Let's Get One Thing Straight

Anyone see the story on the Today Show last week called, "Three Is The New Two?"

I can't find the link on the TS website either. Sorry.

Anyway, it basically said that as young couples are doing better off financially that the trend for a "complete" family has begun to shift from 2 children to 3. It also went on to say that children were becoming the new "must-have" for affluent families to show off how well they were doing. In the same breath, it was said that more children meant nannies and housekeepers.

HA!!!!!!

I just want to get one thing straight with y'all. Anyone who thinks our 5th child is a way for us to show off some bling has a serious misunderstanding of where we come from.

Please note that although we have a house that is a pretty decent size does NOT mean that we are upper-anything. It just means that we bust out of the seams in anything smaller and that God provided an incredible deal for us when we were house-hunting.

I recently spoke with a girl who lives in our neighborhood and when she found out we were having another baby she said, "You know, if we could afford more children, I'd probably have at least one more."

So, even though she didn't SAY it, the implication was that WE could afford more children than her. Again, I say HA. I know that this particular family's (two-parent) income is probably a good deal more than ours and that they definitely have more play-pretties and fun things than we do (we see them whizzing by on their golf carts in the evenings.) Now, this is a very sweet family and I don't mean anything negative in any way...it's just that obviously the perception is that children are something you pay extra for AFTER you get all the fun stuff you want first.

Well, that's not the case with us. We live TIGHT budgets and our big house is filled with hand-me-down furniture and gifts and the rare cash-only clearance decorative items. We have items on the wall that were purchased at yard sales and all other walls are bare. Even our nice portraits were bartered with website design services. Our vacations are minimal and when they do occur, are heavily financed by grandparents and much saving. Our shopping is for necessities and rarely nice-ities (sp?). Our out-to-eat extravagances are at the Mexican restaurant on "kids-eat-free" night.

So PLEASE don't be one that mistakes us for Hollywood-styled family growth. Our children are not our jewelry. They are a gift from the LORD and we will continue to trust God to provide for them and us.

Psalm 127 (NLT)
1
Unless the LORD builds a house,
the work of the builders is useless.
Unless the LORD protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2
It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.

3
Children are a gift from the LORD;
they are a reward from him.

4
Children born to a young man
are like sharp arrows in a warrior's hands.

5
How happy is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.