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Topic : 07/17 Living on a Prayer

Number of Replies: 987
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Created on : Friday, February 08, 2008, 12:25:06 pm
Author : DrPhilBoard1
(Original Air Date: 02/15/08) What happens when a parent’s agenda becomes so extreme that his or her children are forced to live a harsh, stoic existence? Dan and Janna are a college-educated couple married for 15 years with seven children, ages ranging from 2 weeks to 14. They have no income, no heat, no running water and are about to lose their house. Dan and Janna believe that their primitive lifestyle is God’s will, and that they are being led by the Lord. Janna’s mom, Carol, and stepdad, Rich, are worried about the health of their grandchildren. Are they eating enough? Are they warm enough? They say because the children are home schooled, they live in a cult-like home environment, and are not exposed to the outside world. Carol and Rich are willing to bail this family out one last time, but why are Dan and Janna refusing the help? After eight failed businesses, why won’t Dan get a job to support his family? Where will they go when they are forced out of their home? Talk about the show here.

Find out what happened on the show.

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February 15, 2008, 2:32 pm PST

GET A DAM JOB OR YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE LIKETHEM!!!

     how DO THE CHILDREN FELL ABOUT NOT HAVING RUNNING WATER LIGHTS SO ON AND SO FORTH!!!

how COULD YOU PUT YOUR CHILDREN THREW THIS BULL - - - -!!!!

HOW CAN THEY EVEN KEEP THESE CHILDREN WHY DOESN'T THE CDF COME AND TAKE THEM AWAY FROM THE MOTHER AND FATHER???

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE DAM COFFEE!!!!

 
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February 15, 2008, 2:33 pm PST

You have to have a carseat to bring a baby home from the hospital, but no running water or gas... what the heck is going on???

OKAY PEOPLE WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?  CAN SOMEBODY TELL ELLIE MAY AND JETHRO THAT CPS IS A REAL ORGANIZATION AND THAT THEIR ACTIONS WILL DEFINITELY PUT THEIR KIDS IN FOSTER CARE.  I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN BRING A NEWBORN BABY HOME WITH NO RUNNING WATER!!!!!!!!!!  THIS REALLY TICKS ME OFF ,THEY ARE TOO OLD FOR THIS CRAP.  STOP HAVING KIDS IF YOU CAN'T TAKE CARE OF THE ONES YOU GOT.  I THINK THAT THOSE CHILDREN NEED TO GO TO SCHOOL SO THEY CAN GET A WELL BALANCED MEAL: BUT WAIT: MAYBE THE PARENTS ARE HOME SCHOOLING SO SCHOOL OFFICIALS DON'T CALL CPS.  I STILL OWE ON MY STUDENT LOANS BUT THESE FINE PEOPLE ARE EDUCATED AND STILL DON'T HAVE A CLUE ... WHAT A WASTE OF A FREAKIN DEGREE... SORRY IF THAT'S HARSH BUT I FEEL BAD FOR THOSE CHILDREN... GET A JOB ! GET A JOB ! GET A JOB!

 
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February 15, 2008, 2:34 pm PST

Carol and Rich

I seriously doubt that your daughter and her husband are going to listen to any of the excellent advice offered on the show. It is up to you to behave responsibly on behalf of the children. First, no longer enable the insanity by giving them money. No more. If they lose the house, they lose the house and have to find something else. Second, call child protective services. They will not allow those children to live under such conditions. If Janna has her heart ripped out by losing her kids, then hopefully, she'll wake up and do whatever is necessary to provide a decent life for them so that she can get them back.

I doubt that the children are actually receiving an adequate education. It is obvious that their food, shelter, hygeine and safety are in serious jeopardy. They deserve to be somewhere where they do not have to worry from day to day if they are going to be cared for.

 

 
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February 15, 2008, 2:35 pm PST

REPORT HARASSMENT AND ABUSE BY LAW-ENFORCEMENT

While most officers are hardworking professionals, far too many are downright abusive.  Knowing your rights is an important first line of defense against harassment and abuse by law-enforcement.  As an advocate for civil rights and police accountability, it is quite disturbing to know that such gross misconduct still comes easily to some officers.  To protect yourself and your constitutional rights, it is very important to know your rights and make smart choices in tough situations.  To learn more go to or cut and paste the following links: 

 

 

Submit a Law Enforcement Abuse Complaint Form

http://www.policeabuse.com

 

Just Say No to Police Searches:

http://www.FlexYourRights.org

 

  

The Police Complaint Center documents and investigates alleged incidents of police abuse.  The staff consists of students, researchers, attorneys, former police officers and licensed private investigators.  The organization believes that many police organizations have done a poor job of protecting the public from abusive officers.  Their primary service is assisting victims of police misconduct with reporting complaints to appropriate enforcement agencies.  They also investigate police and sheriffs deputies that are accused of abusive behaviors.

 

Hope it helps!

 

 
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February 15, 2008, 2:35 pm PST

Why hasn't someone called Social Services???

Someone needs to provide for these children...if the father is unable or unwilling to work, then Mom has to work at something other than pushing out more babies.  If neither of them can provide, then someone needs to call DSS and remove these children from this unsafe home!!!!!  I am a christian and I believe in God's Will; however, I don't believe that God would lead this man to NOT provide for his children!!!  Shameful...he's just lazy and blaming it on God!!!

 
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February 15, 2008, 2:36 pm PST

Dan's no vitim!

Quote From: toniecw

You are absolutely right...all are here to glorify God.

 

What this show did for me was this:

 

It made me see that even if tomorrow all falls down and I have to start all over again...my faith, belief and trust...will eventually help pull me out of harms way...for this will happen for Dan...wait and see...if Dr. Phil can tell a ex con a acting deceptive and a writing a book on how to deceive large corporations and such in gaining employment and acting as a this or a that and not having one ounce of educational background that when he gets his book published, he will bring him back on the show.

 

It is my hope that he will do the same for Dan...

 

"Faith, Trust and Belief, the size of a mustard seed, and one can command mountains to move in ones life."  That is what the show gave me...

 

It wasn't Dan or his wife's idea to come on the show, it was Dan's wife's parents who were tired of handing over money in which to help them stay tangent...

 

Dan didn't want to take anymore assistance from his wife's folks, perhaps due to all the belittlement they were a giving him...for they held no faith, trust and belief in him at all...and were only a doing it I believe for their daughter and grandchildren...

 

I too think that I would starve to death before I would accept such type of treatment myself...

 

Obviously Dan had to have worked in the past...for he couldn't have gotten a mortgage based on dreaming dreams...perhaps Dan became despondent from the way that the last employer/corporation treated him...guys don't bounce back so easily as women when it comes to relationship failures...that is a fact, Jack!

 

That is perhaps when Dan decided that being self employed was the best way to proceed...for it is a common knowledge fact that one can never recoup their dream worth by a working for someone else...

 

I too am in the self employment world and I too have gotten similar blasting's from those just a casual looking into the window of my life...so I can feel for him...truly.

 

Dan and his family are in my prayers and on God's Altar for protection

May You Be Blessed

Love, Light and Peace

Tonie

Nope, it wasn't Dan's idea to be on the show, that is true. But I'm wondering who forced Dan and Janna to be on the show. For that matter who forced them to take the $50,000 they've accepted from her parents over the years? Perhaps they agreed to be on the show thinking that Dr. Phil might agree that Janna's mother was too controlling and he would shame her into giving them more money and keep them from being evicted in 2 weeks. We could see that Dan is proud, but not too proud to be bailed out. He's too proud to listen. Did you not hear him when he made the statement "I've done great things."?  Lots of people would like to be self-employed. Lots of people have dreams. You can take great risks and fly by the seat of your pants with no cushion when you are single and have only yourself to risk. When you are responsible for a family of nine, however, you pull up your boots and go get a job with an income you can depend on and you work on your dreams on the side. This isn't about God's will, it's about Dan's will.  Why wouldn't Janna's parents get frustrated after shelling out an enormous sum of money and find him in the same boat but with more and more passengers?! It doesn't really matter if he's been successful in the past...her mother said they've always lived like paupers and they didn't deny it. So, why shouldn't they be concerned that the grandchildren are living in those conditions? Dan's a grown-up and he can take care of his own feelings! Those children need the empathy you've wasted on him.
 
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February 15, 2008, 2:37 pm PST

ETHICS AND MONEY QUESTION

I am wondering if  Dan and/or Janna's folks put them  through college OR did they work their way through?

This one factor makes a huge difference in how graduates proctice a work ethic and how money is handled.  Since Mom/stepdad gave them thousands of dollars, which this couple sold the goods for "pennies on the dollar", my guess is that these TWO moochers were handed college fees. All three of my successful kids put themselves through college and all own their sucessful businesses.

 
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February 15, 2008, 2:40 pm PST

Angry with no children

As a happily married woman who hasn't been able to conceive. It angers me so much that they have 7 children and seem so casual about the situation.  If we had to dig ditches or hold traffic signs by the side of the DOT workers we would do it.  God has blessed them 7 more times than they deserve!!!!!!
 
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February 15, 2008, 2:40 pm PST

Been there

 This show was certainly eerie....i 've lived this one as did my children.  Note the fellow's wedding picture and his current look of sunken eyes and grey pallor.  This same thing happened to my husband under the guise of following the Lord.   Slowly but surely he slipped into serious mental illness.  If the Dr. Phil staff is following this message board, I ask that they follow this family for when the bottom truly falls out from under him he may turn to violence and hurt those that he professes to love the most.....please watch out for those children.
 
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February 15, 2008, 2:41 pm PST

Living on a Prayer?

My personal profile of Dan:  using scripture as his personal crutch to condone his actions (does he not see that the devil is twisitng his mind into "insulting" the Lord?), insecure, giving into failure, in denial, lazy and looking for an easy way out--Janna: codepenent on her husband and her parents but because of her "controlling mother", Janna always knows where the next $ is coming from to care for and support them and their children (whether or not Dan says he doesn't want or won't take their money).  Obviously, he and Janna DO accept their financial support.  Janna supports Dan because she knows that her parents will "rescue" them.  Their lovely children are their "trump" card.  I don't doubt that they "love" their children but they don't respect them, Janna's parents nor do they respect themselves. Those children  can't live on "love" alone.  I think it's a "shame" that the grandparents have destroyed their retirement  in this situation--where and how w/Janna and Dan support them in their old age and time of need?  God gave us "free will" to make our OWN choices.  I am surprised Dr. Phil didn't offer help in the form of job counceling to BOTH parents.   My heart weighs heavy for their children.
 
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