Family UNplanning

I stole this title from a book I own. It's a great term, since for the past hundred + years Americans have been planning their families to a T.

When I was still single, I was very much into the pro-life movement. Down a rabbit hole, I found a booklet by Randy Alcorn titled: Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions? which you can find by clicking the title.  This led me to research in the Bible just what God thought about conception.  It was so interesting, people really focus on contraception and what God has to say about it, but the positives on conception are amazing. Did you know that a woman was blessed every time she conceived, but considered 'cursed' when she couldn't conceive?  God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. Abraham was blessed and he was promised to have more decedents than the stars. Children are never a curse, never a burden, never an inconvenience to parents in the Bible. Children are a blessing.

This study led me to my current belief, that Christians should be open to having as many or as few children as God lets them have. From the beginning (not that five year wait all marriage counseling tells you to do) and as long as you are fertile.  Another book I have addresses this: Three Decades of Fertility.

John and I look back at our pre-marriage views and grimace sometimes. We aren't going to change how we think. We know what God wants for our family and we are determined to do it. However, this road does not come easy. It is reassuring, when I have another baby and feel weighed down with the tasks of the home and the children, that God has created these blessings and that we are doing what He wants. Having that knowledge helps me get through the tough times and push on. We are on baby number four and I'm not getting any younger, but if God wills, we may have a few more. Or we may be done...we don't know what God's plan is for our family.

I realize not many people think like me. We're not 100% Duggars, if you know what I mean. She is pretty much a baby goddess who has God's ultimate blessing but I'm not where she was at.

Just to note, many people cannot conceive currently in the modern world. There are a lot of forces at work, and I do not think that a woman is 'cursed' if she cannot conceive. I very well could have been someone who couldn't conceive. Also, if you look at nature, especially my garden, you will see very few babies (fruit) being born. My garden gets no sun, little water, and no nutrients. The same goes for our bodies. Healthy bodies make healthy babies.  Below I will put some links that talk about women's health and how it ties in to fertility. I'm sure there are better books/links out there, these are just ones I have read.

Natural Fertility and Wellness

Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition

Taking Charge of Your Fertility