Sunday, January 23rd is being observed as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Fr. Randy invited me, as the St. John's Church representative to Jackson Right to Life, to write about what this means. I would like to share some personal experiences and some information about organizations that are effective in respecting and preserving life.

I became particularly interested in protecting the lives of the unborn in 1973 when the Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion. I have always believed that human life begins at conception. At that time, my five children were young, so most of my involvement was through prayer.

In the 80's, after returning to school, I worked as a Medical Assistant for a family physician. One day, a woman came into the office suffering with an infection due to a recent abortion. She was very upset. While I was assisting the Doctor in giving her a shot of antibiotics, she unexpectedly fell into my arms. I just held her. I knew then that God didn't want me to judge, but to love.

I began volunteering at Birthline which is a Crisis Pregnancy Center (784-9187) in Jackson. I learned how to counsel pregnant women during this difficult time in their lives. In each case I listened and hoped that the woman would choose to keep her baby or allow the baby to be adopted. In addition to counseling, Birthline provides goods and services to the women. The Center for Women also does great work in this area.(787-4673).