Mark 10:27 (beyond good intentions)

* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com).

Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." Mark 10:27

Living Faith snippets: "I say that I really should give myself more fully to the Lord. Honestly, I would really like to. I want to be good! But the prospect of suffering for the sake of love seems too much to bear. How can I ever get beyond good intentions? It seems impossible...But is it? Lord Jesus, fill me and strengthen me." by Amy Welborn

Pat nuggets:

* Outreach: Let's go beyond good intentions and invite at least one friend or family member each week to join our LIFE Devotions group (Mark 16:15), providing routine spiritual connection and strength. Save your favorite devotions and forward them periodically to friends and family with an invitation.

* Joel Cain shared this: "I was lamenting to Pat about all the ads for new cars these days that feature options I’m not interested in like iPod connections, MP3 players, GPS …. I want a car to get me from A to B. And, the price of some of these new cars are not much different than what I paid for a new car 8-10 years ago. If these cars have so many high-tech options but the price hasn’t gone up so very much, what’s lacking in the part of the car that really matters to me. THEN, Pat pointed out how this can be what our walk with Christ becomes when we put our interest and effort into externals that make us look good to others when God is interested in what really matters. “For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Sam. 16:7b (NASB). Joel is the leader of our office Chemists for Christ Bible study group. Joel's comments also reminded me of the book of Ecclesiastes (in Bible), which is packed with wisdom on vanity (a quick read).

Feast Day: St. Philip Neri (1515-1595) certainly went beyond good intentions while he labored amongst the sick and poor. He routinely "visited whore houses to introduce them to the churches of the city and to the catacombs." He ministered "to the needs of the thousands of poor pilgrims who flock to Rome." He relieved "the patients discharged from hospitals, but still too weak for labor." He also "travelled throughout the city, seeking opportunities of entering into conversation with people." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Neri

ProLife news: lifesitenews.com (international)
* (C. Springs) The annual Life Network Walk for Life is at New Life Church and Memorial Park at 10 AM, Sat, 7 Jun (registration at 8:30 AM). The 5K race begins at 9 AM (registration at 8 AM). There will be music, food, face painting, games, etc. For more info call 591-2609 or visit http://www.walkforlife.com/.

Our Prayers: Abortion, our enemies, our troops, China earthquake, Myanmar cyclone, depression/despair, Vicki Miller (her cancer treatment), Pam McGushin (Cindy's cancer treatment), Tom Tenpenny (sister in law Anna's cancer treatment), Jenny Senour (ProLife job interview), Pat Castle (niece Shantelle's misdirection), Kelly Benson (son Emeric premature birth), Kathy-jo Peterson (aunt Peggy's brain cancer), Kay Castle (friend Betty's back pain), Joe Hourigan (friend's son, Peter, with Downs Syndrome)

* New: Memorial Day (Veteran's and their families who sacrificed for God's gift of freedom), Tracy Humphreys and all who are recovering from the Windsor, CO tornado

Through Christ for ProLife,

Pat
Phil 4:13

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml.

* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” "If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him."
* Defend the unborn: Websites at life-devotions.blogspot.com. 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Click for Prayer to End Abortion.
* Share the Good News: Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)! Let's make room to share with non-believers (be a friend, make a friend, lead your friend to Christ)...and work on perpetual re-evangelization of self and those close to us, drawing closer to God's will by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service...

Mon, 25 Feb (Psalm 42:2-3)

* Welcome God every day by reading the Living Faith devotional before work (~1 min). Order at http://www.livingfaith.com/

As the [deer] longs for the running waters, so my soul longs for you, O God. Athirst is my soul for God, the living God. Psalm 42:2-3

Living Faith snippets: "Is my thirst directed more to a pleasing image of myself than to genuine longing for God? There's wisdom in the observation that some people are not in love so much as "in love with love," enchanted with the image of themselves as loving." by James E. Adams

Sr Francelle snippets (22 Feb): "Dearest Ones, wouldn't the world be a boring place if everyone was the same? And yet, some people spend their entire lives trying to be like someone else. They spend time hating God for the way He made them, instead of using this energy to help others who are less fortunate. I think the key to liking oneself is realizing how much God loves us. One of the biggest mistakes we make is looking at others, instead of keeping our eyes on Jesus." See this entire devotion at sisterfrancelle.blogspot.com.

40 DAYS FOR LIFE: This is a unified Christian campaign to prevent the destruction of abortion (babies, families, abortionists) with an around the clock, 40 day prayer vigil at abortion clinics nation-wide (until 16 Mar). Learn about efforts in your area and sign up for the daily updates at http://www.40daysforlife.com/. "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you" (Jer 1:5)..."you knit me together in my mother's womb" (Ps 139:13).

* Local snippets (23 Feb): Tom Albrecht, Chad Livingston, and I prayed with a handful of Christians from 4 to 5 AM (on Sat) in front of the abortion clinic. Snippets from the organizer: "I showed your sweet 12 wk baby model to quite a few people. In the afternoon we were joined by 9 very prayerful teens going through confirmation prep. I gave your blue wrist bands to a boy and girl who prayed the entire Rosary aloud and witnessed together for 4 hrs. We were joined unexpectedly by 10 college-aged kids from New Life Church who are part of a nationwide group called “Bound for Life.” They stood facing the abortion chamber for over 3 ½ hrs in total silence...with red duct tape over their mouth with the word LIFE [on the tape]. We had a group of charismatic teenagers (15) and adults (5) from Mountain Springs Community Church. They walked around the entire block several times in prayer and spent over a half hour on their knees in the dirt and rocks reading their Bibles and praying out loud. [Had a great turnout] for the morning Rosary and Mass. We recorded over 75 teens and adults going into the abortion chamber (lucrative business)...[counted for] demographics in anticipation of opening a crisis pregnancy center in the immediate area [please pray for this]. At one time we had over 25 people [for the prayer vigil]." by Stephanie Kemp

* National snippets (24 Feb): Eight yr old Hugo saved a life and prevented despair while serving outside an abortion clinic in BAKERSFIELD, CA. "Hugo quietly said to Denisha, "But your mother didn't abort you." Denisha broke down and cried, realizing that she couldn't go through with the abortion. When her tears subsided, Denisha's look of anxiety was gone" (by Dave Bereit). "When Carol Everett, a former abortionist and post-abortive woman, was asked what turned her heart from death to life in Christ, she said, "It was unconditional love," shown by a man who prayed daily for her in front of the abortion clinic where she worked. She left and now serves as Christ's ambassador to help others. We too have been sent by Christ as an ambassador to love unconditionally those [trapped in] their sin" (by Carmen Pate).

Pat's nuggets: While praying the Rosary for an end to abortion, my daughter Paige (7 yrs old) asked me about abortion. Paige was initially sad (cried) and then upset with the mothers. I explained that Christ wants us to love the mothers through this horrible pain. Paige then said, "because then they won't kill their next baby." At the abortion clinic, Tom Albrecht shared Matt 18:1-6 where Christ calls us to have faith like a child (not rationalizing the Truth) and describes the seriousness of causing a child to sin (encouraging an abortion, doing an abortion). Tom then shared about the unmerciful servant (Matt 18:21-35), reminding us that only through God's great mercy are we saved, and we need to show this same great mercy (unconditional love) to abortionists and post-abortion mothers.
* Check out http://www.hh76.com/ for an impressive selection of prolife resources.
* In support of the unified 40 DAYS FOR LIFE campaign, please consider volunteering just one hour praying in front of your local abortion clinic (before 16 Mar)...to help tip the scale for an end to abortion and the accompanied despair. Thank you for considering!

Through Christ Our Lord,
Pat
Phil 4:13

* Daily Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml
* LIFE Devotions blog at life-devotions.blogspot.com: Sign up to add your profile and comment at LIFE Devotions. Comment to the entire distro by replying to this email.
* LIFE Prayers blog at life-prayers.blogspot.com: Sign up to post/comment at LIFE Prayers. Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others (so let's pray daily!).
* Sr. Francelle Devotions at sisterfrancelle.blogspot.com.
* Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!