Living in America as we approach July 4th is becoming increasingly challenging for real Christians. Judeo/Christian biblical sexual, reproductive, and sanctity of human life values are under attack. Recently, the Chicago Gay Pride Parade affirmed the pain and consequences in people’s lives before and following a pride-filled life. The Judeo/Christian Biblical view is clear; pride is not a good thing. Prov.11:2 “Pride comes before the fall, but with humility comes wisdom.” Pride precedes a fall; sometimes sooner, sometimes later, but the fall is unavoidable without renewing the mind that transforms a life.
Every day PASS volunteers and staff compassionately with wisdom and humility respond to the consequences of a client’s choices. We care for women and men facing the consequences of a crisis pregnancy, or the consequences of a broken heart following a sexual relationship gone awry, or the consequences of a broken spirit following an abortion choice, or the consequences of a confused teen without a job wondering how to provide for a baby who will arrive in a few months.
PASS staff and volunteers understand pain can exist before the pride. Pain can lead to pride and occurs following pride. In either situation love, compassion, wisdom, and humility are how we respond.
It is hard to be humble and hurts to be humbled, but the wisdom that follows is as precious as gold. Renewing minds and transforming lives is what we do at PASS and what we do is a result of wisdom that follows humility.
For His Children,
Rick Ligthart
President, PASS network of life-affirming care
rick@passhelps.org
708/614.9777 x25
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Father’s Day at Crisis Pregnancy Centers
For many fathers, Father’s Day is celebrated with new ties, summer shirts, sweet colognes, printed coffee mugs that read “World’s Greatest Dad” and family celebrations. For some dads, their children and spouses, Father’s Day can be a great day.
For expectant Fathers in a crisis pregnancy situation celebration is not always what they feel. Emotions of an unwed, expectant teen father waiting months until his girlfriend gives birth can be overwhelming. Father’s Day for these expectant dads may include giving his own father a gift as he thinks about how to tell his dad and mom that his girlfriend is pregnant. Some Father’s Days are not so easy.
Some single teen dads may find themselves shut out from their fatherhood experience if the mother says, “I want nothing to do with my old boyfriend, the guy who got me pregnant.” The bitterness can be hurtful. Some Father’s Days are not so easy.
Others single teen dads may completely abandon their responsibilities and potential joys because they don’t know the facts about fathering and family. They only know what culture and peer pressures have taught them. Some Father’s Days are not so easy.
On the other hand, many crisis pregnancy fathers may want to be good dads but have little understanding of their fatherhood role. They are without mentors to help them be the fathers they really want to be. They don’t know how and have no one to teach them. Father’s Day is a day of fear. Some Father’s Days are not so easy.
Historically crisis pregnancy centers have focused on the needs of abortion minded or abortion vulnerable women with the sole purpose of preventing abortion. That is still the case in many crisis pregnancy centers in the U.S. because funding is not available to do anything but pregnancy tests and ultrasounds.
How do we honor the father of an unwed teen pregnancy? Do we celebrate out of wedlock sex that resulted in pregnancy? Do we encourage additional unwed fatherhood opportunities? Where does marriage and responsibility fit in? Do we disregard the emotions of expectant mother and father and focus only on joys and not the challenges they will face as single parents? Some father’s days are not so easy.
That is where PASS can help. We centrally focus on abortion minded and abortion vulnerable women with the mission to reduce abortions, and we go further. Expectant Dads in crisis pregnancy situations are also offered services because we believe Fathers and Mothers when working together and in harmony is best for families.
At PASS we like celebrating Fathers and Mothers and the gift of life.
For His Children,
Rick Ligthart, President
PASS network of life-affirming care
708/614.9777
rick@passhelps.org
For expectant Fathers in a crisis pregnancy situation celebration is not always what they feel. Emotions of an unwed, expectant teen father waiting months until his girlfriend gives birth can be overwhelming. Father’s Day for these expectant dads may include giving his own father a gift as he thinks about how to tell his dad and mom that his girlfriend is pregnant. Some Father’s Days are not so easy.
Some single teen dads may find themselves shut out from their fatherhood experience if the mother says, “I want nothing to do with my old boyfriend, the guy who got me pregnant.” The bitterness can be hurtful. Some Father’s Days are not so easy.
Others single teen dads may completely abandon their responsibilities and potential joys because they don’t know the facts about fathering and family. They only know what culture and peer pressures have taught them. Some Father’s Days are not so easy.
On the other hand, many crisis pregnancy fathers may want to be good dads but have little understanding of their fatherhood role. They are without mentors to help them be the fathers they really want to be. They don’t know how and have no one to teach them. Father’s Day is a day of fear. Some Father’s Days are not so easy.
Historically crisis pregnancy centers have focused on the needs of abortion minded or abortion vulnerable women with the sole purpose of preventing abortion. That is still the case in many crisis pregnancy centers in the U.S. because funding is not available to do anything but pregnancy tests and ultrasounds.
How do we honor the father of an unwed teen pregnancy? Do we celebrate out of wedlock sex that resulted in pregnancy? Do we encourage additional unwed fatherhood opportunities? Where does marriage and responsibility fit in? Do we disregard the emotions of expectant mother and father and focus only on joys and not the challenges they will face as single parents? Some father’s days are not so easy.
That is where PASS can help. We centrally focus on abortion minded and abortion vulnerable women with the mission to reduce abortions, and we go further. Expectant Dads in crisis pregnancy situations are also offered services because we believe Fathers and Mothers when working together and in harmony is best for families.
At PASS we like celebrating Fathers and Mothers and the gift of life.
For His Children,
Rick Ligthart, President
PASS network of life-affirming care
708/614.9777
rick@passhelps.org
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Join us this Friday evening--special class being offered!
PASS aims at ministry excellence in all we do including relationships with clients we serve. To that point, this Friday, June 18th at our PASS Tinley Park location (17214 Oak Park Avenue) we are providing our first “Cultural Diversity In-Service Training Seminar”. This is our first series of seminars for those who minister through PASS. It is for all PASS Volunteers, Advocates, Facilitators, Teachers, Presenters, Staff, Board Members and any guest that feels led to attend. The cost is free! For further information please contact us at 708/614.9777 x24.
We are excited about this seminar and the future trainings PASS will make available on issues that matter for life.
We are about renewing minds that transforms and saves lives.
For His Children,
Rick Ligthart, President
PASS network of life-affirming care
rick@passhelp.org
We are excited about this seminar and the future trainings PASS will make available on issues that matter for life.
We are about renewing minds that transforms and saves lives.
For His Children,
Rick Ligthart, President
PASS network of life-affirming care
rick@passhelp.org
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Thoughts for Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Memorial Day Reflection and Life
This Memorial Day has come and gone. I thought about my deceased Father and Grandfather. Dad served in WWII and my Grandfather fought in the trenches in WWI. I still have their uniforms and my grandfather’s WWI gas mask and helmet.
Memorial Day brings special memories for me as it does millions of Americans. I think about what my Father and Grandfather and their fellow soldiers fought for. I also think about the unborn innocent lives killed in the womb since Roe V. Wade and how we as a Nation have disregarded these lives.
For comparison consider that approximately 1,309,000 Americans have died in service since the beginning of our nation (www.militaryfactory.com) and since 1980 approximately 46,500,000 lives have been aborted (www.abortionfacts.com). That is quite an alarming statistic, 1.3 million since the Revolutionary War compared to 46.5since the 1980’s.
God bless the 1,309,000 service men and women who sacrificed to keep our Nation free. And God bless the 46,500,000 lives that have been aborted within our Nation’s borders. Makes one wonder what were our soldiers fighting and dying for then and what are they fighting and dying for now.
For His Children,
Rick Ligthart, President
PASS network of life-affirming care
rick@passhelps.org
708/614.9777 x25
This Memorial Day has come and gone. I thought about my deceased Father and Grandfather. Dad served in WWII and my Grandfather fought in the trenches in WWI. I still have their uniforms and my grandfather’s WWI gas mask and helmet.
Memorial Day brings special memories for me as it does millions of Americans. I think about what my Father and Grandfather and their fellow soldiers fought for. I also think about the unborn innocent lives killed in the womb since Roe V. Wade and how we as a Nation have disregarded these lives.
For comparison consider that approximately 1,309,000 Americans have died in service since the beginning of our nation (www.militaryfactory.com) and since 1980 approximately 46,500,000 lives have been aborted (www.abortionfacts.com). That is quite an alarming statistic, 1.3 million since the Revolutionary War compared to 46.5since the 1980’s.
God bless the 1,309,000 service men and women who sacrificed to keep our Nation free. And God bless the 46,500,000 lives that have been aborted within our Nation’s borders. Makes one wonder what were our soldiers fighting and dying for then and what are they fighting and dying for now.
For His Children,
Rick Ligthart, President
PASS network of life-affirming care
rick@passhelps.org
708/614.9777 x25
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