Christian Homekeeping

Our society began the degradation of men in the name of women's rights.  Under the guise of liberating the woman and being "free" to have a career, they skillfully made men obsolete and only to be used to help the woman gain whatever it was she wanted.  Now, we are left with a culture that came from these Godless women.  A culture that hates children.  A culture that thinks it is a WOMAN'S right to kill her baby and thus, a culture that says murder is a right - but only for women, because if the other half of the baby's DNA wanted to kill the baby, that would go against a woman's right.  We currently have a woman of this mindset running to be President, she is on a mission to have that final stomping ground over her husband, she must conquer him at all costs and she will be, basically already is, the virago queen of feminists everywhere.  However, she will never be satisfied, though she trample over man and reaches the top, because she was made to be what God intended and seeking after the opposite is a endless endeavor.

Is it is any wonder that we have a society full of fornication, adultery, pedophilia, gender-confusion, homosexuality and all other manner of perversions?  No, it was and still is something that originated from a woman.  Men have become the laughingstock of the entertainment of our society.  They are constantly ridiculed, made a spectacle of and demeaned to be lower then women.  Are men ok with this?  They seem to be because I don't see a men's rights movement coming in the future.  They are deadly silenced by the mighty woman.

What will it take to bring the respect back to men?  It will take women returning to ladies for men to return to gentlemen.  The power is still in the hand of the woman because men have proven to be weak by allowing women to rise to where they are now.  I'm not saying women should be beneath men - although these women seem to think it is ok for men to be there - but I'm saying they should be who God made them to be; man's help meet.

I have to be careful that in my own marriage and dealings with other men that I don't allow the degradation-mentality to infiltrate my thoughts and words.  It is difficult to grow up in a society that drills it into you in every aspect of your life from public schooling to music and movies.  I've had to eradicate a lot of junk that was fed into me that I didn't even realize the spirit behind it as a growing child and then a woman.  Putting God's Word into our minds and constantly renewing our minds through it is a big factor in this purging process.  However, not allowing certain messages through media to enter our thoughts is also important.  We are truly in the world but we are not to be of it.

The silent women that do follow God's Word and are the Biblical model of a woman, wife and mother need to arise and make their presence known if we are ever going to win back the minds of women.  So many older women are realizing they bought into the lie.  As they sit lonely, unmarried by choice and childless by choice, it is too late for them and there are no do-overs.  They are realizing that the corporate career is not so fulfilling as they once thought and won't be there holding their hand at death's door.  These are the women that are starting to voice their mistakes and warn the younger generation to not chase after careers by forsaking motherhood and the family.  It is time the world listens and it is time to start a new revolution, that of returning home.

I was 18 weeks pregnant when I found out that our baby had died many weeks before.  The size of the baby was measuring 11w 5dy, but they said that they shrink, so there is really no way of knowing the exact time it died inside of me.  Estimations are that it died in the 14th week, which was around New Year's and then spent the month of January shrinking back to the size it was when we found out.  I was just 4 days away from finding out the gender, though I really thought it was a boy, we just will never know.  We were going to call the baby Kyle for a boy or possibly Emma for a girl, so we named it Kyma since we don't know.

That image on the ultrasound is not only imbedded in my head - they gave us a copy of it (because I requested it.)  I knew when I saw it on the screen that it just didn't look right.  My baby's body was curled up and it was so small, not moving and there was no heartbeat.  Even though I knew the baby was probably not alive, I wasn't ready to know that not only was it dead, my body kept it in there for so long, it just didn't want to let go.  I didn't want to let go but once they saw it was possibly in there for 6 weeks, they had to rush it out of me.

I kept thinking maybe it was just asleep really good and curled up.  Maybe they were wrong and its heart was beating and they just didn't put the wand on the right spot.  "Are you sure it is dead!?" I said over and over again.  Maybe God could raise it from the dead, should we pray?  Even after they took it out, I would put my hands on my stomach and pray for God to put it back in there.

No one told me that if I had been induced, I could have held it and buried it.  No one told me that I could have requested the same after the D&C.  No one told me I could have its body tested to find out if the reason it died was something it had wrong.  No one told me that they might miss part of the pregnancy in the D&C and I would pass it at home.  No one told me that I was in shock and that intense feeling of grieving would come over me when I came back to reality.  No one prepared me for the feelings I would feel about God.

There are so many questions, regrets, emotions - my life is a blur.  I didn't even feel God for a week, it was as though He wasn't there.  I felt like discarded baggage by a God I thought always wanted good things for me.  How was this good?  How could God let a woman in Lake Stevens, WA have 3 children and abuse them and leave them locked up in a house with no heat or food and feces everywhere and let my baby die?  Why didn't God stop it?  Why didn't God heal the baby if something was wrong with it?  Was God unable to stop it?  Do things just happen to us and God doesn't have control?  Is it worth praying if things are just going to happen?  Does God love me?

Psalm 42:3

My tears have been my meat day and night....

God, you know I would have loved this baby.  You know I would have raised it up in Your Word.  You know me God!  However, I know that you can love it more than me and my baby is with You forever and I will see Kyma one day.  Heaven got so much sweeter and my longing for it, so much more intense.

I saw this on a blog and wanted to share as it really comforted me through my loss yesterday and I think it would do the same for those who have lost a baby as well:


IN HIS ARMS

My dearest little baby, my dearest little flower,
The time of your departing, was my darkest hour.

I longed to see and touch you, I longed to hold you close,
I dreamed of counting fingers, and all your little toes.

I dreamed of what we'd name you, and the joy that you would bring
To your brother and your sister, oh how they'd laugh and sing!

For there is nothing quite as precious as a brand new little life,
And nothing quite as empty, when it's takes eternal flight.

Others think I'm mourning over such a little thing,
"We'll have plenty more and our lives are still the same."

But what is greater than life? And what is deeper than its loss?
Is it not what Jesus gave us when He died upon the cross?

Life is the greatest of all gifts, life is the greatest of all joys,
Life is ever so much more than just another girl or boy.

And so our lives are NOT the same, they never will be again,
Because we'll never know or see, all that might have been.

If you had come into the world and lived life to the full,
Perhaps you would have stopped another shooting at a school,

Or maybe you would have been the one to find a cure for cancer,
Maybe you would have found that long and sought for answer.

Of course the Lord can still choose to use another way,
But maybe it would have been you, who on earth can say?

But no, they never stop to think of what you might have been,
As life is not highly regarded by our modern man.

They move on and they forget. The unborn never gets a thought,
They say things without thinking and crush a mother's heart.

It's amazing how you've changed me, and for that I have to smile,
I'll not soon forget the lessons I've learned through this great trial.

I'll use it for God's glory and to bring others comfort too,
It wouldn't be this way at all, if it hadn't been for you.

I'm so glad God gave me a glimpse, as painful as it's been,
For I see His unseen hand, and I trust His master plan.

I'm so glad you're in His arms, though I'd rather have you here,
But it won't be long until I'm there, holding you my little dear.

© Ashley Plourd

I can't say that this came as a shock to me as I have felt this pregnancy just wasn't right from the very beginning.  I felt it was weird, I even told my husband I felt that the baby wasn't human (I was having weird thoughts!!) and about 6 weeks ago I had felt that the baby was dead inside of me - though others assured me it was just crazy thoughts.

Last night I started to bleed and I knew - I just knew my crazy thoughts were real.  I then started having pain and contractions by the time we got to the hospital.  I told the doctor how I had been feeling for 6 weeks and he said that the baby wouldn't be dead in me that long.  Well.....after the ultrasound results came back, he came back in and said I was right, the baby died in me 6 weeks ago, which was about the time I had had the terrible case of the flu for 2 weeks.  For some reason my body wasn't expelling it until now.

I was calm through most everything and felt that I was ready for this.  They put me to sleep and did a D&C and also checked for cancer with that growth I had on my cervix but they are pretty sure it isn't cancerous after getting a better look at it.

It is kind of ironic that I just blogged about tempting God as I feel that now if I continue to try to have a baby it wouldn't be right for us.  This one was really confirmation to me that my body can not do this anymore.  Who knows what God protected me from or prevented - He knows!  His will be done!!  I'm SO THANKFUL for the 2 miracles I have - my daughter and son - and how I wasn't even supposed to be able to have them!  They are truly miracles and I have 5 children awaiting me in Heaven!

As has come to me so many times in the past miscarriages - Job's words:

Job 1:21

".....the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

Want to hear how ignorant our world is today?  Not even the "world" but some Christians are even effected by faithless talk.  One of the things is the "danger" of having too many children or even any at all!  Have you ever had anyone say any of these things to you?

• Don't have them if you can't afford them
• I can't afford any more children
• Children cost too much
• I'd rather have pets than children, they are cheaper
• I want a house, so no kids for me

1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Has anyone ever seen a warning in scripture about the "love of children" being the root of all evil or of financial distress because I can't find it?  However, most Christians covet after money but shun children - and GOD called children a blessing!  Yet, they don't want what God views as a blessing, rather they bash it as something you should do everything possible to prevent.

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. 

Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 

I've had a couple questions about my son's schedule and sleep, so I thought it would be a good idea to show his daily routine/schedule.  He has been sleeping 12 hours every night since 2 months old, but lately, he only sleeps 11 and then gets in about 4 hours of sleep in naps during the day, which is the average 14-15 hours a day recommended at this age.

We've increased his solid food recently and decreased his formula from 40 oz a day to 30 oz.  He is also drinking 1/3 of milk protein mixed in with his special formula and so far, so good! He may not be allergic to milk anymore and that is what we are praying for.  I still can't get him off his bottle, which is new to me because my daughter took to a sippy cup easily with no problems at 7 months - but not this child!!  He is strong-willed for sure, in more ways than just this lol.  I use Earth's Best Organic baby foods and Plum Organics puffs.


9:30 a.m. - Wake up; 1/4 cup Cheerios & 6 oz formula

Cuddle and play

11 a.m. - Nap

12:30 p.m. - Wake up from nap; play

12:45 p.m. - 1/2 cup fruits; Veggie puffs; 6 oz formula

Play

2 p.m. - 2-hour nap

4 p.m. - Wake up from nap; play

4:15 p.m. - 1/2 cup veggies; 6 oz formula

Play

5:45 p.m. - 1/4 cup chicken/pasta; water

Play or sometimes a short nap

7 p.m. - 6 oz formula

Play and/or bath

9 - 9:30 p.m. - 1/4 cup oatmeal; 6 oz formula

Play and cuddle

10 - 10:30 p.m. - Bed

Just when you think homeschooling is challenging, you have a baby and realize it never was until now!  I have to say that it has taken me weeks of trial and error and I'm still not completely in my groove yet of homeschooling with a baby.  There are some things I've learned along the way that I thought would be beneficial to other new moms out there with older children they homeschool or a mom who is thinking or going to have a newborn soon.  I'm sure there will be a part 2 to this in another few months but for now, here are my tips:

1. Pray - Pray for wisdom and knowledge on how God wants you to do this, after all, he is the one that called you to homeschool, He will make a way!  Seek His wisdom for how to run your day and homeschool, and pray for your baby to be on a schedule and sleep through the night, etc.  God does answer prayers like these - He has for me!  You have not because you didn't ask!
2. Take off the first 2 months - Spend those first 2 months getting everyone, yourself included, used to the new baby.  Wait till you finally start being able to get some solid sleep before you try and teach your older children please!  Who knows what you would teach them after only 3-4 hours of broken sleep.  No one is going to be any less smarter if you skip 2 months of school, after all having a new baby IS school - it is called Child Development 101 and its a high school level course to boot!
3. Get the baby on a schedule - many moms think you can't do this and that is sad because you can, straight from the womb.  I started as soon as my baby came home the 2nd day from the hospital by training him about night and day.  Open the blinds at a set time each morning that you want him to wake up - for me it was 10:30 a.m.  Then talk to him and stimulate him at that same time every, single day.  Routine, routine, routine is what babies need!  Then at night at 10 p.m. it was lights out - we made it dark in the house and talked in low voices and didn't talk to the baby.  When he was waking up during the night to feed during those first 4 weeks, I made sure to not talk to him but feed him and then put him back down and keep it dark.  That way he learned there is no fun at those hours - so no need to be awake.  By the 4th week he was on a schedule and sleeping 5 hours at night and now, at 3 months old, he sleeps 12 hours straight through all night with no feedings, thanks to the SCHEDULE.  Then, during the day, schedule the feedings and naps by noting their natural feeding time and nap cues.  For my son, he eats every 2 since he is on special formula that is already predigested - so we schedule his feeding times and nap times from morning till night.  He also has set bed times and wake up times - 10 to 10.
4. Redeem the time - when baby is napping - school!  When baby is just fresh from being fed and content, put him down and school!  Don't wait till the worst moment when he is tired or bored and is crying - you won't be able to do much quality schooling then.  Learn to redeem those times you have, no matter how short - and make the most of that time.
5. Plan meals and use the crockpot - Spend one day a week planning the week's meals and do mostly crockpot meals with leftovers if possible.  This is not the time to cook elaborate meals or time-consuming meals.  The most important things are to have something to eat - whether is it sandwiches, frozen pizza or a crockpot meal, gourmet is not happening right now.  I found that freezer cooking is currently not possible for me right now but that would be a good idea if the baby is older or you have someone to watch him while you spend a day cooking.
6. Use paper plates/cups/utensils - I've found that the dishes are harder to do when you homeschool with a baby.  It is so much easier to use paper items but for budget reasons, we are only trying to use them on the weekends right now.  I plan on teaching my daughter how to load the dishwasher soon though!
7. Assign more chores for the older kids - My daughter has taken on more responsibilities since the baby has been born.  She can now cook a few things and do a few more chores than she was doing.  Depending upon the age, children can empty trash, sweep, vacuum, wash or fold laundry, dust, clean bathrooms, wash dishes, load the dishwasher, cook, etc.  There are 9 year olds that cook full meals for their families I found out, when asking for tips for myself recently among a group of homeschooling moms - so guess who learned how to cook rice?  Yep......and she is going to learn a few more things and then make us a full meal soon, thank you Jesus!! 
8. Lessen the homeschool load - you don't have to do it all during those first few months, take it easy with the actual homeschool workload.  The second month of the baby, I had my daughter do independent work - math fact cards, latin flashcards, spelling tests online, reading (lots of it!) and online educational games.  Then, we started back "full" school but still are not doing a heavy workload yet - no one is going to die if school doesn't get done this year.  Seriously, if you homeschool, your child is already ahead of most children.  Don't believe me?  Take a standardized test - we did and despite our half-schooling while I was pregnant, my daughter managed to score advanced (1-2 grades ahead) in Math and English and average in Science and we rarely ever do science LOL!  Kids that read..........make the grade, bottom line.  Lessen your load - they will turn out ok and get back to it the next year when things are easier.
9. Get out - taking a break when things are getting hard and the baby won't stop crying is crucial for a new mom's sanity!  Go for a walk, to a friend's house or the park - anything to put the baby to sleep, get out of the house or help you breathe some fresh air.  If you have a daughter like mine, you will be doing walking-school, she reads while we walk......seriously, this girl is a bookworm like her momma!  If she isn't reading while we walk, she has her magnifying glass and bug container to catch another specimen to investigate.  
10. Let the house go - I'm not talking about living in filth and ending up on hoarders here - just stop cleaning so much and let go of the OCD lady!  Dust will still be there if you skip a week or two of dusting.  It isn't going anywhere - one wipe will still get it, whether you wait a week or month.  There are two things you must get done however - dishes and laundry, so make those priority and everything else is "whenever-you-get-to-it."  I was doing a bit every day, but now I'm back to my once-a-week cleaning and I force myself to not clean until that day the next week.  Skip deep cleaning, spring and fall cleanings this year - your baby needs you more.  A homeschooling mother's home should not look like the home of a mother who has no children at home during the day.  And a homeschooling mother's home WITH A BABY sure should not look like those who don't have kids at home all day!  My husband called me from work one day, he was doing a job in someone's house that had the sign on the fridge that read "A dirty house is a house where the kids are loved" or something along those lines - that is partly true, there are some people that are just plain d-i-r-t-y and they don't love their kids either lol, but then there are those that realize that spending time with kids is more important than a spotless house.  Choose your love - what will you regret spending less time doing - cleaning or loving your kids?

I was full of fear at the beginning of my pregnancy thinking about the end, mainly the c-section.  With my first c-section they were unable to numb my back and it turned into a nightmare as the anesthesiologist wouldn't stop trying even though the nurses were fighting with him to.  He poked me 7 times with various sized needles, with the last one hitting a nerve that shot down my left leg and left me with neuralgic pain in that spot for about 5 years!  After that, my daughter's heart rate drastically fell and it turned into an emergency situation and I remember being thrown down on the table and a catheter shoved in me and I almost came off that table from the pain from that and then I was knocked out.  Then, during the surgery I woke up and they had to put me back to sleep.  Also, they had sewn me up and I started hemorrhaging and they had to re-open me and stop the bleeding.  They still had problems upon the 2nd closing but finally got it to stop before I needed a blood transfusion.  I woke up feeling like I had to cough really bad and did and WHOA.......talk about pain!  They had maxed me out on morphine but I remember that pain being like no other at first waking.

My mom made her first quilt ever for her first grandson.  She thought she did a terrible job, but I don't think so, I love it!  I got it in the mail today and it smelled just like home and I got all emotional and cried.  Tears of missing my childhood home and family and tears that my mom did something so special.



Then, my neighbor from back home hand-knitted some baby items for my son and they are so precious!

When we start to look at the Bible and the Godly examples of women laid before us we come across some wonderful models or mentors.  As a mother, there is one that stands out to me personally because of my long, painful years of barrenness - Hannah.  Hannah sought God with tears and she was blessed with a child.  She wasn't praying for money, a house, a car, more clothes - no, Hannah desired to be used by God to raise a child unto Him and even give her child for the Lord's service.  I don't think you could have wiped the smile off her face when God finally opened her womb - I know that feeling; that longing; that ache; and to finally have it gone because God opens your womb!

I came across an awesome article on Christian Motherhood that discusses Hannah as the model for Christian mothers and I think it is a must read for every mother or those yearning to be.  I wanted to share some quotes from the article but you can read it in full at the link below.  This is from J.R. Miller, 1886:

Hannah, as a mother, was enthusiastic. She was not one of those women who think children undesirable encumbrances. She did not consider herself, in her earlier married years, particularly fortunate in being free from the cares and responsibilities of motherhood. She believed that children were blessings from the Lord, that motherhood was the highest honor possible to a woman; and she sought, reverently and very earnestly, from God—the privilege of pressing a little child to her bosom, and calling it her own. This line in the ancient picture we must not overlook in these days, when children are not always regarded as blessings from the Lord, nor even always welcomed.

For another thing, when Hannah's child came, she considered it a part of her pious duty, to nurture and care for it. Instead, therefore, of going up to Shiloh to attend all the great feasts, as she had done before—she stayed at home for some time, to give personal attention to the little one that God had given her, and that was still too young to be taken with safety and comfort on such long journeys. No doubt she supposed that she was worshiping God just as acceptably in doing this, as if she had gone up to all the great religious meetings. And who will say that she was not right?

A mother's first obligations—are to her children; she can have no holier or more sacred duties than those which relate to them. No amount of public religious service will atone for neglect of these. She may run to social and missionary meetings, and abound in all kinds of charitable activities, and may do very much good among the poor, carrying blessings to many other homes, and being a blessing to other people's children, through the Sunday school or mission school; but if she fails, meanwhile, to care for her own children—she can scarcely be commended as a faithful Christian mother! She has overlooked her first and most sacred duties, while she gives her hand and heart to those that are but secondary to her.

Years ago when I first became a Christian and got married, I had anticipated having children.  Upon voicing this, I was told that I would go to hell if I had a child because my husband was called to preach and a child would hinder his ministry.  (He was told he was called at that time but God is the only one who has the power to call and he will tell us if we are!)  This was tragic for me as I had always desired children, but upon hearing it from someone I trusted, I submitted and tried to quell the desire inside me for three years.  It was many nights of crying and forcing myself into submission because this must be what God wants I thought.  Then, we started learning that a lot of things we were taught by that individual were not correct.  Up came the hope that maybe I could have a child without risking my eternal future or "hindering" things.

So, I asked the question and was covered in sympathy as the pastor told me that I would NOT go to hell for having a child and it had nothing to do with hindering my husband or the ministry.  However, I couldn't even trust his answer, I didn't trust anyone anymore.  One night while sitting on my couch, I asked God to just show me someway or somehow that it was ok and that I could let go of the fear of "putting a child before God."  It was then that I felt the Holy Spirit and as I remember it, started crying and this verse jumped out at me on the page:

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. ~Genesis 18:19

Has anyone watched this documentary?  I saw the trailer and read this article and it makes sense.  Here are some quotes from the article:

I first heard of this news story from Much More Than Rubies and then read the article here at World Mag.

Katherine Ragsdale, the soon-to-be President of the Episcopal Divinity School, a major seminary near Harvard says that abortion is a blessing.  She even goes so far and says that abortion is holy work!  Here are some more quotes from the article:

"Ragsdale, though, says abortion is a "blessing," and not only in harsh situations but good ones: "When a woman becomes pregnant within a loving, supportive, respectful relationship; has every option open to her; decides she does not wish to bear a child; and has access to a safe, affordable abortion—there is not a tragedy in sight—only blessing. The ability to enjoy God's good gift of sexuality without compromising one's education, life's work, or ability to put to use God's gifts and call is simply blessing."

This is what I've been talking about folks - this PERVERTED (twisted) view of children.  Instead of accepting the BIBLICAL view where God tells us they are a blessing and happy is the man that has a lot of them and in the New Testament that women should marry, BEAR CHILDREN, and guide the house..........its all twisted to fit the flesh.  Forget marriage - just live together.  Forget children - just take pills to mimic barrenness or kill them if they somehow get through your pills because ain't no baby going to ruin your plans and then spend your life thinking a career will fulfill you.  Surely God understands you can't be burdened down with his blessings - when he gives them to you, just kill them and tell God "no thanks".  Don't worry about the house, it can take care of itself and it isn't as fulfilling as filing papers in an office.

Notice how she glorifies 'God's good gift of sexuality', yet wants to leave out the part of what sex was intended for - reproduction.  God designed us that way and that was one of his first commands - be fruitful and multiply.  satan has twisted it so well to make people think that the things of this life (material), careers and education and the almighty dollar are where its at.


We who have been born again by the Spirit of God know that the only thing that fulfills is Christ.  Christ followers don't look for loopholes to fit their lifestyles, they don't live in sin any longer and they don't constantly seek ways to fulfill the lusts of the flesh.  These are the ways of the sinner - one who has never been delivered from sin.  "Loopholes to Hell" as Pastor put it this past week.

I was typing up some old Seminary notes from the last 2 classes and a comment that a teacher had made really took hold of me. She talked about how having a child gave you a deeper view into God, one that those without children could never understand or know. I sat there and thought on that and it is so true. There is a greater view into God and the love he had for His Son and all that entails about the parent/child relationship. It was truly a view that God wanted us to have as he made us to reproduce.

Then I was reading an article from Voddie Bauchman about the child prevention that has seem to become the thing to do lately. One of the links lead me to the following article of which I got my title for this post.

I'm not talking about those who can't have children and are unable - that should cause sadness for those who are unable.

Here is a quote from the article:

"Christians must recognize that this rebellion against parenthood represents nothing less than an absolute revolt against God's design. The Scripture points to barrenness as a great curse and children as a divine gift. The Psalmist declared: "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate." [Psalm 127: 3-5]"

You can read the full article HERE.

Are there modern-day Hannah's who cry out because of their barrenness anymore or is it rather that Hannah being barren is a symbol of rejoicing for some. Barrenness would be glorified in this society today to some, rather than mourned as the scripture so clearly teaches us!

Then on the flip-side, I'm not of those who say never prevent pregnancy. Although I don't use abortifacients to prevent pregnancy, I have prevented it because of my severe health issues. If it would kill a woman to conceive, then I think wisdom comes into the picture and you do prevent pregnancy in those situations.

However, just because "times are bad" right now isn't a good enough reason to prevention. From Voddie's post on this, he shows how even in dark times of the Bible, which were FAR WORSE then what is going on now in America.........what did God tell the people to do? Can you believe he told them to get to making babies!? Yep......

Jeremiah 29:6

"Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished."

But doesn't God understand things are just to wicked right now to bring children into this. On the contrary my dear friend! We need more Godly seed, more children raised up in Godly homes! If anything, there should be an increase in children in Christian circles. Lately, I have noticed quite an influx of babies in my church lol - God has given many families here blessings!! It is such a wonderful thing.

Motive is what it comes down to. Only you and God know your motives for why you prevent your children. Are the motives pure? Do my motives line up with the role that God has given me through scripture? Am I trying to play God in my body? These are some questions I asked myself when seeking to truly learn from God in this child prevention topic. It is a personal one but it can't be denied God's view about children and our role as bearing children.

I know that not everyone shares our views and you are free to decide for yourself. I'm just sharing this for those who have told me they would like to know our views on this. I don't post this for contention or to even say that YOU are wrong if you feel God wants you to remain without children for whatever reason. I'm simply sharing things to support our view.

A quote from Obama:

A woman shouldn't have to be "PUNISHED with a baby"

My Bible tells me what God thinks about children (see my post about that HERE) and I'm BLESSED to have them!!!!!! CHILDREN ARE A BLESSING!!

Psalm 127:3

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward

Not only are children a heritage of the Lord but they are esteemed highly by God:

Psalm 127:4-5

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.....

I can't wait to see my pregnancy test read positive for a baby! I long for this, God has designed women for this very PURPOSE and I gladly assume my role as to "bear children" and guide my house! You don't have to ask what God's will is for you as a woman, he has already told us what it is in His WORD:

1 Timothy 5:14

I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

What a coincidence! A few hours after I posted my last post concerning bearing children, I get a call from a lady that is doing a political poll. She asked me if I was "Pro-Choice" or "Pro-Life". What she should really say is am I Pro-Life or Pro-Death! Come on! Either you let the baby live or you kill it.....it's really that simple!

My husband saw a bumper sticker a few months ago and even to this day we haven't forgot it. Here is what it said:

If it isn't a baby, then you aren't pregnant!

What a truth that is! The whole stance on pro-abortionists is that it isn't a living thing yet, that just don't jive with God. Abortion is still MURDER, no matter how pretty you want to paint the picture.

If you didn't want a baby, if it's going to mess up your life then you know what!? KEEP YOUR PANTIES ON GIRLFRIEND!