Thanks to everyone for participating in the contest for Craig Houghton’s Family UNplanning. (Don’t forget to read the review.)  It was marvelous to see how God is working amongst His people, seeking to teach them His heart for the family, His heart for children.

Though I would have loved to share this message through Craig’s book, we only have 5 winners today.  I encourage you all to seek out this title at your library, or to purchase a copy for yourselves.  Most libraries have a process that you can use to request books for purchase, please consider recommending this title to them.

Our winners today are:

Amy Wingfield (remember, I just shared about her affordable pregnancy tests?) saying:

We have heard of a contest where you are giving away 5 copies of your book Family Unplanning. I would like my very own copy.

What I have learned is that when you give everything over to God, his blessings pour out over abundantly. We are not worthy of any of it, but are very grateful for the grace.
This past week, a topic on one of my groups was what are you doing to save money?

Here was my answer, this is my entry for your contest.

Please know that what I’m saying here, please, please, know that I am not saying I’m any better than anyone else, because I’m not, but those of you who have been with me on my journey these last 5 years know it’s been a long journey where I’ve learned so much.

5 years ago, my marriage was very stressed. I was pregnant with Amelia, my third daughter. My mother, a widow, declared she was broke and needed to move in with us temporarily.

September 2003 The day she pulled the U-haul in here, she declared she’d never move again and just stay here with us. ( My mother suffers from depression and will not seek any help or treatment, my childhood was very painful when it came to Mom. She slept through every major holiday and sometimes for days. I’m an only child. My dad and I were close, but he died of a heart attack in 1999.) I do not want my children living with what I lived with. My mother is very difficult to live with.  2 weeks after my mother moved in, my sister in law called to say CPS was at her door and I needed to come get her 4 mo old infant and keep her until they could straighten the mess out.

October 2003  By Thanksgiving, I was having early labor. I asked my mother-in-law to take my niece.  My delivery of Amelia in Feb was hard, my mother was there and wouldn’t let anyone else in, I finally sent her OUT and delivered the baby on my own with my doctor.  7 weeks later, I developed a staff infection from an ingrown hair on my leg that I had tried to remove with a unsterilized needle (dumb!) I nearly died and nearly lost a leg. After all that, we went into severe debt to enclose the garage for my mom to live in, she was suppose to help us pay for it, but didn’t. We had a big fight 6 months later and she moved out. DH and I had been through so much and he was not quiverfull, I was, but he kept wanting a vas, and after all of this, I finally gave in on our 14th anniversary. He had it done, but I was miserable, something was horribly wrong. We were missing something. We consider adoption, but it wasn’t right for us.

After another year of conflict and strife, he agreed to a reversal on Dec 11, 2005, (another long but beautiful story), we finally surrendered everything in our lives to God in Feb 2006. I conceived and gave birth to Michael 11-30-2006. DH got several raises, we began paying off debt. In July 2007, I joined a coupon group PCCE challenge on yahoo, and we used Angel Food Ministries, couponing, Wal-Mart comp ads and www.hillbillyhousewife.com to help save on food/living costs. We also sold my car and went to being a one car family.

In May of this year, we found a place we wanted to build our dream home. We found it the beginning of May. We put our house on the market the end of May. We sold it 6 days later. We thought finding a 3 bedroom apartment to live in would be hard, but God opened that door immediately and we have exactly what we need while our new house is being built. We are now completely debt free except for housing construction and we are quiverfull, I still coupon and comp, but I also know that My God shall supply all my needs and I am content and know he is taking care of us. What a joy it is in my life to have finally laid all things at my Savior’s feet and let Him love us and give to us according to His Grace and Mercy. Life is so much simpler and peaceful now. My marriage is better than its ever been. My children are happy. We have a good home life, a good church and church family, I’m on top of the world right now and I give God all the glory.

We are very careful with all our purchases living within our means that God provides. The coupon group really helps, as well as my menu planning and comping grocery ads, I’m at a point now where I’m enjoying sharing and communicating with others. I’m looking forward to the new Duggar series coming on October

I can remember wishing I was like them, happy, having what they needed, etc.  You know what, God answered that prayer in a special way that was just right for me.  Share and talk whenever you can.

Ronnica saying:

I’m not (yet) married, but this subject interests me becaues it’s such a hot-button issue. Though I’m not a quiverful, I do believe that the idea of planning a family as it is done by many, even in the church, is over-the-top and even sinful on occasion.

Heather saying:

I am always interested in perspective in this area. I will be honest and say that after four miscarriages, I am finding it more difficult to remain steadfast in my conviction to be open to the Lord’s plan in this area. I am just being transparent here; I KNOW God’s plan is good, but I am struggling to understand it today. Maybe not the best day for me to comment ….

Marcia Wilwerding saying:

What a great site. I came for the contest, but subscribed for the content. Keep up the good work!

Marcia

Jackie saying:

I think this book would be great to read–I am always looking for encouragement in this area. Thanks for a chance to win a copy!
Jackie

Thank you for sharing Ladies!  I pray that the Lord will use this work to speak into your lives, to encourage you to press on and to edify others through His word.  Please contact me with your mailing addresses within 72 hours to claim your prize.  I have emailed each of you, my email is jennifer at quiverfullfamily dot com.