My introduction

I've been invited to share here, which is both cool and intimidating. But what the hey? I've got nothing to lose, and I'm a blogging addict so here goes.

These are issues very close to my heart, and while I do not have the theological background that David has, and I don't have the medical background that many others have, I do that have the perspective of a 23 year old mother who practices NFP.

The problem of contraception and abortifacients has been getting more airtime. It keeps popping up on the Lutheran Blogosphere, here and there, about once a month. That encourages me, and I hope that maybe this blog can become grand central station for Lutherans to dialogue.

For now I'll just give a little history of who I am, and why I take the position that I do regarding these Life-issues.

Rob and I are Olivia's parents. She came a lot earlier than most first children do. We weren't even married for one year. We've been practicing the Creighton Method of NFP, and we were open to babies from the beginning.

Let's back up...

I was on the pill off and on before I met Rob for various medical reasons, but I hated it. I hated being tied down to medication and I hated taking the pill at the same time every day. So I quit.

This was a blessing in disguise because I was later diagnosed with Polycystic Ovaries Syndrome. This disease is often treated with the pill, interestingly enough, but people are finding that while the pill helps a woman cycle regularly, it does not heal PCOS and may even cause permanent damage and serious infertility.

I discovered all of this after becoming engaged to Rob. His mom encouraged me to see her doctor about my irregular cycles and that is when all of my suspicions about the pill (and other contraceptives) were validated.

Rob had always assumed he would practice NFP since he is the oldest of 7 children from NFP practicing parents. With his encouragement, and the support of his mom and our doctor I hopped on board the Natural Family Train, unsure of where it would take us.

It was a struggle for Rob and I to learn the method. It was a struggle to know that it was up to our willpower to prolong our childless years. It was struggle to know that all of our friends would be pursuing lucrative futures, and that I would most likely be a mom before I was a college graduate. I was only 21 and I was already preparing myself, in actuality, for motherhood.

And all the things that we struggled over and feared came true. But it wasn't at all like we thought it would be. We love our life, and we love our marriage. We know that God has given us the vocation of the parents of Olivia and we feel honored and blessed to do our best to fulfill it. And even though I am sometimes lonely, and I'm defintely the youngest mom I know that wasn't devastated to have a baby, I am happy.

Because of all that I have learned in the past two or three years about the pill, and the value of life, the topic has become one of my greatest passions. I crave the opportunity to share what I know, and I love to see the change that it makes in families. This is why I joined this blog. I could tell you all in one post on my blog Love and Blunder, it would make you think for a moment, and then you'd be on your way. I want the impression to last longer than that. Here the issue is ever pressing, and there will always be new information, a new perspective, and hopefully a new author to share the truth about contraceptives and their negative effect on the Church, the world, families, women and children.

I am excited to see the discussion unfold. I am excited to share my experiences. And I'm excited to get to know other NFP practicing and NFP-curious Lutherans and other confessional Christians. I am excited to be a voice for the unborn babies dieing for their parents' convenience, and for infertile mothers being medicated but not healed. Right now, Rob and I are alone in the world, and hopefully through fruitful dialogue, we'll become the norm and not the exception.

Thanks Pastor Dave for the invitation and the opportunity to spur one another on toward love and good deeds, always in the shadow of the cross.