Last is better than DNS

I’m not much one for inspirational posters but I saw this one on the MR340 discussion board today and really liked it.

It’s only 9 days until we’re on the water in Kansas City and there are still people who are debating whether to enter the race or not – and those of us who are already on the starting list are encouraging them all we can. It really is all about starting. Most of us have have absolutely no hope of winning this thing. In the average year 1/3 of the starters drop out and last year 50% didn’t make it to the finish. But.. they STARTED the race.

That’s something the people at BirthChoice are trying to make possible for the women, and the babies, who come through their doors. With your help, they won’t be DNS – Did Not Start. That’s what I’ll be thinking about while I’m on the water. As I write this we’re at just under $1,000.00. We have a long way to go and I hope to get updates telling me that contributions are coming in. At the very least, pass the word to anyone you know who might be interested in helping with this good work.

So, what about the race? It starts at 7:00 am for the solo racers (8:00 for everyone else) on the 23rd and you’ll be able to track our progress on FACEBOOK or at RACEOWL. When you first go to Raceowl you’ll see the top 10 racers. To get the rest of us, you’ll need to click on the “View All” link. Then it’s a matter of doing a search for my boat number, 0726 or Christian’s, 3141. You’ll see the boat number, our names, last checkpoint and whether we’ve checked in or out of that checkpoint, the time in or out, our average speed, and the calculated time of arrival at the next checkpoint. Pretty cool stuff.

Once you have that info, it’s a matter of understanding where the checkpoints are and when we have to be there – there are cutoff times and if we miss any of those times we’re out of the race. Here’s the list:

1. KAW POINT: The solo boats start here. The local news helicopters will be flying around and a huge crowd will be on the river banks to watch. It’s pretty exciting for everyone.
2. LEXINGTON: 50/50. My shorthand here indicates that Lexington is 50 miles from the last checkpoint and we’ve traveled a total of 50 miles on the race. We must get there by 5:00 pm on Tuesday.
3. WAVERLY: 23/73. The deadline is 9:00 pm Tuesday.
4. MIAMI: 32/105. If we aren’t in Miami by 11:00 am Wednesday we’re out.
5. GLASGOW: 36/141 and the cutoff is 6:00 pm Wednesday
6. KATFISH KATY’S: 46/187 – Noon on Thursday but, by KK we’re half way to the finish and almost all those people who will drop out will have already done so.
7. WILSON’S SERENITY POINT at NOREN ACCESS (Jefferson City): 36/223. by 7:00 pm Thursday
8. HERMANN: 46/269. If we’re later than 10 am am on Friday we’re a DNF.
9. KLONDIKE: 42/311. 6:00 pm Friday is the latest we can pass this checkpoint.
10. ST. CHARLES: 27/338 and the deadline is midnight, Friday.

Late addition to this post – here’s a map. Click on the link at the bottom that says “view larger map” to get the full picture.

Notice that there’s a big time gap between Waverly and Miami. That’s to allow the racers to get some sleep. The reality is that no one who has slept at Waverly in the past four years has managed to finish the race. So, we’ll be pushing on to (or past) Miami to “bank some time” in case we have weather, physical, or mechanical problems that delay us.

That’s it. The boats are ready, Christian and I are as ready as we can be, and all we need to do is pack up the car for the drive. I probably won’t do any more blogging until after the race so, for the latest news, check our Facebook page.

Thanks so much for everyone’s support and encouragement.

Ned

It’s a stretch

We’ve set some tough goals for ourselves in the 2013 MR340. But, with your help I know we can get there.

75 hours – that’s how fast we want to make it to the finish line. In 2010 I did it in 82 hours, with a much faster river and cooler temperatures. I averaged 4.14 miles per hour then and will need to up that to 4.53 mph. It doesn’t sound like much of an improvement but, if you figure we’ll need sleep at least a LITTLE it gets tougher. If we sleep 4 hours a night, for three nights, we’ll need to be paddling at a 5.39 mph pace when we’re on the water. It will be tough.

$10,000 – that’s how much we want to raise for Birth Choice of Dallas. In 2010 we raised $5,000 to help in Haiti. This time the stretch is twice that amount. It’s a great cause. Birth Choice provides free services to women in crisis, many of whom couldn’t get help any other way. The training we’ll be doing will be easy compared to this part of our goal. How do we plan to get there? There’s only one answer to that one – YOU!

If you’re pro-life this should be an easy decision. If you’re pro-choice I hope you’ll remember that that’s exactly what BirthChoice is trying to provide to women who are in a tough spot. They may be under a lot of pressure from boyfriends or husbands, their family, society, or their own economic situations.

They might see only one way out – a way that they may well regret later. The choice they may want to make might only be possible with outside help. BirthChoice gives them that help by educating them about all their alternatives, their choices. If they do decide to go through with an abortion the compassionate people at BirthChoice are still there to talk with them and support them afterward. There’s never any preaching or attempt to make them feel guilty. If you read Sharon’s last post you saw the full list of services.

To do this the folks at BirthChoice need your help. They are blessed to have two locations directly across from abortion clinics in Dallas but only one part time sonogram nurse. They need to train another nurse and we’d like to provide a scholarship for her tuition. Beyond that, money will be set aside for educational tools and materials for the men (yes, they work with the dads, too) and women who come in. And finally, with their goal to double their volunteer staff, they will use remaining dollars for training and continuing education.

This is a non profit, with limited resources, so money is tight. The goal is a stretch but one that’s worthwhile. We can reach it with your help, but you’ll need to click HERE to make a secure, tax deductible donation!

Thanks to you all for the prayers, encouragement, and support.

Ned

LET’S NOT LIMIT ACCESS TO THE CHOICES

Sound like the words of the largest abortion provider in our country? Does this echo the sentiments of the pro-choice movement?   I urge you to read this entire post with an open mind and heart; then you decide.

I have worked with women receiving counseling and services at crisis pregnancy centers now, for over two years. The last eight months have been for BirthChoice Pregnancy Centers for Women, in Dallas. As a peer counselor and a nurse sonographer, during an intake and assessment a question asked all clients is whether they have had previous abortions and if yes, would they make that choice again. A small percentage have had previous abortions and say it wasn’t a problem but they would never consider it again. They feel desperate because they have been convinced they are not strong enough or have enough resources to manage a child or be a good parent. Some women had abortions under duress, believing it would solve their problem and life would go back to normal and found that far from true. Some women report a previous abortion and still see it as their only choice with this pregnancy because of external pressures ie: from parents or friends, embarrassment, financial stressors, boyfriend threatening to leave. Many women when relating their abortion experiences tell of treatment ranging from insensitive to gruesome to possibly illegal. But the main themes I keep hearing are “I didn’t think I had any other options,” “I felt trapped in my situation,” “I didn’t have insurance and didn’t know there was help for me,” and many similar stories with the same theme – “I didn’t know all the choices I had.”

Why  these other choices were not presented would be a good topic for another post.

Instead of abortion, what positive choices do we provide at BirthChoice? After we complete an intake and assessment to evaluate the woman’s situation and needs, the following are possible.

• Sonograms for women considering abortion. Many women truly believe “the products of conception” they are told an abortion removes is a blob of tissue and are shocked to see the heartbeat of a 6 week baby and how active a 10 week or older baby is, kicking, punching, sucking it’s thumb. They will comment that because they don’t feel it yet they didn’t expect it to be moving. A baby’s movement is not usually felt until after 20 weeks. Abortion in Texas is legal until 24 weeks.
• Sonograms for women not wanting abortion but are being pressured by boyfriends/parents/friends/spouses. We strongly encourage those significant others to view the sonogram.
• Review of the booklet by the state “A Woman’s Right To Choose” which shows fetal development and factual information about the various types of abortion procedures and their possible risks and side effects – both short and long and short term,  and they are given a copy.
• For the woman who still plans to seek an abortion, given a copy of questions for her to ask her abortionist. *Will the procedure hurt?  *In your practice, have you ever punctured a uterus?  *If there is a problem do you have emergency blood on hand? *If there is a problem which hospital will the ambulance take me to? *If I am admitted, who will pay my hospital bill? *Will I have problems getting pregnant when I want to? * Can you assure me this procedure is completely safe and that I will not have any problems now or later? * Can I change my mind at any time and have my money returned?
• If undecided shown a video Honest Answers or Choices which present real women talking about the choices they made and how it worked out for them.
• Given options for prenatal care if they don’t have health insurance. Lately we have seen more women who are pregnant and have recently lost their jobs or their husband or boyfriend has become unemployed and they have lost their health insurance and or income.  We don’t want a woman to be pressured to have an abortion with long term and possible detrimental consequences because of a temporary situation.
• Given a referral list for various programs for financial support.
• Given adoption information – we have an adoption specialist who can meet with the client and educate them about adoption and adoption agencies.
• Information and referrals for emotional support or spiritual counseling including but not limited to: Rachel’s Vineyard for post abortive women suffering emotionally and spiritually from effects of their abortions, Project Gabriel and their GEMS program, Nurse Family Partnership Program, spiritual counseling at our center.
• Connect to many other appropriate resources.

We do many other things at BirthChoice but the purpose of this article is to show how by providing education about all the choices a woman has in an unplanned pregnancy, she can make an informed choice, hopefully the one that will impact her life in a positive way.

More often than not when I introduce myself to a client, the expression she has is sad, flat, angry or scared.  She believes her choices are very limited or she has been lead to believe she doesn’t really have one. I want her to leave with hope for different possibilities. My greatest reward is a huge sigh of relief and a smile.

It’s a slow start…..

I hit the publish button on this one before it was ready. If you got that, my apology, and here’s the finished version.

We’re about 12 weeks from the start of the 2013 MR340 – so, we’re the “last trimester.” I haven’t posted anything here for a while so I thought an update might be good. It’s been a slow start with my training because life keeps happening. Lots of work, family emergencies, and uncooperative weather, you know how it is. I’m continuing with the pushups and situps but can’t wait to actually paddle more. Unfortunately, the predictions for next week are more cool weather. Say some prayers for heat, guys.

We’re also slow on the fundraising front. So, since there’s not a lot of news about kayaking, this post will be about the cause.

When a woman walks in to BirthChoice it’s usually because she’s worried she might be pregnant and wants to get a test. She may be single, married, or in a committed relationship. She may be hoping for a baby or fearful of what the test results will show. She may be all alone, with her husband or boyfriend, or a with family member or friend. The person with her may be pressuring her to go to an abortion clinic or, the opposite, they might have brought her there.  In any case, all the services she receives are at no charge.

If the pregnancy test is negative, they educate her about why she may have missed several periods and what the next steps are. Some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)  can be the cause.  Also, various forms of birth control that use hormones can affect a woman’s cycle. For instance, after long term use of the “depo” shot a woman may not have a period for six months. If she does not start her period in another 1-2 weeks they encourage her to come for a retest. They discuss STD testing, relationships, sexual purity and Natural Family Planning (NFP) when appropriate. Unlike some pregnancy resource centers, BirthChoise is not a medical clinic. They only provide two medical services – pregnancy tests and sonograms. Some centers, though, like one in Joplin, MO, do offer free STD testing and other women’s medical services.

If the pregnancy test is positive, a sonogram may be performed. BirthChoice volunteers then begin exploring all the choices the woman may have in making a decision to keep the baby, have an abortion, or place for adoption.  This is an emotional time and it’s important that the woman (or couple) have all the information and resources they need to make an informed choice. Quite a few misconceptions are cleared up at this point. The woman is given a Decision Guide sheet to look at the Pros and Cons of the choices, both short and long term.  If abortion is being considered, the types of procedures, their risks and their consequences are discussed.

If the woman has made a definite decision at this point to have an abortion, she is given an abortion packet with the booklet A Woman’s Right To Choose, a sheet on questions to ask her abortionist – are they a medical doctor, currently licensed, have complaints against them, will the procedure hurt etc., a pamphlet for Rachel’s Vineyard for post abortive counseling, and a factual explanation of abortion procedures at different stages of pregnancy. The woman is offered a chance to see our Medical Director if her concerns are high risk factors. The client is encouraged to call if she needs referrals after the abortion procedure. And most important of all, her initials and the baby’s father’s initials get forwarded to our prayer chain. She is encouraged to pray about her decision and not react out of panic, but from a place of clarity. A follow up call is made the next day to answer any other questions that may come up.

If the woman indicates she is strongly considering continuing her pregnancy, education on having a safe, healthy pregnancy begins. Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy precautions are reviewed. If the pregnancy is 20 weeks or further along pre labor precautions are given. The most important thing is for the woman to have access to affordable or free (depending on financial circumstances)  prenatal care. Birthchoice has resources for both. They try to set up the first appointment before the client leaves. Clients are given an education packet containing information on fetal development, nutrition, and prenatal care and this is reviewed. Also, issues specific to the client are addressed such as domestic violence, relationships and marriage, adoption information, financial counseling,  and how to tell their parents or boyfriend they are pregnant. Spiritual counseling is offered.

Other resources and referrals are available. If adoption is being considered, they’ll set up an appointment with an adoption specialist. Sometimes a referral is made to Nurse Family Partnership which is funded through the YWCA. In this program for low income women with a first pregnancy, a nurse visits the mother-to-be about every two weeks and follows her through her pregnancy. For women without resources, referrals are made to agencies that can help with food, maternity homes, and housing or shelter.

Two programs that deserve special mention are the Gabriel Project and Rachel’s Vineyard. The Gabriel Project pairs women with specially trained volunteers who support them with spiritual, emotional, and material needs throughout the pregnancy and beyond. They also have their GEMS Program for prenatal and parenting classes. Rachel Ministries of Dallas provides access to spiritual direction, mental and physical health care, and moral and emotional support for post-abortive women.

Of course, these women didn’t get pregnant by themselves. The fathers, if they are involved, are encouraged to  be part of this process and are offered separate counseling and support through many of these same programs.

Baby items like diapers and diaper bags, car seats, strollers, cribs,  clothes, and formula are also available to low income women clients at the end of their pregnancy. And, during the pregnancy, gently used maternity clothes are available. They try to follow the woman and her baby for a year after the baby is born. During and after their pregnancy the client can come in any time to meet with a peer counselor or nurse and watch education videos on topics like breast-feeding, postpartum depression, spiritual counselling, parenting skills, and child development.

BirthChoice operates at two full time locations – with one part time sonogram nurse. That leaves a need for an approved 20 hour paid part time position for an RN or sonographer and 2 volunteer nurses to be trained as back ups.  These positions will most likely require sonogram training for an RN. We ask for your prayers that the right individuals find BirthChoice and walk through the door ready to go. It’s important to have the funds available to cover the training. This is the White Rock Navy goal for 2013. Any funds raised over training costs will go in an education fund for materials that will be used for teaching their clients   We can do it with your help but, like my physical conditioning, we’re off to a slow start. In 2010 I asked first for your prayers for me and the people of Haiti – and you came through. Now I’m back again. Please pray for Christian and me as we vigorously train for this event and  for these women in crisis. Think about what you can do financially to support this educational funding. No matter your stand on the pro-life/pro-choice debate I hope you’ll agree that the work being done to serve these women is worth your attention. Ready? Click HERE to make that donation.

Thanks,

Ned and the WRN team

I Dreamed a Dream….. Choice

Ned and I went to see Les Miserables at the movies 2 weeks ago. He had read the book decades ago but I did not even know the story, just the music. I have wanted to see it forever, it seems.

I think I felt every emotion I have in those 3 hours. We both left profoundly effected and moved. I have listened to Anne Hathaway sing the title song a dozen times on u-tube trying to realize what I connect to so strongly. It finally occurred to me the verse “he took my childhood in his stride” is what I am thinking when I am seeing a client at BirthChoice who is very young and in an unintended pregnancy.

I have asked many of these 15 or 16 year olds “Was it worth it?” and EVERYONE I have asked has said “NO!” emphatically. They did it seeking love or to keep from losing their boyfriend, hoping for that dream. Suddenly, they are expecting and poof – their childhood is over and the dream is shattered unless he will be there for them. Now, some people believe that by getting rid of the “problem” pregnancy that these girls can go back to the dream and all is well. I learned of a manual used in a sex and health ed program for young girls that states “abortion can be a positive experience.” In my 3 years working with women who are post abortive I have never heard this claim. What I have heard is quite different. In the movie, Fantine has her child and although her life ends tragically, she saw her child as the good part worth huge sacrifices. The impact of that child Cossette’s life, no one could have imagined. Three days before I saw the movie I read a column in the newspaper by a female journalist who stated she felt guilty admitting it but she still loved the movie, even though she was hoping that in the movie version it would be modernized because of how the original story portrays women. She also stated we are lucky we are living in different times where woman don’t have to sacrifice for their children and aren’t expected to. Not knowing the story, my curiosity was piqued. After seeing the movie I was annoyed that I could not remember her name to quote her unbelievably ridiculous, selfish statements. That absurd thinking, that history needs to be told with a politically correct slant doesn’t make it historical anymore. How does someone develop such a mindset? She may dream a dream that things were different but wishing does not make it true. Nothing takes a childhood or part of a woman’s soul away more than abortion except a pregnancy from rape followed by an abortion – where there are two victims and two crimes. I have heard this direct from my clients: “I didn’t know… They didn’t tell me… I can’t sleep without nightmares anymore… I can’t have children now… they treated me like garbage… I would never do it again… The staff wouldn’t look me in the eyes…” We wouldn’t need post abortion retreats like Rachel’s Vineyard if abortion returned them to the dream and made things right.

So, I dream a dream where women are given all the facts and complete choices and understand the consequences from whoever they go to seeking support and information about what they can do about their situation. We try to do that at BirthChoice so the decision the woman makes will be positive and enhance her life, not make it worse or destroy it, or even possibly endanger it.

BirthChoice is there for support after the choice too – whatever it may be. And I have seen women who chose life bring their babies for us to see after they are born, proud and happy, and yes maybe tired. But they have another chance to dream the dream.

Sharon

The MR340

This blog has been “on the air” for three and a half years and now we’re headed back to where it all started – the Missouri River and the MR340. Most of you already know what that’s all about but, for our new recruits a recap is in order.

The MR340 is the longest non-stop river race in the world and is one of National Geographic’s top 100 adventures. Racers start in Kansas City, MO. and have 88 hours to make their way to St. Charles (a little northwest of St. Louis). They can go straight through or stop anywhere along the way to rest and sleep. The record is around 37 hours but some folks take the entire 88 to finish. Racers run the gamut from young guys who have arms as big as my legs, paddling high tech carbon boats, to older guys out for an adventure in their heavy aluminum canoes. They are both men and women (a lot of those women will beat us guys by a large margin!), in solo boats and in teams of up to six paddlers in a boat. The interesting thing is that about 1/3 of the starters don’t make it to St. Charles – and many of those are the people you’d expect to finish fast, young bucks in fast boats.

The organizers say it’s “just you and your boat thrown against 340 miles of wind, heat, bugs and rain. This ain’t no mama’s boy float trip. This race promises to test your mettle from the first stroke in Kansas City to the last gasp in St. Charles” and that’s about right. The racers will tell you it’s 90% mental and that the other 10% is – mental and they’re right, too. Along the way we’ll find out about whirlpools and boils, barges, hallucinations caused by exhaustion, cramps, blisters, sunburn and dehydration, isolation, and river bouys and bridge pilings that want to eat us. We’ll roast in the afternoon sun and be chilled at night when the temperatures drop and we’re wet. We’ll be ravenous with hunger but have to force ourselves to eat. We may have to sleep on rocks, in parking lots, in the mud, or in the weeds.

We’ll also see spectacular sunsets, make amazing friends, sleep better than we ever have, and watch the Missouri sky at night with stars that are usually obscured by city lights. We’ll see Missouri from a perspective that few get – on one of the mighty rivers of our country. We’ll see our ground crews giving up a week of their lives, dedicating themselves to OUR dreams, and appreciate their sacrifice more than they can imagine. We’ll get in better physical and mental shape, and accomplish something many of us doubted we could do.

Walt Birmingham, one of the legends of the race, talked about it in his blog and it’s worth a read, click HERE to take a look.

That’s it in a nutshell. That’s what Christian and I are aiming for in less than six months. If you’ve signed on for updates or are clicking over from our Facebook page we truly appreciate it. As I said in my last post, we’re attempting a solitary sport but we count on you for encouragement.

By the way, I see we got our first contribution to the fundraiser. It’s just ten bucks from an anonymous donor but it’s a start! If you’re “pro-life” you’ll want to support this cause. If you’re “pro-choice” you should remember that Birth Choice of Dallas provides many women a choice they didn’t think they had, and think about helping out.

Ned

Recognizing the gifts we are given

About three months ago, while praying and meditating, it became clear to me that I needed to write a letter about getting involved. I had no idea at the time exactly what this meant or who would see it but I did what I was directed to do (as usual). I believe there is a purpose for this and have sent or given this letter to several people and organizations with zero response/feedback except from my two mentors in Shreveport. After hearing Ned’s post for today I wonder if you all are the ones to share this with. Pass it on if you so desire.

I grew up in an activist Pro-Life Family. Beginning in the late 60’s my Dad went to parishioners’ homes to give educational slide shows on abortion, which was about to become legal. He was president of Democrats for Life, yes Democrat politicians were able to be outwardly Pro-Life in those days. We lived and breathed Pro-Life in my home and my parents walked the walk. I am very grateful for this.There are many incredible stories about this, some miraculous and others tragic. When I left home for nursing school I remained Pro-Life in my beliefs but stayed on the periphery, participating in walks, attending masses, saying rosaries, and (rarely) picketing. Years later, married with 3 children, we found ourselves moving from St Louis to Dallas because of a job transfer. Our parish did not have a Pro-Life group and it was not the priority of our pastor to change this. With my busy life I did not want to take on this challenge. My husband and I, both still strongly opposed abortion, educated our children about this evil, but we did not walk the walk. I felt many emotions during this time of my life; anger, uneasiness, restlessness, and frustration. The Holy Spirit was working on me and God was preparing me for a radical shift.

 

Fast forward to 2009. My unemployed husband took a job in Shreveport. I was devastated and went unwillingly. While waiting to get my LA nursing license I decided I would begin volunteer sidewalk counseling. I was trained in Dallas about a month before we found out about the move and was disappointed when I learned they didn’t have sidewalk counselors in Shreveport. Most Pro-Lifers I talked to there were unfamiliar with it.. After an internet search my husband found the ARK-LA-TEX Crisis Pregnancy Center and gave me a gentle, yet firm push.

 

The love I felt when I walked through the door, from the receptionist and everyone else, was indescribable. As I sat in the waiting room it was apparent how important these women clients were. THEY came first not me, a possible volunteer! My life changed that day in ways I could never have imagined. After a quite lengthy application and interview process, along with much prayer and discernment, they accepted me! Never had I felt this way about any job for pay. I was going to have the privilege of volunteering to love and support women in a time of crisis in their lives. The bonus was that many babies lives were saved. I was working with other women who volunteered their time and and took their commitment seriously, some had volunteered for 10 years or longer. I could talk freely to our clients about how God loved them and their babies. I could speak the Gospel to them. Because I was a nurse I had the added bonus of being able to do health teaching and education about abortion and the adverse effects physical, emotional and spiritual. I  was able to chaperon about 70 ultrasounds – my favorite part. This window into the womb definitely changes the hearts of many expectant women when their babies sometimes wave or high five them.(I have pictures of both). If the pregnancy was early, just hearing the heartbeat would elicit a smile or sigh of relief. Sometimes the woman was shut down and there was no reaction. One young woman who was 23 weeks pregnant decided after her baby put on quite a performance that she did not want an abortion. But after leaving our clinic, was persuaded by a family member, who provided the funds, to have the abortion. These cases are heartbreaking. My Nurse Manager, Karen, wisely told me we can tell them and show them the truth and love and support them but it is God who changes their hearts. The programs at this center were comprehensive. They offered assistance to the expectant moms, who decided to carry and parent, at their learning center where they could take classes on nutrition, parenting, childbirth, finances, etc. and earn merit points to use for maternity clothes, baby clothes and other essential baby items. They could earn merit points for going to Church. The goal is to follow these women for 2 yrs. They did not only support them “from pregnancy to birth” as Pro-Lifers are sometimes criticized for. They also had certified Adoption specialists and they offered post abortion counseling for women who had abortions and were experiencing emotional side effects. After 8 months of volunteering I was offered a part time position as a nurse. The plan (my plan) was that I would complete training and do ultrasounds  for them.

 

God had a different plan. My husband’s job ended abruptly and he had to return to Dallas to find work. In the 10 months we were apart I continued to learn from, and be supported by, these amazing women. Having been “in the making” for 18 yrs they have been able to create a Center  that addresses all aspects of a crisis pregnancy and, with Gods grace, it is excellent. What did I learn? That we are in Spiritual warfare and God Blesses and protects his warriors. That the man who volunteered to clean the entire facility once a week and do all odd jobs and repairs was just as important as any other volunteer.He has been doing this consistently for at least 10 yrs. His wife called every night to get initials of clients we needed to add to her prayer chain. I learned that whatever your God given talent was it could be put to good use there, answering phones, babysitting in their nursery while the moms took classes, sorting donated baby items, knitting baby items and making baby quilts, working at the walk for life, computer programming, helping update the website, donating professional counseling sessions, driving a pregnant mom to a prenatal class, training to be a peer counselor or to teach a class. The list is long and the needs are great. The coolest part though is that the time commitment can be small. It’s just making and keeping the commitment. We are all one body, and in order for that body to function at it’s best all of its parts must be doing their job….no individual part is more important than the whole. We are the Body of Christ. We are his hands, we are his voice.

 

I am back in Dallas and God literally directed me to the right place at the right time. I have been given the opportunity to work at BirthChoice Counseling for Women, a Catholic pregnancy resource center in Dallas.They have been around for three years and are working hard to become centers of excellence.They have two locations directly across from abortion clinics, one being the late term (26wks) center. I did get trained to do sonograms and have had the privilege of performing those for a few weeks now.  I urge anyone who has experienced that nagging restlessness (the Holy Spirit?) to get involved in the Pro-Life movement in an active way, either by donating  your  time, talent or treasure. To learn about opportunities at BirthChoice, contact them at (214) 631-2402 or visit their Facebook page by clicking HERE, or contact the crisis pregnancy center nearest you.

Why?

It’s a little after 4 in the morning and I’m awake on a Sunday. It’s hard to get used to sleeping in when you get up early for work every day. I’m sitting in the quiet thinking about why I’d want to enter a 340 mile race across the state of Missouri.

This is a project that really is pretty selfish. Once the weather warms up I’ll be out on White Rock Lake several evenings a week and most Saturdays getting in shape. That will continue until the end of July. My wife gives me the time for all this solitary activity and then, along with some friends, gives up a week to sit around isolated boat ramps waiting to take care of me in the race. Yeah, it’s selfish. Yet I’m a pretty social guy. I enjoy being around people and certainly don’t see myself as selfish. So, what’s the attraction for me of spending hours alone training and then days alone on the race?

I’ve found that this blog is a big part of it. Being able to share the adventure with so many of my friends – and people I don’t even know – and reading their comments to my posts is a tremendous motivator. The other big reason is the feeling that I’m doing something unselfish by promoting a good cause.

Sharon has had a dream of doing sonograms for a crisis pregnancy center for the last few years. A few months ago she found an opening at Birth Choice Dallas. They’re a non-profit, so money is always tight, and the cost of good training for her was a stretch for them. God answered her prayers from an unexpected source and a friend donated enough to pay for her classes. Unfortunately she’s only working 20 hours a week – and they have two locations. Do the math and you’ll understand that they need 3 more of her to fill the hours they’re open.

So, I’m in this thing for the personal challenge and getting the word out about the need. Don’t worry about me asking you for money. I figure that if a lot of people subscribe to this blog and “like” the Facebook page the donations will come in. My job isn’t to pick your pocket. I’ll just try to entertain you a bit and let you decide if this is a cause you want to back.

That’s it. I’m being selfish about a personal goal, I’m asking a lot of people to follow along from now until the end of July, and I’m praying that some of them decide this is a cause worth supporting.

Ned

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Making it through

In the spirit of dual blog entries, here are two for today. First, from Sharon, then from Ned….

I completed my ultrasound training this week and scanned at least 20 babies and observed 40 more! It was thrilling. I scanned one baby that was 5 weeks 5 days old who’s heart began to beat 5 weeks 1 day so I saw that tiny flicker 4 days after it began. This was 3 1/2 weeks after mom conceived. There were some very active bigger babies. I have a little more practicing to do next week and then I will be on my own.  A friend funded my tuition to make this possible. I plan to pay that forward some day and do the same. That could be an excellent designation for our fundraising- for scholarships to send our volunteer nurses to training.  The needs are numerous. Maybe you can come up with your own. I am more psyched than ever after spending 4 days scanning the Miracle through the Window To The Womb. Thanks to Jim, my instructor, and a very patient man. He made the class fun but also impressed upon us the importance of excellent technique. It’s a week I will never forget. We are past the 5 week point in our journey and our hearts are beating strong.

Sharon – limited ultrasound Nurse.

Not much to report on the paddling front, the weather is turning cold – too cold to get out on the lake. But, today is the running of the White Rock Marathon (now called the Dallas Marathon), so thousands of runners will be circling by our house as they compete in this event. And, it has me thinking about our daughter, Elisabeth.

You may remember that she’s our intrepid communications officer. Every kayak/canoe race she takes the job of posting our progress on the blog while we’re out paddling. Running is her passion. A few years ago she started lacing up the running shoes and getting in shape and has now completed a couple of half marathons. Sharon and I are both very proud of the grit she’s shown pushing through the pain and putting in the road miles to get ready for these events and she’s now planning two races within the next year. One’s out in the LA area, where she lives, and the second will be further north in San Francisco.

She doesn’t sound too worried about the first but the second involves hills – a lot of hills! They call the kind of racing I do “flat water” and I’m really grateful that I don’t have to go up, then down, then up…..

That’s the beauty of it, though. You try something new and then set another goal for yourself. Elisabeth found she could finish a half marathon on fairly flat land and has challenged herself to something tougher. Sharon got out of her comfort zone by volunteering to do something different then went after the next challenge of an intensive week long class and learned another new skill. I’m so very impressed with these two strong women in my life.

226 days left until the MR340

Ned