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UPDATES & Networking!!!

2010-03-03T13:44:00.000-06:00

Hey guys! Check out some of our sites:

1. Join our fan page on facebook and become a fan!
Facebook|Worth the Wait

2. Follow us on twitter
@worthwait

3. Become our friend on MySpace
www.myspace.com/worthwait

Twilight Saga Bites Teens with Abstinence Message

2009-12-02T14:50:00.003-06:00

Is the Twilight saga biting teens with an abstinence message? If you are among the infinite fans of the ever so popular story of Bella and Edward, then you've probably heard the recent news that the movie DOES in fact support abstinence! Do Bella and Edward EVER have sex before they are married? NO, they do not! They simply rely on a deep, emotional love to bind them together instead of a physical love.

Even "New Moon" director Chris Weitz, said in a CNN interview, "It's not that they can't have sex, they choose not to and I think there's so much popular culture that's saying to young people: 'you'll be cool if you have sex' or, 'it's important to be sexy' whereas this series really concentrates on matters of the heart and spirit and I think that's lovely."

SO, if you haven't checked out Twilight, it's definitely a MUST SEE! See the full CNN article at http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/11/23/twilight.new.moon.teen.abstinence/

New School Year

2009-08-24T10:41:00.003-05:00

Well, it's that time again! The 2009-2010 school year started today and Worth the Wait is SOOOO excited about it. We have worked hard throughout the summer to come up with new, innovative ways to not only reach out to our students, but also to communicate with our teachers and administrators. For the students, we have new and revised curriculum, as well as updated MySpace, facebook and Twitter pages. So if you get a chance, go find us on all those sites. For the teachers, we have put many things online to give you easier and convenient access. One of these things is the monthly Teacher Calendars! That's right teachers, you can now submit your calendars online instead of having to fax them to us each month. All you do is go to www.worthwait.org, click on the Schools tab and then there will be a link that says Teacher Calendars. Click on the link and fill in your calendar! You can submit it with one click of a button!! So hopefully this school year will be even better than the last. Worth the Wait is excited to work with each and every one of you. Good luck!

MTV's 16 and Pregnant

2009-07-20T11:20:00.002-05:00

I had the opportunity to watch the latest episodes of MTV's 16 and Pregnant this weekend. MTV had a marathon to wrap up the first season of the show. I must say that the show was one of the most realistic and relatable portrayals of teen pregnancy that I have ever seen. They openly show every part of the teen mother's pregnancy, including everything from start to finish. They show the problems, issues and struggles each teen mom has to face, whether it be financial issues, medical issues, teen father issues, or actual pregnancy issues. It shows how hard it is for the teens to grow up and be mothers themselves. The show even films and airs the actual live birth and what the teen moms have to go through while they are delivering their babies. If other reality TV hasn't made you emotional or even put a scare into you, this one is sure to do so. If you haven't watched this show, I strongly urge you to do so. I'm sure you will find it just as interesting and emotional as I did.

Help us at the HAUNTED Corn Maze!

2009-07-09T15:47:00.004-05:00

Hey guys! So, Worth the Wait is helping with a HAUNTED Corn Maze this year!! We know...pretty scary, but we're super excited about it. It's gonna be out at the Amazingly Fun Farm (off the Hollywood Loop and Whitaker Rd). There is gonna be the regular corn maze, but they are letting Worth the Wait sponsor a haunted one as well! We can't wait because we know it's going to be a lot of fun. BUT the thing is...we need volunteers to help us do it! We need people to dress up in costumes and hide in the maze and scare the people going through, we need volunteers to help us stand at the gate and take tickets, plus we could use your help for much more! SOOO, if you are interested, let us know. Just give us a call at 806.326.1070. Hope to hear from ya'll soon!

"17 Again"

2009-04-20T10:55:00.003-05:00

Just when you think abstinence education is at it's fullest potential of criticism and snares, something swoops in to remind parents, teens and the public in general that abstinence IS the best choice and it is something quite attainable. The new movie, "17 Again," with Zac Efron "openly and sincerely" promotes teenage abstinence. Finally, Hollywood is not afraid to speak out about the truth and consequences of sex, rather than glamorizing it. This movie is a perfect example of taking a stand, raising the bar of expectations and encouraging teens to make good choices! Check out more about this movie, "17 Again."

In the Know Joe

2009-02-23T15:01:00.003-06:00

Dear Joe,

I’m a little embarrassed to be writing to you about this, but I consider myself a good girl and I really need some advice. I’m a freshman at a high school here in Amarillo and this really cute and hot senior has been talking to me. At first it was really flattering and I couldn’t believe he was actually interested in me and talking to me so much. We talk ALL the time – on facebook, MySpace, e-mail, phone, text messaging…you name it, we pretty much talk on everything!

I tried not to let myself like him so much because I just told myself he was only after one thing. I mean, he is one of those major jock star athletes so I couldn’t imagine why he was talking to me. But the more we are around each other, the more I really think he likes me for me, and not just to try and get something from me. He even told me that he LOVES me the other day! He hasn’t even pressured me to do stuff that I don’t feel comfortable doing, so that makes me think he totally respects me.

BUT, recently he has started sending me pictures of himself through text messages. And they aren’t just normal pictures. In a lot of them he’s pretty much naked and shows me things I am really not ready to see just yet. He tried to get me to take naked pictures of myself and send them back to him, but I told him I didn’t want to. He said that was totally cool, but that he wanted me to be comfortable with him and he wanted me to see him like that, so he said he was still going to send me pictures of himself. I’m not sure what to do about it. I like him sooooo much, but I don’t know how to tell him it makes me feel uncomfortable that he sends me those pictures and that I don’t want him to send them to me anymore. PLUS, if my mom found out, she would kill me! I delete every one I get and he doesn’t understand why, so I just tell him if my mom saw them I would get in trouble. He always just shrugs and keeps sending them. How do I tell him to stop without making him mad at me and stop liking me?

Sincerely,
Uncomfortably In Love

Dear Uncomfortably In Love,

You say he hasn’t pressured you to do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing, but that is exactly what he is doing by sending you explicit pictures of himself. Of course, you haven’t actually told him, so I guess maybe he might not realize that it makes you uncomfortable.

SO, you need to tell him that you don’t like it and don’t want him to send you those pictures! If he really “loves” you like he said he did, he will stop doing it and apologize for being a total jerk and doing something that makes you feel so uncomfortable. In all reality, if he was truly the good guy that you say he is, he wouldn’t have ever done that to begin with, at least not without talking to you about it first. And he would have stopped when you told him you would get into trouble if your mom saw. But I suppose giving him the benefit of the doubt, considering you say you like him so much, he may just be seriously ignorant and not realize how incredibly silly it is to send pictures like that. Not to mention that once those pictures are on a cell phone and sent to another phone, they are basically out there for the whole world to see. BUT, if he doesn’t understand when you tell him and he gets mad like you think he is going to, then honey, he DOES NOT love you, he IS only after one thing – SEX and he is an utter and total jerk. If he doesn’t understand and respect your wishes…he’s NOT worth it!!

I understand that dating relationships are hard for teens, but I just wish girls would get it through their heads that if guys don’t respect EVERY SINGLE thing about them, then they are NEVER worth it. So tell him to stop and see what he says. You are a good girl and you will know the right thing to do.

Join the Majority – WAIT

Joe

In the Know Joe

2008-12-01T14:23:00.000-06:00

Hey Joe,

During Thanksgiving break I was hanging out with some friends and all of a sudden they started smoking pot right in front of me. They were all passing it around and they totally wanted me to try it. But when it came to me I got really nervous and said no. I felt kinda bad because they were all making fun of me, but I just told them I had really bad asthma and couldn’t be around stuff like that. I didn’t know what else to say. I didn’t want to try it because I know that kind of stuff is bad, but at the same time I felt pretty lame because they were being so mean to me about it. Now that we have been back in school, they all keep making fun of me and telling me how lame I am for “being so uptight” and not trying it. I know it’s bad and I don’t want to try it, but what should I do? I don’t want my friends to keep making fun of me.

Sincerely,
Frustrated Friend

Dear Frustrated Friend,

Well first things first – good job! It takes a very mature and strong person to resist peer pressure and stand up to your friends, but you did it. That says a lot about your character. As for your friends, well let me just say that with friends like that, who needs enemies?! They are NOT really your friends because real friends would respect your decision for not wanting to try it. You should probably – no, definitely start hanging out with different people in your school. Drugs are not only “bad” as you say, but they are also illegal. So that means you could get into some major trouble if you are caught with it. Even though you haven’t actually smoked it, just being around people who do could still get you into some big trouble. It seems that everyone thinks marijuana is not really a big deal anymore, but research proves that even short-term use causes problems with memory, learning, cognitive development and problem solving. Also, smoking one joint is the equivalent to smoking about four cigarettes. So…start hanging out with a different crowd ASAP!

You are obviously a person with good morals, which probably means you have been raised very well. This would be the perfect opportunity for you to really talk and open up to your parents or a trusted adult. Trust me, even though parents and adults may seem like they are nervous about talking to you about that kind of stuff, they really do want to talk to you about it. Sometimes they just don’t know how to approach their teens about issues like that. But if you go to them first and you are honest, they will understand and they will help you. They can give you advice on how to deal with those so-called friends, and they can even point you in the right direction of hanging out with different friends. You are an intelligent person so surround yourself with other people who are just as intelligent as you and who DON’T do drugs!

Join the Majority - WAIT
Joe

P.A.P.A.

2008-08-22T15:12:00.003-05:00

P.A.P.A., or the Parenting and Paternity Awarness program, is about to be required in all Texas school districts. The program will be implemented in all high school health classes starting this school year, and it will consist of curriculum that covers topics like responsible parenting, a basic understanding of paternity and child support laws and skills for healthy relationships. It stinks that this is what the education system has to do to teach teenagers about pregnancy, but hopefully it will show them that they are definitely not ready for such a major responsibility and it will start preventing teen pregnancy!

Check out more information about P.A.P.A.

New ABC Family TV Show - The Secret Life of the American Teenager

2008-07-28T13:06:00.005-05:00

ABC Family's, The Secret Life of the American Teenager is a good show that portrays perfect examples of the real problems teens today deal with, and the consequences of making unhealthy decisions.

This campy teen drama explores the love lives and relationships of a group of high school students. Front and center is Amy, a “good girl” who got pregnant when she had sex for the first time over the summer and has yet to tell her parents about her condition. Ben is the boy who has a crush on her - but is not the one who got her pregnant. That would be Ricky, who is now hooking up with Adrian - a girl with a reputation who is starved for attention. Jack and Grace are the classic football star/cheerleader couple and they’re also committed to abstinence. Except that Jack kissed Adrian and Grace found out so now they’re dealing with the aftermath of that betrayal.

The show airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m./7 p.m. central, and you can take a look at the ABC Family Web site which has a lot of interactive material about the show. Another cool site is stayteen.org, so check it out!

In the Know Joe - WTW's Advice Column 4 Teens

2008-07-28T13:01:00.003-05:00

Hi Joe,

So, I’m a little worried and I have nobody else to turn to. I’m 15 and I’ve had the same boyfriend for about two years. We started having sex almost a year ago. Everything has been fine and great, but then a few months ago I was starting to break out in a rash. Just so you know it’s not anything too horrible, it just kind of comes and goes. But then in school I kinda remember them telling us that if we have any kind of symptoms of an STD at all that we should get checked out. Do you think it is something minor and that I can keep waiting to see if it goes away, or do you think I need to go ahead and get it checked? I also kind of want to ask my boyfriend if he has noticed anything about himself, but I’m way too embarrassed. What do you think?

Thanks,
Hesitantly Waiting

Dear Hesitantly Waiting,

Well…YES, you need to get that checked! Even if it is just a minor rash, it could still very likely be an STD. And about asking your boyfriend, YES, you should ask him because as long as you’ve never had sex with anybody else, that means he probably HAS. AND, he gave it to you! So I would ask him.

STDs are not something to play around with. They have very harsh consequences, both physically and emotionally. Physically, if you don’t get checked and get treatment ASAP, it could cause you to be infertile or have other major problems as an adult. How would you like to find out right before you get married that you have AIDS, just because you chose to have sex with your boyfriend as a teenager? As for the emotional aspects, what are you going to do when you get married and have to tell your husband that you can’t have his babies, just because you started having sex with your boyfriend when you were 14?! Seriously, STDs are serious! Right now, 1 in 4 teens have an STD, and 1 in 2 sexually active teens have an STD. That’s HALF of all sexually active teens who will have contracted a disease by the end of this year.

So even though you get checked out doesn’t mean that you can jump right in and start having sex again. Think about all these consequences, which obviously outweigh the momentary pleasure. The only 100 percent, guaranteed way for you to avoid the consequences is to remain abstinent. So respect yourself and make the right choice!

Join the Majority – WAIT!

Joe

Baby Borrowers

2008-07-02T13:22:00.003-05:00

The following is a brief about a new reality TV show on NBC called, The Baby Borrowers, which airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m.

I think it's definitely a show that all teens need to watch. It is a great example of reality, and if teens are having sex they must definitely know the consequences that they could suddenly face. Maybe this show will make teens start thinking twice before rushing into sex! Remember, the consequences ALWAYS outweigh the momentary pleasure!

Can teens be good parents? That's the big question raised by NBC's The Baby Borrowers as five teenage couples take part in a reality TV social experiment that lets them experience life in fast forward. They are given nice homes and a brief parenting class, and then real life babies to care for thanks to volunteer parents (some of whom were teen parents themselves).
The teen couples quickly learn what it means to be responsible for a child as well as go to a job every day and sustain relationships with their partners. After a few days with the babies, the teen couples get toddlers to care for, then “tweens” with family pets, then teenagers, and finally senior citizens.

Over the next six weeks, you'll get to watch as each couple deals with the drama, surprise, challenges, and rewards of parenting in ways that are riveting and intense. As NBC says, “It’s not TV, it’s birth control!”

Not EVERYBODY is doing it

2008-06-19T10:56:00.003-05:00

Since I can remember most teens have always used the excuse, "Well, everybody's else is doing it," when their parents tell them no about something or when they need to justify why wrong actions could be okay for them to do. BUT, the good thing is, this is usually the furthest from the truth.

In the midst of alcohol, tobacco and drugs, sex of course is on the list of those things that teens use the everybody's-doing-it reference. But in all actuality, more and more teens are choosing to remain abstinent until marriage. Whether they decide this because of personal spiritual commitments, or because they want to be safe from STDs and emotional struggles, they are still choosing abstinence. Here is a specific example of a teen who is choosing to WAIT, check it out: http://livedout.blogspot.com/2008/06/rising-star-embraces-abstinence.html

2008-06-17T09:15:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Worth the Wait blog! We wanted to give everyone a chance to share anything, from questions to concerns to comments - and that's what this blog is for. So we look forward to hearing from you! Check it out daily for updates and info.