I'm glad you're here! If you know me, you know I'm a Texas girl born & raised-- in the 70's when the music was great, the hair was big, the clothes were funky and the days were simple. I LOVE the sun and all things outdoors; biking, skiing, walks with Sadie (my Goldendoodle-- more about her later)... on a beach or in the mountains. Tacos, chips & salsa, diet coke and sweet time spent on the Front Porch is Texas heaven to me. When I'm outdoors my heart is connected with God. His spirit feels so alive in nature and that's what my heart longs for daily. I've done a lot of life on my Front Porch and have always said, "if that Front Porch could talk, oh the stories it would tell". Stories that are a mix of sweet and salty and alot of messy but most are how Jesus met me there everyday working miracles in and around me that I couldn't see. Come sit with me on the Front Porch as I share my story of how God took all the pieces of this messy broken heart and made beauty out of ashes. (More about me and a snip-it of my story)
Join the Front Porch community and stories that say-- you are not alone.
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See you on the Front Porch,
Terri Kelley
To see tethered and broken hearts healed and set free as we dare to live authentic lives, create community, cultivate purpose, and love like Jesus.
PAST ABORTION?
PAST ABORTION?
ABOUT TERRI
ABOUT TERRI
ABOUT TERRI
ABOUT TERRI
TERRI KELLEY'S BIO...
To every girl who struggles with the heavy burden of a secret past abortion and carries guilt and shame of a past abortion and carries the heavy burden of this secret in her broken heart, my story is for you! You are not alone.
To every girl who struggles with the heavy burden of a secret past abortion and carries guilt and shame of a past abortion and carries the heavy burden of this secret in her broken heart, my story is for you! You are not alone.
For every girl who found herself alone and afraid in an unexpected pregnancy and has since carried the heavy burden of a secret abortion... my story is for you! You are not alone. You are loved.
For every girl who found herself alone and afraid in an unexpected pregnancy and has since carried the heavy burden of a secret abortion... my story is for you! You are not alone. You are loved.
I'm a Texas Girl
I'm a Texas Girl
ABUSED & ABORTION WOUNDED
Grace means that all of your mistakes now serve a purpose instead of serving shame.
If you have been wounded by abuse and/or a past abortion, I want you to know...
YOU ARE NOT ALONE. YOU ARE LOVED!
My heart hurts for any woman who has been in an abusive relationship... physical, sexual, emotional, or spiritual. I am so sorry that someone deeply hurt you and made you feel unworthy of tender love, respect, kindness, compassion, and grace... and often said you were not enough. It is a lie!
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My heart breaks for any girl who found herself alone in a pregnancy crisis, and fear, abandonment, or abuse, told her the only way to survive was an abortion. Abortion breaks the heart of a woman... forever... no matter how she ended up on that table.
We now see evidence that abuse and abortion are often linked together. The experienced trauma of both abuse and abortion, if not dealt with, will leave her heart isolated and in tremendous pain as she lives in the shame of her secrets.
The common thread that runs through every abortion decision is paralyzing fear, abandonment, grief, loss, and shame. No matter how far our culture has come with unwed pregnancy, a girl is still met with judgment and shame from family, church, and friends. Not the same for the boy. It is CRITICAL that she has a safe place to turn to at this moment... HOME is best but most often the scariest! She is ultimately the one left with the responsibility of choosing life, giving birth, and making life-altering decisions as she raises her child.
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1-in-3 women have experienced an abortion and for every woman, there is a man involved. These women are our mothers, daughters, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, girlfriends, ministers, bible study leaders, and women sitting next to us in church... all holding tight to their secret for fear of judgment and rejection. Shame is tethered to her secret and keeps her heart hidden, isolated, and disconnected... telling her that she is bad and unworthy of love.
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Shame, Grief, and Condemnation all stand guard at the door to her soul allowing no one to fully know who she is.
EXPERIENCED SIDE EFFECTS OF ABORTION TRAUMA:
PTSD
Insomnia
Nightmares
Sadness
Shame
Anger
Regret
Grief from Loss
Anxiety
Guilt
Depression
Suicidal Thoughts
Self-Harm
Suicide
Substance Abuse
Eating Disorders
Isolation
Disconnect from Children
Difficulty with Trust & Intimacy
Failed Relationships
Marriage Atonement.
HEALING BENEFITS
*1-in-3 women have experienced the trauma of abortion.
*1-in-3 women have experienced the trauma of sexual and/or physical abuse.
1. Research shows that a large percentage of post-abortive women have experienced some form of past or childhood abuse and/or trauma.
2. Studies show that healing from the trauma of abortion and abuse helps end the ongoing generational cycles of abortion and abuse in families
3. Healing sets us free to tell our stories leading others into healing.
4. Healing sets us free to live an authentic life while discovering and living out our purpose.
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FOR THE CHURCH...
Church, you must become a safe place where people in crisis run to for love and support.
*1-in-3 women have been sexually, physically, or emotionally abused.
*1-in-3 women have had an abortion and for every woman, there is a man involved.
* A large percentage of women who have had an abortion also experienced childhood trauma or abuse.
* 50% of women who have an abortion will have additional abortions.
* 70% of women who chose abortion indicate they are Christian.
* 45% of post-abortive Christian women attend church and remain silent in their secrets.
* 55% of post-abortive Christian women live in exile and believe God hates them and they are going to hell.
* More than 90% of women and men do not know where to go for abortion healing.
* Politics and Laws will never end abortion. Seeing this crisis through the eyes of a terrified girl and putting our focus on her support and survival will help end the need for abortion.
Save a mother, save a baby.
Church and community are the answer. The Church should be where we all feel safe to go for love and support in a crisis. No politics, no judgment, no shame... just a love like Jesus who is the way through all things!
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THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING HOW TO CREATE CHANGE IS IN OUR STORIES!
To end the need for abortion, we must become a movement of love, redemption, and hope -- not only focused on the unborn life but on the life of the woman who ends up in an unwanted pregnancy, desperately needing love and support.
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You can read my personal abortion story here: FrontPorchGirl.com/mystory
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