In this issue... Front and Center By Jerry Thacker Centerboard: Who's My Boss, Anyway? By Tom Lothamer Building Major Donor Relationships By Ron Haas Credibility through Professional Client Care By Heather Akiyama and Janet Starr A Christmas Story By Carol Van Atta Two for Two, Covered by the One By Kim LeBlanc __ __ __ __ __ Is GOLDEN! By Cynthia Hsueh Where Are All the Clients? By Rita Williams Celebrating Sanctity of Life By Shana Schutte When Trouble Comes By Mark Hiehle Evangelism: The Core of the Pregnancy Resource Center/Clinic Ministry By Thomas A. Glessner and Anne J. O'Connor At the Rural Center: Our Urban Rural Center By Dinah Monahan Marketing 101: Magnetic Ovals By Jerry Thacker __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Is GOLDEN! By Cynthia Hsueh Whoever coined the phrase "Don't stick your foot in your mouth" must have committed that faux pas at least once in her lifetime. The Lord definitely spared me from a faux pas, which could have led to my "dismissal." At the agency where I volunteer, I saw Mimi* who appeared to be quite pregnant—about seven months, I surmised. Having worked in a number of pregnancy centers, I considered myself an expert in pregnancy matters. Just as I was about to ask Mimi when her baby was due, something inside seemed to jam the brakes on my tongue. So I kept silent. THANK YOU, LORD, FOR TAPING MY MOUTH SHUT!!! A few minutes later, Alice* walked by, and I quietly asked her if Mimi was pregnant. She gave me a puzzled look and said, "No ... she can't!" "Oh," I said, putting my hand on my right cheek. "I'm SO glad I didn't say anything." "Yes, I'm glad you didn't either," Alice said, "because Mimi has just started going to Weight Watchers!" Boy was I glad and relieved that I kept my foot on the floor where it belonged, not in my gaping big mouth! Thankfully I didn't act like a bumbling fool and was spared from scalding the poor lady's feelings that, happily, knew nothing of my foolishness. Thank you, Lord, for taping my mouth shut!!! "Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent" (Proverbs 17:28). *Fictitious names Cynthia Hsueh and her husband live in Sugar Land, Texas. She can be reached at chsueh34@earthlink.net.