Happy Mother's Day, Momma!

If you're a Mother, I am wishing you a beautiful, happy & blessed Mother's Day. Please know how important you are, not only to your children, but to the whole of society.

In honour of my own Mom, I am writing a letter to thank her.

Momma & I at my Prom

Dear Momma,

Happy Mother's Day! Thank you for being the best mother I could have ever asked for or ever imagined. Thank you for always being here, and always placing your role as a Mom before all else. I know I speak for all of us when I say, we are blessed to have you, and we love you.

You have sacrificed so much of yourself to raise all of us, and I hope we make you proud every single day. Thank you for giving up your quiet morning prayer time and cup of coffee for a waking baby who needs breakfast. Thank you for sacrificing fancy dates for a family movie night and watching Toy Story for the hundredth time. Thank you for sacrificing leisurely shopping trips for crazy trips for the grocery store with fussy little toddlers. Thank you for doing without brand new clothes so I could have the prettiest prom dress. Thank you for staying up late because I had a fever instead of going to bed after a very long day.

Thank you for praying for me, always. Thank you for holding my hand and teaching me how to kneel, fold my hands and say my prayers. Thank you for showing me, by your most beautiful example, how to be a woman of God, how to be a woman who has the humility and grace to submit to Daddy, and allow him to lead our home to our Heavenly Father. Thank you for teaching me how to serve everyone around me. Thank you for showing me how to be a kind, loving witness for God and of all things the Catholic Church stands for. Thank you for disciplining me and setting rules so I could learn, strive and grow within them.

Thank you for loving Daddy with you whole heart. Thank you for the way you meet him at the door when he comes home from work, with a kiss and a smile. Thank you for showing me how much you love him, and treasure him, and for teaching me what a good, holy marriage looks like. Thank you for blessing me with all my little siblings. They are my built in best friends, and I treasure the memories I continue to make with them. Thank you for using me as your babysitter a hundred times so I could learn a little bit about taking care of little ones.

Mom, you have shown me that being a woman, a wife and a mother is a privilege and gift. Thank you for never pushing me into a career or school that would have suffocated me. Thank you, for instead showing me that it's okay to want to be a Wife and a Mother.

But most of all, thank you for loving me. Even when I make it difficult. This day is truly all about you. I hope you can enjoy, and that you are able to see just how much you mean to me.

I love you, Momma.

A hundred hugs and kisses,

Emily xo

Men of Courage

A few weeks ago I posted about the movie Courageous, and how wonderful it was. The thing I loved about the movie was that it encouraged men to be men, and to stand up for their families. It promoted Men of Courage and of good value, and Heaven knows we need more men like that!

When I attended the March for Life on May 9th, 2013 I saw a young man, probably in his late 20s, with a sign that broke my heart. I wish I had taken a photo of him, but I remember what his sign said. At the March, there were of course, pro-choice folks out who were protesting our protest. For the most part they were all gathered together in one area, behind a fence and police officers. There were topless woman tossing condoms into the street at us (yes, thank you pro-choicers, we would love to have condoms. I am not sure if you noticed, but we are actually protesting the use of them) and chanting, "Get your rosaries of our ovaries" (this deserves a whole other post, but I would just like to point out that this chant makes zero sense AND does not rhyme.)

Anyway, back to this young man. He was off by himself, and I actually saw him at a few different parts of the March. He was walking with us I guess, but protesting us at the same time. He was totally alone every time I saw him, and I actually felt very sorry for him. His sad sign read,

"Men- Back off.

It's Her Body!" 

I think it is easy for us, as pro-lifers, to look at him and judge him for being a coward. Which, I guess he is. But, in his mind he is doing a great thing. See, I imagine this is what he is thinking... that he is helping to free and liberate women for the awful, traditional men who would embrace their fatherhood, and have a say in what happens to the little life they helped create within a woman's body. But, here is the reality, women don't need men to say, "It's your body, so it's your choice. Do what you want." I think that women think that that is what they want because they are often scared and angry in the face of an unwanted pregnancy. But no woman wants the father of the baby she's carrying to not care what happens to her or their child. She wants a man to help her make a decision.

I am fully aware that a lot of times the decision they make together could still end in abortion, and that saddens me, of course. Because, men who have a say in what happens to their child still may not recognize the new life growing inside the woman as a new person, but rather as a blob of tissue. But this is a step in the right direction. At least men would be stepping up and, recognizing the little one as a new life will come.

We need men to care about life. We need men to have an opinion. Especially in this area! We need men to come aboard the pro-life movement, and recognize their fatherhood. It's cowardly to say it's the woman's decision! Did you not have a part in placing that new life there, sir? Yes, yes you did. So you get a say in what happens next (and I hope and pray that that say is one for life!). Our world needs men of courage to stand up for life, and help women instead of 'liberating' them.

Thank you, so, so much for every single man who defends life. You are doing a wonderful, beautiful thing. Thank you for acknowledging your role and your Fatherhood. You are a credit to your gender.

Please join me in praying for this young man...and for all other men who join him in this passive viewpoint of abortion and in their wrongly placed passion for women's rights. 

God bless you,

-Emily xo

Gendercide? What in the world?

Give us the grace...When the sacredness of life before birth is attacked, to stand up and proclaim that no one ever has the authority to destroy unborn life."

-Blessed Pope John Paul II

Yesterday I had the wonderful privilege to participate in the National March for Life in Ottawa, Ontario. I cannot thank everyone who made that possible enough. I am so incredibly thankful that I have a job and employer that allowed me the time off to make the trip to Ottawa yesterday. I am grateful for our local pro-life association for doing all the leg work to get a bus together so I didn't have to drive down. I am thankful for the hard work and dedication of the hundreds of people who put in countless hours to organize and fund such a massive rally. I thank the hundreds of Police Officers who showed up to keep the March as peaceful as possible, even if they did not agree with what we were doing.  And, I am so thankful for the 20 or so thousand people who showed up from, not only across the country, but from other countries as well.

But here is what I am most thankful for. I cannot express how thankful I am today that I live in Canada, and that I am able to be a part of a peaceful protest like this. Because, today I am alive. I have not been shot and killed for publicly expressing my opinion on life. I have not been physically injured, or forced into hiding.

See, there are many things wrong with Canada, and I am often ashamed of what my country stands for. However, I am well aware that being able to stand up and protest my opinion that, Canada not having any law about abortion is incredibly unjust, is something I would not be permitted to do in many parts of the world.

That being said, I would like to talk a little bit about my experience yesterday at the March.

First of all, the number of young people there was truly unbelievable. It makes my so proud of, not only my generation, but of the next. We need more and more young people protesting this injustice. I think it in so wonderful that we are able to recognize that we are missing a great number of our generation, and that that is outrageous and unfair. So, if you were a young person out there yesterday, thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives to come.

Second, I would like to remark on the media. EWTN was there to cover the March, which is amazing. Click here for details on when the segment will air. The March was also covered by some other, non-Catholic, media sources, which is a step up from other years. However, this is what blows me away. Yesterday there was a grand total of 25, 000 people in front of the Parliament Buildings. 25,000 pro-life advocates. Did you get that? 25,000. That is a lot of people. Now, imagine there was some other protest going on at Parliament Hill, and that many people showed up. Would that not be front page, breaking news worthy? I'd say yes, more then likely. But, when there are 25,000 people peacefully (at least for the most part) protesting the unjust murder of millions of babies in our country (this year specifically focusing on female gendercide), there was very little (and even less accurate) news coverage. Is our country really that terrified of people peacefully defending infants?

I have a few other things I want to say on this topic, but those will wait for another day. I don't want to bore you! So, thank you if you defend life from conception to natural death- Remember that "if the world hates you,  you know that it hated [Jesus] before it hated you." John 15:18

Keep praying for those wee babies! And, God bless you for your efforts!

My sister, Katie and I.

-Emily xo

A New Mr. and Mrs.

On Saturday, May 4th, Troy and I attended a beautiful wedding ceremony for friends of mine. I could barely contain my joyful tears as I watched Sarah's father walk her, a stunningly beautiful bride, down the aisle of the lovely Church, as the musicians played a lively, gorgeous song. Beneath her veil, Sarah's face glowed. When they reached the end of the aisle her father lifted the long veil from her face, kissed her cheek and  gave her away. 

But, the most beautiful part was Tyler's face as he watched his bride walk down the aisle toward him. The love for her was so evident in his eyes and in his smile. It made my heart happy to witness the kind of beautiful love he had for her. 

The rest of the ceremony was wonderful. The love Tyler and Sarah had for one another was so clear. And, even more clear was their love for God. They loved Him first, and loved one another because of Him. That is the greatest gift of all.

Congratulations Tyler and Sarah! My love and prayers are with you as you begin your new life together! 

-Emily xoxo

Quote of the Day- Marriage

Today I am attending a wedding. I love weddings! But, this is extra special, because my dear friend, Sarah, is marrying the love of her life!

Congratulations Sarah and Tyler! Endless prayers and love.

"A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers."

-Ruth Bell Graham

-Emily xo

I Do, Forever...

All I have ever wanted to be when I 'grew up' was a wife and a Mom. I wanted to get married to the handsomest man who loved me more deeply and passionately then I had ever been loved before. A man who would promise to love me and care for me until the end of time. I wanted to share my heart and my home with him, and I wanted him to be the caring, loving, perfectly imperfect father of my children.

And, I wanted to experience a growing stomach as a baby formed in my womb. I wanted to feel a little one move and kick. I wanted to know my body was housing a beautiful new life, and I would have the privilege to give birth to a little baby God had given my husband and I to raise and lead to Him.

When I thought about my future it was always may safe place, so to speak. The place where my simple dreams for a wonderful life lived. I believe that is the life God is calling me to, and looking forward to that life has always been a haven of sorts.

However, as I got older I realized society has a very negative idea of my dream life, and it's because of societies warped view on motherhood and family that I find myself full of anxiety about my future. I have been openly told that my boyfriend and I are too young to be in love, and  if we get married it won't last because it's our first relationship. I have been told I need to go to school before I can get married, because otherwise I will not be able to afford an excessive life. I have been asked why I would want to have a house full of children. I have questioned on my sanity for believing marriage is forever, and in-disposable, and that sex before marriage is out of the question.

Society destroys family before it even has a chance to begin. I am privileged to have been raised in the home I was. My Mom had 9 children, and stayed at home to raise us. My father worked hard and was the spiritual leader of our home. We had more then what we needed. This background has given me the backbone I need to stand up to societies pressures and opinions. I am not saying they don't effect me, because of course they do. But, I am better able to preserve what I believe in because of my faith, and the guidance I was given growing up.

Some people are not as blessed as I am. I know young women who have come from broken homes, but so desire a future like I feel called to. Without faith, and without a solid family base, it is hard to stand up to society. It's a challenge to persevere in a good, family oriented life when society tells you otherwise, and when you are constantly looked down upon for having the opinions that they do.

As a society  we need to work on readjusting this warped view of family and marriage. We need to promote sex within marriage, good, holy couples, lasting and committed marriages, child-rearing marriages and love. True love; not lust.

We need to heal the hurt in the world by starting at home. We need to begin within our own homes, and be an example to a starving, hurting world.

Pray with me for healing hearts!

Emily xo

Quote of the Day- Love your Love!

You and I are the best team of all.

You are my best friend and the love of my life, my heart, my soul, the one I want to be with each and every 

day. 

You are the one I want to cheer me on through life.

Your arms are the ones I want to comfort and support me.

I love how when you and I work together we can do anything.

-Karen Kostyla