Joseph Maxwell is MARRIED!!!

[MamaJunebug]

Did/does Elissa have a blog?

I thought I saw it referenced here, but can't find a link.

[goldbu]

I don't know if this registry has been shared, but they also registered on Amazon:

amazon.com/gp/registry/wedding/241FIYTI8QU90

I was so shocked when I read the news that I almost picked up my phone to text my husband about it right away. Then I remembered that he doesn't actually care about this random family halfway across the country...

[Justme]

What's with the fake last names?! Did Stevie say something like, we're so famous, just use 2 letters so our fans won't find out..... It would be a big red flag to me if my fiancée wanted me to use a fake last name....

[singsingsing]

Their registries look positively austere, especially compared to Jessa and Ben's extravagant monstrosity, haha.

[ViolaSebastian]

I don't know if this registry has been shared, but they also registered on Amazon:

amazon.com/gp/registry/wedding/241FIYTI8QU90

I was so shocked when I read the news that I almost picked up my phone to text my husband about it right away. Then I remembered that he doesn't actually care about this random family halfway across the country...

Even the stuff they registered for is boring. Who wants to get a couple of newlyweds a cutlery sorter? Yawn...

[Ellimenopy]

Holy cow. I thought I never would see the day that a Maxwell would surprise me. I guess they learned the wrong lesson from the broken courtship. I hope poor Elissa knows what's he's getting into.

[Lillybee]

I should have realized that something was up when I looked at the presentations at their upcoming conferences and courtship was one.

If I was a braver person, I would give a donation to Planned Parenthood in their names.

[SPHASH]

I'm celebrating Joe and Elissa's wedding today by watching sports, drinking pepsi, eating rotissere chicken, and french cherry pie for dessert. No burritos, green smoothies, and animal crackers for me. Skol Vikings!

[somewhereinbetween]

I never understood why it seems to be FJ gospel that the Maxwell daughters will never marry. Sarah will never marry, for sure. I've always thought that Steve didn't allow her to marry, specifically, because he needed her at home to take care of him and Teri. Also because her Moody books appear to bring in a big chunk of their income AND because she is the only girl who can remember a "mainstream" childhood. I don't think Steve doubts Mary and Anna's piety like he does Sarah, because he knows that his dogma is all they've ever known.

The Maxwells only have three daughters. Not only do they have more sons then daughters, the sons are also older. Exempting Sarah, they have married off children in age order. If this continues, Anna won't be married until after Joseph, the 6th of 8. Mary is the youngest, she isn't even 18 yet! Sarah's time may be passed, but Mary's time hasn't even started yet, and I haven't seen any indication her and Anna won't be married.

[singsingsing]

It was FJ gospel until the second before the news of Jessa's courtship broke, that Jim Bob Duggar was not ever going to let his daughters go (let alone two of them in the space of a few months). Now it is FJ gospel that he's selling them off for publicity and ratings. ;) The gospel will change to suit whatever's going on. I'm not really sure if the Maxwell girls will get married or not. Sarah, I doubt it, sadly. Anna and Mary are still very young, so who knows.

[twin2]

I never understood why it seems to be FJ gospel that the Maxwell daughters will never marry. Sarah will never marry, for sure. I've always thought that Steve didn't allow her to marry, specifically, because he needed her at home to take care of him and Teri. Also because her Moody books appear to bring in a big chunk of their income AND because she is the only girl who can remember a "mainstream" childhood. I don't think Steve doubts Mary and Anna's piety like he does Sarah, because he knows that his dogma is all they've ever known.

The Maxwells only have three daughters. Not only do they have more sons then daughters, the sons are also older. Exempting Sarah, they have married off children in age order. If this continues, Anna won't be married until after Joseph, the 6th of 8. Mary is the youngest, she isn't even 18 yet! Sarah's time may be passed, but Mary's time hasn't even started yet, and I haven't seen any indication her and Anna won't be married.

Because Steve is a control freak and convinced his way is the only way. If he marries off one of this daughters they go under a new headship, he looses all control.

It is not gospel, is just random speculation based on what we know about Steve.....Could we be wrong. Sure, but this is a board we have to talk about something. You think some of the Maxwell daughters are going to get married, awesome, feel free to state it...

[thoughtful]

Another victim enters the Borg collective at Maxhell. :(

:borg:

The shit cocoa brown towels are just so . . . Maxwell (I know, brown can be fashionable, but, as part of the big picture . . . ).

I agree that Steve is probably feeling smug -- but then, I generally assume that Steve only cycles between three emotions: smugness, fear, and barely-suppressed rage.

The Maxwell blog, and what they expose or conceal, probably makes perfect sense from their point of view. It masquerades as a family blog, but is really just their business advertisement.

As for that advertisement being so dull, I think Steve's target audience is frightened (or, if they're not, he wants to work on them so they are). They are not looking for joy, fun, the love of Jesus, to help others, or pride in their children. They are looking for the illusion of safety, from The World, from shame, from Hell.

I think he wants them to see a possible second bonus, as well -- if they follow his way, they will not only lose their fear; they get to be as smug as he is.

[madpsych78]

Do we know Melanie and NR-Anna's maiden names? If not, then I find it interesting that the Maxwells have never mentioned the maiden names of the new wives.

[Marian the Librarian]

Do we know Melanie and NR-Anna's maiden names? If not, then I find it interesting that the Maxwells have never mentioned the maiden names of the new wives.

Melanie Maher and Anna Hamilton.

[Palimpsest]

Nashua, NH, you say? That's within driving distance of where I work...in an evil public school. Outside the authority of my Headship.

However, despite being a newlywed, I don't think I own the requisite fundiefrump gear to pass, nor do I think I could ever, ever convince the Headship to come along with. I'd never hear the end of it from him. He already thinks my interest in fundies of all stripes is bizarre...

Mr. P. made me promise on my honor never, ever, to ask him to go to a Maxwell conference again! I have noticed that he has since enjoyed telling the story of how he met a Fundie Patriarch in person though. :mrgreen:

The 2 people taking registration are the same as for the Greenfield conference last year but they have not announced it on their site yet: Gospelfamilyforum.com. They seem rather a free flowing group though.

Begging, borrowing or stealing a Headship is helpful but really not essential to attend. Amyand4 was rather cold-shouldered when she went alone but they didn't stop her at the door. IIRC, Steve walked away after she told him she wasn't a SAHM but he didn't boot her out.

I also noticed someone there last year in defrauding capris so frumper gear isn't required either. My sole concessions were to leave my hair down and take a KJV, which I didn't even take out of my bag. But then I dress like a fundie anyway in summer and own plenty of long loose dresses.

If they don't let people in because of their appearance then it adds to the knowledge base anyway. And you can always go shopping! May I recommend Market Basket for groceries (they are fully stocked and back to business as usual, yay!) and This Olde Stuff (formerly Needful Things) on 101A for antiques and collectables. :lol:

[Haligh the Liar]

A cynical person would interpret the surprise marriage post as the Maxwells lacking the courage of their convictions when it comes to their courting model and abilities. Anyone with the capacity for critical thought will wonder why they were so concerned about protecting J & E's 'privacy', when they share so many details about everything else. Then again, we are probably the only people with the capacity for critical thought who follow the Maxwells.

The lobster post was horrific- a combo of stacking the deck, everyone getting ONE bite, and daddy dictating tastes for everyone. Plus, some good shots of pre-tweezers Mary and demented looking Christopher, back when he was a "child".

[Mary C Doates]

I wonder if he will let her redecorate his house since he built it for Elizabeth and their choices?

She's cute, though. And they look happy.

Hope she likes beige.

[thoughtful]

I never understood why it seems to be FJ gospel that the Maxwell daughters will never marry. Sarah will never marry, for sure.

I'm not sure there is such a thing as "FJ gospel."

We each drive that idle speculation bus separately, never really knowing who our passengers are, unless they "like" our post or post in agreement.

I agree that one can get a feeling of having read the same opinion over and over (and over and over!) about a subject -- we do have a lot of people on this forum, and many of them agree about some things.

But not all.

Heck, Sarah could get married -- one never knows! :D

[silverspoons]

Very surprised that it was secret but not surprised because he was ready & waiting with his house. I do wonder why Sarah didn't post little hints of big news like the big bible challenge or a new moody book. Maybe they were really nervous it might not happen?

So these brides do all the wedding planning & work & the Maxwells just show up? Last week they were hiking so I doubt they had much to do with wedding prep. My husband didn't really care about much of the wedding details but he showed up to support me(and we lived 2500 miles away). I would imagine Steve would want to make sure the vows were correctly worded and there was the right modesty presented. Kind of hard to believe Steve gave all or most of the wedding planning out of his control.

[Haligh the Liar]

If any DMV area FJers and their headships would like to attend the Richmond, VA conference on September 15th, I would love to make a night of it!

[lilwriter85]

I wish Joseph and Elissa well. I don't like the Maxwell that much, but I do think Chris and NR Anna are happy. On the topic of the Maxwell girls, I see the younger two girls being married off.

[Mela99]

I don't suppose old Steve decided he wants to complete with the Duggars and get some wedding/baby attention on their product.

[MamaJunebug]

Just to enter the friendly fray, I refuse to agree that it's "sure" Poor Sarah will never marry. History's replete with oldest daughter consigned to the nunnery or a life as thankless parents' caretaker who against the odds wound up with a partner of her own - in some cases, even kiddoes (Katherine Von Bora Luther predictably comes to my Lutheran mind).

[BigSandy]

Okay, if I were a betting person, I would bet that Elissa is not a native-English-speaker. If she's the same Elissa who commented on their blog (I think so, just because the name is unusual), her comments often read as a non-native-English-speaker. I can imagine that it would be harder to detect the craziness if everything were in another language.

Also, I'm not surprised at all that they kept it a secret, due to the whole Joseph and Elizabeth debacle.

[Palimpsest]

Just to enter the friendly fray, I refuse to agree that it's "sure" Poor Sarah will never marry. History's replete with oldest daughter consigned to the nunnery or a life as thankless parents' caretaker who against the odds wound up with a partner of her own - in some cases, even kiddoes (Katherine Von Bora Luther predictably comes to my Lutheran mind).

I agree. I'd qualify it by saying that I don't think Sarah will marry in Steve's lifetime. His standards for a prospective son-in-law seem too high. After that, the sky is the limit. Her brothers might find that telling Sarah what to do every minute of the day something of a burden with their own growing families. They might encourage her to find a nice widower or even a never-married perhaps (gasp) younger man to marry.