Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)

[AstridM]

1 hour ago, mythoughtis said:

$5000 a month 12 months a year is good.  $5000 for 3 months a year- not so good.  April, May, June.  When the really hot weather starts in July, the mowing slows down. It’s done in late October. The good lawn services offer landscaping and then snow removal in the winter. 
 

In addition, there is maintenance, gas and oil on both the machines and the truck to transport them. Insurance etc.   

not to mention huge amounts of self employment taxes. 

[EmeraldGirl]

Yeah, my in-laws in the Midwest had a guy cut the grass, and in the winter he switched to plowing the driveways and cleaning sidewalks. I live in the south, so people do pools as well as landscaping all year long and make a good living at it. Maybe someone should head to Florida with Nurie. Jill would have more incentive to go south. They’re not tied to Ohio in any way (except for fake devotion to family), why don’t they just move to Florida? Then they wouldn’t have to take their big drive south.

[andromeda331]

1 hour ago, EmeraldGirl said:

Yeah, my in-laws in the Midwest had a guy cut the grass, and in the winter he switched to plowing the driveways and cleaning sidewalks. I live in the south, so people do pools as well as landscaping all year long and make a good living at it. Maybe someone should head to Florida with Nurie. Jill would have more incentive to go south. They’re not tied to Ohio in any way (except for fake devotion to family), why don’t they just move to Florida? Then they wouldn’t have to take their big drive south.

I really thought they would have Nurie married and moved there. I was sure Jill would move the family the immediately after.

[merylinkid]

1 hour ago, EmeraldGirl said:

why don’t they just move to Florida? Then they wouldn’t have to take their big drive south.

Because if they lived there, Jill wouldn't have an excuse to take a month long vacation every February to go visit her.   Jill is definitely not taking a month long vacation to visit her parents in West Virginia in the middle of winter.

[ALittleShelfish]

Maybe Jill hasn't found the perfect Amish/Mennonite community to insert herself into yet.

[oliviabenson]

Jill is selling the dress she wore to tims wedding. she is still wearing that dress lol. whoever buys it will get a used dress and doubtful Jill will wash it before sending it.

[lookeyloo]

11 hours ago, AstridM said:

not to mention huge amounts of self employment taxes. 

Assuming they report and file anything

[oliviabenson]

Living in Ohio must be cheaper than moving to Florida. I too don’t understand why Jill isn’t in Florida already.

[AstridM]

3 hours ago, lookeyloo said:

Assuming they report and file anything

🤬🤬🤬

[oliviabenson]

Singing tour gave me the giggles.

That’s not a well coordinated outfit ms Ashley. 

[AstridM]

Singing tour? Aren’t they basically on vacation again?

[libgirl2]

32 minutes ago, AstridM said:

Singing tour? Aren’t they basically on vacation again?

Their lives are one big vacation, at least Jill and David's are. The kids have to work for their (small) supper. 

[oliviabenson]

37 minutes ago, AstridM said:

Singing tour? Aren’t they basically on vacation again?

She’s going to Florida for who knows how long. My guess 3 weeks. She decided to call it a singing tour. It’s a grifting tour as usual. At least she is not going on the plexus trip. 

[ginger90]

Words by Kaylee:

 

This past Sunday was a truly special day. ❤️📖🙏
We dedicated our sweet, little Gideon to the Lord. 
Our prayer and hope is that in our home, Gideon will always have the example of us, his parents, keeping Christ at the center of all we do.

 Sadly, numerous young families today strive to be trendy, fit in, and chase after popularity. 
This kind of lifestyle deeply grieves Jonathan's and my heart, to the core of our soul. 😥 
Why would we want to conform to a lifestyle that merely reflects how the world lives? 
Why would we want popularity or fame over being a peculiar people and standing up for the things of truth and right? 
Why would we want the world to be proud of us or give us their applause? Why not seek after making the Lord proud of us? For He is the one who died on a tree to give us eternal life, in heaven and saved us from an eternity in HELL!!!!

We pray that in our home, we may always strive to please the Lord. 
That Gideon will see our home as one that desires to seek and please God, not the world. 
 
We love you Gideon. With all our heart and soul, we give you to the Lord. 💕

[Salacious Kitty]

Peculiar people? That was a strange turn of a phrase. 

[laurakaye]

Peculiar people indeed.

It bothers me that, according to Kaylee, she and Jonathan spend a lot of time grieving over everyone who doesn't live as they do.  But how does this jibe with the Bible verse that tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves?  There are people in my real life that I would also love to ask this question to, but I am tired.

I assume it means to love your neighbor if they look, think, and act like you.  Then it's cool.  

Poor Gideon.

 

Edited 4 hours ago by laurakaye

[libgirl2]

3 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Peculiar people? That was a strange turn of a phrase. 

I have heard that phrase before in conjunction with a religious sect like the Amish maybe? 

[emma675]

14 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

Words by Kaylee:

 

This past Sunday was a truly special day. ❤️📖🙏
We dedicated our sweet, little Gideon to the Lord. 
Our prayer and hope is that in our home, Gideon will always have the example of us, his parents, keeping Christ at the center of all we do.

 Sadly, numerous young families today strive to be trendy, fit in, and chase after popularity. 
This kind of lifestyle deeply grieves Jonathan's and my heart, to the core of our soul. 😥 
Why would we want to conform to a lifestyle that merely reflects how the world lives? 
Why would we want popularity or fame over being a peculiar people and standing up for the things of truth and right? 
Why would we want the world to be proud of us or give us their applause? Why not seek after making the Lord proud of us? For He is the one who died on a tree to give us eternal life, in heaven and saved us from an eternity in HELL!!!!

We pray that in our home, we may always strive to please the Lord. 
That Gideon will see our home as one that desires to seek and please God, not the world. 
 
We love you Gideon. With all our heart and soul, we give you to the Lord. 💕

There really needs to be an eye roll reaction, lol. Take it down a notch, drama llama Kaylee. 

The irony of judging families who chase after popularity while she's posting this on social media for likes and comments is totally lost on her.

[Absolom]

Has Jill quit making her youtube videos of Make Your Life Count Minute?  The last one I saw was something like 136,  

[Natalie68]

On 2/7/2025 at 8:19 AM, oliviabenson said:

so where is Jill's desk at now? the empty pantry? every inch is cluttered so maybe in the upstairs attic? 

Bathroom

On 2/7/2025 at 1:11 PM, crazy8s said:

for a change of topic - Hilaria Spivey posted last week of Robbie seeming to graduate from some program and won the "skills award" out of 80 guys.

Officially a certified lineman for electric co maybe. He also got a CDL so he can drive a bucket truck or other large trucks.

He was surprised and his parents were in tears and so proud.

Also pics of him side hugging a girl.

So THAT is what the singer for REO Speedwagon is doing now! 😂

[merylinkid]

50 minutes ago, emma675 said:

There really needs to be an eye roll reaction, lol. Take it down a notch, drama llama Kaylee. 

The irony of judging families who chase after popularity while she's posting this on social media for likes and comments is totally lost on her.

Oh so much so.   If you really aren't looking for attention, keep it private.   

"do not let the right hand know what the left hand is doing"   Matthew 6:3

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."  Matthew 6: 5-6

Something tells me Jill completely skips over Matthew in her teachings rantings to her children.

[PradaKitty]

Died on a TREE??

[crazy8s]

17 minutes ago, PradaKitty said:

Died on a TREE??

I think that reference is pretty common actually. Nailed to a tree, died on a tree is something I have heard used lots of times by non fundie people and used in christian books and music.

 

[tarheel220]

5 minutes ago, crazy8s said:

I think that reference is pretty common actually. Nailed to a tree, died on a tree is something I have heard used lots of times by non fundie people and used in Christian books and music.

 

I've always taken issue with the whole "died on a tree" thing because growing up, we had a pastor who basically came in and said Christ didn't love everyone, only certain people and that he died on a tree.  You wouldn't have believe the lengths people in that church went to to keep him as a pastor, to the point that the church split and my parents left that church and went to the one that formed from the split.

Sorry, it was not a tree, but a cross. 

[crazy8s]

2 hours ago, tarheel220 said:

I've always taken issue with the whole "died on a tree" thing because growing up, we had a pastor who basically came in and said Christ didn't love everyone, only certain people and that he died on a tree.  You wouldn't have believe the lengths people in that church went to to keep him as a pastor, to the point that the church split and my parents left that church and went to the one that formed from the split.

Sorry, it was not a tree, but a cross. 

Oh I agree, just saying of all the things the rods spout off about, this is not just a rod thought or a fundie thought.

Edited 50 minutes ago by crazy8s

[Salacious Kitty]

2 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I have heard that phrase before in conjunction with a religious sect like the Amish maybe? 

That sounds right, now that you mention it. Though I think I would reserve it for Scientologists. 😂

[BradandJanet]

4 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

Singing tour gave me the giggles.

That’s not a well coordinated outfit ms Ashley. 

Sorry Miss Ashley. The look is a manly flak jacket over a grandma's blouse and a stretched-out knit skirt. You could do better at your local thrift shop for much less money.

[libgirl2]

13 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

That sounds right, now that you mention it. Though I think I would reserve it for Scientologists. 😂

I googled it. The saying is in the KJV and has been used by evangelicals. It has also been used by both the Amish and Quakers.