Confession: I Like the Duggars, Okay?

I like the Duggars, okay? Sue me. 19 Kids and Counting is my guilty pleasure show. I don't watch much TV (seriously, I have Roku in my bedroom but that's mostly used for watching this show and free movies on Amazon Prime) but I love me some Duggars episodes. I'm not the only one in this house either. I might've sort of gotten my mom hooked on it as well. We maybe sort of get together on Wednesday afternoons/evenings to watch the previous day's episode because I might've sort of purchased the season 14 TV pass on Amazon Prime. Maybe. Okay, fine... I totally did. Seeing Jill (Duggar) Dillard's courtship and engagement to her (now) husband, Derick Dillard, was interesting to us so we were hookedSee, we'd never really seen a courtship like theirs... or a family like the Duggars. Say what you will about them (and some of you have some very strong opinions about the Duggars) but the way they live their lives is fascinating to us. The courtship between Jill and Derick was actually kind of awesome to watch. That's not to say that I want my future fella and I to do things like they did. I respect their decisions to always have a chaperone with them, to not have their first kiss until their wedding day, to do side hugs and avoid frontal hugs, to not hold hands until they were engaged, etc. I understand why they chose to not do those things. I totally get it... but it's not all for me.I'm definitely the "this is the line, don't cross it" type of gal when it comes to the physical side of a relationship... and that line is very specific and very "hands off the merchandise, mister." I love giving hugs (ask anyone who's ever met me; I greet and say my goodbyes with a hug) and I won't push my fella's hand away if he wants to hold it. That is fine with me. I do occasionally hang out with my guy friends one-on-one when we go out to lunch or go do something else but I also know they respect me and my boundaries; they're my bros and I trust them or else I wouldn't be alone with them. So, basically: I don't use a chaperone because 1) I'm 29 years old (yes, I know I don't look it) and 2) I trust those with whom I hang out with one-on-one. However, if I didn't trust someone or didn't know them all that well, I would honestly not be alone with them and would ask someone to come along. Call that person a chaperone if you'd like. Will I wait until my wedding day to share my first kiss with my future husband? Probably not but who knows. I'm certainly not knocking the practice but I can't see it happening for me personally.Yes, I know the Duggars are Baptist Christians who are part of the Quiverfull movement. Yes, I know they are Christians who take the Bible 100% literally and believe in Creationism (and that the earth was literally created in the span of 7 days; Jessa Duggar has come under fire for her remarks on this subject recently). Yes, I know some of their beliefs are a little "extreme" in the eyes of us Catholics, but I respect the fact that they do everything for God and with God in mind. Again, I'm not endorsing their lifestyles or beliefs but I think they have their hearts in the right place.As I was reading Growing Up Duggar (written by the four eldest Duggar daughters), I agreed with some of the advice they gave. I went into the book expecting it to be on only romantic relationships but was pleasantly surprised to see they covered everything from the way you see yourself and the relationship with you have with your parents and siblings to your relationship with the world and with culture. If you were to ask me to list everything I agreed with, this blog post would be a smidge longer but let's say that some of the advice they gave (such as trying to work problems out with positive communication instead of answering in a passive aggressive or negative manner) sounded solid. There were many times where I went "eh, yeah... that is definitely a Protestant idea" or "okay, I see where you're coming from but maybe this is a bit much for me, personally" but there was some good stuff in there.One of the biggest things that I took out of the book was my own relationship with God and my faith. It challenged me (in a good way) to see where I could improve it. Can I quote Bible verses off of the top of my head and tell you exactly where to find it? Nope. But I do keep a notebook full of my favorite saint quotes and I can recite some parts of the Bible from memory because I incorporate them into my daily prayers (through the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary). Other things I need to work on: - doing more things with in God in mind and not worrying so much about offending others because they don't agree with my beliefs. The people pleaser in me is still letting that go. - (generally) continually growing in my knowledge of the faith. Enter Theology M.A.- remembering to live out the Beatitudes in my every day life (♪ oh, Bl. Pier Giorgio... I need your help... ♪).- getting more involved in evangelization efforts (even if that means simply speaking out against the lies I hear about the Church instead of keeping my mouth shut out of fear of being wrong or misleading someone... which goes back to #2 on this list).- keep praying for my future spouse (though I started doing this way before the Duggar girls recommended it).I have had some issues with Duggar related news in the past (such as when future son-in-law Ben Seewald -- who is marrying Jessa this weekend -- spoke out against Catholicism with some very erroneous "facts") but that is to be expected from those who haven't learned the truth about our faith. Am I going to hate him for it? Nope. I'm not a fan but I'm going to pray he one day sees that he was wrong in claiming certain things about Catholicism that he clearly knows squat about.I know some of you cannot stand the Duggars and that's okay. We all have different filters and we see things differently. I see the Duggars as a mostly harmless (like the Earth... quick, name that novel/movie!) Christian family who is all about God and loving their neighbor in their unique way. They chose to follow "traditional gender roles" (as some anti-Duggar feminists like to say) and have the women be the caretakers of the children and home while the men are the breadwinners. The women choose to have long hair and wear only skirts and dresses. They choose not watch kissing in movies... to not listen to music that isn't classical, Celtic (read: instrumental) or hymns... to not watch TV... etc etc.Again, I'm not agreeing with everything they do... but would I rather watch their show than watch something like Keeping Up with the Kardashians or The Jersey Shore (is that still a thing?) You bet! And, before anyone takes offense because you like those shows, I'm not saying you are a terrible, terrible person for liking them. I'm simply stating that I choose to watch this show because it's a whole lot more wholesome than most of what's on TV and that is more my taste. Remember my Proud to Be a Prude blog post from nearly 3 years ago? Still entirely true about me. I still cannot sit through a sex scene and will physically remove myself from the room if I can. Go ahead and read that blog post to find out why if you don't already know.In a weird way the Duggars have inspired me to make some positive changes in my life. As a result of reading Growing Up Duggar I've chosen to:- spend less time online (especially social media) and spend more time reading and doing more physical activities, like dancing to exercise... which the Duggars wouldn't approve of.- make some improvements in my relationship with my mother. Our almost entirely opposite temperaments can sometimes cause some miscommunications.- improve my relationship with God... which is an on-going progress that we should all strive for anyway. I've gotten better at trusting Him but I still occasionally catch myself worrying about things I know I shouldn't worry about because He will never lead me down the wrong path.For these reasons, I will continue to watch their show and wish them all the best. Do I recommend this book? I actually don't know. I personally enjoyed it and I did get some positive things out of it but I also know it won't be everyone's cup of tea. If you're curious, there's obviously nothing salacious in it so you're golden there. When it comes to faith related matters, I'd look else since I am obviously not a Baptist Christian. Still, it's interesting to get to know their beliefs a little better because what we believe that makes us who we are.So, there you have it. That is my little confession and sort-of (but not really) review of the book. You Duggars fans will enjoy it (even if you, like me, don't agree with faith based matters).Okay, it's... 1:10 a.m. on the 30th and I should be in bed! Oops! Long day tomo-- err, today.I hope y'all are having a great week thus far!As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D