Who is a Person?

Today was our fundraiser walk for our local pregnancy center. This center is a safe place where those experiencing an unexpected pregnancy can go for compassion and assistance and truth. I love supporting them. This year's theme was "Who is a Person" with references to Dr. Seuss' quote "'cause a person's a person no matter how small".

Mike and I have been doing this fundraiser walk for years. Each year we've seen more and more people join in. It just warms my heart!

The sponsored walkers come from congregations all around town. As I posted earlier, for fun and to encourage more people to be walkers from our congregation, Laura came up with a great idea. We convinced Mike, the avid St. Louis Cardinal Fan, to offer to wear a Chicago Cubs hat on this walk if we got a certain number of people from our congregation willing to be walkers. People loved the idea and we got more walkers than ever!

When I mentioned on Facebook that Mike was going to do this his cousin, Tom, wanted to know when hell (pardon the language) was freezing over. Our friend from Chicago, Cindy, wanted photos of him in the Chicago Cubs hat to be posted all over the internet to be seen around the world. Well, here it is so share this post for all to see.

Laura had the honor of placing it on his head.

By his face, it looks like it hurt.

 He was a good sport, though.

 We were ready to walk.

I felt a bit like I was with the wrong man, actually.

Cordelia and Elise were good to go as well.

Cordy wore a St. Louis Cardinal/Minnie Mouse hat.

It was a 2 mile walk.

Maria wisely brought the stroller.
The highlight for me was when some kid, also wearing a Cub's hat,
called out to Mike, "Go Cubs!"
Ha Ha Ha Ha!

 Every year we do this, the weather is beautiful.

 Elise was charming.

Mike wore his hat the ENTIRE walk...

...but now he is talking about burning it!

Mike as a Chicago Cubs Fan - NOT!

We are currently in the middle of a big fundraiser for True Care. Many of us have been going to various churches around our community as we encourage others to become sponsored walkers for our Who is a Person Walk? 

Our friend, Laura, had a wonderful idea to get people at our church excited about this walk. She proposed that if we got 8 sponsored walkers, Mike would wear a Cubs Hat. As you know, Mike has been a St. Louis Cardinal Fan most of his life. It was a stroke of genius, really. We had 3 volunteer walkers from our church last year and this year we have.... hmmmm.....I'm not sure how many at last count, but MORE than 8! Yes, Mike, you are going to have to wear a Cubs hat for the entire fundraising event!

You may not all know this but the Cubs and Cardinals have had a lively rivalry for pretty much ever.  Therefore, Mike has been the opposite of a Cubs Fan for pretty much ever. Just so you know, as I was setting up this photo, Mike said, "Don't take a picture of that hat!", then, he suggested I take a photo of it in the garbage.

Boo! That sounds like poor sportsmanship to me. He then was trying to figure out a way to wear it at the same time he wore his Cardinals hat. NOPE. That is not going to happen! He's got to do this right!

It did seem kind of a shame to pay for a Cubs hat, knowing that he'd only wear it for that walk, not a second longer. Last night I was looking at it and realized it was a Youth size! Aargh! So guess what!? I ordered another. Now I've purchased 2 cubs hats!

Oh well. It is worth it for this event.

Walk for Life

Mike and I are once again planning to do the Walk for Life. That is to say, we are involved in a fundraiser for True Care (also known as The Caring Center). I am not good at fundraising and I don't often get involved in anything where I have to ask for a pledge. This is the exception. This is important enough for me to step out of my comfort zone.

Walk for Life is an annual fundraiser to help support the ministry of True Care. True Care is a place of hope. When a woman or girl is faced with an unplanned pregnancy, this is a place she can go to for help. It is a place she can go to for a pregnancy test, ultrasound and many other services. True Care will give information regarding her options. True Care's mission is to be a part of the movement to help find options that will erase the perceived need for abortions.

I am now on the Board of Directors for True Care. I'm not a Board of Directors kind of person but again, this is important enough for me to step out of my comfort zone. This is a life or death situation!

You see, I have decided I am a liberal. I don't understand why society thinks someone with my beliefs should be called a conservative. I think it is a very, very liberal idea to believe that all humans, inside or outside of the uterus, deserve to be protected. I believe a woman's instinct is to protect her young and I believe that going against her instinct will likely cause her a great deal of pain and regret later.

I don't feel called to political action as much as I feel called to a position of education. That is something that True Care does well. They have a well educated staff that has loads of information regarding resources of hope. That is really what they are about.... hope. They do their work without judgment. They do their work with kindness. They offer hope for a future for both the mother and the baby.

True Care will offer information and help for a woman who chooses to raise her own baby. They offer the same for a woman who chooses to make the sacrifice of adoption.

But that isn't all! If they help a young woman who then decides to abort her baby anyway, she is welcomed to return at any time in the future. There are women available, who had abortions themselves, who offer a place of refuge and a path to peace. All the work is done with a Christian attitude of comfort and forgiveness, love and kindness. That is really what I like most about True Care.

So, now you know why I am participating in this Walk for Life. If you are interested in making a pledge for our walk, please click here. We thank-you!

The Strength of the Human Spirit

Earlier this week my friend, Diane, and I went on a lovely walk.  We have access to a beautiful walkway that not only follows a river but also takes you past ruts from the Oregon Trail!

As we followed the swollen river we sometimes had to forge our own path around flooding.  We talked and enjoyed watching Diane's dogs play in the water.

We were talking about the thousands of people who followed the Oregon Trail, passing over this same land.  We thought about the motivation those folks had.  We pondered the amount of courage it took for them to leave the lives they knew, not quite knowing where they were going.  So many died along this trail!  They had to have had strong character to survive the discomfort and danger along the way.   What would it be like to be a woman on that trek.  I found giving birth in a hospital rather uncomfortable, what about women giving birth along this trail?!  What about mothers who had to bury their children along the way? 

How amazing to be standing there, seeing the same view they saw, but experiencing things so very differently!   

Walk for Life

My heart goes out to anyone who is experiencing what seems to be a crisis pregnancy.  But, I believe abortion is wrong.  I believe it is really, really wrong.  I don't believe God wants us to kill our unborn to solve our problems.

Having said that, I also want to say that I don't think it is our job to judge someone who has chosen to abort a baby, someone who has performed or assisted with abortions, or someone who has supported this choice.  I think each of us drags behind us a history of poor choices and outright mistakes, at least until we are forgiven.  I know stories of many young woman who have suffered greatly from their own choice to go against their basic instinct to protect their young.  We need to reach out and help all of these people to see that they are being offered forgiveness.

Nearly 7 years ago my friend, Nicole, introduced me to a local crisis pregnancy center.  I went through their training, learning and observing, and we have donated to them ever since.  I was so impressed with their attitude of love and caring.  They offer pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, limited STD testing and counseling.  They try to direct mothers to whatever services they need to maintain their pregnancies and even offer support after the babies are born.  I was most impressed with the help they offer young women who are hurting because they've already had an abortion.  That spirit of forgiveness and compassion is extended to fathers as well. 

Mike & I walk in a fundraiser for this agency each year and we are inviting anyone who wants to support this effort to let us know.  You can read about them at their website http://www.carenetcasper.com/   They have recently changed their name from CareNet to True Care Women's Resource Center.

The way this fundraiser works is kind of neat.  We are raising money but we don't ever have to actually deal with money.  Between now and June 4 you just go to this site, http://www.firstgiving.com/npo/28243 if you want to help.  Once at that site you'll see a box asking for your friend's name.  Just type in Strucks and you'll find our page.  Or you can just email me at onlythemanager@yahoo.com telling me the amount you wish to donate, as well as your name and address.  True Care will then send you a statement.  It's that easy.

Alternatively, I'd like to suggest you research in your own community.  See if there is a crisis pregnancy center and find out how they help their clients, what their attitude is toward them.  Then, if you feel challenged to help at your own local level, ask how they could use you.  It feels really good to do something so positive to try to help eliminate the perceived need for abortions. 

These pictures are of our grandaughter, Cordelia, taken the day she was born.  Cordelia was always wanted, always loved.  She's growing into a confident little person who knows she has a support group of people who care about her.  That is how it is supposed to be.  I am just trying do something to help every baby get to experience that sort of beginning, whether it be with a birth family or an adoptive family.  I thank you for considering this opportunity to do the same.