Marriage Advice & Tips for a Happy Life

Natural Family Planning: Our Journey from Cultural to Natural

If you have been a reader of Engaged Marriage for a while, you know that Natural Family Planning is a topic that has been discussed several times.  The reason is simple: it has been a very important part of my own marriage and I want everyone to know about it.

I want to clarify that my goal is to raise awareness of Natural Family Planning.  While I’d love for everyone to try it, I know that’s not realistic and it is never my aim.  I simply want there to be a general understanding of NFP as a viable option to artificial birth control.

If you missed it, I’ve previously written posts discussing what Natural Family Planning is and how it benefits marriage.

I was also proud to host an incredible post by Katheen Quiring of Project M called “An Educated, Artsy-Fartsy Protestant’s Thoughts on Natural Family Planning” and I guest posted on her site to answer some frequently asked questions about NFP.

However, I have never discussed our story as it relates to Natural Family Planning.  



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An Educated, Artsy-Fartsy Protestant’s Thoughts on Natural Family Planning

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Kathleen at Project M.  I strongly encourage, even challenge, you to read this post.  I was seriously moved by Kathleen’s honesty and candidness.  But most of all I was inspired by her willingness to keep an open mind about a subject that flies in the face of what our culture teaches us all about sexuality.  We’re different in a lot of ways, but Kathleen has certainly earned my deepest respect.  Plus, she’s funny.

I am an educated, fancy-pants, trendy individual. I have two completely useless liberal-arts degrees to prove it. So of course, like other liberal-arts-educated and trendy individuals, I am drawn to the word “natural.” It makes us organic-eating tree-huggers think of healthy bodies, uncorrupted oceans and virginal rainforests.

But like other fancy-pants, artistic types, I’m less enthusiastic about the word “planning.” It makes us think of boring charts, legal documents and architectural blueprints. Who wants to plan? I prefer the idea of being able to spontaneously decide, “I would like to eat a bagel today,” or “I want to have a baby.” So I’ve always had mixed feelings about “natural family planning.” The first part makes me go “Yay!” and the last part makes me go “Boooooo.”  



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Got Questions About Natural Family Planning? My Guest Post at Project M

I am excited to announce that Kathleen at Project M has graciously published a guest post of mine today.  Project M is a really cool site written from the perspective of a cool gal who shares her experiences in the early years of marriage.  Kathleen is candid, funny and offers a refreshing perspective on this crazy thing we call marriage.

Kathleen approached me with some questions about Natural Family Planning, and we decided it would be cool to create a frequently asked questions of sorts on the topic.  So, Kathleen sent me some questions written in her own open style, and I provided candid (and sometimes personal) responses.  I think the end result is a fantastic resource that everyone (both NFP-inclined and not so much) should take a look at to learn more.

The article is entitled “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Natural Family Planning” and I would really appreciate it if could take a minute to visit Kathleen’s site and read the post.  It would mean a great deal to me if you could show your support in this way, and we would both love to hear from you in the comments section!  



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I am Thankful for Sexuality

It seems that blog posts describing all the things we are thankful for are all the rage right now.  ‘Tis the season to reflect on how blessed we really are and to share our appreciation with others.  So, I took some time today to think about it for myself.

I am thankful for sexuality.  Yes, sexuality.  Now, please don’t confuse this with sex.  I’m certainly thankful for that too (!), but that’s not where I’m going here.

So What Exactly Do You Mean, Then?

I am thankful for the gift of unique sexuality that we are all blessed to possess.  I’m talking masculinity and femininity here.  Male and female.  Man and woman.

After all, it’s the inherent attraction between masculinity and femininity that has brought us together in marriage.  It is the basis for sexual attraction, and it is what makes us fit together and complement our spouses both physically and emotionally.  Sexuality is the reason we are able to leave our individual families and become “one” as a married couple.  



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How Does Natural Family Planning Benefit Marriage?

As you know if you have read my previous post describing what Natural Family Planning is and watched the NFP Informational Video, my wife and I are big proponents of Natural Family Planning.  I often cite NFP as one of the best things that has happened to our marriage, so I thought it would be helpful to provide a summary of the marriage benefits of Natural Family Planning to give you more insight into why we feel this way.

First of all, I need to let you know that some of the best benefits that NFP has provided for our relationship have really been intangible.  My wife and I have a great deal of peace about our sex life both from an intimacy standpoint and on the moral/religious/spiritual front.  And trust me, that’s saying a lot for a young Catholic couple trying to do the right thing.  



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