How do you AFFORD to be quiverfull?

[Leanna]

Beyond the normal trusting God answer.... how do you do it? Do you just have a higher than average income??

 

[ChristianMama84]

Remember Shannon? Seriously, I think it's about budgeting and doing everything you can to make every penny count. I can't answer from experience, but I know my grandparents had six kids (the youngest being 40) on one income with a house payment. That's what they did until my grandpa died and grandma had to go to work.

 

[jgonz]

Honestly? I have no idea... I just know that what G-d calls you to do, He equips you to do. He provides. We're doing better Now, with 7 kids at home, then we did back when we only had 2 (and the income level isn't really That much higher).

Priorities have a lot to do with it...

 

[Sunset2009]

Quiverfull does not always equal a dozen or more children. Leaving the number (of children) up to God can mean that He ultimately gives you 1, 4, 8 or 15. Though I think He blesses quiverfull couples with more children because they are very much open to it, being quiverfull doesn't mean you will have a double-digit number of children.

 

[Avatar]

I have no idea. We just never seem to want for anything. There just always seems to be enough to meet our needs. And my wife and I are workers at menial jobs.

 

[Leanna]

Quiverfull does not always equal a dozen or more children. Leaving the number (of children) up to God can mean that He ultimately gives you 1, 4, 8 or 15. Though I think He blesses quiverfull couples with more children because they are very much open to it, being quiverfull doesn't mean you will have a double-digit number of children.

Unless something drastic were to happen to my health, it would for me.

 

[Tea]

As Jan said, it just works out, and priorities. We don't get fad stuff, or "brand" clothing. Holidays are camping or just being a family. We don't eat out or have take-away. I sew and cook almost everything.
Personally I think that the children are better people because they aren't showered with everything that opens and shuts, and appreciate what they do have.

Tracey

 

[Tea]

Just a by-the-way Leanna, but at 27, I had 4 children and was pregnant with my 5th.

 

[FaithfulWife]

We have 7 kids and have homeschooled most of them in one way or another so not only are we quiverful but we both work from our homes!

For us, we each have jobs that are home businesses (he's a web designer, I'm a personal shopper). In addition I have some side jobs (newsletter editor, bookkeeping consultant, marriage coach). Now, all of this "work" does not take away from family time, but it does help make ends meet. Our rule has always been that if God brings us a child, we WILL take the time to be with them, know them, and raise them! Finally we really watch what we buy. We have hand-me-downs and buy in bulk and live within our means. I wouldn't say we are poor, but we are thrifty and look for bargains and things that will LAST and not wear out!

Plus God is funny. If you need $200 along will come a little side job for $175--He'll let you work on that last $25 That's the way it has ALWAYS been for us. And like I said, we don't live beyond our means (we have no debt, buy with cash, etc.) but if we really do NEED something, it is provided.

~Faithful

 

[jgonz]

Leanna, I was reminded the other day about a story I read several years ago written by a Quiverfull woman. She and her DH got married and were using the pill, because they had been counseled to do so (by church leadership in a marriage class). They had always wanted a large family but thorught they'd wait a little while to start (that's the "smart" thing to do, right? )

Anyway, shortly after they were married they both started to get really convicted that they should Not be using any bc at all.

So, they quit and put their faith in the L-rd. She got pregnant right away... and within 5 yrs, she had 5 children. She was Exhausted, couldn't figure out why G-d was doing this to her, and was totally depressed thinking that by the time she was 40 she'd have 20 children. lol

Then, she didn't get pregnant again.... She was stumped. Couldn't figure out what was going on... A whole year passed (now her youngest was nearly 2), and still no pregnancy. She went to the doctor for her annual, and they found abnormal cells on her cervix. They did further testing and found that she had some health issues that no one had detected before. All of that culminated in her having a hysterectomy at 28 yrs old.

When she looked back at how frustrated and upset she'd been with 5 kids 5 and under, and now suddenly having even the Possibility of having another biological child taken away, she was blown away. If she & her DH had not listened to the leading of the L-rd back shortly after they had married, they may have had 1, maybe 2, children by the time she had the hysterectomy. Their dream of having a large family would have never been fulfilled.

Just goes to show that we Don't know what the future may bring. In our own minds, we see the way things Could be, if things continue on the way we Think they will. G-d is outside of time and space and knows it all... So trusting Him for His best is, yes, a big leap, but safest in the long run.

 

[GigageiTsula]

Beyond the normal trusting God answer.... how do you do it? Do you just have a higher than average income??

Money was always a contention in my marriage up until my DH and I went to a Live Event by Dave Ramsey last February. And after that, we enrolled in his Financial Peace University. My DH brings in a little over $80,000 a year but we were still in so much debt. We now live on a budget we both agreed on. We no longer have money fights. And we are well on our way to saving more, giving more, and nearly finished paying off all our debt, except for our house. I highly recommend listening to him. His ministry of money management will dramatically change your marriage and your family tree. I do not know what other talk radio stations he is on besides mine but if you want to listen to him, you can online from 1 to 4 p.m. (CST) on 570 KLIF. You can make over $100,000 a year and still be up to your eyeballs in debt or you can make only $40,000 a year and be financially secure. It all has to do with your attitude toward money. I cannot express enough what his ministry has done for my marriage and for my family. It has changed my life for good.

Red Fox

 

[Leanna]

Money was always a contention in my marriage up until my DH and I went to a Live Event by Dave Ramsey last February. And after that, we enrolled in his Financial Peace University. My DH brings in a little over $80,000 a year but we were still in so much debt. We now live on a budget we both agreed on. We no longer have money fights. And we are well on our way to saving more, giving more, and nearly finished paying off all our debt, except for our house. I highly recommend listening to him. His ministry of money management will dramatically change your marriage and your family tree. I do not know what other talk radio stations he is on besides mine but if you want to listen to him, you can online from 1 to 4 p.m. (CST) on 570 KLIF. You can make over $100,000 a year and still be up to your eyeballs in debt or you can make only $40,000 a year and be financially secure. It all has to do with your attitude toward money. I cannot express enough what his ministry has done for my marriage and for my family. It has changed my life for good.

Red Fox

I'm so with you on this one. I love Dave Ramsey. However, we have no debt beyond my husband's college debt (which we have determined a mistake).... we own our cars free and clear (and God has just provided a van within our price range for this spring ), we don't even have credit cards and never have. We live on 28K which no matter how its sliced and diced is very difficult. We have been living within our means since we were married 8 years ago, I am so thankful we did or I would not have been able to become a SAHM. If we made 40K we would be comfortable right now.

...the children are better people because they aren't showered ...

when I first read this I had to do a double take because I thought you were saying they were better because they couldn't shower.... and I think that's taking it a little far, I don't want smelly kids

 

[GigageiTsula]

I'm so with you on this one. I love Dave Ramsey. However, we have no debt beyond my husband's college debt (which we have determined a mistake)....

Have you had the college debt around so long, you think its a pet?!

we own our cars free and clear (and God has just provided a van within our price range for this spring ),

We own our cars and just last summer after saving up for almost 5 months, we bought a 12 passenger van on e-bay for $6100. We had saved up $8000 though. We sold our Montana and got out from under a car payment. And now my DH is going to sell his Durango, so we can finally be done with our debt snowball. Our goal is to be out of debt by February 23rd. This is when we are taking his parents with us to see Dave in Dallas. We are so anxious to tell him that we are DEBT FREE!

I had a glorious time cutting up our credit cards! My DH had a hard time handing over the Discover Card though.

 

[Leanna]

Have you had the college debt around so long, you think its a pet?!

Pretty much ... its certainly frustrating! Unfortunately we have to make the choice to feed and cloth the children first but our eyes are always peeled for extra money to go towards that darn thing

We own our cars and just last summer after saving up for almost 5 months, we bought a 12 passenger van on e-bay for $6100. We had saved up $8000 though. We sold our Montana and got out from under a car payment. And now my DH is going to sell his Durango, so we can finally be done with our debt snowball. Our goal is to be out of debt by February 23rd. This is when we are taking his parents with us to see Dave in Dallas. We are so anxious to tell him that we are DEBT FREE!

I had a glorious time cutting up our credit cards! My DH had a hard time handing over the Discover Card though.

That sounds great! I really like his stuff.....

 

[1GODALONE]

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[CelticRose]

God truely does provide for what are genuine needs. Our y0ungest is gifted musically. We are on a medical disability & I am my husband's carer so our income is extremely limited. (Besides our morgage we are debt free) I was incredibly stressed/frustrated/worried when we decided the child needed her own flute rather than the one we were hiring from the school. Our income does not stretch to things like flutes although God has made it very clear the child will have a ministry in music so we have been doing our best to provide for her. We eventually accumulated enough money for a 2nd hand flute; God provided a better quality, brand new one. Seriously, you learn to expect miricals...

 

[sweetangelmum]

I agree with you on the miracle side of things. I have been so blessed int hat I will pray for something and than be given it or find it on the side of the road where someone has thrown it out. God is a good God and he will provide. I think some people look at me like are you nuts. My husband and I are in the process of sorting out a home business which is making very limited funds but we are getting there. I am believing that God will stay true to his word and increase our business 10 fold and provide a way for us to own our own home.

 

[Leanna]

Since this last post my husband has gotten a small raise, and his business (part time, online) has started making money. There's hope!

 

[jessesgirl]

We just do our very best with what God provides. We decided that God would plan our family size for us and so far, it appears that he decided it would be small.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Dave Ramsey BTW. We are doing the debt snowball as I speak (er...type?)

 

[~Nikki~]

Just wanted to share a couple of things...

Firstly, dh and I made the leap into being quiverful...I guess we decided that you can never presume upon tomorrow. The Bible says that God opens and closes the womb, and Leah had her children in the Bible, and then it says that God closed her womb.
By presuming upon tomorrow I mean that hubby and I could decide to wait for three years to have the next one, but by doing that we're assuming that we'll still be able to conceive in three years' time. By that time anything could have happened and we may not be able to conceive anymore...then I'd really kick myself for deciding to wait, knowing that I now had no chance of having children.

So we decided to leave the birth control to God, as well as the future, along with never presuming upon tomorrow.


Secondly, I know a family here who have seven children and are happy to have the next baby whenever the Lord gives them another...I have seen first hand their low-ish income (only the husband works), their generosity in giving away everything they have which is surplus to their immediate needs, and how God *never* fails to provide for them. It's truly amazing!
And I don't believe they are being irresponsible either...they just believe God needs to be Lord of everything including their family size, and that He'll provide for them, and He does.

So maybe it's not a matter so much of *affording* in advance, but trusting that God will provide for your needs as they arise, and increase your income etc as necessary.

For us being debt-free is a major thing. We don't have any debt and won't buy anything unless we have the money there to buy with.