I stand before you tonight as a women with a lovely marriage, beautiful children, a nice home, ordained and in full-time ministry. I stand beside my husband who founded A More Excellent Way Ministries. But it has not always been this way for me... You see, I was raised in north Alabama in a home with alcoholism,violence and poverty. At a very young age, I learned to be a hustler. By that I mean that in order to survive, I had to make things happen on my own. As soon as I turned 15, I started to work. I paid for my own lunches at school, my own car payment, and had to buy my own pom poms and cheerleading shoes. I cheered, played volleyball, softball, and graduated with a advanced degree even though I never had the time to study. Somehow, God’s hand was always on my life.  When I decided to attend USA to be a marine biologist, the Lord was working behind the scenes to draw me closer to Him, but I wasn’t listening. I met a baseball player who is now my husband, Hugh Lopes. We had both accepted Jesus as kids but were not living our lives for Him. We became intimate right away and I soon found myself pregnant. I called my mom to tell her and she immediately made me an appointment for an abortion. I agreed, even though there were some uncertainties. But I am a very stubborn person and once I make my mind up, it is hard to change it. I didn’t have a job - just a maxed out Chevron card, a Pell Grant and my determination to make it in this life... my way. When you make an appointment for an abortion, they tell you to bring clinical proof of your pregnancy and I didn’t have the money to go to a doctor, so my neighbor suggested that I get a clinical pregnancy test from this place that gives them for free. When I came into Sav-A-Life in 1994, I had a plan. However, I was to find out God had a better plan. My counselor asked me what my plans were for my baby. I had no plans for a baby. She asked me if I would view a video showing me what I was going to be experiencing at “the clinic.” I wanted to be informed, so I agreed. Then, for the first time, I began to think about life - my life in God and the life within me. It was as if this place was a voice crying out in the wilderness; much like that of John the Baptist when he said, “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand!” When my counselor prayed for me, I heard God say to me, “Run to Me and not away from Me!” In that moment, I decided to keep my baby. God had always made a way for me and what could be any different this time? She then put some prenatal vitamins into my hands, and I felt powerful, as if I could immediately do something to show my baby and God that I would honor them both. With no money and no parental support, those vitamins gave me hope. Has it been easy? No. The road we have walked has included WIC, food stamps, living in a house with big roaches, tithing from my husband’s pizza delivery tips while he was a full time student athlete, wondering where the money would come from to pay the bills. But God’s Word says that the road that leads to life is narrow and there are few who find it. He never said it would be easy to do it His way. But thank God that those things were a temporary means to an end. I thank Him for those days because better is one day in His house than a thousand elsewhere. This summer Hugh and I will celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary and my son, Caleb is now 10 years old. He knows this entire testimony so this is not a surprise to him. As we were preparing to be a part of this celebration of “God will make a way,” he asked me if he was going to be honored at this event and I told him “Absolutely!” and he could also contribute. Help me in welcoming and honoring my son and strong man of God, Caleb Lopes. (At this point, Caleb came to the podium and quoted Jeremiah 29:11.) Our God is a God of life and a God of the unusual - we would say the miraculous. Here are the results - just a few - of the decision to choose life. Martha LeGros is our volunteer trainer for our new counselors. Ten years ago Martha was pro-choice. She attended our Banquet, heard Jennifer’s testimony and changed her mind. Martha recently trained Jennifer as a new Sav-A-Life counselor. Martha shared how she came to SAL and the power of testimony. Jennifer and her husband Hugh now head up a ministry, “A More Excellent Way Ministries.” "A More Excellent Way" is hosting a baby shower to benefit the Sav-A-Life ministry on September 23rd. Jennifer joined Susan Baldwin on TBN to share her story and to pray for thousands on the Gulf Coast. Caleb is almost 11 years old, loves the Lord, and recently helped with our Baby Bottle Boomerang Campaign. Caleb’s baseball team recently won the State Championship and they traveled to the Nationals in Virginia. And how much more will be done for the kingdom if each one given the gift of life will choose life.