Joy-Anna, Jinger and Kendra Duggar may have some differences, but one thing they have in common is how important their faith is to them and their families. The three women exclusively spoke to Us Weekly about how their religious beliefs affect their daily lives including naming their children, keeping marriages strong and their hopes for the future.
Joy-Anna, who welcomed her son Gideon with husband Austin Forsyth in February says her faith helped in choosing a name for their first-born. “Austin and I wanted a strong name for our son and when he was born we decided on Gideon because it is a Biblical name.” She continues, “He was a man of power and one that was willing to serve the Lord even when the odds were against him.”
What Joy-Anna, 20, and her husband are most looking forward to as they watch their son grow up has to do with their faith as well. “Our desire and thing we’re most looking forward to is the day our son understands the gospel,” she says.
Joy-Anna admits the first time she held him in her arms was an emotional experience. “I just cried,” she says. “Holding him for the first time was incredible. My mom had always talked about the love that God gives you for your own children, but really, it’s amazing, the love that I have for him.”
As for Jinger, who is expecting her first child with husband Jeremy Vuolo, notes that when it comes to having a solid relationship, she is thankful to see her siblings’ love for Christ. “I think the most important thing when we see a couple is that first and foremost they are running after Christ. That’s what’s going to make the marriage strong,” she says. “We’ll all have challenges and eat and walk through them as a couple, but seeing how each couple handles them and runs to Christ, that’s the most encouraging thing to me.”
Kendra, who is expecting her first child with husband Joseph Duggar, reveals that she looks to her faith when it comes to expanding her family. “We would love to have more kids if the Lord blesses us,” she tells Us Weekly. “As many as He wants to give us, we’ll be happy to take them.”
For more on what inspires them and their families, pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
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