Number 17 for the Duggar family!

[b]The Duggars Welcome Number 17[/b]
[i]By Angela, CBB Sports Contributor[/i]

Jim Bob Duggar and his wife, Michelle Duggar, who became well known after a series of documentary television shows on TLC and Discovery Health, welcomed their 17th child, [b]daughter Jennifer Danielle[/b] today (Thursday, August 2) at 10:01 a.m. at St. Mary's Hospital in Arkansas. The couple's new daughter weighed in at 8 pounds, 8 ounces, and was six days overdue.

Jennifer will be welcomed home by her 16 siblings, Joshua, 19, twins John David and Janna, 17, Jill, 16, Jessa, 14, Jinger, 13, Joseph, 12, Josiah, 11, Joy-Anna, 9, twins Jedidiah and Jeremiah, 8, Jason 7, James 6, Justin, 4, Jackson, 3, and Johannah, almost 2.

The couple are already discussing having more children.

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This is a wonderful God-honoring family. I think it's awesome that God has given them so many children to train up for His glory.

Praise the Lord for this new little life!

PreachParsly wrote:
Ah, now I know why the state of Arkansas' population seems to be growing!

:-D

Ben, it's fine if you have an extended family or servants, but it's not a job for two people... although you would be older by the time number 17 came along... ;-)

Didn't Susannah Wesley have 17 children, and one of the things they learned was not to disturb her when she took five minutes here and there to pray, putting her apron up over her head...?

On the Discover Health channel's website there are some videos on the Duggars for those who haven't see the TV shows that have been done on them.
http://health.discovery.com/convergence/duggars/duggarfamily.html

[edit]And here is an [url=http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=101706112738]
interview from Sermon Audio of the Duggars by Kevin Swanson[/url]
[end edit]

dorcas wrote:

Ben, it's fine if you have an extended family or servants, but it's not a job for two people... although you would be older by the time number 17 came along... ;-)

Didn't Susannah Wesley have 17 children, and one of the things they learned was not to disturb her when she took five minutes here and there to pray, putting her apron up over her head...?

Hi sister Linn,

That's why you start out with one child at a time (or twins if they come first). And as the children get older they learn to help out so that it's not just Dad and Mom doing all the work! The Duggars have a 'buddy system' where each of the older children are responsible for a younger one.

And Susanna Wesley is an excellent example of a wonderful mother! She truly trained her children up in the fear of the Lord and even today the Church is reaping the benefits of her efforts in raising John and Charles Wesley!

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I really believe God has honored this family because they have honored Him first of all. They've honored Him in their finances by having a committment not to go into debt, they've honored Him by surrendering to Him how many children they have, and look how blessed they are! Knowing the family personally and having heard their testimonies of God's faithfulness I can only say 'glory to God' for what He has done in this family and how He has used their testimony all over the world.

I'm thinking of the Psalmist's words in Psalm 127:
[i]3Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

4As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

5Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.[/i]

Children are a blessed heritage from the Lord. Yes, they may be work. But God is faithful to provide the ability to care for what He gives us. We are here on this earth for God's glory, not for our own ambitions, but for Him. And He is glorified and honored when families like the Duggars yield this part of their lives to Him and let Him have His way.

~Joy

P.S. I am number 4 of seven kids in a pastor's family that lives by faith. And I can testify to God's faithfulness in providing for us, and it's also a wonderful blessing to be in a large family (though ours seems small in comparison to the Duggars!)