family.

"A family is a well-regulated hospital, a nursing home, a shelter in time of physical need, a place where a sick person is greeted as a sick human being and not as a machine that has a loose bolt or a mechanical doll that no longer works - to be shoved aside because it is no more fun, nor is it useful! A family should be a training place for growing human beings to know how to care for a great variety of sicknesses...because each one has received both knowledgeable and loving care and has watched it being given to others." ~ Edith Schaeffer


Okay, okay. I love the Duggars.

Tuesday nights at 9pm you’ll find me glued to TLC, watching the dynamics of this fascinating family. Their new book is on my reading list—quickly moving to the top.

Jon used to tell me I couldn’t watch it. Because I laughed through the whole show—about what they said, what they did, what they wore, how ridiculous it was that they ran their household like an Army Batallion.

But then something changed. I stopped judging & started listening. And I began to see this incredible family, this group of loving people who lived under one roof, who cared for eachother—who instilled POSITIVE values in their children. And perhaps most importantly, I saw a family who sought to inspire others with their faith, their story, & their lives.

And so yes, I love the Duggars. But mostly? I RESPECT them.

I often wonder what happened to the American family…why we don’t see more families like the Duggars. Most would call them “old-fashioned”…but they’ve stuck it out, through thick & thin & poor & rich & plenty & want. Because today I see that The American Family is broken, disassembled, falling apart.

And I often wonder if, in 5 generations, the children of our great great great grandchildren will even know what family is.

With Jon gone, I’ve had a lot of time to read—to read about other families, to read about Christ-centered families, to read about living together (whew! What a concept!). And although I’m more than certain our lives will constantly change, constantly be in motion, I’m also certain that when you choose to raise your family in a certain way, it IS possible!

i’ve mentioned the changes, the choices, the “convenience” (& subsequent abuse) of the American medical system from my point of view. I’m still learning, still changing my mind (almost on a daily basis), & still forming opinions about what are sometimes very difficult ethical issues. But all-in-all, I see that our system is flawed.

And considering our broken families, our fatherless children, our hungry orphans, our ignored widows, our virtual 'friendships,' our screen-over-face-priorities, I can’t help but wonder if part of our problem lies not in the halls of our hospitals…but in the heart of our homes.

…just a thought…