A Happy & Healthy Start (Again)

Resolutions, diets and over-indulged credit card accounts abound at this time of year. Strangely, they have something in common – it’s so fun to participate in their initial introduction! The ‘carrying through’ part causes us more pain.

Unlike the above, ‘carrying through’ the practice of natural family planning just gets more exciting the longer you practice it. If you change your mind part way through the year about what you want the results of practicing NFP to be, you could still have rewarding results! (If the last statement doesn’t make any sense to you, just contact us for clarification.)

We won’t guarantee that 2009 will see your 2008 New Year’s resolutions carried out. We can’t be with you to offer you healthy diet choices. We can’t even promise you a weekly visit from St. Nicholas to cause your over-indulged budget to burb a bit! We certainly hope that when you review your situation at year’s end, any and all noble intentions will have become a positive part of your year.

To get a happy, healthy start to 2008 contact us at Serena Manitoba. We will help you get started in practicing natural family planning, we will give you information that will empower you to make healthy choices, we will supply healthy resources, we will provide follow-up sessions, we will coach you with expert counselling, we will make available excellent tracking resources to monitor your progress, and we will rejoice with you when you achieve the results you choose by your plan of action.

The next starter class is scheduled for Monday, February 4/08. Call us at 204-783-0091, toll free outside Winnipeg at 1-866-317-5362, or email us at serenamb@mts.net.

Happy new you!

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

As has become our tradition, once again as we gathered for our family gift exchange, before opening a present the recipient shared a ‘thank you’ for something that happened in the past year. We have moved past ‘I am thankful for this present’ to many thoughtful and specific messages of gratitude for someone in our life, for work situations, for good health in challenging situations, for new life, relationships that were enriched, etc.

After the last affectionate goodbye, the door was closed to keep out the winter air that was eagerly swooping across the floor. The Christmas lights were turned out, and one more note of thankfulness poured from my heart. This was indeed a time of shared hope in a sometimes dark world that comes swooping into our lives. We were left with a warm glow and a legacy of hearts that spoke life-giving messages perhaps not heard enough throughout the year. We were all recipients of the wonderful hope-filled message that there is much good and light in our world. Small acts of kindness did make a difference. Hope in our Creator permeates and can renew all situations. That’s a gift we are thankful for and wish for everyone.

Anytime thankful hearts embrace others is truly the most wonderful time of the year.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Serena Manitoba!

All That Glitters Is…Snow!

We finally received enough snowfall to actually say we now have a blanket of snow covering. Anything left outside is now wearing a glistening white cap – be it pumpkins, the handles of garden forks, or the outstretched arms of park benches. The beauty that covers them now with its wintry white evokes memories of other times and more temperate weather. We enjoy the picturesque loveliness of sparkles on the cold white snow as the same sun shines down on us now that had us shed our sweaters a short time ago. We find ourselves enjoying the temporary coldness with the beauty it has to offer, while at the same time we look forward to basking in the warm sunny days to come.

Couples who practice natural family planning know that if they have discerned that this is not a time to bring the joy of a new life into their relationship, there may be a short time of ’snow’ in the month. At the same time, they recognize the glittering sparkles that cap the proverbial snow, because they are confident of the personal, medical and spiritual benefits they will experience by practicing NFP.

Contact us to register for the next class in Natural Family Planning. You may even gain some tips on how to manage the short time of snow.

Serena Manitoba

783-0091 ~ toll free outside Winnipeg 1-866-317-5362 ~ serenamb@mts.net

Creating Ripples That Last a Lifetime

Last weekend in Canada we celebrated Thanksgiving Day. Several weeks prior to our gathering the hostess had requested submissions of ‘I am thankful for…’ These ‘thank offerings’ were then posted at the event. Guests were invited to move around the room to read the submissions, making an attempt to match the anonymous writer with the post. There were no prizes offered, but more importantly the exercise resulted in a lot of love and laughter being shared. The conversation generated by this simple idea had the place humming with shared memories, speculation as to ‘who would say that?’, and a feeling of ‘being full’ that went far beyond the turkey and dressing. Perhaps you could even say a feeling of ‘my cup is overflowing’ was quite evident among the three generations present.

A simple shared idea effectively generated ripples of joy and genuine thanksgiving that will flow in the resulting strengthened relationships for a long time, perhaps even into following generations.

Natural family planning is just like that. It is a simple (but effective) method that results in creating strengthened relationships that share love and respect. A strengthened relationship also tends to last longer, and with evident joy.

Pass the cranberry sauce, please. I mean, the notice for the next natural family planning class. Thanksgiving Day may have passed, but the next relationship enriching class in NFP is scheduled for November 12, 2007. You’re invited.

Call or email us to save a place for you. Check out the Events page for up-to-date schedules.

The Majesty, Order, and Confidence of the Canada Goose

As I sit here at the computer, a gaggle of geese has just written their picturesque way across the screen of blue sky outside the window. I wish I could hit the ‘refresh’ button and watch them again and again. Not possible. But I do hold the vision of what the Canada Geese do best – in my memory bank. With fluid movement their V-formation makes its way across the window of my mind, conveying majesty, order and confidence.

On these refreshing September mornings, perhaps you will be inspired to look up and see the great expanse of sky above you and regain that feeling of being a part of something bigger than yourself. Something majestic and freeing is roused in your spirit. But there is also a yearning for something more.

That V-formation of the geese? It also portrays the synergistic energy of working together. Serena Manitoba has been around for over thirty years helping people just like you. Discover more about and for yourself. Your body is wonderfully made, and it can also help you write something beautiful across the expanse of sky that is your life. When you gain that awareness, you will be free to live your life with majesty, order, and yes, confidence.

The next ‘confidence-building’ class in natural family planning is scheduled for Monday, October 1st, 7-9 pm. Contact us at 783-0091, 866-317-5362, or serenamb@mts.net.

Serena Manitoba – Consistent to the End

A few days ago, I participated in an event that commemorated the martyrdom of a priest in the Majdanek Concentration Camp near Lublin, Poland in 1944. When offered freedom if he would stop helping others find freedom (for their souls), Fr. Kowcz chose to endure suffering alongside his fellow prisoners. On display at the event this past weekend was a recent rendition of the martyr. The artist portrayed him with a facial expression that conveys his powerful convictions and steely resolve to live his life ‘consistent to the end.’

In July of 2007, Serena Manitoba passed the milestone of being incorporated for thirty years. In fact, the teaching of natural family planning in Manitoba was already taking place for more than ten years prior to that, thanks to the initiative and capable leadership of Dr. Paul Adams and his wife Louise Adams. Many certified teacher-couples and presenters have given sacrificially of their time and expertise to help others with the freeing message and method of practicing natural family planning in the ensuing years.

The most frequent comment of class participants is ‘We wish someone would have told us about this before.’

Can you help us spread the good news of natural family planning? The method is easy to learn, economical and effective.

Donations are also gratefully accepted and acknowledged with a tax receipt.

For our part at Serena Manitoba, we will continue to be here to promote and teach, providing class instruction, brochures, and speakers as needed.

Our goal is to be “consistent to the end.”

Contact us at Serena Manitoba, 99 Cornish Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3C 1A2, 204.783.0091, toll free at 866.317.5362, or email us at serenamb@mts.net.

Celebrating Canada (and the Shire)

How awesome it is that we can celebrate our country.

In Tolkien’s Return of the King there is a chapter titled Scouring the Shire. I recently commented to a 15-year-old avid reader of Tolkien how insightful that particular chapter is, and how it could be applied to some of life’s situations today. Sometimes we allow others to cloud our thinking of our own created value in such a way that we no longer have an image of who we really are. The perpetrators of such ‘drag-you-down’ thoughts and actions also take themselves down a notch or two.

And then there is the hero who comes into one’s life and almost magically helps us to take back that ideal image of self. Suddenly, we are filled with zeal to also take back ‘the shire’.

Some of the participants in several recent natural family planning classes expressed just such sentiments in their anonymous evaluations. Let me share a couple that build up teacher and participant – “Thank you for the workshop …you two are very comfortable and easy to be with. Thanks!” “Well done. (You) made it sound very reasonable and easy to do.” (What I found worthwhile about today’s session was) “understanding the woman’s cycle – the physiology and science behind it- that makes the sympto-thermal method make sense.” “The information was quite impressive. I enjoyed it that my questions were answered.”

We are looking forward to reading your helpful evaluations. Our next class in natural family planning will take place on Monday evening, August 20th, from 7-9 p.m. Contact us to register if you are exploring available and effective options in natural family planning: 783-0091, toll free outside Winnipeg, Manitoba 1-866-317-5362, serenamb@mts.net.

Have a wonderful Canada Day celebrating life, family, friends, our history, our future, and all you hold dear. Maybe you will be the instrument that returns value to someone who has been placed in your life’s path. Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!

Dad – Have a Great Forever!

In a couple of days many families will be celebrating Father’s Day. Many dads take their family to work in snapshot form, on their cell phones, and on their computer screens. My husband’s art studio walls are decorated with cards and pictures from past years. As I glance over them I hear a six-year-old girl say ‘To My Daddy: Thank you for being my Dad. I love you!’ A now-eleven-year-old girl said ‘Happy Father’s Day! Have a great Father’s Day!’ Of course, the message is accompanied by age appropriate artistic merits depicting hearts, a little girl with bows in her hair, rainbows, bells, and then a top hat, and a ‘Dad’ trophy. The sixteen-year-old’s card says ‘Happy Father’s Day to a Dad we love so much!’ The hand made card is also signed by her three brothers. A note accompanied the card saying, ‘Your “gift and I” is in the mail. Can you guess what it is?’ Tickets to the Rainbow Stage production of The King and I showed up in the mailbox a couple of days later.

Tokens from people who care about us. Treasured memories. Let’s use them to spur us on to let others know – maybe our own Dad – how much they mean to us.

One more card on the wall captures the message we would like to convey, coupled with a touch of humour that resounds with appreciation. This one from an eighteen-year-old son. The huge card is made up of Snoopy the dog sitting atop a huge stylized dog house made to look like the number one. It says, ‘Dad, You’re Clearly Number One…the proof is in your top-notch son!’

Happy Father’s Day to all the ‘Kings’ in our families.

Next natural family planning class date is June 25th. Contact us on the EVENTS page.

Making A Big Splash

When we spoke of making a ‘big splash’ to celebrate thirty years at Serena Manitoba, we didn’t realize that the rain clouds would collaborate! Our Cruise & Lunch event onboard Canada’s largest riverboat, the MS Paddlewheel Queen, took place today. It appeared that the high water levels would somewhat hamper the excursion. However, to the sheer delight of everyone onboard, Captain Steve and the crew determined that the water level was safe enough to take us to The Forks and other scenic and historical points.

It was a unique and lovely venue, the food and service were great, the weather was absolutely awesome, the company onboard was fabulous, and a lot of people went home happy with the event and some super prizes.

That’s sort of the theme of natural family planning. It is unique, the company of the people using this unique method is fabulous, and you are the winner. The prize is the health of your body, your budget, and your relationship.

Contact us to register for our next natural family planning class on Monday, June 25th.

204-783-0091, toll free at 1-866-317-5362, or serenamb@mts.net.

The Best Things In Life Aren’t Things

Art Buchwald is credited for saying that the best things in life aren’t things.

At Serena Manitoba we hear versions of that statement every time we read the evaluations after a natural family planning class. Or it might come to us as a thank you note from an organization that has just had one of our presenter-couples speak at their event. It has happened that it literally falls out of an envelope with a note of gratitude accompanied by a picture of a new baby. Sometimes it comes to us in the form of a tax deductible donation. It is also proclaimed when an already busy couple takes on the role of board member, teacher-couple, or office volunteer.

On May 28th a teacher-couple will offer information on natural family planning in a class setting.

On June 9th we will board Canada’s largest riverboat, the Paddlewheel Queen, to celebrate thirty years of classes taught by Serena Manitoba. This event is also a fundraiser to keep the good news going. As we set out to navigate the historic Red River for two hours at the sound of the ship’s horn, you can continue to sip your coffee and finish your oven roast chicken lunch. You might chat at the silent auction or bake table, browse the art exhibit or meander along the promenade.

Come celebrate the things in life that aren’t things. A class? An outing? Your choice.

Contact us at the Events page.