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

[crazy8s]

3 minutes ago, satrunrose said:

And to be as fair as I will ever be to the Rods, at least two of the kids tried college-ish stuff (more if you're generous, I think 2 of the girls did some sort of bible course). The Duggars have 100% of their sons qualified through the "I watched someone do it a few times" School of nepotism. 

Though the duggar's somehow managed to have 3 or 4 sons get a private pilot's license - and commercial and teaching license for a few.

Also at least three have builder's licenses and 2 with a Realtor or Real Estate Brokers license.

The Rod boys have been working entry level jobs. In Tim's case mowing lawns or gutter cleaning with no idea he needed to be licensed as a business or have insurance and had reviews from his mama and sisters.

 

[Salacious Kitty]

And now Phillip possibly working at Wendy's. 

[crazy8s]

10 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

And now Phillip possibly working at Wendy's. 

After going through several other jobs at 2 months duration each according to his linkedin.

[oliviabenson]

1 hour ago, crazy8s said:

In her stories -  she is trying to win  $1,000 from "the company she is working with by getting people to sign up to buy healthy products. A monthly give away and she is trying to win it this month.

Also she "is hopping on here" from the girls dorm with bunk beds behind her. 😂

chance of that is 0. 

[ginger90]

47 minutes ago, crazy8s said:

After going through several other jobs at 2 months duration each according to his linkedin.

Skills he has listed:

 

Spelling-0

[Salacious Kitty]

6 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

Skills he has listed:

 

Spelling-0

Editing also 0.

[EmeraldGirl]

I’m sorry, but “satisfying costumers” just cracked me up. What, did he do outfits for the circus? Drag shows?

[Future Cat Lady]

I have the maturity of a 14 tears old, so my mind went into the gutter with his “satisfying costumers” skill. How exactly does he satisfy customers? Is he a male escort?

[oliviabenson]

I'm shocked he didn't mention loving Jesus! 

Edited April 4 by oliviabenson

[Salacious Kitty]

It's the 10th anniversary of Amy's accident. Countdown to a weepy post from Jill, making it all about her.

eta Amy made a thoughtful post on the Praying for Amy Foster FB page. As of this writing, past midnight Eastern time, Jill has not replied. 

Edited April 4 by Salacious Kitty

[ginger90]

Amy’s post, in spoiler due to length.

Spoiler

Ten years…. It has been ten years since I could move my fingers and wiggle my toes. It has been ten years since I could climb out of bed and walk down the stairs. This tenth anniversary of our car accident has not been a day I have looked forward to. Kevin will soon know me longer as a quadriplegic than a normal person. To be honest, this life with quadriplegia is still a challenge for me. It can be so easy to let my circumstances determine my attitude. I have had to give it to God over and over and ask Him to change my heart because in my weakness it feels impossible for me. I read a devotional a little while back that really helped me. It said that how we react when our plans are interrupted often reveals the place of importance we have given to those plans. When our plans or desires are the most important thing to us, we often refuse to accept the loss, and we have made our expected desires and plans an idol in our life. Idolatry is giving any desire a precedence over the will of God. Anything we love more than obeying God has the potential to destroy us. Wow! That hit home for me. I have failed so often in putting God’s will before mine. I have failed to receive His many blessings because of the idolatry in my heart. May my heart be submissive to His will.
   This life has had many challenges, but I am thankful to have a great Saviour. He has given me a wonderful, patient, faithful husband and six loving, obedient children.   I have seen my own weaknesses so much more and also God’s mighty power. I have seen how little I can do and how much God can do. I have seen my failures and God’s greatness. I have seen my sin and God’s tender mercy. I have seen how little I can give and how God gave His all.   
  “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day, for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”  2 Corinthians 4:16-18
  🩷Amy

Jill’s reply:

Edited April 4 by ginger90

[laurakaye]

 

18 hours ago, Notabug said:

I think Jill cannot stand the idea of any of the kids being more accomplished than her and Dave.

But just think of the higher-quality restaurants and fancy vacations she could take on the dime of one of those accomplished kids!  Come on, Jill - think of yourself for once!

 

14 hours ago, EmeraldGirl said:

I’m sorry, but “satisfying costumers” just cracked me up. What, did he do outfits for the circus? Drag shows?

What about "staking boxes?"  How does he get them out of the ground once they're "staked?"  That seems like a lot more work.

The sad thing is, I thought that list was a joke.  I know where he's been educated so I know better.

Edited April 4 by laurakaye

[merylinkid]

18 hours ago, Notabug said:

I think Jill cannot stand the idea of any of the kids being more accomplished than her and Dave.

and that is such a low bar the kids really have no chance in life.   Because right now Philip working at Wendy's is outshining his parents.

[mythoughtis]

If Phillip is working at Wendy’s, and stays there for a while, that’s a good thing.   He is interacting with some people not ‘like-minded’.  Some great, some not so great.  Some working while in college, some working while their offspring are in school, some working in retirement. He’s going to learn a lot about other people’s  lives and how the world actually works.  I hope he learns some life skills.  
 

I’m sure Tim is learning at his real world job too.  

Edited April 4 by mythoughtis

[BradandJanet]

Apparently, proofreading and using spellcheck were not mentioned at either of the two "colleges" Phillip attended. 

On 4/3/2025 at 11:33 AM, merylinkid said:

Narcissism.   They literally don't think about their kids outlivng them.   Because their kids do not exist independent of them.   They cannot conceive that their kids might be around when they aren't (yes logically that is most likely to happen but you can't reason with unreasonable people).   So it does not enter their thinking to have their kids prepared to live without them because that just won't happen in their minds.

I'll bet Jill and David think they're special enough to bring about the Rapture, and they, having led full lives, and their kids, having had short, miserable lives, will all ascend to heaven together. Jill will bring her phone to record the event. 

[MamaMax]

 

19 hours ago, crazy8s said:

Though the duggar's somehow managed to have 3 or 4 sons get a private pilot's license - and commercial and teaching license for a few.

Also at least three have builder's licenses and 2 with a Realtor or Real Estate Brokers license.

The Rod boys have been working entry level jobs. In Tim's case mowing lawns or gutter cleaning with no idea he needed to be licensed as a business or have insurance and had reviews from his mama and sisters.

 

Don't forget that the Duggars are outliers in this community - they have money.  If the show hadn't come along, I think they would still be living in the grinding poverty they were in back in the bad old days.  Jim Bob is (probably) more intelligent than David and managed to make good investments with the money he got his hands on. Small businesses, real estate, etc. He then had the resources to get his sons flying lessons, to set them up in businesses, etc. This is all VERY not normal for fundies. Tia Levings writes a lot about how the Quiverfull people convince you that you can forgo ALOT of necessities in service of having a shit ton of kids. Jill and Dave clearly took this these lessons to heart. 

Also - Jill and Dave do "OK" bit remember they were both raised more or less normally.  Jill has denied her kids ANY real education (hence their failures at "college").  Jim Bob and Michelle also grew up pretty normally and had decent educations it seems. 

But you take someone who isn't very intelligent like Jill, with a so-so education and she's in charge of educating her kids - who maybe aren't that smart to begin with -  that spells disaster. 

[Salacious Kitty]

6 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Amy’s post, in spoiler due to length.

  Reveal spoiler

Ten years…. It has been ten years since I could move my fingers and wiggle my toes. It has been ten years since I could climb out of bed and walk down the stairs. This tenth anniversary of our car accident has not been a day I have looked forward to. Kevin will soon know me longer as a quadriplegic than a normal person. To be honest, this life with quadriplegia is still a challenge for me. It can be so easy to let my circumstances determine my attitude. I have had to give it to God over and over and ask Him to change my heart because in my weakness it feels impossible for me. I read a devotional a little while back that really helped me. It said that how we react when our plans are interrupted often reveals the place of importance we have given to those plans. When our plans or desires are the most important thing to us, we often refuse to accept the loss, and we have made our expected desires and plans an idol in our life. Idolatry is giving any desire a precedence over the will of God. Anything we love more than obeying God has the potential to destroy us. Wow! That hit home for me. I have failed so often in putting God’s will before mine. I have failed to receive His many blessings because of the idolatry in my heart. May my heart be submissive to His will.
   This life has had many challenges, but I am thankful to have a great Saviour. He has given me a wonderful, patient, faithful husband and six loving, obedient children.   I have seen my own weaknesses so much more and also God’s mighty power. I have seen how little I can do and how much God can do. I have seen my failures and God’s greatness. I have seen my sin and God’s tender mercy. I have seen how little I can give and how God gave His all.   
  “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day, for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”  2 Corinthians 4:16-18
  🩷Amy

Jill’s reply:

I checked Amy's Instagram, but alas, it's private. I can only imagine what Jill said. 

[sixlets]

Why do the women in that family see the need to add "faithful" husband and "obedient" children?  Are they trying to convince others or themselves?  My husband has never given me any reason to believe that he's been unfaithful, but when I talk about him, I don't mention he's also faithful.  Because THAT would be weird.  There is just nothing normal about this family.  

[andromeda331]

11 hours ago, BradandJanet said:

Apparently, proofreading and using spellcheck were not mentioned at either of the two "colleges" Phillip attended. 

I'll bet Jill and David think they're special enough to bring about the Rapture, and they, having led full lives, and their kids, having had short, miserable lives, will all ascend to heaven together. Jill will bring her phone to record the event. 

I'm sure she does. Jill's going to get one Hell of a surprise at the Pearly Gates instead of being greeted and welcomed like the second coming of Christ. Instead she's going to get called out for all of her horrible behavoir especially what she did to her kids.

[crazy8s]

Janessa turns 7 this week. Expect another weepy post from mama about this season of life with her babies growing up/not having babies any more etc/

[Notabug]

17 minutes ago, crazy8s said:

Janessa turns 7 this week. Expect another weepy post from mama about this season of life with her babies growing up/not having babies any more etc/

 I doubt that Jill will ever admit her babymaking days are over.  Aside from the fact she's obsessed with her looks and tries to pretend the world sees her as the same age as her daughters; she has loudly proclaimed to one and all that having babies is pretty much her sole purpose in life and it is God's will that she breed forever.  I expect she does a home pregnancy test immediately any month that she is 5 minutes late.

Edited April 6 by Notabug

[oliviabenson]

I'm sure David is glad baby making is over. he is so over everything. he always looks dead inside as is. 

[oliviabenson]

is Janessa even wearing a seat belt? and she is just sucking on that dirty blanket. at least her feet aren't cold.

[Salacious Kitty]

I saw from the original post that she still has the waist length extensions in. And filtered off her nose! 

[AstridM]

2 hours ago, crazy8s said:

Janessa turns 7 this week. Expect another weepy post from mama about this season of life with her babies growing up/not having babies any more etc/

Yet she is just starting “kindergarten” 🤬🤬🤬.

[Salacious Kitty]

Here's a better look at Jilly's stylish blouse as she bleats in the choir. 🤣

[libgirl2]

21 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Here's a better look at Jilly's stylish blouse as she bleats in the choir. 🤣

Her hands are very puffy. 

[oliviabenson]

Rapunzel she is not. She really needs a makeover. Her blouse is not modest and surprisingly she isn’t wearing a turtleneck under it. How sluttish.

[EmeraldGirl]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen her wear the same thing twice. Including always having new costume jewelry. WTF is Janessa even wearing?

[Salacious Kitty]

2 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

Her hands are very puffy. 

Her fingers (and hands) are always puffy. The Finger is quite plump. 

[oliviabenson]

well she quit plexus so no more plexus reset to make her all trim... she probably has health problems all puffy and swollen throat. wonder if she gets yearly physical and tests.

[oliviabenson]

55 minutes ago, EmeraldGirl said:

I don’t think I’ve ever seen her wear the same thing twice. Including always having new costume jewelry. WTF is Janessa even wearing?

she has a massive closet full of clothes plus I'm sure more in the shed or the upstairs attic. Jill owns a lot of stuff for herself. 

[EmeraldGirl]

Yes, I noticed since half quitting plexus she has been getting bigger and bigger. She for sure has thyroid issues, I'd bet anything on that. She documents so many things, but we never hear her talking about going to a doctor or a dentist. For them or the kids.

If that would’ve been one of her daughters, the V-neck would have to have a T-shirt under it … no matter how high the V-neck is. 
 

I wonder if she keeps buying identical wedding rings since her fingers keep getting bigger. Probably CZ so she can cheaply change them out.

Edited April 6 by EmeraldGirl

[lookeyloo]

If she ever went to a doctor would she still try and go to a "lady female pediatrician doctor" because after all she still gets mistaken for being a sister to her daughters!

[crazy8s]

18 minutes ago, EmeraldGirl said:

Yes, I noticed since half quitting plexus she has been getting bigger and bigger. She for sure has thyroid issues, I'd bet anything on that.

I don't think her body size and shape have really changed all that much because plexus wasn't doing anything there.

She is a peri menopausal or menopausal woman who up til now has heavily filtered, photo shopped, took pics from above, hid behind others etc in order to appear smaller than she actually is. Every time an unfiltered pic appears she looks much heavier.

Not body shaming at all because most would think nothing of her body shape or size if she didn't make such great effort to claim weight loss through plexus and heavily manipulating pics she posts.

[ALittleShelfish]

45 minutes ago, EmeraldGirl said:

She documents so many things, but we never hear her talking about going to a doctor or a dentist. For them or the kids.

She would for sure take a page out of her Most Favorite Godliest President Ever and proclaim that the doctor declared her to be in perfect physical shape and the healthiest mahmo they'd ever seen!

[emma675]

1 hour ago, EmeraldGirl said:

I wonder if she keeps buying identical wedding rings since her fingers keep getting bigger. Probably CZ so she can cheaply change them out.

I remember seeing a pic of her hands a few months ago and it truly looked like she needed her wedding rings cut off. Her finger was so swollen around the bands I doubt she could have pulled them off. I feel like their sodium laden diet, whatever crap is in Plexus, undiagnosed thyroid issues, and pre-menopause are doing a number on Jill’s health. Not that she'll ever see an actual doctor.

[oliviabenson]

I can't forget her toe ring on her swollen toes. it looked like her toe would need to be cut off. if she is so modest what's up with toe rings and anklets? Jill is sluttish based on her own description. 

[Lady Edith]

I know, I know.  Judge not, lest ye be judged.  But dang. between Jill and DBD, they pretty much cover them all. 

Lust: Excessive desire for sexual gratification.

Gluttony: Overindulgence or overconsumption of food or drink.

Greed: Excessive desire for material wealth or possessions.

Sloth: Laziness, avoidance of work or duty.

Wrath: Intense and uncontrolled anger or hatred.

Envy: Jealousy or resentment towards others' success or possessions.

Pride: Excessive self-esteem or arrogance.

If they are so godly and pure, why does this ring true?  I will admit, I tick a few boxes myself, LOL!  But not all. And I don’t proport myself to be the bestest, holiest, most blessed person to walk the earth.  Not even close. 

[Absolom]

I've said it before but all of Jill's mirrors are broken.  She can sit through a sermon, repeat it or summarize it, but she absolutely cannot apply it to her life.  It's like she has no idea who she is as a person either in appearance, personality, or behavior.

[oliviabenson]

so Jill has Renee, Phil and Sam old enough for marriage. Gabe and Tessie are close behind. Jill is failing at matchmaking or no one is wealthy enough for Jill to marry into the family!

[BetyBee]

10 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

so Jill has Renee, Phil and Sam old enough for marriage. Gabe and Tessie are close behind. Jill is failing at matchmaking or no one is wealthy enough for Jill to marry into the family!

She needs sils to foot her restaurant outings and dils who understand that Mahmo ALWAYS is entitled to a portion of her sons’ paychecks. 

[oliviabenson]

4 minutes ago, BetyBee said:

She needs sils to foot her restaurant outings and dils who understand that Mahmo ALWAYS is entitled to a portion of her sons’ paychecks. 

and to sell in her downline. I can't believe Jill doesn't post about plexus anymore lol. I miss reading her ridiculous claims and super filtered pics!

[Albanyguy]

21 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

I can't forget her toe ring on her swollen toes. it looked like her toe would need to be cut off. if she is so modest what's up with toe rings and anklets? Jill is sluttish based on her own description. 

"Feet aren't sexual"...Michelle Duggar (although I know several dozen websites that would disagree with her).

[merylinkid]

3 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

so Jill has Renee, Phil and Sam old enough for marriage. Gabe and Tessie are close behind. Jill is failing at matchmaking or no one is wealthy enough for Jill to marry into the family!

Word is out.  Especially after commandeering Tim and Heidi's wedding to do an engagement photo shoot for Sammers and Scarlett O'Bigot.  No one wants to sacrifice their kids to the Rods.

[EmeraldGirl]

Applause for Scarlett O’Bigot. 😂

[satrunrose]

To be honest, considering how harshly the parent generation judges even their fellow evangelicals (Bible translations, pants for women, bacon, name for major holidays, access to further education, knees, debt, quiet use of family planning, to name a few) it'a always a bit of a shock that any of their views line up enough to get married.

 

In practice (per Jill and Derrick/Jinger and Jeremy) it seems like the actual couples are fine with agree to disagree, as they should be. But after the rants that have come out of Jill Rod, Jim Bob, Michelle, the Bateses, the Maxwells etc. it always surprises me that the parents (who control so much of the marriage market) let these less than perfectly christian (in the Bible according. to Mamho) suitors in the door. 

Edited April 8 by satrunrose

[EmeraldGirl]

Jill didn’t do so great with their earning potential. Nurie seems to be set up for life of near poverty, and I’m not sure how Kaylee‘s husband is doing. 
 

Evangelicals really do have a whole set of strange restrictions.These people are of course a very extreme example. I had a friend once who was evangelical, but they wore shorts and did all kinds of other mainstream things. She of course homeschooled. But her son absolutely had to get married at 18 because, “How long is he expected to wait?”, meaning he had to have sex. At the time he was just a helper in a computer store. Daughter also married young, but she went into the military as I believe her husband was as well. And she was so extreme that she would not celebrate Christmas because it was biblically not the right date according to her and her preacher husband. I felt bad for her family. She had an older mother who really wanted to celebrate with them, but they would take off camping to the middle of nowhere to avoid it. I always told her she would regret not being with her mother when the day came and her mother was no longer there. It didn’t matter to her.

it’s just weird to me to see that they have the same beliefs, but then branch off and do totally different things. My friend only had two children, even though I never asked her about it I’m assuming there must’ve been birth control. Yet her kids had to marry immediately in order to have sex. Bizarre.

[lookeyloo]

10 hours ago, EmeraldGirl said:

Jill didn’t do so great with their earning potential. Nurie seems to be set up for life of near poverty, and I’m not sure how Kaylee‘s husband is doing. 
 

Evangelicals really do have a whole set of strange restrictions.These people are of course a very extreme example. I had a friend once who was evangelical, but they wore shorts and did all kinds of other mainstream things. She of course homeschooled. But her son absolutely had to get married at 18 because, “How long is he expected to wait?”, meaning he had to have sex. At the time he was just a helper in a computer store. Daughter also married young, but she went into the military as I believe her husband was as well. And she was so extreme that she would not celebrate Christmas because it was biblically not the right date according to her and her preacher husband. I felt bad for her family. She had an older mother who really wanted to celebrate with them, but they would take off camping to the middle of nowhere to avoid it. I always told her she would regret not being with her mother when the day came and her mother was no longer there. It didn’t matter to her.

it’s just weird to me to see that they have the same beliefs, but then branch off and do totally different things. My friend only had two children, even though I never asked her about it I’m assuming there must’ve been birth control. Yet her kids had to marry immediately in order to have sex. Bizarre.

It is perplexing to me too, even semi strict "regular" denominations.  When they say "we are not allowed" they might should say "we choose...".  If every group has their own "allowed" seriously do they think their fellow in the clouds has a book that "he" is checking off?  Doubtful. I am Jewish, Reform.  Few if any "not allowed to" but the Orthodox and especially Hasidic sects of various forms have a lot of those, and they are not the same across the board.  That's where it falls apart for me personally.  They all get mixed up with real religious Policies, shall I say, as in written down somewhere,(and interpreted by various humans to mean different things)  or local customs and traditions that become law in their lives.  YMMV and carry on with what pleases everyone.  

[merylinkid]

1 hour ago, lookeyloo said:

seriously do they think their fellow in the clouds has a book that "he" is checking off?

Yes, yes they do.   Ooooh you wore pants once, no golden throne for you.   oooh you had 19 kids, you get a bigger throne than the lady who 13 kids.   It's all about being thought extra special by the Big Guy in the Sky.

Please note, none of their check boxes involve things like feed the hungry, house the homeless, aid and comfort the sick.