Thursday, October 11, 2007

Day 16: No greater love

Late last night, a friend called me with an urgent
prayer request.

As he described the situation, I realized how the young
mother's love profoundly demonstrates the spirit of 40
Days for Life.

While flying to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota this
afternoon, I felt compelled to share this, so you could
fervently pray for this family now, and during the rest
of 40 Days for Life...

Urgent prayers are requested for the health and
development of Baby John, unborn son of Stacey and Joe
Persichetti, as well as for health and strength of his
parents, and the wisdom of his doctors.

Stacey, the mother, was diagnosed with serious brain
cancer last fall and, during the course of chemo and
radiation treatment, discovered that she is pregnant.

Due to her treatment, the baby has been exposed to the
chemicals from day one.

She has been informed by her baby-related doctors that
the chemo is very strong and particularly attacks DNA
growth in cells and therefore the baby. The doctors
feel that there will be neurological damage to the
child, although the ultrasounds have thus far showed
relatively normal growth.

Additionally, her cancer-related doctors have told her
that they do not want her to stop treatment because her
cancer is so aggressive. They said that if she carries
the baby to 40 weeks gestation, she probably won't live
to deliver the child.

Rather than resort to the world's suggested "solution"
of an abortion, Stacey is taking a 10 week break from
her treatment to allow the baby to reach 28 weeks
gestation, when the doctors can deliver via C-section.

The bottom line: Stacey is risking her own life to give
her baby a chance to live, even though her child may
have complications resulting from the cancer treatment.

Scripture tells us, "There is no greater love than to
lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13)

Stacey's selfless faith during this difficult time is
showing us -- and the whole world -- this greatest form
of love.

Let's dedicate our 40 Days for Life prayers and efforts
today in honor of Stacey, her husband Joe, and Baby
John, and let's show the world that same kind of love
as we selflessly work to protect all innocent children
in the womb and their mothers and fathers.

Here's your devotional for today...

*******************************************************
40 DAYS FOR LIFE: DAY 16, OCTOBER 11 Daily Devotional
by: Carmen Pate
*******************************************************

INTENTION:

Pray that men and women would see children as God sees
them -- a gift to be treasured, a blessing to be
protected, and the apple of His eye.

SCRIPTURE:

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord. The
fruit of the womb is a reward." -- Psalm 127:3

REFLECTION:

I love how God reveals Himself in creation, in science,
and even in technology. There is no doubt in my mind
that 3D and 4D sonograms are from the Lord! His miracle
of life in the womb is now plainly visible for the
entire world to see through state of the art
technology.

David understood long before sonograms the amazement of
God's handiwork. He writes in Psalm 139:13-14, "For you
formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's
womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and
wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my
soul knows very well."

God in His grace understands that some need to SEE the
evidence of His miracles. (Remember how Thomas doubted
the miracle of Christ's resurrection until he saw
Christ's nail scarred hands?)

Many young men and women have chosen to deny that a
baby in the womb is, well, a baby! It is far more
comfortable to convince yourself that it is only a blob
of tissue that you have chosen to discard.

But seeing your child - the precious hands and feet,
the tiny nose that is just like yours, an occasional
yawn or sucking of the thumb - while still in the womb,
is often the healthy dose of reality needed to make a
decision for life.

In fact, over 85% of abortion minded women choose life
after seeing a sonogram of their child.

Christ made it very clear that children were to be
valued. He taught that to receive a child is to receive
Him (Mark 9:37); to give to children is to give to Him
(Mark 10:42).

God's design for parents in the home is to "build" sons
and daughters who will honor Christ and who in turn
will themselves become builders of sons and daughters,
continuing godly seed from generation to generation.

Oh, to raise a generation that, like David, would not
need to see their children in the womb to know that God
"saw their substance, being yet unformed, and in His
book they all were written, the days fashioned for
them, when as yet there were none of them."

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, our Creator, we praise You for technology
that changes minds about abortion and stirs a young
mother's heart to love her child in the womb.

We thank you for your Word that establishes our worth
and personhood from the moment of conception until
natural death.

May we pass on Your life valuing legacy to our children
and our children's children and may we build sons and
daughters who will honor You and cherish life.

In the name of Your Son who gives us life we pray,
AMEN.

*******************************************************

For Stacey, Joe, and Baby John,

David Bereit National Campaign Director 40 Days for
Life

P.S.- The Persichetti family would be deeply touched to
know that you are praying for their family. Please take
a moment to leave a reply with your prayers for them at
the bottom of today's blog posting:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=20 <------------------

We'll be sure they get to see your comments!

40 Days for Life
3515-B Longmire #316
College Station, TX
77845

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