Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Recap: "Ben Drops Beats"

Jill & Jessa: Counting On "Ben Drops Beats"
  • Last week, we saw Jim Bob and Michelle make a surprise visit to Central America. While there, Michelle gives Israel his first haircut. “It’s amazing to think how much life has actually changed over the past few years,” says Derick.
  • Although the visit is short, Jim Bob and Michelle enjoy joining in on some of the Dillards’ mission work.
  • Back in Arkansas, Jinger, with help from Jessa, does a photo shoot with Mark and Sierra Dominguez and their five kids. The Duggars met Mark and Sierra when they had just one child.
  • The older kids continue work on the treehouse. Jessa tries to convince John-David to add electricity, plumbing, and air conditioning, but John isn’t too keen on those ideas.
  • Jana, Jinger, and Joy help the boys cut and haul boards. Joseph says his sisters often pitch in with indoor and outdoor construction work.
  • Jana, Anna, Jinger, and Joy chat with Jill and Israel via Skype. Jill fills her sisters and sister-in-law in on Israel’s latest milestones and demonstrates how her son responds to words in both English and Spanish. The Duggars look forward to traveling down to Central America on a mission trip in a few weeks.
  • The Seewalds head to St. Louis, Missouri, to meet with Christian hip hop artist FLAME.
  • Ben is passionate about ministry work and is interested in serving in inner-cities. He reached out to FLAME, who grew up in inner-city St. Louis, via email, and the two struck up a friendship.
  • This will be Spurgeon’s second time on an airplane. He is an easy-going child, and Jessa says that traveling with three is much easier than traveling with a family of 21.
  • The Seewalds visit FLAME’s recording studio and meet the rest of his group. “It was really cool hanging out in the studio with these guys and just seeing their passion for Christian hip hop,” says Jessa. “It’s a different type of music, but it’s still got that message, and it’s really great.”
  • “Really, I wouldn’t have really known anything about Christian hip hop if it wasn’t for Ben liking this type of music,” admits Jessa. “I probably mostly listen to bluegrass and classical and some Christian-country type stuff.”
  • Spurgeon enjoys “singing” along to the music, so the producer records some of his sounds. FLAME convinces Ben to step into the recording booth and try his hand (or should we say voice) at hip hop. Jessa cracks up when she hears the finished product, which features music by Ben and Spurgeon.
  • Later, FLAME takes Ben to the neighborhood where he grew up. He shows Ben his basement bedroom window, where, as a child, he witnessed a man being killed across the street. FLAME gives Ben advice for successful inner-city mission work: “Be genuine. Be yourself. When people see you’re genuine…they let you in their hearts.”
  • Meanwhile, Jessa tries Indian food with FLAME’s wife and her sister, who are from India. 
  • “It’s great getting to meet new friends and people who have come from very diverse backgrounds and getting to learn more about their culture and their customs and how we differ,” says Jessa.
  • What do the other Duggars think of hip hop? 
    • Jana: “I wouldn’t know how to describe hip hop music.” 
    • Joseph: “Hip hop, I would say that would be more of a modern type [of] music.”
    • Joy-Anna: “Hip hop…is kind of like rock music, I think.” 
    • Jinger: “It’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.” 
    • John-David: “You don’t even have to be…an excellent singer, I don’t think, to do it.”
    • Anna: “Hip hop is a beat, and rappers rap on hip hop beat. Is that right, Bill? The sound guy is telling me what hip hop is.”

    60 comments:

    1. Bravo Ben!! You have a heart and desire to serve and see Saved those in the inner cities. And...you have to be able to meet them in a way that is relatable. If Flame and Ben can reach these souls with the Gospel through Hip Hop then more power to them. I also want to give a shout out to Jessa. She is clearly out of her comfort zone due to her upbringing, but appears to be genuinely supportive. Great job!

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      1. Not everyone in the inner city is unsaved. I'm sure there are many unsaved souls in rural Ark. If Ben changes himself to appear more relatable to people living in the inner city,he isn't being honest. And Flame told him people in his environment can spot a fake!

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      2. I never said there weren't any saved people in the inner-cities or all in rural Arkansas are saved. It's incredible the amount of nit-picky overly sensitive word twisting people on these blogs. No wonder the Church as a whole is so ineffective. Can't put two Christians together without causing strife. Beyond sad.

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      3. I know what you mean about Christians together causing strife all too well. It IS beyond sad and must really grieve the Lord.

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    2. That was, without a doubt, the worst episode of this show yet. Too much Ben & Flame!

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    3. Jessa is mistaken if she thinks that meeting Ben's wife & her sister is meeting "diverse" people. The women clearly stated that they are American! I didn't understand that comment of Jessa's at all.

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      1. Diverse doesn't have to mean different nationality. It can mean just people who grew up differently than you, or who have a different background.

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      2. Diverse meaning there upbringing is differnt. Also those ladies were both Indian. There culture is a lot different than Americans

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      3. The women stated that they are first-generation Americans, with Indian ethnicity. That means that their families are not American. They most likely did not grown up in America. Does that explain it better?

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      4. You can be American but keep things from your family's culture. They may keep traditional Indian customs in their life.

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      5. Crazy that Jessa thought that eating Indian food was exposing herself to diversity.

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      6. Jessa was completely out of her element. She didn't understand

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      7. They are from diverse backgrounds!

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      8. She probably meant they are outside her usual tight social circle.

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      9. They said their parents were born in India. They were born in the US. They are Americans.

        Interesting..they did not use the word Hindu, the pictures were clearly a Hindu wedding.

        And Jesse is obviously not in her comfort zone. It all seems forced and scripted. She has obviously lived a too sheltered life for a young woman her age.

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    4. Ben was neither being genuine or himself.

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      1. How do you know that? What a nasty thing to say.

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      2. Why would you say that? Seems harsh and untrue.

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    5. Jesus is coming soon!!!
      He's coming for a glorious church without spot, wrinkle or blemish.
      He's coming for a holy church!

      "For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry" Hebrews 10:37

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    6. thought the duggars are not allowed to listen to that kind of music? so if ben is doing any kind of inner city ministry work he will need to change his ways right away. and they will we needing to movie to the inner city?

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      1. Ben is NOT a Duggar. This seems to be very difficult for people on this blog to comprehend. Jessa married a Seewald--Ben did not become Ben Duggar. Therefore as a grown man he is "allowed" to listen to any kind of music he chooses. My goodness the criticism by so called Christians slamming a 20 year old man trying to bring Christ to the inner-cities through through relatable music is beyond disheartening---how sad The Lord must be at such division over a genre of music. I suggest everyone read Psalm 133, and let it sink in.

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      2. Friend, Jessa is now under the leadership of Ben Seewald. She and her husband can listen to whatever music they choose.

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    7. And what do the parents JB and M think?

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    8. I was wondering if you are ever going to do more posts on the Willis Family Blog or if you stopped??? Israel Dillard and Spurgeon Seewald are SO cute!!!

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      1. Hi there,

        We have stopped posting on our Willis blog for the foreseeable future but will let you all know if we start back up again. We saw a few members of the Willis family last weekend, and they are doing well. :)

        Blessings,
        Lily and Ellie

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    9. It may just be me, but this show is getting pretty boring!!! It seems like the only focus for the single young people is to find "Mr and Mrs Right" please give us a break. I really wish they would take some time a enjoy life. There really is more to life than marriage and kids. I am a 50 year women that has never been marriage and no kids but has a great career. I wouldn't change anything about my life. Yes, you do get asked about marriage which gets old and about having kids. But you have to remember that in every situation be content. We never know what God has in store for us. I believe that they should be praying that God would use them in a mighty way during this time in their lives. This could be a perfect time for some of them to do missionary work before families. But again there is more to life than husbands, wives and babies!!!!!

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    10. I think Ben wanting to work in the inner city is great! So many of those kids come from broken homes and need guidance and someone good in their lives.

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      1. My sister and brother-in-law do inner city mission work in NYC

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    11. How would Joy know what rock music sounds like? I hope she is secretly listening to it.

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      1. Wow! Why would you hope that? And by the way, I never willingly listen to rock music, but I know what it sounds like because sometimes they have it playing in grocery stores or restaurants, or even places like the dentist!

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      2. The music is restaurants and grocery stores had been modified. It is not really rock music. It is pop music.

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      3. I hope she is, too!

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      4. Not sure how you would know that, since you don't know what restaurants and stores I've been to? My point is, you can hear rock music without CHOOSING or even wanting to hear it.

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    12. This is my own opinion and not meant to hurt anyone or offend anyone. Jesus loves us all. In cities where murder, drugs etc are a way of daily life, I feel those folks need Jesus badly. If the message of God's love and how to "live right" is set to a hip hop beat and reaches and touches anyone's heart to bring them to salvation, then I say praise God and Amen.
      Yes, praise God, Jesus is coming soon. I doubt He'd turn His back on anyone who loves Him, even if they listen to hip hop.

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      1. YES!! I hope all the naysayers on here about the "evils" of hip hop have their mansions in Heaven right next door to Flame himself!!

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    13. Worst episode ever! It seems like the producers are trying to make Ben seem more appealing. This is not appealing!

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    14. Need to get the whole family back on tv. Didn't care for this last episode with Ben and Flame. Want to see JimBob and Michelle and more of Jill and Derick with Israel.

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    15. The Duggars reactions to "hip hop" music is hilarious! It's so funny that they call it hip hop, people would usually just call it pop or rap (at least where I'm from). It's so cool that the Duggar's or at least the Seewalds are expanding their musical pallet, there is so much great contemporary Christ-centered music out there! I love that they, especially Jessa, are going waay out of their comfort zone for Christ!

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    16. Jessa sure is proud of the fact that she only handles "input" into Spurgeon, not "output." Meaning poor Ben is on constant diaper duty. Wonder what she does when he's at work?

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      1. I'm pretty sure that's like a running joke between her and Ben, and that Jessa definitely changes diapers. After all, like you said, he does work during the day, and I doubt Jessa just doesn't change Spurgeon until Ben gets home!

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      2. Why poor Ben? She popped the kid out, poor Jessa. Good for Ben for changing diapers. Many men pride on never changing diapers. I agree with preciouse comment, I think it's a running joke as well.

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      3. She just made herself look more like a princess when she said that to the camera. Not funny.

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    17. I was so excited to view this episode on my dvr today, & I watched it with my 3 yr old daughter & did not feel in the least bit guilty about it. I have met Flame at a concert in MO several years ago & was excited to tell my daughter about his great words in his music & how he talks about God and HIS greatness in the songs. Flame's lyrics are plentiful in great doctrine. They are amazing in pointing out the greatness of God and man's proper response to a holy God. For that, I am grateful if 1 new person is encouraged to hear his music!

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    18. The artists are quite talented, I would have liked to hear more about the woman that was singing lead.

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    19. Ellie,
      would you please put up video of Ben and Spurgeon "singing"?

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    20. I've never seen Jessa look so uncomfortable ever.. Jim Bob & Michelle would never allow that sort of Christian music in their house(except that church when Josie was in little rock with different music and they were all out of their element) . I find nothing wrong with it myself and am glad Ben's helping Jessa with being more open.

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    21. Remember the episode when Josie was in little rock and the duggar family visited the church with dancing and different Christian music? They all looked extremely uncomfortable then and so did Jessa in this episode! You can tell she would never willingly listen to it If it wasn't for her husband

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      1. I remember that. Didn't they kind of nervously smile and then never go there again?

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    22. So they live in north Arkansas and took an airplane to central Missouri? Ummm...

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      1. Don't know whose idea that was, but TLC paid for it, of course.

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    23. I refuse to listen to any type of hip hop. This was the first show I could not watch the entire show. I was very disappointed in you.

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    24. That episode was just said

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    25. I personally like christian contemporary but to each their own.

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    26. Both Jessa and Ben were out of their element on this one. Jessa looked like she was bored, scared, or all of the above.
      This was the worst episode yet. I don't see this show lasting much longer. I really think the Duggars are making things worse each week being in front of a camera pretending to be something they're not.

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      1. Scared of what exactly? Maybe embarassed of how Ben's voice sounded (bad;), but she seemed curious and pleasantly interested.

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    27. They're running out of material... this episode was almost painful to watch. The show is seeming more and more forced. I think the train has left the station... time to move on...

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