What in the name of Pearl were they thinking!?!?!?!

I came across this article on the AP today and it just blew my mind...I am seriously scared for where our country's going to end up when the teenagers of today grow into adults.....


Massachusetts High School Faces Pregnancy Boom

A Massachusetts high school is facing a pregnancy boom with 17 girls entering summer vacation expecting babies in what some have called a pregnancy pact.

Officials at Gloucester High School in Gloucester, Mass., are investigating whether half of the teens made a pact to get pregnant during the school year, Time.com reported.

Officials said that beginning last fall a large group of girls started asking the school clinic for pregnancy tests, the site said.

"Some girls seemed more upset when they weren't pregnant than when they were," principal Joseph Sullivan told Time.com.

The pregnancy rate at the 1,200-student school is four times higher than the previous year, and officials were shocked to learn that men in their 20s had fathered some of the babies, Time.com said.

"We found out one of the fathers is a 24-year-old homeless guy," Sullivan told Time.com.

The Gloucester baby boom is forcing this city of 30,000 to grapple with the question of providing easier access to birth control, something this largely Catholic enclave is slow to embrace, the site said.

Nurse practitioner Kim Daly administered 150 pregnancy tests to students by May, prompting her and the clinic's medical director, Dr. Brian Orr, to lobby for the prescription of contraceptives regardless of parental consent.
That move drew the ire of Mayor Carolyn Kirk, whose public outcry against the pair led to their resignations last month.

"It is very clear that the board [at Northeast Health System of Beverly, which manages the clinic] is not in favor and will not support contraception in the school," Orr told the Boston Globe. "There is an epidemic of teen pregnancy at the school."

Keith Ablow, a psychiatrist and FOX News contributor, called the school's epidemic "shocking."

"But the other thing we should realize is that we are hot on the heels of [17-year-old] Jamie Lynn Spears deciding to start a family and of mass media embracing the notion and waiting with bated breath for her baby," he said.
Jamie Lynn gave birth to a baby girl on Thursday.

According to the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nation’s teen birth rate rose in 2006 for the first time in 14 years.

Ablow said the example in Massachusetts should be heeded as a warning.

"In a world that is so technologically based, there will be predictable push-back from young people," he said. "They want to remind themselves that they are alive and human. One of the ways people do this is that they reproduce."


Personally I don't understand Ablow's last comment....they want to remind themselves they're alive? and human? Excuse me...pinch yourself or something...go ride a rollercoaster or bungee jump...why go make a baby ?!?!?!?!

Happy Father's Day - a bit belated

I have been trying to put this post together and it was a bit harder than the one I did for Mother's Day....not sure why.

Daddy,

Wow, what to say to the man who has been my rock and protector my whole life. You've always been the voice of reason to my emotional outbursts. The unflappable force when the storms came. I'll never know all the ways you sacrificed for us...and that's probably the way you want it. You're the strong and silent type who doesn't boast or brag...it's just what you do.

I've been reflecting back on my memories and I remember most the drives we used to take in the old Mustang. I remember that you'd let me sit in the front seat and shift gears for you. We'd be cruising along and you'd press in the clutch and tell me, "shift it now, Sis" and I'd take it from 1st to 2nd and so on.

I remember all the soccer and basketball games you attended. I remember how protective you were of me. I remember when I hurt my ankle so bad and the look in your eye. I also vividly remember the flash in your eyes when I was hurt playing basketball. I remember vowing that I never wanted to cross that side of you. I remember your only concern was whether I was okay when I had my bad car accident - and how you had to hold me back from the tongue lashing I wanted to give the stupid State Trooper when he said I was a "typically bad woman driver".

You always had the right words of advice for me. I remember going to college and you telling me that all you wanted from me was for me to do the best I could and for me to not have any regrets. Unfortunately I finished college with several...but if I didn't have any, I don't think I'd be human. Your philosophy of not having any regrets has stayed with me.

As an adult I know I've continued along a path that you set me on years ago. One that taught me respect and responsibility. You're always my sounding board and always give me the advice I need to hear and not what I want to hear. I've not always made the right choices, but I hope that I haven't made too many disappointing ones. The worst thing you could ever say to me is that you're disappointed in me. The couple of times you have said that, my heart crumbled and I would have rather been yelled at than to have endured that.

I love you, Daddy.

Your daughter,
Laura

;-)

Cool artist I discovered

I was wandering around on Etsy the other day and came across this very cool artist and I immediately feel in love with her prints. It's the Black Apple Shop and the artist is Emily and she's from Athens, Georgia!

I bought four prints from her and plan on hanging them in my hallway at home....I may put two in my bedroom....not sure just yet....I will have to see when they come in and I can see them in the house.

I bought:

Squirrel on a String

Hedgehog Friend

Button Collector

The Quiet Room


I really would recommend just wandering around Etsy to see what's out there. I have come across so many talented folks! I like to go through the "undiscovered" tab and see if I can unearth the next greatest artist. Or go through the "just sold" and see what everyone else is buying. :-)

A big huge bowl of sinful deliciousness!

I made a chocolate trifle for a dessert social we had at our church on Sunday evening. We had an auction to raise money for HOPE and a concert by our praise band and a comedian performed as well. It was a blast.

I decided on this amazing chocolate trifle that I hadn't ever made before. It was rated really high at Allrecipes.com, so I figured what the heck.

Darn it if I didn't get a picture of it...but I'm sure I'll be making this again. I used a grocery bakery made chocolate creme cake and made a pudding layer with instant chocolate pudding, sweetened condensed milk, water and homemade whipped cream. Then put a layer of strawberries and raspberries and topped it with homemade whipped cream. I then repeated for four more layers. I topped it with more strawberries, raspberries and chocolate curls. It was delicious!!! I'll make it again and post pictures...I promise!

Overheard on bus....

Okay...so I arrive at the bus the morning and I am satisifed to say that I parked LEGALLY today...as opposed to every other day this week where I had to park ILLEGALLY. I only got a legal spot because it seems that about 30% of the people who take the bus don't work on Fridays...and I despise them for that.


I boarded the bus and was glad to see that I didn't have to sit in front of "the two cattiest women on the face of the planet" to sit in my favorite seat. They were sitting across the aisle from me instead. I have to tell you...these women are incredible in their ability to pick apart anyone and everything. It's a true talent...or curse, some might say.

So, heere are these suburban housewives in their summery skirted outfits that were purchased in the grown-up Garanimals section and their tennis shoes leafing through the most recent In Style magazine. They're talking about how this celebrity "has a horse face" and how this celebrity "doesn't even look like herself anymore" and "look at her butt!!!" I just wanted to poke the one lady sitting on the aisle and say, "listen, you're certainly not all that and a bag of chips yourself...so maybe you should just can it." BUT I didn't, I actually kept my mouth shut and kept reading my sleazy paperback.

It really reminded me of how catty I can be sometimes too....talking bad about others when I'm not that good myself...it doesn't make me look better, for sure.

Hope ya'll have a great weekend! I'm headed out from work early as we're closing down shop early and headed to a great tapas bar in town...for sangria and appetizers!!! Woot!! Sometimes I do love my job. ;-)

When is a child an adult?

Okay...sometimes people act in a way that completely befuddles me. I get morning updates from our Atlanta paper by email, and this is the title of an article in today's paper:

Woman pretended to be mom of girl who got abortion, say officials

Hmm...it got my attention, so I followed the link and read the article. You can do the same by clicking on the article name above.

I'm amazed at the article and how one woman could choose to take into her hands the fates of so many people. She affected the lives of her son, his girlfriend, their unborn child, her own, the girlfriend's parents. Perhaps it's a bit pollyanna to expect that she could have gotten together with the girl's parents and talked the situation through. But no...she takes the girl to an abortion clinic to terminate the pregnancy. I'm outraged at the behavior of the parents...I'm also outraged that the girl didn't feel like she could talk to her own parents about the situation.

What bothers me more are the comments from the readers that follow the article. One commenter says that the parental consent laws violate the rights of the potential parents. Excuse me! The potential parents in this case are 16 years old. They're children! I'm sorry, but in my mind, a 16 year old is unable to truly think through all the possible affects that a decision like this will have on their lives. The see the immediate relief that terminating pregnancy will bring, but do not foresee the sleepless nights and the pain and the lingering guilt that will come. This girl has been irrepairably damaged, physically and emotionally because someone was too selfish to think of anyone other than themselves.

I am not a fan of bigger government, personally I believe that we have too many laws governing too many things - HOWEVER, we have to protect our children. Giving a child free reign over their body is socially irresponsible. A child lacks the life experience necessary to completely understand the impact of their decision on their present and more importantly their future.

Another commenter says that "abortion is not murder, fetuses are not babies...". I can't tell you how my stomach turns over a comment like this. It makes me sad, my heart hurts for this person. Clinics will usually perform an abortion up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look at an ultrasound of a baby of that gestation and see the facial features, arms, legs, heartbeat.

I do hope that there is no relaxation of the parental notification laws, though. Children under the age of 18 years may feel like their emotionally able to handle sex - but I guarantee you that none of them are emotionally able to handle the after effects of terminating a pregnancy by themselves.

What do you guys think? Have a differing opinion? Let me hear it!

Ritchie Miller's Walk Across Georgia

Guys, I just have to post yesterday and today's vlog postings from my Pastor, Ritchie Miller. You'll see a crazy dude in the background, Dusty Beach, he's our Executive Pastor...and one crazy son of a gun. He used to be in a Christian rock band...that should say it all!

You can certianly tell they're operating on little sleep and getting a bit punchdrunk. Do keep them in your prayers, though - they're battling sore bodies and badly blistered feet.

If you feel led to donate, or would like to find out more about HOPE, please follow this link: www.avalonhope.net/donate.html

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Tuesday, June 10



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Wednesday, June 11



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And boy do we love those Notary Republics! All of you! You're awesome!