It’s been ten years since I wrote those words, 22 years since Tripp and I made our commitment. We have 12 children – 9 by birth and 3 by adoption (in addition to our 8th child, who has Down syndrome, we’ve adopted 3 more). Our two oldest daughters each have five children and are expecting their 6th – Jasmine by birth, Samantha by adoption. I’m grateful that our hard work has given us such a sizable stake in the future.

And what an unexpected joy it’s been to find – through the Internet – that Tripp and I were never alone! All along there were families like ours, who somehow came to the conclusion that it might be best to buck popular wisdom – and even church culture – to put God in charge of their family size. 

Now we are being taken seriously: Laura Ingraham’s new book, Power to the People, extols the potential of big families to transform the culture, and reporters from Christianity Today, Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal try to capture what makes us tick. 

What makes us tick is as different as the families themselves.  I’ve rounded up some personal narratives from readers at MommyLife  – which will certainly resonate with any Christians beginning to question their personal status quo vis a vis children.

Among younger Christian moms, many report going on The Pill before their wedding day as a matter of course – expected by their parents, their in-laws, and everyone else. Some report paradigm shifts set off by side effects: depression, weight gain, lack of sex drive.

Others discovered to their horror – since they considered themselves pro-life – that the pill can act as an abortifacient.  They gave it up immediately.

While some went on to barrier methods, for others the shakeup of their preconceived ideas led them to rethink and scrap birth control altogether.

Many who structured their marriages to come off The Pill when they felt ready have been disappointed to find that fertility isn’t something we can turn off and on like a light switch. They struggle with infertility and miscarriages – adding up to much more time than they bargained for waiting for a baby.

Others discovered on their own – sometimes with a nudge from books like The Way Home or A Full Quiver – that God’s plan for their family did not include birth control of any kind. While some ended up with 12- and 15- passenger vans, others barely filled a sedan, discovering that for those who leave family planning up to God, the personal challenge can go either way, including trusting Him through just a few – or even no children at all.