Who Causes Children–It Matters What You Think

Excellent article written by Kelly over at Generation Cedar. Check out the rest of the wealth of information and follow them over there. You won't regret it! :-)

(The Crawford Family ~ Generation Cedar)

In trying to understand our culture’s current attitude toward children and the common practice of birth control, one has to dig, if you will, or peel back many different layers of thinking.

In speaking about a friend of mine who has seven children, another friend (strong believer) commented, “I just don’t think they know what they’re getting themselves into”. The comment has played over in my mind all day, because it reveals a strong delusion that even Christians have suffered. The delusion is that we cause children to be born. And if you believe that humanistic idea, then it completely changes your perspective on children. If WE cause children, then we obviously have the right to prevent them. And her statement insinuates that “they” have made some kind of mistake by having all these children, and “they” are going to pay for it.

Biblically speaking, WE do not create children. To think so is arrogant and grossly pompous. We can only prevent them, nothing more. And if God indeed is the One who creates our children, and gives us our children, and calls them gifts from Himself, then only those who prevent them should have to give an explanation. Don’t ask me to explain why my body is doing exactly what God created it to do! You explain to me why you are refusing to let yours! How it must grieve the heart of God to hear a child of His talk about His gifts as some kind of mistake (“they don’t know what they’re getting themselves into”)! THEY have nothing to do with it!

We have to regroup our thinking, push away the culture’s brainwashing, and get back to the basics: God created male and female. He said it is good for them to marry, share an intimate relationship, and reap the natural results of that relationship. In case we have forgotten, he did not give us a “what if” option of turning off our ability to bear children if the circumstances are not just right, or if we just don’t want the responsibility of raising children. It was man’s idea to prevent the birth of children; those who haven’t chosen to work against their body’s natural design should certainly not have to give an answer…no more than I should have to give an answer for why I breathe.

And let me clarify: in case you think I feel hostile toward those who practice birth control, I do not. Rather, I am angered at the lie that Christians have bought into and inevitably use against those who do not practice bc. It is interesting to note, most people who believe that it is OK to practice birth control have at least some problem with allowing God to be sovereign over your family size. Why is that? Feel free to enlighten me.

I type this with love in my heart and a smile on my face :-) …Practice birth control if you wish; but understand that it is not God’s natural design, and stop treating it like it is. I love my fellow BC users, but I would like to experience the joy of having a full quiver without all the disdain. Spread the word!

The Christian’s Duty to Love Children

Repost from HERE! If you enjoy this post, please go to their blog and follow it for more timely wonderful words of wisdom!

It grips my heart with anguish every time…every time a professing Christian exhibits the opposite of God’s heart concerning children…the overt result of a world-conditioned-mind, rather than a mind that has sought to know the ways of God. “Shew me Thy ways, O Lord, teach me Thy paths.” This was the cry of David’s heart, a man after God’s own heart. Oh shouldn’t it be ours too!

Anyone with a large family (3 or more children) has experienced the comments, sometimes sheer curiosity, sometimes sheer ridicule. No matter the intention, the reactions of others reveal a thinking process that has so evolved from God’s original design for families, that His purpose is hardly acknowledged in the Christian community. While my heart does ache for the many of His people who have not accepted children as the blessing He meant for them in their own families, perhaps the greater grief comes from their refusal to embrace His design and support those who do. As I often ponder the negative reactions of Christians to large families, I keep hearing the words of Scripture, and I wonder on what authority they have based their religion. God’s Word is so explicit about God’s heart toward children. Consider the following and really ponder the meaning of these words:

“Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Psalm 127:3
If I had an apple tree that bore only 1 or 2 apples, I would not consider that to be a healthy tree, or by any means one that was a “reward”. The “fruit of the womb” implies proliferation and an abundance of reproduction.
“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:” Psalm 127 4, 5

If I were a warrior, I would certainly want more than an arrow or two in my quiver. The Bible says the man who has lots of children will be happy. That is such a different thought than the one given by most people today!

“Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive pants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.” Psalm 128:3, 4
Olive plants, fruitful vines--again the picture is fertility and abundant reproduction. This is considered a GOOD thing by the Lord!
“And did not he make them [husband and wife] one…and why one? Because he desires godly offspring.” Malachi 2:15

Yes, one of the main purposes of marriage is to produce children.

So, if I am a Christian, do I not desire to have the mind of Christ? Do I not ask with David, “Lord, teach me thy ways!”? And if so, what must my response be to those who have allowed God to be sovereign over the area of children in their lives? Can I uphold the name of Christ on one hand, and blaspheme his Word on the other? (“That the older women may teach the younger women to love their husbands and children…so that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Titus 2:4,5) If God said be fruitful and multiply, and have lots of children, why on earth are His people being criticized on this point by His own people?!

A further debate lies in the very invention, promotion and outcome of current birth control methods. God did not invent birth control; we did. And when we did, were we not saying, in essence: “God, when you created our bodies, you messed up. See, I am wise enough to know that I am not supposed to have a bunch of children. But you forgot to create a shut-off valve. So, in my superior wisdom, I must intervene and correct that which you failed to do.” You see, birth control and medicine are two opposite entities. Medicine is used for promoting health and life, a practice Jesus himself condoned. God did not create sickness and death, they are a result of sin. Birth control, on the other hand, is a preventer of life; it seeks to impair what was not broken. It takes a perfect creation, a normal function, and alters it to prevent it from functioning according to its design.

Birth control was first promoted by a radical, diabolical feminist named Margaret Sanger, who was determined to “release women from the bondage of motherhood”. She also believed that monogamy in marriage was ridiculous and thought women should be able to do what they wanted, when they wanted, and with whom they wanted. Well, she came a long way in accomplishing that purpose through the widely accepted use of artificial birth control methods. The rate of infidelity and divorce has soared since that time around 1960 (A tragedy that was predicted and strongly fought against by the church during the campaign of Sanger). (Another note about the birth control pill: most oral contraceptives have multiple strategies for preventing children, including an abortafacient method that sometimes allows conception, but prevents the fertilized embryo from attaching itself to the uterine wall, resulting in a spontaneous abortion unbeknownst to the mother.)

While it is not my intention to debate the moral ethics surrounding birth control, I felt compelled to share those few things in order to explain how far from God’s thinking we have gotten. It is not only normal but expected for a Christian to practice the above methods of child-prevention (Sanger’s idea). However, if a couple decides to believe what the Scriptures say, and accept the fruit of the womb as His reward (God’s idea), it is often treated as something akin to criminal activity. This bizarre, paradox running rampant right here in the church!
Regardless of your beliefs on the use of preventing children, if you are a believer, you cannot escape the truth about children written in God’s word. To offer anything other than support to the family not practicing birth control is anti-scriptural and is absolutely unfounded reasoning. Time or culture has not changed God’s word. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He still loves children and so must we.

Turning Back the Clock on Women's Rights?

A blog post that I found inspirational, and a timely reminder of who I am in Christ, and who He created me to be. I encourage you to read it, and to follow her blog at http://time-warp-wife.blogspot.com/

And a {Titus 2}sday Link up!!

What I'm about to say is politically incorrect. But as you might have noticed, that hasn't stopped me before. Somehow I've been accused of singlehandedly turning back the clock on women's rights.

Today I want to address the question on everyone's lips, "Why should husbands get the final say?"

I'll start by saying this... Letting him have the final say doesn't mean that you can't have a discussion and share your ideas. A good marriage should have channels of communication by which husbands and wives both offer ideas and determine solutions. There should be mutual respect where both parties give and take of each others thoughts. And there needs to be an attitude of acceptance where both a man and his wife can offer their voice.

But at the end of the day, he gets the executive vote.





But I would have you know,
that the head of every man is Christ;
and the head of the woman is the man;
and the head of Christ is God. ~ 1 Corinthians 11:3, KJV
 

There's a reason why this works out for the best, and that reason has everything to do with the fact that men and women are wired differently. It's a scientific fact that we have differing chromosomes, we are shaped differently and we deal with a monthly cycle including PMS. We are generally more sensitive, and as much as we hate to admit it--we cry.

On October 13, 2005, Stephanie Rosenbloom of The New York Times posted and article titled "Big Girls Don't Cry." The article reads:

By the time women reach 18, they are crying four times as much as men, said Dr. Frey, who has conducted research on behavioral, personality and genetic aspects of crying and who has also studied the chemistry of tears.

Scientists do not know exactly why women tend to cry more easily, but Dr. Frey said several factors may be at work. One is the hormone prolactin, he said, which is present in mammary glands and induces lactation but is also found in the blood and in tear glands. Boys and girls have about equal levels of prolactin levels in their blood during childhood. But from ages of 12 to 18, the levels in girls gradually rise, and that may have something to do with why women cry more than men.

Have you ever seen a man burst into tears in a boardroom? Neither have I, but I've seen a woman do it, and to be honest--I wasn't surprised.

So why should any of this relate to a husband having the last word? Because men, for the most part, are emotionally equipped to handle the consequences that come along with decisions.

Women have the ability to keep their emotions in check, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that we fall apart as soon as the going gets tough. But what I am saying is that at the end of the day, women are likely to suffer emotional turmoil while men stop to consider logistics.

Yes, that's politically incorrect, and to some it may be viewed as turning back the clock on women's rights. I get that. But really, what are the rights of a woman? Better said, what are the rights of mankind? Certainly we're given our constitutional rights, but who gives us those rights?

The way I look at scripture, we're given one right and only one--the ability to choose. Anything and everything else we are given is grace. If that's turning back the clock on women's rights, then I say turn it back and keep turning it back until men and women accept scripture as truth that is both applicable and beneficial to families today.





And if it seem evil unto you to
serve the LORD, choose you this
day whom ye will serve...
but as for me and my house,
we will serve the LORD. ~ Joshua 24:15, KJV

You are loved by an almighty God,

Darlene

For comments or questions, contact me at:
darlene[at]darleneschacht.net

Free Trial HSLDA Membership!! Act now!

If you're a homeschooler and not already a member of the Home School Legal Defense Association,

Defend your right to homeschool with a FREE trial membership.

Why Join HSLDA?

Home School Legal Defense Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization that defends and advances your constitutional right to direct the education of your children. We give you the freedom to homeschool without the worry of facing legal threats alone.

Membership Benefits Include:

• Legal representation by our team of attorneys who are experts in homeschool law.
• Weekly email updates on local, state, and national homeschool issues and legislation.
• Access to our homeschool experts for answers on just about anything, whether it’s choosing curriculum or finding encouragement for your homeschooling.
• Online Curriculum Market where you can buy and sell homeschool materials; HSLDA Store discounts.
• And much more.

Good through March 31,2011

Go here to sign up today! 

And use that specific link above, please! If I pass this along to five friends who take advantage of this special offer, I can get my next year's membership for FREE, and so can you if you refer five of your friends to this free trial membership! No strings attached, you don't even have to give any payment information!

Thank you!!

9 Weeks Today!

After all that we've been through during the very early weeks of this pregnancy, the bleeding and everything else, I am SO thankful that I can report this today. :-)

Here is what pregnancy weekly has to say about development at nine weeks:

Fetal Development Your baby is about one inch from crown to rump - or roughly the size of a strawberry. Weighing in at one gram, your baby is very active, although you can't feel its movements yet. He or she now has all the major organs, muscles, and nerves; and a Doppler may be able to identify the heartbeat. While his or her testes or ovaries are formed, the external genitalia still appear sexless, which is why it is too early for an ultrasound to reveal its gender. Eyelids are beginning to form and the trunk is straightening and elongating, cartilage and bones are forming, the basic structures of the eyes are in place, and the tongue is beginning to develop. The fingers and thumb are visible, albeit short and webbed.

Continuing in praises and prayers that I will be able to continue counting down the weeks until October, when our little blessing decides to make the grand day arrival. <3

A baby at nine weeks gestation

Uplifting Japan in Prayer

I'm sure that we all know of the solemn tragedy that has befallen Japan as of 4:00 am EST time on Friday, around 2:00 pm their time. One of the largest and most powerful earthquakes ever recorded hit, 8.9 on the Richter Scale, and caused devastation that most of us couldn't even begin to imagine, then shortly after, a tsunami spurned by the underwater earthquake drowned over half of this small island chain, leaving an awful death toll in it's wake. As of this morning via Yahoo News, the death toll is estimated to be over 10,000 already. Below are some images from local news stations displaying the morbid power that engulfed the Japanese islands on Friday:

This disaster or epic proportions is devestating, and an absolute call to prayer for every Christian, near and far. Consider what ways you CAN help, even if it is a call to be a prayer warrior. Pray for the citizens of one of our most supportive allies, pray for the families and homes torn apart by this storm, pray for the ones who cannot contact their loved ones who are currently in Japan. Pray for our missionaries in Japan, and all of the American soldiers who are in Japan. Pray for the families of those missionaries and soldiers who are still here in the US waiting to hear any word on their loved ones. Pray. Pray for God's will, above all, that many may come to Christ and find repentance, even in the midst of these trials.

Pray for a few missionaries:

REBEKAH KUEHLMAN
MICHAEL MCGOWAN
TIMOTHY and KIMBERLEY MELTON
JAMES and AUDREY NORTON
DANIEL and SHARON ROBERTS
MATTHEW and SACHIYO STARIN
DEAN and SUE ZEMKE

http://www.baptistworldmission.org/our-missionaries.html

There are more missionaries, so pray for them all, for their safety and courage, to continue doing God's work in this time of trouble and chaos. May God be with them all, great and small, as this plays out in His Will. Lifting them up.

A Sunday Reflection

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail pierced hand.

Than to be a king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway,
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame,
I’d rather be true to His holy name.

Than to be a king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway,
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out of the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs,
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead. 

Than to be a king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway,
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.