Saturday, December 30, 2006

Elizabeth May, leader of Canada's Green Party, clearly states her party's position in a December 22, 2006 response to Judy Rebick's open letter regarding May's convoluted statements regarding abortion.

"Is the Green Party strongly in favour of a woman's right to access a safe and legal abortion? Yes."

Because I have never given the Green Party any serious consideration, I always assumed they were the "tree hugging environmentalist PETA-type" activists. It is ironic how these types claim to "love the world" and "hate violence", unless it concerns a women's "right to choose". How can the Green Party support abortion, which is the ultimate act of violence against a human, and yet claim to be "conservationists and trusted guardians of Canada’s natural wealth" (taken from their own website)? The future wealth of our country lies with our next generation; if we continue to kill them off, where does that leave us?"

Am I personally strongly in favour of a woman's right to access a safe and legal abortion? Yes. (In fact, I am concerned that there is progress to be made to ensure access through enhancing availability of abortion providers. More work needs to be done to ensure access.) "

How does May intend on ensuring the availability of abortion providers? If she fully believes that the "interests of Canadian citizens must always take precedence", she should pay attention to the overwhelming majority that do not believe that abortion is a necessary medical procedure, especially if it means their tax dollars are paying for this "service". Does the Green Party intend to force medical students to provide abortion services? How does this comply with their respect of "diversity"? The Green Party also claims to be concerned that "Canada’s changing demographic reality will place greater burdens on our society". They should be aware, then, that Canada is currently in a negative population growth, and to overcome this , perhaps they should be looking at a system that rewards and encourages child-bearing to sustain our economy in the future. Building healthy communities and a healthy country means offering stronger support to the building blocks of society: healthy families."

As a practicing Christian, I hate being told I am not “pro-life” because I support a legal right to abortion. I favour access to safe and legal abortions as an aspect of my respect for life. As we know and your letter notes, otherwise, women will die. The status of a foetus before birth is debatable in terms of when the potential for life crystallizes as human life."


Ms. May claims the status of a fetus before birth is debatable. Science long ago established that life begins the moment an egg is fertilized by a sperm, that is at the moment of conception. There is no debate on this; it is proven scientific fact. Humans are "life with potential", not "potential for life"! And no, Ms. May, you cannot consider yourself "pro-life" if you support a legal right to abortion. Abortion is about taking a life; that's about as un "pro-life" as you can get!! You hate being told you're not "pro-life"? Maybe you should reconsider your thinking, then!


"If we could focus on what we want as a society, that might bring us closer together. We would want every pregnancy to be a wanted pregnancy and every child to be a wanted child."
I have never understood the "every child a wanted child" mantra of the planned parenthood ilk. Ask anyone who is looking to adopt a child (and can't afford a third-world county jaunt). The waiting lists to adopt children in North America are horrendous. People are going to Asia and the Ukraine because the waiting lists here are up to 7 years long! Why? Because women are being told that the baby they are carrying is a disposable commodity. We need to foster a healthy respect for life as a society, or our society will fall apart.


In their "respect for diversity", the Green Party claims to "defend the right of all persons, without discrimination, to an environment supportive of their dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being." Is the Green Party hypocritical in what they actually believe, or do they simply not know what they believe in? Either way, Elizabeth May has brought to light for many that this party cannot be taken seriously in their so called "respect of life".

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

I "borrowed" this from a fellow blogger on blogspot.com. It's a fun one, perfect for this time of year!! Lisa

A Little Christmas Cheer

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg nog, all the way!!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrapped! Presents to others are always wrapped and under the tree (if I get them done before the 24th), and of course, Santa brings more for Christmas morning. Funny thing, though (as Stephanie pointed out last year), Santa used the same wrapping paper as we did for some of the gifts!!
3. Colored lights on tree or white? Tiny white lights; HUNDREDS of them!!
4. Do you hang mistletoe? I have yet to even see mistletoe anywhere...
5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually the first Sunday in Advent
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? sweet potatoe casserole with marshmallows, that I have only EVER had at the CPC banquet, and this year they didn't serve it!!! :~(
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Opening stockings on Christmas morning!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? what do you mean, truth....
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We open all the gifts that are under the tree Christmas eve, as My mom comes and celebrates with us. Gifts from Santa and family are opened Christmas day.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Mostly white, red and silver, but with lots of beautiful decorations the kids have made over the years, and lots of special, keepsake ornaments.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? LOVE IT!
12. Can you ice skate? Yes, I love to skate. Okay. I used to love to skate.....I actually haven't been on skates for about 6 years!
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? My birthstone ring from Bill - one-of-a-kind with both of our birthstones in it.
14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Keeping Christ in Christmas!!15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Carrot pudding with butter sauce - I grew up having this as a kid at the grandparents', too bad I can't find the recipe!!! I haven't had it in years, but it is still my all time favorite! It was made in a coffee tin, with this really sicky-sweet sauce to pour over it, but, boy, was it ever tasty!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Wigilia -traditional Polish Christmas eve. We have 12 meatless dishes - special foods.
17. What tops your tree? A really pretty angel.
18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Giving, but hey, who doesn't like to receive something, too??
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Mary's Boy Child, the Boney M version. Actually, most of the Boney M Christmas songs....and the Huron Carol.
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?? Not a big fan, unless they are used to stir hot chocolate...

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!!

For Life,

Lisa

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

“REJOICE!”
Well, we are almost at the third week of advent, all of us incredibly busy preparing for Christ's birthday.... I did another article for our church bulletin focussing on Advent and the tradition of the Advent wreath. Enjoy! ;~)

The name Advent comes from the Latin words, advenire (to come to) & adventus (an arrival), and refers to Christ's coming into this world. Advent is the time the Church invites us to prepare for the celebration of Christmas. We remember the anniversary of our Lord’s birth, and look to His Second Coming. We are called to prepare ourselves by prayer and works of penance, much like at Lent. If you have ever wondered how the Church determines when Advent begins, it is always the Sunday closest to 30th November, the feast of St Andrew. It is interesting to note that the first Sunday of Advent is also the first Sunday of the new Church liturgical year. I always think of the Advent song “People Look East” telling us to “make your house fair as you are able, trim the hearth and set the table”. This is not unlike what many of us do at the beginning of the calendar New Year in our resolutions to “clean up and make fair” a part of our physical lives.
Advent is a time of preparation and joyful expectation of the coming of the Lord. Many of us use an advent wreath to symbolize the advent (coming) of Light into the world. The Advent wreath, of German origin, is comprised of four candles, three candles purple, and one pink, arranged in a circle of evergreen boughs. Some wreaths have a fifth, white candle in the middle.
The gradual lighting of the four candles symbolize not only our expectation and hope in Our Savior's first coming into the world, but also in his Second Coming.
The purple candles reflect the contemplative nature of the season, and symbolize repentance. The pink candle is burned beginning with the third week of Advent to symbolize the "half-way" point in the dark time of waiting. The third Sunday of Advent is called "gaudete," Latin for "joy," which is the spiritual focus for this week of Advent. Interestingly, it also used to be known as “Refreshment Sunday”. When it was traditional to follow a disciplined fasting during Advent, Christians were allowed extra sustenance this day, often in the form of hot cross buns. (And you thought they were only for Easter!) The pink candle also stands as the sign that Light overcomes darkness. (When the first two candles are lit there are still two dark, it is half and half, but when the third is lit “Light” wins!)
There are many and varied traditions around the meaning of each particular candle. Historically, the candles have a twofold purpose: they represent the foundations of our walk as Christians, and each candle represents our ancestors in faith:
First candle: Faith - the Patriarchs
Second candle: Joy - the Prophets
Third candle: Love - John the Baptist
Fourth candle: Hope - the Virgin Mary Readings for the 3rd Sunday in Advent call us to rejoice and exult with all our hearts; God is our salvation. By counting the Sundays of Advent with lighted candles, we prepare for welcoming the One True Light. In the words of Isaiah the prophet: “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light”. Let the Advent wreath, with its’ pink candle of joy, remind us to be that joy and light to the world.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

The "Pink Book" release....what a joke!

Judy Sgro is a demagogue...
The Liberal party, with the release of its’ “Pink Book”, once again shows how out of touch with real women they actually are. And what a surprise! None other than the shining example of a well-adjusted, stable woman, Belinda Stronach, heads the group. The Liberal policies to help further women’s economic status are nothing more than thinly veiled attempts to further their elitist and completely undemocratic militant feminist agenda.
Judy Sgro, chairman of the Commons committee of the status of women; (the same Judy Sgro of the Stripper affair, the pizza restaurant affair, and general heckler of Conservatives) claims that the “Conservative government, based on their policies, would clearly prefer women stay barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen and move us backwards 40 years.” Ms. Sgro and Ms. Stronach would have the public believe that all Conservative women are subservient and oppressed. They are hoping use this perception to manipulate the public to advance their political agenda, for their own personal advancement and power. This is demagoguery at its’ finest!
In my experience, the vast majority of Conservative women are intelligent, dignified, caring and committed to their values. Let the Liberal party take note: Canadians are sick and tired of the Liberal propaganda regarding women. If the best spokespeople you can come up with are Belinda and Judy, your party is in more trouble than you think!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Feast of All Souls and Purgatory....
So many people, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, do not understand the meaning of or the IMPORTANCE of praying for the dead. I recently wrote an article for our church bulletin regarding this, in an effort to shed some much needed light on this subject:

During the month of November we set aside time to remember the deceased. It is a time to pay respect to the souls of friends and loved ones who have died, as well as to offer prayers for those who have no one praying for them. We pray for their souls that they may be received into Heaven. Beginning in the year 998, all souls -- the "faithful departed" -- were officially remembered in the Church's prayers on the evening of November 1, and with Requiem Masses on November 2. All Souls Day is now a feast of the universal Church honoring all saints, known and unknown.
We pray for our dead to show respect. Respect for the dead is part of respect for all human life, which comes from God. Our heavenly Father gave us life, and we are all infinitely precious to Him. This act of charity of praying for our deceased is a stewardship we are all called to share in.
In the Apostle’s Creed, we state emphatically “we believe in the Communion of Saints”. What does this mean for us as Catholics? This is the belief that all of God's people, on heaven, earth, and in the state of purification, or Purgatory, are connected in a communion. The Doctrine of the Church teaches that the communion of saints is “the spiritual solidarity which binds together the faithful on earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in heaven in the organic unity of the same mystical body under Christ its head.” (Taken from the Catholic Encyclopedia).
Because of our communion through Jesus Christ, our prayers are joined with the heavenly community of Christians. Throughout the Gospel of Matthew and the letters of St. Paul, we are taught about this solidarity. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches; He is the Head of the Mystical Body of which all Christians are a part.
There are three levels of existence for the Mystical Body of Christ. On earth we invoke the prayers of the saints in heaven, honor them as glorified Christians and seek to imitate them. The Saints in Heaven pray for the saints on earth and for the souls in purgatory. Those in purgatory can invoke the saints in heaven and pray for us struggling with the world. The saints are continually praying for us and interceding before God on our behalf. The feast of All Souls is a reminder to pray for the "faithful departed". It is a time for celebrating Life, not mourning its loss. Jesus said, “My God is not the God of the Dead, but the God of the Living.” We are given New Life in Christ – a life in which we continue and complete the Communion of Saints. This month let us take this opportunity to introduce memories of loved ones to our children, and celebrate what their lives meant to us. Let us all take the time to reflect and share in the glory of belonging to the Body of Christ.

Monday, November 06, 2006

The Truth About Stem Cell Research....

Stem cell research is hot and heavy in the forefront of the news right now, thanks to Michael J. Fox and Rush Limbaugh. Unfortunately, so many people don't have all the facts, and therefore, even some Catholics tend to believe that there is nothing wrong with suppporting it.

There has been a great deal of misinformation fed to the public regarding stem cell research. Michael Coren’s column (Wrong side on stem cells) addressed this admirably, however, there is still much educating to be done. Michael Coren, for those who have not been blessed enough to ever read any of his columns or books, is a regular columnist for the Sun media group in Canada. Please check him out at www.michaelcoren.com. He is an AMAZING writer!

There are many problems with the use of embryonic stem cells because they are not compatible with adult tissues. Rejection of tissue, as well as the formation of life-threatening tumors is commonplace, and just two of the reasons why stem cells from embryos are not ideal. There has yet to be even ONE successful procedure using these stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are designed to further the rapid growth of a human embryo, not to further human engineering!

Adult stem cells and stem cells from umbilical cords have been shown to consistently have positive results in clinical trials. Adult and cord blood stem cell therapies are used every day in the treatment of nearly a hundred different diseases. In fact, umbilical cord blood stem cells have been used over 3000 times to successfully treat 45 different diseases. We need to do SO MUCH MORE to encourage the donations of umbilical cords...this is a highly accessible source of stem cells, made available every time a baby is born.

Well known biomedical ethicist Dr. David Reardon explains clearly on his website (www.elliotinstitute.org) why so many organizations are
pushing for embryonic stem cell research: “scientists and researchers are enamored with the possibilities of experimenting with human embryos and human cloning.” It sounds terribly "mad-scientistish", but unfortunately, many of the researchers are indeed looking to not cure current diseases, but to create beings free from these diseases in the first place. For further information, check out Dr. Reardon's website on this subject.

One reader to the Sun wrote in, complaining that Mr. Coren's language was "inflammatory", because he refers to the embryos as children. Michael Coren’s language is far from inflammatory; it is the truth. “Days-old” embryos are indeed unborn children. What do people actually think the embryos are, unborn ducks, or frogs, perhaps? Embryonic stem cells are harvested from “surplus” embryos left over from invitro fertilization. These are unborn humans already 5-7 days old, with sex, height and every other characteristic determined.

The public needs to be made aware of the overwhelming superiority of adult and umbilical cord stem cells. This will only happen through education, and the persistence of pro-lifers of ensuring the media reports the truth.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Important reprint from LifeSiteNews:

I never thought I would actually have time to blog twice in one day, but I just checked Lifesite news and found something really worth passing around. A Bishop from Wisconsin has taken a rare and courageous step in ensuring the priests in his diocese follow his request to address certain life issues this coming up weekend before the election in the States. We can only pray that one day our Canadian counterparts (other than the amazing Bishop Henry, of course) will show the same conviction and courage!

Bishop Morlino's letter to priests

The letter below from Bishop Robert C. Morlino was sent to the priests of the Diocese of Madison, dated October 25, 2006 marked "Personal and Confidential." Information about the letter was reported in the Wisconsin State Journal on October 30. The full text of the Bishop's personal correspondence with the priests is reprinted here, so that the full truth regarding the content of the letter can be known.
October 25, 2006

Dear Brother Priests,
Please pray for all those who exercise their right and duty to faithful citizenship. Pray for all our candidates, that they will choose to do God's will as our elected officials, and not their own. Enclosed with this letter, you will find a recorded message from myself both on CD and ordinary-cassette-tape format, for your convenience. It is mandatory that this recorded message be played for our faithful people at all Masses of obligation on the weekend of November 4th and 5th.
Very honestly, I would prefer never to have to resort to this particular format, and you can be assured that my use of it will be extremely rare. In the slightly more than three years that I have been with you, this is the first time when it has even occurred to me that this format would be appropriate. The message is approximately 14 minutes in length, so its use at the time of the homily (when it must be used) will not prolong the duration of Mass.
I apologize in advance for this second paragraph that I must write, and I would very much prefer otherwise. My office has received reports that in isolated cases, priests have refused to cooperate with my requests in terms of preaching in defense of marriage and have even expressed disagreement with my clear wishes in this matter. Please listen to the enclosed message: it deals with the marriage referendum, the death penalty referendum, and the issue of embryonic-stem cell research.
The message is educational in its purpose, and is certainly non-partisan. What I expect of each of you is a simple introductory statement that the bishop has required this message to be played during the homily time at all Masses of obligation on November the 4th or the 5th. If you can express some support for the message that I offer that would be appreciated but not expected.
I must make it very clear that any verbal or non-verbal expression of disagreement with this teaching on the part of the priest will have to be considered by myself as an act of disobedience, which could have serious consequences. I am sorry that a few isolated reports cause me to write to all of you in this vein. Up to this point I have not investigated the accuracy of those reports and at the moment I am giving the priests involved the benefit of the doubt, as is my custom. But it would be less than fair for me to leave any lingering ambiguity in anyone's mind about my seriousness in this particular matter. As always you are welcome to discuss the matter with me, through the use of my private phone number.
The episcopal consecration of Bishop Paul Swain provides us an opportunity to celebrate all that is holy, and good, and inspiring in our presbyterate. Make no mistake that I am far more impressed by that holiness, goodness, and inspiration, than I am troubled by the difficulties that we may encounter with each other along the way.
With deep gratitude for all that you are and for all that you do in the Lord's service, I am

Fraternally yours in Christ

Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino

Bishop of Madison

Check out LifesiteNews to hear Bishop Morlino's tape.




Stewardship Campaign

“We are a gifted people”….what does this mean to us as Christians? As Catholics? As members of our local parish?
We are well into our stewardship campaign for 2006, the time where we pay particular attention to what God is calling us to do. Every year there is a particular rhythm to the Stewardship campaign. We have reminders in the bulletin; we are sent letters in the mail asking us to renew our pledges, and we have a witness speak about stewardship.
If you feel like you missed “the call” this year; you are not alone. I was more than a little embarrassed when I asked our parish priest when we were having our "stewardship presentation this year", to which he replied, “we just had it, this past weekend…” I was at Mass; I was paying attention; I just didn’t “get it”.

This year, Father explained, instead of a distinct focal point, we are being called to reflect on the blessings we receive by sharing our gifts. The person who witnessed his call to stewardship in our parish focused on how God touched him through his experience in travelling to a village in El Salvador to help with a project, and how he was blessed because of giving of his time, talent and treasure.
Our heavenly Father has blessed each and every one of us with some kind of gift. In answering God’s call to give of our time and talent, we are able to witness first hand the Kingdom of God. What gifts can we share in order to experience God’s Kingdom? Stewardship is so much more than coming to church and putting an envelope in the basket. As Christians, we are called to action: “faith without works is nothing.” In the book of James we are invited to participate in the Kingdom of God by using our gifts to help others. Our churches need us! We are blessed with talents not to keep to ourselves or for our own enrichment, but to share with our community. If we want to experience the joy of God’s blessings on us, we must answer His call to give. This does not necessarily mean having to travel to a third world country to experience the Kingdom of God. We are all called in different ways: some are called to share their faith with children in the catechetic programme; some may be called to music ministry. Some may be called to give of their time with the Knights of Columbus or the Catholic Women's League. Some are called to work in the inner city with the poor. There are many, many areas of our community both in and outside of the parish that are in need of our gifts. In sharing the time, talent and treasure that God has blessed us with we are endlessly rewarded – this is God’s promise to us through His Son.
This time of reflection is for our renewal. It is why we are asked to renew our pledge to stewardship. This renewal, or “resurrection” of our commitment of sharing our time, talent and treasure affords us the blessings of God. We are a people gifted…to give.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Regarding Peter McKay....

The uproar surrounding Peter McKay's alleged comment about ex-girlfriend Belinda Stronach would almost be laughable if it wasn't so pathetic. Today in the Winnipeg Sun, someone wrote in with the dire prediction that Mr. McKay's remark will "cost the Tories the Women's vote".
Exactly how this guy came up with this conclusion, I'm sure we'll never know! The vast majority of intelligent women see the Conservatives as the answer to Canada's problems of fiscal mismanagement and social disarray. This is just another example of Liberal desperation and floundering. They have absolutely no leg to stand on regarding ANY relevant issues, therefore they must make noise wherever and whenever they can.
At least the Conservatives cannot be accused of "dithering", like a certain EX-prime minister was a master of. They are not afraid to "call it like it is", and are taking a no-nonsense approach to governing our country.
As for Belinda being referred to as a dog, "If it walks like a duck, and acts like a duck...."

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

So the Court Challenges Programme has had its' funding cut....

This has been a controversial programme since its' inception. Court Challenges is a programme founded in 1973 under the Trudeau Liberals that has given millions of dollars to exclusively leftist special interest groups to make legal challenges to existing laws. While the CCP was originally billed as a funding source for dealing with language rights, the Court Challenges program quickly became a vehicle for activist organizations furthering social engineering goals.

Lifesite news reports that the Canadian Union of Public Employees is contributing funds to a campaign to “save” the controversial Court Challenges Programme. CUPE, which is Canada’s largest union, has consistently supported activist groups pushing for pro-homosexual and pro-abortion issues, using mandatory worker’s dues for funding.
Family News in Focus reported in 2004 that "while pro-life and traditional family groups were denied funding under the CCP, organizations challenging family autonomy through radical interpretation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms were consistently subsidized by the organization."

In 1993 the CCP was shielded from Access to Information legislation under the Liberals, effectively preventing an accurate accounting of where taxpayers’ money goes. The Court Challenges program was reorganized as a not-for-profit organization, completely independent of the government. Since then, the organization has not had to announce its funding grants or the criteria for its decisions. In its current form, the Court Challenges program is not subject to Access to Information laws or to Parliamentary review, great cause for concern, according to Justice Minister Vic Toews.

The two main beneficiaries of CCP funding--the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund and the homosexual activist group EGALE--are two of the most powerful lobby groups in the country. These are hardly representative of "the disadvantaged and vulnerable" that the Court Challenges Programme was intended to support.

The bottom line is that it is the taxpayer's money, yours and mine, that has been used for this programme. Bravo to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Treasury Board Secretary John Baird for standing up for ALL Canadians and finally eliminating the Court Challenges Programme. Please contact the above, and THANK them, let them know they are doing the right thing, and that they have the support of the majority of REAL Canadians!

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Bravo for South Dakota!

Strong pro-life support is at work in South Dakota, as reported at www.lifesite.net. The following is an excerpt of their article, because, hey, they said it first and best, and why should I try to re-word it??

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. October 11, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – South Dakota’s prohibition on abortion, passed overwhelmingly in the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Mike Rounds, awaits a public referendum set for November 7th. In the meantime, the law – called by Rounds “a direct challenge” to Roe vs. Wade – is being supported by a strongly pro-woman campaign that points to the psychological and physical damage done to women by abortion.
Complaining that the pro-life supporters’ emphasis on the harm abortion does to women has disconcerted their strategy, Planned Parenthood of Minnesota and North and South Dakota is worried that the referendum is going to backfire.
Talking about the psychological and physical harms of abortion, “adds an element we're not accustomed to” Planned Parenthood president and chief executive Sarah Stoesz told the Los Angeles Times. “It's a different line of debate. And that is something we struggle with politically.”


So the pro-aborts aren't accustomed to addressing the "psychological and physical harms of abortion".... hmmm...maybe because it would cut into their profits too much if women actually knew the TRUTH!!!!

This victory is EXACTLY why it is so important to be ACTIVELY pro-life. It is NOT enough to be pro-life in values and beliefs. We are called to action! There is a quote, and I can't remember by whom (somebody help me out here) that says "All it takes for evil to flourish is a few good men to do nothing" - or something to that effect. I cannot stress enough the importance of having a paid membership to your local Right to Life group.
You may think it doesn't matter, but don't forget: numbers are everything to politicians and the media - it is much more impressive to say "we have a membership of 5000 who hold the same beliefs" than to go and say "well, we have 300 people belonging to our organization..." Who would you think has more clout? The time to act is NOW! If you do not have a membership in your local Life group (contact your local pro-life organization or CPC to find out where to sign up!) please get one! It is only because there are a large number of active pro-life people ACCOUNTED for in places like South Dakota that pro-life legislation can be passed!
Thanks, and God Bless....

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Abortion-breast cancer link: important information....

This weekend I was very fortunate to attend a pro-life conference hosted by Campaign Life Coalition. The speakers were informative and engaging, particularly Dr. Clem Persaud, who spoke on the abortion-breast cancer link.
Dr. Persaud's research shows that every week, 429 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Canada, and of these 429, 102 women will die. 1 out of 9 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. If these numbers are correct, we should be doing everything in our power to lower all possible risks, particularly if the risks are within our control.
It is easy to understand the link between abortion and breast cancer, if one just takes a moment to logically think about it. As soon as a woman becomes pregnant, her body starts to change; estrogen levels rise dramatically. The cells in her breasts begin to multiply, due to the increase of estrogen. With a regular, uninterrupted pregnancy, the cycle of cell growth is naturally completed with the birth of the baby and the production of milk. When a pregnancy is UNNATURALLY ended through abortion, the cells that began to grow in anticipation of milk production multiply out of control - they go "haywire", hence, they have a much higher chance of becoming cancerous. There is, in fact, an increased risk of up to 30% for breast cancer after abortion.
The reason that miscarriages do not increase risk of breast cancer is because if a pregnancy is NATURALLY ended, the estrogen level is generally not high enough to either sustain the pregnancy or cause the same cellular changes to the breast.
Maybe this is over-simplified, but I find that when I explain it like this, most people understand, and can see how abortion does in fact increase a woman's risk of breast cancer.
A couple of great sources to check out: www.abortionbreastcancer.com, and www.abortionfacts.com for more information. Perhaps once more people see the link between abortion and breast cancer, organizations like the Canadian Cancer Society will be willing to publicize this as a very real risk.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Life Chain - great chance to witness!

Yesterday (Sunday, October 1st) was the Life Chain, held across Canada and the U.S. Here in Winnipeg, Campaign Life Coalition held the chain outside the Women's Pavilion Hospital, where some 3400 abortions are done each year. We had approximately 85 people in attendance; I thought a lot more could have come out, considering how beautiful a day it was...

People driving by were overwhelmingly supportive; many waved and honked in support. Only 4 dissenters - one was a young female, perhaps in her very early 20's, screamed "**** you!" at us as the car she was in raced by. How sad. So many "pro-choice" people preach tolerance, yet do not tolerate opposing views, and do everything to silence what they don't agree with.
Hundreds of thousands of women have been exploited by abortion, and millions of babies slaughtered, but we're not allowed to say anything, because "it's none of our business"!

It is great to see the positive changes coming about in the U.S.regarding the abortion laws; pray that our politicians will wake up and listen to the growing majority of people in Canada who respect Life and are working to put an end to the senselessness of abortion.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Winnipeg Life Hike - thoughts

Wow, I am so new to this stuff.... I had no idea there was so much "out there" with the internet. It is so nice to hear from so many other pro-life people. Sometimes I feel like I don't have that much support. Just for example, this Saturday (September 30th) is our annual "Life Hike", a walk-a-thon of sorts that our League For Life holds to raise money for pro-life educational work. Bill and I and the kids have been collecting pledges at church for the past 2 weeks, and I cannot believe the number of people who DO NOT sponsor us! You know... the people you see every Sunday at Mass who all of a sudden seem to really want to avoid you? I remember two years ago I approached someone after Mass to make a donation - (it was one of our eucharistic ministers) and he practically spit "No", and turned and walked away! Talk about shocking! I don't know; maybe I'm too naive....I assume that everyone who goes to Mass on Sunday on a regular basis, especially those INVOLVED in ministry, should be pro-life....silly me....

I'll post the results of our total fundraising after the hike!

Monday, September 25, 2006

Olivia's story (August, 2003)

I wrote this 3 years ago for our local pro-life group newspaper. I wanted to include it on my blog because it really represents who I am.

My name is Lisa. I have been married to Bill for 9 years this past April. We have been blessed with Stephanie, age 8 (born 3 days before our first wedding anniversary!); Christian, age 6; Rachel, age 4, and Elizabeth, or “Littlebit” as she is known, age 2. We found out in April we were expecting again, with our fifth child due in early December.

Just like with my other pregnancies, we spent time wondering if this child was a boy or a girl; deciding on names; dreaming what he or she would look like and so on. Reading over the fetal development pamphlets was amazing; we got to “watch” our baby change and grow daily. Following the baby’s stages of development is always so exciting to me, even after having done so four times before this! It is such a privilege to be part of another human being’s life journey, literally right from day one.

Looking back now, I think I subconsciously knew something was not quite right. I thought the feeling of “some days I don’t even feel pregnant” was due to the fact that I was a very busy stay-at-home mom with a lot of responsibilities. A routine check up at fourteen weeks showed everything to be okay: my doctor and I heard the heartbeat, and the baby was growing at a nice rate. My next scheduled visit to my doctor was at 21 weeks, on July 29th. The week before this appointment I couldn’t shake a nagging feeling of foreboding: I knew I should have been feeling the baby move, and I wasn’t. When my doctor entered the exam room where I was waiting, she asked how everything was. My first response was “Not good. I haven’t felt the baby move at all.” She assured me that sometimes a mother might not necessarily feel movement this early; maybe the baby was just less active than my others were. She listened with that little monitor that amplifies the beating of the baby’s heart, searching, for what seemed like an eternity. I now know with brutal clarity what the expression “the silence was deafening” means.

My doctor, trying to remain optimistic, scheduled me for an emergency ultrasound, explaining that sometimes, if a heartbeat can’t be heard, that it could mean that the baby is just not in a good position, that maybe things are okay. I had enough time to go home and explain the situation to Bill, and arrange for a sitter for the kids before the ultrasound.
We cried and we prayed. We prayed for the baby to be okay; we prayed for the strength to deal with this horrible situation we were thrust into; we prayed for understanding. It was very difficult to explain the circumstances to our older children without alarming them, yet without minimalizing the possible outcome.

We went up to the floor the ultrasound was to be performed on. The technician obviously knew what was happening; she was solemn when she called me to go with her. The joviality I had come to expect with going to “see the baby” was just not there. I stood before the examination table, barely breathing, not wanting to be there at all. The technician was very sympathetic, telling me it was okay, whenever I was ready. I lay down and closed my eyes while she began the search. She moved the ultrasound wand around and around, not saying a word. Finally I had to ask, “You can’t find anything, can you?” “I’m so sorry. No.” Those words pierced my heart. How could that be possible? I had four perfectly healthy pregnancies previous to this. There had been no indication at all that something like this could happen.
Bill came to get me from the exam room, and we went back to see my doctor to discuss what would happen next. The ultrasound had shown that our baby had died at about 15 weeks gestation. I was already at 21 weeks, but my doctor was (thankfully) willing to wait one more week to see if I would miscarry naturally. Due to a previous c-section with my first pregnancy, apparently I was not a good candidate for induction, as the forced labour could possibly rupture my uterus. An absolute last resort would be a D&C to remove my baby, as waiting much longer would bring very high risks of infection. Because of my years of pro-life work and research, I knew exactly what a D&C would entail, so this was not an option I was even willing to discuss at this point.

That week of waiting was one of the hardest weeks of my life. We decided to tell as few people as possible while we dealt with our grief. How do you tell friends and family that your baby has died, but that you’re still “pregnant’? We did not want to have to explain what we knew, then have to go through it all again when I actually delivered, especially since we had no idea when that would occur. So we waited. This actually proved to be very hard to do; I felt terrible about not telling everyone; about having to pretend that everything was fine. The hardest time was in going to a friend’s daughter’s birthday party and hearing her tell others I was expecting again. But Bill and I really needed that time for ourselves to grieve and to deal with our loss, whenever that would come. I am so thankful we had that time; it helped immensely in coping later on.

The morning of August 5th arrived. I packed a bag, knowing I would be admitted today, since my body was just not accepting that the baby I was carrying was no longer living. We went to see my doctor who was very excited about the news she had. She had consulted with several colleagues about my situation, and found out that she could in fact, administer the drug needed to induce me, even with the previous c-section. Apparently it would be safe if it was a lower dosage, with little risk of rupture of the uterus. My doctor also was very reluctant to do the D&C because of the “very high risk of perforating the uterus”, which she stated more than once.

(Just as a side note: it’s amazing that one doctor will acknowledge this danger as a “very high risk” while so many others want to portray the procedure of a D&C as very safe and routine.)

So off to the hospital we went, filled with apprehension of what was about to happen. I was admitted just before noon; the first dose of the drug needed to induce labour given not long after. The nurses on the floor I was on were so compassionate and understanding. Everyone was genuinely sympathetic to what we were going through. The social worker (one on staff for bereaved families), upon finding out that we had not received copies of our last ultrasound, immediately made arrangements for us to have another so we could get pictures of our baby in the womb. It was an amazing experience to see this tiny human being, lying so still, so safe inside of me. They took so many pictures; labelling where possible so we could identify them – an arm here, a knee, the baby’s face. I will be eternally grateful to the social worker who arranged for this. In addition, she also obtained copies of our original ultrasound for us as a surprise. Even though the pictures are very grainy and a little hard to make out the images, the thoughtfulness and effort behind getting us these ultrasound images will never be forgotten.

The baby was born still in the amniotic sac, not long after the second dose of drugs had been administered. She came quickly and quietly, without the normal amount of pain or pushing. The nurses whisked her away to clean her up and dress her. They brought her back dressed in a soft green knit toque and little cotton gown, wrapped in a soft green knit blanket. I will never forget that first moment of seeing our little girl, of holding that tiny, precious bundle. The nurses and doctor respectfully left us to bond, to grieve over the birth and death of our baby, assuring us that we could take however much time we wanted. She measured 8 inches, or 21cm from head to toe and weighed 120 grams. She was 14 ½ weeks of age when she died.

All the knowledge I had of fetal development and life in the womb could not prepare me for what now lay before my very eyes. Although her facial features were slack and not completely defined, we could still see a very distinct resemblance to our other children’s features. Most amazing were her perfect little hands, one of which fit perfectly across the nail of my index finger. Closer inspection showed distinct fingernails at the end of each of her delicate fingers. We marvelled at the tiny little toes at the end of each foot. The muscles and tendons of her body were all in place; viewed easily just by moving her arms and bending her legs. She was so beautiful; so amazingly, perfectly formed, perfectly proportioned. It is so unfathomable that people refuse to acknowledge this as a human being; that babies this age and older are being killed every day through abortion.

We named our little girl Olivia Amy, the name she would have had if she had been born at full term, the name we had assigned so many hopes and dreams to. Olivia is just as much a part of our family as any of our other children. We do not have four children; we have 5. We had a funeral for her, not so much as closure for our family and friends, but because she was a human being who deserved respect and recognition, no matter how brief her life was. Along with the gift of dignity and recognition of Olivia as a person, we received from the hospital a molded impression of her hands and feet, a memento of a daughter we only had on earth for a very short while.

We don’t know why Olivia’s life was so short. Whatever the reason, I’m sure that she would be happy that the impressions left of her little hands and feet can serve to remind us of the miracle of life; of a human being which begins to grow not when the umbilical cord is cut, but from the very moment of conception.