Faith-based family planning

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Michelle Duggar, 39, just delivered her 16th child, and she's already thinking about doing it again. The baby's father, Jim Bob Duggar, 40, a former state representative, said Wednesday that mother and child were doing well. The count is now 10 boys and 6 girls. They both want more children.

"We both just love children and we consider each a blessing from the Lord. I have asked Michelle if she wants more and she said yes, if the Lord wants to give us some she will accept them," he said in a telephone interview. All the children are home schooled.

The Discovery Health Channel filmed Johannah's birth and plans to air a show about the family in May. They also have a website. The Lord is apparently also in favor of publicity and self-promotion.

A memorable story from Mom:

"It was 1:00 AM in the morning as I stood folding laundry with tears streaming down my cheeks. Feelings of being overwhelmed flooded my mind. I cried aloud, ”LORD I NEED YOUR HELP, I can’t do it all! I feel so inadequate! Diapers, dishes, laundry, meals, cleanup, school lessons, baths, hugs, kisses, correction…” My list seemed to go on and on. Then it was as if a still small voice said, ”Michelle, it’s easy to praise ME when things are going good, but are you willing to praise ME now?” Immediately the scripture that says, “Offer up a sacrifice of praise”, came to mind. I said, “OK Lord, I will praise you even now! It really is a sacrifice!” So through the tears I began to sing, “The joy of the Lord is my strength”. In my heart there was a release as if a burden had been lifted. I finished the laundry at 2 AM and went to bed."

And from Dad:

"When Michelle and I first married, we thought we might have one or two children. Four years into to marriage, we had our first child. After that, Michelle went back on the birth control pill. She ended up getting pregnant while on the pill and had a miscarriage. We were so grieved. We did not know that sometimes the pill allows you to get pregnant but then causes a miscarriage. We thought we could set our own timetable for having children, for example- when we were ‘financially able,’ or when we ‘had all our ducks in a row.’ We read in the Bible that God says that children are a blessing and a reward from Him (Psalms 127:1-5). We had been rejecting His gifts. At that point, we prayed and asked God to forgive us and we gave Him this area of our lives."

Their children include two sets of twins, and each child has a name beginning with the letter "J": Joshua, 17; John David, 15; Janna, 15; Jill, 14; Jessa, 12; Jinger, 11; Joseph, 10; Josiah, 9; Joy-Anna, 8; Jeremiah, 6; Jedidiah, 6; Jason, 5; James, 4; Justin, 2; Jackson Levi, 1; and now Johannah.

Jim Bob Duggar, who sells real estate, previously lost his bid for the U.S. Senate. The U.S. SENATE! He said he expects to run for the state Senate next year but isn't ready to make a formal announcement.

The Lord apparently was Duggar's silent partner in a few lucrative real estate deals and a biblical financial freedom guru whom Duggar promotes on his website says Romans 13:8 "owe no man anything but love" argues against debt of any kind. Since Cheney thinks deficits don't matter he must have a different version of the good book.

The new Republican agenda? No birth control and no schools? How about no science, no independent judiciary, no checks and balances, no right to privacy, no taxes, no disaster assistance, no health care for children, no clean air, no environmental protection, no endangered species list, no liability for gun manufacturers, no bankruptcy protection for average people and no social security. It's truly the party of "No."