Author Discovers God's Forgiveness and Restoration after Abortion

ENUMCLAW, Wash., Sept. 6, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Since its legalization on January 22, 1973, the topic of abortion has gained steady, if not tumultuous news coverage. The U.S. Census Bureau reports 1,242,000 abortions for 2006 alone. According to the Guttmacher Institute, "Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended, and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion. Twenty-two percent of all pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion." 

Gladys Billups, author of "Chosen" (WinePress, 2011) shares her personal experience with abortion, and the emotional devastation that ensued. She also details other painful moments and sins in her past and how God was able to redeem those and restore peace in her life. Billups' message to readers:

"You can find forgiveness and healing in Christ after the most life-altering sins. The mistakes we make in life can lead us back to God. You are not the first person to love God and sin against him - look at the lives of people in the Bible, look at me. Stop running from God - He wants you to get to know him. God, the creator of everything, has chosen you to be in relationship with Him."

Chosen emphasizes God's grace in the face of our darkest moments and ugliest sins. Billups dedicated her book "to those who have made mistakes in life and wondered if they were worthy of God's favor, forgiveness, and restoration."

Gladys Billups is a Missionary at Oak Grove Baptist Restoration Ministries (OGRM), a volunteer counselor at Comfort Care Women's Health, and she also leads Bible Study groups both at her church and other churches in the community. Gladys graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology and Clark Atlanta University in Georgia. She has been married for 15 years and has two children. She is a member of the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Shenandoah Valley Emmaus community, and the American Society of Safety Engineers. Gladys and her family make their home in Shenandoah Valley.

For more information, to request a review copy or to schedule an interview, please contact Josiah Williams by phone at 360-802-9758, by email at josiah@winepresspublishing.com, or by fax at 360-802-9992. To purchase a copy of this book visitwww.winepressbooks.com or call 877-421-7323.

A Life-Changing Experience - If You Want to Change Your Life

By Rick MarschallSpecial to ASSIST News Service

SWARTZ CREEK MI (ANS) -- Back in 2004, I was already the author of a few dozen books, and some experience as a writer of articles and interviews and columns. Now that I start thinking about it, I had done a lot of political cartoons and columns too; essays for journals and liner notes for albums. In between those things, I had been an editor, a publisher, and art director too. And I taught creative writing and ran workshops. Yes, I can keep jobs. But I just love all aspects of writing -- communicating. God had blessed me richly.

I received an invitation from a Christian Writer's Conference to speak and hold workshops. I had just been canned from a job at a Christian publishing house, and I wondered whether I would be appearing under false colors. Well, I thought, maybe I can share with aspiring writers how to cope with being let go. Frankly, I was uncomfortable.

But I opened morning devotions -- an assignment tossed to me by Director Marlene Bagnull, who always knows what she is doing, even when you feel put on the spot -- and I told the audience that I should let them know I was no longer an editor at that publishing house. that I left on account of sickness... (pause) you see, the boss finally got sick of me.

I don't know about the audience, but it broke the ice for me. To tell the truth, I was quite all right with my situation, but that didn't stop dozens and dozens (and dozens) of people that week, coming to me, encouraging me, praying with me -- strangers, aspiring amateurs, and idols in my field. It was like family. Christian conferences should be like that... Heaven will be like that... and Marlene Bagnull's Christian Writer's Conferences are ALWAYS like that.

That is a personal story. I will now tell you some "business" details that can have a very personal impact on your life.

The next of Marlene's conferences is the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer's Conference, on the campus of Philadelphia Biblical University outside Philly, Aug 10-13. Short notice, but not too late, worth the effort to attend!

"Write His Answer" is the evergreen theme, and for anyone with creative urges, a struggling career, a passion to communicate; eager to meet famous and accomplished writers, industry professionals including editors, agents, and publishers; or to network with other aspiring writers -- this conference will be pure gold. Much of the work I have done in recent years has flowed from these conferences, the contacts -- and friends -- made there.

The guest list includes (among a faculty of almost 60) Cecil Murphey, amazing author or collaborator on more than 100 books including 90 Minutes in Heaven; Ted Baehr of the Christian Film and Television Commission and publisher of MOVIEGUIDE Magazine; Dan Wooding of the essential ASSIST News Service; Steve Lawson of Regal Publishing, who will hold a seminar on Christian persecution and social justice; and professionals including Craig Bubeck (editor, Wesleyan); Dave Fessenden (editor, CLC Publishing); Hope Flinchbaugh (author and publisher, History Maker press); Jeanette Windle (missionary and author); Tim Shoemaker (author, youth minister); and Becky Spencer (singer, songwriter, author). I will speak on creative peoples' response and responsibility to a culture in decline. There will also be a day's program for young writers, a Teens Write track.

Worship... workshops... seminars... classes... devotions... critiques of writing samples... all types of holy synergy. Get thee to the Conference if at all possible! You will profit in uncountable ways... and you don't even have to show a pink slip to show up and be blessed!

Details are here: http://writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia/

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Rick Marschall is the author of 65 books and hundreds of magazine articles in many fields, from popular culture (Bostonia Magazine called him "perhaps America's foremost authority on popular culture") to history and criticism; country music, television history, biography and children's books. He is a former political cartoonist, editor of Marvel Comics, and writer for Disney comics. For 10 years he has been active in the Christian field, writing devotionals; co-author of The Secret Revealed with Dr Jim Garlow. His biography of Johann Sebastian Bach for the "Christian Encounters" series (Thomas Nelson) was released in April, 2011. His history of cartoon Advertising, Drawing Power, will be published in July 2011 by the Marschall Books imprint of fantagraphics Books. In October his major biography of Theodore Roosevelt, BULLY!, will be publ;ished by Regnery History of Washington DC. He is currently working on a One-Year CDevotional for Tyndale House; and edits the the reissue of Harper's Weekly -- the Civil War Ye ars for NOVOink e-books. Rick is a former Director of Product Development for Youth Specialties. He is recipient of the 2008 "Christian Writer of the Year" award from the Greater Philadelphia Writer's Conference, and produces a weekly e-mail devotional, "Monday Morning Music Ministry." His e-mail address is: RickMarschall@gmail.com.

Calling Things That Be Not As Though They Were

By: Frank Broom 

Calling things that be not as though they were is a principle in the Bible that a lot of people don't understand. And the reason people don't understand is because people only consider what they can pick up with their senses as being real. But, there is another realm that is just as real that you can't see as this realm you can see. Like Elisha and his servant when the Syrian army had them surrounded, the man of God's servant came out and saw the army that had them surrounded and paniced, but the man of God came out and said "Fear not for there is more that be with us than be with them." Now what the man of God said was not seen, but then he prayed that God would open the eyes of his servant and his eyes were opened and he saw the angels of God that were around them. Notice what was unseen was just as real as what was seen (2Kings 6:14-17).

How about the Shunamite woman who's son died, she laid her son in the man of God's bed and asked her husband to send her a young man and one of the asses so that she could see the man of God and when her husband asked her why was she going to see the man of God she said, "It shall be well", she was believing something outside of her senses. She had her faith in the man of God raising her child from the dead and as far as she was concerned it was as good as done. When she came to the man of God he sent his servant to ask her is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with child? And she answered "It is well" (2Kings 4:26). And the man of God did raise her child from the dead. She could have broke down and cried "Why me God", but she chose to tap into something that was just as real if not more real than her circumstances.

How about Abraham, God told him neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but Abraham for a father of many nations have I made thee before it was a physical reality. God doesn't wait until something happens to call it done. God considers a thing done once He speaks, He calls the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9,10). And if He considers it done so should you. The problem people have is that you are speaking contrary to what is seen, they only consider what their senses tell them. But, faith goes beyond the senses and considers what God says over what their senses tell them. And faith when released out of your mouth will bring into manifestation what is was released for. It is the substance of things hoped for like in the beginning it was through faith that the worlds were framed by the word of God (Hebrews 11:1,3). And faith will still create in this physical world. That's why Jesus said if you had faith as a seed...., because a seed works to create what you sowed for and faith creates what you released it to. A seed has to be released out of the ground for it to produce if it say in the earth it will never produce. And likewise your faith has to be released if it going to produce something in this physical world. So let your faith out and let it create.

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