TBOC: The Moore Family part 1

As many of you know I posted about the Moore family having their video Children Are A Blessing free to watch during the month of April. Well I've had the privilege of getting to communicate with Edee Moore via email and she has so graciously agreed to answer some interview questions for The Blessing Of Children series. I won't tell you too much about her, but rather let her tell you herself...

1.       How long have you been married?   

Shane and I have been married for almost 21 years!  

2.       How did you meet your husband?

We met in our Sophomore English class when he was a new student in our high school.   I was a "home-town" girl, and he and his family had just moved to the area.     However, we didn't date each other until we "just happened" to go to the same college.   I'm not advocating dating, just admitting that we did!  :)

3.       How many children do you have?

We just gave birth 6 days ago to our 11th blessing! 

4.       What are their ages? (and names if you’re willing to share)

Since we have freely volunteered our children's names in our films, I don't mind sharing them here:   

Demie - 20

Dane' - 19

DeLane - 16

Darbie Lee - 14

Dain (our oldest son) - 12

Daylie Grace - 10

Dobson - 8

Dandle - 6

Delight - 4

Dabney - 3

Dulcie - 6 days! 

(No, we didn't plan on going with all D's in the beginning.   By #3, we thought we'd better name her with a D too, though.  Just in case she were our last, we didn't want her to feel left out!  :)  )  

5.       Did you ever think you’d have this many children?

The question is:   Did I ever think I'd have children at all, and the answer is NO!   Before Shane and I were married (our last year in college), I had always said that I never wanted children.   I didn't want to "waste" the talent and skills the Lord had obviously (chuckle) blessed me with.   Then, when Demie was born, the Lord began to slowly but surely change my heart and Shane's.   To Him be the glory!!

6.       Is your family involved in any ministries?

It depends on what you define as a ministry. Teaching and training our children is the most important ministry we can have at this season of our lives, so we aren't volunteers for a formal "ministry."   After years of volunteering as children's choir directors, men's quarter pianist, Crisis Pregnancy Center counselor, youth group teachers, Bible study teachers, etc, the Lord gently began to show my husband that the most effective form of ministry (outside of the family) is one the family can do together.   This "ministry," if you will, began with forming one on one relationships with other folks and families, having people into our home often with the hopes of sharing with them the things the Lord was teaching us, and eventually helping to plant a church in our area.   Really, I guess you could say that "discipleship" became our ministry, keeping in mind that as we "ministered" to others, we were still learning many things - still are learning many things!  

Over time, the Lord also began to plant into our hearts the idea of making a film about the blessing of children.   Thus, Moore Family Films was birthed, and we continue to make films to encourage and edify families, for the glory of God.   This has become one of our family's main "ministries."  

7.       What made you and your husband decide to trust God with your family size? Did you both agree at the same time or was one of you ready before the other?

So often, we see that for whatever reason, the wife is the one who first has the desire to trust God with family size.   Fortunately, in our situation,  I was only a little bit ahead of Shane in our convictions.   At the time, I thought I must be losing my mind, to be even thinking of not using birth control.    God used several things in our lives to begin to dissolve the scales that blinded our eyes.   First, we absolutely loved our precious little girls, born 12 months apart while Shane was still in college, even though others thought we were so irresponsible, and even though they "kept me from finishing college."   Then,  when we moved to a neighboring state for Shane to finish up his degree, we met a family with 6 children - "6 children!!!   Can you believe that???    I'd go crazy!!!!"      These words actually proceeded from my mouth as I told my mother over the phone about this family in our church.   Not only did they have all these kids, but they also homeschooled!    I really was flabbergasted.    I had never heard of such a thing.   But, as I watched this family from a distance, it became so obvious that they were happy, they took care of each other, and the children stood out from the other public schooled children in mine and Shane's little choir.    That was the tiny seed God planted in my heart, and soon afterward in Shane's.   That tiny seed blossomed and grew, even after we and the other family each moved to other states and lost touch.   To this day, I don't think they have any idea how God used their quiet influence on the hearts of a very young couple.   Hi Radosevich's, wherever you are!   :)    A while later, just when I thought all these ideas were unique, the Lord led us to a couple of resources (Nancy Campbell's book Be Fruitful and Multiply being one of them), and crossed our lives with a couple of other families who were actually being led in the same direction.    These resources and families were planted by the Lord to affirm what He was already telling us in His Word.    I looked up the word "womb" in the Bible and was astounded at the number of times it said that "God opened the womb" or "God closed the womb."    It had actually never occurred to me before that God was actually in control of such things!    

8.       Was there ever a time when you questioned your decision?

Absolutely.   As many of you well know, there aren't many folks who get out their pom-poms and start cheering when they realize you're having more than 3 children, especially on purpose!   When we first decided to trust the Lord with the womb (i.e. not using any form of birth control - not even natural family planning), I suppose you might say our faith was a bit shaky.  Often when we encountered financial hardships or especially hard days (which happen more than not with so many small children), I would silently wonder if we were doing the right thing.   Especially since the church leaders and most of our family and friends didn't hesitate to verbalize their disapproval.   Those were trying days that served to confirm and strengthen our convictions over time.   Each of us must look to God's Word for the answers to everything in life!   Certainly, having a Godly husband who shared my convictions was paramount in our sticking to it!  I have seen many times, however, when a wife prays for her husband in this area (without nagging her husband), God is usually faithful to open his eyes as well.  

9.       What advice would you give to a young mom just starting out with maybe one or two children?

As far as family size is concerned, I would encourage her to rest and trust in the Lord, come what may.  If God is convicting you about things before your husband, then commit those things to prayer. 

 Make time for the Word and prayer everyday.  However, don't fall into the self-condemning trap of thinking you have to have hours on end of uninterrupted time in Bible study and prayer.   In this season of life, those times will be rare.  Snatch little moments when you can.  If you happen to have had a good night's sleep, and all the little ones are still in bed, then by all means, get up a bit early for this intimate time with the Lord.   However, if the needs of the family simply prevent this time, then don't grow weary in doing good.   Gather your children around you as you read a Psalm aloud to them and then pray together about your day.  The Lord will use this time to grow you.  If your husband isn't leading your family spiritually through daily time in the Word and worship as a family, then I would encourage you to pray that God would gently open his eyes to this responsibility and need in his life.   You may even gently and lovingly encourage him to consider how invaluable his role as spiritual leader and teacher of his family is.   

 Also,  I would advise her to enjoy every moment with her little children.  One problem I see in this generation of young moms, is too much time on the computer.   Especially on blogs and facebook, and similar things.   Although there is a place for it, and I'm sure many young moms find the networking extremely encouraging and the long days less lonely, your young family is growing up and needs your attention desperately right now.   I frequently tell young moms, "They'll be grown tomorrow."   And they will.  I can hardly believe how quickly time has flown.   My little piggy-tailed girls are now grown women, making films to encourage other families.   Kleenex, anyone?   :)  I'm actually thankful we didn't have internet when we began our family!  

Be on the look out for part 2 of this post were Edee discusses things like scheduling, finances, and finding alone time with her husband.