Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Our Speech. Our Story.

Like I've mentioned on Monday, Ryan and I spoke at Mass last Sunday to kick off NFP Awareness Week! Since most of you weren't there...Enjoy!

Me:

Hello my name is Kathryn and this is my husband Ryan Hager. We are here to let you know that this coming week is Natural Family Planning Awareness week. We are proud and happy users of the NFP method. We were introduced to the NFP method a couple of years ago and I won’t lie, we were a bit skeptical at first. Seeing how my brother and sister in law introduced us and also teach the class here at Scared Heart, we couldn’t say no to them or our curiosity. The NFP method is taught in three courses and available here at Sacred heart. This method has been wonderful for our relationship with one another and most importantly our relationship with God. We now understand how important the teachings on the theology of the body are in a marriage between husband and wife. Now my husband would like to share some of his thoughts on NFP. Please look in your bulletin for more information.
Ryan:
The information I gained through our first set of Natural Family Planning classes through Sacred Heart was very helpful and informative. I learned the role of the male in the method and more about the Church’s doctrine and why it promotes a non-hormonal method of birth control. The spiritual aspect of the NFP method intrigued me; however what really drew me to this natural way of family planning were the positive ways that it would benefit Kathryn’s health by discontinuing the use of doctor-prescribed-hormone-manipulating birth control. Some of the published facts that astonished me are as follows:
  • Hormonal contraceptives can cause early abortions. (most common with IUD use)  1.
  • Women who use birth control pills or other forms of hormonal contraceptives are more likely to experience blood clots.  2.
  • Women who started using H.C.’s before their first birth are at a 44 percent higher risk of breast cancer.  3.
  •  Women who use contraceptives 11 years or longer are at a 210 percent increased risk of breast cancer. 4.


Ladies and gentlemen, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. If any Catholic women or any women in your life are using hormonal contraception, take this week, “Natural Family Planning Awareness Week,” to inform them of the harm they are doing to their bodies. Thank you and Have a great Sunday!
* Be sure to do your homework. You should never read something and believe it. Read and search accurate sources to get the truth. When you search hard enough for what you are looking for you will always find the answer. Warning: From experience, it's not always what you want to hear or see.
1. Gold, R.B., "The Implications of Defining When a Woman is Pregnant" (The Gutmacher Report on Public Policy, May 2005) 2. Vleig, A.H. et al., "The venous thrombotic risk of oral contraceptives, effocts of oestrogen dose and progestogen type: Results of MEGA case-control study" 3. Kahlenborn, C. et al. "Oral Contraceptive Use as a Risk Factor of Premenopausel Breast Cancer: a Meta- Analysis" (Mayo Clinic Proc. 2006) 4. Croghan, IT et al. "The Role of Smoking in Breast Cancer Development: An Analysis of a Mayo Clinic Cohort" (Breast J. 2009)
*I know this seems a bit to "real" for a blog but I can't sit and say I didn't try. I know the majority of people who read this will ignore it and move on about their day. That's fine. I tried. Part of being a compassionate person is understanding and acknowledging that not everyone is going to agree with you. I am working on this. I tend to wear my heart on my sleeves and get upset every time someone doesn't do what I say/ask. Seriously, no hard feelings. I love everyone and when I say blessings to you I really do mean and hope that the holy spirit touches you in some way today.  


Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Humanae Vitae.

Humanae Vitae written by Pope Paul VI issued on July 25, 1968.

Love is total — that very special form of personal friendship in which husband and wife generously share everything, allowing no unreasonable exceptions and not thinking solely of their own convenience. Whoever really loves his partner loves not only for what he receives, but loves that partner for the partner's own sake, content to be able to enrich the other with the gift of himself. (pages 8-9, Humanae Vitae)

*44 years ago..amazing. Once I learned to open my heart and listen to what God wanted of a marriage union between husband and wife, I learn to love more and give more as a wife and what I have received is unmeasurable.

Also within Humanae Vitae (meaning written by and predicted by Pope Paul VI) that I find VERY interesting:

Pope Paul predicted four dire consequences if the use of contraception escalated: 1) increased marital infidelity; 2) a general lowering of morality, especially among the young; 3) husbands viewing their wives as mere sex objects; and 4) governments forcing massive birth control programs on their people.

Forty years later the moral landscape is strewn with the following stark reality: 1) The divorce rate has more than tripled. 2) Sexually transmitted diseases have increased from six to fifty. 3) Pornography—especially on the Internet—is a plague, addicting millions annually. 4) Sterilization is forced on women in third world countries, with China’s one-child policy in the vanguard.

*I wanted to share this information because it was something that hit me in the face a couple of years ago. That one man predicted what was going to happen to our society today. Be the change you want to be in the world and make a difference today!! Above all, listen to your heart and give yourself a chance to LISTEN to what God is trying to tell you.



Monday, July 23, 2012

It's that time of year again.

Well yesterday kicked off the start to Natural Family Planning (NFP) Awareness week!

I am so very excited about this week! Ryan and I talked at 8:00 Mass yesterday about our thoughts and a little information on NFP! I don't have our speeches with me right now but will be posting our talk this week!

Today I want to share about the BENEFITS and EFFECTIVENESS of using the NFP method, via the blog nfpworksblog:

* I want to make it clear that you do not have to be Catholic to use the NFP method. Don't let that be a block in the road to start a natural and healthy way of family planning.

What are the Benefits of NFP?

NFP…
  • Has no negative side effects.
  • Recognizes fertility as a gift, a normal healthy process, not a disease or side effect of sexuality.
  • Does not interfere with future fertility.
  • Is a shared method, which requires mutual responsibility. Are you a feminist? Why have you been bearing the burden?
  • Deepens intimacy & renews romance (NFP couples have the same amount of intercourse as contraception-users)
  • For Christians: Enhances the spiritual aspect of marriage by planning your family in way that’s not contrary to Christian teaching. (
  • Is cost effective.The average woman pays $1000-5000+ over her reproductive lifetime on contraception, not including sterilization. NFP costs $0-280.

How effective is NFP?

For Achieving a Pregnancy: According to the Paul VI Institute, those using the ovulation method (Creighton Model) and having normal fertility 76% will achieve pregnancy after 1 cycles. Those rates go up to 90% after 3 cycles and 98% after six cycles. For those with “compromised fertility” 20-40% will become pregnant within six to twelve months of use by charting alone. When couples receive medical treatment along with charting, their pregnancy rate up to 80%. Numbers may vary with the different methods.

For Postponing Pregnancy: Overall the rate is as high as or higher than any contraception systems–97%-99% method-effectiveness! No, really. It’s THAT good. Plus, the continuation rate of NFP (people who love it and keep on loving it) is around 93%. The rate for contraception ranges from 43% to 72%. (See Jason Evert’s Love, Sex & Babies, page 2. Copyright Catholic Answers, 2004.)

My email is kathy727203@yahoo.com and my number is 940 631-7866!! Ask questions!! It's the only way to get the answer!

Blessings to all!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

summer time.

Most of my memories of my childhood are of summer. and most of them involve the heat and farm work. I resented every moment of it then but can't find the words to express how thankful I am for it now.

I always wonder what Annie is going to remember or when she is going to start having events in her life that she will remember. Every single thing we do in life matters. Childhood to parenting and raising children is the most beautiful cycle God created. There is no check list to go off of that says if you do all these things your child is going to be perfect. I'm kind of glad there isn't because what I think is perfect is completely different than what someone else might think is perfect.

I know that Ryan and I try to make Annie smile as often as we can and to encourage her to learn new things every day. There are many other things we do and I hope all are going to leave a positive lasting impact on her.

For now, we are trying to embrace and enjoy this summer heat. Below is 4th of July fun!