Duggar Family

I read this thread with great interest. When we got married we decided we wanted a dozen kids. God in His wisdom only gave us one, maybe because He was sending us to live in the most expensive city in the world at the time, Yokohama/Tokyo (really all one city). The important thing in having kids is, they are from God (Ps. 127:3), so He should decide how many we should have. As God helped us, our one son turned out fine, we saw all his childhood Japanese friends come to Christ, and our hearts are fully of joy as he follows and serves Christ.

But back to the Duggers. They remind me of another family. See if you can guess what woman who bore 19 kids (alas, only 10 lived past childhood) wrote this:

This was just an excerpt. Guess who you think it was (and how her sons changed Christianity), then read the rest here: http://notesfromdaniel.blogspot.com/2007/09/susanna-wesley-on-child-rearing.html

 

The quote in context:

I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon It is asked whence had Sarai this beauty, seeing she was an old woman? For though we grant that she previously had excelled in elegance of form, certainly years had detracted from her gracefulness; and we know how much the wrinkles of old age disfigure the best and most beautiful faces. In the first place, I answer, there is no doubt that there was then greater vivacity in the human race than there is now; we also know, that vigor sustains the personal appearance. Again, her sterility availed to preserve her beauty, and to keep her whole habit of body entire; for there is nothing which more debilitates females than frequent parturition. I do not however doubt, that the perfection of her form was the special gift of God; but why he would not suffer the beauty of the holy woman to be so soon worn down by age, we know not; unless it were, that the loveliness of that form was intended to be the cause of great and severe anxiety to her husband. Common experience also teaches us, that they who are not content with a regular and moderate degree of comeliness, find, to their great loss, at what a cost immoderate beauty is purchased.

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It appears you have little use for knowledge and wisdom, and the diligence to attain them.

 

I am the one with eight kids, they never missed a meal, had good clothes on their back, and a warm bed to sleep in. The older ones have all gone to college albeit a local community college. They are good kids who stay out of trouble.

There is a commandment to have kids, God said be fruitful and multiply. If your apple tree has only two apples, would you say it was "full" of fruit?

Kids from large familes are seldom selfish. They learn to share and know they don't always get their way. They learn responsibility early, helping with laundry, dishes, and taking care of their younger siblings.

Never had any of my daughters be boy crazy and in a rush to have children like many young girls today, they know what taking care of children involves.

 

God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

That said, I believe there should be some training background for any pastor because of the requirements set forth for pastors set forth in Paul's first epistle to Timothy. Paul states that the one leading must not be a novice. This indicates that he must be rooted and grounded in the faith, and have been learning the Word for some time. Also, Paul said he must be 'apt to teach.' If a man does not know the Word of God, how can he teach i effectively?

 

That was Mrs. Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley.

 

Whether you like it or not, it's much tougher now to have a big family, although it really should be easier with all our machines and other technologies.

Crazy world.

Anyhow, huge families are cool when they can be provided for.

I have absolutely no reason to believe though, and no scriptural basis to believe that God expects this of me. I know others that do it in faith and feel called. That's THEIR calling, not mine. The earth is already replenished and the Bible says that you're a big fat loser if you don't provide for your family.

So there's no reason to knock any choice a person bases on faith, prayer, and conviction on this topic because the Bible doesn't say to keep reproducing until your uterus falls out and it DOES say to provide for your own, but makes no promises of helping you out if you make unwise choices.

 

Susannah Wesley, like Jim Bob Duggar, organized a "family church" of her own on Sundays:thumbs:

"When her husband was away from the parish, and some of the parishioners complained of the dry morsels the curate preached in Samuel's absence, Susannah began to hold services, reading sermons, and preaching (she called it "exhorting" so that no one would complain of a woman preaching). Pretty soon the parsonage was full, and the people spilled onto the grounds to hear her clear and insightful words on Bible-living."

Susannah Wesley, Mother of Methodism

 

Not all training must be formal. One can be mature and knowledgeable in the Word without formal preparation.

 

From an episode on Youtube:

[Jim Bob and Michelle are in New York appearing on "The View"; watching the telecast back in the Ozarks are the Duggar children, who have dug out and crowded around a seldom-used small television]

Well bless their heart

 

Sweet mercy...that's the way to ensure a positive self-image.

 

Sounds like they are programmed like robots. From the girl with no sleeves conversation, I think the Duggars may go a little too far.

And little Joy apparently was not told why low cuts were bad, only that they were bad. They apparently don't tell the children that God's Word teaches that women are to dress modestly. They are just told to dress modestly.

 

Seriously? The most you can use to "condemn" this family is that the boys are trained not to look at immodestly dressed women and that one of the little girls in her childish effort to do right takes it a little far by thinking sleeveless may not be okay?

If that's the most horrid thing that can be dug up on this family (and really, why are you bothering to dig anyhow?) than they're my new heroes. I pray earnestly for my family and we actually SIN sometimes, not just take propriety a little further than others would like. LOL I'd tell you but if you react to a sweet little girl like you just did, I'm afraid of irreparable damage to your heart!

I haven't seen the show often, but from what I've seen of it, I admire the way they live. Older helping with younger, being raised with Godliness, good budgeting, great values, cleanliness, and order. I can't even manage that half as well and there's a lot less of us!

 

Gina,

It is wonderful that they are teaching their children not to look at immodestly dressed women. But if that is the only thing they are being told and they are not being told who it was that says this, it is doing nothing for that child at all but teaching him good moral.

I am reminded of the movie, "Time Changer" where a young boy was told it was wrong to steal marbles. He was not told why it was wrong. It was explained later that you can clean up a persons morals and that person can be the kindest person on earth. But if you teach good morals without Jesus Christ, your teaching is in vain.

 

Not to change the subject, but I once worked for a man, his father was one of fifteen children, his mother was one of twenty-five!

Anyway, when he was in High School he met a girl he liked and went over to her house. When her father heard his name he said, "You can't date my daughter young man." He asked her father why. To which he replied;

"BECAUSE SHE IS YOUR COUSIN, THAT'S WHY."

He had so many uncles, aunts, and cousins he didn't know them all.

True story.