How Could She?
02 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
There are a lot of people who cannot understand why a woman would opt for abortion, especially when she knows or learns exactly what she is doing… taking the life of her unborn child. I have heard many well-meaning people state how they don’t understand how anyone could do “that.”
After working with young women facing unplanned pregnancies for about 14 years I can understand why she would opt for abortion. Let me give you a couple of examples of true stories that will explain why I say this (names changed for confidentiality).
Marsha has been dating Matt off and on for a few years. They broke up a couple of months ago and this time it seemed for good. Marsha was heart-broken and in her grief happened to meet Sam. Given the culture we live in today, it is almost expected that Masha have sex with Sam, never mind they don’t really know each other.
A week later Matt wants to get back together with Marsha and of course she is ecstatic and doesn’t give another thought to what’s his name? Oh yes, Sam. Matt didn’t know anything about Sam and Marsha is certainly NOT going to tell him because she does not want to mess things up.
Ah oh… she missed her period. Was this Matt’s baby or Sam’s? Stress begins to build in her heart and her mind reels as she keeps this secret from Matt. After five positive home pregnancy tests Marsha makes an appointment at the local pregnancy clinic for an ultrasound to find out exactly how far along she is and more importantly, whose baby it is.
Her mind races as she considers her options for this pregnancy. Oh how she hopes this is Matt’s baby because they can marry and live happily ever after, she dreams. But, if this baby belongs to Sam her mind can hardly go there, but she has NO choice, she must abort to save her relationship with Matt.
Let me give you another example. Jane is basically a pretty level-headed woman. She has a couple of children she’s raising alone so she has little time for fun. So, when a casual friend invites her to a party she considers it. It’s a pretty wild party with drinking and drugs, but hey, she’s not been out for quite a while and she needs a break, so she goes.
The next day she wakes up not remembering anything that happened the night before… it’s a total blank! Weeks go by and still no remembrance of that evening. She finally stops trying to remember just wanting even the thoughts of that night to go away. She begins to miss periods, but it’s happened before, so she’s not concerned. After all, you have to exposed and she was not. Several months go by and she begins to gain weight and WHAT is that movement inside her ? She takes a home pregnancy test and it’s positive. How in the world can that be? She cannot believe it, but she’s pregnant. After a unbeleiveable amount of thought processing she has to face that she’s pregnant. She concludes that she was raped on the evening that has been forever lost to her. How? What? Who? A flood of emotions pass through her and abortion comes to mind. She doesn’t want to have an abortion but she doesn’t even know who the father of this baby is. She doesn’t want the baby of a man who has raped her. She doesn’t want her kids or her church friends to know she’s pregnant. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time… it was her own fault she’s thinking.
So, there you are… two very troubling circumstances of women where abortion looks like a good option. Marsha can go on with her life with Matt and he would never know about the one night stand with Sam. Jane’s abortion would completely erase the events of the unknown evening and she could go on with her life as usual.
Day after day we hear the stories of women found in circumstances like these where an abortion will get them OUT of a fix they have found themselves in. No woman in her right mind WANTS an abortion but she feels ‘stuck.’
Life is filled with situations we get ourselves into and we pay the consequences for them. And you know, it doesn’t matter if you believe in God or not – there is a price to pay for everything, period. There are ”teachable moments” in our lives that we can choose to learn something or we can choose to ignore. Moments that we stop the rollercoaster and use critical thinking skills. Many times the hardest choice will be the best choice. Taking the higher road in spite of the trouble will no doubt lead to a stronger, healthier person than taking the “easy” way out.
Our prayer every day is that God will equip us with the right resources and support for women faced with unplanned pregnancies so she will make the best possible choice for her and her unborn child. We know that God cares deeply about these women and their circumstances. I believe He’s waiting to use their circumstances to give HIM a chance to show his unconditional, all healing, ever flowing love for them. God we pray that you will just be YOU… LOVE!
The Eden Clinic Annual Banquet!
23 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
Register now and mark your calenders… The annual Eden Clinic Banquet will be here soon. It’s on Thursday evening, March 3 from 6:30pm-8pm.
Check out this link for more information and to register…
http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=tdwx85bab&oeidk=a07e3axb5qee5186967
2010 Eden Clinic Newsletter archive
03 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
I love this… It’s so cool to be able to connect this blog to the Eden Clinic archives. If you would like to read about the past year’s events, client stories and other happenings at the Eden Clinic then click on the following link. Eden Clinic@constantcontact newsletter archive. Some of the pictures have been deleted but the messages are still the same.
~Happy New Year!
~God bless you!
Compelling Spirit
29 Dec 2010 Leave a Comment
There are many opportunities to see God work at the Eden Clinic. When a young woman comes through our doors thinking abortion is her only option and through education and support chooses life for her unborn baby or when the door is open to share Christ’s love and she welcomes him into her life. Yet, it’s even more awe-inspiring when God’s Spirit compels a person to walk through our doors asking for prayer. Here’s the story…
This particular patient visited the clinic for STD testing and treatment. Now, I cannot tell you the details of her story because I don’t know it (its confidential). However, our nurse manager commented that she’s heard a lot of stories from patients over the years, but this one shocked her. Both the doctor and nurse left with raised eyebrows that day! Have you ever met someone who you thought was so hard they would never, ever be open to the gospel, someone almost incorrigible? Well, this was one of those times.
Apparently, *Marsha has lived quite a promiscuous lifestyle. She came to the Eden Clinic for testing and her results showed she was in need of treatment. Doctor Dennis (our medical director and physician) addressed her lifestyle by asking good questions. That must have triggered her thought processes somewhat to consider her lifestyle choices. About a week or so later, Marsha was on her way to pick up a ‘client’ when her phone rang – it was the Eden Clinic calling to make an appointment for her treatment.
She was close to the Eden Clinic when she received the call. At that moment thoughts ran through her mind to pull into the driveway of the Eden Clinic and not pick up her client – so she did. She approached the front desk and asked to speak to the doctor. Dr. Dennis sat with Marsha as she cried, and shared how she knew God told her to come into the clinic. She felt him speaking to her and telling her she should begin to consider and change her way of living. In her brokenness she shared with the doctor how her life had spun out of control and the reasons for her behavior.
Dr. Dennis told her about the love and forgiveness of Christ and how he sees her as a ‘bride’ with eternal value. Marsha asked for prayer that day and although she hasn’t made real a commitment to Christ, seeds were planted and God did a work in her heart that day that will ultimately lead her on a different path.
It’s stories like this one that reminds us that the Spirit of God is powerful enough to work in the lives of people without our help! *Name change
Upcoming Event~Walk for Life!
26 Aug 2010 2 Comments
You are probably aware that the Eden Clinic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. The Eden Clinc is funded through generous donations from people, churches and fundraisers. We have yet to receive or apply for government funding because there are usually strings attached… strings that could keep us from the freedom to talk about our faith and hope in Jesus Christ. I am confident in saying that 100% of the clients we see at the Eden Clinic could use a good dose of faith and hope as they face the tough decisions associated with an unplanned pregnancy.
To keep our expenses as low as possible the Eden Clinic operates with mostly volunteer help. However, the expenses for operations as well as medical supplies and services are quite costly. In order to continue to offer free medical and support services to our clients we must continue to ask for financial support… Events are a fun way to do that! Our annual Walk for Life is coming up real soon – Saturday, September 25. If you enjoy taking a nice 2 mile walk and you want to help young women (and men) this is an easy way to do that. And it doesn’t matter where you live… you can walk wherever you are!
Just go to our Walk website www.edenwalk.tv and register to walk on the registration page, then go to the pledge form page and print off a pledge form… Then contact your friends, family, co-workers to sponsor you as you walk (we provide a sample letter). You don’t even have to collect the money, just fill in all the information and the Eden Clinic will send statements to all your sponsors to collect the money. Remember to mention their donations are tax deductible and they will receive receipts for giving. If you have any questions you can contact me at 501-579-4673 or email lcozadd@edenclinic.tv and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.
We’d love to have you join us in this event!
“Let there be life”
~Linda
HBO’s ’12th and Delaware’ documentary
18 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
LANSDOWNE, VA – Care Net, a national network of more than 1,100 pregnancy centers, issued the following statement Tuesday in response to HBO’s “12th and Delaware,” a documentary that portrays the issue of abortion through the eyes of two filmmakers who dramatize the work of a pregnancy center and an abortion clinic in Ft. Pierce, Florida:“While Oscar-nominated filmmakers Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing may have set out to accurately depict the work of these two ‘sides’ of the abortion issue, they clearly did not do the necessary background work of a good documentarian or journalist. Neither Care Net nor any other national pregnancy center organization was contacted, to our knowledge, by these filmmakers for any information. Without a more in-depth, national perspective, or at least interviews with other centers across the nation, how could these filmmakers faithfully portray this movement of approximately 2,300 centers?“There is much in the film that is disturbing, as is the issue of abortion. It is difficult to know where the filmmakers used artistic license or key details were withheld or manipulated. However, the overall perception that the filmmakers concoct of the pregnancy center and pro-lifers in general is in the style of many 1980′s journalists, who ran sound bites of ’angry white male’ pro-life protestors and lumped the entire pro-life movement in with them. That’s inaccurate and it’s propaganda.“Nevertheless, those sidewalk counselors in the film that used hateful or fear-based rhetoric to dissuade women from choosing abortion are misguided and hurting the pro-life cause. The pro-life movement has compassion for both the woman and the child. That means that if the woman chooses abortion, she still needs our compassion and help. “While the Ft. Pierce pregnancy center featured is not an affiliate of Care Net, they too, like Care Net affiliates, are being targeted by abortion advocates in an effort to smear their reputation and deter women from visiting them for help. Sadly, ‘12th and Delaware’ fits in with that strategy. Groups like NARAL perpetuate the notion that pregnancy centers are scary places that use ‘shock and awe’ tactics to somehow trick women into carrying their pregnancy to term. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Talk to any real client of a pregnancy center and you will hear something like this: “That was the first time, in a long time, that I felt like someone really cared about me.” “If you’re interested in a more balanced view of the work of pregnancy centers, check out the TIME magazine cover story on pregnancy centers. From Care Net’s perspective, journalist Nancy Gibbs worked diligently to write a fair and accurate article about the work of these local faith-based organizations. While TIME’s piece was not altogether favorable, Gibbs, with the conscience of a good, real journalist, interviewed Care Net for hours and sent us copious emails back and forth to ensure that what she was publishing about the pregnancy center movement was objective and accurate. That’s the type of effort we would expect out of Oscar-nominated filmmakers, but no such emails were exchanged. “It’s also apparent that Grady and Ewing did not take the time to read the latest in-depth investigation of pregnancy centers which culminated in a report called, A Passion to Serve, A Vision for Life, released October 2009 by Family Research Council. They might have found out that pregnancy centers are well-respected and in long-standing partnerships with a host of community and government agencies that provide support to pregnant women. Had they talked to Care Net they might have discovered that even a good number of abortion providers respect the work of pregnancy centers. In fact, 28 percent of Care Net pregnancy centers reported that abortion providers referred women to them for help last year. They also might have discovered the information used at the end of their film for the number of pregnancy centers was inaccurate.“So, if you watch the film, we challenge you to take notes and do your own research. Visit your local pregnancy center and find out about their work for yourself. Perhaps you’ve been a client of a pregnancy center yourself – what did you experience? We encourage you to share your story and let the truth be told.”
Made some changes
13 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
I’ve changed the Blog name from Eden Clinic’s Blog to The Cozy Blog for several reasons. I’m not going to quit writing about the Eden Clinic, but I may post things from time-to-time that are my own personal convictions and ideas that have little or nothing to do with the Eden Clinic. So, in order for me to be free to write what I want to write, I thought it best to just make this my own personal blog.
I’m going to try and find a way to connect this blog with the Eden partners website because I plan to write about the work we do there. It would be a way for donors to connect with us at the Eden Clinic and keep up with what’s happening. I think people need to know the great work being done there so they will know their support is making a difference.
I hope you like the changes and will still visit me 
Abortion is not an eraser
18 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
Okay, so now you know that the Eden Clinic does not promote or refer for abortions because it is a total conflict of interest. However, we want you to understand that we educate women about abortion procedures along with physical and emotional affects abortion could have on them in the future. If you don’t remember anything else you read on this blog, please remember and understand this one thing… We do not stretch the truth, nor do we use manipulative tactics while presenting documented FACTS about abortion. We respect the rights of the women (and men) we serve and want them to understand and thoroughly consider all their options before they choose.
As I mentioned in my previous post if anyone understands the reasons women opt for abortion, we at the Eden Clinic certainly do, and everyone who has worked at a Pregnancy Resource Center. We do not minimize the fears of these women – they are genuine and real! However, what we have come to understand is there is no easy answer to an unplanned pregnancy. Once a woman stares down at a positive pregnancy test her life will never be the same and frankly, none of her options are very good. Contrary to popular belief abortion is not an eraser that will turn back the hands of time.
However, in all my 13 years of experience working with women (and men) facing unplanned pregnancies I have never heard a woman who opted to carry her baby to term say that she was sorry – not ever! I cannot say that about the women who opted to abort. Although we try very hard to let all our clients know that we do not judge them and our doors are always open to them, it’s very seldom do they return if they choose to abort. Not only that I’ve had women avoid me when they saw me out somewhere in town. I have learned not to take it personal; I think my presence is a reminder of the “secret” they are trying to forget.
I don’t want to write a book here, so I’ll stop for now. Thank you for reading and… I would love to hear your comments.
~Linda Cozadd
Hello world!
13 Jul 2010 9 Comments
This is my very first time blogging… It’s funny, I have lots to say, but when I sit down to type, my mind goes totally blank. The only reason I’m doing this is because I want the world to know about the Eden Clinic and the work we do there… it’s important work – and I guess rather controversial. None the less, it’s something we need to talk about! So, let’s talk… So, what does the Eden Clinic do? We are promoters of LIFE… saving and sustaining life. We don’t call ourselves pro-life because of the stigma that seems to be attached to it. But isn’t everybody who’s living, pro-life? Well, they are pro their own life anyway, aren’t they? I would rather say we are against abortion and want to help women know the truth about it. We do not promote or refer for abortion in any circumstance because it is just a total conflict of interest. It goes against our mission to protect and sustain life.
Contrary to some popular beliefs women really do get hurt when they make a decision to abort their unborn children. This past week I was given a book from our board Chairman of the Eden Clinic, Ryan Polk, entitled Why Pro-Life? by Randy Alcorn. In the book Mr. Alcorn has documented statistics of women who experienced post-abortion complications. Did you know that over 90 percent of women surveyed said they weren’t given enough information to make an informed decision? Did you know that over 80 percent said it was very unlikely they would have aborted if they had not been so strongly encouraged to abort by others, including their abortion counselors? Did you also know that 83 percent said they would have carried to term if they had received support from boyfriends, families, or other important people in their lives? That’s a large percentage of post-abortive women who have regrets about their abortion.
Believe me, women suffer from abortion, though you might not be hearing much about it. Why? Well, because it was a choice and society doesn’t allow grieving for such a ‘choice’. So, post-abortive women keep silent and sometimes think they are going mad…
No, I’ve not had an abortion, but I have talked to many women who have. It’s interesting to me though, the different responses you get from post-abortive women. There are some who have never told a single soul, others who tell everyone and cry, cry cry… then you have those who get really mad at you if you even hint that some of their issues are associated with their abortion – I mean classic, across the board issues that other post-abortive women suffer. These women are in total denial and have to make their heart hard in order to survive! Then you have the women who have visited a place like the Eden Clinic and found help to work through the pain of their abortion. The Eden Clinic has a program for post-abortive women called ”Surrendering the Secret”. If you or someone you know is having trouble dealing with their abortion, you might want to check out this program. For more info, you can visit the Eden Clinic website at www.edenclinic.tv
I guess my mind wasn’t as blank as I thought… thanks for reading Have a wonderful day!
~Linda
