBC declared that it was “heresy” to say that Jesus condemned abortion. The co-host of the “Morning Joe” program made his bold statement on the air during a discussion of the Dobbs Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade.
“As a Southern Baptist, I grew up reading the Bible,” he said. “I may be a backslidden Baptist, but I still know the Bible. Jesus never once talked about abortion, never once, and it was happening back in ancient times. It was happening during his time. Never once mentioned it.” What would you say if someone asked you, “Is the Bible against abortion?”
Post #7: When Houses of Worship Become Houses of Refuge
When Love Life missionaries, Jennifer and Shaylene, called Pastor David Cunningham of Christ Community Church, he was open and inquisitive. “You know, we’ve always been a pro-life church, but we’ve never really known what to do about it in practical, helpful terms,” David mused. The Adoption Week model Love Life provides sounded more than appealing. “So you’re telling me that all I have to do is adopt one week out of your 40-Week Prayer campaign, speak on the topic of life that Sunday, fast and pray on Wednesday, and bring my congregation out to a prayer walk that Saturday, and that’s all you’re asking?” he recapped the conversation to get a handle on the nuts and bolts.
Post #8: CareCast: Pro-Choice or Pro-Decision?
The pro-choice movement has recently begun to distance itself from the term “pro-choice,” which was the moniker it had chosen for itself decades ago. Instead, the terms “pro-decision” and even “pro-abortion” are emerging as the new preferred ways in which the pro-choice movement would like to be known. Why the shift? And does it matter? Hear what Roland and Vince have to say in this episode of CareCast.
Post #9: 3 Reasons Your Town Needs its Pregnancy Center
Planned Parenthood performed 354,871 abortions last year. During that same time, Care Net pregnancy centers saved more than 60,000 lives. Yet, since the overturning of Roe v Wade, pro-choice forces led by Senator Elizabeth Warren and others have launched an aggressive campaign to shut down or impede pregnancy centers across our nation. Extremists have vandalized and even firebombed centers. These puzzling reactions to the work of pregnancy centers are based on misinformation and outright lies about what pregnancy centers do and how they do it. Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, you should want a pregnancy center in your town.
Surely, if you are pro-life, you want them because they provide compassion, hope, and help to young moms and dads, giving them the information they need to make fully informed decisions about their unplanned pregnancies. This compassionate ministry work results in tens of thousands of unborn children being spared from abortion every year. But even if you are pro-choice, your passion for the empowerment of women, the importance of personal choice, and the need to support underserved communities should compel you to support pregnancy centers in your town, too.
Post #10: Deconstructive Thoughts on “Forgetting Those Things Which Are Behind”
Anyone who knows my story certainly understands why I’m not against the process of deconstructing one’s faith””especially if it’s to remove false and harmful ideas. And that’s also why I love this quote by Addie Zierman:
“Sometimes, wholeness requires a re-breaking and re-setting of those places that healed crooked inside of me.”
One of the harmful ideas that’s dogged me for years related to forgiveness and healing is a surface interpretation of Philippians 3:13-14. Growing up in an unhealthy church, I’ve leaned too hard on a false understanding of forgetting as it relates to forgiveness. Read Deconstructive Thoughts on “Forgetting Those Things Which Are Behind.”
Post #11: CareCast: A Cautionary Abortion Pill Tale
The abortion pill has become the most common way that women get abortions, and it is increasing. But as it increases, the problems with the pill become more and more apparent.
Hear the story of a real caller to Care Net’s Pregnancy Decision Line, and how Care Net’s ministry model addresses many of the major issues that the increasing use of the abortion pill is creating.
Post #12: Louisville Pregnancy Center Launches Church Partnership Focusing on Family Discipleship
BSideU for Life, a pregnancy and life skills center in Louisville, invited local churches to partner with them in supporting, serving and discipling women and families facing unplanned pregnancies on Tuesday, May 24. Representatives from more than two dozen churches gathered for the breakfast fellowship to learn about the necessity of long-term church care.
Post #13: What You Can’t Miss about the California Governor’s Abortion Billboards
Abortion is never the loving thing to do, even if the Governor of California’s campaign says it is. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s reelection campaign recently launched at least 18 billboards in seven different states that restricted abortions: Texas, Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Oklahoma. Every billboard points to California’s abortion website that promises you don’t need to live in California to get an abortion in the state.
Each billboard has its own messaging for the state it’s advertising in. California’s says, “Need an abortion? California is ready to help.” It also references Mark 12:31, “Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.” Now, politicians will be political. But can there be anything more sinister than using the Bible to promote a message of death? Let’s look at each line of the billboard. Here’s what you can’t miss about the California Governor’s abortion billboards.
Post #14: Care Net TV: LifeChoices Health Network
This was our first episode of Care Net TV with an interview featuring Care Net President and CEO, Roland Warren, and Karolyn Schrage, Executive Director of LifeChoices Health Network. LifeChoices, known in their community as Choices Medical Services, serves the rural Joplin, MO area with 2 strategically placed brick-and-mortar locations as well as a mobile medical unit.
In her interview, Karolyn shares with Roland how her background as a nurse inspired her involvement in the pro-life movement and how LifeChoices serves the Joplin community.
Post #15: 3 Things You Find When Searching for “Crisis Pregnancy Center Near Me”
The evil one doesn’t usually outright lie to you. He will most often twist the truth. That’s what happened in the beginning. God told Adam and Eve to enjoy whatever they wished, just not that one thing. Satan then deceived by tempting, “Oh, you can eat that one thing””nothing will happen.” Search for “crisis pregnancy center near me” and in the blink of an eye, you’ll have 150,000,000 results pointing you in various directions. Now, imagine it’s the middle of the night and you just found out you are pregnant. You feel overwhelmed, hopeless, and alone. You type in the search box seeking advice, answers…the truth. Instead, you find deception.
Google recently took pregnancy centers out of Google Maps results for abortion-related search terms unless you check a box to “expand your search.” Otherwise, all you see are abortion clinics. Yelp recently added the phrase “This is a Crisis Pregnancy Center. Crisis Pregnancy Centers typically provide limited medical services and may not have licensed medical professionals onsite” to search findings for pregnancy centers, including those affiliated with Care Net. Make no mistake, there is a battle being fought online, and the search terms matter. Here are 3 things Big Tech forces people to find when they search for “crisis pregnancy center near me.”
Post #16: Men Share Their Abortion Stories (Video)
Pro-choice activists claim that men have no say when it comes to abortion. “No womb, no say!” they exclaim. But at our recent Called and Missioned Pro-Life Men’s Conference, we gave men a voice and a say. In this powerful testimonial video, several of the men who attended the conference share their abortion stories… how they hit rock bottom, and then found new life in Christ.
Post #17: Care Net TV: Options Pregnancy Center
Vikki Parker, Founder and Executive Director of Options Pregnancy Center, shares with Roland how she was led to enter pregnancy center ministry after her daughter experienced an unplanned pregnancy at the age of 15. Vikki explains how she felt called to speak into the lives of other mothers and daughters and ultimately created a safe place for people to come where she and her team could “love them like Jesus.”
Post #18: Dred Scott and Abortion: Different Eras, Different Circumstances, Same Sin
The year was 1976. I was sitting in high school history class at the all-boys Catholic high school I attended in Toledo, Ohio. On most days, I may have been daydreaming about playing football. But the lesson on this particular day was the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision. I was all ears. You see, I was the only black kid in the class, so you can imagine things got a little awkward”¦ for myself and for the teacher who was giving us a lesson on this pivotal moment in our nation’s history.
But I will never forget the feeling I had when I learned about this infamous decision. I remember thinking, even as a teenager, “How could such a terrible injustice be allowed to take place? And how could the Supreme Court of the United States endorse and codify such injustice!?”
Post #19: Paving the Way from Pain to Hope for Young Moms: Nicole Gillon’s Story
Nicole Gillon was reeling from heartache. Neither time nor talking with others could take away the pain, either. As a lifelong believer with a passion for mentoring young women, she just couldn’t make sense of what had happened with her first cousin, 12 years her junior. This is Nicole’s story.
Post #20: CareCast: The Aggressiveness of Pro-Choice, Post-Roe Laws
Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, the pro-choice movement has become more aggressive than ever in trying to get unfettered access to abortion, even infanticide, codified in certain states. Listen to Roland and Vince discuss how an “abortion culture” leads inevitably to such an approach, and what we can do about it.
Post #21: Because You Cared For Daniela
Daniela* called Pregnancy Decision Line and Chloe* answered the call at Care Net’s national hotline. The first few minutes of the call were filled with Daniela sharing her tear-filled story about how she found herself in this position. She was desperate to find an abortion clinic to turn back the clock. Read Daniela’s story.
Post #22: All Rise! Care Net Celebrates Yankees’ Outfielder Aaron Judge and His Adoptive Parents
At six-foot-seven and 282 pounds, Aaron Judge is a mountain of a man. This past summer, the New York Yankees outfielder cemented his place in baseball history when he broke the American League single-season home run record. Judge finished his epic campaign with 62 home runs, topping the American League and team mark of 61 set by Roger Maris in 1961; The iconic Yankee Babe Ruth owned the previous record, hitting 60 homers in 1927.
As Judge approached Maris’ record in September and October, he captured the attention of the baseball world and the country. Updates were given on national newscasts. Television cameras also focused on his parents, who would cheer him on from the stands as the pressure mounted. Soon, another storyline was highlighted by many pro-life organizations””Aaron Judge was adopted at birth. The humble giant who joined Ruth, Maris, and Mickey Mantle on the Yankees’ single-season Mount Rushmore was once a helpless baby, born to a mother in a crisis pregnancy.
Thank you for following along, for reading, and for sharing. May God bless you in 2023 as we work together in the Pro Abundant Life Movement.