The Duggers are a very well-known, strict Christian family, who have had their lives documented on their hit TLC television show 19 Kids and Counting.
We have seen each of the 19 children grow and develop personalities and lives of their own, and now the eldest Dugger daughters have opened up about growing up in such a large family in their new book Growing up Duggar.
Jana, 24, Jill, 22, Jessa, 21, and Jinger, 20, reveal interesting facts about their personal lives and relationships, and give an inside look into the do’s and don’ts of dating in the Duggar house. The entire family made a stop by Good Morning America to discuss their new book and the new season of their show that is scheduled to premier on April 1.
“Courtship is a new season of life. It’s exciting,” Jessa said. “We call it dating with a purpose and not just frivolous, really considering the person as a potential life partner.” Jill agreed with her sister, and gave her insight into what dating truly means. “We talk about what we’re looking for [in the book]. Not just, ‘Oh, he’s a cute guy.’ But the heart of the matter. Is he going to be a good father? Is he slow to anger? We have a list in [the book] that helps girls think deeper than just the surface.”
Despite their beliefs, the girls are only human, and know that temptation is everywhere. “It’s easy to put yourself into physical and moral danger and give into those emotions or sensual thoughts that promise pleasant, but only temporary, fulfillment,” the girls wrote in their book. “By censoring our thoughts through the filter of God’s word, we will be able to recant any wrong thoughts or temptations that try to sneak in.”
Jessa is the only one of the girls that is currently courting a man. She revealed six months ago that she was seeing Ben Seewald, a fellow member of her church. “They’re enjoying getting to know each other and are recommending sermons to one another,” Jim Bob Duggar, Jessa’s father, said. “Courting is getting to know each other in a group setting, both families spending time together and the couple setting goals together to determine if they are meant to marry. With dating, a couple will often pair off alone and that sometimes leads to a more physical relationship.”
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