Lady Edith

Doesn’t the Bible warn us against “false prophets “? Preaching the Word of God for their own gain? True missionaries do not toot their own horn. They quietly go forth into the world and do REAL WORK. They build hospitals and schools. They create clean water supplies and provide education to those who have none. They find resources for the underserved and they do so under the premise that this is God’s Work and a special calling. They don’t pass out lollipops at interpretive dance performances. They DO SOMETHING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! I have a friend who was a missionary when she was in her 20s. A trained nurse, she worked tirelessly to help the people in the small African village where she was placed. She never EVER bragged about what she was doing she merely DID IT. IMHO what these people do is not even remotely a mission. Playing basketball with kids and passing out teeny squares of banana bread at half-assed bible study groups is not ministry. Yes, I suppose being present with others who are suffering could be seen as ministering in a way, but I’m sure none of the people these fakers “ministered to” appreciated being told that they are unworthy sinners while sitting in an air conditioned house (not their own) with all the amenities they will never have. Then going back to their huts and eating a meager meal and drinking dirty water and hoping and praying they can find the money to put shoes on their kids’ feet. I have no sympathy or empathy for the Dillards. You reap what you sow. And these people are sowing a whole bunch of nonsense.

I’m not the world’s greatest housekeeper and have been known in my kids’ early years to sleep on several towels or even a bare mattress when they were sick and had an accident in our bed. However that stuff got changed as soon as possible and my sheets NEVER looked like that. Just ew. And whose diaper pail goes out of commission? If all she has is a fancy diaper genie, then she needs to get real. A bucket will do in a pinch. Or even a garbage bag with a drawstring. It isn’t hard.

Doesn't "residency" mean being there and living the job? So I suppose this "residency" program will keep him away from all things Duggar. Unless they allow kids and spouses to be there too... i just don't know how any of the husbands haven't gone loco yet. No privacy, can't be trusted to be alone, constant surveillance...I'm waiting for one to run screaming. Especially considering none of them were raised in this atmosphere.

They should be getting advice from Jana.

Thoroughly disgusted by Dreck's tweet. Seriously? There have been countless studies on transsexualism and why it occurs (news flash, Derek, it's not a new phenomena!). From the articles I've read, the transsexual brain is shaped differently, just as male and female brains are. In a male transsexual the brain is shaped more like a female's (though not entirely the same) and vice versa. The jury is out as to why, but some say it's due to a hormonal surge during a key point of fetal development. And so you have young children (who are too young to even understand the concept of gender roles) stating that they are the opposite sex. Because it's literally the way they are wired. They have no control over it. They can't just stop thinking they are the opposite sex because you or other small-minded people tell them to. Their brains are telling them that they are. And no amount of fundie brainwashing and church and misdirected prayer will ever change that. It is not a choice...true transsexuals don't wake up one day and declare on a whim that they are now the opposite sex! And it makes me so FURIOUS that idiots like Dreck are openly slamming Jazz (and others) for the way they were born! And Derek, if you consider your thoughts on God and how we are each born in his image and we are given gifts by Him through which we live our lives, then GOD created transsexuals. Not Satan. Satan has no realm over the forming or shaping of God's creation. Satan only TEMPTS the creation that God has made because he does not have the power to do more than that. He is a weak fallen angel who got too big for his britches and pissed God off in a failed power grab. People like Jazz are not tempted or "corrupted" by Satan into believing they are the opposite sex. You are giving Satan too much power and control by thinking that he COULD. Derek, step down off your high moral horse and actually consider science for a nanosecond. God gave us the ability to understand the world around us. And yes, Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge and were outcast from Eden. However, if you read more closely, God was more of an overprotective parent, wanting to shelter His children from the world and the pain that such knowledge could bring. After the apple incident He could've wiped all of his creation out and started fresh. But he didn't. Instead, He gave us the greatest gift of all...free will to develop ourselves and to learn about the world around us. About HIS miraculous creation. And the brains He gave us do just that. Scientists are using the brains and gifts that God gave them to better understand the world around us and to allow us to HELP EACH OTHER! Your refusal to accept science is actually trashing one of the greatest gifts that God gave to us. And as an Orthodox Christian, I find that repulsive.

Ok so here is my .02. I'm waiting for the swarm of locusts to descend into Laredo. I'm not talking of the type that eat plants. I'm speaking of the type that takes their thrift shop decor and jump right in like it's their house to decorate. After the initial "Descend and Decorate" Guerrilla home decor session, I envision something like that commercial for the storage unit place where the couple gets the call that mom and dad are on their way for a visit. They scramble down to the storage place and dredge out all the awful decor and high tail it back just in time for the 'rents to arrive.

To dredge up the three roses topic again, I think they were just part of the "package" when Jeremy bought the bouquet. No special meaning whatsoever other than the bouquet is pretty and yellow is Jinger's fave color. In regards to her freedom, I think that has become precious to her. For the first time in her life she is able to do things (like "normal" people do) and she is going to be hard-pressed to give that up any time soon by birthing 37 kids in their first years of marriage. Jinger has always had a strong streak in her and I don't believe that she was thoroughly accepting of the kook aid. While spiritual, Jinger does not strike me as a bible-banging fundies fanatic like the rest of them. She has aspirations for her life (although they may not be the same as yours or mine) and not all of those aspirations are directly connected to Duggarism or Gothardism or quiverfull. I have a feeling that she understands that you can be a "servant of God" without having 50 kids for his glory and putting yourself (and them) in a world of hungry, abusive hurt. I think also that Jeremy has his own ideas about being a "Christian" that do not include Bible-based mandates on dress or whatever. He seems to be encouraging Jinger to grow a bit as a person and to experience the world around her. And that includes venturing out on her own. Far from what she was taught growing up in the compound. I am glad to see that they put up the restriction on Duggars visiting the first six months, but they did not seem to have that restriction on the Vuolos. Granted, when the Vuolos visit it's ma and pa and no one else. When the Duggars visit, it's like a plague of locusts led by a super fake magnanimous "leader" who couldn't lead himself out of the bathroom if the door was wide open. I can't help but think that Jeremy's embargo was the direct result of the way Jim Bob treated him when he and Jinger were courting. The visit they all made to Laredo when Jim Bob announced to the world that Jeremy's closet smelled like dirty shoes and told Jeremy that he would need to get a second job to supplement his meager pastor's salary so that he could support Jinger's thrift shopping habit. Ugh, if I were Jeremy, I would've put a LIFELONG embargo on him for embarrassing me on tee vee.

Ohhhhhh see, I thought that the gender announcement was made after the pregnancy announcement. My bad. ? So there is a big chance that Smuggar #5 COULD be born around the same time as Samuel. Interesting...

Dear LORD. There is so much wrong with this. 1. The Jewish people are NOT going to give up a thousands-year-old religion just because some crazy Americans threw a couple of tracts at them while on vacation. 2. God is God. The top dog. The head cheese. Says so as numero uno in "the Big 10" that they supposedly follow. They seemed to have forgotten that little fact along the way. Jesus may have come along and changed the rules a bit but his father is still the reigning head. It seems to me that the Duggars and their ilk put the son ahead of the father. Rarely a mention of God, but everything for Jesus. And the Jews (who worship the same God as Christians do) I'm sure do not take lightly to that. @Mojitogirl their relationship with Israel is simple...that's where Jesus was born. And that's where it ends. Because anyone who does not worship Jesus as the head honcho is bad in their book and needs to be converted.

When the People announcement was made, Anna was probably already 2-3 or even 4 months along. So that would put her in the November/December/January conception timeframe which would mean a July/August/September baby. Technically "later in the year". Please, God, don't let there be a gender reveal party or a birth episode with the latest smugling. I seriously would boycott everything TLC from now until eternity if there is. And I know I'm not the only one. I already TiVo the episodes and watch nearly a week later so that it doesn't count towards ratings. I will quit TLC completely if it happens. And if any sponsor advertised on that episode I would boycott their products faster than you can say EW! This family deserves ZERO attention with this band aid baby.

I thought it was protocol to monitor moms after delivery. I had two ginormous babies (10 lbs 4 ozs [and three weeks early] and 12 lbs). I had preeclampsia with both babies and no gestational diabetes. With both kids I was on a potassium drip and a self-inflating bp cuff for 24 hours following birth. I had friends who had "regular" vaginal births who also were closely monitored for 24 hours after delivery. If any of the Duggars or Duggar adjacents are reading this, PLEASE, for Jill's safety and for that of your precious baby, do not let her VBAC at home. While everything COULD wind up OK, do you REALLY want to take that risk that it doesn't? Doctors, like our Doodlebug here, understand more about high-risk scenarios than anyone and would be able to help Jill quickly in an emergency situation. She was very lucky the last time. She may not be this time. I know we come down on you all hard at times, but actually we are concerned about your safety and well-being. So please, put Jill and Samuel before this idea of a "perfect" home birth. Because in the end it doesn't matter how the baby gets here...as long as he and Jill are healthy and safe.

I have to respectfully disagree with this...an online degree from an accredited institution is as good (and accepted) as one from a brick and mortar classroom. But that's the key...an ACCREDITED institution. Some schools (usually for-profits like Capella University and the University of Phoenix) are not as well looked upon as the more established university and college online programs. But they are still accepted as viable degrees by employers. I earned my master's degree online from an established university after earning my bachelor's degree from a similar school but in a classroom setting. Having done both, I can say that online programs can be more challenging than an on-campus program because there is an additional element of self-discipline that is not as present in the traditional classroom. In traditional classes you do not always have to come to class and, when you do, you don't always have to participate. But in online programs, you do. It's required that you log in for so many hours each week and be an active part of the conversation. And your prof will keep a eye on it. The education I received online was exactly what the on-campus students received. The classes were taught by professors (Ph.D.) and my textbooks were the same as what the campus students used. We wrote papers and took tests. I wrote a master's thesis at the end. I missed out on nothing being a virtual student. And in the end my diploma said exactly the same as what the campus-based students in my program received. I do have to say (and I can't believe that I'm saying this) that if any of the Duggar-in-laws are taking (and passing) online classes from an accredited school, they are more dedicated than I originally thought. And I have to give them props for it.

This is kind of what I was thinking. The Duggars are still on TV. Josh's exploits and Counting On keep them in the limelight. IBLP makes millions selling their brand of religion, with all the books, videos, conferences, etc. They are already having PR issues with Gothard's revelations (and, by extension, Smuggar's dalliances) which I'm sure have cost them $$$. The formerly squeaky clean Duggar image is what IBLP relied on to push their church and agendas. To normalize them and make them appear wholesome. The Duggars are still on TV and still have a following. So whatever is left of their image needs to be protected. And monitored. Jim Bob does not appear to be a PR guru, so he would need to be "handled" more closely. So yeah, it's a page out of Scientology (of any other cult, IMHO) if true. And truly scary stuff.

Since the topic came up about Duggar "helpers" and male duggars, I have a thought. Call me suspicious, but my Spidey sense is tingling like nobody's business. First, Tabitha Payne served as the family "helper" and SOTDRT "teacher". Tabitha's father is on the IBLP board. Now Laura DeMaisie (who is also affiliated with IBLP) has taken the reins at Duggar Central. This doesn't seem like gracious people lending a helping hand. To me, this appears to be ILBP sending handlers to keep a strong eye and arm on the Duggars. If Michelle isn't mentally capable of handling and teaching her kids, which it appears she isn't, what better a way to manage/brainwash the younger Duglets and to do damage control than to have IBLP send a mole in there to monitor the situation, make sure they toe the Gothard line, and report back to HQ? I don't remember hearing about Tabitha Payne until after the Smuggar scandal broke. I could be wrong...please correct me if I'm wrong. Jessa monitored the kids' cyber school until she and Bin got hitched. So maybe I have my timelines wrong. But this just seems WAY too coincidental that the Duggar "helpers" are strongly connected to IBLP.

I literally laughed and spewed a mouthful of spaghetti onto my phone when I read this. It made my Dark Side smile. Thanks for the laugh!!! ?

I make these at home in the winter. They are actually quite good and filling. And not wholly cheap to make. I use chicken breast, green peppers, onions, whole wheat tortillas, low sodium soup and low fat cheese and sour cream. I especially like them cold. My mil used to make them the "regular" way and they are good, but very caloric. They take a while to prepare but are really quite delicious. jill's look goopy, like she used too much soup.

Ok...so my family captions all our silly photos. Feeling silly tonight, so I took a stab at the groomsmen shot... from L to R: Hans and Frans The Thinker Hitchhiker (A.K.A. Hitting the Highway to Heaven) That was a biiiiig bird! Obligatory small boy who obviously does not want to be there. (A.K.A. Little Fists of Fury) Uncle Louis (without his stogie) Duggar adjacent Duggar adjacent adjacent Token Duggar The Jersey Boys Ed Grimley Mr. Mom

I'm Orthodox too. Eastern Orthodox (Ukrainian) to be precise. ? But back on topic...Jeremy, do you not realize that much of the rituals and celebrations in Christianity in general (and not solely Catholicism) are rooted in Paganism? Two that spring to mind (and the biggest in the Church calendar) are Christmas (Winter Solstice/Saturnalia/Yule) and Easter (Spring Solstice). For all we know, Jesus was not born on Dec 25 or Jan 7. Some biblical scholars say that He was most likely born in September or earlier. As far as I'm aware, nowhere in the Bible does it say that Christmas and Easter are to be celebrated and when to do so. The way I heard it, when the early church was growing they ran into flack from the newly minted Christians who did not want to give up their holidays. Another story says that early Christians wanted a holiday that they could celebrate along with their Pagan neighbors. And so Jesus' Nativity is celebrated in the winter around the Pagan holidays. And can we be absolutely certain when the Resurrection took place? We know it was some time around Passover, but how can we be sure of the dates? The best we can do is to go with a date for Easter/Resurrection Day that correlates with Passover and the Spring Solstice. So Jeremy (and the rest of the Duggars)...y'all celebrate holidays that are strongly attached to Pagan rituals and festivals! So before you start talking about the "evil Catholics" and how they are going to hell, you may want to examine your own practices and beliefs...

Sigh. Why are the Duggars and Duggar adjacents so anti-anything-other-than-fundie? How hard would Jeremy, Bin and the Duggs faint if they ACTUALLY READ church history? And as far as the whole idea of it being PAGAN, where does that come from? Do they understand the fact that many sects of Christianity have icons and statues in their churches and homes? Not just Catholics? Do they not understand that these items are not worshipped, but used as a means for remembrance and to teach a story? Do they not have icons in their own homes (I consider a crucifix an icon)? When I think about the Duggars, what I see is a mess of people who worship Jesus, not God. And THEIR version of Jesus, to boot. I would LOVE to have a philosophical conversation with these people.

AHA! I found the answer to this question! It says "Jayber" which is the name he uses for his clothing line. @Evil Queen, you were right. http://usa.jeremiahraber.com/ Here's an example of it from the site:

According to a few of the posters on the 19 Kids and Counting board, TLC pays for a lot of the trips and anything associated with houses (if the trips and houses will be part of filming the series). And I think Sabrina's current house is part of the set that she is allowed to live in. It's totally not her style...it's decorated in a way that I do not believe suits her personality. It looks very country with all the happy little kitschy signs and the style of the furniture and appliances. And she is more rock-and-roll in her choice of clothing and hair color/style. I think Sabrina was basically homeless and TLC created this living space for the sole purpose of filming her spots. The same went for the Duggars on 19 Kids and Counting. TLC swooped in at the last minute to finish their house before they would not be homeless (bad for the show, IMHO). And I think they did the same for Sabrina. I don't know what kind of agreement the Duggars have with TLC in regards to finishing their house and their ability to remain in it after the show is over, but I assume that they (and Sabrina) both have one.

? Good one, Albanyguy! So before JD puts it on auto pilot, does he say "Jesus! Take the wheel!!!"

The truly funny thing about that pic is everyone else is focused on the camera. And smiling. Bin is looking like he is using every ounce of strength he has not to get up and walk out of the house. I wonder if he got flack from KJB or PPP over it?

Yup. And what a niche market! "Fly the holy skies! Be closer to Jesus with Us!" Experience air travel fundie style! Fly round-trip to your missioncation destination without all the evil associated with commercial air. Non-stop Kirk Cameron movies and free audio feeds of past Keynote speeches from past Big Sandy conferences! Meal service, including tater tot casserole and pickles, is available family style on flights longer than two hours. And because no alcohol is served you can fly with confidence knowing you aren't traveling in a den of inequity.

That's when JD and Duggar Air come in to play. Quick stopover in Laredo and then the jaunt to Danger America.