Teach it to your children…
Family and marriage are institutions designed by God–they are not man-made. Perhaps then, we shouldn’t be surprised that the family is becoming an enemy. Who would have ever believed there would come a time when society would be hostile to what has always been considered the basic unit of its existence? It is why I think feminism has had the most damaging impact on our culture…because at the core, it seeks to separate family…with destruction as a result.
We have slid down a slippery slope and arrived at the belief that the basic unit of society is the INDIVIDUAL. (Think about it for a minute…look at all the ways families are divided and the expectations that is should be so…even within the church.) And when that is believed, the individual is very quickly lost in the state.
“Dr. Carle C. Zimmerman, Harvard University spent his life studying the history of the family. He has pointed out the family’s significance: that whenever the atomistic (separate, unrelated members) family develops, in which the authority of the father is no longer paramount, then there is a very quick disintegration of society, the total state takes over, and there is a radical collapse of civilization…..
With the development of the atomistic family–which is really no family at all–the home is simply a place to room and board while the state takes over the role as father–to take care of the family in its every need, providing for the children and the parents; the family no longer cares for itself; civilization collapses. ” -R.J. Rushdoony
(By the way, this paradigm does not exclude the rare single men and women not called to marriage; all still belong to a family and have a major importance in that role.)
Listen to Zimmerman’s conclusions:
He believed…
“..that a fundamental purpose of civilization is the empowerment and enabling of the family — and is absolutely key to the health of any civilization. … Nobody undertakes to have a large family because it’s fun, or, in advanced societies, because it’s economically beneficial. They do it because they believe that’s what people do. In other words, they believe that children are a blessing from God, and that we humans are participating in the divine will by begetting children and raising them up to carry on our civilization….
Mankind has consumed not only the crop, but the seed for the next planting as well. Whatever may be our Pollyanna inclination, this fact cannot be avoided. Under any assumptions, the implications will be far-reaching for the future not only of the family but of our civilization as well. The question is no longer a moral one; it is social.”
Building the family is the only option for surviving–slice it any way you like, our ideals and personal opinions won’t erase factual reality.
Tags: birth control, christian living, family/parenting, frugal living, homeschooling, large families, motherhood, political
birth control, christian living, family/parenting, frugal living/saving money, homeschooling, large families, motherhood, political | Word Warrior | 
April 23, 2010 2:34 pm | 
Comments (16)
A friend of mine brought up a very thought-provoking observation (thank you Mr. Schultz!):
Ask most people how they measure the success of their church and “growth” is almost always the first answer. We generally acknowledge that a church “bursting at the seams” is doing well, while a church whose members are dwindling is looked upon as a sad, unfortunate plight.
And while there is a whole different discussion about the inaccuracy of our measurement of Kingdom growth (Jesus’ entire earthly ministry solicited less than 100 followers) as it relates to numbers, I find it entirely ironic and downright ignorant on our part that church growth is celebrated while family growth (where Christians should assume that added members will be discipled and brought up in the faith) is frowned upon and even discouraged.
Do we not ever think about our logic? Why can’t we at least be consistent?
What would you say (would you be bold enough to say anything) if when you arrived at church Sunday with a visitor, standing at the door is your pastor.
“I’m so sorry, she can’t come in.”
“Excuse me?” You ask.
“We have too many members and quite frankly our budget won’t allow for another one. Not only that but we’re just too busy to tell another person about the gospel. What with all the new buildings and activities–we can barely keep up with the ones we have…are you crazy? Do you honestly think adding another member is a wise decision?”
Go ye therefore, and ponder.
To raise breast-cancer awareness and encourage women to get early mammograms, yesterday Facebook users posted a number of “cutesie” reminders, including the color of their bra.
So I scratch my head and wonder, again, why we don’t propagate something a little more useful and, um, sensible, something that may actually have a real effect on lessening cases of breast cancer.
And I know I have a blaring flaw when it comes to “lightening up”, but I see everything in connectedness; five seconds after hearing about the “bra-color craze” I had traced back to the woes of how the Industrial Revolution is tied to the increase of breast cancer…I can’t help it.
But seriously, one of the main preventions of breast cancer is having babies, menstruating less (i.e. pregnant more) and breast feeding. It’s not rocket science why we’ve seen a dramatic increase in breast cancer over the last 60 or so years. But nobody’s saying, “if you want to reduce your risk of breast cancer, have more babies, and stay home so you can breast feed them”. (Because let’s face it, that opens the discussion to a whole lot of cause and effect that we don’t want to talk about.) Well, I just said it.
And I know women who have had several babies, breast fed them all and sadly, still got breast cancer; I’m not discrediting early detection. Notice I said it would “reduce” the rate, and I believe scientific evidence proves that. So, how cool would it be if we started some Facebook group craze about these facts? Any ideas? I’m game!
And for many more fabulous benefits of breast feeding, follow the link below:
“We know that breastfeeding drastically reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. For this reason alone, it is worth committing to breastfeed.” Nature’s Brilliant Plan: Fact About Breastfeeding
Update: You can now join “Breast Cancer: Awareness That Makes A Difference”
So we got a wood-burning stove. Our power bill has always been through the roof so a while back I suggested we get a stove, though my first suggestion had more to do with the economy collapsing and leaving us with no power…but mostly I’m optimistic.
I’ve had an epiphany through our short life with our wood heater: the world is crazier now because everyone was too busy keeping the fire going to get into trouble before. (That and milking the cow–a project I’m so grateful my daughter happens to love as I am not even tempted–though I love the milk–to head out in the cold at dusk to milk–“my sympathies, dear Buttercup“.)
And while my epiphany is a little in jest, mostly it’s not. Before technology made our lives so much easier, think of all that merely surviving entailed…
This one little fire has taken center stage in our home and all the children feel equally responsible for keeping it hot enough to heat the house. It’s a full-time job! And boy does it eat wood! (Of course we’re experiencing our lowest temps of the year.) My husband is going to have to come up with some extra time in his day to cut it. (Or I suppose he could calculate the money we should save on the electric bill and subtract that many hours from his work week 
)
So I cooked a pot of soup on it last night. (The kids got excited when I told them they’d have to get the fire hotter to cook the pasta.) I’m very excited about this because now I can save more money not using the stove to cook beans for hours. My neighbor brilliantly suggested that we cook beans and rice on it frequently, saving them in the freezer just to utilize the heat. Good thinking, Jane!
But I do seriously ponder the irony of our “improved” lives due to technology. Don’t get me wrong, I love technology. I love hot showers when I want them, indoor toilets and all the ease of a dishwasher. But I wonder if, on a large scale, the comforts outweigh all the repercussions of a life with so much more time on its hands; that time snowballing into a monstrous lot of negative consequences.
If we were busier–as a society–just trying to survive, I just think it would be better. We have it all backwards so often. *Shrug*
Food for thought.
“You were such a wanted child.”
Gathered around by a few, soft lights with some of our closest friends, we wished little Cooper a happy 8th birthday by speaking a short blessing over his upcoming year. It was a sweet time, and I left with his mother’s words echoing in my heart….
“You were such a wanted child.”
Cooper is the third born, and the first child Robin and Scott had after their vasectomy reversal.
A wanted child.
The words keep ringing. Have I spoken this to all my children? Do they know they are wanted? Do I live with them like they are wanted? Do those who spend any time with our family see that my children are wanted?
In an age where birth control makes it so simple, no, mandatory that we “control” the children born to us, is it any wonder why it’s so easy to arrive unwanted? In a controlled environment, any variable that changes unexpectedly is deemed “unwanted”. It’s a mistake, a plan gone awry.
We don’t even know we do this to our own children. How many times I’ve heard a child described as “an accident”. An immortal soul–a living miracle of God–an accident?
We should shudder at our evolved thinking toward life. We should read the Bible again as little children…
“It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.” Psalm 100:3
And now, I look at my children…“you are such wanted children”. Let me say it with my life.
A few snuggles before we go….
They say that I am crazy for letting you be born,
But one look at your angel face makes crazy all the scorn.
They say we can’t afford you–that you’ll need a lot of stuff,
But your pudgy cheeks remind us that our God is big enough.
They say it’s strange–eight kids so far–and ask what’s wrong with us,
How could we know that proof of married love would cause this fuss?
God’s Word tells me He made us, so when they look at you,
I’ll tell them not to ask me why, because He made you too!
Kelly Crawford
