One thing I love doing when blogging around is reading NFP conversion stories! I wrote one a while back and see them from time to time. There are so many people out there like myself who came to know and understand the teachings of the church late - in our lives and/or our marriages - and had to make big changes in our thinking, our practices, our families, our marriages! Sometimes it is easy, sometimes there is a degree of difficulty. Everyone's story is so different. I think that is what I love most about reading them. That and knowing that there are others out there like me. Let's face it, we do not follow the world - or even a majority of the people of our own faith - in our thinking on this topic at all. That is hard. It can feel lonely. Realizing that others believe the way I do makes me feel so supported.
So the idea occurred to me to gather everyone's stories in one place so we can all enjoy them any time! My goal is three-fold. First, I want to help all of those who do practice NFP. To give NPF'ers that feeling that they are not the only ones out there doing this thing that the world thinks we're insane for doing! Second, I'm hoping that it will reach those who do not do NFP and inspire them to look more closely into the Church's teaching and fall in love with it. And third, to have some fun getting to know new folks! I love visiting new blogs and learning about interesting people.
So...start writing! How did you come to know about the Church's teachings NFP/contraception/sex/etc? What was it like when you came to the realization that you had been so wrong in the past? How did you feel realizing that you were being called to completely step out on faith? What did your spouse say when you proposed the idea of NFP or was it alway a given that you'd practice it? What method do you use? Does everyone you know think you're crazy or do you have lots of support? What has it done for your marriage, your sex life (okay, not too graphic here - it's a family blog!) What did you think when you first read Humanae Vitae and Theology of the Body?
UPDATE: A blogging friend of mine mentioned that she and her husband had always practiced NFP and haven't had a conversion but that their perspectives and attitudes about it had changed quite a bit throughout their marriage. She was going to write something along those lines! Awesome!!
I'll have Mr. Linky up and running Monday, April 14th for everyone to start posting their stories! I can't wait to see what everyone has to say on the subject! If you don't have a blog but want to submit your story, please send it to me and I'll post it for you!
3 comments:
Rockin great idea. I'll try to get that done! :)
I have a good story, too, (34 yrs of it!) but I can't figure how to post.
In 1969, my husband-to-be, a Baptist, agreed to use the rhythm method. (It was never an option. If he wanted to marry me, a Catholic, that is what we would do.
So we enjoyed life, and did not get pregnant! Then he went out of town on a business trip and I went to find him. Our first was conceived while watching a Bowl game on TV, somewhere in South LA, in a motel room.
We know the conception story of each of our 7 children. Only one (#4) was an "accident." I had attended a Billings Method class at church, and obviously didn't have it all down pat. Then we had to try hard, using the Billings Method TO get pregnant with #5. (We didn't want our only son to be the baby.)
After #7 (conceived in jubilation when my husband came home from South Africa a few days early) my husband came WITH me to a new set of classes in NFP by the CLC! He wanted to get it for sure right this time as he figured 7 was enough! And he did, and it was. That #7 is now 26 yrs old.
Lucky me, I now have 14 grandchildren.
prolifenance.
Thanks Prolifenance! I posted it for you!
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