Maxwell 13: And Another One Bites the Dust - John is Engaged

[crawfishgirl]

Who eats a snack while sitting on a curb in the parking lot of Walmart??  I see greenery in the background - couldn't they at least go sit in the grass, or eat in their minivan?  I hope they passed around a bottle of sanitizer first.  Yuck!

[anjulibai]

1 hour ago, Eternalbluepearl said:

OCC has become an idol in the Maxwell home. They worship at the altar of back-to-school sales and clearance candy. 

It really has. That and hiking 14ers and face painting/animal balloon making at the fair.

[catlady]

1 hour ago, church_of_dog said:

Re the OCC post and Sarah’s super-awkward phrasing — it has been laid upon my heart to propose the possibly-too-long post count title:  

Enjoying a Snack in the Parking Lot of Goldfish.

FFS, Steve, for the love of God/yourself, enroll Sarah in some writers' workshops and adult-ed English classes.  what did Terri do in 30 years that Sarah has no grasp of basic grammar and sentence structure?

[sableduck]

3 minutes ago, catlady said:

FFS, Steve, for the love of God/yourself, enroll Sarah in some writers' workshops and adult-ed English classes.  what did Terri do in 30 years that Sarah has no grasp of basic grammar and sentence structure?

Nothing.  I am convinced that very little school work was done.  Those kids were left to their own devices until Steve got home and did whatever minimal textbooks with them.

I was homeschooled.  I also earned a degree in writing. I guarantee my education looks nothing like Sarah's.  Steve and Teri should be ashamed of what they've done to those kids.

[mango_fandango]

About the jobs thing: Steve's message is that you should become self-employed and work for yourself rather than work for a company. That's how you earn the cash to buy your house debt-free; you start your own businesses at a young age e.g. lawn mowing/pet sitting/car washing or whatever. You start early because it gives you a good work ethic and it gives you time to earn enough to buy a house. You work for yourself so you don't have to work with wimmenz or for a man who isn't your husband or for non-believers. 

 

[HereticHick]

25 minutes ago, catlady said:

FFS, Steve, for the love of God/yourself, enroll Sarah in some writers' workshops and adult-ed English classes.  what did Terri do in 30 years that Sarah has no grasp of basic grammar and sentence structure?

Yep. You know, I hated diagramming sentences back in the day, but the I think it would do Sarah a world of good to visualize how she is butchering the English language.

[SPHASH]

I noticed Josh and Drew didn't go on the shopping excursion.  They're old enough to go if Tina, Ruthie, and Lydia went.  Or did their douchebag fathers think shopping is for girls only?

[Black Aliss]

4 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

Steve has a damn nerve.  He and Teri both have college degrees, although he may have got his through military benefits.  How dare he pontificate about education and debt!

I actually agree with Steve about not going into debt for an education, whether it's vocational, professional, or liberal arts. The difference is I still believe everyone should have access to as much formal education as they need and want, regardless of their ability to pay.

[nausicaa]

3 hours ago, Coconutwater said:

I'm sure he had a lot more fun with the Bontragers on holidays than his own overly scheduled family. I'm calling it now, they will fix up the house and eventually flip it and move closer to her family who likes to have fun. 

Yep, I think John has always had an innate sense of fun and adventure, much more than any of his siblings. Now that's he's actually getting an outlet for that fun with other Christians (can you imagine if he got to go to an amusement park?!?), he won't be able to beige himself up enough to return 24/7 to the Maxwells. 

I do feel bad for the remaining Maxwell kids, that they're losing the one source of fun and lightheartedness in that house.

3 hours ago, sableduck said:

So according to my husband, who works with and is friend with a Bontrager cousin, he thinks he actually met John and Chelsy at the cousin's recent wedding(I didn't go).  I showed him their picture and he says he's sure it was them.  If that's true, he says it definitely is not a no touch courtship.

You need to pull every single detail out of your husband! And I'm trying not to be mad at you for not going to the wedding, but...

[molecule]

30 minutes ago, nausicaa said:

Yep, I think John has always had an innate sense of fun and adventure, much more than any of his siblings. Now that's he's actually getting an outlet for that fun with other Christians (can you imagine if he got to go to an amusement park?!?), he won't be able to beige himself up enough to return 24/7 to the Maxwells. 

His parents are probably glad they can promote John to Extended Family status so they don't have to deal with his insistence on fun anymore.

[sparkles]

4 hours ago, catlady said:

FFS, Steve, for the love of God/yourself, enroll Sarah in some writers' workshops and adult-ed English classes.  what did Terri do in 30 years that Sarah has no grasp of basic grammar and sentence structure?

The really sad thing is that Sarah DID go to a writers’ workshop not too long ago. It was a Christian workshop but still, you’d think there were some talented folks there leading it. The lessons clearly flew right over Sarah’s head.

I have no illusions about John and Chelsy. They were raised to be rigid, ultra-conservative, uber-religious, judgmental Christians and so shall they remain, makeup, touching and snazzy outfits notwithstanding. I hope they prove me wrong but I won’t bet on it.

[meee]

4 minutes ago, sparkles said:

I have no illusions about John and Chelsy. They were raised to be rigid, ultra-conservative, uber-religious, judgmental Christians and so shall they remain, makeup, touching and snazzy outfits notwithstanding. I hope they prove me wrong but I won’t bet on it.

But he's out from under Steve's thumb! I don't expect them to drop religion, I'm just hoping this will help them out of the isolation - like someone said above, maybe Chelsy can help find husbands for Sarah, Anna, and Mary.  Almost anything is better for them than what they have in their father's house.

[Mela99]

Her ring is interesting looking. I might like it more without the silver guard around it. But props for creativity if he took the time to design it. 

[SolomonFundy]

5 hours ago, MamaJunebug said:

Oh oh ... was it Sara who had the two heartbreaks? I’m so sorry! My CRS mind is getting me in trouble. I should’ve stopped at saying Nate never had a broken relationship. 

Mea maxima culpa

You know, I've been trying to remember details since you first mentioned Christopher's dual Broken Heart Pieces, and I think you're right. I can't for the life of me remember what the earlier incident was, or who was involved, but it does seem like there was someone before Sara Smith. 

Hopefully, someone with a better memory will weigh in. There are a lot of cancelled weddings, interrupted courtships, and broken engagements in this circle. 

[onekidanddone]

4 hours ago, catlady said:

Enjoying a Snack in the Parking Lot of Goldfish.

Parking lot of goldfish.  Either they have a lot full of flopping gold fish, poor things; or the are sitting under water. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

These fundies love to claim their first kiss is at their wedding so I doubt they've kissed. But have they front hugged, caressed, pressed cheeks close, etc? Yes I think so. But there's no doubt in my mind it will be made clear to the world that they saved their first kiss for their wedding day. 

[MamaJunebug]

1 minute ago, onekidanddone said:

Parking lot of goldfish.  Either they have a lot full of flopping gold fish, poor things; or the are sitting under water. 

I was thinking there was a new store called GOLDFISH and was anticipating a visit to one in my location!

[Corntree]

4 hours ago, mango_fandango said:

About the jobs thing: Steve's message is that you should become self-employed and work for yourself rather than work for a company.

Yeah, I know he's big on that. And I like the idea of self-employment but I don't know if that's currently possible in every scenario. But when you combine self-employment with his idea that people don't need to go to college, it raises more questions. Right now people in many important and needed professions have to have a degree to do their job, which isn't ALWAYS a bad thing IMO. And as I said, the way things a lot of businesses and things are set up right now I think a lot of people can't work for themselves. And people with few resources who are trying to survive can't always avoid working for a company. Could we restructure society so anyone could enter any profession or do any job without needing a degree or having to work for someone else? I don't know. I'm not sure if that would be possible or desirable or the best option in every situation. I have more thoughts on this supposed society, but I can't write that thesis right now and this isn't even the best place to post it. But I do feel that it's unfair for Steve to say everyone should be like him and his family and ignore the complexities of life and not even think about or at least not explain how his plan would work for everyone in the world.

[JermajestyDuggar]

I bet they aren't allowed to eat goldfish in the car and that's why it was the dirty hot parking lot. And they probably counted out ten each. The floor of my car is covered in goldfish. The Maxwells would be appalled. 

[sableduck]

2 hours ago, nausicaa said:

Yep, I think John has always had an innate sense of fun and adventure, much more than any of his siblings. Now that's he's actually getting an outlet for that fun with other Christians (can you imagine if he got to go to an amusement park?!?), he won't be able to beige himself up enough to return 24/7 to the Maxwells. 

I do feel bad for the remaining Maxwell kids, that they're losing the one source of fun and lightheartedness in that house.

You need to pull every single detail out of your husband! And I'm trying not to be mad at you for not going to the wedding, but...

Well it was sort of "This guy I work with is getting married, do you mind if I go to the reception?"  And I said whatever because I had plans that evening anyway.

I literally had no idea till friends mother(who has mutual friends with me) posted something on FB about the Bontrager family singers and mentioned that her sister was the mom.  I only saw it because our mutual friends commented and it popped up in my feed.

I'm trying to figure out how to invite friend and his wife over for dinner and ask about Chelsy without being creepy.  Also DH grew up IFB(in the same town as J rod, but he says he never met her) and is annoyed by my fundie stalking.  So I'm trying sneakily to get info....

[meee]

OH.  I literally thought "snack in the parking lot of Goldfish" meant "snack in the parking lot of a store called Goldfish" which I wouldn't be familiar with as I don't live in America. And I was like "maybe I don't know grammar either, what's wrong with that sentence?"

Got it. Wow.

(And who wants to bet on how soon that will be corrected?)

[Palimpsest]

39 minutes ago, SolomonFundy said:

Hopefully, someone with a better memory will weigh in. There are a lot of cancelled weddings, interrupted courtships, and broken engagements in this circle. 

Not a better memory.   I was wrong earlier in this thread.  Not-Pristopher didn't make his dad call it off.  Instead he called her father to cancel the wedding.  The prat didn't have the guts to tell her personally.  Here's Sara's blog post where she blames herself for being too romantic and putting her fiance above God.

 https://simplysanctified.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/jesus-what-a-friend-and-lover/

But she did get married in the end.  She found her husband on EHarmoney.  He sounds a much better person than either Pristopher or Not-Pristopher.  

Her new blog, but she doesn't update much:  https://wowedwithwonder.wordpress.com/

And an old FJ thread discussing Sara:  

 

[onekidanddone]

23 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

The floor of my car is covered in goldfish. The Maxwells would be appalled. 

Goldfish, squired flavored water pouches and melted crayon. Ah those were the days

[Triplet3]

14 minutes ago, sableduck said:

I'm trying to figure out how to invite friend and his wife over for dinner and ask about Chelsy without being creepy.  Also DH grew up IFB(in the same town as J rod, but he says he never met her) and is annoyed by my fundie stalking.  So I'm trying sneakily to get info....

If you do, a word of advice - don't post about it beforehand on FJ, just tell us about it afterwards. People connected to the Bontragers (or even they themselves) most likely read FJ, so your friend might find out if you post about it beforehand on here, and things will become awkward for you (and potentially your husband) pretty fast.

[sableduck]

2 minutes ago, Triplet3 said:

If you do, a word of advice - don't post about it beforehand on FJ, just tell us about it afterwards. People connected to the Bontragers (or even they themselves) most likely read FJ, so your friend might find out if you post about it beforehand on here, and things will become awkward for you (and potentially your husband) pretty fast.

No, I wouldn't. I've also been purposely vague(and changed minor unimportant details) because I don't want my identity revealed--my husband still has a lot of connections in the fundie world.

I am dying to know how the Maxwells will deal with  Chelsy, who I very seriously doubt Steve will be able to control.  She is going to want to raise her children as she has been raised, with lots of extended family involvement.  We all know that's not how Steve does things.