Dear Deacon, David Bereit, 40 Days for Life's national director, and
I were supposed to be heading out together early this
morning to visit 40 Days for Life campaigns in Georgia
and Florida ... ... but that was before Hurricane Sandy started bearing
down on the East Coast and completely shut down our
scheduled travel. So now, we're going to be hunkered down with our families
at home in Virginia to ride out the hurricane. Please keep everyone in the path of the storm in your
prayers today. If it's heading your way, stay safe, and
please check with your local 40 Days for Life coordinator,
as some vigils may be suspended due to the weather. Now, as we head into the final week of this campaign, we
are overjoyed by all the blessings God has provided as
you have faithfully responded to the call to pray and
fast for an end to abortion. So far, we've received reports of ... ... 469 babies whose lives have been spared from abortion
-- that we know of!
-----------------------------------------------------
CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY
----------------------------------------------------- One of the prayer volunteers had an opportunity to
speak to a young man outside the abortion center.
They talked about many things -- including Jesus. When they finished talking, the young man went inside
the building and found the young woman he had come
with. The volunteer says this woman was filled with
joy when she came out and said she had decided against
the abortion.
-----------------------------------------------------
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS
----------------------------------------------------- A vigil participant spoke with two girls who had come
to the abortion center. She described the services
available from the local pregnancy help center, and
talked about adoption resources as well. The young
women left, but said they would return. When they did, another volunteer gave them additional
information ... but she was concerned when the two
went into the building. When they came out, though,
they said they would both be keeping their babies.
-----------------------------------------------------
BELLEVUE, NEBRASKA
----------------------------------------------------- A lone prayer volunteer watched as a mother and
daughter left the abortion center, got into their
car and drove towards the exit. When they got to where the vigil participant was
standing, they stopped. The daughter help up a
sonogram and said, "His feet were moving!" Her
mother said the girl was 12 weeks pregnant -- and
the sonogram had convinced her to reject abortion.
-----------------------------------------------------
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
----------------------------------------------------- Vigil participants noticed a couple waiting in the
parking lot early one morning before the abortion
center opened. The woman said they had two young
children, and a new baby would be difficult to take
care of at this time. One of the counselors told her that life is sacred
-- and there are many community resources available
that will help. Although the father didn't seem too
happy about it, the mother changed her mind -- and
immediately left the abortion facility to visit the
pro-life pregnancy help center. Another young woman told volunteers that she had come
for an abortion, but had decided against it. When they
asked her why, she said she felt the presence of evil
there and simply had to leave.
-----------------------------------------------------
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
----------------------------------------------------- You know how we say, "469 saved -- that we know of"?
Here's an example of a child whose life was spared --
and the 40 Days for Life campaign team didn't have
any idea about it at the time. Dan in Milwaukee said one day recently -- while the
abortion center was closed -- God showed them a
surprise. A child that was saved from abortion during
the 40 Days for Life campaign in the spring of 2009
arrived at the vigil. "He's three years old now," Dan said. "Beautiful boy!"
Here's today's devotional from Rev. Paul Stallsworth,
President of Lifewatch (United Methodist Church)...
-----------------------------------------------------
DAY 34 INTENTION
----------------------------------------------------- May we come to know that divine life, in
relationship, creates human life.
-----------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
----------------------------------------------------- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning
with God. All things were made through Him, and
without Him nothing was made that was made. --John 1:1-3
-----------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Rev. Paul Stallsworth
----------------------------------------------------- "In the beginning" was God. Always, before all times,
there was God. This particular God -- the God of the
Bible, the God of St. John's Gospel -- is different
from all other gods. This God is alive and full of
life. This God is not the picture of deadness and
death, aloneness and isolation. This God is the
picture of life, relationship, and unity. For within this God, within this one God, there are
three divine persons who live, who love, and who work
-- together. This is the glorious mystery of the
Trinity. The Trinity means divine life. The Trinity
means three, living Persons -- Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit -- who relate to each other. The Trinity means
mutual love and service among three Persons. The Word was always with God the Father. This Word
was, is, and will be the Trinity's second person. The
Word is also the Son of God or, as revealed in time,
Jesus Christ. God the Father and God the Son live,
love, and work for each other. As one, they create
"all things" together: the Father creates all things,
including all human life, through the Son. So the Father, through the Son, creates all human
lives. The little one swimming in his mother's womb,
the infant smiling in his father's arms, the child
crying in pain in a hospital bed, the energetic teen
running another mile, the old man gasping for his
last breath -- all were created, at their beginning,
by the Father through the Son. No exceptions. Divine
life creates human life.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
----------------------------------------------------- O God, may we always be quick to call you Father. And
when we call you father, let your Spirit remind us
that we, and all people, from their beginning to
their last day, are your children. We praise you,
Father, that you sent your Son to reveal to the world
that all people are His brothers and sisters, that
all people are your children. Through Jesus Christ we
pray, Amen.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
----------------------------------------------------- To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2012day34print.pdf ----------------------------------------------------- For Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
PS: What has impressed you most about your 40 Days
for Life experience this campaign? Please let us
know by leaving a comment on today's blog posting: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3655
40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA
22408
US
I were supposed to be heading out together early this
morning to visit 40 Days for Life campaigns in Georgia
and Florida ... ... but that was before Hurricane Sandy started bearing
down on the East Coast and completely shut down our
scheduled travel. So now, we're going to be hunkered down with our families
at home in Virginia to ride out the hurricane. Please keep everyone in the path of the storm in your
prayers today. If it's heading your way, stay safe, and
please check with your local 40 Days for Life coordinator,
as some vigils may be suspended due to the weather. Now, as we head into the final week of this campaign, we
are overjoyed by all the blessings God has provided as
you have faithfully responded to the call to pray and
fast for an end to abortion. So far, we've received reports of ... ... 469 babies whose lives have been spared from abortion
-- that we know of!
-----------------------------------------------------
CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY
----------------------------------------------------- One of the prayer volunteers had an opportunity to
speak to a young man outside the abortion center.
They talked about many things -- including Jesus. When they finished talking, the young man went inside
the building and found the young woman he had come
with. The volunteer says this woman was filled with
joy when she came out and said she had decided against
the abortion.
-----------------------------------------------------
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS
----------------------------------------------------- A vigil participant spoke with two girls who had come
to the abortion center. She described the services
available from the local pregnancy help center, and
talked about adoption resources as well. The young
women left, but said they would return. When they did, another volunteer gave them additional
information ... but she was concerned when the two
went into the building. When they came out, though,
they said they would both be keeping their babies.
-----------------------------------------------------
BELLEVUE, NEBRASKA
----------------------------------------------------- A lone prayer volunteer watched as a mother and
daughter left the abortion center, got into their
car and drove towards the exit. When they got to where the vigil participant was
standing, they stopped. The daughter help up a
sonogram and said, "His feet were moving!" Her
mother said the girl was 12 weeks pregnant -- and
the sonogram had convinced her to reject abortion.
-----------------------------------------------------
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
----------------------------------------------------- Vigil participants noticed a couple waiting in the
parking lot early one morning before the abortion
center opened. The woman said they had two young
children, and a new baby would be difficult to take
care of at this time. One of the counselors told her that life is sacred
-- and there are many community resources available
that will help. Although the father didn't seem too
happy about it, the mother changed her mind -- and
immediately left the abortion facility to visit the
pro-life pregnancy help center. Another young woman told volunteers that she had come
for an abortion, but had decided against it. When they
asked her why, she said she felt the presence of evil
there and simply had to leave.
-----------------------------------------------------
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
----------------------------------------------------- You know how we say, "469 saved -- that we know of"?
Here's an example of a child whose life was spared --
and the 40 Days for Life campaign team didn't have
any idea about it at the time. Dan in Milwaukee said one day recently -- while the
abortion center was closed -- God showed them a
surprise. A child that was saved from abortion during
the 40 Days for Life campaign in the spring of 2009
arrived at the vigil. "He's three years old now," Dan said. "Beautiful boy!"
Here's today's devotional from Rev. Paul Stallsworth,
President of Lifewatch (United Methodist Church)...
-----------------------------------------------------
DAY 34 INTENTION
----------------------------------------------------- May we come to know that divine life, in
relationship, creates human life.
-----------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
----------------------------------------------------- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning
with God. All things were made through Him, and
without Him nothing was made that was made. --John 1:1-3
-----------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Rev. Paul Stallsworth
----------------------------------------------------- "In the beginning" was God. Always, before all times,
there was God. This particular God -- the God of the
Bible, the God of St. John's Gospel -- is different
from all other gods. This God is alive and full of
life. This God is not the picture of deadness and
death, aloneness and isolation. This God is the
picture of life, relationship, and unity. For within this God, within this one God, there are
three divine persons who live, who love, and who work
-- together. This is the glorious mystery of the
Trinity. The Trinity means divine life. The Trinity
means three, living Persons -- Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit -- who relate to each other. The Trinity means
mutual love and service among three Persons. The Word was always with God the Father. This Word
was, is, and will be the Trinity's second person. The
Word is also the Son of God or, as revealed in time,
Jesus Christ. God the Father and God the Son live,
love, and work for each other. As one, they create
"all things" together: the Father creates all things,
including all human life, through the Son. So the Father, through the Son, creates all human
lives. The little one swimming in his mother's womb,
the infant smiling in his father's arms, the child
crying in pain in a hospital bed, the energetic teen
running another mile, the old man gasping for his
last breath -- all were created, at their beginning,
by the Father through the Son. No exceptions. Divine
life creates human life.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
----------------------------------------------------- O God, may we always be quick to call you Father. And
when we call you father, let your Spirit remind us
that we, and all people, from their beginning to
their last day, are your children. We praise you,
Father, that you sent your Son to reveal to the world
that all people are His brothers and sisters, that
all people are your children. Through Jesus Christ we
pray, Amen.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
----------------------------------------------------- To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2012day34print.pdf ----------------------------------------------------- For Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
PS: What has impressed you most about your 40 Days
for Life experience this campaign? Please let us
know by leaving a comment on today's blog posting: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3655
40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA
22408
US
