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Welcome back to the point-taking podcast. We are at a new season, and I'm not gonna say the number cuz I don't know and Lowell didn't know either so we're at a new season here, and I am here with Anna.
With Kaylee and with a friend Sarah Grace who Anna and Kaylee continue to call the wrong name. This morning. Well, I guess I should say over the summer Sarah Grace came and spoke to us at Whitten. Actually last season we did an episode on abortion and One of our members well actually she's been on the podcast before she Shared that with life choices here in Memphis.
We'll talk about them in just a moment.
And.
They watched it we went and toured their facility. I believe it's second or third time. We've been over there and Here we are four weeks later and Sarah came and spoke at the church this morning. Of interest meeting afterwards went well.
Figuring out ways we can work with them, and they can work with us and so here We are the church being the church working together so today is Mostly gonna be about Sarah Grace and life choices. I'm gonna let Anna take it away before I do.
Guys remember. Continually, please like share and subscribe these videos, and if there is any topics you want us to cover. We're not afraid to tackle.
Really.
Right so you can send those questions to the thing that I always say listen. Point taken at gmail .com and.
That was good. Or drop it in the comments below. Like a bounce back email like this email. So like pastor Josiah said our church ended up doing a tour at life choices about a month ago and Really got to see what type of work this Center in the city does for our community.
And so we just wanted to have her on to discuss. What services they provide what type of work they do? All the things essentially. So again, this is Sarah Grace. I always want to call her Sarah Beth. It's the southern double name thing.
But I didn't know originally how life choices started so can you tell us a little bit how that happened?
Yeah, disclaimer. I'm sorry sir. Just make sure quick disclaimer if you haven't yet watched the abortion episode from last season last season. It may be good and do that so that this conversation makes a little more sense.
No, yeah, so like this has actually been around in the city of Memphis since 1986. I know a lot of people didn't realize yeah, how long we've been Around in our city. But at that point in time Roe v. Wade have been around for a little while.
Abortion rates are actually at an all-time high in our country and obviously we've seen that those rates have just continued to go but Memphis locals Don and Ann Johnson and Buck and Monette Jones Had been actually at a summit in DC.
I'm kind of hearing about the state of What was going on in our country? And they Really just felt the Lord Kind of pressing in on them To to kind of do something about it. They were honestly kind of questioning like why aren't you doing something about it?
And the Lord kind of pushed back and was like, well, why aren't you doing something right? And so they ended up starting Life Choices. They brought it back to Memphis and Rallied local churches to support And started the pregnancy medical clinic that is Life Choices.
Obviously, we've grown and shifted since then.
Patients a time or two a few times. I don't know how many exactly but Yeah, so since 1986 we've been serving the women in our city. So and what services do you provide those women? Yeah, that's a great question I like kind of starting off when we talk about services just Stating the fact that first and foremost through a ministry of Jesus Christ.
And so the most important thing that we do with any women that walk through our doors is we're sharing the gospel with them. But women that come to our clinics are really in need of kind of first stop intervention for Pregnancy, so when they find out that they're pregnant or they think they might be pregnant.
They can come to one of our clinics and get a free pregnancy test and a free limited ultrasound. Basically to confirm that they're pregnant. But then while they're in for that appointment our client advocates get to meet with them.
And kind of talk to you where they're at with their story what's going on in their lives? And kind of help to figure out what they're thinking because obviously we recognize that. Not all pregnancies are planned and so sometimes women need an extra I guess maybe hands to help kind of process and figure out what those those things are gonna look like.
So our client advocates are sitting down and they're doing. Options education and counseling. Talking through resources that these women might need to be able to parent. And helping provide referrals for those.
We offer STI treatment for our clients that come in. Lots of different education opportunities our mission statement at Life Choices is To educate and empower women to choose and cherish life, and so we really do take that education piece.
Very it's very important to us.
How with y 'all not taking any government funding? How do y 'all fund all those services? Yeah, that's a great question.
So all these services are free for our clients. But that is because of our community local churches people in our community businesses That believe in the work that Life Choices is doing And want to support that Financially.
We have a lot of businesses that help with in-kind gifts and coming and serving us in that way and so we're able to provide all these things because there are Believers in our city that want to continue the work of building the kingdom of Life Choices.
This probably leads into why Life Choices has to exist in general, but just out of curiosity. What percentage of the time that a woman comes in does a man come in?
Hmm not as often as we would hope. A lot of times they might have a mom sister, right?
Right.
Very rarely. Yeah, it happens on occasion. We do have have some men that are stepping up to the plate and Coming to these appointments and we do have up like some clients that and the fathers are working appointments and those sorts of things so we understand that but This is an epidemic in our country and so There are a lot of women that I'm are coming to these appointments.
Probably sometimes even without a relationship with the father of their baby. Yeah.
I.
Wanted to know if someone Who wanted to schedule an appointment like how they would go about that that. Do they need a referral? Can they just call. Do they need to book an appointment online? Like how does that process work?
Yeah, great question. You don't have to have a referral at all. You can can call either of our clinics. Or fill out a form online and then one of our receptionists will get in touch. They do a really good job of kind of discerning what services you're in need of and if that's something that for the place for that or.
We get a lot of calls for different things because people don't necessarily know the full extent of what we do. And so our receptionists are really good at making sure that the services that we offer.
What?
You know.
One of the criticisms and especially if you're watching this and you haven't Heard our stance before our stance Comes to or she's the same as the Lord's you shall not murder. But in that one of the common false attacks on believers who stand for the Fact that even have to say the sentence defend the lives of the unborn is an amazing time.
Anyway, the fact that even citizens that are pro that one of the common Attacks will do is say well, you're not really pro-life. You're just pro-pregnancy birth you pro-birth. That's not true. There are believers all over.
Exactly like what Sarah Grace saying like with life choices. That's not true. We are eager to show grace mercy love and compassion To those who might not have done it right on the front end, but we're gonna help them do it right on the back.
So it's just untrue. So guys talk about that that the idea that you love you are born Abortion then you're really not pro the father-mother. You're just pro baby. You ever heard this before. Yeah, sure.
So One of my favorite kind of thought processes with this obviously we have these Button words of pro-life pro-choice, right? Yeah. But if if we genuinely are wanting to practice what we preach and they were really pro-life especially as believers It goes back to to John 10 like Jesus came so that we could have life and have it abundantly, right?
So we are are are in the business of not just pro-life but pro-abundant life. And so that looks like walking alongside of women and supporting them and empowering them with the resources that they need To choose life for their for their for the babies.
And so it so many people kind of glossed over and make this these like generic statements but we are walking out and practicing what we preach about this of like if we Really want to see women again going back to our mission statement choosing and cherishing life.
What what can we do? How can we do that? How can we empower them to do that? And I think that our ministry Is probably one of the most holistic in that aspect of the of the Amount of services that we offer.
Not just the amount but the quality and the way that we go about it.
For the sake of caring for women as a whole and not just in regards to mind and spirit like you said like holistically.
I hope so.
Rachel.
Our CEO is Shelly, so I'll definitely send it to them.
So you mentioned like With the different types of people that come into your clinic. Like what is the main demographic that you see and is there a reason why your guys? Clinics because you have two locations in Memphis one on Raleigh LaGrange one on Poplar.
Yeah, is there a reason that those clinics are placed? Specifically there. Yeah, that's a really good question.
So I would say any type of a person that you see in the city of Memphis. Those are the demographics. There are so many different so many different demographics obviously Memphis is predominantly African-american white and Hispanic and so.
Those are a lot of the the main kind of demographics that we see. But then also we we look at even the the socio-economic statuses of people in our city. I think it's something like maybe last year. I think in Memphis maybe 21 of people were in poverty.
Which is kind of crazy. That puts us I think in it at least in the top ten maybe the top five in in the country for cities below the poverty rate. And so when we look at kind of that that demographic that distribution of that it is really important to think about our neighbors.
You're supposed to love our neighbors, right? And so the intentionality of being in areas where. Those demographics are the people that need services that are free and accessible and obviously a lot of our clients struggle with transportation and so being in areas where.
People can access us. We're all in Grange and Poplar, pretty common streets here. Yeah. Yeah, you know. For those of you who don't know euphemisms. Euphemisms are soft ways of saying true things. Unfortunately, most times they are negative.
Euphemisms are normally not good things. I mean there are sometimes like Instead of saying yeah, my grandpa croaked. You say he passed away, right? It's a euphemism. It's a kind way. Unfortunately when it comes to abortion it is filled with euphemisms.
Terminate the pregnancy or health care health. Oh my gosh. It's not a baby. Yeah. The most discouraging the way you get most courage when you hear and I guess I need you to not listen and look when I when I say this Christians Who are in line with that?
And you know, I'm not gonna rehash the scriptures we point you because you guys might have been Kaylee point out last time, you know Elizabeth with John the Baptist and the baby leaps in the womb and we went over this before but if you notice Pastor Jemiah preached this morning and I thought he did an excellent job nailed it.
He was pretty straightforward. I thought he'd actually job, you know, I Always say her last name incorrectly Margaret singer. That's a singer. Thank you the founder of Planned Parenthood. You know guys is amazing you look at the location of those in Cities just look at our city where they're at.
They're not gonna be for the most part places like Cargill Germantown German town. Okay, they're gonna be in a bush. They're gonna be in Frazier and if you're not from Memphis in other words and below Socio-economic status because there was a goal from the get to eliminate a certain demographic of people mainly black people.
And if I could talk to him it's just tell me I was okay, I don't want to cut you off because you're.
My job died. There's this guy and if you're from Memphis, you'll recognize it who's waving the Palestinian flag. And you see once I say that some of you are so trapped. You think I'm talking politics.
I don't care about. Based on our presidential debate from over the summer. I'm not really interested in politics. My point is You can pull up on tik-tok a young woman shorts in a t-shirt with makeup and her hair braided.
Talking about supporting Palestine now realizing the people she's supporting would never let her look that way. Dress that way or be on a podcast, right? Without permission from her brother or uncle or cousin, you know, I mean, I mean, it's.
The other day when I passed that guy, I I wasn't even angry. I said father forgive him because he really doesn't know what he's doing, right? He has no idea and when it comes to We have been lied to so often on things like this and the lies are so amazing because they're covered in biblical words like love and tolerance and patience and kindness and All things that if they're biblically defined are beautiful things.
But those are the words the enemy uses to find the most horrific and terrible things.
So.
If you notice us thinking plainly about those things it's because we're trying to remove the euphemisms that have overtaken things like the murder of children and. You know one day By God's grace A hundred years from now People are gonna wake up and say wait a minute.
My great-grandparents lived in a time where this was okay. And I want them to be able to say yeah, but you know what great-grandma Annie did something about.
Grandma KK did something else. You need to sit quietly, you know, I mean that.
We would rather because I know this upsets some people we talk about that stuff. I would rather be ridiculed now and have the father say well done good and faithful servant then.
Be well-liked now. Well, we're worried about offending somebody.
That has become an everyday job. All right, so Sarah. Grace you've been there a year now. Where did you work before. Please tell me.
At an incredible coffee shop. Shop I loved. I love people and so getting to engage with customers. Oh great.
Ever heard he's worked in like customer service retail and.
Can tell someone if they were asked me, how did you become a pastor. I can tell them exactly what happened. A Lot of times people in the mission field they can say I know exactly why I'm here. I went on this trip and I saw this.
I couldn't unsee what I saw. So you're at a coffee shop, but you're gonna leave nameless for whatever reason you're a coffee shop. And then now you're working. At what many people would call. Most people who would Think clearly and are not clouded would call it a place where you show love and kindness and support to women.
Other people would call it a place where you spread Ideas and you know, whatever. How did you go from working there to there? Yeah, that's a great question. She says that a lot and that makes us feel good.
That's a great question.
Question.
Exhortation spiritual gift. Yeah. Thank you. So my degree is actually in social work and so. No, I know. I know maybe I'll get my master's from there because that's maybe a next step. Hopefully I don't know I don't like school.
We'll see. But yeah, so I got my social work degree and Actually when I was getting that degree I had to do a practicum internship all that good stuff and I did it at a pregnancy center local to where I was and really Just fell in love with Center work.
And the way that the Lord can can use that to build the kingdom.
When I graduated from undergrad It was December of 2019. So literally right before the world shut down. Right, so there's so many things that when you're graduating college you all those expectations were kind of Had shift and so I was applying for jobs all over the country.
I was actually looking at some pregnancy center work and Had an interview for a job very similar to what I'm doing now, which is really funny.
In.
California got like four interviews deep and they were like actually like we're not quite ready to like move. Someone this young across the country and I was like because you were here at the time I was in Nashville like right outside of Nashville.
Yeah.
They're like, yeah, we're not gonna do that and I was like, okay, so I just kept getting a lot of closed doors on what that would look like and so The Lord was just kind of me he kind of provided Memphis to me as a safe place to land.
I had a mentor from college that lived here with her family. And she's like sir guys I just want you to come like stay here for a little while like just gonna stay with us see what happens. And When I was was getting in my car to come here I was really thinking I was gonna be here for like maybe a month maybe two here.
I am two years later like. But I moved here.
2022 a week after I moved here. I started that job at the coffee shop called the hub. I love it. It's in East Memphis. It's great.
Sounds like an East Memphis name.
But I actually met my my current boss at the hub at the coffee shop and When I am kind of talking about this now, and I just see the Lord's hand just so evidently ordaining each of these things but I met her and She's actually in the coffee shop meeting with one of my pastors and my pastor was like, oh my gosh You guys need to meet and I was like, okay My pastor did not know that I had done my internship like anything in pregnancy center work but he was like I just feel like you guys we get along and like you would enjoy like getting to know what what they do and all this stuff and At the time Rachel is her name.
She was like why don't you just come in and like learn more about the ministry do a center tour all this stuff and I was Like, okay. Yeah, I love it. And I was like kind of explaining I was like, yeah, I did my internship at a pregnancy center.
She's like stop it And I was like, yeah, and so I came in did that center tour basically that center tour turned into an interview because I just like love the ministry and love what they did and They had this this job opening to be in the outreach coordinator.
And so here I am a year later Look at you thriving. I know doing all this stuff that I love and that I just feel It's so much in This gifting that the Lord has given me and this passion that I have for Loving and supporting vulnerable women.
So I love it.
Very good. Well and Kaylee Kaylee had actually gone to the tour that our church did a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't able to go but she said that You guys had started really focusing on the abortion pill reversal.
Yeah, and so she's like, yeah Grace said she really wanted to talk about that was a good because I have a lot of questions about that because that's a big Thing since the overturn of Roe vs. Wade. It is now.
These abortion pills are being prescribed without these women being pregnancy tested without confirming how far along they are in pregnancy. And they're just getting prescribed this pill and taking it at home like not even seeing a doctor physically.
So what does that look like?
Yeah, so Crazy so it's so interesting because. With the overturn of Roe v. Wade the expectation is that we would see a decline right and in abortion rates, but the reality is is that we still women still have Ready access to the abortion pill.
Just like you were saying they There's there's not a lot of medical oversight to that. They can stay in the living room. Exactly. They don't have to have a medical confirmation of pregnancy. They don't have to have a prescription for it and.
And you can like order them online, right?
You can order online and have them and literally have them shipped to your doorstep. My CEO tested it to see because she was like I just want to know like if in Tennessee you can actually get this ship to your house and she did and so.
Realistically abortion rates have have still been increasing because of that.
But.
Obviously, we we understand that abortion in and of itself is not safe, right. But it's even even less so when you're taking a medication and taking it improperly and it not being administered with any sort of correct instruction anything any sort of oversight and so.
There's a lot of facets to that conversation right now. That's going on but part of what Our ministry has felt like has been important to help. Be a part of that conversation is abortion pill reversal.
So, I don't know what you guys know about the abortion pill, but it's actually a series of pills so There are two two separate pills that you you take. The first one is actually cutting off and the nutrient supply to baby.
Then the second one that you're supposed to take Within 24 to 48 hours of the first one is actually basically inducing labor. It's flushing out your uterus and so what abortion pill reversal is is if a woman takes that first dose of the abortion pill series and Has an immense change of heart that can obviously Exactly only come from the Lord And says I can't do this.
I need help if she happens to Google I took the first pill. Now what? The abortion pill reversal hotline can come up and she can call that phone number and if she is in the greater Memphis area She's connected with left races of Memphis.
A 24-hour hotline that we have that connects to a member of our nursing staff and they are able to To get that medication to them. So basically what the abortion pill reversal medication is is an extra dose of All those good nutrients that were being cut off to reinstate that supply And to to try to make sure that baby is getting what they need.
So just to put it bluntly.
The first one is basically making it where the nutrients do not pass through the umbilical cord to a child. So the child is starving. In other words Is that where you're getting that. And then it can be reversed by doubling down on the right thing this in the past 24 hours.
Right. So so earlier on in pregnancy the the the way that baby gets nutrient supplies actually through something called a yolk stack and so it's basically like Just cutting off that supply that comes through your mother and so.
Yeah, so basically if the abortion pill reversal can be administered again, we're wanting to be kind of in a wearing a little bit of a time crunch when when that Call comes in and so it's it's such an interesting ministry because our nurse director will come back with stories Of just how the Lord Like worked out every step along the way.
I don't know if you guys remember snow apocalypse that we had a few months ago. Yes. So our clinics were closed because we couldn't necessarily get out to the clinic safely. And we obviously didn't necessarily want clients trying to get there either and so.
We had one of those hotline calls come in. Wow, we were snowed in. Right and so our nurse director Like just started the phone tree like calling her. I'm like, hey, I need exactly Who who can get me where I need to go and she was like reaching out to people.
Each each step of the way there are so many different things. Even finding a pharmacy because we have to call it into the right find a pharmacy that was open I could get the medication for us. So she had to find somebody that had a truck and take her to the pharmacy and then take her to.
This woman cause the name of the medication that reverses it. So it's under this abortion pill reversal like umbrella. Basically, it's it's progesterone.
Sick is I'm very familiar with that. I've had three children. Yes. Well, what'd it take for you guys to be able to have that on hand.
Hmm. That is a good question that to be honest.
I don't because it'd be illegal because you would be prescribing it right.
I don't know that that is something that we have the means to do without.
Well, then you would have to have a physician to be able to prescribe the medication. The pharmacist would just fill us.
That's what I'm getting. Yeah. Yeah, so we do have a medical director that kind of is does a lot of our medical oversight and. So anytime that we have a woman that comes in is and has administered this medication is then considered a high-risk pregnancy but our medical director then takes her on as a patient and Walks with her through that pregnancy.
Legality is behind it. But if we ever figure out something there, it'd be cool to not have to rely on Walgreens.
We do have a really good Pharmacy that has been a supporter of us and we know that we can call them.
They're good. So we're grateful for that for sure. I keep that medication in stock. Yeah, cuz I could see. I could see many pharmacies like oh, sorry. It didn't get ordered. I worked at a pharmacy for sure.
Yeah, like oh, yeah. Sorry. We just don't have that. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah and not even understand I'm gonna say yeah, you worked at the pharmacy.
Yeah, I have some good stories about the farm.
So I I honestly can't remember for sure how long ago we started being a part of the abortion pill reversal hotline. But I'm just statistics wise because I think this is something that's worth celebrating we have.
Think six women that are still Carrying their babies to abortion. Pill reversal. And we actually just celebrated two of our first births this summer.
A few weeks ago. So that's another one baby, but genuinely just life-saving work.
And I get chills thinking about it because it's just it is it's just the Lord. You just get to be a part of it and so. But it is. We're celebrating so.
So with these moms who choose end up choosing life for their babies whether it's through the abortion pill reversal or whether they go in and be like I. Couldn't think about having an abortion. You like whatever the situation is.
What programs do you offer to those women? So I know that we talked about this this morning. But just for you know, our listeners and stuff like what kind of programs like support groups do you provide for them?
Absolutely, so there are clients that come in That as they're kind of thinking through What it looks like to to parent a lot of our clients come in with Financial insecurity food insecurity housing insecurity so many different so many different hindrances that they feel like could prevent them from being able to parent right and so part of what we Want to to help in that is Any need that we can help me as a ministry.
To support them and walk alongside them. We want to do that and so Tangible needs like baby items diapers wipes. We have an incredible baby boutique that I kid you not right now. You guys is overflowing because of people's generosity.
It's so cute. I walk in there. Each day, I'm at the office. I have to walk through there and I'm like, it's just oh, you know a little baby things. But I It was so funny. I was reorganizing some things this week.
We're kind of at a Kind of a lull in the summer. And so it was like, okay this is the time to like clean house like organize things and I kid you not there are diapers and wipes took it tucked into like nooks and crannies of our office.
Because we were just so generous and they they want to see women succeed and and again going back to that like experiencing abundant life and so between our baby boutique where we offer Diapers wipes clothes all sorts of baby items that you could think of it's in there.
I I find things all the time I'm like, what even is this? I don't know. I don't have kids so. But it is just fun. And that's a really sweet way. So Our clients that that stay connected with us whenever they have their baby our advocates I've done to them and give them a really beautiful baby basket full of it's beautiful items.
And so that's so sweet. And then.
We do that's the kind of stuff that pastor Jeff says all the time. Sorry to go. No, you're okay. That's kind of when he says that ministry supersedes sermons Jesus preached To tea pot. And ministered and all those about words are in the scripture ministry is Investing in the spiritual life of another.
When I was hungry. You gave me food for I was thirsty. You gave me drink, you know when I was naked you clothe me so on and so forth. What do you say? Remember when they all look at him this at the end of days.
They said though it's like the one kid in class always asked to teach you about the homework and it was like shut up. So Jesus says bless her so he looks at all the righteous from all the ages and.
And if you think of the scale of everyone who ever sold Jesus as a human. Or less than 1 of all Christians ever less than less than I can't even put it and he goes bless you when I was hungry. You gave me food when I was thirsty gave a drink when I was naked.
He loved me came visit me in the hospital in jail and other just stay with me for a minute. You remember the one guy goes Lord, when did any of us see you in prison, you know. We lived in South America in the 1500s.
When did any of us see you in prison or naked? What do you say you do it for each other? You did it to me. Right. So when I hear you say that that Is ministry and that's what pastor Jeff when he says that's worth a thousand sermons, you know.
You don't Go to church. That's a that's that's not true. We are not sitting in a church right now. Every time in the New Testament the word Ecclesia is used the called ones the elect ones the chosen ones.
It is in reference to the people so you can be the church by doing what Jesus said to do. And that's to do good unto all people, especially those of the household of faith. So I'm gonna commend you for that.
I was beautifully.
Baby baskets. Yeah on. The thing is to own a dimension like that's actual support. Yes of the women going through this. It's not like when they go to Planned Parenthood or another one of these abortion clinics and it's like oh We'll provide you support with this abortion and then they call them.
I've heard tons of stories of like you're a live-action Listener watch or whatever. They always do stories and articles about this. About women who call back with Complications after the abortion pill or after like whatever type of abortion they've had and like they don't call them back, you know.
Like oh, well, you just need to go to the hospital. Like there's nothing we can do for you and so like these women are actually being supported like through every step of the way. And like you talked about we've had a.
Little.
Questionnaire type thing after the service today and we talked about the different ministries that you guys offer. It's like parenting classes like postpartum like education Breastfeeding like all these other things and it's like so you're actually supporting them through every step of the way and as a mom of almost to Like postpartum was so difficult and postpartum isn't just like yes.
He's still in here at this point. He's 30 from 33 weeks today. And so Like going through that and knowing how difficult that was the fact that you guys provide support Through every aspect of that is a huge deal because it can be a very isolating Situation.
Yeah, and I just think it's beautiful. Like I was telling my husband. I introduced you guys earlier.
Well, she was like talking a real him and her and Pastor Jeremiah we're talking about like all the things that life choices did and I'm just like sitting there like tearing up and I'm like part of. It's probably.
But even when Sarah Grace was on stage talking about all of the services I was just so touched by like. The women in our city are so blessed to have this as a resource if they utilize it but that's what we're trying to get the word out for but and I think it's because it just goes further than just.
Like just the pregnant you have the budgeting class and oh, yeah, just the life resources that you make it. Or a young mom or even just a young woman.
Because I'm a husband and I was still struggling. Yeah family support all of it and I was still struggling. Yeah, I.
Always tell people that one of our best Referrals is when our clients tell other people. Yeah. Okay. I felt so loved and cared for here. You should go here. And we really do. We get that a lot. I still come in and they're like, yeah, my my mom came here 20 years ago.
Yeah, right like my auntie my sister my neighbor and I think that that's like That's where it's at where it's like people are willing to say I came here. I was cared for you should come here.
I drove by you guys the other day with a newfound sense of attachment. My prayer is God, I pray that that building is Torn down in a year because it's too small to contain the clientele they need and that back part they're gonna have to buy and just park somewhere else and That it has to double in size because of the need of the place.
That was my prayer. They can park cross-street at that.
Over there. Well and to the support doesn't stop like when the women choose life like if women who come into the clinic in the beginning and then they end up changing their mind and choosing to have an abortion they Can come back and receive counseling for that and I think that that's so just like gracious and merciful because like we don't deserve any good thing that God gives us and.
So the fact that you will like take back somebody who made a mistake and it's like I made a mistake and now I need Help and you're like, come on back.
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, so so that's our hope ministry, right? Yeah, and Again, it just always goes back to being a ministry. That's all right. Like if we Are saying that we're a ministry of the gospel.
We have to be living up gospel. And so that's what that looks like is Continuing to meet women wherever they're at the same way Jesus with grace and compassion and truth.
But truth and love right. This is where I could like. Go on the ramp. I'll just as the as the male present here. You know, we keep talking about these women as we're supposed to. But you know gentlemen, the only reason the life choices has to exist is because of the failure of men.
And I won't even address the more dire scenarios were. She doesn't even know the man for all that. I'll skip past that for a moment. The first Example we have of sin in the scripture human sin Is a man's failure to lead.
And that continued Isaac we just walk through the Bible and There's continual judgment. For I mean, I mean just look in the garden. Eve sinned first. Adams. God speaks to Adam first holds Adam ultimately responsible.
And then Paul has the gall Four thousand years later to say. And a sin passed through one man Romans 5 12. And death through sin. In this way death spread the all men. So Paul's understanding is that sin passed through Adam, even though Eve chronologically sinned first.
The whole reason that Jesus does not have an earthly biological father is not to do a cool magic trick. It's because the sin nature passes through the man. Because God holds him responsible.
He.
Held him as. You know, it's funny on government forms. There is a box that says head of household. They don't recognize. That's a biblical term and that comes from the Bible the head of the house. For everyone that lived in your house, even who wasn't your family anyone who knew you were not just authority but responsible for the well-being of.
You know, and I say this all the time but it's the truth. The burden of being a godly man is.
That.
It might not be my fault, but it's always my response. Always it is a heavy burden. But that's that's the job if my daughter disobeys my wife at the house when I'm up here. It's my fault. And that's that's how it is.
So in every turn I would argue. This might sound insensitive, but I don't mean it to be at every turn for everyone that walks.
Your.
Clinic that's a clinics on a good work center. I won't say every cuz I can think of a couple scenarios I'll say 90 at some point. It's gonna be a failure of a man and that woman's life. Some point father.
Boyfriend, you know, whatever we could go down the line. It's a Large portion. I'll say the time is gonna be a failure of a man to lead how he's supposed to love His wife if it be that case the way that Christ loved the church so on and so forth.
That's what's gonna boil down to and you know. You ever read? In the Old Testament what God's judgment line is His judgment. What. When he judges a nation, you know, he does it. He gives them bad leaders.
Judges.
If you don't see the judgment of God in our nation, you you don't live here. Yeah, I mean you. I mean you don't live here. You live under a rock somewhere. But he goes further than that church. This is kind of what Sarah Grace was getting that he was just saying.
It's softer first. Peter chapter 4 verse 17. Or it's time for judgment to begin at the household of God and If it begins with us, what would be the outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Every nation you see where judgment begins that he begins in the church.
We have more division in the church today. It's just getting worse and worse. Judgment begins in the household of God. We have to clean house first. How many times does this happen in the Bible. What does he say get the log out of your eye and then get the speck out of theirs remember?
Zeal for your house has consumed me. He goes and cleanses the temple first every city. He goes in every city. Paul goes in where they go first. They go to the synagogue. Every time when they go to preach and teach in Newtown they go to the synagogue every time judgment begins in the household of God.
So I would say that.
Men.
It's only a lonely road if you let it be. This is why God made churches To find older men. To teach the younger to find a place where you will be challenged. That in a way that only a man can. A woman as iron sharpens iron.
So one man sharpens another. Fatherlessness was the word she used most time. It's cowardice that has effects. I'm not just you. Your women your children your nation. Generations. For generations. I mean for generations.
So I say that to say If you're in this city and you're stuck in that. Here's what you need to do. You need to repent for an Almighty God and You need to go find a church and doesn't really matter what's on the sign that loves this.
It loves God's Word. Doesn't really matter The nominations of less importance that loves God's Word. And then go ask For an older man to put you in check. That's what you need. That's what we all need myself included.
Well, Sarah Grace, I'm like, did you want to talk about the men's ministry that y 'all are trying to start up? Yeah, it goes with what pastor?
Where we can. Yeah, I mean that's a cool thing. This is not what you're trying to do there. Yeah, so.
Obviously. The thought process in that is The Lord's design for family is is a mom and a dad right. A mother and a father. And so in order to truly empower Women, it looks like empowering fathers as well.
And realistically On a day-to-day basis. It's women that walk through our doors. It's the women that we're serving. Currently, we don't have a man on staff And so if I'm in a man does come in And is is willing and engaging.
Wants that extra encouragement and mentorship and discipleship. We we do offer a mentorship program for them. We're Coming up on on kind of evaluating that program and Trying to figure out what it looks like to get father's engaged.
Honestly, she loves. No, it sounds so fun. I love to watch them. Yeah.
Her mom pulls up the camera and watch this.
Like yeah, that's about 20.
But now genuinely Genuinely like having local churches that are you guys are our neighbor? You're like maybe less than 10 minutes down the road from us. Yeah, so having places that we can Can say this is a place that we Know that you can find community and discipleship and and all that is so important to us.
And so Even with programs like this Knowing that there are men in our community that if we do have a father that walks in we can we can make a phone call and and know That they are going to be again met with open arms and ready to be.
Loved and encouraged and discipled. We've been slowly working with the Union mission. Yeah, you do the same thing there. Yeah, that's that's one of the problems. Problems too strong. That's one of the challenges.
Is the now what that place is awesome. They. It's the same thing. No government funding. Yeah, that same thing so they can say whatever they want. If seizures not if you're not opening your hand to seizure, you don't have to do what he says, however.
In the now and they do a pretty good job. They have some. You can call them transition houses. You can call them whatever you want to have some. But they're trying to get them in other parts of the city so we've worked with them some we have our own addiction recovery group here now, so.
Having some guests in that realm. So yeah, we. Really? Like you said God's design for family. He wasn't joking. He said Man, so leave his father mother Cleveland to his wife and the two will become one flesh.
Therefore what God has put together let know they're apart. So anyway, we support that.
Doing what he wanted us to do. Yeah, so I wanted to ask about Adoption so for women who have chosen Adoption for their babies like what does that entail because you guys just aren't like a pregnancy crisis center.
You guys are also like an adoption agency. Yeah, so what does that look like?
Yeah, the life choices is a licensed adoption agency in the state of Tennessee in Mississippi and so when women come in and They might not feel ready to parent right? But they also still want to make a life-affirming decision.
We can walk through that process of making an adoption plan with them. Obviously that that still has its Its challenges as well same as any other decision. And so it's really important to us that we are walking alongside these women as they choose life for their baby.
So what that kind of looks like is they have the opportunity to meet with our birth mom counselor And basically look through a portfolio of families that have said we are willing to To step up to be an option for a woman to do that.
And so these families have gone through the process of having a home study done and Going through the application process with life choices and again being Privately funded we are able to hold fast to our belief systems on what families should look like.
And so our adopted families are man and woman married couple that are Believers and have an active Involvement in the local church, right?
Whenever we were there, I think they had to be.
Or the yeah, there's some there's some more specifications to it like age and how long they've been married and those sorts of things because we want to honor this mom that's choosing life and choosing to make a life-affirming decision by by.
Doing our due diligence, right? Yeah, and so yeah, we we very thoroughly.
When you're trying your best to set the child, I mean you just said active in the church.
Believers.
For the way that God said this is the process of success. Exactly. Yeah.
Yeah, and so these women are able to kind of look at these Portfolios these these families and Maybe their child is going to be biracial and they want their child to be raised in a biracial family. They can flip through our book and be like that's the family I want.
Or maybe they Want their baby to grow up with siblings and so they picked a family for that reason they have all of the say it's such an empowering process for our birth moms to have all of the All of the decision-making in that.
But we also Really value them as this woman. And we're not going to be like hey you give birth to this baby. You've made this plan. Let's see adoption goes through. That's not it. If a woman makes an adoption plan with us they have access to counseling for life because we realize that that's something that you don't just Place a baby for adoption and that goes away.
That's something that you carry right? That's something that you're like carried this child. This is something that I did out of a place of love, right? And so Birth moms are able to to come in and have free counseling with her.
Counselor and so with the birth mom counselor, are they licensed or have they gone through adoption themselves? Like what?
Yes, our birth mom counselor is a licensed social worker And and has been in this field. That we care for not just the baby in the life of the baby, but the life of them. Oh. Families that adopt through us and part of that process is that we ask them to Continue to send us updates on on their babies in this pictures and we always keep a file In case that birth mom sometimes even the father comes back and wants to know.
And so it's it really is just a beautiful picture of. I'm caring for every everybody that's involved.
About the birth moms. So do you guys I know you guys have like the hope ministry for the women who have had abortions and like they're recovering all. That you guys have a support group from birth moms.
Yeah, we do and it's really really beautiful. So our birth mom counselor.
Leads that as well and We actually just had a woman that joined our staff. And a few months ago, but she had actually made an adoption plan. Earlier on in her life. And so she has that Background herself and as she has has joined our team.
Has wanted to continue to invest in women that are are walking through that as well. And so she has has gotten to come alongside and be a part of a work group as well. But I think it's great.
Two more questions. So well, one of them is not really question. Let's do. What's your favorite client story? Today like at church and stuff, but I don't know if there's one that stuck out particularly it's so hard to pick one because.
There's just so so many times we see the Lord at work. Reality is is when when women come in It and our advocates are sitting with them and they're hearing their stories. We're we're in this fight, it's spiritual warfare, right.
And so we are constantly praying over our centers and our clinics that the Lord would just go before us and And prepare hearts to The truth of the gospel and and the freedom that comes. And I kind of I think I mentioned this the story earlier but part of our Our post abortion Healing program is our hope retreat and this last One that we did in February.
We were really feeling a lot of that spiritual warfare as we were prepping for this. Because obviously the enemy does not want these women to walk in freedom and forgiveness. He wants him to stay Just in chains and shame and so we were prepping for this and I think I was literally just unloading groceries and My boss and I both were just kind of outside of this place that we're having this retreat and We both just stopped and we're like we just need to pray like we just need to pray.
We feel the weight of this. And so we stopped and we did we just prayed so intentionally over the weekend and the women that were going to be there participating in that.
It's so interesting because that that continued to be the theme of the weekend is just like this the spiritual warfare we're just fighting against. The spirit of darkness right. And so. Before one of the last sessions one of the women that was attending Basically was like I this is so heavy.
I can't do this. I I'm ready to leave.
One of the women that was there leading it was like What's going on? Like can we talk through this? Like where are you at? She's like, I just I don't think I'm ready to take this next step. Like I don't think I'm ready to like let go of this.
And she was like, you know, that's okay like you don't have to be ready like if you're not ready today We're not gonna force you we can't. That's something you do on your time, right? And she's like but you've you've been invested in this this weekend you've walked through this with with these other women and I think to walk away with would Really impact these women that are ready to step through this and I think you are there and you're supporting These other women that are ready.
Then then that'll be helpful for them and she was like, okay like I'll come back in and I'll like sit But I'm not not sure if I can do. They come in and they're finishing up this last session.
One of the leaders was it's kind of just keeping an eye on her and She could just like feel this woman just wrestling sitting in this session. This last session is one where they really like talk about the freedom that comes from the truth of the gospel and so As she's kind of sitting there wrestling with it.
This leader was also like Sitting in her chair wrestling like I feel like doing over there. Don't talk to her. Do I just let the spirit move like what I do and then like at a certain point? She just like the spirit just propelled her.
This woman just they went in now before her and held her hand and she's like The Lord just is like laying it on my heart that you're wrestling this and I just want to like Provide this opportunity that if you're ready for this, I want to walk through this with you.
And so she was like, I just want to pray with you if you're ready to pray and accept Christ. Like let's do this. And so they sat there and prayed together and she experienced salvation for the first time.
That to me is one of the greatest wins in our ministry is when we have women that are experiencing life-changing salvation.
Like.
Baby, things will come and go right. Meeting a knee right now is great, but. The gospel is the only thing that lasts right? And so that's why that is the most important thing that we can do. And so I think that that's My favorite.
So I know that you said like, you know things will come and go but I was going to ask if you guys needed like. You said your baby boutique is like overflowing right now. Any donations better? They're like a list of donations where people can Go to donate or look to donate.
Because it's like we never know like when we might have an influx and we need to give away a lot of things at a certain point, but sometimes I feel like it's Like loaves and fishes that that room just multiplies without us even seeing it happening.
But I was so people like if you're going through your kiddos closets and you have Baby clothes that are in pretty good condition still and you just want a good place to donate those. You can always drop those off with us.
We always have an Amazon wish list running you can find that at the link in our bio on our Instagram. And we try to keep that pretty up-to-date on the things that we are maybe lower in and need more of.
But sometimes when I'm thinking about it, I'm like making an Amazon purchase I'll let go and like add something else to my cart just for funsies.
Honestly, so yeah, baby items are great. But but realistically the the ways that you can partner with us I think prayer is is one of the the greatest things that you can do. I love that you said when you drove past our building you prayed for us because I think that that is Gosh, that's how the spirit just moves like.
It's through the prayers of his people. So pray praying and partnering with us in that and then if you feel led and this is something that is something to pray over and And figure out but as you've learned about the ministry and you feel like it's important like financially supporting is great to you and so between that and Being able to donate Baby items and things like the Lord is just so kind to be able to allow us to do.
The work that we we have been doing we're coming up on 40 years of ministry in a city like Memphis that Again has some of the highest abortion rates in the state in our country and so I think that the Lord is just super kind to us to Protect a ministry and provide for our ministry.
What a blessing did y 'all have any other questions for Sarah Grace? No. Okay. Well Sarah Grace, thank you for coming on. I mean, you've pretty much spent all day up here with us. Where can we go to find you guys like your website Instagram handles like all of that?
Absolutely. So.
On Instagram we are friends of LC Memphis. Facebook life choices in Memphis.
And then I'll see friends calm. Okay. Awesome. Well again, thank you so much for coming. We very appreciate it.
So much for having me. I appreciate you guys.
