Visionary Leader, CEO, Chairman - Governing Board, Founder and Chancellor of Biblical University
Robert Jeffress: God Gave Trump Authority to Take Out North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-Un
(Photo: Robert Jeffress Twitter video screencap)
Pastor Robert Jeffress speaking at First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, on May 15, 2016.
One of President Donald Trump's spiritual advisers, Dallas megachurch Pastor Robert Jeffress, said God has given the president the power to take out evildoers like North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un.
Shortly after Trump warned on Tuesday that North Korea would be met with "fire and fury like the world has never seen" if it threatens the security of the United States, Jeffress felt compelled to issue his support for the president's comments.
Jeffress, the 61-year-old pastor at the 12,000-member First Baptist Dallas who was one of the first well-known evangelicals to align himself with Trump and his 2016 presidential campaign, issued a statement through his public relations team that was shared with The Christian Post on Tuesday evening.
"When it comes to how we should deal with evil doers, the Bible, in the book of Romans, is very clear: God has endowed rulers full power to use whatever means necessary — including war — to stop evil," Jeffress' statement reads. "In the case of North Korea, God has given Trump authority to take out Kim Jong-Un."
According to the press release, the point of Jeffress' statement was to commend Trump for his "resoluteness against the regime and affirming his role as defender of the American people."
"I'm heartened to see that our president — contrary to what we've seen with past administrations who have taken, at best, a sheepish stance toward dictators and oppressors — will not tolerate any threat against the American people," Jeffress added. "When President Trump draws a red line, he will not erase it, move it, or back away from it. Thank God for a president who is serious about protecting our country."
North Korea has claimed that it's working on developing capabilities to strike the United States and has long ignored calls for it to halt its nuclear activities. Reuters reported on Wednesday that North Korea has said that it's "carefully examining" a missile strike on Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific.
North Korea's state-run news outlet KCNA reported that a spokesperson for the Korean People's Army said that once Kim makes a decision, such a strike will be put into practice in a multi-current and consecutive way any moment."
In an interview with The Washington Post, Jeffress explained that it is Romans 13 that gives government the authority to take out evildoers.
"That gives the government to the authority to do whatever, whether it's assassination, capital punishment or evil punishment to quell the actions of evildoers like Kim Jong-Un," Jeffress was quoted as saying.
Jeffress added that even though some Christians might cite Romans 12 to point out that the Bible says not to "repay evil for evil," that verse only refers to Christians, not leaders in power, like Trump.
"A Christian writer asked me, 'Don't you want the president to embody the Sermon on the Mount?'" Jeffress replied, "absolutely not."
Jeffress' comments did not sit well with some conservative Christians, like Ryan Anderson, a senior fellow at the conservative think-tank The Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C.
Anderson posted a tweet that linked to a CBN News article about Jeffress' comments. In the tweet, Anderson claimed the argument that "God has endowed rulers full power to use whatever means necessary" is "heresy."
"Cannot use evil means to good end," Anderson wrote.
Jeffress' comment also drew the ire of many progressive Christians.
The Rev. Chuck Currie, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ who teaches at Pacific University, posted a tweet in reply to Jeffress.
"You promote a dangerous theology of war that goes against Prince of Peace who preached just peace," Currie wrote. "I see nothing Christian in your remarks."
Transgender Identity: Let's Look at the Bible
Editor's
Note: This is Part 2 in a Christian Post series on how Christians
should respond to transgenderism. Part 2 will look at the theology.
Click here for Part 1.
When it comes to making a biblical case for transgender identity, some have cited scriptures about "natural-born eunuchs" and Apostle Paul's words that there is "neither male nor female" in Christ Jesus. This argument and arguments against it were already laid out in a previous Christian Post article.
Offering more insights on what the Bible has to say about the issue of gender identity, Dr. Richard Land, who is president of Southern Evangelical Seminary in North Carolina, and Pentecostal pastor Bishop Harry Jackson spoke with CP and began with how God created humans.
"The Bible tells us in Psalm 139 that God knits and embroiders us together in our mother's womb. And all of our parts were in God's book before any of them came to be. Clearly, God is involved in every conception that takes place," said Land, noting that it is a biological fact that one's sex is determined at that precise moment.
Jackson, who leads Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland, explained that one's biological sex is not only a divine imprint but part of God's "assignment" to the human being.
"I believe that God gives us the original assignment of gender, even nationality — what we would call race — where we were born, and the family into which we were born. All of that is pre-selected by God. He wants us to steward that uniqueness as a beginning point, as a gift from God," Jackson said.
"In the context of that, the Lord has a fairly strict set of boundaries that He wants us to carry out, principles by which we live."
At a recent SES event on "God, Sex, & Gender," Land posed the question, "What is a human being?"
He pointed to the first chapter in the first book of the Bible — Genesis — where it states that God made man in His image and likeness, and "male and female He created them."
There is a difference between human beings and the rest of creation as humans are the only creature that have the divine image, Land stressed.
"A human being is a special creation of God, thus human life is sacred," he said.
Additionally, the Apostle Paul, Land noted to CP, calls the human body "the temple of the Holy Spirit" in 1 Corinthians 6 and the word he uses for temple in the Greek refers to the Holy of Holies, the innermost part of the temple. This was the very place where the Holy Spirit — the shekinah glory — dwelled.
With all that said, when someone maintains that he or she was born in the wrong body, this is not just a matter of confusion; it represents the "ultimate rebellion" against God's design for them, Land contended.
Jackson also called transgenderism a rebellion against the original assignment God gave each person.
In essence, Land believes that transgenderism is "self-idolatry."
"It is the ultimate attempt to become one's own god. I want to be different than the way God made me so I'm going to employ modern medical science to change my gender, chemically and surgically," he maintained.
"The religion of America today is narcissism. … We want to define our own version of truth of who we are regardless of anything else."
He went on to explain that at the root of the transgender movement is a resurgent Gnostic belief that the body and mind are not united and the hedonistic creed of the sexual revolution: "If it feels good, do it."
"The sacred trinity of modern man is I, myself, and me. And it is only with modern science that people have the ability to claim they can change their gender and seek to do so," Land, a father of three, said.
Renowned Anglican theologian N.T. Wright also recently called the confusion about gender identity a "form of the ancient philosophy of Gnosticism."
"The Gnostic, one who 'knows,' has discovered the secret of 'who I really am,' behind the deceptive outward appearance," Wright said.
"This involves denying the goodness, or even the ultimate reality, of the natural world. Nature, however, tends to strike back, with the likely victims in this case being vulnerable and impressionable youngsters who, as confused adults, will pay the price for their elders' fashionable fantasies."
Christians should have particular reverence for their God-given biology and the human body because the Lord took on a human frame, noted Land, who is also executive editor of The Christian Post and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
"We are not what God intended us to be," he said, speaking of how much our bodies matter. "He intended us to be the vice-regents of creation and we have become slaves to our own sin and desires through the Fall. But Jesus came … in order that He might make us everything that He is."
And when people receive Christ and what was accomplished on the cross by faith, they are in the process of being all that God created them to be.
Pastorally speaking, both Land and Jackson emphasized the need to love transgender persons.
"Christians have an obligation and a responsibility to love people who identify as transgender and to seek to act redemptively toward them," Land emphasized, adding that those who struggle with gender dysphoria should never be made fun of or mocked.
At the same time, pastors should not affirm transgenderism as normative.
"You do them no service by acquiescing to their malady and calling it normal," Land said. "Calling it normal does not make it normal, affirming it as healthy does not make it healthy.
"God has set the norms and when you live in a society where there are no norms, everything is normal, and that is a recipe for madness."
For Jackson, he outlined three things he would tell someone who has gender confusion:
"1) God loves them, 2) they are not an accident, and 3) they should be willing and expect the grace of God to help them comply with God's commandments for their behavior on any level," he explained.
"We have to understand that the people who come to us for help in the context of Christian ministry, they have to be willing to accept the Bible as the highest authority for human behavior, and whatever counseling and encouragement and help will be based prescriptively on what the Bible teaches."
Jackson said that if he pastors someone who thinks that ministers are prejudiced against them, he said he cannot help it, because he's not going to change the doctrine of his church to accommodate an exceedingly small minority of people.
People must come to understand that when they accept Jesus, it is a call to a lifestyle and journey with God, Jackson added, emphasizing that it's imperative for churches to find a way to teach about these things in a loving but directive manner in order to set people on a course to have a normal family life as they pursue God and the Scriptures.
When it comes to making a biblical case for transgender identity, some have cited scriptures about "natural-born eunuchs" and Apostle Paul's words that there is "neither male nor female" in Christ Jesus. This argument and arguments against it were already laid out in a previous Christian Post article.
Offering more insights on what the Bible has to say about the issue of gender identity, Dr. Richard Land, who is president of Southern Evangelical Seminary in North Carolina, and Pentecostal pastor Bishop Harry Jackson spoke with CP and began with how God created humans.
"The Bible tells us in Psalm 139 that God knits and embroiders us together in our mother's womb. And all of our parts were in God's book before any of them came to be. Clearly, God is involved in every conception that takes place," said Land, noting that it is a biological fact that one's sex is determined at that precise moment.
Jackson, who leads Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland, explained that one's biological sex is not only a divine imprint but part of God's "assignment" to the human being.
"I believe that God gives us the original assignment of gender, even nationality — what we would call race — where we were born, and the family into which we were born. All of that is pre-selected by God. He wants us to steward that uniqueness as a beginning point, as a gift from God," Jackson said.
"In the context of that, the Lord has a fairly strict set of boundaries that He wants us to carry out, principles by which we live."
At a recent SES event on "God, Sex, & Gender," Land posed the question, "What is a human being?"
He pointed to the first chapter in the first book of the Bible — Genesis — where it states that God made man in His image and likeness, and "male and female He created them."
There is a difference between human beings and the rest of creation as humans are the only creature that have the divine image, Land stressed.
"A human being is a special creation of God, thus human life is sacred," he said.
Additionally, the Apostle Paul, Land noted to CP, calls the human body "the temple of the Holy Spirit" in 1 Corinthians 6 and the word he uses for temple in the Greek refers to the Holy of Holies, the innermost part of the temple. This was the very place where the Holy Spirit — the shekinah glory — dwelled.
With all that said, when someone maintains that he or she was born in the wrong body, this is not just a matter of confusion; it represents the "ultimate rebellion" against God's design for them, Land contended.
Jackson also called transgenderism a rebellion against the original assignment God gave each person.
In essence, Land believes that transgenderism is "self-idolatry."
"It is the ultimate attempt to become one's own god. I want to be different than the way God made me so I'm going to employ modern medical science to change my gender, chemically and surgically," he maintained.
"The religion of America today is narcissism. … We want to define our own version of truth of who we are regardless of anything else."
He went on to explain that at the root of the transgender movement is a resurgent Gnostic belief that the body and mind are not united and the hedonistic creed of the sexual revolution: "If it feels good, do it."
"The sacred trinity of modern man is I, myself, and me. And it is only with modern science that people have the ability to claim they can change their gender and seek to do so," Land, a father of three, said.
Renowned Anglican theologian N.T. Wright also recently called the confusion about gender identity a "form of the ancient philosophy of Gnosticism."
"The Gnostic, one who 'knows,' has discovered the secret of 'who I really am,' behind the deceptive outward appearance," Wright said.
"This involves denying the goodness, or even the ultimate reality, of the natural world. Nature, however, tends to strike back, with the likely victims in this case being vulnerable and impressionable youngsters who, as confused adults, will pay the price for their elders' fashionable fantasies."
Christians should have particular reverence for their God-given biology and the human body because the Lord took on a human frame, noted Land, who is also executive editor of The Christian Post and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
"We are not what God intended us to be," he said, speaking of how much our bodies matter. "He intended us to be the vice-regents of creation and we have become slaves to our own sin and desires through the Fall. But Jesus came … in order that He might make us everything that He is."
And when people receive Christ and what was accomplished on the cross by faith, they are in the process of being all that God created them to be.
Pastorally speaking, both Land and Jackson emphasized the need to love transgender persons.
"Christians have an obligation and a responsibility to love people who identify as transgender and to seek to act redemptively toward them," Land emphasized, adding that those who struggle with gender dysphoria should never be made fun of or mocked.
At the same time, pastors should not affirm transgenderism as normative.
"You do them no service by acquiescing to their malady and calling it normal," Land said. "Calling it normal does not make it normal, affirming it as healthy does not make it healthy.
"God has set the norms and when you live in a society where there are no norms, everything is normal, and that is a recipe for madness."
For Jackson, he outlined three things he would tell someone who has gender confusion:
"1) God loves them, 2) they are not an accident, and 3) they should be willing and expect the grace of God to help them comply with God's commandments for their behavior on any level," he explained.
"We have to understand that the people who come to us for help in the context of Christian ministry, they have to be willing to accept the Bible as the highest authority for human behavior, and whatever counseling and encouragement and help will be based prescriptively on what the Bible teaches."
Jackson said that if he pastors someone who thinks that ministers are prejudiced against them, he said he cannot help it, because he's not going to change the doctrine of his church to accommodate an exceedingly small minority of people.
People must come to understand that when they accept Jesus, it is a call to a lifestyle and journey with God, Jackson added, emphasizing that it's imperative for churches to find a way to teach about these things in a loving but directive manner in order to set people on a course to have a normal family life as they pursue God and the Scriptures.
7 Keys to Great Sex in Marriage
My wife Jeanette and I and our friends Dave and Ashley Willis put together a video series called "Best Sex Life Now."
Why?
Because after 16 years of marriage, I'm more passionate about this than ever: married folks need to be having sex... and great sex at that!
So here are seven keys to help you unlock that great sex life.
#1 Twice a week.
Practice makes perfect. Sure, sex is a great chance to have an orgasm, but more than that, sex connects you and brings you closer. You won't have great sex the first time and you probably won't have great sex the first year of marriage every time. I have been married 16 years now and I can honestly say it gets better and better. The more comfortable you are with your spouse (and with your own bodies), the more in love you grow with each other. But, you have to work at it and this can only happen when you are having sex. I recommend twice a week AT A MINIMUM. The more the merrier, but one way to have great sex in marriage is to have sex often. If this is not a priority in your marriage make it one.
#2 The other person comes first.
I can cut to the chase on this one and just say make your spouse cum first and leave it at that. I am not trying to be tasteless here – I'm being honest! Look, porn has taught so many people what they like (or so they think) and how they like it, and a lot of people approach sex in marriage with this selfish attitude. You want to have great sex in marriage? Then remember your partner and their needs and their likes. Make it a point to serve your spouse in this way. Let's be honest, not every girl likes it from behind as much as men do, so men, make sure your wife is taken care of not just you.
#3 Start early and keep the lights on.
This is a 2 for 1. Maybe one for the guys and one for the girls. Guys, don't just touch your wife when you want sex. Be affectionate and start earlier in the day. Kiss, hug, gross out your kids, and then don't wait till right before bed to have sex. Tired sex is not great sex. Turn off Modern Family or CSI or Sportscenter and get to it. Women, remember men are visual as well; both you and your husband need to feel comfortable when having sex but if you can be comfortable with the lights on, then great sex happens.
#4 Husbands initiate.
I just saved so many of you couples a ton of hours of fighting and angry nights. I don't know how many couples I talk to who argue over and over and over about this one. "My wife doesn't initiate sex enough." So, then that leads men to play games. "I wonder how many days I can go without having sex to see if she will ask for it." Dumb. Don't play games like this. I'm not trying to be a sexist here, nor am I saying women can't initiate sex (I sure don't complain anytime my wife initiates). What I am saying is: just take it off the table and initiate as often as you need to.
#5 NO More Excuses.
It hurts. He snores so we don't sleep in the same room. We have a young baby in our bed. I'm uncomfortable with my body. I have a disturbing or painful sexual past.
Please hear me on this: I'm not trying to make light of all these situations, but some of them can be serious. Even so, sex is so important to your relationship that you must work like crazy to work through these issues in your marriage so you can have great sex. You might need to go to counseling to work through your past, you might need to hit the gym so you feel better about your body, you might need to get some of those strips to go over your nose and prevent you from snoring. Whatever your situation is, I seriously am tired of hearing excuses on why you are not having sex.
Start having sex. In order to start having sex you need to work through your junk. Today. Attack this stuff so it doesn't keep you out of the bedroom any longer.
#6 Connect in and out of Bed.
You and you spouse need to be partners. You need to be best friends. You need to enjoy each other as people and be connected emotionally. Without that, then your sex life is just going to be strictly physical and won't be great. You want to have great sex? Be best friends. Care for each other, serve each other and be connected.
#7 Hotel Sex.
I travel a lot and just trust me on this one. There are no Bible verses to back this up, but I have 16 years and a wife who would agree. Get out of your house sometimes, go vacation in Hawaii or just get a hotel room in the city next to yours. Whatever you do – just get away occasionally and enjoy something new. Hotel sex is some of the best.
Hope this helps.
PS. I gave Jeanette (my wife) the blog to read and she thought it would be important to mention WHY having sex is important and needed in your relationship. I made a list and shared that in this post. Trust me, you and your spouse need to be having sex otherwise you are just roommates.
Originally posted at XXXChurch.com.
Why?
Because after 16 years of marriage, I'm more passionate about this than ever: married folks need to be having sex... and great sex at that!
So here are seven keys to help you unlock that great sex life.
#1 Twice a week.
Practice makes perfect. Sure, sex is a great chance to have an orgasm, but more than that, sex connects you and brings you closer. You won't have great sex the first time and you probably won't have great sex the first year of marriage every time. I have been married 16 years now and I can honestly say it gets better and better. The more comfortable you are with your spouse (and with your own bodies), the more in love you grow with each other. But, you have to work at it and this can only happen when you are having sex. I recommend twice a week AT A MINIMUM. The more the merrier, but one way to have great sex in marriage is to have sex often. If this is not a priority in your marriage make it one.
#2 The other person comes first.
I can cut to the chase on this one and just say make your spouse cum first and leave it at that. I am not trying to be tasteless here – I'm being honest! Look, porn has taught so many people what they like (or so they think) and how they like it, and a lot of people approach sex in marriage with this selfish attitude. You want to have great sex in marriage? Then remember your partner and their needs and their likes. Make it a point to serve your spouse in this way. Let's be honest, not every girl likes it from behind as much as men do, so men, make sure your wife is taken care of not just you.
#3 Start early and keep the lights on.
This is a 2 for 1. Maybe one for the guys and one for the girls. Guys, don't just touch your wife when you want sex. Be affectionate and start earlier in the day. Kiss, hug, gross out your kids, and then don't wait till right before bed to have sex. Tired sex is not great sex. Turn off Modern Family or CSI or Sportscenter and get to it. Women, remember men are visual as well; both you and your husband need to feel comfortable when having sex but if you can be comfortable with the lights on, then great sex happens.
#4 Husbands initiate.
I just saved so many of you couples a ton of hours of fighting and angry nights. I don't know how many couples I talk to who argue over and over and over about this one. "My wife doesn't initiate sex enough." So, then that leads men to play games. "I wonder how many days I can go without having sex to see if she will ask for it." Dumb. Don't play games like this. I'm not trying to be a sexist here, nor am I saying women can't initiate sex (I sure don't complain anytime my wife initiates). What I am saying is: just take it off the table and initiate as often as you need to.
#5 NO More Excuses.
It hurts. He snores so we don't sleep in the same room. We have a young baby in our bed. I'm uncomfortable with my body. I have a disturbing or painful sexual past.
Please hear me on this: I'm not trying to make light of all these situations, but some of them can be serious. Even so, sex is so important to your relationship that you must work like crazy to work through these issues in your marriage so you can have great sex. You might need to go to counseling to work through your past, you might need to hit the gym so you feel better about your body, you might need to get some of those strips to go over your nose and prevent you from snoring. Whatever your situation is, I seriously am tired of hearing excuses on why you are not having sex.
Start having sex. In order to start having sex you need to work through your junk. Today. Attack this stuff so it doesn't keep you out of the bedroom any longer.
#6 Connect in and out of Bed.
You and you spouse need to be partners. You need to be best friends. You need to enjoy each other as people and be connected emotionally. Without that, then your sex life is just going to be strictly physical and won't be great. You want to have great sex? Be best friends. Care for each other, serve each other and be connected.
#7 Hotel Sex.
I travel a lot and just trust me on this one. There are no Bible verses to back this up, but I have 16 years and a wife who would agree. Get out of your house sometimes, go vacation in Hawaii or just get a hotel room in the city next to yours. Whatever you do – just get away occasionally and enjoy something new. Hotel sex is some of the best.
Hope this helps.
PS. I gave Jeanette (my wife) the blog to read and she thought it would be important to mention WHY having sex is important and needed in your relationship. I made a list and shared that in this post. Trust me, you and your spouse need to be having sex otherwise you are just roommates.
Originally posted at XXXChurch.com.
Lesbian Mom Loses Effort to Have Christian Judge Removed From Divorce Case
A lesbian mother in Alabama was unsuccessful in her attempts to have a conservative Christian judge removed from her divorce case on the grounds that he holds traditional Christian beliefs about marriage and sexuality.
Alabama.com reports that Tiara Lycans initially filed two motions earlier this year asking Judge Shaunathan Bell to recuse himself from her divorce proceedings with her husband, Zachary Lycans. The mother feared that the Christian judge would rule unfavorably against her when it came to parental custody of their child.
The wife raised concerns with Bell's 15 years of service as a preacher at a fundamentalist church.
But after her motions for recusal were denied by Bell, the mother took up the issue with the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. Court documents indicate Lycans argued that Bell has "publicly expressed belief that homosexual relationships and marriages are contrary to God's law."
However, her request was denied by the appeals court last week. In the court's opinion, the mother did not assert in her argument that Bell was "actually biased against her because she is a lesbian" but only expressed a notion that Bell's religious beliefs on marriage is a "reasonable basis for questioning Judge Bell's impartiality in the divorce action."
In justifying their decision, the court noted that Bell granted to Lycans joint physical custody that alternates weekly. Additionally, Bell had done the same in two other cases he has handled involving lesbian moms.
"A reasonable person who knows everything that Judge Bell knows would know that Judge Bell, in his pendente lite custody order entered in the divorce action, granted the mother and the father joint physical custody of the child, with custody alternating weekly, and that Judge Bell has granted two other lesbian mothers and the fathers of their children joint physical custody, with custody alternating weekly," the court explained. "We conclude that a reasonable person who knows everything that Judge Bell knows would not have a reasonable basis for questioning Judge Bell's impartiality in the divorce action. Accordingly, we deny the petition."
Leading Christian conservative activist Tony Perkins, president of the Washington-based advocacy group Family Research Council, praised Bell for refusing to back down from the case.
"Like us, he doesn't think that his beliefs compromise his judgment — a reality his previous rulings would confirm," Perkins wrote in a blog post on the FRC website, adding that the fact that Bell had previously given joint custody to other lesbian mothers didn't "seem to satisfy Lycans."
"Just because Christians believe what the Bible says about marriage and sexuality doesn't mean they're incapable of upholding the law or defending other people's rights. To suggest that judges shouldn't have any personal convictions is, ironically, its own brand of intolerance," Perkins wrote.
"Unfortunately, this is just a continuation of the effort to drive men and women of faith out of public life. In this age of 'diversity,' it's becoming more and more clear that the only group that it's acceptable to attack is Christians. That must be aggressively fought — in Alabama and everywhere."
Last month, it was reported that a Christian magistrate in the United Kingdom has taken up legal action against his former employer after he was dismissed from his position for voicing his belief that adopted children are better served with a mother and father rather than a same-sex couple.
Pregnant Woman Dies Suddenly, 123 Days Later Doctors Perform Miracle Surgery
Miracles appear in the strangest of
ways. Even when the world seems to be at its darkest, if you look
closely, you will find that there is a ray of light coming out from
somewhere, all ready to light up the way for you. Death and bereavement
can be hard to cope with, especially when it is sudden and unexpected,
such as from say, a stroke or a heart attack. But for one family in
Brazil, a sudden death in the family also saw the unlikely rescue of two
unborn children, who were delivered by the doctor 123 days after their
mother died. The children had clung onto life, and whether it was
because of God’s guiding hand, or because of faith and hope – but they
were rescued.
Pregnant Woman Dies of Stroke, Doctors Deliver Her Babies 123 Days Later
Frankiele da Silva Zampoli Padilha died from a stroke during a time when she was nine months pregnant with her twin babies. During a time when her family should have been in mourning, they received shocking news when the doctors told them that the babies inside of her were still alive. When the doctor noticed the small heartbeats emanating from the embryo, they knew that they had no choice but to save the babies. It was a situation where the brain had gone dead, but the body was functioning as normal – nourishing the children and keeping them alive.
The hospital where she was kept was called the Nosso Senhora do Rocio, and there, they decorated the mother’s hospital room, spent time singing to the children and even kept talking to the growing embryos in the woman’s womb. Dr. Dalton Rivabem, told Caters TV that they had performed an ultrasound on the womb, expecting the children to be dead. To their great surprise however, they had discovered that that was not true and that little heartbeats could be heard from the womb, as if they were still clinging to life. The decision was then taken to keep the mother alive, artificially, until they could safely remove the babies from her body. It took 123 days for the foetus to grow and develop properly, and finally, when the time came, a C-section was performed on the woman to remove the babies from her stomach. Once the babies were removed, the life support system that kept her alive was turned off, and she could finally rest in peace.
The twins, one boy and one girl, were kept in incubators for three months before their family could finally take them home. They are currently being cared for by their father, Muriel Padilha, and grandmother, Angela Silva. The woman’s mother commends her for doing her best to protect her children, even after she had passed on. Meanwhile, her husband, Muriel, believes that she had visited him since she had died. He believes that she had come to him to tell him that he must move on with his life, that she was in a better place, and that he must take care of the children. The family thus celebrates both the joy of new life, and experiences the loss of losing a dear one as well.
1. Caroline Savage
The road to becoming pregnant was a difficult one for Caroline Savage. She and her husband, Sean, were burdened with infertility. They decided to turn to a clinic and have an IVF in hopes of conceiving. Savage got more than she bargained for when the clinic that performed the procedure made a mistake and impregnated her with someone else’s child.
Even though she was told she wouldn’t have another chance to conceive, she carried that baby to term, and gave it to his rightful parents. They later relied on a surrogate to complete their family and became the parents of twin girls.
After struggling for years, turning to IVF, and relying on a surrogate, the couple experienced the blessing of a lifetime. Savage became pregnant naturally at the age of 45. Once the shock wore off and the fear of miscarriage passed, the family became excited to welcome their son.
2. Jennie Hill
Georgia couple, Jennie and John Hill, suffered a series of 5 heartbreaking miscarriages in their years of trying to conceive. They decided to meet with genetic counselors to explore why Jennie couldn’t have a viable pregnancy. Jennie spoke with WSB Channel 2 News to discuss what the doctors discovered about her condition.
“Because I had lost five angels, my doctor decided to order a karyotype blood test, and it was then that we found out that I have a genetic chromosome disorder called balanced translocation,” she said. This is a condition in which two chromosomes have broken off and switched places.
Jennie and John made the decision to try IVF. After a series of surgeries and procedures, two balanced embryos were implanted. The Hills were thrilled to learn that on of those embryos had been successful. To their delight, they welcomed their miracle baby, Harper Grace, on January 25, 2017.
3. The Hixen Family
Tia and Matt Hixon started trying for a family in February of 2012. After months with no success, they turned to professionals to diagnose their issue that kept them from concieving. It turned out that Tia had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and her levels of estrogen were too high. Women with PCOS don’t ovulate regularly.
The couple decided to try any and all methods of getting pregnant. Tia told Fit Pregnancy, “We tried every imaginable approach to conception: acupuncture, chiropractic therapy, acrobatics (an abundance of headstands happened in our bedroom!), ovulation tracking, basal temperature monitoring—you name it! But then we were prescribed Clomid—it was a game changer! I took my first round of five pills on May 7 and had my first positive pregnancy test on June 8.”
She also advised couples who are having trouble conceiving to believe in the impossible and to always trust your gut.
4. The Krahn Family
Chelsea and A.J. Krahn started trying to get pregnant after they were married but didn’t have success. They consulted with specialists who ran a series of inconclusive tests that only gave them more questions. Chelsea told Fit Pregnancy, “To this day, the only answer we’ve actually received from a doctor is ‘you have really bad luck.”
They took a break from trying and were surprised when she became pregnant. Unfortunately, she suffered a miscarriage. After that point, she had no problem conceiving but couldn’t keep a viable pregnancy and suffered 2 additional miscarriages. She finally had a stroke of luck and carried for a full term pregnancy. She delivered their daughter in October 2013.
She wants others couples who are having trouble to not lose faith. “It’s a very stressful and emotional time, and after all that I have been through, I am still a firm believer that ‘everything happens for a reason.”
[Source/babygaga.com]
Pregnant Woman Dies of Stroke, Doctors Deliver Her Babies 123 Days Later
Frankiele da Silva Zampoli Padilha died from a stroke during a time when she was nine months pregnant with her twin babies. During a time when her family should have been in mourning, they received shocking news when the doctors told them that the babies inside of her were still alive. When the doctor noticed the small heartbeats emanating from the embryo, they knew that they had no choice but to save the babies. It was a situation where the brain had gone dead, but the body was functioning as normal – nourishing the children and keeping them alive.
The hospital where she was kept was called the Nosso Senhora do Rocio, and there, they decorated the mother’s hospital room, spent time singing to the children and even kept talking to the growing embryos in the woman’s womb. Dr. Dalton Rivabem, told Caters TV that they had performed an ultrasound on the womb, expecting the children to be dead. To their great surprise however, they had discovered that that was not true and that little heartbeats could be heard from the womb, as if they were still clinging to life. The decision was then taken to keep the mother alive, artificially, until they could safely remove the babies from her body. It took 123 days for the foetus to grow and develop properly, and finally, when the time came, a C-section was performed on the woman to remove the babies from her stomach. Once the babies were removed, the life support system that kept her alive was turned off, and she could finally rest in peace.
The twins, one boy and one girl, were kept in incubators for three months before their family could finally take them home. They are currently being cared for by their father, Muriel Padilha, and grandmother, Angela Silva. The woman’s mother commends her for doing her best to protect her children, even after she had passed on. Meanwhile, her husband, Muriel, believes that she had visited him since she had died. He believes that she had come to him to tell him that he must move on with his life, that she was in a better place, and that he must take care of the children. The family thus celebrates both the joy of new life, and experiences the loss of losing a dear one as well.
Miracle Babies
There are so many blessing that come with having children, but there are also many difficult things that come as well. There are many women who suffer with infertility and are told that they can’t have babies. But nothing is impossible with God, here are some miracle births from women who were told they would never have kids via babygaga.com:1. Caroline Savage
The road to becoming pregnant was a difficult one for Caroline Savage. She and her husband, Sean, were burdened with infertility. They decided to turn to a clinic and have an IVF in hopes of conceiving. Savage got more than she bargained for when the clinic that performed the procedure made a mistake and impregnated her with someone else’s child.
Even though she was told she wouldn’t have another chance to conceive, she carried that baby to term, and gave it to his rightful parents. They later relied on a surrogate to complete their family and became the parents of twin girls.
After struggling for years, turning to IVF, and relying on a surrogate, the couple experienced the blessing of a lifetime. Savage became pregnant naturally at the age of 45. Once the shock wore off and the fear of miscarriage passed, the family became excited to welcome their son.
2. Jennie Hill
Georgia couple, Jennie and John Hill, suffered a series of 5 heartbreaking miscarriages in their years of trying to conceive. They decided to meet with genetic counselors to explore why Jennie couldn’t have a viable pregnancy. Jennie spoke with WSB Channel 2 News to discuss what the doctors discovered about her condition.
“Because I had lost five angels, my doctor decided to order a karyotype blood test, and it was then that we found out that I have a genetic chromosome disorder called balanced translocation,” she said. This is a condition in which two chromosomes have broken off and switched places.
Jennie and John made the decision to try IVF. After a series of surgeries and procedures, two balanced embryos were implanted. The Hills were thrilled to learn that on of those embryos had been successful. To their delight, they welcomed their miracle baby, Harper Grace, on January 25, 2017.
3. The Hixen Family
Tia and Matt Hixon started trying for a family in February of 2012. After months with no success, they turned to professionals to diagnose their issue that kept them from concieving. It turned out that Tia had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and her levels of estrogen were too high. Women with PCOS don’t ovulate regularly.
The couple decided to try any and all methods of getting pregnant. Tia told Fit Pregnancy, “We tried every imaginable approach to conception: acupuncture, chiropractic therapy, acrobatics (an abundance of headstands happened in our bedroom!), ovulation tracking, basal temperature monitoring—you name it! But then we were prescribed Clomid—it was a game changer! I took my first round of five pills on May 7 and had my first positive pregnancy test on June 8.”
She also advised couples who are having trouble conceiving to believe in the impossible and to always trust your gut.
4. The Krahn Family
Chelsea and A.J. Krahn started trying to get pregnant after they were married but didn’t have success. They consulted with specialists who ran a series of inconclusive tests that only gave them more questions. Chelsea told Fit Pregnancy, “To this day, the only answer we’ve actually received from a doctor is ‘you have really bad luck.”
They took a break from trying and were surprised when she became pregnant. Unfortunately, she suffered a miscarriage. After that point, she had no problem conceiving but couldn’t keep a viable pregnancy and suffered 2 additional miscarriages. She finally had a stroke of luck and carried for a full term pregnancy. She delivered their daughter in October 2013.
She wants others couples who are having trouble to not lose faith. “It’s a very stressful and emotional time, and after all that I have been through, I am still a firm believer that ‘everything happens for a reason.”
[Source/babygaga.com]
Parents Give Up Little Girl After She Is Born With Red Skin, Now Doctors Can’t Believe What She Looks Like 23 Years Later
Miracles, even though most people do
not often know what to believe, are a part of life. Sometimes they come
in the form of happy coincidences. Sometimes they come in the form of
recovery from a life threatening illness, and sometimes it comes from
the will power that a human has that makes them want to survive through
conditions that most people would find impossible. Sometimes, doctors
say that a certain individual cannot be saved, but years later, that
person overcomes all their struggles to come out on top and become a
winner. It is by having faith in ourselves that we create a future where
we are in complete control of our own destiny.
Newly Married Couple Expects to Bury Baby, Doctors Surprised by How She Survives Even Twenty Years Later
Rog and Tina Thomas met for the first time in Hong Kong, where they quickly fell in love and got married. It took them five months to decide that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with each other, even though they figured that they did not want to have children yet. It was then that social services introduced them to a little girl named Mui, and they immediately realized that they were in love with her.
They were warned that the little girl had a skin condition and that her health was quickly declining, but the new parents paid no heed to that. Mui had been abandoned by her own parents at birth, and physically looked very different from other children. No one knew what exactly her condition was, but that did not deter her parents either. When she was three years old, Rog and Tina adopted her. But life after the adoption was not a bed of roses – the new parents constantly had the threat of losing their new daughter over their heads. But Mui hung on, despite what the doctors said. Finally, in the year 2002, she was diagnosed with the disorder harlequin ichthyosis. This was a rare genetic condition that caused her body to shed the same amount of skin in one night, that other people shed over the course of two weeks. This left her skin raw, colored bright red and made her more susceptible to infections of the skin.
But just because she was surviving did not mean that life was easy. During middle school, she was constantly bullied by her classmates because of her appearance, and she even found herself contemplating suicide multiple times. They insulted her, shouted art her and made her feel unhappy about herself. At the same time, she attempted to block the pain and started to avoid treatments that could help her. What Mui wanted more than anything else in the world was the chance to live a normal life – a life that everyone around her seemed to live.
Now, at the age of 23, she is the fourth oldest person in the world to survive with her skin condition. Surpassing all expectations placed on her by her doctors, she truly paved the way for a future where she proved that she was a fighter.
Strange But Rare Skin Conditions You’ve Never Heard Of
Our skin is our largest organ and it is vital to keep your skin healthy. Here are some very strange and rare skin conditions via CBS News:
Argyria
If you think only the cast of the Blue Man Group has blue skin, think again. Folks who have ingested or had prolonged contact with silver salts may end up with a condition called argyria, in which the skin is stained a grey-blue shade. What causes people to come into contact with silver particles? Working with silver, such as in mining, refining and manufacturing. Colloidal silver has also been used to treat infections in alternative medicine, and silver dietary supplements have been marketed to treat cancer, though never proven safe or effective.
According to Medscape, people with this condition can treat blue areas with a depigmenting medication, although it’s not very effective. Sunscreens and opaque cosmetics may help skin from darkening even more.
Morgellons disease
What is Morgellons disease? It’s still a mystery. The condition was established after dozens of anecdotal reports of people experiencing symptoms that include crawling, biting and stinging sensations on the skin; skin lesions, rashes or sores; and some mental confusion. A 2012 study yielded no answers explaining the disease, which many doctors believe exists only in patients’ minds.
The CDC recommends seeing a doctor who can treat co-existing medical, including psychiatric conditions, that might be contributing to their symptoms.
Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a skin condition in which there is a loss of brown pigment from certain areas of skin, leading to irregular white patches. It affects about one per 100 people in the U.S. Vitiligo occurs when immune cells destroy the cells that produce brown pigment, and is thought to be an autoimmune problem.
Vitiligo is tough to treat. But cosmetics can help, and there are a number of treatments that can minimize, camouflage, or even eliminate the white patches. These include steroid creams and a treatment known as photochemotherapy, in which drugs and ultraviolet light are used in combination. For people with vitiligo on more than 50 percent of their bodies, there’s depigmentation, in which patients apply a drug that fades the skin to match the depigmented areas.
Erythropoietic protoporphyria
Erythropoietic protoporphyria, known as EPP, is a disease characterized by extreme sensitivity to light. Patients with EPP feel a burning sensation in their skin, and experience redness and swelling. As a result, they typically have to avoid exposure to strong light and must wear appropriate protection when they’re in the sun.
Besides avoiding the sun, treatments for symptoms include pain medication, sedatives, beta-carotene supplements, fluids and glucose to boost carbohydrate levels.
Blau syndrome
Blau syndrome is a rare condition characterized by skin rash, arthritis and swelling in the eye. People with Blau syndrome tend to have fluid in their joints, and sometimes have permanent bending of the fingers and toes. It is an autosomal disease caused by genetic mutations.
Blau syndrome can’t be cured, but doctors will sometimes treat patients with immunosuppressant medications to reduce symptoms.
[Source/CBS News]
Newly Married Couple Expects to Bury Baby, Doctors Surprised by How She Survives Even Twenty Years Later
Rog and Tina Thomas met for the first time in Hong Kong, where they quickly fell in love and got married. It took them five months to decide that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with each other, even though they figured that they did not want to have children yet. It was then that social services introduced them to a little girl named Mui, and they immediately realized that they were in love with her.
They were warned that the little girl had a skin condition and that her health was quickly declining, but the new parents paid no heed to that. Mui had been abandoned by her own parents at birth, and physically looked very different from other children. No one knew what exactly her condition was, but that did not deter her parents either. When she was three years old, Rog and Tina adopted her. But life after the adoption was not a bed of roses – the new parents constantly had the threat of losing their new daughter over their heads. But Mui hung on, despite what the doctors said. Finally, in the year 2002, she was diagnosed with the disorder harlequin ichthyosis. This was a rare genetic condition that caused her body to shed the same amount of skin in one night, that other people shed over the course of two weeks. This left her skin raw, colored bright red and made her more susceptible to infections of the skin.
But just because she was surviving did not mean that life was easy. During middle school, she was constantly bullied by her classmates because of her appearance, and she even found herself contemplating suicide multiple times. They insulted her, shouted art her and made her feel unhappy about herself. At the same time, she attempted to block the pain and started to avoid treatments that could help her. What Mui wanted more than anything else in the world was the chance to live a normal life – a life that everyone around her seemed to live.
Now, at the age of 23, she is the fourth oldest person in the world to survive with her skin condition. Surpassing all expectations placed on her by her doctors, she truly paved the way for a future where she proved that she was a fighter.
Strange But Rare Skin Conditions You’ve Never Heard Of
Our skin is our largest organ and it is vital to keep your skin healthy. Here are some very strange and rare skin conditions via CBS News:
Argyria
If you think only the cast of the Blue Man Group has blue skin, think again. Folks who have ingested or had prolonged contact with silver salts may end up with a condition called argyria, in which the skin is stained a grey-blue shade. What causes people to come into contact with silver particles? Working with silver, such as in mining, refining and manufacturing. Colloidal silver has also been used to treat infections in alternative medicine, and silver dietary supplements have been marketed to treat cancer, though never proven safe or effective.
According to Medscape, people with this condition can treat blue areas with a depigmenting medication, although it’s not very effective. Sunscreens and opaque cosmetics may help skin from darkening even more.
Morgellons disease
What is Morgellons disease? It’s still a mystery. The condition was established after dozens of anecdotal reports of people experiencing symptoms that include crawling, biting and stinging sensations on the skin; skin lesions, rashes or sores; and some mental confusion. A 2012 study yielded no answers explaining the disease, which many doctors believe exists only in patients’ minds.
The CDC recommends seeing a doctor who can treat co-existing medical, including psychiatric conditions, that might be contributing to their symptoms.
Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a skin condition in which there is a loss of brown pigment from certain areas of skin, leading to irregular white patches. It affects about one per 100 people in the U.S. Vitiligo occurs when immune cells destroy the cells that produce brown pigment, and is thought to be an autoimmune problem.
Vitiligo is tough to treat. But cosmetics can help, and there are a number of treatments that can minimize, camouflage, or even eliminate the white patches. These include steroid creams and a treatment known as photochemotherapy, in which drugs and ultraviolet light are used in combination. For people with vitiligo on more than 50 percent of their bodies, there’s depigmentation, in which patients apply a drug that fades the skin to match the depigmented areas.
Erythropoietic protoporphyria
Erythropoietic protoporphyria, known as EPP, is a disease characterized by extreme sensitivity to light. Patients with EPP feel a burning sensation in their skin, and experience redness and swelling. As a result, they typically have to avoid exposure to strong light and must wear appropriate protection when they’re in the sun.
Besides avoiding the sun, treatments for symptoms include pain medication, sedatives, beta-carotene supplements, fluids and glucose to boost carbohydrate levels.
Blau syndrome
Blau syndrome is a rare condition characterized by skin rash, arthritis and swelling in the eye. People with Blau syndrome tend to have fluid in their joints, and sometimes have permanent bending of the fingers and toes. It is an autosomal disease caused by genetic mutations.
Blau syndrome can’t be cured, but doctors will sometimes treat patients with immunosuppressant medications to reduce symptoms.
[Source/CBS News]