Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Marriage

Is marriage a good thing? To listen to the media it isn’t. It is made fun of and down right degraded all over the place. It is common to tell young people to delay marriage for as long as they can. I differ greatly in this opinion.

God made us to enter puberty in our mid teens (or earlier). He also told us to remain celibate until marriage. To give someone the “drive to reproduce,” so to speak, but not allow them to engage in such behavior for some 15 YEARS (as many Christians in our society try to do) could be construed as CRUEL! God gave us these feelings and they are good (VERY GOOD!) but it is dangerous to use them in a context other then than the one He made for us. Disease, violence, broken hearts, children without mommies and daddies all result from not following God’s plan, which is marriage between one man and one woman in the late teens or, at the most, early twenties.

I believe we should be encouraging our children to marry as soon as possible and we should be actively training them in the skills needed for this. Young men should be encouraged to get into a line of work that can support a family as soon as possible, as well as developing their leadership skills. Young women should be taught all about running a household; cleaning, cooking, child development, teaching (including algebra, geography, science, history, grammar, etc.), nursing and medicine. Both should be taught the difference between needs, wants and desires, and they should be taught contentment and reliance on the Lord and what His Word says.

I married at age 18. Hubby was 20. That was 22 ½ years ago. My marriage is a success because our parents prepared us for adulthood, not perpetual childhood. We honestly were ready for marriage at that young age. My grandmother also married at 18 and my great-grandmother at 14(!). both were happily married until “death did them part.”

Unfortunately, many have no choice. Marriage is a two person contract and our society has made it downright stupid for a man to marry; free sex whenever he wants with no strings, and if her marries he stands to loose all his financial assets in the divorce all while still having to do his own laundry. Many, many young men today are simply waiting until their late twenties or even thirties to consider marriage. This puts the young women in the position of having to wait until their fertility has dropped more than 50% and they are in the habit of relying on themselves for everything. So much for “freeing” the women. We have been “freed” from all the good things of life including respect of our s**uality, motherhood, wifehood, and queen-ship of our castles. Yeah. Thanks, Steinem and Friedan.

Here are some articles on the subject:

“For decades, marriage has been viewed with the same kind of disdain as wearing pantyhose. Sometimes it's necessary, but put it off as long as possible; when possible, avoid it; "
Great list of reasons why marriage is a VERY GOOD THING!
ithttp://makinghome.blogspot.com/2006/09/marriage-great-liberator.html

‘Reflecting on "The Mystery of Marriage"’
http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001244.cfm

Friday, July 25, 2008

Experts and Amateurs

I have read several blog posts lately discussing “The Cult of the Amateur.” It seems someone wrote a book by that title claiming the web and blogs are killing our culture. Not to be blogging on a blog of a blogged book report about blogging, but…..

I do believe in listening to the experts. Very much so. I just define “expert” differently others do.

I don’t think the 20 something kid who just spent eight years in a classroom surrounded by other adults listening to some ancient professor drone on about child rearing theories is an expert even if he does have a pretty paper on the wall. I think my mother who successfully raised two children to be strong, dependable citizens and who has counseled many other parents in their child rearing is far more of an expert.

I think the midwife who has delivered 20 babies and participated in almost 100 births in many ways, from onset of labor until baby is days old, BEFORE she was allowed to be certified (20 years and 200 babies ago) is far more of an expert in NORMAL childbirth than an OB who has seen few if any natural, un-intervened births in his entire carrier, and is only actually present to “catch” the baby, not during the hours before. (OBs are actually trained in problems, not normal births. For problems, they ARE the experts. That is why midwives send problem pregnancies to them.)

I think the mom who has spent years worth of time researching different educational methods and examining resources of all kinds for her own family as well as brainstorming with her friends for theirs, is more of an expert on tutoring individual children in her own influence than a teacher who spent his education learning the one view point presented in colleges and has no time to research once he is in a classroom (wouldn’t do any good anyway since he is limited to state approved methods and resources), and most especially not some administrator or union rep who hasn’t seen a live kid in years.

I think the kiddo who has just spent years in a classroom being told what Luther and Calvin believed the Bible says is not nearly the expert on the Bible that my father who has spent the last forty years with his nose in The Book is.

You see, I believe the people who are actually living IT are far more knowledgeable than someone who has learned IT from a teacher or a book. Those who are set up as experts often don’t really know what they are talking about. It is an unfortunate thing that so many people over the last hundred years have tossed common sense out the window and listened to people whose only qualification is that they could stand to sit in a college classroom for four to eight years.

The fact is that no matter what your qualifications, no one would hear you if you didn’t agree with the media. They controlled what books got published, movies made, TV shows produced, the text of the evening news, content of the newspaper, even the words to the songs we hear. And they all agree! Ask them. The American media, by its own confession, is 80% liberal (socialist), atheist, and evolutionist. And that is the only view point presented over the last hundred years with any shred of validity.

The internet is giving the common man back his voice. Anyone can put out their ideas and they will be debated and ultimately judged on their own merits, not their media’s opinion. In fact, modern technology has opened up the door for the common man to have a voice in all areas of media.

The era of the “expert” is over. It is time for common sense to prevail.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Charlotte Mason

I just finished reading Charlotte Mason’s “Homeschooling.”

Ms Mason was a 19th century teacher with revolutionary ideas. The schools who implemented her methods gave the poorest children in England the equivalent education of the rich. There were some real gems in this book, though most were not new to me. I have read three books about her books in the past. Her methods of teaching are known as “The Gentle Art of Learning.” I highly recommend this book and most of her methods.

Sigh, yes, most. She recommends “see-say” for teaching reading. At that time it was the “New and scientifically improved way of teaching reading.” Today we know that many, many studies have shown it to be a complete failure (though our public schools keep trying to hold on by changing the name every few years) . Good old fashioned phonics is the best, indeed the only real way to teach reading. I will write a whole post on that sometime, but let’s just say you could skip that chapter of the book. She was also an evolutionist, but it was because she honestly believed science had proven the Bible wrong on origins. We now have so much more evidence to the contrary that there is no reason to make excuses or justifications.

Other than those two points, I found the book very inspiring. She was very dedicated to our Lord. Some of her ideas: children are people too and should be treated with dignity and consideration; don’t have a child do anything until they can do it well then except nothing short of perfection; to hire a “nurse” (babysitter) for a child who is uneducated and uncultured is to disobey Christ’s command to “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. Mat 18:10.”; daily nature walks; narration instead of tests; 20 minute lessons, tops, especially for little boys; the discipline of habit; the HABIT of obedience; careful training of the will to follow God.


Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Who invented birth?

Is it some neat new technology that man has come up with in the last century? It sure sounds like it when you talk to most people. You would think anyone who tried to give birth before 1900 died.

The fact is that birth was God’s idea. He designed our bodies to bare babies. He did not make mistakes in that design. Most of the time birth will go just fine without any modern intervention at all; just the same skills midwives have used throughout history. Yes, occasionally The Fall comes into play and there are problems. But it is rare. Most problems we see today are actually CAUSED by technology. Man keeps messing with perfectly functioning bodies and it messes things up.

The US has the best emergency care system in the world and spends more on pre-natal care per birth than anyone else so of course the safest place to give birth is….

Sweden (followed closely by Japan). The US is the 28th safest country in the world. The only factor that all the safer countries have in common is that they all use midwives and home birth more than we do. The more a country uses midwives the safer they are statistically (Sweden and Japan have 80% midwife births and 50% homebirths).

The doctor’s track record.
Mid 1800’s- “We don’t believe in that silly superstitious stuff. “Wash your hands between patients”- huh- what none-sense! Yes, all the women in my maternity ward died (in the order I examined them after doing that autopsy), but we all know that birth is inherently dangerous.” (First of all, this is when the idea of birth being dangerous began in the first place, because half all women who birthed in a hospital did die. However, midwives of the time only lost one in every few thousand moms.)

Early 1900’s- “Let’s x-ray every pregnant woman that comes through. Hmmm, wonder why our leukemia rate has sky rocketed.”

“Morning sickness? This new wonder drug will stop it in a heart beat. Of course in a year or so we will conclude this is the cause of so many babies suddenly being born without arms or legs.”

“Going to miscarry? DEHA will stop that! Of course your baby girls will be born with two uteri and will be infertile.”

“We shave every woman who comes through here to give birth in order to prevent infection!” Seems God put that hair there for a reason. Shaving causes HIGHER infection rates.

“God didn’t make the opening to the birth canal big enough so we will do an episiotomy (incision in the muscle surrounding the opening of the birth canal) on every woman.” The biggest cause of death in America in relation to birth for the last fifty or more years is infection of the episiotomy. Even today, 9 in 10 hospital births have one. 1 in 10 midwife assisted home births do. You can’t die from complications to a procedure that is never preformed. And even when you don’t die, the episiotomy is very painful, sometimes for the rest of a woman’s life.

“Babies should be routinely be kept away from mom for 24 hours to insure they are ok and don’t catch infections….. Oh….. They are catching infections and DIEING in the nursery. Opps.”

“Feed your baby scientifically created and approved formulas. Much better than that primitive breast milk.” Today we know that formula causes obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, tooth misalignment, colds, ear infections, lower IQs, and crib death.

“Feed baby on a strict four hour schedule.” Babies died of malnutrition.

“Come to the safe hospital to have your baby.” Hospitals are one of the most germ ridden places in the world. They are where sick people go. Home births have repeatedly been shown to have far fewer infections. Not only are there fewer germs, but you are already immune to the ones that are there.

Common procedures done today- 80% of women have induction drugs (seems God forgot to tell the body when it is supposed to go into labor.) Induction drugs cause uterine rupture, extreme pain, prematurity, and fetal distress. In fact, because of the rise in uterine ruptures, many hospitals no longer allow VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean section). What is causing the ruptures? Cytotec (an ulcer medication) is being used to induce labor and is so powerful it is blowing uteri apart! Do they out law the use of Cytotec? Oh no! They quit allowing women to have natural births.)

Epidural (over 50% of women)- injected into the spine. It numbs a woman from knees to belly button. Associated with higher rates of fetal distress, forceps deliveries, and c-sections. In fact all pain killers are associated with increased rates of fetal distress and post birth lethargy.

Denial of food- done in case the woman needs a c-section. There is a danger of aspirating vomit if general anesthesia is used (which it seldom is anymore). Causes weakness and exhaustion in mommy and breathing and blood sugar problems in baby.

Vaginal exams- done to check progress. Each examine introduces more germs into that woman’s body. Besides, they HURT when you are in labor! How much fun; total strangers coming in and sticking their hands up in you every hour.

Labor “progress” standards- a set of guide lines laying how long a woman should take in each stage. Unfortunately, many woman take longer than the standard, making doctors and hospital administrators nervous. The result is that if you take “too long” you will be given induction drugs or c-sectioned to cover the hospital and doctor in case of a law suit.

C-section- one out of every three women will have one. The world health organization says the ideal number is about 5%. More than that is too much. Most c-sections are done for the doctor’s convenience, to cover him or the hospital in case of a law suit, or to fix complications caused by interventions (such as induction drugs causing fetal distress.) Can result in hemorrhage, perforated bowls, perforated bladder, hysterectomy, future miscarriages, infertility, infection for mom and lacerations, respiratory distress, infection for babies. C-section is major, abdominal surgery with all the potential complications of any other major surgery.

Did you know that America has the most considerate babies in the world? While most babies are born evenly spaced around the clock and the week, 80% of American babies are born 9-5, Monday through Friday.

Fear can cause labor to stall or even reverse. American hospitals make no effort to make sure those caring for mama are especially pleasant and happy. In fact, just going to the hospital can cause labor to stall.

While homebirth and midwives are not for those in the highest risk categories, there is no reason 90% of women shouldn’t have homebirths with a midwife in attendance. This includes first time mommies.

More babies prefer home.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

What is Quiverful?

What is Quiverful?
Nothing I say here is in condemnation of those that are infertile through no fault of their own. Some infertility is the result of living in a fallen world. Some is due to God having plans for your life that would not be possible to achieve if you had children. Sometimes God keeps someone from having children the "normal" way so they will consider adopting some of those beautiful children that are already here who are so in need of Godly parents.

Quiverful is the practice of giving full control of the womb to God. It is welcoming all the children God wants to give us with open arms and accepting however many or few that are His will for us.

Children are a gift of God and the fruit of the womb is His reward. Psalms 127:4-5.

Children of ones youth are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. Blessed is the man with a QUIVER FULL of them. Psalms 127:3

And God blessed them (Adam and Eve), and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen 1:28

Bring forth with thee (Noah) every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. Gen 8:17

And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. Gen 9:1

And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein Gen 9:7

Question: Was this mandate, "Be fruitful and multiply," ever rescinded? Does it still apply today?

And did not He make one (See Gen 2:24)? Yet had He the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That He might seek a Godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. Malachi 2:15

God seeks Godly children. Godly children are produced in a Godly marriage. There is no other place Godly children can be produced. More Godly children mean more Godly adults. The more Godly adults, the more people to witness to the lost. Let's say we have ten families and only one is Christian. If each family has two children then when they are all grown we have eighteen new adults raised in un-Christian homes and two adults to witness to them and lead them to Christ. If the Christian home, however, has the Historical average of seven children, that is seven new Christian adults to witness to the eighteen sinners. Which group do you think will have the better chance of leading the unsaved to the Lord? This is in fact the method the Muslim and Mormon churches are using to grow their religions.

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke 18:16

The Bible is clear from cover to cover that God thinks of children as blessings and controls the womb (Read the stories of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachael, Leah, and Hanna just for starters). He opens and closes it. Get your Strong's out and look up the words womb, children, fruit, blessings, and curses. It is clear that God considers children a blessing.

Many have said "Children were a blessing in those days because everyone lived on farms. Things are different today." In other words they think the scripture should have read "Children are a gift from God until the Industrial Revolution. Then they are a curse." Does this sound right to anyone? It sure doesn't sound right to me.

Many say God can't be controlling the babies born because single moms and abusive parents have children and God wouldn't allow that. Hmmm. "God wouldn't allow that," huh? Then He has no control? He puts people into and out of political offices, He causes entire countries to flourish or fail. He controls the weather. He can raise the dead. But He can't control who does and doesn't have babies? The problem is that we in our arrogance have decided that babies are curses except in the best of circumstances (only middle class America is good enough to have children). We assume that because we can't see any good coming from a thirteen year old unwed mother giving birth that there couldn't possibly be any good. The problem is that we can't see the future. That very baby starting off with the "worst of circumstances" might grow to be the only man with enough grit to stand up to evil in some time or place. He might be the next John Wesley (17th out of 19 children in a poor pastor's house) or the man that stops the mugger from killing the little old lady. She might be the woman that grows up determined to provide the best love in the world for her five children and raising them and her grandchildren to be mighty warriors for God. We don't know. In fact, what would you tell a woman living in extreme poverty whose husband didn't provide sufficient income for the family, who had given birth fifteen times, half of whom died in infancy? Would you tell her to stop? Get those tubes tied? Yank the whole works out? If she had followed this advice we would not have the Methodist church, Sunday School, nor over a thousand of the hymns in our hymnals. You see, Susanna Wesley's seventeenth and nineteenth children were the above mentioned John and Charles Wesley. How do you know that your fifth or eighth child or that baby born on welfare won't be the one to lead a massive revival in the Middle East? You don't.

In Deuteronomy God told Israel that if they served Him they would have fertile orchards, vineyards, cattle, fields and wives. If they did not serve Him their orchards, vineyards, cattle, fields and wives would be infertile. Do you really think the epidemic infertility sweeping this country is just an accident? Babies are a blessing from God even today.

There is no place in the Bible where a child born to committed parents of the same faith are anything but a blessing. If God wanted to give you $50,000.00 every other year or so, would you refuse it? Babies are just as much of a blessing as mere money. Actually more so. Money has a way of disappearing while children are forever. Bringing children into this world brings something into eternity too; the only thing you can take into eternity with you.

But how will we afford them?

Blessed is he that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly...Psalms 1:1
“We can’t afford it” Is worldly thinking. Babies wouldn't be much of a blessing if God didn't provide for them. But our God does not do that. He does not give us assignments and not give us what we need to accomplish them. Picture this conversation: "God, use our womb for your glory. Give us the number of children You want us to have." God: "Hee, Hee, hee. Now I've got them! I am going to make their lives miserable!" I sure don't serve a God like that! Do you?

I have heard many stories of families that decided to be Quiverful, and shortly afterwards God gave the husband a better job, often with more money, less hours and less commute.

What happens more often, however, is that God gives us the creativity and grace to live with what we have. Many people think they need much more money than they do to survive. Having many children makes us form priorities and stick to them. We don't get caught up in the materialism that our society is plagued with. This is often God's way of getting our eyes on the eternal and away from the carnal. This is a matter of faith, that you are doing God's will and really letting Him decide how you live.


Let me put this in a global perspective. If you are living in a one room studio apartment, over a convenience store, with seven children, and walk to work because you do not have a car, but do have running water, flush toilets, heat of some kind, clothes on your backs and food in your mouths, then you are still way ahead of most of the planet. You are still very blessed materially. If you have more than that, you are RICH. You do not need a three bedroom house in the suburbs with three cars, computer, fashionable clothes and fast food on the corner. These are wants, not needs.(Just a note-these things are not wrong in and of themselves. I live in a three bedroom house in the suburbs with five cars myself. The point is, these mere THINGS should not be our priority. We can't take our cars to heaven with us and God is building us a new house so we won't need the one here. Our children are the only things we can take into heaven with us. They should be our priority.)


I can't handle more than two children.

How do you know that? You may have been over stressed once while baby sitting more children, but baby sitting in no way resembles caring for your own.

Many people feel too stressed at two or three children to consider having more. I will reveal the best kept secret of large families: It gets easier after the fourth. Yes, that's what I said. It is easier after four. When my first child was born I had to entertain her, care for all of her physical needs, do all the house work, and cook all the meals. I was alone (at least until my husband got home from work). Stressville. Though I adored my second, third and fourth, it was even more stressful carrying for all those babies at once.

When my seventh was born I had a twelve year old that could cook breakfast, clean the kitchen, clean rooms, and supervise little ones while I napped; a nine year old that could do dishes, clean rooms, make lunch, and supervise little ones: a six year old that could do laundry, make the veggies for supper and clean rooms: a five year old that could gather up dirty laundry, clean the van, and generally help the others: even a three year old that could gather up the trash. And I never have to worry about entertaining the other little ones. I had time to really enjoy my baby! This is not saying I make my children slave all day. Yes, there is a lot of work to make this house run, but we have so many people working I have trouble giving them enough to do in order to teach proper work ethic! (About an hour of chores and a total of an hour of cleaning up spread out over the whole day per person working, total.)

Babies seem to be a curse to us because we make them to be. ANY blessing can be turned into a curse if you try hard enough. We have all heard of people winning the lottery and being broke and declaring bankruptcy within five years. Humans are quite good at this.

11 ways to turn God's blessings into a curse.
1. Get mommy a career so she can resent any time her kids distract her from the "real" world.
2. Deliver your babies in a hospital (http://homeschoolwwh.com/family/homebirth.html). Just the atmosphere is so sterile and unnatural that it makes you want to avoid going there at all costs.
3. Stick your kid in daycare (http://homeschoolwwh.com/family/daycare.html) as soon as possible so they can't possibly bond with anyone and learn trust and security.
4. Send your kids to government school (http://homeschoolwwh.com/homeschool/whyhomeschool.html) so they can't learn your values or become more attached to you than to their peers.
5. Buy your children every latest do-dad, (http://homeschoolwwh.blogspot.com/2008/07/needs-wants-and-desires.html) beginning before they are born. You want to make sure they think they have to have what everyone else does. And the fastest way to make something into a curse is to hit your pocket book.
6. Dress your children in fashionable clothing. Looking like everyone else makes them think like everyone else, encourages rebellion against you and will cost you thousands of dollars to boot.
7. Set them in front of the TV every waking moment. This warps the brain and molds attitudes into the image of the Hollywood snobs.
8. Never teach them to obey, use manners, or control themselves. Then you won't be able to stand being in the same room.
9. Don't teach them to work so you can be their slave.
10. Make sure you tell everyone you meet what awful kids you have and how awful parenthood is. This will reinforce the sentiment in your brain.
11. Don't love your mate. You must make sure your children have no examples of love to confuse them.


12 ways to turn a curse into a blessing.
1. Mommy determines that caring for her children IS her career, and strives to do the best job possible at it.
2. Deliver your babies at home (http://homeschoolwwh.com/family/homebirth.html ) (if health permits). Pregnancy is not an illness. The normal atmosphere of the home reduces stress (and exposure to deadly germs!) and makes the whole event more enjoyable and far less dangerous.
3. Keep your children at home (http://homeschoolwwh.com/family/daycare.html) with you. This promotes bonding and security in little minds.
4. Teach your children yourself. (http://homeschoolwwh.com/homeschool/whyhomeschool.html) This gives you the opportunity to teach them your values as well as the added bonus of learning all the neat things you have always wanted to learn and never had the chance before.
5. Give them very little time with their peers. You want them dependent on their family not other little kids.
6. Provide them with plenty of siblings. Far more entertaining than toys and better for them.
7. Teach them to be discerning of what things are needs, what are wants and what are desires. Supply all their needs, some of their wants and few of their desires. (http://homeschoolwwh.blogspot.com/2008/07/needs-wants-and-desires.html)
8. Buy second hand or low cost clothes. Actively teach them not to follow the crowd.
9. Do not let them watch much TV. (http://homeschoolwwh.com/polotics/brainwash.html) Teach them to serve others and entertain themselves instead.
10. Teach them to obey, use manners, and control themselves. Then everyone will love being in the same room with them. (The best advise on child training is http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/and http://www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com/)
11. Give them chores to do, gradually teaching them to run a household. This gives them a work ethic they will need in adulthood and relieves your work burden. In addition, it teaches them that they are worthwhile, important members of society. (Studies show that those who do chores as children are happier and richer as adults.)
12. Make sure you tell everyone you meet what wonderful, beautiful, brilliant kids you have and how wonderful parenthood is. This will reinforce it in your brain.
13. Love your mate. If you do nothing else, this will make a vast difference in their lives.


I think a major cause of the rise in child abuse in the last couple of decades is that so many of us were raised in two child homes, then squirreled away into classrooms filled with people our own age. We have never really been around small children and have no idea how to treat them or what to expect. Many parents don't know you can expect to tell a two year old to do something and they will do it if you have taught them how.

I can see the difference between my daughter and me, already, even though she is only thirteen. When they first handed her to me in the hospital, I said "Hey! I'm a mommy. Now what?" I didn't have a clue what to do with this new little person. Subsequently I made many mistakes due entirely to the fact that I didn't know anything about little kids.

My oldest, however, already knows how to hold a baby, play with a toddler, and comfort a preschooler. She knows what to expect from different children of different ages. She is going to be a far better mommy than I ever was.

Is the World over populated?

In short, no. The idea that it is stems from, first of all, the idea that there is no God (and has been around since the time of Plato, who called for severe limits on famly size due to the “obvious” overpopulation of 500 bc Grece!). If there is a God, and He is all knowing and loves human beings, why would He create a world without all the resources necessary to support all the lives that will be here in the course of history? Claiming we can not trust God to control our wombs in order to keep from running out of resources is a pretty big condemnation of God's wisdom and power.

Second, we know that in any over-populated environment natural resources would become more expensive. Research the prices of natural resources (wood, gold, silver, even fuel), in inflation adjusted dollars, for the last fifty years. I would even check out the last hundred years. The fact is, natural resources are far, far cheaper today than they were then! How could this be? Technology is increasing FASTER than the population. In fact, it may be that all those new minds that have entered the world in the last hundred years are responsible for that increase. More people mean more workers, more division of labor, more prosperity for everyone!

Third, we are really more in danger of under- population. The average birth-rate in developed countries is 1.8 children per woman for her lifetime. This is well below the 2.1 needed to keep the population even. Yes, undeveloped countries are still birthing plenty of babies to keep the overall planetary population growing, but how long will that last? It is a well known fact that the richer a country becomes the fewer babies its women have. All countries are growing richer. How long before even China, India, Africa and South America slow down enough to cause some real problems? From the numbers I have seen, I would guess before this century is over unless there are some drastic changes.

Isn't it unhealthy to have so many babies?

No. God designed our bodies to have many babies. In fact, science is beginning to prove that the natural break from monthly cycles provided to our bodies by pregnancy and nursing is very healthy and possibly a cancer preventative! One doctor observed (about fifty years ago when large families were more common) that all of his patients that had large families were strong healthy women. Those with small families were weak and sickly. He didn't know which came first, the strength or the children, but he leaned towards children causing mothers to be stronger. There may now be proof of this. It seems when a woman is pregnant, the baby leaves some of its cells behind (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5195551) after birth. These cells go to different places in her body and aid healing.

Besides, big families are FUN. There is always someone to play with and you are never lonely. I don't know what my hubby and I ever did for entertainment before children. Now we just enjoy sitting around and watching them play.:-) This is far healthier than the average American family atmosphere.

Is birth control a sin?

This is actually a difficult question. Technically, "Birth control" means anything from Natural Family Planning to abortion. Abortion is a sin. It is the murdering of a human being. (http://homeschoolwwh.com/family/abortion.html) Most of the Christian community agrees on this. Most will also at least hesitate to endorse the IUD. The IUD functions by creating a hostile environment in the uterus so a fertilized egg can not implant. If you believe life begins at conception, then the IUD is actually an ongoing abortion. It does not prevent conception, just implantation. But if we are going to put the IUD in the class of sin, we must also put all hormonal birth controls (http://www.quiverfull.com/birth_control/fact_sheet_on_pill_side_effect.html) in the same category. Why? Hormonal birth controls, such as the pill, function by preventing ovulation, thus conception...60% of the time. No problem there. 20-35% of the time they make the woman's body inhospitable to sperm, thus also preventing conception. But 5-20% of the time they function by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting. (http://www.quiverfull.com/birth_control/pill_abortifacient.html) Does life begin at conception? Then hormonal controls are murder. Does life begin at some later point? Then they are not (Doctors are taught that abortion is the ending of a pregnancy and pregnancy begins at IMPLANTATION, not conception. So if you ask your doctor if the pill causes abortions, he will tell you “no”.) This would be a matter to discuss with your spouse and minister, read your Bible and do some serious praying.

Now, Natural Family Planning (http://homeschoolwwh.com/family/nfp.html), sterilization (http://homeschoolwwh.com/family/sterilization.html), and all barrier methods we must approach from a different direction. The Bible does not call birth control sin. In fact, it is only mentioned in one place. The practitioner (Onan) was killed by God, but I believe the evidence says he was killed for being disobedient, greedy and cruel. God never condemned the act of birth control. However, Paul says to

Let this mind be in you which was in Christ.

Whatsoever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord.

And Christ said

Let the little children come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

We are to strive to be Christ like and Christ loved children. I think we must change our attitude from the current worldly one of children being some disease we must fight tooth and nail to prevent, to an attitude of rejoicing at each and every one of them.

God loves people. The devil hates them. Which would be most likely to want you to artificially limit your family's size?

I grew up in evangelical churches. I have heard sermons on seeking God's will for your job and ministry, spouse and house, car and hobbies, even on redecorating ideas (God knows what would last the longest and bring the greatest pleasure to our family and glory to Him). Yet in forty years I don't think I have ever heard anyone preach about or ask prayer for God's will in how many children we should have. Which curtains we should buy for the living room, yes. How many precious, eternal souls we should bring into this world, no. I believe we should each seek God's will in this very important area.

What it all boils down to is whether or not you are going to choose to view children the way God does or the way the world does. Are they blessings or curses? Do you trust God to know what you can handle and what you need or do you trust your own judgment?

The Bible says children are blessings and debt is a curse, yet we take medicines and have surgeries to avoid the blessings and apply for the curses. Something is not right here. Momy board


Birth-control is the only area where we intentionally try to break something that is working perfectly well.

Why is it ok to ask a couple with lots of children if they “know what causes that” plan to have more, “don’t have a TV” etc, but it isn’t ok to ask someone who is childless the same questions? I’m always tempted to answer “No, what causes that?” or “Yes and we like it, too.”

Hey, yeah…

That’s what I am saying…

“I've always found it interesting that women who do not generally practice birth control are the ones put in a class; "those people"..."those QF (quiverful) people". I find that odd. Women whose bodies are doing what they were created to do have to explain why they aren't taking a synthetic drug that alters its normal function? Does this not seem odd?...

Imagine a person walking up to you at the store and saying, "Oh my goodness! You're having s*x with your husband just for pleasure? You are purposely preventing conception? Only two children? Do you not want any more?"

How offensive! But can I say this gently...that is more accurate than what so many who know the sting of being questioned about a larger than normal family is….

For centuries, couples have been pretty much having children every few years. Yeah people avoided certain times of the month, I'm sure, but the whole concept of just using birth control to stop after a child or two has been completely FOREIGN to the world until around the 1960's. So why is that group now the normal group, and the other group is "cultish" and weird?”

For the rest of the article…

http://generationcedar.blogspot.com/2008/07/quiver-full-by-default.html

Having said this, I don’t mind questions such as “are they all yours.” I find most people really want to tell me about their families. Now “Are you going to have more?” depends on who is asking. I have had that question from those who really wanted to know, maybe considering the issue in their own lives. I don’t mind them at all. Those with a condemning tone of voice though…

Monday, July 14, 2008

Consuming kids and stopping kids

First watch this:

http://theavailablelight.net/2008/07/11/friday-video-shot-8-consuming-kids/

The scary thing is that advertisers know how to do this to children because THEY ALREADY HAVE DONE IT TO US ADULTS! Materialism is America’s religion.

Let’s think about this even deeper: advertisers spend millions of dollars to talk to us for 30 seconds. This means it must work or they wouldn’t waste the money. If 30 seconds makes such an impact, then what do you suppose a 30 minute TV program or a 2 hour movie does to us? Get a notebook and note any time extra-marital sex is mentioned or implied, a man is shown to be stupid, a woman is shown to have all the answers, people are valued for their belongings, or children are mention as a negative (including pregnancy-as-a-disease).

Hollywood has an agenda. Most people that work in the media believe God does not exists, there is no right or wrong (except Christianity is evil of course), sex is for entertainment, women are the same as men or better, every family should be limited to one child, abortion is a good thing, and everyone should be forced to believe the same as them (through daycare and public schooling for all but the rich). When you sit in front of your TV or movie screen you are letting them put all this in your brain. The Bible says “whatsoever a man thinketh, so is he.” What is Hollywood making you into?

Another post on birth control.

This article makes the observation that most birth control methods are made for the woman’s use and have mild to fatal complications (the pill causes breast cancer and heart disease. abortion cause both also. IUD can cause the above plus uterine abruption). None of the men’s birth control methods have side effects. This is equality???? Doesn’t this just allow men to use women for their own entertainment?

In no other area do healthy women have surgeries and take pills. Children are evidently a disease. What ever happened to children being the blessing God says they are?
http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=208446

What is the purpose of birth control (including abortion)? For 99.99% of the time the purpose is to allow women to screw around without consequences and men to use any one they want without leaving troublesome “evidence” (the kind that needs its diaper changed occasionally).

I think sex (which was God’s idea by the way) is too wonderful and beautiful and (ok, I’ll say it) fun to degrade it this way. It is not just cheap entertainment. It is a symbol of God’s relationship with the church; of how close He wants to be to His bride. And just like that spiritual relationship, sex should be open to fruitfulness. It should be reserved for just the one special person God has given you. Sex is God’s wedding gift to you. Enjoy it!

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

When God guides, God provides

This can become such a trite statement, but it is so true. It seems foolish to the world for us to choose to have such a large family, yet it is God’s will.

Children are a gift of God and the fruit of the womb is His reward. Psalms 127:4-5.

Children of ones youth are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. Blessed is the man with a Quiver full of them. Psalms 127:3

And God blessed them (Adam and Eve), and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, … Gen 1:28

Bring forth with thee (Noah) every living thing that is with thee, … and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. Gen 8:17

And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. Gen 9:1

And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein. Gen 9:7

(Question: Was this mandate, "Be fruitful and multiply," ever rescinded? Does it still apply today? But that is getting off the subject…)

And did not He make one (See Gen 2:24)? Yet had He the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That He might seek a Godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. Malachi 2:15

God has blessed us with eight beautiful children. The job God has called my hubby to doesn’t make a lot of money. We would barely be middle class with a normal sized family. So, needless to say, things can be a little tight sometimes. But God has always provided all of our needs… and most of our wants, too!

We have owned this 12 passenger, 1988, blue van for 7 years. We love ole’ Bluey. He has been a great car for us. We have many memories in this van that will last the rest of our lives. But cars age just like people. Bluey now only gets 9-10mpg (ouch!), the seats are wearing thin, the carpet is gone, the radio doesn’t work, the air conditioning died years ago.

After this last vacation, we came to the conclusion that it was time to replace our old friend. But we simply don’t have the money, but we can’t afford to keep filling that gas tank…

Have you ever seen “Facing the Giants?” Remember the scene where the coach comes out to find his clunker car gone and a brand new pickup in its place?

After service this Sunday my mom told my hubby, “You need to look outside.” Bluey was gone. In our normal parking place was a creamy white, 1998, 15 passenger van. Here is the sign in the window;



Good carpet, good seats, air conditioning, the radio even works! And it makes better gas mileage to boot:-)

Thank you, Brother, for being obedient to God.

And thank you, Dear Lord, for your faithfulness in supplying all of our needs. Help us to use this new gift to further Your Kingdom.