To start off this Quiverfull Carnival I am going to share with you a few posts from a real life friend of mine. Kim from over at Life in a Shoe writes:

Let me start by saying that I understand that God gives some families fewer children. I am not talking about those who couldn’t have more children, but those who chose not to - for any reason.

My hands are full, though I firmly believe that even a single child will keep a mother’s hands full. 8 children really are not 8 times as much work. Children require our full attention whether we have 1 or a dozen.

Who among us is really ready and fully equipped to raise even one child? Can any of us really expect to succeed in this monumental task by our own strength and virtue?

Finish reading the article HERE.

Kim had quite a discussion concerning her first post so she posted some clarifications to try and address any possible misunderstandings. Here is a quote from that post.

My intention was not to point fingers at those who disagree with us, but to encourage each of us to examine our decisions and convictions in light of Scripture rather than resting upon the standard lines of reasoning. Sometimes our own desires and fears can masquerade as convictions. We are all guilty of adopting the values of the society around us, but we are called to be different. We need to be ever mindful that we are held to God’s perfect and unchanging standard, and often that means conforming our own will to His.

Please take a moment to read the entire post.

Joyful Mom over at A Woman's Journey home has a great post entitled "Are Children Really A Blessing?" Here is an excerpt:

Children are a HUGE part of the life of keeping a home, for most home keepers. I get a huge variety of questions regarding my own children and how we do things in our home. I am also asked, quite often things such as, “Why do you have so many children?” “Are you done yet?” and “You must have fairly easy pregnancies and deliveries, huh?”

Pop on over and read as she addresses these questions and encourages you.

Raani, who is a new comer to our blogroll has posted about her quiverfull conviction. She address many things ranging from the culture, artificial hormones, pregnancy in the Bible, and where to draw the line as well as answering several questions. Take some time and pop over there and read her informative post. She also posted a follow-up with a link to a sermon, HERE.

Take some time out today and browse through these ladies' posts. Please come back here and let me know which one has blessed you the most or made you think and evaluate.

Labels: Quiverfull, Quiverfull Carnival

It is that time once again to share more testimonies and stories from others. I pray that you are touched and blessed by those who are sharing the work of the Lord in their lives.

TF at Made from Scratch shares her journey. She says "I told J what I had been reading, and we read scriptures in the Bible together that concerned having children and trusting God completely, we talked about it and we both knew this was the way we wanted to live. We wanted to show God how much we loved him, We wanted to trust Him in every aspect of our life. Having children shouldn't be any different. I refuse to make excuses anymore. No matter if I have 2 children or 10, I will accept them joyfully, and I won't forget for one second how blessed we are." Read more of her article, Living a Quiverfull lifestyle.

Lisa shares, "One of our family's passions is letting others know about our conviction to let GOD plan our family. Of course our beliefs must always be Scripturally aligned with our convictions, which is why we seek out GOD’s opinion on the issues first and foremost." Take a moment and read the rest of her post, Obedience Results in Blessings of Children.

One of our newest blogroll members is Raani. She addresses several questions often asked of those who hold this conviction of God's sovereignty over the womb. Stop by and see what she has to say as a means of Answering the Questions.

Quiver Mamma shares, "Early in our Christian walk we also learned that walking in obedience to the word of God brings blessings. People often say that life does not come with an instruction manual, but it does, and it is called the Bible! And when we step out in obedience and apply the word of God to our lives, great things happen. When we trust in Gods promises for us and our lives he fulfills them. And this was the backdrop for what became our quiverfull conviction." Read the rest of her story, Yes, We are Quiverfull.

Labels: children, Christianity, Quiverfull, Quiverfull Carnival

Vanessa says, "In a recent forum discussion, I met a lady who was somewhat confused about the quiverfull lifestyle. It seems that others had led her to believe the possibility that being quiverfull was a salvation or a sanctification issue. I suppose I created this post in an effort to describe what being quiverfull means to my family." Pop on over to Creative Counterpart to read about her story.

There is an amazing post over at A Woman's Journey Home. Her story includes the diagnosis of never having children, the Lord opening her womb, a husband wanting no more children, a life and death event, loosing children, and being blessed. She writes, "We have learned, that being QF is more than just accepting the Lord’s will if a baby is coming every year. It is also trusting Him when they are only with us for a little while...or if the months go by and the womb remains empty."

This page is not a blog post but is written by a lady who has had 9 c-sections thus far. I have her permission to share this. Please read it and be reminded of how God can do all things even go against what the medical community will tell you.

Take a moment to visit Tapestries of Grace. She writes, "We had been Christians for only about 6 months and, never being one to swim against the current, this concept of allowing the Lord to plan our family seemed outright bizarre. We were already considered strange for home schooling but this was just more than his mind could comprehend."

Our last link for today is a wonderful one. It was written by Jennifer's (homekeepingheart) aunt.
She writes, "What do we say when we find out that some one is expecting a baby? Well, you might say, it depends? Have you ever thought about the message we are sending as Christians when we scorn life that God has created? Scorn life, you say. I would never do that. Well, I have heard it done over and over in my life, and sometimes I wonder whether Christians really think about what they are saying. We need to be so careful about accepting the world's view of children." Take a moment and finish reading her post, Embracing Life.

Labels: Carnival, children, Quiverfull, Quiverfull Carnival

THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH IS TO BE READ WITH HUMOR!!!

There is a little rumor floating around the blogosphere that I would like to dispel. The rumor is that I am responsible, in part, for this exercise thing. Ummm, I hate exercise! So this is a warning out there to all of you, be careful what you post in a comment it may just implicate you in something you were not expecting. I left a nice and what I thought was an innocent comment over on Becca's blog and she ran with it! What is with that??? All I did was ask her if she was issuing a challenge and then she goes and does issue one! She says I was issuing a challenge to issue a challenge. Really, really I wasn't!!! **GRIN**

Okay, that paragraph was ALL in fun!!!! You know, Becca makes a great point in her post concerning this exercise challenge. The following is a small excerpt.

All you Moms of Many out there.....we need to stay in shape! God's blessings are many, but that doesn't mean we get to sit back and do nothing. We have to work FOR them and because of them. ;-) Not only do we get to deal with poopy diapers, spit-up, potty training, and sleep deprivation, but also bodies that start sagging. As we get older - believe me, I know what I'm talking about here - the toll on our bodies starts to add up. We can't allow ourselves to get to the point to where another pregnancy slows us down if it doesn't have to.

If you would like to join in, you can grab the code for the button HERE , sign the Mr. Linky, and leave a comment. We can hold each other accountable by posting each Monday, letting us know your progress.

So all you moms of many who frequent here, are you going to join us in the Moms of Many Exercise Challenge????

Labels: Laughter, Moms of Many Exercise Challenge, Quiverfull, Quiverfull Carnival

I am breaking from my typical Saturday postings today. I sat here trying to work on them but they were just not coming together. This post has been sitting in draft form for a while and was staring me down. So today must be the day to post it. Please visit the links, leave comments, and be blessed by the testimonies given. Hopefully, you will leave a comment here too.



Lisa from Me & My House writes: "How can children be so controversial, especially in Christian circles? It doesn’t seem to be so in Muslim circles, or Mormon circles, and it wasn’t in Christian circles prior to the mid-1900’s either. But it is today. So this post will no doubt be controversial."
Read more of her article, Children~ A Heritage.

Jennifer Posted an article written by Jewish Rabbi Shmuley Boteach on The Blessings of Children. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach is the recipient of the American Jewish Press Association’s Award for Excellence in Commentary, and the international best-selling author of 16 books, including his newest book, "Ten Conversations You Need to have With Your Children" (ReganBooks/HarperCollins). He is also the host of TLC's national TV show, "Shalom in the Home," which airs each Monday night at 10 p.m.

Pam from Still Learning shares this...
I can say from our own experience that we've never had to think much about the issue. It's a non-issue for us. We consider it a trust issue and have had to think about it only when I had to consider a health issue this past year. It was not a peaceful time. Since the beginning of our marriage I have felt very free and that marriage was a holy union and that children weren't undesirable beings. It's is very freeing. Click on her name to read more.

Ashley shares, "One question we have gotten several times is why do we need so many children?
We don't NEED more children. We would get on fine with the two we have. We WANT more children. God gives us children as a BLESSING, not a burden! And why would we want to turn away from a blessing that He desires to give us?"

Labels: Carnival, Quiverfull, Quiverfull Carnival

A couple of months ago, I began a blogroll for those who are actively living out the Quiverfull Lifestlye.

The Quiverfull lifestyle is a movement among conservative evangelical Protestant Christians. Roman Catholics and some others might refer to the Quiverfull position as Providentialism. Those who hold this position do so not in an attempt to simply have large families but to leave in the hands of the Lord God Almighty His sovereignty and authority over the womb. The distinguishing viewpoint is to eagerly receive children as blessings from God, abandoning all forms of contraception, including natural family planning and sterilization.

This post will seem "carnival-like." It's purpose is to highlight the testimonies of those who have joined thus far. There is some amazing, encouraging, heartbreaking, and hopeful reading contained within these links. Whether you hold this position or not, live it out or not, there is no doubt that if you read the testimonies you will see God at work and be blessed. There are a few short snippets here, be sure to click over and read the testimonies!

Like my husband and I, there are many people we know who have traveled the route of reversal. After having been "fixed" as the world calls it or "broken" as we call it, after all things were working correctly until the surgery. The Lord has changed their hearts; revealing this to them through the Word and the Spirit. This revelation leads to repentance. Repentance not only in word but also deed – having actions of confession and repentance that places this physically not just spiritually back in the hand of God. This typically is in a hope for more children but more importantly to honor and glorify the Lord and to proclaim His sovereignty.

Becca at Mission of Motherhood writes about their journey of vasectomy and reversal. Her husband also gives his testimony on the subject at Mission of Fatherhood.

Cindy at An Army for the Lord gives here testimony about dealing with Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome and the road to reversal. Cindy also shares about the pain of loosing a child. There is heartache for some who follow the Lord in this area of their life. Yet, there are many who continue to trust in the Lord even if they must endure the loss of one of these little ones.

Melissa at Getting into the Promised Land... shares about this transformation in her life after loosing a child. She says: "I think this was one of the starting points of really turning my life over to God. Although a known possibility, the loss was so unexpected. The acceptance of God's plan for our family became a needed comfort and an easy source of solace to turn to in my sorrow. "

Christi from Where the Creek Meets the Lake says through blessing and through loss that, "God is so good and merciful."

Then there is Lisa from the Beehive Buzz. This lady just lost a precious child on Christmas Day. She has been blogging through this trial. Lisa is an amazing lady! Even though there is great mourning God is there with her and she is a blessing to share how He comforts and walks her through this.

Leah from Reformed Farmer's Wife shares her story with us. She speaks of how God showed her, even as a young teenage girl, that He was in control of everything, even a woman’s womb and how the Lord taught here through watching her parents correct a mistake they had made.

Nataly at Sheepy Hollow Farms gets to the heart of being quiverfull. She shares, "But I think being quiverfull goes deeper than having an excuse to have many children. For us, it isn't an issue of how many children will we have. Rather, it's a question of whether we are truly trusting that God can and will provide for us or are we trying to put God in a box and take control of our own lives? To us it's really surrendering to God's control over every aspect of our lives."

Jacque from Seeking Rest in the Ancient Paths answers the following questions. Is There Such a Thing As Too Many Arrows in Your Quiver, Blessings, Children?? - How About To God??

The Wilkinson's over at Simple Living Alaska discusses what she calls QF Deficient Christians and here talks about how full a quiver really is. They also share about their journey to becoming Quiverfull.

Jolene at Life's Journey says, "It is not simply the desire to have a large family. It is purposing to give God control over *every* area of our lives, specifically over our fertility."

MomofMany at KidsrGifts writes about her and her husband's view of children and how God is in total control.

Sandy over at The Daily Poop puts it plainly. She say, "God has given us exactly what He wants us to have. This is not how we would have planned it for sure, especially 5 years ago when we started our family. But what do we know? Nothing..that's what. God's plans are awesome and His ways are perfect. So who are we to say that He can have only so much of us and not our family size?"

Alicia from Ambient Solace was one of the first members on the roll. She shares how God has been causing growth in her life. I quote a portion here, "There have been several questions my husband and I have been confronted with regarding our lives in general and several areas specifically. Those questions have been: "What does the Bible really say about this?" (involving much study and prayer), "Do we truly believe the Bible to be 'breathed out by God' [2 Timothy 3:16]?", "Do we believe God?", "What are the implications of believing God about this?" and finally, "Do we live like we believe God?" Or, maybe the final question is actually, "Are we willing to live like we believe God?"

Robin from Heart at Home thinks over the blessing and challenges of being quiverfull. While having dinner with her six youngest children she says, "Midway though the meal I realized and announced, “If I practiced birth control, I would be the only one at this table right now!”

Amy from Raising Arrows actually has her journey written out in four parts. God has brought her family through great trials as of late consisting of some serious medical issues their youngest child. She is dedicated to giving God the glory in all things. Read her testimony here: Part 1, Part2, Part 3, and Part4.

Sherry over at Large Family Mothering is the mother of 14 children. She shares about having been in the man's world, the US Army, having a grandmother in her misguided kindness, offer to use her great-grandmother's wedding rings to pay for me to be "sterilized", and ultimately finding true freedom in motherhood!

Tracy at Lines from the Vine discusses how being quiverfull is never the life that she would have chosen for herself, but how glad she is that God had a different plan. She also points out that having a large family is easy, it is a lot of work. It's not enough to have the children God will give you- you must train and teach them as well.

Jennifer at HomeKeepingHearts shares her Quiverfull Story and how the Lord provided a husband with the same beliefs. She also writes about the peace that God brings when we allow Him to truly be Lord of all in this article, "Lord of All or Not at All."

Labels: Carnival, Quiverfull, Quiverfull Carnival

I am the oldest of eight children. My parents divorced when I was about a year old. My mother had a total of seven children and my father remarried and had another child. My friends from high school would probably tell you that I was never having children after taking care of all of my siblings for so long. My husband comes from a family of four children. His father, however, is the youngest child of nine siblings. My husband and I knew we wanted a large family but that meant five or maybe six. We were scoffed at for even wanting that many. We were young when we married, 21 and 18, and the "acceptable" large family size at the time was 3-4 children. The "acceptable" family size is considered much smaller today.


We married young and our family was started right away, we had "stair-step" children. Within our first five years of marriage we had four children. When our youngest was about 15 months old, my husband sat trying to figure out how to tell me he thought we had enough. As he sat contemplating this, I gave him what I thought was wonderful news. I was expecting our fifth child. His immediate response was, "That's it, we're done." Needless to say, this did not sit well with me. A month before the baby was born my husband had a vasectomy. I tried to convince myself this was a great idea and even signed the papers for the surgery. I seemed pleased on the outside but I was devastated on the inside. I think my husband felt relief.

As time went on I became more and more upset, especially as I watched my baby grow older. The yearning for another child grew. Guilt and regret seeped in. I began to pray, God please forgive us and change my husband's heart concerning this."

God began to bring people into our lives that He would use to show us His truth. There were some with many children who did not use birth control and there were others who had undergone reversals and had been blessed with children following the procedure. They shared with us how God had worked and continued to bless them in regards to childbearing. I began researching the subject and came across a few books at a used book site. They were inexpensive and I bought them. One of these books spoke my heart, so much so that I called and talked with the author. What an encouragement she had been to me. In fact, we discovered that years earlier I had actually lived in the same neighborhood where she lived. If only we had known them back then.

I began to share with my husband the things I was learning. These things were not merely the opinions of others. That would not be enough. What did God have to say about the matter? Their basis in writing, I found, came from the scriptures and I studied the scriptures on these things as well. God was moving and at work.

My husband began to say things like, "I counted all of the children, who's missing?" or "WOW, it would be cool to have so many blessings!" and even "You know, if we had the money I would consider getting a reversal."

Well, that last statement got me off to a busy start! It didn't take me long to find reversal doctors listed on the internet. To my surprise there were a lot of people with the same convictions. We were not alone and some doctors even believed this way. We found a doctor who provided the surgery as a ministry. We were amazed! God had provided a doctor and an extremely low cost surgery; all we had to do was pray for the finances. God again provided.

The surgery went well and we were so excited. We had never had a problem conceiving before and I figured within a month I would be pregnant. As each month passed, however, I would became more and more devastated. My husband finally asked me if another child was going to be the only thing that would make me happy. He reminded me of our obedience to repent not only in word but also deed – having actions of confession and repentance that places this physically not just spiritually back in the hand of God. He asked me if I would be content and trust the Lord whether or not He chose to bless us with another child. After all, it was not about having more children (though that was our desire) it was about submission and obedience.

After much prayer and wrestling, God brought me to that place of peace where contentment flowed. My desire was still to have another child but I was resting in the Sovereign Lord. I had come to terms with the fact that we most likely would not have another child. I began to take comfort in the fact that we had surrendered things back into the hands of God, which ultimately was the whole point. Peace and contentment filled my heart when I surrendered this to the Lord.

The very next day after my surrender, I was taking my morning shower and the smell of the soap made me nauseous. Thinking this was only my mind playing tricks on me or maybe even part of grieving; I took what I deemed would be my last pregnancy test. Even though I believed it to be a big waste of time I went to the pregnancy center. I volunteered at the center and the ladies there had traveled this journey with me. When my friend returned from reading the results she had tears in her eyes and whispered, "It's positive."

The Lord blesses those who seek and obey Him. He used this waiting period to bring me to a place of closer communion with Him. To a place were I was content with God and not just His blessings in my life. Once content, He blessed me abundantly with the desires of my heart. The Lord desires that we not only seek and obey but for us to also be content in that obedience.

My husband and I were sure that this would be the final child to be brought forth from my womb and we rejoiced in her! God, however, does so much more that we can ever ask or imagine and we have since been blessed with two more children. That makes a total of three reversal babies so far. Nothing is too great for my God. What He will accomplish in a surrendered, obedient, and contented life is extravagant!

We have experienced trials along the way and I know we will continue to, but isn't that a part of the surrendered life? The blessings far exceed the irritation and even persecution of the critics!

Labels: Christianity, Family, Quiverfull, Quiverfull Carnival

The Quiverfull lifestyle is a movement among conservative evangelical Protestant Christians. Roman Catholics and some others might refer to the Quiverfull position as Providentialism. Those who hold this position do so not in an attempt to simply have large families but to leave in the hands of the Lord God Almighty His sovereignty and authority over the womb. The distinguishing viewpoint is to eagerly receive children as blessings from God, abandoning all forms of contraception, including natural family planning and sterilization. This blogroll is for those who are actively following the Lord in this lifestyle. If there has been a sterilization, those on this roll hold to the fact that there is something very significant about repenting not only in word but also deed – having actions of confession and repentance that places this physically not just spiritually back in the hand of God. Therefore to be included you must have followed through with a reversal. To be included on this role please follow the rules listed below.

• Write a post discussing this Biblical teaching.
• Leave a comment requesting to be added and a link to your blog/site and let me know so I can link to it.
• Place the roll on your blog. I will email the code to you once you are confirmed, so make sure I can find your email.
  
• Invite others you know who qualify to join. (optional)

DISCLAIMER: To join the roll you must be actively living this out in your life and walk with the Lord. The highlighted sentence above is a good place to evaluate if you hold to the same conviction this blogroll is to represent. This is my blogroll and therefore I & my husband are the sole decision makers concerning who is qualified to be a part of this role. This posting is not for discussion on what is or what is not considered QF; Therefore all contrary &/or dissenting remarks will be removed.

Labels: Blogrolls, Quiverfull, Quiverfull Carnival