Where in the World is Doug Phillips (Who is a Tool)? Part 10

[Howl]

On 5/19/2019 at 9:01 PM, DomWackTroll said:

The same woman who once told other women that they must always travel under the "umbrella of protection" of a father or husband is now SHOWERING AT TRUCK STOPS. 

The six different emojis in response to your post may be a new FJ record!  And yeah, on her Insta, Beall is wearing skirts that SHOW HER KNEES.  

I'd pay money to read Beall's real story of going from umbrella of protection to showering at truck stops in a heart beat. 

Anybody remember the pearl-clutching kerfuffle over airport scanners?

Edited May 21, 2019 by Howl

[bea]

Anybody remember the pearl-clutching kerfuffle over airport scanners?

Vaguely. Insufficiently modest or something?
Beall, man. What a fall. High on the hog to truck stops and broken car windows.

I have to wonder if there’s some kind of agreement between Beall and Doug to not reveal that he is, truly, not just a tool but a philandering family-ditching tool who doesn’t support all those kids he insisted were necessary. Or if she’s just sailing along in denial.

[Howl]

I do believe that she is sustained by her faith and love of her children. 

I have no idea how she currently understands that faith and how it has changed since The Fall.  Is there any indication that they attend a church in San Antonio?  They attended a regular church in Durango, i.e., NOT a Family Integrated Church. 

The older kids out in the world living their lives (sewing, Meatballing, college, university, working) is a good thing.  No Arndt/Botkin hive, SAHD, father-approved courtship  or arranged young marriage (at least so far). 

Edited May 21, 2019 by Howl

[nokidsmom]

2 hours ago, Howl said:

The older kids out in the world living their lives (sewing, Meatballing, college, university, working) is a good thing.  No Arndt/Botkin hive, SAHD, father-approved courtship  or arranged young marriage (at least so far).

That might just be one positive thing coming out of DPIAT's fall....that the kids are doing things on their own and not having to live under their Tool of a father's "authority".   They might still be recovering, probably are, but at least they can live their own lives.

It seems that their dad likely ditched the whole "umbrella of authority" BS once that no longer worked for him, amongst other VF nonsense.   Oh, and he could cavort in Europe playing cinematographer.  

[AnnaSofia]

11 hours ago, Howl said:

I do believe that she is sustained by her faith and love of her children. 

I have no idea how she currently understands that faith and how it has changed since The Fall.  Is there any indication that they attend a church in San Antonio?  They attended a regular church in Durango, i.e., NOT a Family Integrated Church.

Beall's Twitter is a LOT less secular than her public Instagram. She didn't stay active for very long, though:

https://twitter.com/ebeallphillips?lang=en

 

Quote

The older kids out in the world living their lives (sewing, Meatballing, college, university, working) is a good thing.  No Arndt/Botkin hive, SAHD, father-approved courtship  or arranged young marriage (at least so far). 

Yup.

Even with the shades of fundy grifty-ness surrounding Operation Meatball and a few of their other antics, they've got so much more independence than I think they would have ever been allowed under VF, and I think that in the long run, their lives will be much healthier for it. Even if VF had slowly mellowed it stance on skirts only and strict courtships, no way would the girls be doing solo air travel and holding down non-VF jobs. Whether Doug and Beall "really believed that stuff" (as Jen Epstein alleges they didn't), keeping up a public front would have been too important let go. Hell, I remember being shocked at the early Operation Meatball photos, because the 40s cosplay involved skirts higher than ankle length (though it was still below the knee in the early days).

I don't doubt there's been a lot of trauma in their lives surrounding the public downfall of their dad, and I do feel for them in that regard, given how young some of them were. Other than *maybe* JT, who was allegedly informed of the Lourdes situation before the scandal broke, and Justice who'd just turned 18, the kids were all still minors in 2013, and had no choice in the matter. All in all, I think they've been fairly resilient, especially considering the massive financial shift. The apartment they live in now could probably fit in the indoor pool room of the house they grew up in. 

[Howl]

7 hours ago, AnnaSofia said:

The apartment they live in now could probably fit in the indoor pool room of the house they grew up in. 

That indoor pool room gives me the creeps for some reason, not to mention issues with humidity and mold.  It says something about a wealth bubble.  San Antonio is a climate where an outdoor pool is fine from April until the end of October, when it can still be so hot you feel like you're gonna die if that cold front doesn't arrive STAT! and cool things down. 

First world problem: People do complain about outdoor pools because the water gets hot with all the 98+ degree days and nights that don't drop below 80 degrees for months on end, so a dip isn't refreshing. 

 

7 hours ago, AnnaSofia said:

Beall's Twitter is a LOT less secular than her public Instagram.

Yes, and she does mention reading Spurgeon. I don't know zip about Spurgeon, except that one of the Duggar-ites saddled an infant with that name.  My fondest wish is for that kid is that he'll go by Spur for the rest of his life. 

I do hope that Beall is part of a solid, sane faith community of some sort. 

I also suspect that if VF hadn't imploded, her reading would be much less secular than it is now.  She was reading Brené Brown, for heaven's sakes.  I've just listened to a Brené Brown tape, and love her.  Brené Brown is a social scientist, a professor at the University of Houston, and writes about courage, confronting fear, belonging, and living an emotionally ethical life.  

Brené Brown is in her early-50s now (about Beall's age) and was born in San Antonio.  When talking about her early life, and sorting out which addictions, exactly, she was dealing with, someone told her she had a pu pu platter of addictions, and did whatever eased her fear and anxiety in the moment.  She has a great deal of empathy and compassion for those who are struggling, and as a social scientist, has a clear-eyed and structured approach to where those struggles come from and how people confront them. 

7 hours ago, AnnaSofia said:

I think they've been fairly resilient, especially considering the massive financial shift.

My impression is that they are a close family and the siblings support each other.  

Edited May 22, 2019 by Howl

[Howl]

And one more thing.  When it became apparent that the cash flow was drying up, the husbandly umbrella of financial protection had been folded up and there were bills to pay, Beall did go out and get a damn job.  She's not on the career path that we'd wish for her, but she is working to support herself and her remaining kids at home and isn't trying to build an EO or Plexus empire out of her living room. 

Side note: I like ta died when I found out that Debbie Pearl of "How to Beat Up a Child" fame was shilling Plexus. 

[SusanAtTheLastBattle]

8 hours ago, AnnaSofia said:

Beall's Twitter is a LOT less secular than her public Instagram. She didn't stay active for very long, though:

https://twitter.com/ebeallphillips?lang=en

Beall’s Twitter bio: “A straightforward Texas wife and homeschooling mom to 8”

These days, “Texas” has waivered, “wife” itself is iffy, but even if she wrote the bio  in 2011, that woman’s life has never been “straightforward.”

[nausicaa]

19 hours ago, nokidsmom said:

It seems that their dad likely ditched the whole "umbrella of authority" BS once that no longer worked for him, amongst other VF nonsense.   Oh, and he could cavort in Europe playing cinematographer.  

 

1 hour ago, Howl said:

And one more thing.  When it became apparent that the cash flow was drying up, the husbandly umbrella of financial protection had been folded up and there were bills to pay, Beall did go out and get a damn job. 

Which is really annoying if you've seen The Return of the Daughters. They push SAHD/SAHW lifestyles with no regard to the economics. They trot Lourdes and her working class family out as examples of how "anyone" can do this, and you just need to learn how to make some sacrifices if you want to be a good Christian. 

I despise their hypocrisy more than anything. 

[elsiedindin]

Funnily enough, hypocrisy and deception are about the only things in the Phillips family that haven't changed a bit!

[Hane]

After reading what Beall said to Lourdes when the lawsuit against DPIARBT came out, I have zero sympathy for Beall.

Edited May 22, 2019 by Hane

[hoipolloi]

1 hour ago, Hane said:

After reading what Beall said to Lourdes when the lawsuit against DPIARBT came out, I have zero sympathy for Beall.

Yes, as of December 2017, Beall still blamed it all on Lourdes.

 

[treemom]

I’m still in a place where I’m in and out of snarking/reading/lurking. I think it’s just not always good for me, although I judge not others  .  But I just did this “I have to do something to fix my life because everything just fell apart for me and I’m not dealing with it well” crazy 5100 road trip all over CO, UT and AZ.  I thought of Beall because I ended up in Durango for a few days waiting in some car repairs.

 

and so I came to catch up.  To find she basically charged people $5.00 to mail postcards.  I sent 85 out during my 18 days.  For no donations.  Why doesn’t she just stay home and get a job.  She does have a degree which puts her in slightly better position than some women.

Edited May 23, 2019 by treemom
I had wine.

[Howl]

21 minutes ago, treemom said:

But I just did this “I have to do something to fix my life because everything just fell apart for me and I’m not dealing with it well” crazy 5100 road trip all over CO, UT and AZ.  I thought of Beall because I ended up in Durango for a few days waiting in some car repairs.

Hope you had fun.  It's amazing country.  It's still snowing in Telluride and Durango, with T-ride getting a major dump. 

Both Telluride and Durango ski areas are opening their lifts for "summer" use, but in reality people will be using them to ski for another week or two.  Crazy times. 

Wish I would have known about your car issues.  I'd have sent you to my fave mechanics, Durango Small Car. 

What were your favorite places?   I could spend the rest of my life in the Four Corners states (with a little Nevada thrown in) and never get bored.  And I'm seriously impressed with your post card output!  It's positively Victorian! 

I hope it was a healing journey that left you refreshed. 

Edited May 23, 2019 by Howl

[treemom]

20 hours ago, Howl said:

Hope you had fun.  It's amazing country.  It's still snowing in Telluride and Durango, with T-ride getting a major dump. 

Both Telluride and Durango ski areas are opening their lifts for "summer" use, but in reality people will be using them to ski for another week or two.  Crazy times. 

Wish I would have known about your car issues.  I'd have sent you to my fave mechanics, Durango Small Car. 

What were your favorite places?   I could spend the rest of my life in the Four Corners states (with a little Nevada thrown in) and never get bored.  And I'm seriously impressed with your post card output!  It's positively Victorian! 

I hope it was a healing journey that left you refreshed. 

It was amazing. I managed to get zero accumulated snow, although it snowed a bit the night I drove back to Durango from Pagosa Springs.  And the night I left Durango.  I wish I could share pictures and feel ok about it, but alas I have come to know why people stay anonymous ??. But feel free to PM me if you want details (or my public social media handle if you want to see pictures and read about my feels.)

 

i will say this, I had a spiritual transformational encounter with crazy ass basejumpers in the hot springs in Pagosa Springs, so it might forever have a special place in my heart.  And Bryce was pretty amazing.  I had good advice from my son who had done a similar trip with his aunt a few years ago.  He saiid I would find Zion immense and not in a way I liked and that people would say I could have a good Bryce experience in just two to three hours.  but that I would want more time there.  And I did.  I was not into Zion, although I appreciate why people would be.

 

edited to add: I really really love sending post cards though so 85 is a totally reasonable number.  And since I was traveling alone and challenging myself to do things I struggle with like eat in restaurants alone it was the perfect thing to do with meals.

Edited May 23, 2019 by treemom

[Flossie]

@treemom  Your mention of Pagosa Springs reminded me of the song 'Wolf Creek Pass' by C.W. McCall.  Did you happen to travel the pass?

Lyrics under the spoiler tag.

Spoiler

 

Wolf Creek Pass

Me and Earl was haulin' chickens
On the flatbed out of Wiggins
And we'd spent all night on the uphill side
Of 37 miles of hell called Wolf Creek Pass
Which is up on the Great Divide

We was sittin' there suckin' toothpicks
Drinkin' Nehis and onion soup mix
And I says, "Earl, let's mail a card to mother
And then send them chickens on down the other side
Yeah, let's give em a ride"

[Chorus]
Wolf Creek Pass
Way up on the Great Divide
Truckin' on down the other side

Well, Earl put down his bottle
Mashed his foot down on the throttle
And then a couple of boobs with a thousand cubes
In a 1948 Peterbilt screamed to life
(We woke up the chickens)

We roared up off of that shoulder
Spraying pine cones, rocks, and boulders
And put four hundred head of them Rhode Island Reds
And a couple of burnt-out roosters on the line
Look out below
Cause here we go

[Chorus]
Wolf Creek Pass
Way up on the Great Divide
Truckin' on down the other side

Well, we commenced to truckin'
And them hens commenced to cluckin'
And Earl took out a match and scratched his pants
And lit up the unused half of a dollar cigar and took a puff
Says, "My, ain't this pretty up here"
  
I says, "Earl, this hill can spill us
You better slow down, you gon' kill us
Just make one mistake and it's the pearly gates
For them 85 crates of USDA-approved cluckers
You wanna hit second?"

[Chorus]
Wolf Creek Pass
Way up on the Great Divide
Truckin' on down the other side

Well, Earl grabbed on the shifter
And he stabbed 'er into fifth gear
And then the chromium-plated
Fully-illuminated
Genuine accessory shift knob
Come right off in his hand
I says, "You wanna screw that thing back on, Earl?"

He was tryin' to thread it on there
When the fire fell off of his cigar
And dropped on down
Sorta rolled around
And then lit the cuff of Earl's pants
And burned a hole in his sock
Yeah, sorta set him right on fire

I looked on out of the window
And I started countin' phone poles
Going by at the rate of four to the seventh power
Well, I put two and two together
And added twelve and carried five
Come up with twenty two thousand telephone poles an hour

I looked at Earl and his eyes was wide
His lip was curled and his leg was fried
And his hand was froze to the wheel
Like a tongue to a sled in the middle of a blizzard
I says, "Earl, I'm not the type to complain
But the time has come for me to explain
That if you don't apply some brake real soon
They're going to have to pick us up with a stick and a spoon"

Well, Earl rared back, cocked his leg, stepped down as hard as he could on the brake
And the pedal went clear to the floor and stayed right there on the floor
Sorta like steppin' on a plum

Well, from there on down it just wasn't real pretty
It was hairpin county and switchback city
One of 'em looked like a can full of worms
Another one looked like malaria germs

And right in the middle of the whole damn show
Was a real nice tunnel, now wouldn't you know
Sign says clearance to the twelve foot line
But the chickens was stacked to thirteen nine
Well, we shot that tunnel at a hundred and ten
Like gas through a funnel and eggs through a hen
We took that top row of chickens off slicker than the scum off a Louisiana swamp

Went down and around
Around and down
And we run out of ground
At the edge of town
Bashed into the side of the feed store
Downtown Pagosa Springs

[Chorus]
Wolf Creek Pass
Way up on the Great Divide
Truckin' on down the other side

 

 

[Nolongeroppressed8.4]

On 5/20/2019 at 1:02 PM, Palimpsest said:

I think Boerne Christian Assembly was first established by Little Bear Wheeler and Bob Welch mid or late 90s.  When Doug helped himself to the HSLDA mailing list and arrived in TX to set up VFM he joined BCA, just as a church member.  And eventually wangled his way up to being head pastor.

Wheeler and Welch left BCA to set up sister churches at some point.  But the churches were all connected.  I think @Maxwell and @Quinquagenarian have a better grasp of the history.

BCA is separate from VF.  People who worked at VFI and VCM weren't forced to attend BCA and follow BCA strict rules.  OTOH, a lot of people from BCA worked for VFI and VFM.

Leininger (or rather his money) was instrumental in funding VFM from the get go. 

And I just looked back:  we heard from several different sources that Doug had been given 60 days to vacate 200 Canada Verde in or before January 2014.  @Maxwell, do you remember that.   But he used the address for Momentum Media in December 2014.  Perhaps he refused to leave.

Doug then moved to a rental house in San Antonio before they headed off to Durango. Probably the one you are thinking of.

Y’all must remember though — he never called himself a pastor. Because that would make him subject to Texas law RE clergy abuse wouldn’t it? 

https://codes.findlaw.com/tx/penal-code/penal-sect-22-011.html or does it not count because she was over 17 when the abuse took place? SMH ?

 

 

[Palimpsest]

2 minutes ago, Nolongeroppressed8.4 said:

Y’all must remember though — he never called himself a pastor. Because that would make him subject to Texas law RE clergy abuse wouldn’t it? 

https://codes.findlaw.com/tx/penal-code/penal-sect-22-011.html or does it not count because she was over 17 when the abuse took place? SMH ?

 

That is the child abuse law and Lourdes, by her own statements, was over 17 when the abuse took place.  Although some grooming almost certainly took place before then.

I'd have to go back and check, but I'm damn sure that in the lawsuit Doug's role as pastor was central.  You know, that lawsuit he settled out of court even though he and Beall claim he was totes innocent of any wrong-doing.   

[Howl]

41 minutes ago, Palimpsest said:

You know, that lawsuit he settled out of court

Which was (IIRC) sufficient to help purchase a house and finance a college education. 

[kpmom]

1 hour ago, Palimpsest said:

  You know, that lawsuit he settled out of court even though he and Beall claim he was totes innocent of any wrong-doing

I know, what idiots, both of them.

I always write letters like the following when I'm totally innocent.  From Doug's resignation letter:

"There has been serious sin in my life for which God has graciously brought me to repentance. I have confessed my sin to my wife and family, my local church, and the board of Vision Forum Ministries. I engaged in a lengthy, inappropriate relationship with a woman. While we did not "know" each other in a Biblical sense, it was nevertheless inappropriately romantic and affectionate.

There are no words to describe the magnitude of shame I feel, or grief from the injury I caused my beloved bride and children, both of whom have responded to my repentance with what seems a supernatural love and forgiveness. I thought too highly of myself and behaved without proper accountability. I have acted grievously before the Lord, in a destructive manner hypocritical of life messages I hold dear, inappropriate for a leader, abusive of the trust that I was given, and hurtful to family and friends"

Yup, innocent as a newborn babe.

You know, even if Beall did forgive him privately, how could she claim he did nothing wrong?  He took advantage of a teenager. 

[Palimpsest]

2 minutes ago, kpmom said:

I always write letters like the following when I'm totally innocent.  From Doug's resignation letter:

But, but, but, nowhere in that resignation letter did he admit to using and abusing his position as pastor to sexually harass and molest a very young woman in his congregation.  A young woman who worked for him.  A young woman whose father trusted him with her "protection."   And a young woman who definitely found his relentless pursuit of her "inappropriate" and not at all  "romantic."

And a young woman who had the guts to call him out on his hypocrisy, his spiritual abuse of her, AND his sexual abuse and harassment.

[AnnaSofia]

IIRC, Dougie always used the title of "Elder" at Boerne Christian Assembly. I originally just assumed it was a thing in Reformed circles, because you see it fairly often; Geoff Botkin, for example, does the same at his home church (Christ the King Church in Centerville, TN). Doesn't surprise me in the least if there are other, legally dodgy reasons for it, though. 

It did come up in Lourdes' lawsuit, with her lawyer referring to him as her "Pastor" and Doug's refuting the claim.
 

[MamaJunebug]

23 hours ago, Flossie said:

@treemom  Your mention of Pagosa Springs reminded me of the song 'Wolf Creek Pass' by C.W. McCall.  Did you happen to travel the pass?

Lyrics under the spoiler tag.

  Hide contents

 

Wolf Creek Pass

Me and Earl was haulin' chickens
On the flatbed out of Wiggins
And we'd spent all night on the uphill side
Of 37 miles of hell called Wolf Creek Pass
Which is up on the Great Divide

We was sittin' there suckin' toothpicks
Drinkin' Nehis and onion soup mix
And I says, "Earl, let's mail a card to mother
And then send them chickens on down the other side
Yeah, let's give em a ride"

[Chorus]
Wolf Creek Pass
Way up on the Great Divide
Truckin' on down the other side

Well, Earl put down his bottle
Mashed his foot down on the throttle
And then a couple of boobs with a thousand cubes
In a 1948 Peterbilt screamed to life
(We woke up the chickens)

We roared up off of that shoulder
Spraying pine cones, rocks, and boulders
And put four hundred head of them Rhode Island Reds
And a couple of burnt-out roosters on the line
Look out below
Cause here we go

[Chorus]
Wolf Creek Pass
Way up on the Great Divide
Truckin' on down the other side

Well, we commenced to truckin'
And them hens commenced to cluckin'
And Earl took out a match and scratched his pants
And lit up the unused half of a dollar cigar and took a puff
Says, "My, ain't this pretty up here"
  
I says, "Earl, this hill can spill us
You better slow down, you gon' kill us
Just make one mistake and it's the pearly gates
For them 85 crates of USDA-approved cluckers
You wanna hit second?"

[Chorus]
Wolf Creek Pass
Way up on the Great Divide
Truckin' on down the other side

Well, Earl grabbed on the shifter
And he stabbed 'er into fifth gear
And then the chromium-plated
Fully-illuminated
Genuine accessory shift knob
Come right off in his hand
I says, "You wanna screw that thing back on, Earl?"

He was tryin' to thread it on there
When the fire fell off of his cigar
And dropped on down
Sorta rolled around
And then lit the cuff of Earl's pants
And burned a hole in his sock
Yeah, sorta set him right on fire

I looked on out of the window
And I started countin' phone poles
Going by at the rate of four to the seventh power
Well, I put two and two together
And added twelve and carried five
Come up with twenty two thousand telephone poles an hour

I looked at Earl and his eyes was wide
His lip was curled and his leg was fried
And his hand was froze to the wheel
Like a tongue to a sled in the middle of a blizzard
I says, "Earl, I'm not the type to complain
But the time has come for me to explain
That if you don't apply some brake real soon
They're going to have to pick us up with a stick and a spoon"

Well, Earl rared back, cocked his leg, stepped down as hard as he could on the brake
And the pedal went clear to the floor and stayed right there on the floor
Sorta like steppin' on a plum

Well, from there on down it just wasn't real pretty
It was hairpin county and switchback city
One of 'em looked like a can full of worms
Another one looked like malaria germs

And right in the middle of the whole damn show
Was a real nice tunnel, now wouldn't you know
Sign says clearance to the twelve foot line
But the chickens was stacked to thirteen nine
Well, we shot that tunnel at a hundred and ten
Like gas through a funnel and eggs through a hen
We took that top row of chickens off slicker than the scum off a Louisiana swamp

Went down and around
Around and down
And we run out of ground
At the edge of town
Bashed into the side of the feed store
Downtown Pagosa Springs

[Chorus]
Wolf Creek Pass
Way up on the Great Divide
Truckin' on down the other side

 

 

I had that song committed entirely to memory at one point in my life. Good times. 

[Petronella]

I have a question about Doug’s nickname. What is the derivation of “tool” as an insult? The closest I can guess is that it’s like “pawn”—something used, not thinking for itself. But the way it’s used as an insult doesn’t fit that. It seems to mean “arrogant without basis” or even just “asshole”.

Google has not helped me. Sites just say it’s an insult, but not why.

Anyone know the origin?

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

40 minutes ago, Petronella said:

What is the derivation of “tool” as an insult? The closest I can guess is that it’s like “pawn”—something used, not thinking for itself. But the way it’s used as an insult doesn’t fit that. It seems to mean “arrogant without basis” or even just “asshole”.

Google has not helped me. Sites just say it’s an insult, but not why.

Anyone know the origin?

I found a few not very helpful discussions of the origins of "tool" as an insult (that I won't bother to link), and one interesting blog post (that I will). 

http://www.word-detective.com/2012/06/tool/

It sounds like "tool" was used the way we use the word "dick" currently, as both slang for a penis and as an insult for a man who acts like one. Then it somehow changed slightly to the current meaning. I'm not sure how accurate the blog post is, but it sounds reasonable to me.