Time for that much needed special Family Time

[formerlyfundie]

They are going to be in my neck of the woods September 11th, well about an hour from here. I am oddly fascinated by them, and would love to see how they are in person, as the accounts I've read from y'all here have been creepy/hilarious. It's only the evening conference, not one of those weekend long ones, so I wouldn't get the ~full Maxwell experience. I'm debating on going and blending in well so Steve won't be suspicious since we know he reads here. :whistle:

And all I'm getting from these trip pics is that Sarah is really beautiful. Usually everyone says how pretty Mary is but I think Sarah, especially in that pic sitting by the lake by herself is precious. I keep checking their blog hoping for a courtship announcement for her but honestly I don't think they can let her go. She plays too big of a role in their "brand" to have her leave. Imagine the blog without her updating it and taking photos for it- would Anna or Mary take over, or one of the boys? And with the Moody books, etc, they have to keep her around, as the most valuable employee.

[Palimpsest]

They are going to be in my neck of the woods September 11th, well about an hour from here. I am oddly fascinated by them, and would love to see how they are in person, as the accounts I've read from y'all here have been creepy/hilarious. It's only the evening conference, not one of those weekend long ones, so I wouldn't get the ~full Maxwell experience. I'm debating on going and blending in well so Steve won't be suspicious since we know he reads here. :whistle:

And all I'm getting from these trip pics is that Sarah is really beautiful. Usually everyone says how pretty Mary is but I think Sarah, especially in that pic sitting by the lake by herself is precious. I keep checking their blog hoping for a courtship announcement for her but honestly I don't think they can let her go. She plays too big of a role in their "brand" to have her leave. Imagine the blog without her updating it and taking photos for it- would Anna or Mary take over, or one of the boys? And with the Moody books, etc, they have to keep her around, as the most valuable employee.

I think that order to blend in successfully these days you need to be of childbearing age, preferably pregnant or with children, and definitely accompanied by your Headship. Steve gives the hairy eyeball to women wandering into his conferences without their umbrella of protection. Brazen hussies.

Perhaps we could persuade John Hugh to hop over the pond to act as your Headship at a Maxhell conference. He needs a field trip. :twisted:

Yes, Sarah is very lovely but I think Steve has crushed all the life out of her.

[thoughtful]

The goat photo is truly wonderful (and followed by a Bible quote I'm always happy to see, since it mentions greyhounds!), but the goat looks rather like it is rolling its eyes, so I couldn't resist messing with the pic a bit:

(edited for riffle)

[SPHASH]

New post up. Reversals got to hike on their own but Sarah was stuck hiking with Stevie and Terified. What the everlasting fuck? I hope the Reversals escaped.

[Odd1Out]

New post up. Reversals got to hike on their own but Sarah was stuck hiking with Stevie and Terified. What the everlasting fuck? I hope the Reversals escaped.

They probably got Sarah off by herself to have 'the talk'. The - dear Sarah, you do now realize that we're never letting you leave us - talk.

[formerlyfundie]

I think that order to blend in successfully these days you need to be of childbearing age, preferably pregnant or with children, and definitely accompanied by your Headship. Steve gives the hairy eyeball to women wandering into his conferences without their umbrella of protection. Brazen hussies.

Perhaps we could persuade John Hugh to hop over the pond to act as your Headship at a Maxhell conference. He needs a field trip. :twisted:

Yes, Sarah is very lovely but I think Steve has crushed all the life out of her.

Luckily for me I am fairly young, pregnant, and have a few small children, I'd fit right in! Only problem is getting the headship to come as he just got the new Madden game and asking him to take a break from it to drive an hour away to see the Maxwells speak doesn't seem like something he would be jumping up to do. Plus I think he would give Steve a run for his money, my husband finds people like him (the fire and brimstone types) to be hilarious, I don't think he could hold his emotions in as Steve and Co blabber on about family dynamics etc with the results they have thus far. You also can't convince my husband to let go of his TV and games. Trust me I tried (back when I was convinced these things were ~evil) and if I can't do it, Steve certainly can't! Id sure love to see him try though ;)

[Marian the Librarian]

[rural juror]

Yeah, it's interesting that the Reversals went on a hike separately from Sarah and parents. I wonder if the younger 5 have a tighter bond with each other, being closer in age, while Sarah feels isolated and has relegated herself to old maid status. The reversals all grew up together, while Sarah had a hand in raising them.

[Odd1Out]

Unless she's being tomato staked to Terie for her poor attitude, or just knows she's never leaving her parents, then I'm going to guess it was just an easier hike for the three of them. It seems like Sarah has said she's had trouble on the harder climbs so maybe prefers the easier ones.

[treemom]

Because they haven't seen them for a whole 12 hours.

That was exactly my thought upon reading that line.

[treemom]

Luckily for me I am fairly young, pregnant, and have a few small children, I'd fit right in! Only problem is getting the headship to come as he just got the new Madden game and asking him to take a break from it to drive an hour away to see the Maxwells speak doesn't seem like something he would be jumping up to do. Plus I think he would give Steve a run for his money, my husband finds people like him (the fire and brimstone types) to be hilarious, I don't think he could hold his emotions in as Steve and Co blabber on about family dynamics etc with the results they have thus far. You also can't convince my husband to let go of his TV and games. Trust me I tried (back when I was convinced these things were ~evil) and if I can't do it, Steve certainly can't! Id sure love to see him try though ;)

If they ever come back here I have gotten my teenager and husband to agree to go. Now, there is a good chance we will be asked to leave. But I desperately want to give the maxwell female children something to give them an idea how to get out. The make children have it slightly bit easier in that regard I think.

Alternatively I have considered just protesting. I believe I could rope a few friends who owe me favors into it. But just stand on the side walk near the driveways and hand out a warning to those entering the church or something.

Who knows, like most of my nonsensical posts here you can thank narcotics. Yay for NSAID allergy.

[It'sFunToRun]

If they ever come back here I have gotten my teenager and husband to agree to go. Now, there is a good chance we will be asked to leave. But I desperately want to give the maxwell female children something to give them an idea how to get out. The make children have it slightly bit easier in that regard I think.

Alternatively I have considered just protesting. I believe I could rope a few friends who owe me favors into it. But just stand on the side walk near the driveways and hand out a warning to those entering the church or something.

Who knows, like most of my nonsensical posts here you can thank narcotics. Yay for NSAID allergy.

What would you give the female children to help them get out? I don't think it's a good idea to protest them, I think that would just make it more exciting for them and make them feel important.

[formerlyfundie]

I agree that they would probably be so "encouraged" by being protested, they would make a big hoopla post about loving their enemies etc with a bunch of flowery writing about persecution.

I just want to see if they are really as joyful as they sell their lifestyle to be, to see them not always smiling, in an actual candid moment. If they even have those, since they probably aren't scheduled. :/

I actually had the thought that if they were to marry anyone off now, it would be Anna, mostly because they need to have a daughter fly the nest so they can prove that their courtship ideas do work for their girls too, and because they need Sarah too much and Anna is still the "baby", I don't see her going anywhere for a few years. But I feel as long as they are peddling this *new* conference they need everyone in the current lineup to be there. So we probably won't see anything about a courtship for a while. I wonder what their plans are once they do (if they do) have more of the "children" successfully marry and have their own families. Will they still travel around and speak like they are now? Will it just be Steve and Teri? They aren't like the Duggars as far as popularity or family size, I just don't see how much longer they can keep up the "tours".

And calling them "Reversals" just gives me the creeps, does anyone know why they decided to uh, reverse, and have more children (besides becoming full on fundies)? Was there a blog post about it? Were they ever a "normal" family to start with? What started the descent into Maxhell?

[treemom]

I am sure they would feel encouraged no matter what. I am certain they felt encouraged after my telling them off.

[treemom]

What would you give the female children to help them get out? I don't think it's a good idea to protest them, I think that would just make it more exciting for them and make them feel important.

I don't know.

[Dru]

Yeah, it's interesting that the Reversals went on a hike separately from Sarah and parents. I wonder if the younger 5 have a tighter bond with each other, being closer in age, while Sarah feels isolated and has relegated herself to old maid status. The reversals all grew up together, while Sarah had a hand in raising them.

This is kind of my thought. I think her parents have successfully crushed her and made her old before her time.

[Coco]

This is kind of my thought. I think her parents have successfully crushed her and made her old before her time.

ITA. At this point they may have killed all the joy and hope in her to the extent that she WANTS to serve her dad and mom as they get old. Maybe she thinks having a husband and kids would be worse than "serving Jesus" by serving her parents. :shiver: :| And depression is sort of hereditary, right? Anyway, all the morbid blahblahs from the Maxwells would suck the joy right out of anyone. It would be so cool if some great guy swooped in and rescued her and showed her how to live again.

[Rosie]

Checked out John Marie's public fb page after someone here pointed out he was in a relationship.

Wow, has he changed. Hair is a little longer, a bit of a beard. In one picture it looked like he was wearing a graphic t-shirt (I don't mean porn graphic). He looks good.

And, he certainly does not have a no-touch relationship going on there.

He looks so different from the last pictures we saw of him on the Maxwell blog when they visited him and his family in Idaho.

Oh, would I love to know the true, inside story of his relationship with the Maxwells.

ETA: Here is the link to the last (I believe) picture of John Marie on the Maxwell blog.

titus2.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSC_2115.jpg

Compare it to his recent public fb pictures.

What's his last name please?

I need to check out his FB page!

[nokidsmom]

ITA. At this point they may have killed all the joy and hope in her to the extent that she WANTS to serve her dad and mom as they get old. Maybe she thinks having a husband and kids would be worse than "serving Jesus" by serving her parents. :shiver: :| And depression is sort of hereditary, right? Anyway, all the morbid blahblahs from the Maxwells would suck the joy right out of anyone. It would be so cool if some great guy swooped in and rescued her and showed her how to live again.

Too many years in the Maxhell home gulag would get to anyone.

At this point, I think Sarah knows on some level that her chances of marriage and children are slipping away, if not gone altogether, and she's consoling herself with serving Jebus / parents.

[Marian the Librarian]

What's his last name please?

I need to check out his FB page!

More info here:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=22810&p=773196&hilit=demcak#p773196

;)

[Odd1Out]

More info here:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=22810&p=773196&hilit=demcak#p773196

;)

So I wonder, if John Marie was actually visiting the Maxwells with the intent to court, was it his idea or his parents'? Seems like he had his eyes opened to the strict fundie life if he married one of them and ran for the hills. Seems his family is funds too but maybe not quite as extreme or he just had enough of it all together.

[clese]

New post up. Anyone sick of the family shots from above ?

[LurkerOverThePond]

New post up. Anyone sick of the family shots from above ?

Actually, no :mrgreen:

I think the shots from above show interesting family dynamics. You can always see their Earthly Lord in the best position where he can see and control his whole congregation. His help meet must always, always, sit next to him. Have we ever seen Terified anywhere but right beside him during those extra special family Bible times of theirs? No, we haven't.

You would think that GiGi (and back in the day the late Grandpa Frazer) would be seated centrally, but no, she is always pushed to the outer reaches of the "immediate family". Though I must say that fortunately she isn't pushed all the way to the kitchen this time.

And finally, you can see the Reversals (wouldn't that be an awesome name for their band!) holding their little nieces and nephews, and the third generation lil' Maxhells always look very comfortable and natural, snuggling with their big buddies. I hate to compliment the Maxhells, but at least the little kids seem to be genuinely close with their uncles and aunts.

[church_of_dog]

Who are the two people snuggled up right in front of Steve and Teri?

[LurkerOverThePond]

Who are the two people snuggled up right in front of Steve and Teri?

I think they are Reversal Anna & Abby but it's a bit hard to say