**Update: fixed some small typos and reworded a few things per my wife's suggestion **
Just got back from vacation and I wish I could go back to the Grand Canyon already. Being there was like sitting front row to witness one of God's Greatest Creations... it truly was a blessing to be able to hike half way down the canyon. I really thank God everyday for having a wife that is willing to make herself uncomfortable to do things that I love to do (hiking, nintendo, programming, etc...)
Side story: One time I was working late on a project and Abby asked if she could help. I asked her to write some unit tests... she said sure and proceeded to bang on my keyboard with all 10 fingers saying "bah! bah! bah!" She made me smile... just one small example of how she puts in extra effort to help me enjoy my job more... :)
So does anyone know why this post and my first post are title "hello world"? If you know me (or enjoy programming) than you should know the answer!
Well, here is part 2 of 3 of my hello world post... my goal for this post is so others can gain a small understanding of what NaPro Technology is and what types of things are expected.
What is NaPro?
If you go to the website on NaPro Technology (www.naprotechnology.com) you will find:
NaProTECHNOLOGY (Natural Procreative Technology) is a new women's health science that monitors and maintains a woman's reproductive and gynecological health. It provides medical and surgical treatments that cooperate completely with the reproductive system. Thirty years of scientific research in the study of the normal and abnormal states of the menstrual and fertility cycles have unraveled their mysteries.
But I do not feel that definition helps any of us really understand what it is. Dr. Thomas Hilgers, along with a group of others, developed the Creighton Model FertilityCare System. It is a system that seeks to find the cause of infertility and the various pregnancy related complications and address them. That is what really got my interest. Rather than just slapping a band-aid on the issue (infertility)... it actually seeks to find the cause and fix it. This is the first women's health science to network family planning with reproductive health monitoring and maintenance. It is a fertility-care based medical approach rather than a fertility-control approach to family planning and gynecological health. NaProTECHNOLOGY uses the Creighton Model FertilityCare System biomarkers to monitor easily and objectively the occurrence of various hormonal events during the menstrual cycle. NaProtracking provides valid information that can be interpreted by a woman and by physicians who are specifically trained in this system. Unlike common suppressive or destructive approaches, NaProTECHNOLOGY works cooperatively with the procreative and gynecologic systems. When these systems function abnormally, NaProTECHNOLOGY identifies the problems and cooperates with the menstrual and fertility cycles that correct the condition, maintain the human ecology, and sustain the procreative potential.
In other words... it works with the body to help promote what it is and should be doing naturally.
The Creighton Model utilizes the method of observation of the cervical mucus... WAH!?!?! Using the following steps: Sensation, Observation, Finger Test (aka SOFT) the female (and male) can tell if the woman is fertile or infertile on any given day. It took Abby and me a while to get used to this, but now.... we are experts (well not experts, but we are much better).
But measurements and science are not the only components of the Creighton Model. Another very important component is SPICE. SPICE does not refer to the SPICE Girls... instead it identifies the different levels of intimacy between a married couple... Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Creative, and Emotional. After all marriage isn't just about having babies, its about developing and growing the relationship between husband, wife, and of course God.
Here are examples of how we practice each...
Spiritual: Abby and I are blessed enough to run our Youth Ministry together, thus giving us plenty of opportunities to pray together... after all... a family that prays together... stays together.
Physical: Abby doesn't like it when I hug her a night... she said I suffocate her. Which is probably true. But she does enjoy a good squeeze, especially when she or I are feeling down.
Intellectual: I may be the bread winner in this family... but I am the first to admit that Abby is WAY smarter than me. She got a 5 on the AP Calculus exam... I barely got a 4. Why do I say this? I dunno... but we practice this level of intimacy through.... JEOPARDY! Where i get my @$$ kicked all the time... unless the category is computers or sports. Actually we are also spending our time reading different books and learning more about ourselves and our purpose. (Theology of the Body for Beginners - by Christopher West, and Good to Great - Jim Collins)
Creative: Another category where Abby is way better than me. Which sounds better... "Hey check out this algorithm I just made! Its super efficient and has a time of O(1)!" or "look at this super cool card I made... its my version of Mickey Mouse!" We practice this level of intimacy by Abby designing and making cards... she lets me fold them. Or maybe a better example is that when we go on vacation one person plans a big part of the trip so that there are surprises waiting for the other one... for example Abby had no real clue or expectation of the hike we were going to do at the Grand Canyon
Emotional: Another example of how the Youth Ministry has blessed us. Abby and I have constant communication with God, which allows us to communicate our Emotions with each other. Whether its a talk that hits home or a worship that struck our heart... we both always look forward to our drive home together to talk about what just happened. I really wish I could record those moments. (maybe i'll just get a gopro and record our drives home :))
Abby and I actually practiced these different Levels of Intimacy before our we started NaPro... but now that we have connected it with our mission of becoming parents... it has brought a whole new meaning to the things that we do. NaPro Technology using the Creighton Model isn't just about having family... it is about inviting God into your lives as a couple/family in order to restore the true meaning of a Christ Centered Family and the value of life. It is changing the world... one family at a time.
You only need an Open Heart and Mind, Patience, Communication, Prayer, Love, and Trust... if you bring those components... NaPro and God will provide the Hope and Promise.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6