Dear Deacon, In the first half of a 40 Days for Life campaign
volunteers can be hesitant and some in the community
may be skeptical of the ongoing vigil ... ... BUT by the second half of the campaign, the focus
shifts to the reality of abortion in the community and
the campaign effort begins to rapidly snowball! In fact, we are starting to get reports of clinic
workers on the brink of conversion (more on this in
a future e-mail) and the numbers at the vigils are
growing -- and growing fast! Here are a few examples.
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ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA
------------------------------------------------------ Students at the Father Pierz School of Religion are
taking part in the St. Cloud campaign. The school
administrator says these 8th to 12th graders watched
a video on abortion, made pro-life posters, then
participated in 40 Days for Life events outside
Planned Parenthood. "We talked about how women who are seeking abortions
need our love," said the administrator. "Women who have
had abortions need our love more than ever -- and the
love of Jesus." Students were inspired to stand up for
what they believe in and to not be afraid to stand up
against abortion. "The students held their posters with pride as cars
drove by and honked or waved. Every time a car would
honk, the students would cheer loudly," she said. "It
was a beautiful site to witness." For pictures of the vigil in St. Cloud, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2931
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LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA
------------------------------------------------------ "As these days tick by and we stay out consistently,
we are starting to attract more attention and
reactions," said Erin in Lancaster. She said it's especially gratifying to see teenagers
and young adults at the 40 Days for Life vigil in
Lancaster. "It is our age group that has the largest
percentage of abortions," Erin said, "and we need to
represent what freedom God has blessed our generation:
freedom in truth, goodness, love and life." There have been some unfriendly reactions to the vigil,
Erin said, "but it seems that for every one bad gesture
or comment, there are maybe twenty affirming ones. That
is better than expected!" To see some photos of the vigil in Lancaster, please
go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2931
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CANTON, OHIO
------------------------------------------------------ About 50 people gathered outside Planned Parenthood
recently for a special event during the Canton 40 Days
for Life campaign -- the Day of Mourning for African-
American Babies and All the Unborn. About 12 percent of the total U.S. population is black.
But an estimated one third of all abortions involve
black mothers. Other estimates suggest that as many
as half of all black pregnancies end in abortion. "The event, conducted by Pastors Walter and Darleen
Moss, was an hour of prayer, praise, sermons and
testimonies," said Linda in Canton. "Due to his stand
for all the unborn and his willingness to speak out
from the pulpit, his road has not been easy." She thanked them for speaking the truth and spreading
the Word of God with the love and compassion of Jesus
Christ. "We are so blessed to have both of them leading
us to building a Culture of Life," she said. For photos of some of the Canton events, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2931
Today's devotional is from Carmen Pate, a member of
the 40 Days for Life board of directors.
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DAY 22 INTENTION
------------------------------------------------------ Pray for fathers who participated in the decision to
abort their child, and for those who did not have a
voice, that they would find freedom and healing in
Christ.
------------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
------------------------------------------------------ If indeed you have heard Him, as the truth is in
Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former
conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to
the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of
your mind, and that you put on the new man which was
created according to God, in true righteousness and
holiness. -- Ephesians 4: 21-23
------------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, 40 Days for Life
------------------------------------------------------ According to the Guttmacher Institute, one-third of
American women will have had an abortion by age 45.
Seldom reported however is the fact that an equally
significant number of men have played a role in
terminating a pregnancy. Some have participated through persuasion, or by
providing the financial means for the abortion. Still
others were against an abortion, but had no sway in
the decision to terminate their child. Only in recent years have we realized that men suffer
from their loss, as more and more seek healing. Warren Williams, founder of Fathers and Brothers
Ministries says he believes men are coming forward for
help because God instilled in men a desire to be a
protector of their lineage, a provider for their
families, to be a husband and father. Men are suffering and grieving the loss of their
children, and though their grief may be expressed
differently than that of a woman, it is grief
nonetheless and they too need tender care and biblical
counseling to experience forgiveness and healing. Intervention at the appropriate time in the
decision-making process may spare both the young man
and woman from the lifelong pain and trauma of
abortion. Biblical counseling for post-abortive men
and women is essential for them to heal and begin
their life anew in Christ.
------------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
------------------------------------------------------ Dear Heavenly Father, We pray for young men who
participated in the termination of their child and are
broken as You are over their loss. Forgive their sin, Lord, and bring opportunity for
healing and renewal of their minds in Christ Jesus. For those suffering from an abortion they did not
choose, restore their joy as they learn to forgive
others and trust You with their future. In the name of
Christ, who heals the brokenhearted, Amen.
------------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
------------------------------------------------------ To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2012day22print.pdf
------------------------------------------------------ Yours for Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life PS: Are you aware of any stories involving the need for
post-abortion healing from your 40 Days for Life
campaign? Please share news of your local community by
posting a reply to today's blog entry at: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2931
40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
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