It doesn’t take much to persuade people how great family life is. Little is more validating than new moms and dads holding their firstborn in their arms; all the riches of life pales in comparison to the miracle of life.

Parenting is a great privilege, and the Jeubs have been privileged to parent 13 children over 22 years. This website isn’t as much of a family site as it is a testimonial. Many families struggle with the idea of having children…more children, beyond the typical 1 or 2. Having three kids nowadays is considered a “huge” family. It is strange, really, how difficult it is to persuade the culture that children are a great blessing from God. Consider:

Sons are a heritage from the Lord,
Children a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
Are sons born in one’s youth.

Blessed is the man
Whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
When they contend with their enemies in the gate.

-Psalm 127:3-5

The Jeub Family first loves the Lord, Jesus Christ. His Holy Spirit is alive and well in our family. Any “greatness” that people may accredit to us needs to be totally shifted to Jesus. Wendy and I are absolutely nothing without Him. In fact, we can attest to a strong persuasion from God early in our marriage to have children. Without God’s conviction in our life we would likely have stopped with four children. Likewise, any “condemnation” that we may be dealt by those who feel our convictions are irresponsible or foolish, we can respond with confidence that we are obeying God. Our lives are testimony to how joyful this response is.

We couple our faith in Christ with a love for children and family. However, we believe our love is not any more significant than most parents. We are regular parents with normal shortcomings (we all have them!). Our faith is strong at times but weak at others. We struggle with tempers, anxiety, lack of patience, anger, frustration…you name it, we have likely worked through it with the same fear and humility as all parents.

Nevertheless, we firmly believe that the number of children we have makes no difference to the human struggle we face in a fallen world. We have witnessed parents with two kids have more trouble than parents of a dozen. The truths God teaches you as parents are magnified by the number of children you have, and if you allow God to bless you with the gift of children, you will be most richly blessed with growth and adventure!

You will often hear us say, “There is never a boring moment in our household.” There’s not! Seriously, I haven’t been bored in years. Life with two adult children, one at-home teenager, eight little ones, and twins at the end brings the most interesting ventures. Wendy and I have been stretched in more ways than physical—we have been stretched personally, relationally, medically and financially. Every day brings a new experience with our children and with our God on whom we depend.

I remember praying as a young man for God to make me a rich man. He has since blessed me with 13 children. If I were to tell you that it has been an easy road, you’d think I was either Super Man or a liar. It hasn’t been easy, but what path in life is? Is the life of no children and all of the world’s treasures (travel, money, fame, pleasure) any easier than a life full of children? Perhaps it is easier, but ease doesn’t equate to fulfillment. Consider this heavily: lying on your death bed, will you treasure your riches you gathered over your lifetime, or will you treasure the surrounding comfort of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren?

This is the argument that our family website puts in front of visitors: children are a gift from God; therefore, have children. It isn’t easy, but ease isn’t something God calls his people. He calls us to obedience, and if you feel the conviction to stop resisting God’s gifts and open the fertile womb, this is an incredibly simple truth that will build a heritage from the Lord.