brent(inWorship)

Why is it so easy to treat people like they are a “yes” or a “no”? Why is it so easy to judge? I think it is probably in our nature. We speak about care and love, but when it all faces us, it’s easier to cast a vote…for, or against. We are faced with a lot of decisions to make this election year, but this post isn’t about those decisions, it’s about the people. Sometimes we need to stop thinking about what we feel is best for everyone and just start thinking about everyone’s best. There are people in our area, and around the country, doing just that.

Everyday, our communities deal with teen pregnancy. Here are some stats…

-One million teens in the USA will become pregnant over the next twelve months. 95% of those pregnancies are unintended. Roughly one third will end in abortion; one third will end in miscarriage; and one third will continue their pregnancy to term and keep the baby.

-More than half of them are 17 years old or younger when they have their first pregnancy.

-Approximately 40% of young women become pregnant before they reach 20 years old.*

Our political system attempts to legislate it’s control. People around town declare their opinions. Our education system is trying to figure out how to manage it. While all this is going on, there are groups of people that are focusing on those caught in the midst of this storm. The immediate care and attention of a young woman going through one of the most amazing and beautiful opportunities a woman has to go through, while dealing with the life changing experience that is taking place at such a young age and the huge decisions that could unfold around them.

The Rogue Valley Teen Pregnancy Center is “a Christian-based organization, focused on promoting the values of the sanctity of human life, premarital abstinence, and marital fidelity to the community”. They encourage and support abstinence education in schools and churches. They also provide parenting, adoption and post-abortion counseling, including crisis counseling.

Here is some of their mission statement:

-Sanctity of Human Life Ethic: This ethic and view of life is a cornerstone of traditional Western civilization-“the reverence for and sacredness of each and every human life based upon its intrinsic worth and equal value regardless of its stage or condition from conception to natural death.”

-Crisis Pregnancy:  An unplanned, untimely or unwanted pregnancy which results in emotional, financial, relation or physical stress in the lives of the birth-mother or her significant others.

What amazes me about the pregnancy center is their boldness to champion life. They are not a political organization they are a personal organization. They don’t fight at the polls, they fight in the trenches. This impresses me. I know that I am one that can get lost in the process and forget the people.

Also, the center does this all for free. No strings attached, no bills, no expectations. Genuine care, attention and love.

Today, as I fast, I pray for those who work in the Rogue Valley Teen Pregnancy Center. I pray for their wisdom. I pray for there strength. I pray for their own families, who I am sure often feel the affects of what they deal with everyday. I also pray that they will continue to stay focused on caring for and loving these young women.

*This post of part of the 40 Day Fast. My team blogger for the fast today is Transition Pete. Please take a moment to stop by his site and read his post today.

*stats from http://www.coolnurse.com/teen_pregnancy_rates.htm

For those of you that would like to follow along everyday with all the bloggers involved in the 40 day fast, I have a placed the list of bloggers in the side bar. Take time each day, head over to their sites and read about their concerns and what God is teaching them through this.

I have the privilege this year of joining the 40 day fast. No I will not be fasting for 40 days, but I will be fasting a specific day during the next 40. There are 2 teams of of people that will fast one day each over the next 40 days.

So what is this all about? Here is a summary.

Who:
40 bloggers who will each fast for 1 day.

What:
They will blog about an area of need in the world (either a cause or a country) and an organization that strives to meet that need.

Why:
The purpose behind it is to give people an opportunity to:
1. Experience a bit of need
2. Learn about the need in the world
3. Do something about it

Today is Day #1 of the fast. You are welcome to follow along with those who are involved, or get involved yourself. Pick a day or more during the next month and join in. Blog about it and share with us what or who is on your heart and how we can be involved.

So that you can follow along, here is a list of the participants.

TEAM 1
June 23, 2008 (Monday) Brant Hansen
June 24, 2008 (Tuesday) Amy
June 25, 2008 (Wednesday) Brian Seay
June 26, 2008 (Thursday) Annie Downs
June 27, 2008 (Friday) Autumn Wilson
June 28, 2008 (Saturday) Scott Mocha
June 29, 2008 (Sunday) Lorijo
June 30, 2008 (Monday) Licia
July 1, 2008 (Tuesday) Jason Gray
July 2, 2008 (Wednesday) Laura
July 3, 2008 (Thursday) Steven Russell
July 4, 2008 (Friday) Tim Harms
July 5, 2008 (Saturday) Mama’s Boy
July 6, 2008 (Sunday) Shawn Wallace
July 7, 2008 (Monday) Shaun Groves
July 8, 2008 (Tuesday) Prairie Rose
July 9, 2008 (Wednesday) Mark Jaffrey
July 10, 2008 (Thursday) Crystal Renaud
July 11, 2008 (Friday) truvyne
July 12, 2008 (Saturday) Pete Kim
July 13, 2008 (Sunday) Jonathan “Biscuet” Smyth
July 14, 2008 (Monday) Brody Harper
July 15, 2008 (Tuesday) Natalie Grant
July 16, 2008 (Wednesday) Adam
July 17, 2008 (Thursday) Euphrony
July 18, 2008 (Friday) Todd Ruth
July 19, 2008 (Saturday) Mandy
July 20, 2008 (Sunday) Brad Ruggles
July 21, 2008 (Monday) Stephen Lamb
July 22, 2008 (Tuesday) Brandy Campbell
July 23, 2008 (Wednesday) Annie Nelson
July 24, 2008 (Thursday) Ryan Bush
July 25, 2008 (Friday) Kristin
July 26, 2008 (Saturday) Melissa
July 27, 2008 (Sunday) Emily Witt
July 28, 2008 (Monday) Bart Millard
July 29, 2008 (Tuesday) Liz Seay
July 30, 2008 (Wednesday) Nancy Purdy
July 31, 2008 (Thursday) Jessie
August 1, 2008 (Friday) Tressa Strickland

TEAM 2
June 24, 2008 (Tuesday) April Lattimer
June 25, 2008 (Wednesday) Rick Elliot
June 26, 2008 (Thursday) P.D. Ross
June 27, 2008 (Friday) Kelly
June 28, 2008 (Saturday) Gene Pensiero
June 29, 2008 (Sunday) Fay
June 30, 2008 (Monday) Chris Szulwach
July 1, 2008 (Tuesday) Ambre Sautter
July 2, 2008 (Wednesday) Beth Waldeck
July 3, 2008 (Thursday) Sarah Chia
July 4, 2008 (Friday) Leslie Brooke
July 5, 2008 (Saturday) Andira
July 6, 2008 (Sunday) Stephanie
July 7, 2008 (Monday) Polly Hansen
July 8, 2008 (Tuesday) Charley Hayes
July 9, 2008 (Wednesday) Blake
July 10, 2008 (Thursday) Davida
July 11, 2008 (Friday) Valerie
July 12, 2008 (Saturday) Brent Hodge
July 13, 2008 (Sunday) Jeanine Guidry
July 14, 2008 (Monday) Lori Broach
July 15, 2008 (Tuesday) Kjaere
July 16, 2008 (Wednesday) Jacquelynne
July 17, 2008 (Thursday) Dan Byron
July 18, 2008 (Friday) Rodney Miller
July 19, 2008 (Saturday) Randel Hambrick
July 20, 2008 (Sunday) Shawn Bashor
July 21, 2008 (Monday) Kat