Tag: Abortion

Created For A Purpose

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What is your purpose in life?

Lately, I have been thinking about what it means to be created for a purpose.

The definition of purpose is the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.

Our purpose in life is the very meaning of our existence and without knowing this we often suffer ignorant of our own significance. We fall prey to the illusion that our lives don’t matter and we have no connection or impact on the world around us. The Bible offers many insights into man’s purpose on Earth and living within a meaningful mission. ( From biblestudytools.com)

In Ecclesiastes 3:1 it says, “ There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:”

In Jeremiah 29:11 it says. “ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. “

Proverbs 19:21 says. “ Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose ( the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.) that prevails.

In life, we all plan things that we want to do, but it is always what the Lord intends for our lives that will prevail. God wants to see us prosper, God will not harm us, and God wants to give us a hope and a future.

Each of us was created for a purpose. It takes prayer, fasting, and Bible reading to find out what God’s purpose for our lives is. Sadly, we live in a world where people reject the call of God on their lives, and people want to follow their plans and not the ideas, methods, or plans of God.

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It can take time for us to find out what our purpose is in life. It took years for me to find out what my purpose in life is. For those who don’t know my story, it is I was conceived from rape, saved from an illegal abortion and placed for adoption. Even though I knew my story for a few years knowing God’s purpose for my life did not happen until I heard one of my Pastor’s sons preach a message, “When our mess becomes God’s message.” It was at the beginning of that sermon that God spoke to me and told me I needed to tell the story.  Talk about God’s purpose for my life unfolding. I planned to share my story in church, and that was it, but God had other plans.

Because I have people in my life who have encouraged me to continue sharing my story, my story has gone all over the world; it has been translated into Spanish, it has been published in a couple of magazines, a couple of pro-life news organizations published the story. God’s purpose has led me to volunteer at a Pregnancy Resource Center near my church.  Not that long ago I found out that there is a possibility that my story will be published in a book in Spanish.

The purpose that God has planned for our lives is something that should not be taken lightly. Let me encourage you that sometimes God’s purpose for our lives comes from messy situations that God wants to use for his message to be fulfilled not just in our lives, but in the lives of others who need to hear our stories so they can know about the Love of Jesus Christ.

 

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Sherry Hensley is a Pro-Life Speaker in Maryland-Conceived in Rape, saved from an illegal abortion, and adopted. She is married to Fred Hensley. Sherry enjoys inspiring others and sharing her faith. Fred and Sherry attend Bethel Christian Center in Havre de Grace, Maryland.

 

Would Gun Control Really Save Lives

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I have been reading many things about how people want Gun Control. My question is would Gun Control save lives? I want to share what I think is the answer to this issue.

I live in the United States of America, and the United States of America was founded on Christan Principles. Somewhere along the line, America left the Christian Principles that is stood for, for many years. In the United States, you used to be able to pray in the Public Schools, but that has been taken away. God has been taken out of the public schools.

In America, there was a time where Abortion was illegal. The life of the pre-born baby was protected. The womb used to be a safe place. Today America has abortion-on-demand. In America, there are laws that protect some babies, but leave other babies out because they consider them worthless, or the issue of the problem, or a burden. The reason why someone’s conception should not matter because we are all human and we all bleed the same. In America, there are about 3,000 babies murdered every day through abortion, and the number of people who are injured or die in a school shooting is much less than 3,000 a day.

In America there was a time where Marriage was recognized between a man and a woman, now homosexuals can marry each other.

With all these other issues would Gun Control save lives? Gun Control will not save lives. It is not the Gun that kills people, but it is the person behind the gun that kills people. The problem comes down to Self – Control. For peoples lives to be saved, we need to become a country once again that stands for biblical principles. For people’s lives to be spared from being shot let’s have some backbone and stand up courageously and fight to have prayer brought back into Schools and stand up and boldly fight for the life of the pre-born babies in the womb and that includes the “hard cases,” the exceptions. I was conceived from rape, and my life is just a valuable as anyone elses.

When American’s come to the point that Gun Control won’t save lives, and gets down on her knees and repents than God will heal the land. Once we have come to the place of repentance and use Self-Control instead of expecting Gun-Control, then we will see lives saved.

Sherry3a3
Sherry Hensley is a Pro-Life Speaker in Maryland-Conceived in Rape, saved from an illegal abortion. She is married to Fred Hensley. Sherry enjoys inspiring others and sharing her faith. Fred and Sherry attend Bethel Christian Center in Havre de Grace, Maryland.
Her contact information is thevalueoflife@comcast.net

When Does God Ever Make Sense?

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God doesnt make sense

Yesterday sitting in church the Pastor preached about the future, and the message was directed right at me.

A few years ago my husband and I went to the infertility doctor hoping to have a baby. A week later the doctor called me and said, I am sorry I can’t help you. Talk about being devastated. I was so devastated that I could not look at a pregnant woman or even be around a new born baby I would turn my head the other way it was heart breaking.

A little over a year ago I felt led to go to the local pregnancy resource center close to the church that my husband and I attend. I had gone in there only to see what our church could do to help them. Talking with the director that day I began to feel much compassion for what they do at the center. I filled out the paperwork to see what I could do to help them, and they called me back in August of last year to see when I could start coming in for training at the center. It has been a long year, and I am just now getting finished with my training.

The miracle in this is that I can now look at a pregnant woman and it brings me much joy when I see a newborn baby. God has taken what was so devastating to me and is turning it around for his glory.

If you are just reading one of my articles for the first time, I would like to share with you the short version of my story. I am an adult adoptee. I grew up knowing that I was adopted. When I was 35 years old, I found my birth mother through a social worker in the state that I was born, and that is when I found out the truth of my conception. I found out that I was conceived from rape, saved from an illegal abortion at a planned parenthood clinic, and placed for adoption. My biological great aunt tried to coerce my birth mother into having an illegal abortion at a planned parenthood clinic, but my birth mother stood her ground and knew that there was life growing inside her womb. She did not want to destroy the plans that God had for my life. For that, I am so grateful.

Not that long ago the director of the pregnancy resource center came to me with a situation and asked me what day I could come in to start counseling women who are in a crisis. I am an extra emotional person, to begin with, and over the last few days, my emotions have been going all over the place. I will admit I am scared, nervous, got fear staring me right in the face. And I have been questioning God can I do this? My husband and I don’t have children, and I never had an abortion.

Going back to this past Sunday at church on the way to church in the evening I started thinking about people in the Bible who God used, and at the time it didn’t make any sense. Abraham is one of them. God told him he would be the father of many nations, and his wife was barren, but God gave them a son 25 years later. God also told Abraham to get up and go, and God didn’t tell him where to go just to go, and God would tell him on the way where to go. Noah is another one. God told Noah to build an Ark. The Bible doesn’t say how many years it took for Noah to build the Ark, but many Bible Scholars say about 120 years it took to build before the flood. So many stories in the Bible where things didn’t make sense to man, but it made sense to God. They had to trust God. In the evening service, I heard to other messages that were for me. After listening to all three sermons if I had a title for all three sermons it would be titled, “When does God ever make sense?”  I know God is going to use me at the center to be a light to many people, but since I do not have any children and never had an abortion does it make sense to me. While it’s not making any sense to me, it makes sense to God, and I just have to trust him, and I know he is with me and will help me.

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Sherry Hensley is a Pro-Life Speaker in Maryland-Conceived in Rape, saved from an illegal abortion. She is married to Fred Hensley. Sherry enjoys inspiring others and sharing her faith. Fred and Sherry attend Bethel Christian Center in Havre de Grace, Maryland.

Why The Rape Exception Is Irrelevant To The Pro-Abortion Movement

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The definition of irrelevant is not relevant; not applicable or pertinent: 

You are probably wondering where I am going with this. This thought came to my mind this morning as I was doing my morning devotions. 

Not that long ago our Assistant Pastor at our church preached a message and used me as an example. He mentioned that because I take a firm stand against abortion that people give me a lot of flack for it, but that doesn’t stop me. What I am given a lot of flack for was how I was conceived. I was conceived from rape. Those that are conceived from rape/incest are given a lot of flack because of how they are/were conceived. 

Not that long ago in one of my discussions, this was said. “The fetus is using the woman’s body without her consent. It is, therefore, doing something wrong. Using someone’s body without consent as a result of a sexual assault is not “innocent.” Did this statement surprise me? No, it did not. This is an example of what the pro-abortion movement likes to say about those conceived from rape/incest. The reason why the rape/incest exception is irrelevant to the pro-abortion movement and to those who claim they are pro-life but are for the exceptions is that the baby was not even around when the crime took place. Their way of thinking makes no logical sense in any way. The baby was conceived after the crime to place. To say that a baby who is conceived from rape is using the woman’s body with out her consent is absolute nonsense. The person who committed the crime is not innocent, but the baby who was not even there at the time of the crime is innocent. 

In 2004, the Guttmacher Institute anonymously surveyed 1,209 post abortive women from nine different abortion clinics across the country. The percentage of abortions for the rape exception was  <.05%. The rape/incest exception needs to be done away with when making pro-life laws.

In the pro-abortion movement and those who say they are pro-life but are for the exceptions only think about the life of the mother and don’t reflect on both of the victims, and that is the Mother and the Baby. If you are just now reading this and don’t know my story the short version of my story is I was conceived from rape, saved from an illegal abortion at a planned parenthood clinic, and placed for adoption. Another reason comes to my mind is that the Rape exception is irrelevant to the pro-abortion movement and those that are for the exceptions is because I am not connected by what they have to say, what they think, or what they believe. My life is relevant because of God. God created me, and I want to be closely connected to Jesus Christ. 

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Sherry Hensley is a Pro-Life Speaker in Maryland-Conceived in Rape, saved from an illegal abortion. She is married to Fred Hensley. Sherry enjoys inspiring others and sharing her faith. Fred and Sherry attend Bethel Christian Center in Havre de Grace, Maryland.

The Devil Tried To Destroy Me, But God Meant It For Good

SherryAnn3 Comments

There is so much on my mind tonight so please bear with me as I get through this. This is one of the most difficult blogs that I will probably write. When I found out that I was conceived from rape at the time that I found out finding out that I was born out of wedlock was much harder because I was raised to save myself for my future husband. When I read the words born out of wedlock my heart sank to my stomach I was sick.

I have been reading about things that the unborn baby goes through when the mother is going through things, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and other things. The unborn baby senses that. Reading about it has stirred up some very difficult emotions that I have not dealt with until now. The emotions that I am just now dealing are those that come when I first heard the words conceived from rape. I have been torn up for some time about it to where I am sick. The last few weeks I have had things happen. Some crazy person who read one of my blogs left me a note saying kill me, and I had someone report me on Facebook, and most recently while sharing my story someone cussed my birth mother out and I let them have it. I am so torn up by all of this that I can’t even cry. Whenever I hear the word rapist I will start shaking and I get sick.

Going through this is hard because I have the devil telling me that I am the rapist baby, the daughter of a rapist and I know those are nothing but lies right from the pit of hell. I know in my heart that I am not the rapist baby. God created me for a purpose. I am not the daughter of a rapist, but I am a daughter of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

My birth mother does not like to be called a hero, but she is. She had an aunt that could have arranged for her to abort me at a planned parenthood clinic, but rather she fought for the life of her baby. She fought for my life.  She did what she could do and she placed me for adoption. When she placed me for adoption her one request was that I be placed in a strong Christian home. God granted her request. Don’t get me wrong I am blessed to have been adopted, but many adoptee’s deal with issues that people who are born into the family do not understand and dealing with those issues can last a lifetime.

While the devil meant evil against me, God meant it for good and I am volunteering at a Crisis Pregnancy Center training to help women in a crisis. When we help the woman we will save the baby.

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Sherry Hensley and her Husband Fred reside in Baltimore, MD. Sherry is a Pro-Life Speaker in Maryland-Conceived in Rape, saved from an illegal abortion. She enjoys inspiring others and sharing her faith.

Children Conceived In Rape Have Potential

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much-potential

As I watched the video from Mia Love giving her speech at the March for Life 2017, I was touched, but at the same time, I had many thoughts going through my mind.

In Mia Love’s speech at the March for Life 2017, she mentioned that “each child born and unborn has the potential to open up our world. She also mentioned that “each child maybe come a lawyer, a doctor, a person who can cure cancer, a person who can cure Alzheimer’s.” She then mentioned that “every time we kill a child through abortion we kill our potential. We can not except what might have been, but focus on what is to come.”

As I thought about what she said, I took her what might have been to what could have been and to what should be. In the pro-life movement, we have had many laws that have protected the unborn, except those conceived from rape, incest, and life of the mother.

Let me ask Mia Love and the Pro-Live movement? What could have happened if these bills that were passed did not have the exceptions in them? Could it have been possible that abortion would be illegal? Could it have been that these babies that are forgotten bring their mother’s healing or placed with couples who can not have children? Could it be possible that babies conceived from rape/incest or the life of the mother have potential?

The Pro-Life movement has much to learn from Mia Love’s speech. If the Pro-Life movement plans to focus on what is to come, we must not forget the lives of those conceived in rape/incest or the life of the mother are also worthy of the right to life. Children conceived in rape/incest should be allowed to have the right to life and live to their fullest God-given potential. They should be allowed to give their mother healing or allow the mother to place their child in a home where the child is cared for, accepted, and loved.

I was conceived in rape and placed for adoption. Since finding out that I was conceived from rape I have talked with others who were conceived from rape as well, and we are lawyers, firefighters, doctors, ministers, nurses, and so on. Who knows if the child conceived from rape/incest is protected just like anyone else maybe they can be the one to cure cancer, cure Alzheimer’s and become who God created them to be.

To the Pro-Life politicians, I urge you the next time you vote on a pro-life bill don’t exclude the exceptions but include them. After all, we are exceptional people who have potential.

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Sherry Hensley is a  Pro-Life Speaker in Maryland. Conceived in Rape, saved from an illegal abortion. Sherry is married to a Minister and I enjoy inspiring others by sharing her story and sharing her faith.

Conceived From Rape Saved From An Illegal Abortion At Planned Parenthood

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Baby Photo1

It was in early 2008 that I found out I was conceived from rape and became very upset, but prayed and chose not to allow anger and bitterness take root, and I opted to forgive my birth father because Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins as well as the sins of my birth father.

My birthmother’s aunt wanted her to have an illegal abortion. I am so grateful that my birth mother did not give into the pressure of her aunt. 64% of abortions happen because of family and friends urging the woman to have an abortion. I am grateful that my birth mother chose life, and I was not one of the statistics of the 64%.

Last Summer when the Center for Medical Progress released the videos of exposing Planned Parenthood to very wrong and illegal practices I found out that my life could have ended at a Planned Parenthood facility before abortion became legal in the state that I was born in. When I saw the video of the 19-week baby in what I call the mixing bowl, I cried because it could have been me. I cringe when I talk about Planned Parenthood because I know that had my birthmother given into that pressure my very life would have ended at a Planned Parenthood facility.

Knowing what I know about my beginnings to life gives me a much greater appreciation for life. I am so thankful that my birthmother chose life and made the best decision and placed me for adoption.

Sherry3a3

Sherry Hensley is a Pro-Life Speaker in Maryland-Conceived in Rape, saved from an illegal abortion. She is married to a Minister and enjoys inspiring others and sharing her faith.

America, What Has Happened To Integrity

SherryAnn2 Comments

Integrity

One of the definitions of Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. Another definition for Integrity is the state of being whole and undivided.

I have been talking with some of my friends about this upcoming election, and it breaks my heart that these friends of mine want to vote for someone who absolutely has no integrity about him. After talking with these friends, I ask myself this question, Whatever happened to integrity?

America was founded on the Word of God and a country that once had moral principles and moral values and uprightness, but we are now a country that is divided on many issues. America, we have lost our integrity.

Just recently I heard about an interview on the Today Show that if Donald Trump is elected President he wants to change the GOP platform to promote abortions in cases of rape. That is a slap in the face to those who were/are conceived from rape. I was conceived from rape, and this election is very concerning to me.

For a minute put yourself in the shoes of someone who was conceived from rape. How would it make you feel when reading news like this? How would it make you feel to be told you should be dead, your an evil seed, your the rapist child, your the monsters child, a gob of goo, a disgusting abomination, and the list goes on.

I am grateful for people like Lila Rose, president and founder of the pro-life organization Live Action, told LifeNews.com she takes issue with Trump on supporting the aborting of babies not conceived lovingly.

“Rape and incest are horrific injustices, and those who commit these acts should always be punished to the full extent of the law. U.S. law forbids the use of the death penalty as a punishment for rapists, yet current law permits killing the innocent preborn children conceived in rape.  Abortion should not be held up as a pathway to healing from rape or incest, as it doesn’t undo the crime; it just adds more violence to what the survivor has already endured,” Rose explained.

Rose continued: “If you are pro-life, you can’t say certain lives are less worthy or don’t deserve protection because of how they are conceived.  To say children conceived in rape are somehow less human and shouldn’t be allowed to live is a grave injustice.  Survivors of rape and incest and their children must be shown compassion and be supported by their communities.  While some mothers choose to keep their children, adoption is the option for those who don’t.”

For me, I am so very grateful for my birthmother who gave me life and placed me for adoption and trusted God to take care of me. And that he has.

I am aware of the many issues that we face in our nation today, but if we want to see these problems fixed we are going to have to make a change and once again vote for people who have integrity and who stand on the Word of God and Godly principles and once again become a nation that is undivided and a nation that has strong moral principles and moral uprightness.

Sherry3a3

 

 

 

 

Sherry Hensley is a Pro-Life Speaker in Maryland-Conceived in Rape, saved from an illegal abortion. She is married to a Minister and enjoys inspiring others and sharing her faith.

The Blessing Of Adoption

SherryAnn3 Comments

 

When the world tries to make adoption look like a bad thing I want to tell you that Adoption is a blessing. My Life has been blessed by adoption. I am the adoptee. To give you the short version of the story my birthmother was raped and her aunt wanted her to have an illegal abortion and could have arranged it. She told her aunt no and because of her circumstances she made the selfless decision and placed me for adoption. Even in the middle of adversity she saw me as a gift from God, and she felt blessed. She felt blessed back then because she knew that there where couples out there who could not have children. She felt blessed and shared that gift from God with a couple who could not have children.

 

Adoption is a very loving option. Adoption is not rejection, but it is giving the gift of family to a child who needs a family. When a birthmother chooses adoption for her baby, she is putting herself last and putting the needs of her baby before hers. She is making a selfless decision. When my birthmother chose adoption for me, her only request was that I be placed in a strong Christian home. Yes, adoption is a very difficult decision. Back when I was placed for adoption most adoptions where “closed.” Thinking about my birthmother I truthfully don’t know how she did it. She is a very strong woman and a hero in my life. God blessed my birth mother with one week to care for, love and hold me. She and I were released from the hospital on the same day. I know it was hard for her that day, but I also know she felt at peace because she put her faith and trust in God that he would take care of me.  As I write this, I think about the song by Avalon. There are No Orphans of God. “There are no strangers, there are no outcasts, there are no orphans of God.”

 

Growing up my parents told me from a very young age that I was adopted. As I grew older, I wondered if my birthmother ever was able to have a baby girl.  When I decided to search for my birthmother, and she gave her permission to have contact with me I found out that she was able to have her baby girl. My Birthmother and her husband adopted her. So my Birthmother is also an adoptive mother. She knows about the blessing of adoption.  When I met my step-sister, I told her I had always wondered if my birthmother was ever able to have her baby girl. I went on to say that I am so glad that you are her daughter.

 

When I talk about adoption, I always say that Adoption saves lives.   I am grateful for the home that I was raised in. I had a normal life and truthfully to me being the adoptee it didn’t feel any different.  The reason it didn’t feel different is because my adopted family will always be my family.  Adoption truly is a blessing, and it is also the blessing of life!

Sherry Hensley Blogger (2)

Sherry Hensley is a Pro-Life Speaker from Maryland. She was conceived in rape, saved from an illegal abortion. She is also a Blogger for Save the 1.  She is married to a minister and enjoys inspiring others and sharing her faith. Her website is thevalueoflife.net