Book Review: 20 and Counting

Recently, dear homeschooling friends of ours loaned us the book "20 and counting" by the Duggar family, famous for having eighteen children at this point, as far as I know.  The book itself was interesting to view, as our benefactors had marked all of the Duggar recipes with colorful tape. 

More or less, the book is a chronology of their lives, starting from childhood, and is in many ways a beautiful chronology of their faith--a faith that enabled them to live on a shoestring as God brought in more mouths to feed, and a faith that has enabled them to both enjoy blessings and endure suffering with good humor to spare.

There are certainly some things that I would not endorse from the Duggars, starting with their implementation of Bill Gothard's work into their lives.  It seems a little bit too mechanistic for Gospel life, to put it mildly.  I also won't be trying their recipes, either, as they are heavy on packaged foods.  While boxed macaroni and cheese has its place, that place is not Bike Bubba's kitchen.  For that matter, having cooked for 30 people using a basic house kitchen, I'm not terribly desirous of their industrial style kitchen, either.

Now, my kids might like their grand piano, of course....

But that said, it's a book that ought to be read, as the example of the Duggars is a powerful rebuke to today's habit of family infertility and selfishness, and their willingness to take risks in business is a wonderful reproof of today's habit of trying to find security in corporations and government.  And that's where I would leave it, right where the Duggars themselves would; they are no perfect family, but they have been blessed mightily by God as they seek to serve Him as best they can.  Definitely worth a read.