How full is your quiver?

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The Lord has blessed us with 3 beautiful children, my oldest daughter is 9, my son is 6, and my youngest daughter is 2.
 
We have six daughters so far. Only the Lord knows if he will bless us with more children, but we are certainly open to that providence!

I agree this thread could be painful reading for a family who can't have children. We have some friends at church who couldn't have children and I asked them if being at a church with so many children was painful and would it be easier to be at a typical American church where children were seen as a burden when you had more than two. She said no, that it actually comforted her to be where children were prized. She told me, "Here, women understand the joy that I ache for. At churches where children are not considered a blessing, the women say things that really hurt, like, 'you don't know how lucky you are!' and 'you can have mine!' They can't be sympathetic because they genuinely envy my situation."

I hope that can be an encouragement to both sides of the fertility issue (many children or none): we weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who are blessed, knowing each of is in reality truly blessed because God knows us and remembers us in our distress.

Off to give some hugs and kisses to my lovely little ladies,
~jenney
 
One with the Lord, one daughter (Maron, 23 months), and one son on the way (July 10, D.v.)

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My wife and I have two beautiful daughters, Alexandra (8 years) and Kaitlyn (2 years).
 
How full your quiver is is really a relative question. The Lord gives some people bigger quivers than others. Someone with six children is not less blessed than I am with eleven. That's the wrong way to look at it. Sure, eleven children are all a blessing from God. But those with fewer children are not less blessed for having fewer children. You might say that the blessings are more concentrated.

What I don't like is someone saying to God, "No thanks, we don't want any more." That doesn't sit right with me.
 
I want to see more pictures... As LadyFlynt said, I really didn't expect or suspect anything like reality in the cases of John & Matthew. I'd especially love to see pictures of you both, really. Pretty please? :)

I love to hear the current Puritan status quo. I hope to have a large number of children in the future, should the Lord bless. My family has 8 right now with another on the way: 4 girls and 4 boys. It's really impossible for me to imagine not knowing and loving each and every one of them. Average America is insane. 2.2? On the other hand, I can understand why two or three children raised in the common way could be quite enough!
 
How full your quiver is is really a relative question. The Lord gives some people bigger quivers than others. Someone with six children is not less blessed than I am with eleven. That's the wrong way to look at it. Sure, eleven children are all a blessing from God. But those with fewer children are not less blessed for having fewer children. You might say that the blessings are more concentrated.

What I don't like is someone saying to God, "No thanks, we don't want any more." That doesn't sit right with me.

:up: It's not how big the jar is, but whether or not its filled with the fulness of God.
 
It's not how big the jar is, but whether or not its filled with the fulness of God.

Yes, yes, yes. :amen:

There are those (I've seen them, though they were not believers) who see children (or a big family) as a necessary part of their lives, for whatever reason. But along come the children and they treat them like mere possessions. No man is a pianist because he acquires a piano. But people think themselves "parents" all the time because they have children.

It is to me largely an issue of responsibility. As a pastor undertakes a great responsibility when he leads a congregation (and heaven forbid he lead them astray), likewise a parent with a family must answer for each eternal soul he fosters to adulthood. Those who undertake the raising of a family (and moreso a large one) had better hear the voice of God before they do so; it is not something to be taken lightly.

As John V mentioned, reading this particular thread is a joy. And it's not about whether the families are large or small. What I have heard here is a constant desire from all points to serve in raising His children. That's what counts.

Thank God for such people in today's world.

You guys have to know that reading this type of thread while living in one-child-only-or-else China is an incredible boost. We've heard what a waste of money our kids are, how much trouble it must be for my wife, why it is better to just have one (or none!) But in all those types of comments, it is always about me, me, me. The perspective is quite normally badly skewed. People have argued with my wife about our Joseph (the one on the right in the avatar) and why we didn't get a "good one" from the orphanage (he's fairly deaf and his left eye is missing). They argued. About his being ugly. Argued with my wife when she told them what a joy he was and what a blessing he was. These sorts of comments bring us such anger and sadness.

Don't get me wrong, we have indeed had many comments on how wonderful it must be to have so many children. But those that speak against it are so disheartening; there is simply no other earthly joy like having a child.

PS - as I write, Anneliese has just thrown up all over my wife and is running a bit of a fever - I really hope it's the teething, she's got three coming in at once. Must go...
 
PS - as I write, Anneliese has just thrown up all over my wife and is running a bit of a fever - I really hope it's the teething, she's got three coming in at once. Must go...

One jar of baby food - 99 cents
A trip to the dry cleaners - 3.50
Child rearing moments like these - priceless! ;)

Great post by the way. It's always very moving to me to see God's people taking in the outcasts of the world. Keep on loving 'em.
 
4 girls, 1 boy

Erin Faith
Declan Scot
Morgan Greer
Keelin Blair
Briannon Colleen
 
I made mention earlier in this thread that my wife and I lost our daughter Hannah late in Megan's pregnancy, due to of the some medical issues we will not be able to have children. Sister and I come from a wealthy family, so Megan and I have opted to leave everything to our Niece and Nephew. This was and is a painful subject, even the title ( and I KNOW that was not the intent) makes me feel as if I were less than a man, for not having this...full quiver. I do not want to bring anyone down here, but my post does come come to bear on the thread.
 
It's sad that you feel that way, brother. Adoption is always an option, isn't it? Or is that not something you two are wishing to do? You'd still be a mother and a father and make some little child's life a lot brighter. If not, then I understand: some aren't as drawn to adoption. I hope and pray that the Lord will guide and help you through such things.
 
Related note:
If any of you belong to SAMARITAN, the newsletter came today: we are on the Baby Page!
 
Max, I would say you have a full quiver in that you have what the Lord has given, even though the babe was taken also by Him (eventually they all are). We still count the child that we lost as well. As for your niece and nephew, they are in the quiver of their parents. You however can act as covenanted family in assisting in their spiritual growth...that is the greatest gift you can give them. You are quite generous in leaving them as your heirs, but the spiritual is what will make arrows strong and straight.
 
Max, I would say you have a full quiver in that you have what the Lord has given, even though the babe was taken also by Him (eventually they all are). We still count the child that we lost as well. As for your niece and nephew, they are in the quiver of their parents. You however can act as covenanted family in assisting in their spiritual growth...that is the greatest gift you can give them. You are quite generous in leaving them as your heirs, but the spiritual is what will make arrows strong and straight.
Very kind of you Colleen. Thank you.
 
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