Any quiverful mamas here? - Page 3

[canadiyank]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by canadiyank
My grandma had 11 live births, over a span of 26 years. People always ask if we are Mormon or Catholic. Neither, actually, LOL! Lutheran. I was an only child, but not by choice (my mom had 5 miscarriages, one at nearly 6 mos. along!).

momschooling - scanning the posts I think I'm the only one who made mention of Catholic families in a post so I am assuming you were referring to my post when you mentioned the "we're not Catholic" thing. In *NO* way did I mean my post to be derogatory (sp?)! My apologies, since it seems to have come across that way...people just seem genuinely shocked that we're not Catholic or Mormon. I honestly don't know any large Catholic families (or even Mormon, for that matter - my family is the largest I know, LOL!) but the stereotype lives on...and honestly, in my grandma's day (her first baby was in 1919, her last - my dad - in 1944) most families were probably larger, so really, you're right, the comment people made is just silly.

I'm sorry - I meant no offense.

BTW - according to Mark 6:3 NIV, Mary did have at least 4 brothers and 2 sisters, so Mary had at least 7 children. (Referring to a prophet not being listened to in his hometown... "'Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?' And they took offense at him.") Also, the book of James is attributed (according to my NIV Study Bible) to James, the brother of Jesus. Just some FYI I didn't learn either of these until very recently, so hoping I don't come across as a know-it-all!

[t-elaine]

Elphaba,
I believe that adoption is a great thing! If I had the chance to adopt a child I would love to...Like PerfectLove said, it falls under the realm of charity and doing good unto others.
As for fertility treatments...i personally do not agree with it. I do not judge others, but to me FT would be like trying to play God. Like I mentioned before, to me it's all about leaving it in God's hands and that would be trying to take control of it for yourself...It is not natural. Again I want to say that I do not judge anyone else, this is what I believe.
I personally do not even believe in watching my cycle and purposely choosing fertile times to be intimate.

About abstinence...I had another thought and came up with what I feel is a good anology for my beliefs:
Imagine this: Your dh goes into work on Friday and his boss tells him, "Hey...if you come into work on Monday, you may get a great promotion! It is a little more responsibility, but it would mean more money and benefits for you. Now you don't have to come in, you could call off, but if you do not come in, the promotion will not be an option at this time. If you do come in, you might not get it, but there is a good chance you will" Now what would you want your husband to do? A promotion...what a BLESSING! Would you want him to risk not getting it by not going in? Wouldn't you pray over the weekend that the Lord's will be done, and then have him go in so that he does not do anything on a human level to change that will if he IS to have the promotion?
This is what it all means to me...A new life is such a wonderful BLESSING! Who am I to say, "God, I don't want any blessings right now...I'm going to stop them from coming by avoiding my husband when I know pregnancy is an option." I want to know that I have done nothing to stop the LORD's blessings from coming into our lives. If we choose to avoid a blessing, THE LORD may choose to not give us some blessings at another time.
GOD will not give us more than we can handle...if we are praying ceaselessly and diligently, OUR FATHER, will guide us and protect us. Why would we want anything else, but GOD's will to lead our lives?

As for the gender thing...when GOD was spoken of in the NT by Christ as well as HIS followers...the term PATER was used, meaning father...a male term. This is why I call my FATHER, HIM...I do not post this because I judge you, but to share my own personal insights...I would like to know why you choose to use SHE. I too, believe GOD may be genderless, but we will not know for sure until we meet HIM (or HER ) face to face.

[Rebecca11]

Hi,
I am happy to find folks talking about this!

I am a Christian and mom of 6 children. Our youngest was just born this past December. We have not used bc since after the birth of our 1st child, now almost 15 years old.

I've been dealing with questions about this too, for awhile. It's funny, 2 days before I found out I was pregnant this last time, I had said to my husband, "I'm finally at a place where I know if we don't ever have another sweet newborn in the house, I'm okay with that. I am content." I'm not kidding, 2 days later I learned I was pregnant! And I was not even suspicious of that. BIG surprise!
My pregnancies have all been hard, though....constant nausea, etc. for the whole nine months. Hard to take care of everyone else and homeschool, when you feel horrid! I am certain God planned every one of my babies. I am now 41, though, and am finding my body is not bouncing back so quickly this time! I had a clear sense in my spirit during my last pregnancy that this child completes our family. It's just a knowing. I am content with this as well. And it's pretty cool, my baby is a boy! Up until now we had one son, surrounded by girls. He is 10 and waited SO long for his little brother.

Someone made the point in this thread that we have to focus on the children we have, and not focus on possible future babies. That is definitely true. Also it is important of course to be in harmony with your husband about this. I think that would have to take precedence over anything else regarding having more children. God can change hearts if there's a need! When I first got married I thought I didn't want to ever have kids. He changed my heart completely and now we have a big family.

Each person has to seek God for themselves about this (and so many other things). QF is wonderful, but I don't think there's enough scripture to make it into a doctrine.

[barbara]

Rebecca11, It is nice to meet you. I also have 7 children and appear to be done now, after 2 miscarriages in my 40's. It isn't always easy to be content with that, but my pregnancies were hard also, and I'm not sure this old body would handle another one well. It is a new season in my life and the Lord is leading me in new directions and teaching me new things. It is a beautiful thing.

We never heard of the term quiver full until our 6th or 7th child, but I guess it was how God was leading us all along. I agree that there simply isn't a scriptural backup to make the quiver full life a doctrine. It has to be a spirit led decision; it really is a matter of faith, not law.

It has been a beautiful lifestyle for our family, and I'm happy to see others being led similarly. )
edited because I don't know how that oops guy got there...hmmmm....I think I was going for something more like this...

[t-elaine]

I agree with the fact that this must be a mutual decision with your husband...I'm sure all of us, as Christians would not deny that we should submit ourselves to our husbands.
A very wise woman and great example to mothers all over the world, Nancy Campbell, once said that even if our husbands are not Christians, we should still submit to them, following GOD'S commandment to women...and then TRUST GOD! She used the example of Sarah, when Abraham was asking her to lie (or not tell the whole truth) she submitted to her husband and God protected her...the bible actually says, "because of Sarah (Sarai)" (Gen. 12:17) he sent a plague on the Egyptians! WOW! If we obey HIM, HE will protect us!
There are many things that people see differently when it comes to the WORD of GOD...That's why I pray daily that the LORD will guide me in truth and in HIS will. What more can we do but to pray for the truth and then follow it when we find or see it. God knows our hearts and motives and I believe that if a person is devotedly and sincerely studying the Bible and loving the LORD and putting into practice the things which the HOLY SPIRIT shows them, I believe GOD is pleased.
In HIM,