Saint John Bosco

Saint John Bosco was born in Italy in the year of 1815. He grew up in a poor family and his father died when he was just two years old. His early years were very difficult, and so when he became a priest he dedicated himself to the education of the young. His focus was on how the young could be formed for a good, holy Christian life. His teaching style was one of love as opposed to severity. He helped many young, troubled boys and girls and his popularity grew. He is known as the founder of the Salesian Society.

As I think about several of our public schools today, I wonder how much better off our society would be if we taught our children as John Bosco did - with an emphasis on forming our kids to grow in Christian faith and love. In addition to teaching children, John Bosco also wrote pamphlets for the support and defense of religion. All too often today, our public schools do everything they can to eliminate religion from school. This has had left a terrible impression and influence on our young people. We should instill in our children the importance of growing in our faith and we should help teach them this by growing in faith ourselves each and every day.

I think John Bosco's teaching style would work beautifully today just as it did a couple centuries ago. We must teach our children at a young age about the importance of faith in our daily lives, not just on Sunday mornings. I am encouraged at the large numbers of young people who turned out for the recent marches for life. While some of these kids may be too young to fully understand the severity of the issues they march in support of, their presence gives me hope that several parents and teachers are doing their job. We must encourage our young people to embrace their faith and live their faith in their daily lives. We must not let society brain wash our young children into thinking that faith begins and ends in one's own church service. Faith is our life. We must not make faith a private matter. Faith is the basis of everything we do. It is imperative for the proper growth of a child that they grow in Christian faith. As parents, we are responsible for our children. If our schools neglect to provide our children with the necessary lessons of Chrisian faith, we are obliged to teach the faith to our children ourselves. We should be doing that anyway. I am already fearful about sending my baby Julie to public school... I know that sending my children to a Catholic school is preferencial, but I don't know if I'll have the financial means to do so... I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there. In the mean time I'll pray and I ask you to pray for and with me. I'm already thinking of ways to love, nurture, protect and teach my baby girl. I pray that God will guide me and help me be a good father.

I have lots of thoughts about the education of our children, but it's getting late and I can't seem to find the right words for my feelings right now. In summary though, we all must be like John Bosco. Even if we don't have children of our own, we all encounter children if not on a daily basis often and we can have a significant impact on their lives. Children are the future. Many children just need love. Many children don't have a parent or teacher that will talk to them about Jesus and about his great love. Many children are trouble and come from troubled families. Without proper guidance, these children will often head down troubled paths, but if we show these children love and teach them of the love of Jesus they might be saved. We can do this. We must do this, because not every parent or teacher will. Children seek truth. In their innocence and eagerness, they often teach us adults a good lesson. I fear that sometimes we try to transform our children into adults when instead we should be becoming more like them.

"Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, says the Lord; to such belongs the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:14)

REMINDER: This Sunday, parishes around the country will be passing out cards to fill out and send to our local politicians. These cards are a petition to stop FOCA. Please be sure to sign one of these cards. You may also choose to write a hand written letter or email to your political leaders. This is a great way to send a message to our politicians and let them know that we will NOT support abortion and we will NOT turn a blind eye at this holocaust.

Jesus, I trust in You.

An Essay Written By My Sister

Life for All Babies

If my mother let me live, i could be valedictorian.

If my mother let me live, I could be president.

If my mother let me live, I could be her pride and joy.

If my mother le me live, I could save another person's life.

If my mother let me live my dreams could become a reality.

If only i could be alive, I could make a difference.

I wrote this poem from the perspective of an unborn child. This child is not given a chance because her mother did not choose life for her. My dream is for women to choose life for their children. Every day in the United States, thousands of babies are aborted. It may take much effort from this society for my dream to become a reality. I am willing to do anything I can to stop abortions. Making dreams real includes the end of abortions.

Knowing the facts about abortion is the first step to understanding my dream. The number of abortions women in this country have is alarmingly high. According to www.abortionno.org, in the United States alone, there are approximately 3,700 abortions that are being preformed daily and 1.37 million yearly. Most of the abortions that are done are for women ages twenty-five or younger. Statistics say that 43% of women will have at least one abortion by the time they are 45 years of age. This is an enormous amount of lost life. Life should not have to be taken.

The views on abortion are very different. Pro-choice followers believe that the mother has a right to abort the child if she so chooses. In these instances, a person who is against abortion might ask these questions: " If the mother has a choice, then why can her offspring not have a choice?" or "How many more babies are going to have to suffer from the deeds of others?" On the opposing side, there are people who are called pro-life. Pro-life followers believe that people should respect all human life. Their idea is that from the moment of conception the fetus is a human, and that its life should be preserved. I support the people who are pro-life.

The controversy over abortion has gone on ever since abortion was legalized in 1973. In Randy Alcorn's book Pro-life Answers to Pro-choice Arguments, he takes all the arguments and breaks them down so that people can understand the seriousness of the issue. One of the arguments that are brought up in his book caught my eye. Some people say that if an unmarried woman is pregnant that she shouldn't have to have the embarrassment of a child. His response to this argument is that society shouldn't pressure the woman into having an abortion; instead, we should love and support her. Some people make it seem like an abortion is the only way out of a sticky situation when there are several other alternatives that can be safe for the baby. Adoption is certainly an option that I support. If a woman is unable to care for her child, then this is a way to help her child. In some instances, the adopted parents allow the birth mother see her child occasionally.

The worst article I read in his book is about how many aborted children there are. The argument is that in the last three decades, abortion has helped society. In his response he said that it has left holes in our society. He told a story of a boy who lived next to a woman who was pregnant. Several years later he was on his deathbed and the child of the woman saved his life. That man would have died if the child's mother had not chosen life for him. He also said that the total casualties of all of the wars in our country's history are less that 1.5 million. This is the most disturbing number I have ever heard. It is different for the men and women who died in those wars because they chose to fight for their country. These children don't have that kind of choice. They should have as much of a choice as any other human.

My dream advances every year when American citizens protest against abortion. The National March of Life is the best example of protest. This year alone, 300,000 people marched in Washington D.C. They march because they share my dream: to end abortion. Three of my own family members marched this year. When the people march, it brings attention to the public about how many people are against abortion. It shows our politicians how passionate people can be about their beliefs. Some people have protested at their community abortion clinics. Although they are ridiculed by others on the street, they never shirk on their beliefs. I admire these people. They help me realize that maybe one day American citizens will open their eyes.

Making my dreams real is limited because of my age. Since I'm in school, I don't have much time to myself. If I had more time, then I would do many actions to help my cause. Although I am young, I have been able to benefit the protests against abortion. I have written to the senators of Indiana. In the letters, it asked the senators to vote against the Freedom of Choice Act. In this bill, it takes away all of the restrictions of abortions in this country. This is just one of the petitions I am able to participate in.

I will make my dreams real by participation in many more protests over the country. As soon as I have the opportunity, I will march for the National March of Life. I will make a journey to Washington D.C like many others before me. I am going to an abortion clinic and I will peacefully protest the against the continuation of abortions. I will continue to write the leaders of this state and of the country to vote against bills, such as the Freedom of Choice Act. The best way I can support my dream is to pray. I pray that all around the world that people will accept that abortion is wrong. That is the first step to achieving my goal.

Abortion is an evil that will stain a mark on our country's history. Someday people may understand that abortion is wrong. My dream is to spread awareness so that it can end. I will work very hard to decrease the numbers of aborted children. These children could be the future Benjamin Franklins and Thomas Edisons of our world if they have a chance. There will always be controversy over whether abortion is right or wrong, but my beliefs still stand.

Elizabeth

New Comments From An Old Post

Please read these new comments from an old post. Continue to pray for the rights of all people from the time of conception to natural death. We must not let our current administration and congress crush our hopes that all will one day come to realize and cherish the right to life. Go out and evangelize. This continues to be the most serious issue of our time. We must win this battle and with God's help we will win. God Bless!

http://achristianperspectiveonlife.blogspot.com/2008/09/quotes-from-barack-obama.html

March For Life - Atlanta

There was a good turn out for the March For Life in Atlanta on Thursday. I'm so glad that I was able to attend. I went into work early as usual, took the MARTA train to downtown, got to mass half hour early and the church was packed! I had to stand the whole mass and after the march my feet hurt, but I'm not complaining. It was awesome to see so many good people come out and defend life. Below is a picture of the crowd as we started the march. Tomorrow morning, I'll be back at the abortion mill to pray. Remember all the unborn, less fortunate, and lost souls in your prayers. God bless!

New Video On CatholicVote.org

A Historic Week

This week is a historic week and that's not just because the first black president will be inaugurated tomorrow. No this is a historic week because Thursday is the 36th aniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, a decision that legalized abortion in America. Tomorrow we will see a president inaugurated who is the most pro-abortion president in the history of this country. He has promised to sign FOCA, which would eliminate all the gains in legislation made by the pro-life movement over the last 36 years. FOCA could be even more damaging to the pro-life cause than Roe vs. Wade. The possibility of it's passage is a scary thought. We must do all that we can to make sure it does not pass. The pro-life movement is about to face stiff opposition from the head of the country and the leaders of our nation unless he and they undergo a huge conversion of heart. We can look at this development in one of two ways; we can look at the obsticles ahead of us, decide the hurdles are too high and just give up OR we can take on these great challenges head on and fight this issue with a reinvigorated life! Thursday pro-lifers will gather in Washington D.C. to join in the March for Life. Thousands of young and old will hit the streets of the nations capital in support for life. There will also be smaller pro-life marches taking place on Thursday. Assuming I can rearrange my work schedule, I plan to attend my first ever March for Life here in Atlanta. I don't know when it happened, but sometime before I started this blog I felt a great calling from God to use my talents in a way that might glorify Him. I have found a vocation in defending life. I MUST do more to promote life. We all must do more.

I feel like the cultural decline in family values and respect for life are the two greatest evils of our time. I think the root of our current culture's destructive ways is in a misunderstanding and use of our sexuality. I used to think that abortion was the root of our cultural problems (and it is in a way since it deals with the development and survival of an unborn baby) but it really starts before that point. The widespread acceptance and use of contraception has had a terrible consequence that few outside the Catholic Church could forsee. Some of our Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ are starting to see the harm caused when our human sexuality is misused and are coming back to the realization that contraception is wrong. Not long ago, all Christians were against contraception. I think that the majority of the population who uses contraception uses it unknowingly of how it causes harm. Many, many of these are good Christians who simply haven't been exposed to the great act of love through natural family planning. They've been taught that contraception is normal and even think it is the healthy and "right" thing to do. Whether they know it or not, couples who use contraception are telling a lie to their body, to themselves and to their partner. They are saying that this act is a fulfillment of a desire and need. It eliminates the possibility of life and in so doing degrades the very meaning of life. A large number of people in our culture today consider children to be a burden as opposed to a gift. When a young couple conceives, the first question many ask is are you ready? Or how can you afford a child? Certainly you won't have 3 or more children will you? Rarely are they greeted as Elizabeth greeted Mary at the news that she was to bare a son Jesus. What joy! Have you noticed how couples become better people after they have a child? Have you ever wondered why this might be? Perhaps it's because a child teaches us how to love. Love means total self giving. Couples with child are fully responsible for a life. This total self giving is what we are supposed to be doing when we get married.

Marriage is under a huge attack in our culture. Our society is so confused that they have to put the question of whether two women can marry or not to a vote? Why do we think that everything can be solved by a majority rules. A majority opinion does not mean truth. There are examples all throughout history where a majority of the people at the time thought one way and we now see how wrong it was today. Slavery is a perfect example. Abortion is the civil rights issue of our time. How ironic that a black president is on the wrong side of this civil rights issue. Most if not all the evils of our current time have to do with a misunderstanding and disrespecting of life. We see more and more examples of how life is being degraded and manipulated. We are people, not machines. We are not made to be used as scientific research. We are made in the image and likeness of God. We are called to love as God loves. Love means a complete giving of oneself to God and one another.

Our culture thinks that "prevention" of conception is a good thing, but fails to recognize the great goodness of life. There are natural ways to prevent pregnancy that do no harm to the human body and obey God's natural law. Natural family planning does not mean that every couple should have as many babies as possible. This is a myth that abortion advocates try to convince everyone. Natural Family planning is just as effective as contraception as far as planning a pregnancy if used correctly, but NFP does not have the moral consequences that contraception does. If it seems like it doesn't work (many who use NFP have large families) is not because it doesn't work but rather that those who use it have such great love for one another and they willingly chose to give up the luxurious lifestyle they might have with fewer children so that they might experience the joys of new life. I am not condemning those who use contraception - well over 90% of the population does (I pray that one day the number will be much smaller)- but I feel like I have to mention it because it is a root cause of abortion. If the sexual act is stripped of the life giving aspect which God intended it to possess, it loses much of it's significance. Not only that, but it gives couples the notion that life is not welcome. We may have very good reasons why not to want to have a child at certain times, it is not wrong to avoid pregnancy if there is good reason. That is why God made women the way he did. There are far more infertile days than there are furtile days. Instead of teaching our children that we must do all that we can to avoid pregnancy, why not teach them how to truly love each other as God loves us all. God loves every human no matter how small (I learned that one from Dr. Suess!) Let us teach our children what God truly intended marriage to be all about. There are many things that are pleasurable in this world. Eating is pleasurable. Sleeping is pleasurable. Intercourse is pleasurable but the purpose of these acts is not to gain pleasure. Rather, God made these things pleasurable to us so that we survive. Think about it. These are all essential for our survival. God wants us to do these things -they are good, but we don't eat because it pleases us - the pleasure we get from eating is a benefit. If we eat simply for pleasure we become glutonus. Controception is like being a belimic. It is wanting to eat all the food we want, then throwing it all up so that we won't gain weight. That is a very unhealthy practice. Natural family is more like going on a diet, except that it is much greater. NFP does not deny us of our favorite foods. NFP is like constantly being on a honeymoon. NFP is like anxiously awaiting Christmas day. Patience is a virtue. All good things are worth waiting for. We must always be conscious that our actions reflect a great respect for life. Married couples are called to be open to life. Life is a blessing. Every life has special meaning. No life is unwanted. We must not be silent on the issues of life. Economic times are tough, but the fight for life might have just gotten tougher. The fight for life is more imporant. All Christians should be on the same side for life. God is for life. If God was not for life, why did he send His only son to become man? So that we might all have life. Follow God's call. Do not remain silent. If you can not join a march for life, please take special time on Thursday to pray for us, with us and for the cause for life. Thank you and God bless you all!



Catholic Bishops Write Obama On Abortion

P.S. - If you get EWTN channel, tune in Wednesday night at 7:00 PM. They will be televising the mass at the basilica in Washington D.C. Thousands will be in attendance and my brother Steve will be serving at the mass! If we're lucky, we might see him on tv. Hey Steve, I'll be watching. Don't pick your nose or something embarrassing ok?

Prayer for Vocations

God, our Father, we turn to you in this time of great need. We trust in your loving kindness and ask you to hear the prayers we offer for Your Church. Through your grace, we seek men and women willing to generously offer their lives to You in the priesthood and religious life, for You inspire and bring to fulfillment every good intention.
Bless and guide those who are discerning Your call to holiness and service. Give them courage, steadfast love and a spirit of charity as they seek to respond faithfully to You.
We offer this prayer for the Archdiocese of Atlanta (and Lafayette,IN) and for the whole Church in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who is Lord for ever and ever.

AMEN.

I Will Match Your Donation

The following is a message from the good people at the HOPE Center here in Woodstock, GA...

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A Gift of Life

When you financially support The Hope Center, you are helping us provide physical, emotional and spiritual support and a hand of friendship to women and men facing pregnancy-related issues.

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The HOPE Center is a place that promotes life. It is a place that offers life alternatives to those who fear their pregnancy as opposed to embrasing it. I feel so strongly about the issue of abortion and the good that The HOPE Center does that I am willing to match all donations posted in the comments section of this blog post. If you would like to make a donation to THE HOPE Center, please leave a comment with the amount that you would like to donate. If you don't feel comfortable posting your name with your comment, please anoynomously post your donation amount. At the end of the week I will match everyone's donation. If I get 5 responses for a donation of $5, I'll donate $25. If I get 10 donations of $10, I'll donate $100. Help me save lives. Please make a donation to The Hope Center. If you'd like to donate please don't forget to post your donation amount in the comments section of this post. You can make your donation out and mail to:

The HOPE Center
P.O. Box 384
Woodstock, GA 30188

Thank you and God bless you all!
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P.S. - FOCA is set to be signed if congress passis it on January 21-22. If made a law then all limitations on abortion will be lifted which will result in the following:
1)All hospitals, including Catholic hospitals will be required to perform abortions upon request. If this happens, Bishops vow to close down all Catholic hospitals, more then 30% of all hospitals in the United States
2)Partial birth abortions would be legal and have no limitations
3)All U.S. tax payers would be funding abortions
4)Parental notification will no longer be required
5)The number of abortions will increase by a minimum of 100,000 annually.

Perhaps most importantly the government would now have control in the issue of abortion. This could result in a future amendment that would force women by law to have abortions in certain situations (rape, down syndrome babies, etc.) and could even regulate how many children women are ALLOWED to have (China does this now). Needless to say this information is disturbing, but sadly true. As Catholics, as Christians, as anyone who is against the needless killing of innocent children, we must stand as one. We must stop this horrific act before it becomes law. The time is now to do something about it!

The Plan:
To say a novena (9 days of prayer) along with fasting starting today. For Catholics, the prayer of choice will be the rosary with intentions to stop the FOCA. For non Catholics I encourage you to pray your strongest prayers with the same intentions, also for nine consecutive days. The hope is that this will branch and blossom as to become a global effort with maximum impact. Be sure to fast at least twice during the novena. Remember that with God all things are possible and the power of prayer is undeniable.

If you read this post, please email it or direct friends, family members, fellow students and coworkers to this site. My goal is to receive 10 donation requests. I can only reach that goal if you help me. Once again, thank you and God bless you all!

40 Days For Life - Spring 2009

What better way to prepare for Easter than to participate in 40 Days for Life? I am anxiously waiting for the Spring 40 Days for Life campaign to begin. Not surprisingly 40 Days for Life coincides with Lent. Please consider participating in this very important campaign. If you have any questions about this campaign please ask me or better yet visit the website. A link is on the sidebar. Below is a message from the founder of 40 Days for Life - David Bereit.

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After 36 years of legalized abortion in America, it's FINALLY time...

40 Days for Life: The groundbreaking
pro-life campaign that GETS RESULTS!

Save lives from abortion ... protect women and
men ... provide healing to the wounded ... mobilize the
Body of Christ in your town ... IN JUST 40 DAYS!

Dear pro-life friend,

If you, and others in your community, are ready to...

• Heed God's call to speak up for those that cannot speak for themselves ...
• Take courageous action to save the lives of innocent children in the womb ...
• Protect women -- and men -- from making a terrible decision that they'll regret for a lifetime ...
• Help those who have been hurt by abortion to find healing and forgiveness ...
• Turn the tide against abortion right where you live ...

...Then this could be the most important letter you've ever read.

Go lock the door, take the phone off the hook, turn off your e-mail, grab your favorite hot beverage, and study every single word of this letter. It's THAT important.

The problem...

In America, a nation that was founded on an unalienable right to life, endowed by our Creator, more than 1,200,000 innocent children are killed by abortion each year.

However, it's not only children that are affected...

• Millions of women have been wounded by abortion -- some physically, and many more emotionally and spiritually -- and fathers who have lost children to abortion have been shoved to the sidelines, abandoned to lives of regret.
• Our children have been sold a lie about so-called sexual freedom without being adequately warned about the long-term consequences of promiscuity and sin. As a result, teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases have reached alarming levels.
• Recent elections have placed more abortion advocates in powerful state and national offices, and the prospects for our nation are quite chilling -- unless something drastic changes now.
• Judicial activism has overrun our court system, and unaccountable judges are forcing their personal abortion agenda on America. Even with recent hopeful changes on the United States Supreme Court, experts still say there are not enough votes to overturn the unjust 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that imposed abortion on all 50 states.
• The national media has overwhelmingly taken a position in favor of abortion, saturating the airwaves and print publications with biased information, and portraying pro-life Christians in a negative light.
• Many Christian churches have fallen silent about abortion, and many followers of Jesus Christ have become apathetic or indifferent, failing to "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves."

Clearly, our nation has turned away from God. This may seem like cause for despair, but scripture reminds us...

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
- 2 Chronicles 7:14

A new solution...

There is reason to have great hope. And that hope is found in a simple -- but highly effective -- pro-life campaign known as 40 Days for Life.

Starting in 2004, communities quietly began to conduct the 40 Days for Life campaign, one after another. In the fall of 2007, more than 80 communities held 40 Days for Life campaigns simultaneously. In the spring of 2008, more than 50 additional communities united for another nationwide effort. In the fall of 2008, more than 175 localities participated in the largest national campaign yet.

To date, 204 cities in 49 states, two Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia and one American territory have joined together in this initiative. These campaigns have created a track record of extraordinary life-saving results across America:

• More than 175,000 people of faith and conscience have joined together to pray and fast for an end to abortion
• More than 55,000 people have taken to the streets, forming peaceful prayer vigils outside of Planned Parenthood centers and other abortion facilities
• More than 1,100 children have been saved from abortion
• Hundreds of women - and men - have been spared from the pain and regret of abortion
• Those with abortion experiences in their past have found healing
• Three abortion facilities have gone out of business following 40 Days for Life campaigns
• Other abortion facilities have experienced sharp setbacks, cutting back hours and closing down for days at a time
• More than a dozen abortion workers have quit their jobs due to 40 Days for Life efforts
• Media outlets have given the pro-life position prominent coverage with more than 400 news stories
• Churches have been activated and united for life
• New people have been recruited, educated, and mobilized
• People have turned back to God with renewed hope

40 Days for Life requires lots of prayer, hard work, and personal sacrifice, but the campaign is actually quite simple.

Components of 40 Days for Life...

One of the strengths of the 40 Days for Life campaign is its simplicity. Your community can make a tremendous impact by implementing three basic components...

1. Prayer and Fasting

Want to end abortion? First you pray.

Prayer is at the center of 40 Days for Life. During the campaign, we are calling on prayer warriors across the nation to fall on their knees before the Lord, asking Him to hear our plea and heal our land. Pray at church. Pray outside an abortion facility. Pray at work. Pray in the car. Pray at home with your family. Pray!

People of faith are also invited to fast throughout 40 Days for Life.

Christ said there are demons that can only be driven out by prayer and fasting. A fast is not a Christian diet; it is a powerful means of drawing closer to God by blocking out distractions. Fast from food. Fast from television. Fast from excess time in front of a computer. Fast from apathy and indifference. Fast from whatever it is that separates you from God.

We believe that when God's people fast with a broken, repentant, and contrite spirit, our heavenly Father will hear from heaven and heal our lives, our churches, our communities, our nation, and our world.

2. Constant vigil

The visible, public centerpiece of 40 Days for Life is a 40-day, round-the-clock prayer vigil outside a Planned Parenthood center or other abortion facility in your community.

It is a peaceful and educational presence, and this 24-hour-a-day presence sends a powerful message to the community about the tragic reality of abortion. It also serves as a call to repentance for those who work at the abortion center and those who patronize the facility.

If you do not have an abortion facility or Planned Parenthood office in your town, you can still conduct 40 Days for Life however you will need to select a different location with some strategic significance -- perhaps near city hall, a courthouse, or a highly visible intersection.

Does your vigil have to be 24-hours a day?

No, that is not required. The hours are completely up to you and others planning your local 40 Days for Life campaign, as long as you commit to try and fill a minimum of 12 hours a day. We do, however, encourage you to prayerfully consider this question. Those communities that have conducted a round-the-clock vigil reported amazing results from their additional sacrifice.

3. Community outreach

During 40 Days for Life, you have a great opportunity to take the pro-life message to every corner of your community.

A door-to-door petition and education drive can be implemented to reach out to every household in your town or city. During this time, informational flyers are distributed in neighborhoods to raise awareness about the local crisis of abortion. Citizens are invited to sign a petition of support for the sanctity of human life, and people are given the opportunity to visibly show their support for 40 Days for Life by wearing wristbands, placing signs in their yards, or displaying bumper stickers on their vehicles.

This one activity alone can help a community rapidly identify hundreds, or even thousands, of pro-life supporters during the 40 days. These people can then be encouraged to get involved in local pro-life efforts during and after your campaign.

Church involvement begins by meeting with local pastors, other church leaders, and members of different congregations. The Body of Christ is invited to pray together and participate in 40 Days for Life, uniting in one focused mission that can save lives and make an eternal impact.

Media outreach is conducted through carefully targeted news stories, talk shows, editorials, and letters to the editor. This enables you to get the pro-life message out to many people who would never see the inside of a local church.

If your community has a college campus, many students can be impacted through an intense 40-day campus outreach. This can consist of flyer raids, sidewalk chalking, petition drives, table displays, and much more.

Benefits for your community...

By implementing the three components of prayer and fasting, constant vigil, and community outreach, your city or town could:

• Reduce abortion rates -- by 15% ... 20% ... 25% ... Or more!
• Recruit and mobilize hundreds -- even thousands -- of new people into effective, life-saving efforts
• Lead post-abortive women -- and men -- into proven and effective healing programs
• Develop dynamic new leaders to increase the future impact of pro-life efforts
• Bring churches together in an historic display of Christian unity and action
• Generate enormous buzz by getting prominent pro-life news coverage -- even from biased media outlets
• Increase local financial support for pro-life efforts
• Make the sanctity of human life a crucial issue in local, state and even national elections

These are bold claims, however these results (and many more) have actualy been accomplished in other communities.
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He also sent me this email
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Dear Mike,

OK, registrations for this spring's 40 Days for Life
campaign are officially underway... and things are
pretty crazy around here!

In the first day of accepting applications for
the spring campaign, we've already registered more
than DOUBLE the number of cities compared to the
first day of applications for last spring's campaign!

By early indications, this spring could be even
bigger than we expected!

Now, as the national director of 40 Days for Life,
you know I'm biased about this campaign.

Frankly, I've seen God accomplish so many amazing
miracles through this effort that I believe EVERY
city would be closer to ending abortion by applying
to conduct a 40 Days for Life campaign this spring:

http://40daysforlife.com/apply

40 Days for Life has a track record of proven life-
saving results that is unprecedented...

...But please don't just take my word for it!

Take the word of other people -- like you -- who have
personally experienced the impact a 40 Days for Life
can have in a community.

Some of them were scared, busy, inexperienced, in
remote locations, or not sure if they could pull off
something like this in their town.

But they took that step of faith.

And you'll want to hear -- in their own words -- what
it meant for them and for their communities:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=184

On that page are two resources to help you discern
whether God is calling you to take that same step of
faith...

1.) A 14-minute audio featuring testimonials from
nine local 40 Days for Life campaign leaders
from very diverse circumstances

2.) An inspirational case study video of the Fargo,
North Dakota 40 Days for Life where you'll see
exactly what's involved in conducting a
successful campaign

Those are both posted online at:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=184

If, after going through those, you feel called to
hold a 40 Days for Life in YOUR town from February 25
to April 5, apply now at:

http://40daysforlife.com/apply

It could be one of the most rewarding "New Year's
Resolutions" you've ever made! :-)

Yours For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life
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I know that participating in something like this is a little bit of a sacrifice. It was difficult for me to get involved, but it is something that needs to be done. Think of how you can save lives. Our small sacrifices don't seem so bad when you consider what great good can come from our participation in this pro-life campaign. Even if you spend one hour praying outside an abortion clinic, you are doing God's work. Make this Lenten season the most holy and rewarding Lenten season of your life. Participate in 40 Days for Life. Thank you and God bless you.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! With every new year is a new beginning. Every day, every hour is a new beginning, but everyone seems to get excited about the new year. We always expect that with a new year/new beginning will make things better. For me personally, 2008 was the best year of my life. The New York Times Headline this morning was "Thank God it (2008) is Over." I disagree. From their perspective, 2008 was a terrible year. Why? The economy? Because we are still at war? These things are disappointing, but it does not mean there weren't good things that happened in 2008. If greed, money and wealth are the sole determinates of a good year than I've never had a good year. There's more to life than money. With the new year comes new year resolutions. Most people chose to lose weight or to reach some other milestone. As for myself, I have just one new years resolution - to grow in holiness. All that other stuff matters little if we don't grow in charity, holiness and love. Our purpose as good Christian men and women is to become more like God. If we grow in holiness everything else will fall into place. 2009 will bring me great challenges and great joys. I will have a daughter (Julie Mae) in April or May. I hope that I can be a role model father and husband. In this new year, I plan to become more active in the church and in charitable deeds. I am going to join the newly formed Respect Life Committee at St. Michael's. With my new comute to work increacing by at least a half hour, I plan to pray the rosary every weekday morning. Now that I'll be living close to church, I plan to go to mass much more often. My goal is to go to mass at least twice a week. Much as the new year is a new beginning, each mass is a new beginning. When you make your new years resolutions, I ask that you consider if and how the resolution helps you grow in holiness. If we grow in holiness, we will not have "terrible years". I prefer to look ahead in 2009 as an opportunity to be the best year of my life. Make each day the best day of your life. Smile. Life is good. God is good. May God bless you all in 2009.