Dear Friend of Life:
As you read this today, hundreds — if not thousands — of pro-life Texans are urgently gathering at the State Capitol for a prayer vigil to stand for women and preborn children.
Details here: http://stand4life.us/
You probably heard about the bill that was passed last year in the Lone Star State — H.B. 2 — which secured historic protections for women and children. That bill included four life-saving provisions that required all abortion facilities to upgrade to more basic health & safety standards.
As a result of prayer and these legislative initiatives, the number of Texas abortion centers has plummeted from 41+ to 21. News outlets report that the abortion rate has already dropped 13%. Thousands of preborn children have been saved in the last year. And women, men and families have been spared from a lifetime of regret.
Once the last provision of H.B. 2 goes into effect on September 1, 2014, it is predicted to take the number of abortion facilities in Texas from the original 41+ to 8! UNBELIEVABLE!
Not content to accept the “choice” of Texas citizens to protect women and children, the abortion industry is now aggressively trying to re-open closed Texas abortion facilities — which don’t meet basic health and safety standards. They’ve launched an extensive PR propaganda campaign, and they’ve filed a massive lawsuit, Whole Woman’s Health v. Lakey, to block other unsafe abortion centers from closing across the Lone Star State.
Today, August 4, the “Stand4Life Prayer Vigil” is drawing pro-life Texans from around the state to gather and pray in the Capitol while the lawsuit is heard in court — and to show the world that we are standing behind the basic protections that were passed last year.
We ask you to pray, today, for this event — that the lawsuit would not succeed and women and children in the Lone Star State will rise victorious, once again!
We’ll keep you posted!
Also, after a crucial month of raising desperately needed funds for our life-saving mission, we get back to our weekly email full of sidewalk counseling tips, exciting updates and inspiring devotionals!
For those of you who generously gave of your time in prayer and treasure to support us this past month… we can’t say it enough: Thank you all for your amazing sacrifices as we sought to get the resources needed to sustain this life-saving work! In short …we made our financial goal! God answered our prayers through YOU! Thank you all so much! Now, we look forward to continuing and multiplying this vital work!
Just a reminder about an exciting, upcoming event this week …and a devotional so we can join together and continue to lift one another up in prayer!
Friends, let us press forward in this incredible mission to save lives, transform hearts and END ABORTION!
This fourth annual symposium is meant to promote sidewalk counseling across the country. There will be inspiring general sessions as well as separate workshops for leaders and for beginners. You will also have time to interact and network with dedicated sidewalk counselors from around the country!
The symposium will begin on Friday evening and continue all day Saturday (including the evening). The symposium fee is $50 (there may be some scholarships available for those unable to afford this fee). Symposium site — Holiday Inn – Birmingham/Homewood, 492 Wildwood Circle N., Birmingham, AL 35209. Room rate is $89 per night, August 8 and 9. For this special rate, call 205-942-6070 by August 1 and identify yourself as being with the Pro-Life Action Ministries event — “National Sidewalk Symposium.”
Presenters:
- Rev. Terry Gensemer
- Rev. Walter Hoye
- John Jakubczyk, Esq.
- Edmund Miller
- Fr. Frank Pavone
- Ann Scheidler
- Eric Scheidler
- Joe Scheidler
- Alicia Wong
- Pro-Life Action Ministries staff: Brian Gibson, Debra Braun, Rev. Brian Walker
Workshops will include these topics (among others):
- Spiritual Foundations of Sidewalk Counseling
- Purpose, Focus and Essence of Sidewalk Counseling
- Advanced Sidewalk Counseling Training
- Legal Rights of Sidewalk Counselors
- Reaching Minorities
- Recruiting Volunteers and Organizing a Local Sidewalk Counseling Program
- Commanding the Sidewalk
- Reaching Out to Abortion Workers
Sponsored by Pro-Life Action Ministries and hosted locally by CEC for Life. For more information or to register, call 651-771-1500 or e-mail prolife@plam.org.
WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL (AUGUST 3-9, 2014): THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE
by Lauren Muzyka, Executive Director, Sidewalk Advocates for Life
This devotional originally appeared at www.liferunners.org.
Verse(s): “With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.” — Psalm 36:10
Reflection: Scripture provides a total blueprint for how we should live our lives — physically, emotionally and spiritually. These guidelines are not so the Lord “takes away our fun,” but instead, provides the prescription to live a healthy, happy and whole life!
We are admonished to treat our bodies as a “temple of the Holy Spirit,” putting only good food into our body, exercising regularly, and getting the sleep we need to not just survive, but thrive! We are admonished to treat others with love and respect, quietly attending to our work and serving others. And we are admonished to put the Lord first — above all else — seeking the righteousness of the Kingdom, knowing that everything else we need will naturally fall into place.
How can we serve God’s Kingdom to the best of our ability if we don’t follow His instructions for an abundant life? It’s really something to think about! Being pro-life means taking care of ourselves first so that we can abundantly bless others!
Call to Action: In your prayer time today, ask yourself the following questions: Am I taking care of myself? Do I get the balanced nutrition, exercise and sleep I need? Do I find a balance between work …and play? Do I put God first above all things? Where do I need improvement? Then, ask God to give you the grace to make needed changes.
Remember, He said: “…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” — John 10:10