Dear Deacon John,
40 Days for Life teams in Houston, San Antonio and Bryan/College Station offered a huge Texas “Howdy!” to our man from England, Robert Colquhoun – 40 Days for Life’s international outreach director.
While we were in
Houston, Robert and I recorded a short video on the sidewalk in front of
Planned Parenthood’s mega-center … where we reflected on the need for prayer outside the places where abortions take place.
To watch the video, click the image below ...
... or go to:
Robert
came to see where 40 Days for Life started – and to tell Texans that
because of their support and vision, this mission that started as a one-time-only project in 2004 has now spread to places as far-flung as Russia, Brazil, South Africa and New Zealand.
Here is more from Robert about his journey across the pond.
Texas campaign tour
It was really fascinating visiting the Texan campaigns last week – and meeting such wonderful people! I spoke outside the largest abortion facility in the Western hemisphere in Houston.
We also met the
Coalition for Life group in San Antonio, which are doing great work.
They have challenging news that Planned Parenthood want to build a very
large location in their town.
It was really inspiring to see the Coalition for Life in Bryan, and also the new 40 Days for Life headquarters there. It was almost an eerie experience to visit Abby Johnson’s former clinic, but I am sure the future will see that building filled with joy.
Speaking at the
Coalition for Life’s benefit dinner in the Bryan/College Station area
was a huge privilege, and it was good fun teasing the Americans with a
few jokes that went down well during the talk.
Vukovar, Croatia
Ante, who has helped bring 40 Days for Life to ten cities in Croatia this campaign, tells of an 18-year-old woman in Vukovar who had found out she was pregnant.
She had one child
already, and for some reason she found herself at odds with her husband
and his family. She next turned to her own family for assistance, but
things were no better there. They are not very well off, her father is
ill … and she was not treated well at home.
The young woman
then turned to 40 Days for Life volunteers and a local pregnancy help
agency, who worked together to find her a place to live while she’s
awaiting the birth of her child.
The combination of prayer and compassionate help bears fruit once again!
Today’s devotional is from Fr. Terry Gensemer, national director of the Charismatic Episcopal Church for Life.
Day 18 intention
May we absorb the truth that God is paying attention to us, and to each human life, personally and individually.
Scripture
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
— Psalm 8:3-9
Reflection by Fr. Terry Gensemer
How often we ignore the phrase, “stop and smell the roses” and instead submit to the all too “urgent” task at hand.
Is this tendency what keeps us, at least in part, from acknowledging that God’s care for His sacred creation is paramount in His own mind?
The Psalmist speaks of God’s handiwork: the heavens, the work of his “fingers,” and then points to God’s masterpiece — human life. He declares to us that God is mindful of us. God keeps His masterpiece in His thoughts.
God, the creator of the awe-inspiring heavens, is not distracted by the tasks before Him. He is not pulled away, as we might be, by thoughts of something “more important.”
God is paying attention to and attending to His crowning glory, His masterpiece of creation, which cannot be duplicated or replaced, which surpasses the beauty of all other created things — the human being.
There is no way to adequately describe how God feels about us as human beings. There are no words to fully portray His love, compassion or desire to be in communion with us.
Perhaps, the closest we can come, is to contemplate the thoughts of a mother as she gazes for the first time at her newborn child.
God cares for Life. We, as His followers, should take time to consider the life He has created and called upon us to love and protect.
Prayer
Lord, you are the creator of all things. Guide my thoughts to consider your creation in all of its majesty, beauty and holiness. Guide my heart especially to your creation of precious human life.
Help me to comprehend how essential life is in your own heart. Teach me to appreciate, love and protect all human life through your son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Printable devotional
To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share:
Day 18 intention
May we absorb the truth that God is paying attention to us, and to each human life, personally and individually.
Scripture
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
— Psalm 8:3-9
Reflection by Fr. Terry Gensemer
How often we ignore the phrase, “stop and smell the roses” and instead submit to the all too “urgent” task at hand.
Is this tendency what keeps us, at least in part, from acknowledging that God’s care for His sacred creation is paramount in His own mind?
The Psalmist speaks of God’s handiwork: the heavens, the work of his “fingers,” and then points to God’s masterpiece — human life. He declares to us that God is mindful of us. God keeps His masterpiece in His thoughts.
God, the creator of the awe-inspiring heavens, is not distracted by the tasks before Him. He is not pulled away, as we might be, by thoughts of something “more important.”
God is paying attention to and attending to His crowning glory, His masterpiece of creation, which cannot be duplicated or replaced, which surpasses the beauty of all other created things — the human being.
There is no way to adequately describe how God feels about us as human beings. There are no words to fully portray His love, compassion or desire to be in communion with us.
Perhaps, the closest we can come, is to contemplate the thoughts of a mother as she gazes for the first time at her newborn child.
God cares for Life. We, as His followers, should take time to consider the life He has created and called upon us to love and protect.
Prayer
Lord, you are the creator of all things. Guide my thoughts to consider your creation in all of its majesty, beauty and holiness. Guide my heart especially to your creation of precious human life.
Help me to comprehend how essential life is in your own heart. Teach me to appreciate, love and protect all human life through your son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Printable devotional
To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share:
For life,
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SHAWN CARNEY
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
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