I Recommend

• 16 Ways I Blew My Marriage by Single Dad Laughing   Recommended to me by a friend.  Excellent advise.
• Small Family, Large Family, or God's Family? by Cindy at Get Along Home.     People misunderstand me---it's NOT about the number.  It's about a Sovereign God.

• Use olive oil as an eye-makeup remover.  It works--and it's good for you!
• I also recommend that you check out  the Healthy Families for God facebook page.  "Like" their page and every day you will see her incredibly informative posts.

Looking at It This Way

I was reading on the Jeub family's blog and came across the following, regarding his wife's 14th pregnancy:


Now don’t put us up on a super-saint pedestal. We struggle. We’re not immune to the same moments of doubts as you. There have been countless times we have wrestled with the obvious questions:
Can Wendy's health keep up with this many children?
Can Chris's income keep up with providing for them all?
How can we spread the love to so many in our household?
Can we really give the individual attention to each child?

Then, in the comments, a reader posted this:

They seem like strange questions, don't they? I would phrase those four questions this way:

"Does using your body the way it was meant to keep it in good shape?"
"Can God provide when we trust Him with our finances..and family size?"
"Can love be a thing that grows and multiplies as one walks in faith and abides in Christ?"
"Are we always able to do anything (like spend individual time with children, husbands, eat a meal) that we put our heart to, and that is a priority?"

And then I would say 'Yes to all'!


Me, too--yes to all.

Baby, Dear

Where Did You Come From, Baby Dear?

~George MacDonald

Where did you come from, baby dear?

Out of the everywhere into here.

Where did you get your eyes so blue?

Out of the sky as I came through.

What makes the light in them sparkle and spin?

Some of the starry spikes left in.

Where did you get that little tear?

I found it waiting when I got here.

What makes your forehead so smooth and high?

A soft hand stroked it as I went by.

What makes your cheek like a warm white rose?

I saw something better than anyone knows.

Whence that three-cornered smile of bliss?

Three angels gave me at once a kiss.

Where did you get this pearly ear?

God spoke, and it came out to hear.

Where did you get those arms and hands?

Love made itself into bonds and bands.

Feet, whence did you come, you darling things?

From the same box as the cherubs' wings.

How did they all just come to be you?

God thought about me, and so I grew.

But how did you come to us, you dear?

God thought about you, and so I am here.

I'm Blessed: Children are a Blessing

Some of my very favorite blessings are my children.

In an effort to join up with Gretchen's I'm Blessed Series,

I wanted to tell you about the opportunity to watch this documentary called

"Children are a Blessing"

free until April 30th.

It was stories like the one in this movie that the Lord used to show Dennis and I that He wanted us to stop trying to control how many children we had.

Had we listened to the well-meaning advice of others (and the crass, rude and bold comments from many others), we would not know more than half our children.

Children are a Blessing begins with a brief history of the evil intentions of those who worked to bring about the wide spread use of birth control.

The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it. ~ Margaret Sanger, Founder of Planned Parenthood

The film then affords viewers a small glimpse of some of the joys of life in a large family as the Moore family welcomes their tenth child into the world. This lovely and encouraging documentary was a semi-finalist at the San Antonio Independent Film Festival.

My disclaimer:  this movie makes me want a white rocker placed on our back forty, where I can watch my children play as nicely as theirs.
My family plays tackle football on a yard strewn with sandbox toys
and they try not to trip on the occasional carcass of some critter the dogs have brought in from the woods.

This film is a view into one family's life--not every family who surrenders control of their fertility wears skirts, homeschools, or has helped their children to memorize Scripture so beautifully.
What you don't see in the film is that their kids get runny noses and scraped knees, too,
and that they have most likely spent a night or several up with sick children.
I'm sure that they, too, get dressed for the day only to be spit on by the baby
and have a child who struggles to learn to read or to master long-division.
Mrs. Moore has lots of laundry to wash and floors to sweep and dishes to do, just like you and me.

At the core, our similarities with the Moore family include
our view that God is sovereign over all creation,
of the husband as head and leader of his family,
and children as wonderful and precious gifts.

Watch it and be blessed!

What I'm Saying, and What I'm Not (aka My Standard Disclaimer)

It has become glaringly obvious that some of the people who read and comment on my blog don’t share my worldview. This is fine; I welcome their comments and curiosity, but it does contribute to some misunderstandings. I’d like to help rectify that by stating some facts that are, in my mind, unspoken assumptions underlying all my posts.

Because we believe that God has asked certain things of us, I will continue to tell you about them--even if those things are counter-cultural and make you upset with me--for God has said, "What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs."  Matthew 10:27

Depending on who you are and where you are coming from philosophically, these points may either seem painfully obvious or shockingly [insert insult here: closed minded, old-fashioned, arrogant...].

Dennis and I believe that:
God is sovereign over all of creation. (Psalm 33, Psalm 97)
Our chief end is to glorify God in everything we do. Though we too often fall short, it remains our goal. 1 Corinthians 10:31)
Scripture is infallible and fully sufficient to teach us to serve God. Whatever we need to know about Him and His nature and requirements of us is contained either explicitly or implicitly in the Scriptures. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
There is no neutrality. All people, institutions, and ideas are either for Christ or against Christ. Education is not neutral. Law and government are not neutral. Families cannot be neutral. A blog is not neutral. (Matthew 12:30)
Right and wrong are absolutes, and they do not change because someone feels ok about something. Sometimes there is more than one good (God honoring) option; sometimes there is not. You (or I) may feel convicted to do things a particular way – but we may still be wrong. Thus, we go back to the Scriptures. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

When I state what we believe or how we do things in our house or family---

We ARE NOT saying that anyone who does differently is in sin and/or going to hell. You might be in sin, and I might be so bold as to state my opinion to that effect. But don’t worry--nobody ever went to hell for disagreeing with me. You must answer to God and His Word. 

We ARE NOT saying that anyone who reads the Scriptures and comes to a different conclusion or conviction based on the Scriptures is wrong and we're right. Again, you might be wrong and I might be right. I’ll probably think so. But your job is to make sure you are acting in accordance with Scripture, not with me. 

We ARE NOT saying that my generalizations cover every case imaginable. Yes, you can always think of exceptions, but it is poor logic to argue the rule from the exception.

We ARE NOT saying that we are perfect and have all the answers. God has called us to judge righteous judgements, so it is our duty to try to come to the right answers. I know that some of my answers will be wrong, but my own fallibility should not stop me from seeking to know and serve God better. 

To sum it up: Some of what I write will deal with principles, while other material will deal with methods. 

Principles are issues where there is a Biblical teaching at work: you (and I) are either right or wrong on this one. Obviously, I’ll try to stay on the right side. You might come to a different conclusion, but one of us is right and one of us is wrong. 

We draw our applications from convictions: convictions derived from Scripture. Part of what this blog is about is the idea that someone somewhere might be interested in or appreciate what we are doing or be helped by understanding why we do it.

This is why I try to be sure I am reasoning from Scripture – but I don’t feel as though I have the last word on Scripture. God grants us broad liberty in Christ, and Jesus’s blood covers lots of mistakes.

I have also changed my comment process, since there were some who couldn't play nice.  I will no longer allow anonymous comments.  As I tell my kids, if you feel that strongly about something, you'd better at least be willing to sign your name to it.

Thanks!

The Driver's Seat

Have you ever been a passenger in a car that was driven by someone else?
Wasn't that terribly irresponsible of you?
I mean, my goodness, you had very little if any control over what that person was going to do!  What if he drove too fast?  There you were, hurtling down the highway and you had no control--in fact, had you grabbed the steering wheel, you likely would have gotten hurt.
Did you know the exact route the driver would take?  You couldn't know for sure; he or she could easily go to the left or the right and you wouldn't have any control over that.
How did you know you would arrive at your destination at the right time?  Could you really trust the driver to get you where you needed to be, when you needed to be there?
Were you in the back seat, telling him how he really should be driving?


Or...were you content to sit in your seat, trusting that the driver knew what he was doing?

This is another way to look at my views on birth control:  I am trusting that my Driver knows what He is doing; that He has a plan for my life and for my children's lives.  I trust that He knows what's ahead and that He will send whom He will, when He wants because He is trustworthy.

I am excited to see what He has in store for me on this ride that is my life.

Quotable Quotes

"Having a lot of children wasn't something we decided to do in order to be popular; it wasn't very popular when we were making those choices.  It wasn't something we did for financial gain; it really wasn't cheaper by the dozen.  It wasn't a choice we made because we needed extra hands to labor; usually more work is extended than what is gained.
We simply trusted that if God said children are a blessing, He meant exactly that."
~Kelly Bates

Who's In Control?

There has been this big "block" in front of me lately, sort of a writing block...there's something that I want to "talk" about on here but it's one of those things that I want to make sure I say correctly, coherently, and concisely, and accomplishing those things requires some time and thought.
I think a lot, but don't have a lot of time to put my thoughts on paper or on a screen.

I started this post back in January and it's been before me since then.  I've tried to write around it, always feeling like I was avoiding something; sort of like when you tell your kids to pick up in their room and they dilly dally or actually play nicely for the first time that day (or week.)

Wanna know what it's about?  It's maybe not hard for you to guess.

Birth control.

Dun, dun, duuuunnnnnnnnnnn.
Shocking, I know.

Now, could I ask a favor of you?  Could you just read this with an open mind and heart?  Would you please not get offended and then not read my blog anymore if you disagree with me?  If you leave a comment, would you please be gentle if you disagree with me?  Even if you disagree wholeheartedly?

After hemming and hawing my way through many attempts both in my head and by way of typing them out, I decided the best way is to just say it.

So here goes.

Birth control is, well, taking control.
As a born again Christian, I want God to be the Lord of my life.  I am surprised at how often I hear believers talk about surrendering their lives to the Lord but who insist on keeping this part of their lives under their own control.  Sort of like, "Send me wherever you wish, Lord.  I'll go to the ends of the earth to do what you ask and to tell others about you, but I won't have a baby unless it's on my terms."

NFP (Natural Family Planning) and FAM (Fertility Awareness Method) are still birth control.
In my opinion, this is still trying to manipulate or control something that I believe is a complete miracle and as such, completely up to God and His timing.

Yeah, well, God gave you a brain, right? Shouldn't you use it? and other such comments
Yes, God gave me a brain and I do use it.  He also gave His created a command:  Be fruitful and multiply.  It has never been rescinded in all of Scripture.
I read once where someone likened the declining of a child in this way:  Yes, children are a blessing.  So is food.  But I need to control how much food I take in.  
True.  But the Bible warns about gluttony.  Nowhere in all of Scripture does it ever speak of children as anything but a blessing and a reward, a heritage.

Isn't that like jumping off a tall building and saying "Ok, Lord, if you want to save me, You can!"
Um, no. That's the part where you use the brain God gave you.

God can be trusted.  He is trustworthy.
I have nothing to add to this.

Trusting God with your family size does NOT necessarily mean you will have a bunch of kids.
First, let me say that it would be ridiculous for me to assert that a family equals a certain number.  A husband and wife are a family, whether they have children or not.  My point is that I believe it's something that should be up to God.
My grandparents never used any form of birth control and they had 7 children.  While I know that that may seem like a lot, it's certainly nowhere near the number 20 that is commonly purported. "If we just left that up to God, we'd have like 20 kids!!!"
Seriously, do you think God is caught off guard?  "Aww, snap!!  I knew I should have kept a closer eye on those two when he started that back rub!!  Now I'm going to have to go and make plans for another one of these humans!"
I say no.  I don't believe God is surprised at new life.  I believe that God has a plan for each and every person, as stated in Jeremiah 29:11   I believe that that begins even before conception.  God says so in His Word. Psalm 139

If I may be so bold (why stop now?) for many Christians it's like saying "I trust God but not that far. I mean, let's not get crazy here..."
And you know what?  That was me.  I used to think that way.  Our first four kids were born with me thinking that way.  That's when we began to see that the control wasn't ours to possess.  And I'm so glad the Lord intervened--because I wouldn't have had the opportunity to know them.  They wouldn't be here had God not shown me, in His mercy, that His plans were and are better than mine.


Is someone really more worthy of life just because they're first or second?  But fourth or maybe fifth in line, sorry!
We bemoan the fact that in some countries, babies are tossed away simply because they are a girl.  I wonder, is throwing someone away just because they're the wrong number any different?


Along these bold lines, how about...Permanent Sterilization
I hear things like "but God gave us doctors who can do surgeries so you don't have to worry about having more babies."
To this I say, just because it can be medically done, doesn't mean it should be done.  Gender re-assignment comes to mind.
Also, please consider this:  vasectomies and tubal ligation are procedures/surgeries wherein a functioning part of the body is rendered broken/non-functioning.  Typically, surgery is to fix what is broken, not to break what needs no fixing.  Ironically, it's called "getting fixed."


I believe God is the Creator and Author of Life.
I have not been given any special insight into who should live and who should not.  When it comes down to it, this is the biggest reason for me. It's not up to me.  I don't want the responsibility of deciding who should live or not because that is something WAY bigger than me.

It is no act of my will that creates a child.  That is purely God.  Even if I sought after conception with all kinds of medical intervention ie, in vitro, etc. the creation of a life still rests in the hands of the Creator.

Could we talk now about chemical birth control?

click here->The cold, hard truth is this:  if you take the pill and are sexually active, babies die.

Read the package insert.  I'm not making it up and the pharmaceutical companies openly admit it.  There are three mechanisms of the Pill/Patch.
1) inhibiting ovulation
2) thickening cervical fluid
3) thinning and shriveling the lining of the uterus to the point that it is unable or less able to facilitate the implantation of the newly fertilized egg (medical speak for "baby").

The first two mechanisms are contraceptive; the third is abortive.  When I learned this 7 years ago, I was shocked, saddened, disbelieving and finally repentant.
Did you know? In America, chemical abortions are estimated to kill more than 7 million babies each year--while surgical abortions kill about 1.5 million babies each year. (source)

I highly recommend this article and book:

Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?

In her book, Lies Women Believe, Nancy Leigh DeMoss says "as a destroyer of life, Satan is definitely not into encouraging childbearing."  She, in turn, quotes Mary Pride's penetrating book The Way Home,

Family planning is the mother of abortion.  A generation had to be indoctrinated in the ideal of planning children around personal convenience before abortion could become popular.  We Christians raise an outcry against abortion today, and rightly so.  But the reason we have to fight those battles today is because we lost them thirty years ago.  Once couples began to look upon children as creatures of their own making, who they could plan into their lives as they chose or not, all reverence for human life was lost... 

 ...Abortion is first of all a heart attitude.  "Me first."  "My career first."  "My reputation first."  "My convenience first."  "My financial plans first."  And these exact same choices are what family planning, which the churches have endorsed for three decades, is all about."

Trust me when I say that I am not writing this to any one person in particular.  In a way, though, perhaps I am.  Maybe there is one person reading this whose heart God has been preparing.  Maybe.  It is my hope.

Why I Will Never, EVER Support Planned Parenthood

Please read this.

Please.

Planned Parenthood kills babies.

I'm Blessed: I Get to Have Another Baby

Linking up with Gretchen today in her 

I'm Blessed series,

I'd like to share an article I found a few years ago that really spoke to my heart.

I Get to Have a Baby
by Elizabeth Foss

I ran into an old acquaintance at a party last weekend.  It had been about a year since I'd last seen her and I was delighted to meet her again.  She's always been a warm woman, who seemed to love to play with my babies.  So I was--ahem--a bit surprised at our exchange.
"You look tired," she said.
"Ah, I am," I replied with a wink.  "I'm getting kind of old for this."  I rubbed my growing belly.
"How old are you?"
"Forty-two."
"Why don't you take the pill?"
Gulp. Um. My well-rehearsed treatise on the Culture of Life and openness to God's gracious goodness completely evaded me there in the kitchen between the bar and the buffet.
"It's against my religion."  That was lame, I thought, as nothing else sprang from my mouth.
"Well, then why don't you just tell him to stay away?  Tell him you'll come find him when you want him around.  Tell him to leave you alone."
I was backing away now, physically recoiling from the disdain in her voice.  Honestly, I couldn't even speak.  I went and sat as close as I could to "him" on the couch.  And then I let the words come in my head--words I never shared with her, but wish I had.

"Because I get to have another baby."

I get to feel my cheeks flush and my heart race when I see two pink lines on a positive pregnancy test.
I get to plot and plan and dream up the perfect way to tell my husband.
I get to tell my children they are expecting a sibling and watch the ensuing happy dances and hear the shouts of glee.
I get to see a brand new heart beating within my own.  I get to hear the rhythmic swish and thump that tell us the baby is still well.
I get to feel the flutters and have the realization dawn that they are created by my baby who is moving within me.
I get to see my belly swell and not be bothered by "weight gain."  I'm gaining a baby.
I get to hear my children bless this baby every day and pray for her safe arrival.
I get to lie in a darkened room, my husband nearby, and get a glimpse of our baby on a screen.  I get to watch him fall in love with the baby of the grainy image.  I get to see a tenderness reserved especially for moments like these.
I get to become acquainted with the rhythms of her being--her active times, her sleepy times, her hiccups--all before I ever see her.
I get to rub my belly a million times a day, wearing out maternity shirts in an effort to caress the growing dear one.
...
I get to look forward to the day she is born, imagining the slippery, soft cheek against my own, feeling the enormous relief and thanksgiving that come with her safe arrival.
I get to watch the cord be cut and know that I still have years ahead of me of nourishing her from my own body and a lifetime of nurturing her from my soul.
I get to fold well-worn lovely little pink clothes and eagerly anticipate dressing a new doll in them.
I get to fall asleep at night with my husband's hand on my belly, marveling at it all and thanking God for the miracle of two made three.
I get to have a baby.
Again.
...

Elizabeth Foss is a freelance writer and blogs at www.ebeth.typepad.com

How Do We View Children?

If you do nothing else today,

please, please, pretty please

click the link below

and read the article

Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

Paragraphs that struck a chord with me:

"[According to the world] Children rank way below college.  Below world travel for sure.  Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure.  Below honing your body at the gym.  Below any job you have or hope to get.  In fact, children rate below your desire to sit around and pick your toes, if that is what you want to do.  Below everything.  Children are the last thing you should ever spend your time doing." 

 "Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling.  You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in.  It is what God gave you time for."

"Christian mothers carry their children in hostile territory.  When you are in public with them, you are standing with, and defending, the objects of cultural dislike.  You are publicly testifying that you value what God values, and that you refuse to value what the world values.  You stand with the defenseless and in front of the needy.  You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for another--and laying down your life for another represents the gospel."

I know one thing:

I want my hands to be full of good things

and for my life to testify to that. 

Planning

I've heard all kinds of distasteful comments regarding our family's size.

I've heard all kinds of encouraging and uplifting ones, too.

Yesterday at the grocery store, though, was a twist on a familiar one.

"Did you plan it?" (referring to this pregnancy)

I/We have heard this many times,

but the variation this time was

"Did you plaaaaaan it?"

Like I'd accidentally stepped in something gross.

A friend of mine has 8 children and she and I have shared with each other

some of the comments we've encountered.

Whenever someone asks a question that implies stupidity on our part,
she said she wants to say,
Hellllooo--we've got 8 kids; do you really think this a process we don't understand?
Tempting, to be sure...


Instead, I answer,
"Yes. Every one was planned--by God."

Half-Way

I haven't talked very much lately about 

Baby Number 9--

it's hard to believe I'm just past the

half-way point.

I felt absolutely awful for the first trimester

and into the second.

It's only been the last few weeks that 

I have started to feel more alive.

I can feel the baby move often

which is one of the things I treasure the most in pregnancy.

Before I know it,

fall will arrive and as it fades,

Baby will be close!

I can't wait to meet this person

that I already feel I know.

I Want You to Know

Since we've shared our news,

I've caught a little flack.

It doesn't surprise me when I do,

but I wish I didn't 

feel like I have to defend myself.

I probably will use this blog

as a way to talk about

some of the things people say to me.

It's a way for me to process...

a way for me to talk about 

how others' words

affect me.

The first one I'd like to address is:

"Whoa--you sure didn't waste any time telling people!"

I used to think

(and this probably came from my grandma)

that you had to wait a magical three months

before announcing a pregnancy.

Is this the "just in case" factor?

Don't tell anyone about your new baby

"just in case" you miscarry?

I have never experienced a miscarriage,

and I hope to God I never do.

But I think that the same people that I would tell about a coming baby

are the same people who would share in mourning the loss of a baby.

I see no reason--for me...for us--to wait to tell people.

I am excited about this new baby.

I want you to know about him/her.

This may sound ridiculous,

but I think it applies.

Is my 13 year old

more of a person

than my 2 year old--

just because he's older?

Uh, no.

So just because this baby inside me

is very young

doesn't mean that he/she is less of a person.

If I run into you in the store,

I will introduce you to all the children who are with me--

that includes the one who resides within me.

Should I not tell you about my 1 year old--

"just in case"?

No--she is a person.

She has an eternal soul.

I want you to know about her.

In the same way,

I want you to know about this new baby.

So, please...

please don't make fun of me for

announcing this new life within me so soon.

I want you to know...

I want you to know about him or her.

Let's Talk

When I posted a link to "Things You Should Never Say", I did so because I thought it was a funny post.
I did not do it to be pointed, I promise!

As I was reading through the comments on her blog, something I rarely, if ever do, I found that many people were kind of offended that she had written such a post.  Hm.  They somehow took it as her saying "shut-up about my family" and didn't think that was very Christ-like.  Which is true--saying "shut-up" is certainly not Christ-like.

But that's not what she was saying.

Her main point was that questions are generally ok--if you are asking me about my family because you are genuinely curious about some choices we have made, I can tell you are asking because you are genuinely curious.

If, however, you are asking me a question because you want to make me feel stupid, I can tell that, too.

Some "questions" are not a question at all.  Take "You DO know what causes that, right?"
That's not a question--that's a mockery and an insult and implies that we are somehow clueless as to how the reproductive system works.

The adoption ones she mentioned really stood out to me as over-the-top.  "Which ones are your "real" kids?" COME ON!!!  Are you KIDDING me???

Would you ever walk up to a woman and say "What size do you wear?" or "How much do you weigh?"
I hope not.

Those questions are intrusive and none of your business.

Why, Why, WHY do people always ask if we're "done" now?!
Dennis' favorite response is to say, "Done doing what?"  (perhaps that's not very Christ-like either, but watching the person stammer is a tad fun.)
To me, and maybe it's just me, but that question is intrusive and no one's business.

But it does give me the opportunity to say, "Well, we don't know how many kids we'll have--we have chosen to let the Lord plan our family.  If He wants us to have more, we would welcome them!"

This usually leads to some sort of Duggar family reference, but, whatever.

I know we attract attention--and not just 'cause we're so good looking. :o)

Walking into to church (late) with my tribe--good grief, we're going to get noticed.  You just can't "sneak in" with little folks, and you can't sneak in with 10 people.

Some blessed folks just smile and nod...some with an understanding of what the days were like when their children were small and always seemed to trip right before they could enter the pew to sit down thereby stopping the whole procession until the child wearing the cowboy boots that are 10 sizes too big for him can pick himself up off the floor and make his way into the pew.

It's the disdainful looks that are hard to bear.  

Mercifully, I haven't seen many of these. 

It comes down to this:  let's not be rude, people.
I KNOW that I have in error said something that I didn't think or know was rude.  I KNOW I have.  And perhaps that person walked away seething at my ignorance.
I would hope, though, that they would recognize my question/comment as coming from a heart that was genuinely curious--and not one that was trying to "put them in their place" or trying to make them feel stupid.

If you'd like to read more about what Courtney had to say, click here:  A little more from yesterday

And Baby Makes Eleven

Remember this post?

Well, I find it smilingly funny that literally three days later, I found out

I get to have another baby.

We are so happy...

You Asked

I told you to ask away,

and you did!

Since Salena was one of the winners,

I thought I'd start with her question:

 And 1 question...when are you having the next baby??? Hopefully soon? you make such cute babies and obviously God thinks you're really good at it and I LOVE reading birth 

stories...like I wish someone would publish a book of a whole bunch!!!

Answer:  I wish I knew!

However, since we believe that the Lord is the Author of Life,

we let Him write the story!

At the risk of giving TMI for my 

brothers/brothers-in-law/nephews/sons/pastor,

I'll tell you that I'm surprised that I'm not pregnant yet.

Apparently Salena isn't the only one wondering,

however, because whenever I call someone,

they wait expectantly for "the real reason"

that I called.

This makes me laugh.

It also makes me realize that one of the few reasons

I call anyone is, in fact, 

to tell of a new baby on the way.

Admittedly,

it's a little fun to play with people's minds.


I will say that I think people could be a 
bit more discreet when they pass me in the grocery 
store and look at my stomach to see if I'm pregnant.
I do notice when they do that.
Trust me when I say this:
how my stomach looks now is not a good indicator
of whether or not I am pregnant.
False positive, if you catch what I'm sayin'.


I promise I won't keep it a secret long
when/if we get to have another baby!


And THANK YOU for the kind words.
I agree whole-heartedly about the cute babies statement.


And birth stories?  ME TOO!!!


Thanks for the great question, Salena!
Oh--and for fun,
you all should go check out Salena's blog.
Her two boys are hilarious 
and she loves them
and her husband
beautifully.

Sweet Ivy Joy

Sweet Ivy Joy

is 5 months old today.

I'm so glad I didn't listen

when the world told me we had "enough".

I would have missed out--

missed these beautiful blue eyes,

her adorable grin,

her soft little cheeks,

and her wonderfully chubby legs.

I might never have known

my precious baby.

I love you Ivy.

another Q and A

Q: I want to have a large family but my husband is afraid we will have too many children like the duggars lol. I think with my age that it won't be a problem. He is just afraid of providing for a large family being self employed and farming he thinks everyone that has a large family is wealthy. any suggestions on this topic.

My Answer:
First, I have to stop laughing about the "everyone that has a large family is wealthy"... That is no more true than if I were to assume that all smaller families are wealthy because they have fewer people on which to spend their income. Nope--definitely not all large families are wealthy. (I speak from first-hand experience.)
Also, don't trust these funny numbers.

Next, I used to think that way, too--about the "too many" children. I thought that if we did not try to control how many children we had, we'd have oodles of kids. But God worked on my heart to trust Him.
For one at a time.
He doesn't typically give eight at once. I know, I know, the Oct-a-mom. I said, typically.

My "conversation" with the Lord went something like this:
God: "I'd really like you to stop using birth control."
Me: "Really? But, but...we'd have who-knows-how-many kids!"
God: "Do you trust Me?"
Me: "Yes, but..."
God: "Do you trust Me?"
Me: "Yes, I do, but...but..."
God: "Do. you. trust. Me."
Me: ".....................Yes, Lord. I will trust You."


I think that God does not give a couple "too many" children. The Bible always calls children a blessing. It's not like having too many pairs of shoes or too many toys. Children--all of us--have eternal souls. They are a joy and blessing.
And now I think, so what if we have oodles of kids? Kids are fabulous!

I also was filled with repentance when I read Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions? by Randy Alcorn.
Life changing.

Were I you, I would pray that God would speak to your husband and soften his heart in this area.

Other suggested reading: Be Fruitful and Multiply by Nancy Campbell. I also subscribe to her Above Rubies magazine.
20 and Counting by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. So much more than a "how we do it" type of book. They share their hearts so beautifully. I love their story.
Courtney, at Storing Up Treasures, has so many great posts on the blessings of children. She says it well, I think.
So does Amy at Raising Arrows.

Most importantly, be careful that you are concerned about what God thinks and not what the world thinks. I find that when God is asking me to trust Him on an issue, my greatest resistance is "what will the world think?"
Such was the case when we really started listening to the Lord and His plans for our family's size.

I hope this helps you with your question. It's a HUGE topic and hard to condense into one post. Blessings to you!

Wow and wow.

Wow
and

wow.