Regarding the family at the top . . . my husband is one of 9 kids. They are not LDS, just people who preferred to have kids! They were blessed,and being the youngest, my hub did not suffer in the love department. On the contrary. His mother died when he was 17, nothing to do with birthing so many kids, and he has some wonderful memories of his mother! And for that matter, his father. Now, the father did work full time and was not as available for the older 6, but honestly this is more due to the culture not any time constraint, he was home by 4 each day.I think people like to make generalizations about large families as if it is wrong. To each their own. The ZPG people have a right to have no children, while the rest of us make a very personal and private decision as to how many we'd like to have! I would love to have many and am having trouble. I have only 2. THey are 8 years apart. No birth control. Nature has a way of monitoring the numbers. We, as believers, need to trust that the Lord will take care of his own. That His earth will produce all we need, as it does now! We are just wasteful humans who shamefully throw away left overs and allow food to rot without sharing with those who have none. I see how complicated it must have been for that one family with 13 kids. I think it is commendable that the church gathered around them and gave. I LOVE to hear that. My neighbors have 8 kids. They are pastors. They get tons of goodies. On the other hand, the other neighbor has no church family and are having their fist child. NO one has brought them food (I plan to when it is born) and no one has had a shower for them.THey are good people. The shower is not the issue. What is bothersome to me is how someone who can afford to buy a $400 vacuum and has 8 kids wearing Ralph Lauren gets more given to them than someone who humbly lives out their existence and are also good and DESERVING people. Hero worship of ministers is sickening in my book. SO I'm very glad to hear that the church stepped up and did what the Lord commanded, to bear each others burdens! People too often give to pastors to earn brownie points or favor, while not even smiling at the average Joe Smoe at church or in the community. I don't like everyone, but I try to be kind and give out of my insecurity to do damage to the kingdom of hell. I would rather do that than think that I am above anyone or earning any earthly reward. Here is to 4 more kids in my house!!!!!!!!!!!
