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Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Live with the Duggars

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar
 
Due to coronavirus, the annual homeschool conference that the Duggars attend in Big Sandy, Texas, has been canceled. In its place, Embassy Media is doing a daily live streams of keynote speakers. To watch Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, joined by Jessa Seewald, share a special message, visit the YouTube link below. The video will be available until May 2nd at midnight. Tomorrow (Wednesday, April 29) at 6:30pm, you can tune in live to hear from Gil Bates.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar with Jessa Duggar

Photo courtesy duggarfamily.com

135 comments:

  1. they said they are expecting their 18th grandchild. I thought they had 17 grandkids? Who is pregnant?

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    1. I believe it's Joy.

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    2. Joy. She's having a baby girl in August.

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    3. Joy is pregnant. Due in August.

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    4. Joy is pregnant. Are they counting Annabelle in with the grandkids?

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    5. Joy announced her pregnancy on March 18th. Due in August

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    6. Joy is pregnant.

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    7. Joy Anna is expecting a baby girl.

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    8. Joy Anna is pregnant. The baby is due in August.

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    9. I believe Joy-Anna announced she is pregnant with a girl, a rainbow baby,due in August.

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    10. Austin and Joy, are expecting, a daughter, in August. Austin and Joy's daughter, will be Jim Bob, and Michelle's 18th Grandchild.

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    11. Joy is pregnant

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    12. JoyAnna due in December

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    13. Joy is pregnant. It was just announced.

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    14. Joy is pregnant, maybe that’s who they are counting?

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    15. Austin and Joy-Anna

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  2. That's rich, hearing them talk about not covering up your sins, about not visiting sites online that you shouldn't, and about body safety. As if they were ever experts on any of that! We all know what happened in their own household. Another case of shutting the barn door after the horse got out, as they say.

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    1. IDK. I think they meant well. The past can't be undone and it's time to let it go.

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    2. Ugh. Why do you think they say those things? Because they have lived through the consequences! They of all people get it.

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    3. Well, they aren't wrong. You shouldn't cover up your sins, there are online websites that people have no business visiting, and body safety IS important. They have seen how important all these things are because of their son. They are cautioning other people because they know the pain and the consequences.

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    4. Well duh! They never said they were experts. They had to learn their lesson the hard way. They aren't stupid and they are speaking from experience and what they went serves as a warning to parents. I appreciate what they said and protecting their daughters by not giving the example of what they went through. I think that's why they chose the topic.

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    5. Actually you don’t know what happened in their house because you don’t live there. Only God and they know. Repentance means you turn from your wrong. Perhaps they repented, made corrections, and learned tremendous lessons that they are able to pass on because of what they’ve been through. And perhaps they are not looking at everyone else with condescension but with compassion to help others. I’ve made terrible mistakes in my life that I didn’t realize I was making at the time. Now that I see, and I’ve repented of it, I am more than happy to speak truth to others out of love and a desire for them not to follow the same path. You also don’t know how much they’ve grieved behind closed doors and prayed and examined their decisions; I’ve been there too. Only God is able to take our failures and use them for good. Maybe you could just pray for them.

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    6. They are teaching other people not to repeat their past mistakes. There is a huge difference. Don't cherry pick it to fit it into your agenda and if that's not your case, watch the whole video.

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    7. Excellent post, 9:06! I so agree and have been in your shoes myself, as I'm sure we all have, being sinners. Keep sharing your wisdom. God will use you to touch someone else's life.

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    8. I don't want to hear any life lessons from sinners. Most of the time that talk is not for your benefit, but to make them feel better about what they did.

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    9. 10:27 Wait, I thought EVERYONE is a sinner??

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    10. 10:27, every person is a sinner. Your criteria leaves you staring at an empty stage.

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    11. 10:27 -- If you don't want to hear what sinners have to say, then you don't want to hear ANYTHING. Using discernment, you can learn a lot from people who have been through trials and tribulations.

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    12. @10:27....we are all sinners, none of us has lived a perfect existence. If you believe in the Bible, you also know that a sin is a sin....none worse than the other to God. Get off your high horse, offer forgiveness and move on🙂

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    13. Have to agree in a way about the sinners who tell you how wonderful they are now that they've been saved or forgiven or whatever, as if their sinning was the best thing that could happen to anyone. I'm reminded of the time a televangelist cried crocodile tears about an affair he had. Funny how those thoughts never occur to these people BEFORE they do what they do. If you want to inspire people then demonstrate strength, resistance, wisdom, and discernment, not how repentant you feel after you fall.

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  3. hahahahaha! I misread and thought it was a contest/invite to live w Duggars, i.e. sleep. I thought of a niece who would b interested. bahahaha.

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    1. Perhaps some day they'll take in boarders. lol

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    2. I wouldn't want to live with anyone else. My household is good enough for me😍

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  4. Life has come to a standstill for the Duggars. No vacations, conferences, family outings and no TV show. The Big Sandy trip was a staple in their lives.

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  5. Thank you!! I intend to watch.

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  6. Thank you so much. I really enjoyed this and I was wondering who played the piano at the beginning?

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  7. That was amazing! I am very thankful for all the advice they gave! Even though my kids are still under 2 I learned a lot from them. Thank you so much Jim-Bob and Michelle! I wished 'counting on' was more about them, so we could see all of their advice in practice and real life..
    Thanx again from the Netherlands!

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    1. I feel the same way, 4:03. It's why I still miss "19 Kids." It was more about JB and Michelle. They really have a lot of wisdom to share. I love seeing their happy marriage after all these years, too.

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    2. Yes! Personally I think Jim Bob and Michelle are brilliant. Such Godly wisdom and discernment. They taught those kids correctly and cannot help what choices they make as adults. Out of 19 kids, having only 1 child to go astray is not bad people, not bad at all. Give the Duggars some grace!

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    3. Unknown-There are still quite a few children in their home. One cannot know what will happen with them as adults or what choices they will make. Also, I don’t think it’s a good idea to think of any TV celebrity as some kind of hero or brilliant. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors!

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  8. It's great homeschool families or those considering homeschooling will at least have some benefit of a homeschool conference in the comfort of their homes. I'm sure it would have been a nice getaway.

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    1. I was homeschooled, and let me just say that the Duggars are a horrible representation of what homeschooling is. I don’t understand why people worship them the way that they do.

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  9. I can't watch the Duggars sitting there speaking as if they're perfect parents and they have the best answers for raising kids. Not after everything that happened right under their noses. Do they think everyone has forgotten?

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    1. No doubt they've learned from the past. No one is perfect, and they certainly never said they were.

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    2. I agree. I won't watch it. I have also stopped watching the show since Jim Bob and Michelle started regularly appearing on it again this past season. No thank you.

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    3. Wisdom can come from experience. Other people look at their story and can see that no one should think "it wouldn't happen in my family." Don't you think they've learned from their bad experiences? Of course they have. And wise people listen to others and learn from them.

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    4. I have @ 4:59. Why don't you rehash it all over again? They never said they were perfect parents. If they did, please reference in the video where they said that. I resent people blaming the parents(any parents)for sexual abuse that happens "under their noses". I can tell you that it can happen and the victims never tell a soul. I sure as heck didn't and I had the best Christian parents ever.

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    5. The reason people haven't forgotten is because people like you keep bring it up.

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    6. No parents are perfect. If you think you are, you're wrong. Wise parents learn from trial and error, and are then in the best position to give advice.

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    7. They excuse themselves by saying “we never claimed to be perfect!” Yet, as you point out, they promote themselves as authorities on how to live. So, sure, maybe they didn’t say they’re perfect. But they did say they should tell others how to live, what to believe, how to raise kids, etc. They say their views are perfect. They have no humility or self-awareness.

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    8. 7:25, please provide an exact quotation where they said they should tell others how to live or that their views are perfect. Exact quotations, please.

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    9. 7:25 They do not say their views are perfect. The only perfect one is God! They know that and say that! God’s Word is perfect! They try their best to live by it. As humans all of us fall short and that is why we need a Savior! Look into Jesus and be ye saved all the ends of the earth.

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    10. My goodness!, Parents should never be judged and their characters defined on a dark moment/moments of their children's actions. God forbid any of us would have that done to us. We can do all the right things and still have a child that makes bad choices. The Bible gives us lots of examples in both the old and new testament of kids and young adults making lots of bad choices who came from good and Godly parents. I think we need to have mercy on not only the parents in a predicament like this but also the child or young adult or the adult child who messed up bad but repented and turned their life around for the good. When we mess up it doesn't become our address, we don't live there. Isn't it good to know that God gives forgiveness to us when we repent and we also need to forgive others too.

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    11. If you have a bad child and the whole world knows about it, why would you go around trying to make the public believe that you're an expert on child raising? It doesn't make sense. When what Josh did became news, the entire family should have turned off the cameras, closed the doors, and started learning what a good thing privacy is for kids as well as adults.

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    12. Out of 19 kids and only 1 "bad apple"? Gosh there I families I know with only 2 kids to raise, who messed it up. I think that ratio is pretty good, if you ask me. #teamDuggar

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    13. As parents, you're not supposed to have any of your kids mess up. You're supposed to be guiding them and stopping things from getting out of hand to that point. Saying 1 out of 19 being a "bad apple" isn't so bad means you gave up and gave in on 1 of your kids. Where's the line then? Two bad apples? Three? As long as all 19 didn't go bad, you're still OK? And you can go on speaking tours as if you're experts?

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    14. 11:23 as a parent you're not supposed to have any of your kids mess up? 🤣 Trust me, parents cannot control all their children's actions or words. Good luck with that! Children are people with free wills, not robots that only do what you train them to do, and some are sneakier at hiding things than others. If you are a teacher and 95 percent of your class passes and 5 percent fail, whose fault is that? Does that make the teacher a failure? Should teachers only be allowed to teach if 100% of their class passes? People always complain about how controlling the Duggars are. So you're saying they should have been MORE controlling? Including of their married adult children?

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    15. Teachers and teaching are held to different standards than parents, especially parents who get paid to give advice. If you're being paid to be an expert on the subject and one of your kids does something terrible and publicly embarrassing, then you just lost your credibility card and your speaking engagements should be over.

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    16. @5:06 Teachers and parents are not the same thing, and a classroom is not the same as a home. The Duggars wouldn't need to be more controlling if their system of raising children worked properly. Obviously, it didn't. The more you tell a kid not to touch something, not to look at something, or not to think about it, the more you stir up the desire to do so anyway. With 19 kids, you'd think that would have dawned on the Duggar parents before things went haywire. Just once I'd like to hear them preface their parenting advice talks with, "You know what? We really messed up and bad things happened because of it." They will never say that, although we all know what happened.

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    17. I see my job as a parent is to train my child up in the way she should go. When she was little it was my job to watch over her and ensure that she obeyed the instruction (with age-appropriate discussion as well on why we do or don't do things with real life examples we observed in people we knew) and to impose meaningful consequences (not to punish her, but to both deter her and to make her think about her choices). But if I've done my job right, as she ages, she becomes more responsible for both making good decisions and her handling the consequences for poor decisions. The idea is that she internalizes the values and begins to start regulating herself and holding herself accountable as she reaches adulthood. We regularly discuss our failures from childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and parenting with her. The idea is that hopefully she will be wiser than we were, making better choices than we did. Is she or will she be perfect? Not possible this side of heaven. LOL But it is possible to sin less and less on our way there. It's not about keeping a list of rules that an organization developed; it's about loving God and not wanting to grieve Him because He loved us first.

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  10. I thought you meant “live” as in living in their house and I was like what? lol

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    1. That would be a nightmare!

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    2. 7:29, for real!

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    3. I'd last a couple of hours, then i'd run screaming out of the house. lol

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  11. Time 7:58PM Tues 4/28/20
    So sad to hear about that.

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  12. When I clicked on your YouTube link, for a message from Jim Bob, Michelle and Jessa, it said it would be starting in 30 minutes. I'll have to check another time

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    1. That's confusing, isn't it? Since it was taped, the first 30 minutes is just a timer, but if you pull the bar along on YouTube, you can fast-forward to the presentation.

      Lily and Ellie

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    2. Ok, thanks so much Ellie!

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  13. I wish I would have seen this a day earlier. I would have loved to watch it

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    1. It's still up. The link is in the post. :)

      Lily and Ellie

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  14. When first I read this I though of the word live as in reside in house with not live as in real current time. I thought they were opening a B&B to give people opportunity to come meet, experience, and live with the Duggar family first hand. LOL!

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    1. Maybe they will one of these days. That would be interesting as I have a feeling that life in their house isn't quite as it appears in these videos.

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    2. 1:28, why would they allow strangers to come invade their children’s lives on an even more personal level? It’s one thing for the older kids to be the main focus point of the show and to show the kids, but we really don’t need to be learning anything overly personal about the younger Duggar kids.

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    3. What the show filmed was highly edited and staged. You are right 1:28.

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    4. Anon 1:25. "let strangers invade" their children's lives? Yeah. But it's OK to have a TV crew and cameras in your house regularly? I must be missing something in your logic.

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  15. Jessa is definitely setting herself up as the next generation’s “JimBob”. I’ve got to admit I thought it would have Jill.

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    1. Yes. Jessa is the "heir apparent". I think Jill is out of the picture because Derrick doesn't want to live in the public eye. IMO he's got that one right.

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    2. I don’t think so

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    3. As they present themselves, I believe Jessa is the only one with as much tenacity, self-awareness, confidence, and just enough of an easy going partner to do so! She sees what see wants and gets it!

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    4. How is that when Jessa said she's going to raise her children differently? Oh I know because you are just making it up.

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    5. I have thought this too. Jessa seems to be recreating her childhood in her adult life. She is so intelligent and assertive, and I really thought she would branch out from the Duggar life, but she is more involved than ever. Small house, several children, lives frugally, still wears skirts and long hair, visits the "Big House" regularly--

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    6. Anon 12:20 If it ain't broke why fix it. A lot of us think Jessa and Bem show A lot of integrity and strength and aren't trying to fit in to the latest trends like some people do. They know who they are and have really strong Godly convictions which is awesome! I can easily see them having their own show with A lot of the beautiful Dugger traditions and ways that made people fans of the original show. It was the frugal ways, conservative dress, the down home life that they shared and their love for God that made them shine and I see that in Jessa and Ben. They are an awesome little family.



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  16. Very hard to understand how or why any Christian would believe that it would be ok to continue to rule their adult children. Doesn’t God give each of us a brain for thought process and a heart for emotion? Every human, adult or child, is entitled to use these Gifts from the Lord. Somehow, JB and Michele have decided that they are God and want to tell their children how to think and how to feel. It is sad.

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    1. not all Christian believe that. I for one do not. Trust in the Lord for all you children.

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    2. 6:25 What are you talking about? That is ridiculous! They don’t tell their adult children how to think or feel. They give advice as all parents do. Obviously they don’t control their adult children or their daughters would not be wearing pants or going to some of the churches they go to.

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    3. Many parents find it hard to "let go" and since the Duggars live in such close proximity to several of their adult children who WORK for JB I think they have an even harder time relinquishing parental authority over their offspring. IMO the other married children would be better off doing as Jinger and Jill have by putting a bit of distance from JB and Michelle and charting their own course in life.

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    4. They are not ruling their adult children but it's important to remember we try to raise our children to do the right things. That's what it's about but not every child is going that way. Jessa said she's going to raise her kids a little different.

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    5. 1:25- All their adult kids live at home, unless they’re married. That’s a red flag that the parents are controlling. It’s also an IBLP thing.

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    6. @540 True. If you still live at home and start thinking differently, you're a doubter, and you need to be brought back in line. If you're married and start thinking differently, you risk being ostracized. Ever wonder why Derick isn't at the main house any more? Why Jill rarely goes there either?

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    7. Anon 10:49. Exactly. The time honored method of keeping people under control. The Amish do it regularly. We all need a sense of belonging somewhere. The Duggar children have a very limited social circle and therefore are easy for JB and Michelle to keep in line. Only Jill and Jinger have moved out of the "compound" and enlarged their social contacts. It's easy to see that they have changed a great deal since marriage.

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    8. Seems to me the Duggars must not be very confident that they’ve instilled strong values into their children. It’s disturbing to me that they they continue to monitor the texts & emails of their adult children who still live at home. Why are these adult children still living at home? Do they not realize that they can leave if they want to? Seems sort of cultish to me that the parents have total control over every aspect of their children’s lives.

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  17. I thought it meant a live-in experience too! But when I went back and read it, I wondered how I could have interpreted it that way. I think I read too fast.

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  18. I truly enjoyed hear Michelle & JimBob speak. The format seemed very real. I especially appreciate all that Michelle advised! One day, I’d like to hear them speak on more adult challenges: addictions, finances, marriage, etc.

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  19. It's really wonderful seeing how well Jim Bob and Michelle are doing these days. For those who are without sin, please cast the first stone. Nobody is perfect. Couples aren't perfect. And parents aren't perfect. We all have guilt and we are all sinners. It's all the same in the eyes of God, so before you so called perfect or Christian people judge you really think about that. You are no better. It doesn't matter that your sin isn't the same as theirs. You are still a sinner.

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    1. 10:51 If we are all sinners, then why do Christians behave as though they are better than everyone else? Lecturing everyone on how to behave and think and threatening eternal suffering if we don't comply. Where is grace in this?? And if God is so judgmental, why are "personal" convinctions or differing denominational views ok? Wearing denim skirts is no better or worse than denim pants, and truly if God is focused on such shallowness, we are all doomed.

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    2. Amen! Preach!

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    3. 10:51- The fact of the matter is that there are self-proclaimed God-fearing people, including the Duggars, who profess to hold religious truths that others do not. This is the case within many religious denominations. Along with it comes a sense of superiority- "I'm right, you're not" kind of thing. Of course, this pigeon holes people according to who is "saved "and who isn't. All these different relgions lead their congregants to believe that their path to salvation is the only sure one. They may patronaize people by saying that we are all sinners and come short of the Glory of God and as long as you attend a Bible-believing church, all is good. (Of course, only their version and interpretation of the Bible is ok!) Nonetheless, the caveat remains- worship as I say or you will suffer eternal torment and miss out on heaven. To me, that's about as sanctimonious and self-righteous as you can get.

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    4. JB and Michelle seem to be casting a LOT of stones. They have no problem telling everyone else how to raise their children and implying THEIR way is best.

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    5. 10:54 Christians don't believe they are better than anyone else. They actually believe that it is ONLY because of accepting God's free gift of the payment for their sin that they are saved. Not through anything they do. They are not saying anyone should wear skirts or have long hair or use birth control. It's a personal decision of theirs. I am a Christian and I don't do any of those three things, although growing up my dad preferred that us girls wear skirts. My parents are fine with me wearing pants as far as I know. It's not a big deal. Christians make these personal decisions, called standards, to help them live like they believe God might want them to, NOT to try to get them to heaven. They are already saved because they accepted Christ's free gift for them. ANYone can do that at anywhere and at any time no matter how they look or what they do. Jesus ate with tax collectors who cheated on the people and also with harlots. He said "righteous" people (meaning people who think they're good enough) don't need a doctor (someone to save them), but sinners do! So He preferred to hang around people who knew they were sinners. I think you've misunderstood the Duggars though. Maybe some Christians act like that, but I see the Duggars as very humble people. Don't blame God with the wrong actions of Christians. Sometimes Christians ARE judgmental, but God sees every person's heart, not how they look.

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    6. 9:15- Having a strongly held belief system IS something people CHOOSE to do. When you embrace the ideology that separates people into two groups- the supposed saved and unsaved- and you consider yourself among the former, it instills a sense of privilege and superiority. People wrap themselves in the comfort of thinking they've got everything figured out and it's up to them to try and convince others how wrong they are. Some go so far as to exclude anyone belonging to a different church or faith. I've seen it happen too many times for me to count. BTW, the Duggars have long been supporters of the IBLP doctrine, which includes no birth control and women wearing long dresses and skirts. It isn't just something they came up with on their own.

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    7. Anon 9:05. I think the problem with the "saved" and the "unsaved" distinction is that the "saved" believe they're simply "sharing" and the "unsaved" think they're being subjected to a condescending lecture. Frankly I don't see any way to reconcile those differing perceptions.

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    8. Many of you should put down the keyboard and pick up the Bible. The answers to everything you're bickering about are in there, including the admonition to pull the plank out of your own eye before complaining about the splinter in the other guy's eye. Christians don't believe we're perfect or sinless, just forgiven. Jesus is returning soon for his church. Are you ready?

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    9. @6:09 Do you know how old that "Jesus is coming" business is? How long people have been saying the end is near? Do you really want yourself and others to live like that, in fear of some mythical end times? The time you're given right in front of you will be wasted if you do that. There are people who are so focused on the afterlife that they don't use the life they're given to its fullest.

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    10. Just becoming something is long in coming doesn't mean it won't come, 11:33.

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    11. Hence the old saying "Don't hold your breath."

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  20. Their adult children decide they don't want phones for a while? Then they ask Michelle and JB to put filters on them? Do they really expect us to believe that? I am sure it's a rule of the house.

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    1. The adult children still living in JB and Michelle's house are subject to their rules. IMO those adult children would be MUCH better off if they moved out, got jobs and were independent of their parents. Then there wouldn't be all this stuff with the phones and everything else.

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    2. As a Christian I can see that happening. It's trying to live a godly life (out thankfulness for Christ's salvation, not because you're trying to earn it) and asking someone in your life to keep you accountable. Makes it easier for you to stay away from stuff you know you shouldn't be looking at to know that someone else will see what websites you visit.

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    3. Anon 9:20. It's one thing to be accountable for your actions, but I think parents controlling their adult children's phones and what they do on the internet is more invasive than you realize. If our adult children need that sort of supervision we've done something wrong as parents.

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    4. It was stated in one of the IBLP streams that JB and MIchelle montior all phone and internet activity in their home, including that of their adult children. I don't believe the kids have asked for that, but it's simply their parents' decision. @9:20- Would you also want to have your phone calls and texts monitored when you are an adult? IMO, this is a very controlling family. Part of growing up is making your own decisions and being accountable for yourself. If you have to have mommy and daddy keep tabs on you, there's something seriously amiss.

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    5. @9:20 The question is.. who is keeping the parents accountable? Should not then the adult children monitor the parents phones and internet use too?

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    6. You'd better believe Michelle has access to her husband's internet and phone usage, and he probably has hers.

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  21. Children ARE a reflection on their parents, like it or not, at least to a large degree. . They should humbly remove themselves from speaking for this conference. It also doesn’t reflect well on the conference for choosing them as role models. There needs to be standards for this group, and they don’t represent the organization well in light of all that happened. People that have these roles are generally held to a higher standard, as it should be.

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    1. Then how do you explain families with a "black sheep" and "non-black sheep"? It CAN be a reflection, but not necessarily.

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    2. 8:06, the percentage of their children who have made terrible mistakes and given their family a black eye is 5.2%. The percentage of their children who have not is 94.8%.

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    3. IMO your first part is right! Children are a reflection of their parents. But i disagree with the rest! I know 100% I am not a perfect parent and can not even remember all the times I have made a MISTAKE with my children. I can only pray my MISTAKES will not cost me as such a high price as theirs!! But I thankfully have no idea GOD'S plans and as a Christian I know His plan is far far better than I can imagine but that also means we WILL go through all sorts of trials and tribulations. I have no idea God's plan for the Duggars but I see him clearly working in Jim Bob and Michelle!! They are perfect to speak to THEIR community of HOMESCHOOLERS that believe the same as they do! As Christians we believe in sharing our mistakes, trials and tribulations, blessings, gifts and so much more if it means MORE will know the glory of God and join us in heaven finally happy and at peace like we are ALL (everyone not just Christians) trying to do here on earth filling the void with so many bad things! True christians including the duggars will NOT ever claim to be perfect, we simple live the way Christ calls us to live (and each Christian is called differently as some do not believe in skirts all the time, long hair, no tattoos ect. Its between you and God) not bc we HAVE to but bc we love him so much bc HE brought us out of a pain that is life crushing!!!!

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    4. I agree that children are usually pretty much like their parents. However, most parents don't go to the lengths the Duggars do to turn their offspring into exact replicas of them. But I fail to see why the Duggars should bow out of these IBLP conferences. They are the family that everyone involved with IBLP aspires to be.

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    5. I totally agree OP. I don't know why the Duggars are still such celebrities within that organization. That makes it appear as though the organizers are overlooking some things or are OK with them. It makes me wonder even more about what the Duggars said in the post-Josh TV special. What exactly is going on in these homeschool and church groups? I hope the children are safe. My church has very strict background checks and protocols when it comes to anyone involved with children.

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    6. @9:08; Certainly, some children are emotionally and physically abused, neglected or their parents were simply not capable of raising any child. However, children are not always a reflection of their parents, nor are parents always to blame for the problems their children may have. Some of the difficulty children can face growing up include undiagosed mental illness. Parents can have all of the best intentions, but when faced with something as overwhelming as any mental health issue can be, it can be a very rough ride for all concerned. Parents have a responsiblity to get help for their child, but sometimes the outcomes can be out of their control, just as any physical illness could be. Also, children grow up and practice free will like we all do. It may not always be in line with what the parents would do. It's easy to be consume with parent guilt as a result, which is unfortunate. If my kids continue to be self-sufficient, kind, caring and compassionate adults, it's all I ask as their mother.

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    7. @10:48 Your last sentence really worries me.

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    8. 5:19 I am concerned about anyone who follows IBLP doctrine.

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  22. I think the entire Duggar family is suffering from "over exposure". IMO they would be better off if they settled back into a more mundane lifestyle that didn't include the TV show, lavish weddings, expensive honeymoons and interviews with gossip magazines. Perhaps that's why Derrick wants to "go in a different direction".

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  23. I always enjoy hearing the Duggars speak. They are so uplifting and encouraging. I was wondering if anyone knows if I can get a copy of one of this weeks conference videos. The music at the beginning had several of my piano teacher's arrangements in it and one of the songs is one that I am learning. I would appreciate it if someone knows who I could contact to get this information. Thank you.

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  24. I'm sorry that big Sandy was cancelled. I can't wait to see Joy's baby. I also can't wait for things to pick back up for season 11. Natasha B

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  25. Even though it’s true that good parents can have children that make mistakes, I feel they shouldn’t be representing IBLP in this way. It casts doubt and suspicion on the organization. That’s just the reality of it, even if people can learn from their mistakes. People that give speeches ARE and should be held to a higher standard. It will turn others away from the group. I wish they would have a family speak that isn’t surrounded by so much controversy. I know people that have turned away from IBLP because of the Duggar’s. Certainly they could find someone else to speak. I’m sure some people will be staunch Duggar supporters, but they need to be honest that this could be hurting the group.

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    1. Is this conference really IBLP based? Wow. I know about what happened with them before. I'm aware of their history. Wow.

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    2. Anon 5:15 Yes this conference and the others that the Duggars speak at are run by a group associated with IBLP. I'm under the impression that Lauren's father is in charge of setting up the various conferences. The Duggars have been very open about their connections to IBLP. Their closest friends and associates are all involved with IBLP.

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    3. 5:15 BIg Sandy is where IBLP headquarters are located and has been for many years.

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