Viewers have watched Jessa Duggar's courtship with Ben Seewald since she entered the relationship 11 months ago. As of Thursday, the couple is now engaged and looking forward to their wedding day. Many of you have asked for more details on who Ben is and what he is doing to prepare to support Jessa and his future family. He is a full-time college student studying business and, like his father, works full-time replacing and repairing auto glass. His family lives three-and-a-half hours south of the Duggars in Hot Springs, Arkansas, but Ben recently moved north to be closer to Jessa.
Ben's parents, Michael and Guinn Seewald, interviewed with People Magazine about their son and his relationship.
"When Michael and I had Ben, he was a great baby, but he was a real handful as a toddler," Guinn, 40, told People. "He was very adventurous. He was a very opinionated kid."
Although Ben is young, only 19, his father says he has always been mature for his age. "We have tried to treat him like an adult growing up," Michael, 39, told People. "He did kid things, but with adulthood in view. He has had that his whole life."
The Seewalds are in full agreement with the Duggars' views on courtship and purity.
"There is nothing in the Bible that says 'thou shalt court,' " Guinn told People. "But we have raised our kids to know that someone else's heart is like a treasure, and you want to be careful with that other person and treat them with great respect. There is no perfect pattern. Treat other people as a gift. Honor God and your relationship."
One of the key differences between courtship and traditional dating is that courting couples are never alone together. They always have at least one chaperone. In the Duggar household, it isn't always easy to find someone who is willing to chaperone, unless you resort to bribery.
"Jessa and I found out that Jill and Derick were bribing the younger Duggar kids with Skittles payment to be chaperones for them," Ben told People. "We had no idea that's why they had such an easier time of getting chaperones."
Michael and Guinn Seewald, parents of seven, say that the size of their son's future family is up to him and his soon-to-be wife and that they have full confidence in Jessa and Ben to make the right decision. They like Jessa and are excited about the upcoming marriage.
"[Jessa] is very strong," Guinn told People. "She is very intelligent. She has a lot to offer to a conversation. She has great ideas – I have enjoyed getting to know her."
"She is exactly who we would want our son to have a relationship with," Michael added.
That's so awesome!😀 My baby brother was born on Thursday!!😀
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the birth of your baby brother!
DeleteHow can you go to school full time AND work full time ? Since he works with his father, who lived 3+hrs away from the Duggars, how can he marry and continue to do so? The distance would be prohibitive. Is Jessa going to move closer to the Seewalds like Anna, moving closer to the Duggars,, or does it only work in the Duggar favor?
ReplyDeleteI work 40-60 hours a week. I also go to school full time. It's not easy but is possible. I have a co-worker that does the same and raises her child.. You just learn cope with little sleep.
DeleteBen seems like an awesome guy. I love their family values!
ReplyDeleteCant wait for the wedding! I bet they will have some beautiful children one day:)
ReplyDeleteThe whole Dugger family is awesome. I have watched the show since the beginning. If we had more families like them and the Bates, this world would be a better place. Congrats to the happy couple. Can't wait to see the new season. Ben seems like such a genuine guy. Hope they will have a blessed life together as a married couple.
ReplyDeleteto all the Catholics who were offended by what Ben said, I would like to point out a few things for you to consider. Firstly, Ben is very young. How many of you did not say stupid things when you were 19. Secondly, some of the worst persecutors of the Church became its greatest saints. Take St. Paul for example or Cardinal John Henry Newman. Paul hunted Catholics! Newman set out to once and for all prove the Catholic Church wrong. After all of his searching he new he had found the truth. Give Ben credit for at least being passionate. God can work with that well!
ReplyDeleteI agree with anonymous #3's comments. Seems to be the case here.
ReplyDeleteBen is so sweet! Thanks for this article Lilly and Ellie! Y'all are so helpful in seeing all the latest Duggar news!!! Can't wait to see pics of the ring and watch their engagement and married life unfold.
ReplyDeleteHello, can you tell us the names and ages from Ben's siblings? Are the Seewalds a "Homeschool-Family"? Where will the new couple live after their marriage and do you know the weddingdate?
ReplyDeleteExciting and wonderful testimony to a GOD centered relationships.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! I had no idea that Ben was two years younger than Jessa. Now it surprises me that Jim-Bob and Michelle allowed Ben to court her when I thought they wanted men who courted their daughters to be the same age or a little older, not younger. It even surprised me that his parents are at least almost 10 years younger than Jim-Bob and Michelle. Did his parents marry young like Jim-Bob and Michelle and have a baby young too?
ReplyDeleteCongratulations & Best wishes to Jessa & Ben. For the person that asked how can you go to school and work full-time. There are many people that work and go to school, myself included. It can be done!
ReplyDeleteHuh? What does full time mean: "He is a full-time college student studying business and, like his father, works full-time replacing and repairing auto glass."
ReplyDeleteExodus 23:8: And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.
ReplyDeleteProverbs 15:27: Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.
Proverbs 21:14: A gift in secret averts anger, and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.
Amos 5:12: For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate.
How can you do both full time anonymous #7? Work is 40 hours a week; they don't work or go to school on Sundays, so that leave 6 days each week. Full time school is 16 hours in college...doesn't leave any time for anything else. How is Ben going to appear on the show too? That also, is a job for them which pays money..so, I don't see him continuing with school. Sadly, they will need the money and he will need the education, it's a catch 22 as I see it.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 2.........It's easy to work full time go to school full time and raise a family my dad did it fir years when my brother sister and I were growing up and he didn't have a business of his own you do it for the betterment of your family's future
ReplyDeleteWe need a picture of her ring!!! :)
ReplyDeleteMy dad also went to college & worked full time when I was little. It can certainly be done, you just have to want it.
ReplyDeleteMy Congrats!
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteI am guessing you are saying it is wrong for the Duggars to be offering bribes?
Firstly, be careful of legalism
Secondly, make sure it is within context
Thirdly, they are not offering monetary bribes in the hopes of unjust gain
Fourthly, it was not necessarily done in secrecy.
Therefore I don't necessarily have a problem with it. No one got hurt, and what they were asking was not in itself immoral. So relax. I'd be more worried if they had offered a bribe in exchange for a lie or to silence them to help cover up an immoral behaviour.
Mrs. Seewald sure does like to use the word "treasure". Jessa is a "treasure", a heart is a "treasure", "treasure" the person in the relationship, etc..The Duggar word is "encourage"; used over and over again. It beats swearing, sure, but I wish they would use a more diverse vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteBen seems like a fine young man and I'm sure he's aware of what he's taking on with full time work, school, and marriage. I wish him and Jessa all the best.
ReplyDeleteMmolesy 21: I don't get the "bribe thing". Please elaborate. Thank you
ReplyDeleteWhats this stuff about bribes? Did I miss something?
ReplyDeleteThey mention above that Derrik and Jill bribed the kids with skittles so they would chaperone and one reader is freaking out saying you're not supposed to offer anyone bribes...
Delete
ReplyDelete"Jessa and I found out that Jill and Derick were bribing the younger Duggar kids with Skittles payment to be chaperones for them," Ben told People. "We had no idea that's why they had such an easier time of getting chaperones." That's where the bribes came in
Please let us in on what is being insinuated in some of these comments about a bribe. Did the Seewalds or the Duggars bribe someone for this engagement? Is that where this is going?
ReplyDeleteAgree with previous comments. They are a great young couple; and if they want it bad enough, they can manage their time to accomplish everything; they both want. It takes a lot of courage;and they might be tired at times but I believe in them.
ReplyDeleteOh, ok. I get it now. But let me say this...why put a negative connotation on something so innocent as bribing some kids with Skittles? I'm pretty sure that must of us on this blog have at one time or another done the same thing. Just the other day I told my daughter if she was good, I would give her a cookie. Was it a bribe? Yes. Am I ashamed? Not at all.
ReplyDeleteI actually thought we had a mini scandal on our hands. Instead someone is quoting scriptures over skittles. SMH. Lighten up a bit, please.
ReplyDeleteHaha! Agreed!
DeleteI've heard a lot about Ben's comments on Catholics/Catholicism. Could someone please explain what he said? I've tried looking over his social media pages to see if they were on those, but found nothing. Thanks. :)
ReplyDeleteIt IS possible to work full time and go to school fulltime and more. I worked 30 hours a week, did a 20 hour a week internship, took 5 classes (15 credits) made it to every one of my son's baseball games and school events. The entire time I carried a 4.0 GPA. It's called having a schedule and keeping the schedule. CONGRATS, Jessa and Ben!!! Best wishes for a loving and successful marriage.
ReplyDeleteI think what the question was referring to was how can Ben attend college and work (both full time), while living over three hours away from both his father's business and, presumably, where he was/is attending school. The distance he would have to commute each day makes this scenario highly unlikely.
DeleteNow, if he switched schools and started his own business in the town he moved to (again, 3+ hrs away to be near the Duggars), then I'm sure this would be possible. There have been no announcements of either of these things happening though. It was said that he went to school and worked with his father but then moved. So, did he move the business and change schools, or is he commuting each day?