So today Chris & I had our first class Natural Family Planning (NFP) class. We have chosen the Couple to Couple League, because I like that their method involves charting both cervical mucus and temperature as a cross-check that ovulation has occured, and also how they focus on the active participation of the husband.
Our teachers were AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, AMAZING!
It was so so wonderful to hear of their own personal marriage experiences with NFP and how MUCH it enriched their marriage and what a big difference it made to their relationship (they used to use the pill before another married couple explained NFP to them).
I have read of so many similar experiences of married couples who started using NFP after having used artificial contraception (ew! ick!) and what a drastic change it made to their marital life, but it was so touching to hear it first hand, and see how genuinely and honestly they meant it!
Today was our first class of 4, and I can't wait to go back!
GO NFP!!! woooohoooo!!
God's ways are always THE BEST!
6 comments:
I have read and heard good feedback from couples. I think that these seminars are really important too, I have the exact same book as you do, and see the importance of going to the seminars and being able to ask questions and learn more.
I'm glad it's been such a good experience for you and Chris. God bless you!
I'm excited for you! Getting married & learning about NFP! Talking about NFP & why it's the Right Thing™ & why we should respect every potential life conceived in every intercourse, a friend of mine called up today (after many many months) and started sharing how wonderful he found Theology of the Body... Around my circle, it's been difficult to tell people my age (both singles & those about to be married) about NFP, but my friend and I are (hopefully) starting to spread the good news!
I've found the message boards at www.ovusoft.com to be super duper helpful with charting questions, FYI. The girls there have chosen charting for lots of different reasons and they are such a good source of info and support, whether you're avoiding or TTC.
I had a friend talk to me about Theology Of The Body and what he explained to me was really interesting and I want to learn more about it. They offered to send me tapes on it.
I'm a bit confused about this though -- isn't "postponing" pregnancy something that would be otherwise cancelling out God's plans? I always wondered about contraceptives and things...
I'm looking at the website. :)
Hey girls! thanks for your comments!
Carmel - Yeh, I decided in the end to go to the classes even though I have had the book for a couple of months and initially thought I could just teach myself. As it worked out, I just never really got round to it, and Chris kept saying he would read it, but likewise never really did. So I thought classes would be the easiest thing!
Antonia - Theology of the Body is amazing stuff! It just all...makese perfect sense and sex and love and brought to such a high, rich and magnificent level, and not just the dirty cheap and lowly and society tries to portray it.
Maggie - thanks for the website! I will def have a look at it! It's always useful to have a good support resource. Plus knowing some of the reasons why non-Catholics use NFP may help me to present it in a more appealing light to those with no religion.
Jessy - You should def ask for the Theology of the Body tapes! I had no idea what it all was till I went to a talk about it by Christopher West....and it seriously changed my life!
About your question: " isn't "postponing" pregnancy something that would be otherwise cancelling out God's plans"
in short...no. Husbands and wives are not called to have children all the time and every time they have sex. They need to be wise and prudent, and take into consideration what material, emotional, psychological etc resources they have avaliable, (but this must always be permeated with a spirit of generosity, and not selfishness! For example, one couldn't say "I can't have another child now because I only have 2 cars and we want to afford nice holidays. Reasons for not accepting children must be justifiable and not selfish).
The fact that husbands and wives do not have to have children every time they have sex is also shown by the way God made women's bodies...
Woman aren't fertile every day of their cycle, they are only fertile for a small time and then they are completely infertile. So only if a couple has sex during a specific few days in their cycle will they get pregnant, the rest of the time it is biologically impossible for them to get pregnant.
Because this is a natural body proces, it is God-instated.
So God Himself has allowed there to be times when sex does not result in pregnancy.
However, the difference between NFP and contraception is that with NFP you actually cooperate with God when you choose not to have children, whereas with contraception you don't. With contraception you actually insult Him and act against Him.
With NFP you don't have sex during the fertile times if you feel that you are unable to recieve children. You are cooperating with nature (and thus with God). With contraception you DO have sex during your fertile times, but you put something in the way in order to physically block out God's gift.
There is a cosmic difference between cooperating with God, and shutting Him out!
Hope this kinda sheds a bit of light! pleeeeeeease ask more if there is anything else you want to know! This is one of my favourite topics!!
Antonia, thanks so much for explaining. It clears up a lot. I may have a few other questions for you so I'm probably just going to send you an email. It might be a bit too deep for blog comments :)
God Bless
xxxx
Jess
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