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!

Walking for Life

Shortly after we moved to this town my friend, Nicole, introduced me to an organization that I have grown to really admire.  It is a resource center for women facing pregnancy issues.  It is a life-affirming non-profit Christian organization that offers emotional, spiritual and physical support not only to the woman but to her family.  Their goal is to eliminate the perceived need for abortion by helping women feel confident, not fearful, about their pregnancy.

I first got involved in a crisis pregnancy center when Mike was in seminary in Minnesota.  We had very little money to tithe with or to donate to anyone.  I felt a need to give back, though, so started volunteering at Birthright, a Catholic organization.  I am not Catholic but they accepted my offer to be a part of their efforts and trained me.  I went down to their office most Saturday mornings.  I did pregnancy testing and helped women learn of their options.  It was a busy little place!  We linked pregnant women up with whatever kind of help they needed to empower them to carry their baby to term.  The part I enjoyed most was when women came in with their new babies and I got to help them choose from the donated clothing.

My time at Birthright was so enlightening.  Although I'd heard via the media that abortion was really a women's rights issue, I found that point of view to be a little off-kilter in reality.  Many girls or woman who came there told me they were planning to abort if their pregnancy test was positive.  Of those individuals, without exception, each said they would abort because their dad or boyfriend wanted them to do so.  Let me repeat that...WITHOUT EXCEPTION.  I am sure there are exceptions to that, but none of the people I counselled stated they would abort because they wanted to for themselves.

The other thing I realized was what a loving choice it is when a girl or woman who feels she can't parent, for whatever reason, chooses to carry the baby to term and offer it for adoption.  I know that sometimes those girls/women get no support and are judged for "giving up their own baby" but yet they do it so that child may have life.  What a sweet sacrifice!

I am not a very political person but I am a medical person and everything I have ever learned makes me believe that life begins at conception.  I really don't want to be in anyone's business regarding their reproduction.  However, if I truly believe unborn babies are humans, how could I not speak out?  I came to believe that keeping quiet about it would be as wrong as if I kept quiet if I knew someone was planning to kill their newborn.  That's how I became involved.

What I like about True Care is their compassion.  Even if the patient tells them she is going to abort, they still offer only kindness.  In fact, they let her know that she is welcome to come back at any time.  Knowing that many post-abortive mothers later struggle with depression and guilt, they offer care to help them reach a point of peace, knowing they are forgiven.

Some of the assistance offered at True Care includes a nursing consultation, pregnancy testing and ultrasounds, STD testing and treatment,  abortion recovery, education on all options and referrals for community services and adoption when appropriate.  They do all of this free of charge!

I also like that True Care's goals don't end with a live birth.  They follow-up and offer  parenting classes and other forms of practical help as needed.  At any time during the pregnancy and beyond, they refer patients for help that may be beyond the scope of practice that clinic.

On June 2 Mike and I will be joining a group of great people as we are fund-raising for True Care Women's Resource Center.  If you are interested in supporting this cause, just click here.  They have it set up so you can quickly and easily donate online.  I love that!

I realize that no every one agrees with me on this issue.  I welcome your comments but I ask that you be respectful as this really is an important cause to me and my concern is heartfelt.