{"id":23648,"date":"2012-09-25T08:00:34","date_gmt":"2012-09-25T13:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=23648"},"modified":"2012-09-25T08:23:21","modified_gmt":"2012-09-25T13:23:21","slug":"40-days-for-life-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/09\/40-days-for-life-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Feel the Love: 40 Days for Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>This past weekend, I made a big decision. It didn’t come easily. You see, standing on a sidewalk praying for the unborn is a bit out of my comfort zone, yet that’s exactly what I volunteered to do for the next six weeks.<\/p>\n

40 Days for Life<\/a> is a project that originated in College Station and has spread across the country and to several countries. Most of us know that “Respect Life” is every October. We see the baby banks at Masses, hear pleas for donations from the Gabriel Project and we often listen to homilies focused on the church’s teachings about the dignity of all human life.<\/p>\n

I’ve often heard of the 40 Days campaign, but I just smiled, knowing that the campaign solicitations for help weren’t really directed at me. Certainly, my prayers at home were just as effective as those on the sidewalk. What changed my heart? Why this year?<\/p>\n

About a month ago, I realized that the tenth anniversary of my miscarriage would occur in late September. While the initial pain of losing a child has subsided somewhat, all it takes is to hear a friend or acquaintance say they’ve experienced a loss through miscarriage and the pain becomes just as raw as if it happened yesterday. Truthfully, the scar never fully heals. This year, my daughter would be preparing for her tenth birthday. She would be in fourth grade. I’m sure she would be smart and funny and faithful and a complete ray of sunshine in our home. But instead, she’s in heaven, lighting it up and living the good life with God.<\/p>\n

As that painful anniversary looms, my heart turned to prayer and, ultimately, to life. I prayed so hard for that baby. We were so excited to find out we were expecting and then, boom, out of nowhere, I miscarried. Fast forward to 2009 and I gave birth to our preemie miracle. His three years on earth have been such a living testimony to the power of God’s love. Those two experiences, combined, led me to seriously consider participating in 40 Days for Life. I’ve experienced loss and I’ve also been on the tough end of a prenatal diagnosis. There’s a part of me that aches for women to know how beautiful life is. That it’s worth fighting for even when the world feels like it’s against you. It feels like the right way to honor my daughter and the miracle of life that came through prematurity.<\/p>\n

Am I nervous, scared and feeling a bit out of my element? Absolutely. However, my greatest hope is that the women and men who see us praying don’t feel judged, only loved. Providentially, my first day to pray will also be the anniversary of my miscarriage.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It’s taken me nearly a decade to build up the courage to pray so publicly for an end to abortion. I ask that you pray for me, and the thousands of others who seek to convert hearts through peaceful prayer. In Austin alone, there are four abortion clinics – I’d say that’s four too many. In two weeks, I’ll come back here to share my reflections on my experience. I have no idea what to expect, but if you’d like to join me on the sidewalk, or if you have any advice to share, please comment below.<\/p>\n

40 Days for Life Campaign Information<\/h2>\n

September 26-November 4
\n316 locations around the country
\n49 U.S. states (including D.C.)
\n46 first-time campaigns<\/p>\n

To learn more or to volunteer, visit the 40 Days for Life website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This past weekend, I made a big decision. It didn’t come easily. You see, standing on a sidewalk praying for the unborn is a bit out of my comfort zone, yet that’s exactly what I volunteered to do for the next six weeks. 40 Days for Life is a project that originated in College Station… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[233,289,55,74,67],"class_list":["post-23648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-blog","tag-40-days-for-life","tag-abortion","tag-catholic-2","tag-prayer","tag-pro-life","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":41660,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/09\/join-austins-40-days-life-efforts\/","url_meta":{"origin":23648,"position":0},"title":"Join Austin’s 40 Days For Life Efforts","author":"Elizabeth","date":"September 23, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I've told the story before of my first experience standing outside of Planned Parenthood during prayer vigil. It was the summer before I graduated and was completing an assignment for a photojournalism class. I'd supported pro-life organizations and prayed at prayer vigils, but never directly on the sidewalk outside a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pro-Life Waco","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/IMG_6684.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24191,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/10\/40-day-for-life-the-sidewalk-diaries-part-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":23648,"position":1},"title":"40 Days for Life: Praying on The Sidewalk, Part 1","author":"Kathryn Whitaker","date":"October 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Two weeks ago I shared with you my reasons for joining the 40 Days for Life campaign here in Austin. I'd like to reiterate what a difficult, yet prayerful, decision it was to participate. Here I am, two weeks and two hours of praying on the sidewalk later, to reflect\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/LIFE2-199x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":43481,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/01\/wont-see-marching-pro-life-rally\/","url_meta":{"origin":23648,"position":2},"title":"Why You Won\u2019t See Me Marching at a Pro-Life Rally","author":"Kathryn Whitaker","date":"January 22, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Every year on January 22, the anniversary of the landmark case Roe v. Wade, hundreds of thousands of people march in our nation\u2019s capital and around the country in support of a culture of life. The March for Life, as it\u2019s known. But, you won\u2019t see me marching. And here\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"marching for life","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/marching-for-life-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":678851,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/angels-dragons-ix-40-days-slay-dragon\/","url_meta":{"origin":23648,"position":3},"title":"Angels & Dragons IX: 40 Days to Slay Your Dragon!","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"February 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cRise up; this matter is in your hands (Ezra 10:4)!\u201d Your time has come Dragon Slayer! On your feet! You can no longer be \u201cthe brother of dragons,\u201d (Job 30:29) for \u201cLent is the very badge of the Christian warfare!\u201d (Pope Benedict XIV) How will you spend your 40 Days\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/image2-550x341.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/image2-550x341.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/image2-550x341.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19993,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/07\/the-healers-presence-everyday-saint-beth-odom\/","url_meta":{"origin":23648,"position":4},"title":"The Healers Presence; Everyday-Saint Beth Odom","author":"Trenton Henrichson","date":"July 24, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cChrist has no body now on earth but yours\u2026\u201d -St. Teresa of Avila understood that Christ today speaks to us through his followers. That is why I collect so many quotes from saints like Teresa of Avila. But if we believe that Christ is still speaking today why limit ourselves\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Beth-270x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":43918,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/02\/church-going\/","url_meta":{"origin":23648,"position":5},"title":"Where the Church is Going","author":"Trenton Henrichson","date":"February 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"This week my thoughts and prayers have once again returned to a small Indian village over 9000 miles away. Today in Mamallapuram, India, a new friend (Tim) has joined some old friends of mine (the Cooks) and their mission, Hands on Houses. Hands on Houses is devoted to building sustainable\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cover photo credit of semilla_luz on flikr http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/semilla_luz\/9394250759\/in\/photostream\/","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/9394250759_9cb173f81e_z-300x187.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23648\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}