"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one's youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them."
Psalm 127:3-5 

 

 

We had planned to cover the Quiverfull Movement in greater detail today; however, we have decided to make this post a tribute to a self-sacrificing couple.  We bring you heartbreaking news from Florida about a tragedy involving a married couple who had a quiverfull of children, most of whom were rescued through adoption.
 

 

Here's the headline and the link:
 

 

Couple With 16 Children Found Slain 
By MELISSA NELSON (AP)
 
http://news.aol.com/article/florida-couple-with-16-children-killed/566477?icid=main|htmlws-main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fflorida-couple-with-16-children-killed%2F566477
 

 

The authorities believe three men broke into the home of Byrd and Melanie Billings, who lived in a rural area west of Pensacola near the Alabama border, and murdered the couple.  A surveillance camera shows a red van at the scene.  Everyone should be on the lookout for these men and their van. 
 

 

Eight of the children were asleep in the home at the time of the crime but were unharmed.  The Billings were a prosperous couple known for adopting children with developmental disabilities, many who were born to drug-addicted mothers.   
 

 

Here's an excerpt from the referenced article:
 

 

"The Billings had 16 children, 12 of them adopted.  They married 18 years ago and each had two children from previous marriages.  The couple then began adopting children with developmental disabilities and other problems. 
 

 

The couple owned several local businesses, including a fiance company and a used car dealership.  In a 2005 story in the Pensacola News Journal, the couple said they wanted to share their wealth with children in need, but didn't imagine their family would grow so large. 
 

 

'It just happened,' Melanie Byrd told the newspaper. 'I just wanted to give them a better life.'" 
 

 

This couple demonstrated true Christian sacrifice.  Byrd and Melanie Billings were wealthy and could have lived a life of luxury and ease; instead, they opened up their home and their hearts to children with varying special needs.  The foster system has a very difficult time finding loving placements for these types of children, and this couple specifically chose those children to adopt.

 

We don't know the arrangements this couple made for their children, but it's obvious that their lives demonstrated their strong commitment to them. 
 

 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Byrd and Melanie Billings, a couple who we believe chose the right way to have a "quiverfull".  Please join us in praying for them…

We will continue our series on the “Quiverfull” movement on Monday. It is a goal of this blog to be able to bring breaking stories of interest. How tragic to see this story occur in the middle of this series.