40 Days for Life is a pro-life campaign that was begun in 2004 by a local group in Bryan-College Station, Texas, led by David Bereit.^[1] The campaign is active in the fall and spring of each year, though local campaigns may continue it year-round. The fall 2010 campaign launched in 238 locations around the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, England, Northern Ireland, and Denmark.^[2]

A 40 Days for Life campaign consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting combined with vigils in shifts outside of an abortion clinic. With enough volunteers, this protest may be round-the-clock. The 40 days concept comes from a pattern repeated in the Bible, such as in Noah’s Ark, Moses’s 40 days on Mount Sinai, andJesus‘s 40 days in the desert.

40 Days for Life campaigns are managed by local volunteers in each of the cities involved in the effort. A small national office coordinates communications and provides training and other resources for the local volunteers.

The organization says these campaigns have prevented 4,082 abortions since 2007.^[3]

HISTORY

The initial campaign resulted in a rejuvenation of local pro-life activities in the Bryan-College Station area.^[4] Over the next two and a half years, the campaign was replicated in six other cities.

2007 campaign

In early 2007, the leaders of those first campaigns got together and suggested a simultaneous nationwide 40 Days for Life campaign in as many cities as wished to participate.

The first national campaign ran from September 26 – November 4 with activities in more than 80 cities in more than 30 American states.^[5]

2008 campaign

A second national campaign ran from February 6 – March 16, with events held in 59 cities during the Christian season of Lent,^[6]

A short while after the end of the Spring 2008 Campaign, 40 Days for Life executive director David Bereit was at the White House lawn on April 16 as PresidentGeorge W. Bush welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to the White House at the start of his visit to the United States.^[7]

A third nationwide 40 Days for Life campaign was scheduled from September 24 – November 2.

2009 campaign

The Spring 2009 campaign had numerous participating cities, including Brisbane Australia, cities in Canada, Northern Ireland, and the United States.

During the Fall 2009 campaign, Abby Johnson, the director of the Planned Parenthood facility in Bryan, Texas (where 40 days for Life had originated), became a pro-life activist. After holding a probe for an ultrasound guided abortion (Johnson was technically the facility manager and thus did not usually perform or assist in abortions) Johnson claims to have seen “the baby move away from the probe” [1]. Shortly after this experience, Johnson quit working for Planned Parenthood and joined the Coalition for Life, the local group that had been praying outside her former facility.^[8]

2010 campaign

The Fall 2010 campaign ran from September 22 to October 31, 2010. It attracted attention when a Tennessee abortion provider was arrested for brandishing ahandgun at three 40 Days for Life participants demonstrating outside a South Carolina abortion clinic.^[9]

2011 campaign

The spring 2011 campaign ran from March 9 to April 17, 2011. 40 Days for Life, according to their definition of embryos and fetuses as babies, says that they are aware of “483 babies who have been saved from abortion” as a result of the campaign.^[3]

External links

• 40 Days For Life website

References

1. ^http://ncregister.com/site/article/3209/ Drake, Tim. “40 Days for Life: Pro-Life Group Launches National Campaign.” National Catholic Reporter. Aug 4, 2007.

2. ^40 Days for Life Launches in Record 238 Locations around the World

3. ^ ^ab40 Days for Life Campaign Ends, 483 Babies Saved From Abortion

4. ^http://40daysforlife.com/about.cfm?selected=history40daysforlife.com. “40 Days for life.” 2008.

5. ^ZENIT – U.S. Kicks Off 40 Days for Life

6. ^http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS138148+21-Jan-2008+PRN20080121Reuters.com. “Abortion Opponents in 59 Cities Prepare Focused 40-Day Campaign to Counter Impact” Jan 21, 2008.

7. ^http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?cat=8

8. ^http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/planned-parenthood-clinic-director-joins-anti-abortion-group/story?id=8999720

9. ^Police: Abortion doctor pulls gun

The past week or so has been a bit disheartening on the front for Life. As you may know the Susan G. Komen Foundation made a decision to de-fund Planned Parenthood, and a couple of days later reneged and caved to the liberal bias and decide to return funding to Planned Parenthood.

During this tussle between Komen and Planned Parenthood, the media gave much coverage. But the main and most influential coverage came from social media i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc. etc….  I, along with many others posted statuses on FB saying things like “Way to go Komen” and more recently “Boo Komen…”  But one thing I noticed is that FB users in particular tend not to directly state a blunt opinion on matters such as abortion. I think they are trying to be politically correct and do not want to “offend” anyone. Many FB users use little illustrations or photos to indirectly get their point across. It is not so indirect however.

I got into a direct conversation with one of my FB “friends” about the topic of abortion after seeing the following photo on her status.

Upon seeing the above image I replied: “Sarcasm, the lowest form of humor. Maybe some babies will be saved from less monies going to murder them! I thought you were pro life. Abortions hurt babies and women and are linked to more breast cancer, so if one is against breast cancer then one should applaud Komen’s decision to de-fund PP, which I do.”

To my statement my FB friend replied : ” I  am truly sorry if I’ve offended you. Truly. I am thankful though, that we live in a country in which we can openly disagree on such matters. But again, truly sorry if I offended you. Then after this she went on to post a quote in her status from a lesser know sociologist in regard to, and I am paraphrasing ” Stupid people tend to be politically conservative…” To which I responded  that I was surprised at her quoting a 19th century British philosopher who espoused Population Control…” To which She replied “I just thought the quote was interesting.’ As if to say that it meant nothing to her personally. Okay I guess my profile pic makes me look stupid, oh and conservative, of course….

Next in the course of our FB discourse she (my FB friend) quoted Ani DiFranco- (well known feminist icon)

“Buildings and bridges
are made to bend in the wind
to withstand the world,
that’s what it takes
All that steel and stone
is no match for the air, my friend
what doesn’t bend breaks
what doesn’t bend breaks

I assumed correctly that this was a veiled explanation of why she apparently is now Pro Choice.  And in the midst of quoting Ani DiFranco and apologizing for possibly offending me, her FB friends were making comments about how they liked her status and basically making effort to come to her defense. The funny thing is that these others did not even know what we were really talking about which was ABORTION.

So with another “apology” from her “if she offended me”….etc. and with an admission that she herself had indeed had an abortion because “I just could not see myself raising a child with this person…”

I responded with the following: ”Hi Friend, I was not offended by you. I honestly just believe that God is the offended one when we (me and you) snuff out innocent life that he has sent to us. I did it too and the experience opened my eyes to the reality of what abortion is-murder. I have, by the Grace of God, repented and been set free from the blood- guiltiness. But I suffered for years, really over a decade. First from not being able to forgive myself, even though I knew God had forgiven me. And I suffered severe physical pains, with menstrual irregularities, etc etc for about a decade. I also suffered mentally and emotionally. I thought I was infertile since we tried to get pregnant for over 10 years and could not. So really, the reason I am so passionate about abortion is because of what it did to me. But God, being so good, has worked it all for his Glory and my good. The abortion actually brought me to my knees, to a place where I cried out to Jesus, if he was real, then I needed him to save me from my horrible sin or I would have likely ended my own life. And he saved me! That is why I am so fervent . It is my personal, real- life testimony of what Jesus did for me. He loves the unborn and I know it breaks his heart to see their innocent lives extinguished. And sadly the blood is on the hands of the United States government for allowing legalized murder of the unborn. I hope you have been able to repent and receive forgiveness from God for your choice. There is Mercy with the Lord. I only wish that years ago when you and I attended CC Church that OUR PASTOR had allowed me to go up and give this testimony. He set a date for me to do so and reneged last-minute. Maybe if you had heard me speak then, about this topic your choice would have been different? But I believe in Romans 8:28. I just don’t want any other woman to have to go what I went through and I will go to any length God allows to help that not to happen. May the Love of Jesus be with you always. You will know your child in heaven, God showed me that.

Later her status read: “A break from Facebook for a while…a good thing to do every now and again.’

Next I see a status message from afore-mentioned former Pastor which reads: “I am deleting my Facebook page. I have started a new one. With all the changes in my life it seemed like a needed fresh start. If you want to be friends with the “new me” please like this status, search for me by name, and friend me at the other page. This page will be deleted VERY soon.”   INTERESTING>>>>>????

Ah, so time tells a lot. And I have come to realize Facebook tells us some things too. I see now that we must decipher the social media’s little back door methodologies for sending messages i.e. “communicating”. This is difficult for me since I am BOLD and do not mince words about issues concerning the lives of the precious unborn. Yet, I continue to try to use tools which  God has given us in this post modern technological era.

The convoluted nature of the social media interfaces is a maze to navigate in order to communicate. You see my status. You like. I see your status. I post a You Tube. You see my You Tube, you post an e-card…and on and on it goes. Brave New World or Doublespeak?

To end my part of our FB discourse I posted the following image to summarize my feelings on the topic of origin:

Here is God’s Status:  DEUTERONOMY 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.

Please don’t have an abortion. There is help for you to keep your baby. There is also adoption.

You don’t want THIS on your conscience!!!!!

Fetal Development
From conception to birth

Day 1:  fertilization: all human chromosomes are present; unique human life begins.

Day 6:  embryo begins implantation in the uterus.

Day 22:  heart begins to beat with the child’s own blood, often a different type than the mothers’.

Week 3:  By the end of third week the child’s backbone spinal column and nervous system are forming.  The liver, kidneys and intestines begin to take shape.

Week 4:  By the end of week four the child is ten thousand times larger than the fertilized egg. 

Week 5:  Eyes, legs, and hands begin to develop.

Week 6:  Brain waves are detectable; mouth and lips are present; fingernails are forming.   Week 7:  Eyelids, and toes form, nose distinct.  The baby is kicking and swimming. Week 8:  Every organ is in place, bones begin to replace cartilage, and fingerprints begin to form.  By the 8th week the baby can begin to hear.

Weeks 9 and 10:  Teeth begin to form, fingernails develop.  The baby can turn his head, and frown.  The baby can hiccup. 

Weeks 10 and 11:  The baby can “breathe” amniotic fluid and urinate.  Week 11 the baby can grasp objects placed in its hand; all organ systems are functioning.  The baby has a skeletal structure, nerves, and circulation.

Week 12:  The baby has all of the parts necessary to experience pain, including nerves, spinal cord, and thalamus.  Vocal cords are complete.  The baby can suck its thumb.   Week 14:  At this age, the heart pumps several quarts of blood through the body every day.

Week 15:  The baby has an adult’s taste buds.

Month 4:  Bone Marrow is now beginning to form.  The heart is pumping 25 quarts of blood a day.  By the end of month 4 the baby will be 8-10 inches in length and will be one half of its birth weight.

Week 20:  The earliest stage at which Partial birth abortions are performed.  At 20 weeks the baby recognizes its’ mothers voice.

Months 5 and 6:  The baby practices breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid into its developing lungs. The baby will grasp at the umbilical cord when it feels it.  Most mothers feel an increase in movement, kicking, and hiccups from the baby.  Oil and sweat glands are now functioning.  The baby is now twelve inches long or more, and weighs up to one and a half pounds.

Months 7 through 9:  Eyeteeth are present.  The baby opens and closes his eyes.  The baby is using four of the five senses (vision, hearing, taste, and touch.)  He knows the difference between waking and sleeping, and can relate to the moods of the mother.  The baby’s skin begins to thicken, and a layer of fat is produced and stored beneath the skin.  Antibodies are built up, and the baby’s heart begins to pump 300 gallons of blood per day.  Approximately one week before the birth the baby stops growing, and “drops” usually head down into the pelvic cavity. 

Sources Used:

Bergel, Gary (Produced by NRLC) “When You Were Formed in Secret.” 1998.

 Flanagan,  Geraldine Lux.  Beginning Life.  The Marvelous Journey from Conception to Birth.  New York: DK Publishing Inc., 1996.

Hopson, Janet L.  Fetal Psychology.  Oct. 1998.  07 Jan 2003.
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/tul/psychtoday9809.html.

Internet Sources:

“Fetal Development.”  07 Jan 2003.
http://www.w-cpc.org/fetal1.html.

“When Does Life Begin?  Abortion and Human Rights.”  National Right To Life.

]]> http://preborn.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/468/feed/ 0 36.072635 -79.791975 36.072635 -79.791975 preborn http://preborn.wordpress.com/2012/01/14/alamance-county-right-to-life-annual-vigil-to-be-held-jan-22/ http://preborn.wordpress.com/2012/01/14/alamance-county-right-to-life-annual-vigil-to-be-held-jan-22/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:26:49 +0000 preborn http://preborn.wordpress.com/?p=461 ]]>

To all of those who love Life and live in the Alamance County/ Burlington/ Graham and surrounding areas:

Please come out and show your support for Life at this Vigil which commemorated the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, making abortion legal nationwide.

We will convene at the Graham Court House on Sunday January 22 from 5:30 until 6pm.

God Bless you and may God bless the unborn!

Burlington, NC-September 14, 2011–  

On Sunday, October 2, 2011, the Life Chain will be held along South Church St. from 2:30-3:30 pm. This national event is a time of prayer and a witness to the community of the sanctity of life and the evils of abortion.

Participants will pray as they hold signs proclaiming hope for the victims of abortion.  Everyone who believes in a right-to-life for unborn children is welcome to join us for this event, which has been held in Burlington for the last eleven years. For more information or to participate, please call 226-5497 or 226-7073.

 Contact persons:      Sis Steffen  (226-5497)

                                          Corinne Bivins (226-7073)

But when I started working  there my heart really went out to these little kids left there to be cared for by strangers who are paid minimum wage.  One thinks two hours is nothing, right? I agree, if the kid is there while their stay at home mommy goes for a stress-relieving work out, its fine. But some of those little ones,( 2 years old), have already been in a daycare/ playschool all day then have to come to this facility for another shuffling about. It is truly something that touches me deeply.  I was one of those kids.

My parents divorced when I was 2 years old. So this left my mom to be a single parent who worked full-time as a high school teacher. I had to get up early in the morning, many times one of the first kids to arrive at daycare and later at school. I can remember being at the daycare and crying for my mommy, feeling so desperate, knowing she was not coming. I would even day-dream and plot my escape from the place. I figured how to jump the fence and I thought I could run to my mom’s school and be with her. Of course this never happened.  Later when I was school aged, I had to go to a Y afterschool program and I was often the last one picked up. It was really traumatic for me. I always felt insecure, wondering if and when my mommy was coming.

This new job really touched some deep memories and hurts in me. Especially when I would see a little girl tune up, crying, for mommy. I held her and told her I loved her,not like her own mommy, but that I care and she is safe. The sad thing is that most of the women who work in there are not like me, with a heart for the children. They seems to be a real malaise and laissez faire attitude is seems.

How tragic for the generations of children, raised by strangers, since the early 1970′s when women’s liberation and legalized abortion all came about. And of course divorce is a major culprit in the neglect of children. Fathers are absent and mothers do what they feel they must to get by and provide for children and cover for coward men who abandon their children.

Again, I ask who are the victims? They all are, really. But the saddest are the little innocent ones shuffled about like so much chattel. Children are not “things” they are people made in the image of God. They are precious, innocent, and sweet. And most of all they are in need of loving care from their own mothers and fathers or grandparents.

Does anyone really think that a stranger who is often paid minimum wage or barely above, who is saddled with too many kids to handle can provide ANY level of CARE?

I am overcoming the scars from my childhood,through the Grace of Jesus, my Savior. And I am grateful to have LIFE. At the time I was born, it was just shortly before Roe v. Wade became national law. So many of my generation and subsequent generations never took a breath.

The horrible abomination of abortion devalues human life not only in the womb by snuffing it out. It also continues that same lack of worth of human beings after they are here. Children are so often seen as less than a person, or a problem to deal with, or worse. We can see it also with the aged. They are put into nursing homes to “someone else’s problem”. So at the beginning of LIFE and at the end of LIFE these precious souls are abandoned to happenstance and chance in institutions, to be “cared for” by strangers. How sad! How wrong!

God loves the helpless ones. He highly values their lives. They are precious in His sight. Why are they not precious in our collective sight? Are we no longer a Christian country? I think not! As long as innocent blood is being shed via abortion in the USA, God is never going to Bless us. He hates all of our murderous abomination. The souls of the innocent cry out to God day and night for JUSTICE. And, people, God will bring JUSTICE, lest we repent.

The reason many won’t care about the topics I have mentioned is because they do not involve making money, gaining pleasure, and gaining self-fulfillment. To change things people must go back to the BIBLE and stop living for SELF and temporal PLEASURE. MONEY must cease to the this country’s GOD!

Jesus said “suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for such is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mark 10:14).  Jesus told us to be as little children. We are to be wise as serpents yet innocent as lambs.

Jesus has his flock. He will have those come unto him. And to any who would prevent such As it is written; ‘Better a millstone be hung around their neck and they be cast into the sea (Luke 17:2).”

United States of America: Are you ready for that Millstone? Think you can swim with it?

Pray for repentance and heart revival  for this country,

God Bless.

This is a precious 12 week old baby in his mother’s womb.

He is so secure,safe, and warm: receiving nourishment from his mother through the umbilical cord.

He wants to live. He wants to have a name. He wants to have a future.

Please mother, let him live!

I must admit that it hurts my pride at times to browse through other WP blogs…Seeing the articles on others’ travels, things such as recipes, vegan lifestyle,art, music, etc. etc.  The light content they write about seems personal and interesting yet somewhat meaningless. I know that what I write about at NC PROLIFE has an eternal effect. Even if it is to but one woman. Maybe she reads my testimony or my abortion acrostic. Perhaps a curious young girl will see the mysterious images of a baby in utero or the terrible images of a real-life aborted baby. Maybe something in these posts will make a pro-choice individual question why she or he is so.

I may not get any nice feedback or get five-star ratings for my articles or be on “freshly pressed”, but I do know that the words written here are truth and nothing matters more.