Things I care about in the news...

Today, the American Association of Pediatrics recommended that pediatricians write prescriptions for their younger teen patients for Plan B, referred to by some as "emergency contraception" and others as "the abortion pill."

Technically both terms are accurate, or rather one or the other the will apply. The morning after pill can keep an egg from being released (contraception), keep sperm from fertilizing an egg (contraception), or alter the uterine lining to make it inhospitable fit a fertilized egg to attach (abortion). So...the user won't really know if they have prevented a pregnancy or aborted one. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

My local news cast reported that doctors were urged that they should prescribe the morning after pill for young teens "regardless of their religious convictions" which I find appalling seeing as I was under the impression that we prize religious freedom and would hate the notion that in a country as divided as we are on the abortion issue, we should only have pro choice doctors or force half of the doctors in our country to defy their own convictions about what is best for their patients and what they personally can live with. If a doctor needs to refer a patient who asks for it elsewhere, that should be their right.

If a doctor has an agenda their patient may not share, should he or she be obligated to say so? My gut reaction is yes. I'd appreciate something like "I'm a Christian and as such I do not feel right prescribing that though there are other doctors in this practice who disagree and they do prescribe it." Or how about this one which I would've appreciated earlier in life? "I've been given tons of incentives from a pharmaceutical company to get you on the pill so I'm going to dodge all your questions about how it actually works because I think if I told you, your religious convictions might have you say no."

Bottom line: Doctors are citizens too with the right to live their religious convictions. Patients deserve all the information needed to make their own informed decision. These two things can be compatible in my opinion.

It's probably not hard to tell which side of this debate I'm on, and there are many many points and side topics that could be covered, but regardless of whether you are pro-choice or pro-life, you can probably relate to these thoughts...

If they were doing this in the 80s, some of my friends' wonderful firstborn children would not exist.

If they were giving out the morning after pill in the 60's, some of my favorite friends, and some of the most interesting people I've ever met would not exist.

What a shame that would be.
What a shame this will be.

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-teens-emergency-contraception-20121126,0,6178858.story

IN OTHER NEWS...

Actor Angus T. Jones has taken to biting the hand that feeds him. Due to his newfound faith as a Seventh Day Adventist, he urges viewers to stop watching Two and a Half Men, calling the show filth.

Meanwhile his family feel he's being exploited. They may have a point. Whenever a high profile figure has a conversion experience, they are thrust in front of the spotlight instead of protected so they can adjust to what is for most a major change. It really annoys me.

But after several years of signing off on hours and hours of quality time the likes of Charlie Sheen, and script after script that make uber promiscuity sound awesome and all manner of inappropriate subject matter for a young boy, are they worried about him being exploited or being exploited FOR FREE?

Either way, I'm glad that kid is over that show and I'm glad someone else finally said it. I've been saying it sucked for years.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/11/27/two-and-a-half-men-star-angus-t-jones-calls-show-filth/

More Adventures in Faith & Budgeting

God is in charge...and He does not want me to be a tightwad.

Earlier in the week, we had company...a great band called the Hollands comprised of a family of four wonderful people--husband & wife, son & daughter--who live in a converted school bus and tour the country bringing love and joy everywhere they go. They played at Swallow Hill and we got to go see them, and celebrate two birthdays with them, and it was just super fun.

If you have been to our house and you are doing your math correctly, you know that means 6 people, 2 beds, and one bathroom. Somehow it all worked out, and we didn't even run out of hot water...which is probably a little miracle or a testament to the easygoing nature of the Hollands or both.

While shopping for some extra stuff at the grocery store, I began to stress out. Those of you who know me know that I have a strict budget. It's important to me. I love the spreadsheet. I love the grocery money jar. There is only so much cash in it and it has to last the whole month...feeding six is not the same as feeding two, and I really wanted to show them a good time but I was torn because I also really wanted to be responsible. As I strolled through the Safeway aisle, I heard a little voice whisper...

"Take care of them, and I will take care of you"

God, is that you?

Ok...I'm putting cookies in the cart.

Chips & salsa

"Take care of them, and I will take care of you"

I'm gonna buy some wine...

Are you sure I'm not just being nuts? 

We do have to eat in week 4 of November? 

Thanksgiving is coming...

"Take care of them, and I will take care of you"

I let go. I rolled with it. We had cookies. We had wine. We had birthday cheesecake. We made a big Indian dinner. It was so fun. My jar wasn't where it needed to be. I was just not going to think about that. 

Today, I went to a friend's house for coffee. As I left, she pointed to several boxes on the floor...

"We are started a whole new way of eating. I'm getting rid of most of the stuff in my pantry. If you can use this stuff, please take it!" Soups, pasta, rice, granola, real maple syrup. Seriously?

"Take care of them, and I will take care of you"

When Randy and I were on the road and touring for a living, we were constantly living on the edge. Sometimes, I was saying to the Hollands, I miss that, because it forces me to rely on God to take care of even the smallest of things, and He reveals Himself in the craziest ways and it reminds me that He cares and He uses other people. Self-reliance is not all it's cracked up to be. Faith is an amazing adventure. This week, I have been reminded...

Furnace Turkey
(in which a squeaky furnace becomes turkey for the mission
and I learn a lesson about the grocery jar)

You know what I don't write enough about? The little miracles. The fun stuff that God does in the every day that makes life a bit more adventurous.

We had our furnace inspected.
Yeah...I know that is pretty boring, and to start off on an even boring-er note, we sat down with our budget spreadsheet to figure out how to make that expense work. It's not really a regular expense. We found some money for it, asked for referrals on Facebook, and got several nice recommendations from friends. By the time we got around to scheduling it, I could only find one name and number, so we scheduled that guy.

Well, as it turned out, he was a really nice guy...and a Christian, and he had a lot to say about that. It wound up a being a great conversation. At the end of the inspection, he said to us, "You know what? I have had a great time being able to talk to you guys about this stuff. I'm going to knock $26 off your bill. Just give it to your church or something." 

Hmmm. That was nice.

Later that day, my friend emailed that she and her family heard the Denver Rescue Mission was short on Thanksgiving turkeys and they were going to shop and deliver several turkeys the next day...would anyone like to donate and have them pick up and deliver the turkeys? Earlier in the day, I can assure you that the very boring budget spreadsheet didn't have much room for turkeys. Now it did. 

Turkeys were delivered yesterday.
The check is in the mail.

And that, my friends is how God let Randy & me broker a deal to have our new furnace guy give 25% of Cell #H42 on our budget spreadsheet to send our friends to the mission with 30 pounds of turkey.