DAY 11 of 40 Days for Life Campaign: Meet Steve Karlen

From Shawn Carney
Campaign Director

It gets cold in Wisconsin. I felt it in my bones during a January 2009 visit. I'd been invited there by a dedicated Wisconsin pro-life leader -- Steve Karlen.

Steve led multiple 40 Days for Life campaigns in Wisconsin, as well as the effort that helped overturn plans for late-term abortions at the University of Wisconsin Medical Center.

Because of his leadership, we featured Steve in the 40 Days for Life book. We then went one step further and asked Steve to join the national 40 Days for Life team and assist local campaign leaders.

We want you to meet Steve -- so he's on the road visiting 40 Days for life locations. I'll turn it over to Steve now for today's update.

 

 

Canton, Ohio 

The community support for the Canton campaign was hard to ignore. I tried to talk to the volunteers, but sometimes it was difficult to speak because so many
people driving by were honking their horns and waving.

I met some great people in Canton -- and in particular, Dorothy -- an energetic 101-year-old prayer warrior.

 

 

Cleveland, Ohio

The Cleveland campaign hosted a candlelight vigil with readings from Psalms and the Gospel of John.

If you go to this 40 Days for Life location, you can't help but notice the sign in the abortion center's window: "We promote a world that values women and cherishes children."

What are they thinking?!

 
Dayton, Ohio 

The abortion center in Dayton is fairly low-key. In fact, the pro-life pregnancy center across the street looks much more inviting -- a most encouraging sign!

I have to credit the volunteers who pray outside this particular abortion center for their fortitude and determination. The business is owned by Martin Haskell, the inventor of partial-birth abortion. Just being here is creepy.

 
Fort Wayne, Indiana 

 There's a determined group in Fort Wayne as well, and I was able to join more than 50 people for a Wednesday evening vigil.

The Wednesday events are well-attended, and some volunteers stay until late in the evening, waiting for the abortionist. He works on Thursdays, but arrives on Wednesday nights and sleeps inside the abortion center. Again -- creepy!

 
Lafayette, Indiana 

Around 70 people turned out for an hour of prayer in Lafayette -- and so did the media.

"Here in Tippecanoe County, there were more than 81 children who lost their lives to abortion last year," local coordinator Donna Lynch told the Lafayette Journal Courier. "What can we do about that? We can do exactly what you all are doing -- pray ... and pray some more!”

Amen to that!

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Thanks again to Steve Karlen, our North American outreach director, for that tour of Ohio and Indiana!


Here's today's devotional from Carmen Pate of Truih in Action Ministries.

Day 11 intention

Pray that when those representing Planned Parenthood and other abortion groups see volunteers for 40 Days for Life, they see ambassadors of Christ, and may each volunteer be consciously aware at all times we represent Him.

Scripture

I...beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness, and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.

-- Ephesians 4:1-2

Reflection by Carmen Pate

When a former abortionist and post-abortive woman, Carol Everett, was asked what turned her heart from death to life in Christ, she replied, "It was unconditional love" shown by a man who prayed daily for her in front of the facility where she worked.

He told Carol that "God had sent him" because there was someone in there that God wanted out. She left 27 days later and now serves as Christ's ambassador to help others. We too have been sent by Christ as an ambassador to love unconditionally those God seeks to "get out" of their bondage and sin.

In his book, "Fishers of Men," Dr. Sumner Wemp describes what it means to be an ambassador of Christ, the King of Kings:

 * God has chosen us (John 15:16)

 * We are sent into a world that is not our home (1 Peter 2:11)

 * Our walk must match our talk (1 Timothy 3:7)

 * We must abide in Him for daily instruction (John 15:5)

 * Know our purpose -- to seek and to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10)

 * We are to reconcile others to God with His authority (Matthew 28:19-20)

 * Our service is to be grounded and rooted in love (Ephesians 3:17)

Pray that we each will walk worthy of the calling with which we were called!

Prayer

 

Dear Heavenly Father, we are humbled that you have called us and appointed us to be ambassadors of Christ in a world that is not our home. It is a calling much higher and grander than our finite minds can imagine.

We pray that your Holy Spirit will empower us to walk worthy of the calling. We pray that Your unconditional love will flow through us onto those who desperately need Your saving grace. In the name of Christ who is worthy, Amen.

Printable devotional

To download today's devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2013day11print.pdf