Christ, Coffee, and Cornfields

  NFP. Natural Family Planning. Mucus. Sympto Thermal. Creighton. Basal temp. Charting. Sex. Abstain. Babies. Lots of words get thrown around along with the topic of NFP, or Natural Family Planning. What is it, and why would it be important to Jordan and me when we aren't even married yet?   There are so many reasons that Jordan and I practice and believe in NFP. I could talk and talk about it, but I'll just touch on a few main reasons we do it. First, though, let me give a general overview of what NFP actually is because it is widely misunderstood.   Natural Family Planning is a method of guiding married couples' physical intimacy that focuses on the signs a woman's body gives throughout her cycle so that together they can choose to participate in the marital act during appropriate times for their intentions of having a child. It also is used to forge a stronger bond between the husband and wife by encouraging communication and other ways of intimacy (spiritual, em...

  I was on my way to the library today when I passed a lemonade stand run by a boy about 10 years old. Growing up, my siblings and I used to have lemonade stands or sell sweet corn during the summer and it always made our day to have people stop and buy from us. With that in mind, I went to that stand after my library stop and got a cup.   This young man running the stand was very sweet and I could tell he was so excited to have a customer. He stood up to pour me a glass and we made small talk for a little while. It really tugged at my heartstrings to see him sitting on the side of the road, and it brought me back to when I was in his shoes. I decided that I would be customer to him just as so many were to me. I hoped that I could bring some joy to him. As it turns out, he ended up giving me a whole lot more than just a delicious glass of lemonade.   He gave me hope for the world, and he brought joy to my heart.   Cliche, I know. But lately, especially today, I...