Birth Control and Natural Family Planning

There's something that I have really been wanting to share, and with the help of some girlfriends, feel compelled to share. I meet a group of young mothers every Thursday where we talk about various things God puts on our heart. I recently shared with them my deep convictions on why I do not believe birth control was God's plan or design and why. I rarely share those convictions for fear of offending someone or making someone feel violated or invaded by my own thoughts and opinions. While I thought the outcome may not be positive, a lot of the women were thankful i had shared because they never knew the things I spoke about. Hence, I decided that would share on this blog my deep convictions on why I believe in natural family planning. It's not to make anyone feel guilty about using contraceptives, but only to aid you in evaluating what God's desires would be for your own family. I, too, was on Jasmine for my first year of marriage. When God began to speak to me about his desires for me to no longer be on birth control I blew it off as if I were hearing incorrectly. Trust me, being off birth control, at the time, didn't seem like an option. But it was a Voice i couldn't ignore. I had several people randomly start to talk to me about how birth control was abortion, and I would fight with myself inside thinking that were wrong and confused. I couldn't let go of all the studying i had done before making the decision to be on the contraceptive. "This can't be," i thought. "It doesn't make sense...it's not what my doctor said." Needless to say, I got pregnant with Abigail the day I stopped taking Jasmine, which frightened me indeed. And I couldn't help but question, "Lord, have I ever aborted one of your children?"

If still not convinced after reading this blog, here's a nice short video on the deeper positives of natural family planning:

My explanation:

Birth Control Pills and How they Work:

There are two basic pills - combination and mini pills and both work in the same manner. They both act to prevent the release of an egg form the ovary (ovulation). However, women can and do experience breakthrough ovulation - meaning that an egg is released from the ovary and is available to be fertilized by the sperm. Both types of pills also cause the cervical mucus to thicken, making it difficult for the sperm to reach the egg. It is possible, though, for the sperm to break through and to fertilize (a.k.a. conception) the egg. If the egg is fertilized....BAM!, conception has happened.

So the question is....when does life begin? For political reasons, the working definition of pregnancy has changed over the years from..."beginning at fertilization" to...."beginning at implantation".

This is why your doctor can tell you that the pill never aborts a baby (pregnancy). You see both types of pills change the lining of the uterus. this makes it difficult, if not impossible, for the five-to-seven day old baby to attach to the lining of your uterus, where it would receive the nourishment needed to grow. If the baby does not attach successfully to the lining of your uterus, he/she dies and is expelled from the body during menstruation. This process is known as a chemical abortion and is why the pill is referred to as an abortifacient. The lower the dosage of the pill, the more likely it is to work by causing a chemical abortion.

BUT God teaches us that life begins the moment a sperm and egg meet. He said He knew that child, yet, before it were born. The pill does not keep you from getting pregnant, but it will keep you from having children. What will it take for us to really trust God in this way?

There is a great book you can get at your library called The Art of Natural Family Planning by John F. Kippley, Sheila K. Kippley or you can visit this website for some tips. There are usually doctors and nurses who specialize in NFP in your area as well that you could look up. I encourage to seek God's heart in light of this. I thought I had heard from God, but it took a second look and a willingness in my heart to hear God speak differently.

About Wilderness Outcry

Posted on 4/28/2010 by Brian Sharp

"Last fall the nation began to hear about a large event to be held outside of Poplar Bluff called Wilderness Outcry. In recent days the announcement was made the event had been cancelled due to the lack of funding needed for an event of that size. It was a practical business decision due to vendors requiring significant payments in advance, but the needed money was simply not there.

This said, it needs to be clearly known that people are still going to be gathering in order to “cry out” to God for our nation, which is the original vision and purpose for the event. In a recent meeting with about fifteen regional leaders who have been helping with Wilderness Outcry, we decided that since the need for and purpose of the event hasn’t changed, we should move forward in gathering and praying for our country on a more simple level. There will be no stages, sound systems, speakers, music groups, jumbotrons or other elements usually included in a structured program event.

Jerry Murphy has welcomed, and continues to offer, the use of his farm for the purpose of crying out to God before, during and after the scheduled time in June. Many we’re talking to concerning this effort at reorganizing are responding very positively. In fact, most we’ve heard about who were planning on coming have not changed their plans and are more determined than ever to come pray in unity. Nothing, it seems, is going to stop them!

For whatever reasons some were against the original event, I hope and pray they will re-evaluate their thinking. It was never intended to be focused on any specific personality, group or theology, yet some people became distracted by those things, real or imagined, rather than keeping centered on the pure motive of worshipping God and praying for our nation, which most of us agree on.

Obviously, structured program events have their place. However, in our meeting the term “non-event” began to be used in reference to the dates of June 14-18 because it appears to be developing into more of an intense yearning for God rather than a passing event. In other words, people are going to gather, pray, repent, worship and cry out to God from the wilderness without the aid of modern technology or specific structure. People are still encouraged to camp out at Moriah Ranch in tents or self-contained RV’s, or use local hotel rooms, churches, etc. Arrangements are being made to meet practical needs, such as restrooms, that must be provided for any kind of large group gathering. This time of prayer and consecration will be more “raw” in many respects than originally planned but no less effective, maybe even more so. We’re discovering this reality seems to be raising the level of appeal in many people.

We are, indeed, thankful for those of the original group on the national level who not only saw the need for a gathering like this, but took the risk to actually begin doing something about it. We appreciate their decision to get thousands of Christian patriots across our land motivated to get serious about praying for our beloved nation. I wouldn’t be writing this letter if they hadn’t first run their lap.

However, the baton has been passed. Now that this national/international gathering is being coordinated on a regional level it is more important than ever to pray for God’s guidance, wisdom and blessing on the efforts being made. Make no mistake; anything of significance done to advance God’s kingdom typically involves, among other things, a certain amount of risk and a lot of diligence—just ask Moses or Abraham or David or the Apostle Paul or Jesus. We hear them shouting to us through the pages of Scripture, “The cost is well worth it!”

Prayer at Moriah Ranch before, during and after June 14-18 is not about any personality, specific church or ministry, or even a particular theological or political stance. It is all about no-frills, desperate prayer focusing on our loving, mighty God realizing that without His help and favor we’re all sunk.

Could it be this is what God had in mind all along?"

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For the past couple weeks Brandon and I have been extremely confused by the things God was speaking to us. Here, we continued to see the numbers "444" everywhere we went. When we first heard about Wilderness Outcry, we knew God was calling our family to take a step of faith in going. When we heard the event was canceled, we weren't only grieved, but very confused. Why God? What about all that you spoken to us? And why all the signs? It was even so that we continued to see "444" after the announced event was canceled. And though we had a scheduled week of nothing to do because of allotted time we set aside for the event, we were slow to make any plans. There was something we didn't have peace about. There was a piece of the puzzle missing. It was then that we began seeking God if He would still have us trek to Missouri despite the hype of WO. Well, I must say it was exciting the least to see that many others felt the same way. So, just as we thought God had originally spoken to us.....we're taking a step of faith to take ourselves and our children to Missouri to meet God in a radical way...