R-E-S-P-E-C-T

This post was originally written in April at the beginning of my training to become an NFP teacher. The loving and fact filled message has been on my mind as I have been challenged on the benefits and difference of NFP v. AC

I went to a NFP class this Saturday and that was the theme throughout the 2 hour lesson. The couple teaching was funny and had some great stories from 47 years of marriage. They had a very simple and straightforward way of explaining how they try to love and respect each other every day.

They talked about Bible references and theology but it all seemed to come down to one thing - respect each other and God's plan for our lives. We are wonderfully made, created in the image of God. Every NFP class has the same statement thrown in at some point: Fertility is normal - not a medical disorder. God gave us the gift of fertility and we need to respect that gift. Trying to artificially suppress that gift is the difference between Natural Family Planning and barrier methods. The Catholic Church's argument against birth control has more to do with changing our body's natural rhythm and possibly miscarrying than preventing conception and most people are not aware of that. Not every loving act is expected to yield a high chance of conception since the woman's body is not always fertile. Normal is a woman that is fertile 6-10 days a month. In relation to that, I learned that fertility treatments are supported by the Church as long as it is bringing the couple back to the normal range and not choosing from six embryos. To simply put the theology - God's plan is perfect so why try to change it?

Health Care Update

Christmas is officially over. Ornaments have been put away and trees are absent. I no longer see stockings hanging from my fireplace and Christmas carols are long forgotten. Students are back in school and soon all members of congress will be back at work in D.C.

Health Care has not passed yet. Some people say that since both house and senate have passed their version, health care is as good as completed and implemented. I beg to disagree with my husband's doctor who made the statement and many other who I'm sure have been led to believe it. The house version included the Stupak-Pitts amendment that puts limits on abortion coverage and basically makes sure we don't go further than the status-quo. The Senate version is drastically different. Consider contacting your representatives as they return to D.C.

* Representatives return to D.C. January 12th
** Senators return January 20th

Friday Reflections v. 1 n. 1

A fitting first reflection - lessons learned in blogging.

When I started this blog last April, I didn't think it would last a year. Most social sites I try and fade away from within a few months. My facebook is neglected and twitter just baffles me - I have yet to open an account for that. I thought "24 and prolife" would be a great name because I figured I would stop blogging before the end of my 24th year - now I'm not so sure.

This blog challenges me to state my opinion in a loving and forceful way. Persuasive, intelligent and thought-provoking topics challenge my mind and heart while hopefully engaging readers. How can you expose hard truths while loving people on the other side? The researcher inside of me screams her answer - facts! Those facts are objective and deserve some time in the spotlight. There are enough commercials giving the facts and side effects of different medications, I'm just trying to even the playing field. Another part of me argues that love will show the way. Both of those answers provide my motivation to blog and to teach NFP - more people need to have the opprotunity to learn about safe and effective methods.

So what did I learn last year blogging? That I have so much to learn - making my opinion matter very little. Yes, blogs invite commentary and opinion, but at the end of the day I know it is just that - opinion. It is not my place to judge - here or anywhere else. I desire to be open, honest and approachable while providing a resource for myself and others. Even with all the lessons, I have only been blogging a short time and have a lot more to learn. What have you learned through blogging?

Loving Others

Right now I am reading a book on Mother Teresa. The book is insightful and straightforward - just my kind of reading, yet I'm having a problem finishing it. The dense reading may be giving me too much to ponder.

One of the biggest themes of the book, along with many other spiritual books, is about how to be God's love for others. What I like about this one is all the great analogies and real life examples. I don't need to go to Africa and become a missionary to be God's light to others. I can start right where I am with who I meet and talk to on a daily basis. I can't think of a better pro-life stance than that. Part of the way to do that is...


Tough Love
I have always believed in tough love. One of the few bible verses that comes to my mind often is Proverbs 27:17. To paraphrase - iron sharpens iron, so man should sharpen man. I don't feel sharper if I have sugar-coated conversations all the time. Mother Teresa was a shining example of loving others with true compassion no matter who they were or what they had done, but she didn't stop there. Tough issues were addressed and in her 1979 Nobel Lecture she noted:

The poor people are very great people. They can teach us so many beautiful things. The other day one of them came to thank me, and said, "You people who have evolved chastity, you are the best people to teach us Family Planning. Because it is nothing more than self-control out of love for each other."

I love the way she started that statement with compliments. It is easier to hear a hard truth if you can first feel the love and acceptance of God - no matter where you are at in your life. She also spoke about the dangers of abortion and I encourage you to use the link above to read more of what this amazing woman said. Like her lecture, I can be tough and, hopefully, loving at the same time. I am learning through the example of those who went before me, but it is a long process. So, for today, I will let the loving words of Mother Teresa be the main focus of the post. NFP was accepted and appreciated by the poor. Again, I don't know any better pro-life stance or argument than that.

Politically Incorrect

When did the term politically correct come to mean polite and non confrontational? The phrase just does not make sense to me. I seem to be politically incorrect quite often be it my eating habits (which don't follow the low-fat ideology but do include lots of healthy produce) or my use of NFP for health and spiritual benefits.

My issue with politics and the expectation to be "politically correct" in terminology and topic choice is that it seems to prevent us from having thought out conversations about the true issues. One issue I have studied a lot is birth control. I studied the history behind the 1920s movement to promote it, the church history of when different denominations allowed it, and the side effects linking it to stroke, breast cancer and more. Unfortunately, it is politically incorrect to bring this topic up - especially if you are against it in most instances (there are medical benefits for some women). Since my husband's family doesn't follow "politically correct conversation topics" a discussion started about why we should hand out free contraceptives. Unlike this topic, I did not let it go.

I argued that this would not be a good use of my tax dollars. Before you think I'm too extreme, I also stated that I don't believe abstinence-only education is effective. I believe teens and young adults should be taught about what is out there - they know it exists! Trying to hide the obvious can come off as close-minded and unenlightened no matter how beautiful you message is. However, when you hand out the pill or condoms for free, you condone and promote behavior that uses that method and people forget there are other ways to act and other successful methods of family planning. I was never taught about NFP in school or church and, even at my small Christian college, the pill was pushed as my only option for my medical complaint. It is saddening that even young people who want another way have trouble finding it.

People barely heard me. I was just told that not everyone is as smart or sensible as me and it is the only way to prevent supporting more people on welfare. How do you compassionately respond to that comment? And if you agree, why do you think it is the only/best solution?

Don't you like people?

My husband's family did not get the memo - don't speak religion or politics at Christmas gatherings. Even so, it was refreshing to debate topics like women priests as well as social justice issues and how that relates to politics. I don't get a chance to share my knowledge and opinion on those subjects very often.

During one political discussion between siblings I overheard the line "Don't you like people?" The question was directed at her brother who announced he had voted for McCain. I decided that was just too easy to turn into an abortion debate, but decided to stay out of it - my much younger cousin decided to take the bait and discuss Obama's abortion position and record. He must have been shocked by her response (a neo-natal doctor) :

"I would preform an abortion on anyone"

Does anyone else find this ironic? How is it that, according to some, we can claim to be compassionate when we kill babies yet if we voted against Obama we don't like people?

New Year, New Adventures

Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed welcoming in 2010. We had a few house guests bring in the new year with us and we each talked about what we are looking forward to most in 2010 before watching the ball drop. I thought that would be more exciting than watching J-Lo on TV.

I'm excited about many things, but the one I mentioned probably tops them all - I will be celebrating my 25th birthday in Rome, Italy. I'm also excited to teach two STM series of NFP classes, attend weddings and family vacations with both sets of parents. I'm also excited to go to the March for Life in a couple of weeks. I will be spending 12 hours on a bus, then 12 hours at the March in D.C. then 12 hours on a bus (and hopefully sleeping). It will be just one weekend but it should also be a memorable lifetime experience. It has also been a good way to bring a prolife topic - I'm going to D.C.! The first question in everyone's mind then is for what? I'm excited for everything coming up and can't wait to see what other surprises 2010 will bring.