#Austin Baptist Church

[dwuerch-blog]

Saluting our Veterans

A hero is someone who has given his or her life for something bigger than oneself! Today is Veterans Day. Our utmost appreciation and respect for our Veterans, alive, and for those who made their ultimate sacrifice for us and our Country. Freedom really isn’t free – especially the high cost of those who keep us safe, protected and free. Indeed, we are the land of the free and the home of the…

[mickandmusings]

i. true blue

part one of the 'hangman & honey' series!

summary: The summer he turned nine, Jake was convinced he'd spend it like any other summer: riding his bike down dirt roads with all the other kids, lending a helping hand on the family farm, and brushing up on his backyard football. His life hits a tailspin when a new family moves into the house just down the road, leading him to a friendship and feelings he never saw coming.

word count: 4.5k

warnings: cute childhood friends to lovers, small sections of angst, tragic backstories and southern traditions. primarily self indulgent. this is written by someone from the most southern small town imaginable, so it's written with love as an ode to my own hometown, enjoy. <3

-

In the great state of Texas, just a few hours south of Austin, sits a small town called Haven. It was a fitting name for a town so picturesque-miles and miles of endless farmland, stunning sunsets and sunrises, and the beauty of the state's flora and fauna. However, in all it's Southern small-town glory, it was home to little else. There was the hub of activity 'downtown'-the one school system, a family-owned restaurant, a convenience store, the First Baptist Church of Haven, and a hair salon. On the outskirts of Haven sat a large patch of barbed-wire fenced farmland, one that spanned most of the remaining parts of the small town, more than the eye could see. It was large enough to have its own unpaved road-Seresin Farm Road-and was home to only one house, the Seresin family house.

The Seresin family had owned the land long before the turn of the century, and had been passed down from generation to generation ever since. The Seresin's owned much of Haven to begin with, their farmland excluded. Most of the businesses rented their buildings from Jacob Seresin Sr., with the exception of the school system and the church. Despite their seemingly looming hand of ownership, you'd never know they held power at all. Mrs. Janet Seresin-first lady of the Seresin estate-was known as the town egg lady, always more than happy to pass out dozens of Styrofoam cartons free of charge. She held the unofficial prize of having the best homemade ice cream in all of Haven, and anyone in the small town would attest. Jacob Seresin Sr.-head of the Seresin farm and Janet's husband-was regarded in the same warm fashion. You could find him driving up and down the main street in his trusty red farm truck, often loaded with feed or some kind of good necessary to keep his place up and running. He'd stop and talk to anyone and everyone, literally everyone, he knew. He had been the one to help nearly everyone in his community rebuild after natural disasters, always willing to help someone in need, never asking for anything in return. The Seresin's were Haven's unofficial first family, leaders of sorts, in the small town.

Their son, Jacob Seresin Jr., was elusive and a topic nearly everyone knew to avoid. He had been raised on the family farm, attended the local school, lived and breathed the same life as everyone else, but found himself itching for more. He quickly fell into trouble with the local law, and with a last name like Seresin, he got away with mostly everything, which, perhaps, was his greatest downfall. He had gotten his high school girlfriend-a sweet local girl named Georgia Joann Smith-pregnant their senior year. When she broke the news, he'd taken off in his truck to Kentucky, where it was rumored he still was, looking for something he could never find. Nine months later, Jacob Thomas Seresin III, or 'Jake' as he preferred, was born, healthy, all ten fingers and toes. Just hours after birth, his mother fell gravely ill, and made her own swift exit in death. She left behind only one thing-her son. Jacob Sr. and Janet took him in with no questions asked, raising him as any grandparent would. Jake, luckily, seemed to inherit more of his mother than his father. His blonde hair gleamed in the Texas sun, turning almost gold in the heat-filled summers. His green eyes held his kindness-a sharp contrast to his father's dark brown eyes that seemed to only hold his anger. Jake bore Georgia's gentle soul, her wide smile and her witty personality, she lived on in Jake entirely. So when the new family moved into the empty house at the end of Seresin Farm Road, Janet had zero hesitations in sending Jake down to welcome their new neighbors to Haven. She'd spent the entire morning making homemade bread, having to occasionally swat away Jake's hands from the counter or tell him to completely get out of the kitchen while the loaves cooled. After lunch, she handed him a well-wrapped loaf and gave him instructions to take it to the newcomers, which Jake did without complaint. He'd placed the bread into the metal basket attached to his royal blue bike, trekking down their long and winding driveway. When he'd arrived nearly ten minutes later, he had parked his bike on the edge of the lawn, against a towering oak tree. He made a point to kick the dirt off his shoes, not wanting to track it onto the seemingly freshly painted, white wrap-around porch. He lifts his first to wrap against the door, one with a glass cut-out, much different than the screen door on his farmhouse. He fixed his windswept hair in the reflection of the window, remembering Granny's words of always looking well put together when meeting new people. The door's lock clicked, and when Jake looked up to see the man or lady of the house, he instead had to look down, finding a girl who couldn't be much younger than him. Her eyes were wide as they stared up at him, hair pushed out of her face with colorful butterfly shaped clips. Her eyes were captivating, and all of Jake's intended Southern charm had flown out the window. She smiles shyly at Jake, wondering why this stranger was on her porch.

"Uh, this is for you-or,uh-your parents," his arm extends the bread as he stammered. "My Granny made it, we live at the farm on the end of the road, we-uh, she-wanted to invite you to the neighborhood. I'm Jake."

Jake stuck out a clammy hand for her to shake, and winced internally. His Pawpaw would be reprimanding him if he saw this-it wasn't polite to make a lady shake your hand. Shaking hands was for business deals, and Jake had just shook her hand like she'd bought his show heifer. Jake's mind was clouded for a reason he couldn't explain, and he wasn't thinking straight. The girl blushed and smiled slightly.

"I'm Honey," her voice was quiet but pronounced. "That's not actually my name, but everyone calls me Honey, so, you can call me Honey. Um, is your house the one with the big magnolia tree in the front?"

Jake nodded quickly. Her eyes widened, shimmering with something Jake couldn't make out. Quietness settled over them before Honey spoke again.

"Is that your bike?" Honey points at his bike leaning against the tree.

"Yeah! Most kids ride their bikes everywhere here."

"C-Could I ride with you, maybe?" Her voice was suddenly shy, no longer meeting Jake's eyes. "It's just summer and I-I don't know anyone yet and-"

"Yes!" Jake cut her off, and mentally scolded himself, but as Honey flashed him a wide smile he couldn't find himself caring. She tossed the bread on the table just inside the door, slid on her purple jelly sandals and shut the door behind her. She led Jake to the empty garage, only full of empty moving boxes and a bright yellow bike. As she led them out of the garage and towards the edge of the yard, Jake's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her.

"Shouldn't you let your momma know you left, leave her a note or somethin'?"

Honey's eyes cut to her feet, her smile fading.

"She won't care, I'll be back before she will. S-She's a nurse, works the night shift at the old folks home in the next town over."

Jake nodded but said nothing, pedaling off on his own bike to lead her back down to his farm.

From that moment on, Jake and Honey were practically inseparable. The entire summer was spent with a blue bike parked next to a yellow one, swimming in the creek behind Jake's house, and running around the farm with nothing but their imagination and makeshift stick swords. Jake's Border Collie, John Wayne, became a frightening dragon of their imagination, and Honey taught Jake how to make flower crowns from the wildflowers in the fields. Janet had grown fond of looking out her front window to see Honey sitting next to Jake under her magnolia tree, reading her Boxcar Children book as much as she could with Jake chattering next to her. Even when Jake was busy with his farm chores, Honey would sit placidly under the tree, enjoying the occasional breeze as she read her book of the week. After the long summer, Jacob Sr. had started referring to it as "Honey's tree," and he'd laugh to himself every time he saw the girl sitting quietly under it. Both Janet and Jacob Sr. loved having the sweet but shy girl around, especially when they found out that she spent most of her time alone in that house down the road. On the last night before summer ended, Jake and Honey sat under the tree, swatting at mosquitoes as the Texas sun set. Jake looked over at Honey, who had finally put her book down, and asked:

"Why do you like this tree so much?"

She smiled a smile that Jake knew to be half-hearted and brought her knees to her chest, her chin resting on her kneecaps.

"It reminds me of home."

Honey had moved from her tiny town in Mississippi that summer, and she often talked of her home there, the friends and family she'd left behind, how her mother had left when her grandmother died, looking for a fresh start.

"My Gram had a tree like this in her yard, and she'd babysit me when Mom worked," Honey's eyes rested on the ground, where she was picking grass from the ground around her bare feet. "She'd read to me a lot, and it was my favorite place in the world. Sometimes when I read here it sort of feels like I never left."

Jake simply nodded, thinking of the mother he'd only met in pictures, and the grandparents he wouldn't trade for the world's richest man. Neither of them spoke a word about the statement she made, but they understood what it meant to both of them. Even at age nine, Jake was in love with the girl next door, even if he didn't know it yet. From the first year they met and every year after, Jake and Honey found themselves under the magnolia blossoms. Well, almost every year...

As the budding teens entered into their freshman year at Haven High School, the differences between their personalities became more apparent than ever. Jake was the ideal all-American southern boy: athletic, outgoing, someone who guys high-fived in the hallway, and one that girls would be late to class just to get a glimpse of. Jake was never one to let the attention get to his head, at least not too much. Sure, he enjoyed the feeling of being liked, and, sure, he could be cocky at times, but he was never the one to bully those completely different from him. Someone like Honey. Honey had always been quiet, shy by nature, and the very definition of an advanced student. She was beloved by her teachers, but not as well received by her classmates. With a town as small as Haven, it was either incredibly easy or incredibly hard to make friends, and for Honey, it seemed to be the latter. It wasn't as if Honey was perpetually odd-she wasn't homely or weird, just quiet. Jake was the only one who knew about her boisterous laugh that could be prompted with his corny jokes, or her wild streak, like sneaking into his bedroom window after she and her mother got into yet another fight.

At the beginning of the school year, she spent her breaks talking to Jake, and she sat next to him at lunch. He'd let her ramble about her current read, and he'd talk about yesterday's football practice. She'd leave with the promise to come around for dinner, Mrs. Janet was making her favorite. However, when football season started, and Jake had made an infamous saving play at one of the first few games, he had peaked in popularity. Honey found herself on the outside of his swarm of new friends, listening to him talk to his football buddies while the girls that followed shot her sympathetic or lethal glances. She'd ignored it at first, simply enjoying her paperback until Jake could spare himself a minute to talk to her. Eventually, the bell would sound before she even got the chance to say 'hello' to him, and, with her heart suddenly heavy, she'd make her way to class. The routine lasted for weeks and she'd find herself waiting by the phone, figuring Jake would call her after football practice, but she'd only be greeted with silence through the night. After the second week of no contact, she decided to leave Jake and his new friends to their own devices, opting to sit in the library for breaks, taking her lunch in the empty courtyard. It was like Jake hadn't noticed her absence at all, at least in her mind, but Jacob Sr. and Janet noticed immediately. They had missed her bright aura that lit up their farmhouse, watching as she greeted the dogs as she parked her now lilac bike in the driveway. Janet missed her companionship as Honey would watch her sew patches onto Jacob Sr. and Jake's clothes, and her husband missed catching up with her over dinner. The only time they'd see her anymore would be on Friday nights, at Jake's games. She'd sit in the bleachers with them, decked out in her navy blue and gold, watching intently as the boys in jerseys made their way up and down the field. At the end of the game, she'd say her goodbyes before Jake would find his grandparents and they wouldn't see her until the following Friday. In typical grandparent fashion, Janet had assumed Jake had done something. Her grandson was kind, gentlemanly, but he also had a sharp tongue and a big head, which he sometimes used in malice. So, over dinner one Thursday, Janet finally dipped her toes into the water.

"Maybe you should talk to Honey after the game tomorrow, she always seems to slip away before you two get to catch up."

Jake's eyebrows furrowed as he wiped his mouth, looking up at his grandmother.

"Honey? At a football game? Granny, I don't really think that's her scene. She hates when we have a pep rally at school, I don't think she's going to a football game voluntarily."

Jacob Sr. and Janet give each other a knowing look across the table.

"How blind are ya, son?" Jacob Sr.'s voice is accusatory.

Jake looks up from his plate, looking over at his grandfather with a confused look.

"She's been at every game this season, Jake," his grandmother's voice speaks, much softer than her husbands. "She sits next to us in the stands. When was the last time you two talked? Just the two of you?"

Jake scoffs at his grandmother's accusation, his head shaking as he tried to wrack his brain for the last time he'd talked to his best friend.

"Maybe a week or so ago, I-I can't remember."

"That's a damn shame," Jacob Sr.'s voice grumbled. "She's a sweet girl, smart too. I know she doesn't run the same circles as you and your new buddies, but she's a good friend Jake, and you're treatin' her as if she doesn't exist. She still comes to all of those games. I'm not tellin' you what to do, but maybe give her a call, and pray to the Lord above that she wants to talk to your dumb ass."

Jake's heart sank as he carried out his nightly farm chores that night, thinking of how he had treated Honey. He knew what the other girls in the group said about her, how she was 'quiet' and 'weird,' often making comments that were completely false or disrespectful. Jake always shut the comments down, but found himself not bothering to talk to the one person who had always been there for him. Was it his fear of his new friends thinking he was weird? Did he think he wouldn't be surrounded by his football buddies if they saw him talking to someone like Honey? As Jake shut the barn door, he sighed, deciding he didn't care about either. Honey had been his friend for years, long before high school or popularity, or stupid teenage rules. She'd never changed, she was still the girl he fell in love with all those years ago. That night, as he sat by the phone thinking of what to say, he'd heard the faintest knock on his door. He figured it was his Granny coming to tell him goodnight, so he made quick work of making his way to the door and flinging it open. Instead of his grandmother, Honey stood in front of him. She held an algebra textbook in her arms, her eyes never meeting his, her arms crossed protectively. Her eyes were red rimmed and bloodshot, tear streaks staining her cheeks. She'd been crying, and Jake knew Honey all too well, her tears had nothing to do with the algebra assignment. Something had happened to her.

"Uh, hey, I-I know it's late, and I didn't want to bother you, but I've been workin' on this stupid algebra assignment for three hours, and i-it's not making a lick of sense. You-You're the only person I know who could help me, so if you could just show me how to do one, I'll be out of your hair. I know you have a game tomorrow, and you should really sleep-"

Honey was rambling, picking the skin around her fingernails, she was nervous. It shattered his heart in his chest, he could never remember a time when she was nervous around him.

"No, no, you're fine, Honey. C'mere."

He opened the door wide for her to come in. She nodded in thanks, hovering awkwardly in the space between his bed and his desk. Any other time she'd plop herself down on his plaid comforter, all but curling into the sheets and falling asleep. Now, she didn't know what to do. She hadn't spoken to him in weeks, and he was different now. He wasn't just Jake, her Jake, he was Jake Seresin, up and coming star of their hometown football team, someone that a person like her should avoid in the hallway, someone that shouldn't even be talking to her.

He pushed the chair of his desk out for her, figuring she'd feel more comfortable there. She laid her textbook and notebook out flat, opening the book to the dozens of equations she couldn't make out. Honey was incredibly smart, but as her math classes advanced, she found herself staring at her own notes in utter confusion.

"Um, so, this is on polynomials," she started. "But I couldn't even tell you what a fuckin' polynomial is and I'm starting to lose my mind."

Jake quickly noted the physical manifestation of her worry-her hair messy with the way she had been running her hands through it, the chipped nail polish on her nails, and her chewing on her bottom lip. His heart ached, how had he not noticed her struggling? They were in the same class, she sat two chairs in front of him.

"Honey, I'm sorry."

She didn't even spare him a look.

"It's not your fault I'm stupid, Jake."

Jake took her arm in a light hold, turning her to look at him.

"I'm not talkin' about algebra, and you're not stupid, first of all. You're one of the smartest people I know. I'm talkin' about the way I've been actin'. It's not fair to you, I've been an ass. I've been ignoring you at school, treatin' you as if you aren't even there. You've come to all my games and I didn't even know. Thanks for that, by the way, but, I mean it, Honey. I'm sorry."

Honey shrugs, her face sprouting a faint pink blush.

"'S fine, people grow up, move on. You don't have to apologize for leaving me for people more like-minded. I get it, I don't necessarily fit the mold of your new friend group. It's okay. They seem to really like you though, and you seem happy. Plus Sam is...she's pretty. I get why you wouldn't want me hanging around."

"Sam?" Jake's voice was confused. Sam was a cheerleader, and she was friends with the girlfriends of his teammates. They had a passing conversation from time to time, but they weren't dating. "What're you talkin' about?"

Honey's brow furrowed, tapping her pencil's eraser against her book.

"Sam Vance told me like the third or fourth week of school that you were together, around the same time we stopped talking. I just assumed that was why you didn't want to talk anymore. It's sort of the reason I've kept my distance."

Jake's blood boiled, he was not dating Sam Vance. She was heinously mean, even to her own 'friends.'

"Honey," Jake started, his eyes full of sympathy, his flash of anger flickering. "I'm not dating her, not by a long shot. I don't know why she lied to you, I've never said more than a few sentences to one another, she's...mean. She's vicious, I'm sorry."

Honey's head only shook in a nonchalant manner. She was good at this, pushing people away, Jake had noticed it over the years. After years of practically raising herself, those she loved either abandoning her or leaving her in death, she expected everyone to leave. Honey herself knew that someday Jake would leave her, just like everyone else, so when he pulled away, she didn't bother trying to stop it, no matter how it hurt.

"Stop that. I know what I did was shitty, and it seemed like I didn't want you there, but this isn't me dumping you off, Honey. I swear. And I know something's wrong, you're not crying because of a homework assignment. If it's because of what happened between us, I'll do anythin' to make it up to you-"

Honey's bottom lip trembles, her eyes lining with tears as she shakes her head. She looks up at Jake, pain clouding her usually kind eyes.

"You don't have to worry about me, Jake."

"No I don't," he stated honestly. "I want to, Honey. You're my best friend, and you're hurtin'. You may not need me, but I want to help you. I know I haven't been a good friend, the worst actually, but talk to me, please."

Honey looks at her lap, bringing her knees to her chest in an action of protection Jake was familiar with-every time she has to get vulnerable, it's her defensive action, as if curling up in a ball would save her from hurt.

"For what it's worth," Honey started, her voice small and quiet. "I really don't understand polynomials, like, at all. But you're right, it's more than that." She pauses and takes a deep breath, Jake's heart shattering. Her inability to speak freely, the bags under her eyes, her nervous habit at the forefront-he'd never seen her so tired, so heavy.

"About a week ago, I came home and all of my mom's stuff was gone. I mean, all of it, her bedroom was completely empty. She left a note on the kitchen table." Her eyes focus on the Cowboys poster on the back of Jake's door, her eyes dulling. "She decided to move in with her boyfriend, and he-he doesn't even know she has a child, so she left the house for me. Which is fine, we never got along anyway, it's just been...lonely. She pays the bills and leaves money, so it's not like I'm fending for myself, but, it just really sucks she doesn't really care about me. I guess it shouldn't, but-" She pauses, eyes dazed out, silent tears running down her cheeks. "Sorry for the soapbox, I just, it all is piling up, and now I'm crying over polynomials." She laughs dryly. "Just, God I've missed you, Jake. I sort of pushed myself away from you because I thought you'd found people you'd rather spend your time with. I'm nothing like you interest wise, and-"

"Stop putting yourself down, I won't stand for it." Jake looks at her as she laughs in a quiet manner, hands wiping away her silent tears. Jake moves directly in front of her, making eye contact. "I mean it. You're ten times cooler than any of them. Most of the guys on the team, pretty laid back, cool, but all they ever want to talk about is football and how hot so-and-so is, and their girlfriends? Worse, by a thousand, at least most of them. I'd like to think I'm not that shallow, right?"

Jake Seresin was a lot of things, but shallow was not one of them.

"Please hang out with me tomorrow? I'll have Granny pick you up for school. You and I are going to talk until the bell rings, you've got to catch me up on that Scarlett girl in that book you were reading last time we talked. I'm sitting with you at lunch because Granny made me promise to bring you lunch, and you gotta catch me up on last week's Dawson's Creek episode. Then I'll see you at the game, and we can swing by The Burger Basket, you, me, burgers, fries, a strawberry shake for you and a chocolate one for me."

Honey laughed, nodding her head, her heart warming as she heard Jake ask for the things she thought he found annoying-her ranting about the books she was reading, or the TV shows she was watching. She wiped her tears, standing and hugging the blonde boy who knew her better than herself sometimes. Her chest felt lighter, it felt good to be known so incredibly well. He squeezed her tight before she let go. (Jake never, ever, let go first.) She sits back in the desk chair, sliding in next to Jake, her head falling on his shoulder.

"So," she spoke after a moment of silence. "Polynomials?"

Jake chuckles.

"Let's make a deal, Hon. I explain to you how to solve these equations, and you explain to me what the hell Shakespeare is talking about in those English assignments for Mrs. Elmer's class?"

Honey laughs, she and Jake were both good students, but in two very different subjects.

"You've got yourself a deal, J."

Jake smirks, taking the pencil that sat in the crevice of the book, his scratchy handwriting across her paper as he attempted to explain. In a matter of minutes, Honey began to understand, a smile forming as she grasped the concepts. Jake's green eyes met hers in the light of his desk lamp, glimmering, and the breath in his chest catches, his heart hammering. His palms sweat around the pencil and he can't look away from her.

"You alright, Seresin?" Honey's voice is laced with humor, and it snaps him out of his trance.

"Y-Yeah."

Jake had lied, he had just realized, for the first time since Jake had known Honey, he was beginning to see her as something more than just his best friend. When he looked at Honey, he noticed something he'd never noticed before, she was beautiful.

-

[fandomination666-blog]

As someone who lives in Texas (unfortunately) I find it SO FUNNY when people make keith overwhelmingly southern. Like, cmon yall. Texas history 101, the cowboy era ended a long ass time ago, most of us DONT wear cowboy hats anymore. Why the fuck would keith ride a horse???? Nobody does that unless they own horses??? And horses are incredibly expensive???

Like, I understand cowboy aus, and historical aus, but if Texas, in 2024, isn't like that (the stereotypes are so wild) then why would it be like that in approx 2314?

Very few wear cowboy hats or boots. Very few have horses, and NOBODY rides them to school, ffs. Keith is not a farmhand.

Some texas stereotypes that are true, however...

-yeah we say yall nonstop

-ain't, wouldja, couldn't've, etc.

-confederate flag is less common here, normally you see the "come and take it" or the "don't tread on me"

-if keith ever went to public school, 1/3 of his classmates or more are Latino

-most Texans know moderate amounts of Spanish

-we celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and most ppl think it's Mexican independence day (it's not)

-barbecue.

-chili WITHOUT BEANS YOU HEATHEN

-will fight over food, family, or football

-either you support the Dallas Cowboys or the Houston Texans. Any other team is sacrilege. Once you make this choice, it WILL have effects on your social life.

-football is basically king here lol, none of the other stuff in school gets nearly the funding

-people living in rural areas (like Keith's dad) often own guns, and not pistols either-- rifles and shotguns, usually

-NOBODY SAYS YEEHAW. at least not unironically

-Texans will ironically say yeehaw, rootin-tootin, etc bc we are aware of our history and think it's wack

-were not all racist, but everyone knows at least one person who is (usually an older family member)

-mind your gotdamn manners at the table. Get those elbows away from your food

-sir and ma'am for strangers

-open doors for old people. You don't have to be a man to do this.

-please and thank you is SO important, people will assume things about you otherwise

-if you don't have a church, you miss out on a lot of community (coming from a non-religious person)

-most people here are Baptist, on that note (Hispanic people contribute to the Catholic population, but still, Baptist is #1)

-internet service is awful unless you're in a city

-we WILL close all schools for 2 inches of snow/ice

-we laugh at hurricanes, and then do our best to help our Houston neighbors

-but everybody hates Houston and Dallas, unless you live there

-most people are okay with Austin, San Antonio, etc

-EL PASO IS TINY, AND HALF OF IT IS IN MEXICO (and is called Ciudad Juárez there)

-beer is god. And God has no problem with drinking. (According to beliefs here)

-gambling is illegal here, but we love it, so states like Oklahoma have built casinos RIGHT ON THE STATE BORDER so that we can drive a bit and gamble as we please

-everybody's dad drives a truck. Otherwise people assume he's got a small pp

[offender42085]

Post 1255

Before and After....

Austin Wray Perkins, Georgia inmate 1003503268, born 1996, incarceration intake December 2023 at age 27, scheduled for release March 2037

Child Molestation

In the week before Christmas 2023, former youth pastor Austin Wray Perkins has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars after pleading guilty to child molestation and possession of child sex abuse material. 

Perkins was one of seven suspects arrested in March 2022 as part of a larger operation involving the Floyd County Police Department in Georgia and the Secret Service Cyber Crimes Task Force.

Perkins had been a volunteer youth minister at Grace Fellowship Baptist Church in the rural town of Cave Spring. At the time of his arrest, the church had been without a lead pastor or any paid staff, and members of the congregation, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), expressed shock at Perkins’ actions. 

“We fully support law enforcement in this investigation,” Georgia Baptist Mission Board Executive Director Thomas Hammond said following Perkins’ arrest. “We will be praying for them as they search out facts and take appropriate action.”

In addition to his 15-year sentence, Perkins was sentenced to 25 years probation. 

Perkins was arrested after police discovered that he had been exploiting an underaged boy who was estranged from his family and had no other support. The child had been living with Perkins.

4y

[ughtoomanyfandoms]

Preacher’s Daughter (The Last of Us - Joel Miller): Family Tree (Intro)

PREACHER’S DAUGHTER Family Tree (Intro)

series masterliest

Pairing: Joel Miller x OC

CONTENT WARNINGS: 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI unprotected sex, religious trauma, gore, violence, swearing, explicit content, sexual violence.

Word Count: 610

Read on AO3 and Wattpad

PREACHER’S DAUGHTER Family Tree (Intro)

It was a rather repetitive dream, it seemed. Waking with breathless gasps, aching pains shooting up her spine, sheets wet with sweat. It was something that had haunted her throughout her youth: fists connecting with flesh, blades slashing through skin, bodies and limbs tangling together until she wasn’t sure whose fists were hurting who. The stench of men lingering heavy in the air, suffocating her until her last gasp before waking.

Now awake, she sits in the pew closest to the altar, knees bent and hands clasped. Having gotten there in the early hours of the morning, the sun was starting to creep through the stained glass windows as she hurriedly whispered her empty prayers. The large door at the end of the aisle begins to crack open, more light cascading in as she turns to squint at the light. All that is visible is the silhouette of him.

She quickly rises from her seat in the pew and runs her hands along her dress to brush out any wrinkles. She makes her way to the now open door, hopeful that he continues his way into the church. As she reaches the door, he stays planted in his position, and there is just enough room for her petite figure to slip past him.

The air of the brisk Oklahoma morning chills her skin and fills her lungs as she walks to the house next door. As she enters, she’s greeted with the sight of cardboard boxes skewed all across the front room. He must have been up all night packing. After her mother’s slow death, her father had accepted a position at a Baptist church in Austin. He wanted to be as far away from this town as possible.

His morning sermon would be beginning soon, and the congregation would begin to make their way into the church. She now stood silently at the entrance of the church, failing to greet the familiar faces as they said their good mornings. The dream from the night before continued to rattle inside of her. Screaming and fighting, blood spilling on the cold dirt of the ground. Trying to rub her hands free of the blood, only for it to be perpetually stained onto her skin.

Her name faintly being called is what draws her back to her position on the church steps. The entire congregation has already made their way into the church and her father approaches her. She turns her eyes to the ground, trying any way she can to not let him smell the alcohol on her breath that she had managed to keep stashed in her bedroom. She fails at this, however, as her father’s brows knit together in disappointment and his eyes grow cold.

“You know I raised you better than this,” he grumbles, grabbing her by the arm to spin her towards the aisle. They begin to walk together, and she swallows down the words she wants to spit at him. It was her mother that had raised her better than this. Her mother always helped her to stifle her anger to keep quiet.

As his sermon continues, his preaching grows louder and louder, demanding the silence of the crowd. His words ring through the church, and she’s trying to not grow envious of the Lord. Jesus could always reject his father, but he can never escape his mother’s blood.

"God is telling you and I there is death… for all of us,” his voice shouts. “But then we find that the scriptures also tell us that we have a great promise, that there is a better place for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ."

[fundieshaderoom]

Joy and Austin's New QnA

Joy and Austin say they follow Jesus and not man and that they go to a Baptist church. They are not IBLP and decided not to be early in their courting relationship. They want 4-5 kids. They are not doing a "G" theme for their boys. Joy read Jinger's book and plans to read Jill's. Austin says "If someone wrote a book about your family, would you read it? Duh!" They have never seriously considered moving out of Arkansas but would if God called them to.

[lboogie1906]

Freedmen’s Town is a nationally registered historical site. The site was originally a community located in the Fourth Ward of Houston, that began in 1865 as the destination for former enslaved people.

After emancipation was proclaimed in Texas on June 19, 1865, former enslaved began migrating to Austin, Dallas, Galveston, and other Texas cities but the largest migration was to Houston. They paved many of the streets with brick. These new residents established a community where they were able to live without the daily onslaught of racism and discrimination.

Freedmen’s Town developed as a cultural center with the establishment of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. Fourth Ward held one-third of Houston’s 36,000 African Americans and was famous for its many businesses including restaurants and jazz nightclubs which attracted white Houstonians to the area.

The Houston City Planning Commission proposed a permanent geographical and racial segregation that limited African American residence to the Second, Fourth, and Fifth Wards. While the Houston City Council refused to adopt such a plan, African Americans in Freedman’s Town and the Fourth Ward faced restrictive covenants and redlining practices that prevented African American mobility to most other parts of the city. African American Middle-Class residents were able to move to other racially segregated but newer communities in Houston including Studewood, South Park, Riverside Terrace, Kashmere Gardens, and Acres Homes.

Parts of the district were replaced by the new City Hall, the Albert Thomas Convention Center, the Gulf Freeway, the Allen Parkway Village, and a public housing project. Other parts of Freedman’s Town were replaced by San Felipe Courts. Houston government officials promised that Freedmen’s Town residents would have access to San Felipe Courts but after the US entered WWII, the project was reserved for white. Authorities even constructed a wall between San Felipe Courts and what remained of Freedmen’s Town to ensure continued racial segregation. San Felipe Courts would not allow African American residents until 1968. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[jedidiahjunior]

What type of Christianity do you follow?

-The Bible kind (eye roll ), Jesus not a man (which I guess is the polite way to say fuck bill got hard), they worship in a baptist church

(Austin makes a quip about how if the mic had a clip he could put it in his beard)

Is Austin still flipping houses?

-No

How many kids do they want?

-4-5, joy doesn’t “feel done” yet

Have you considered moving out of Arkansas?

-Not seriously but if God called them they would (I would love an in-depth explanation of how one knows when God calls one to do something like moving far away …..)

Are they still IBLP?

-No! Never as a couple and they spoke early on in their relationship of not using IBLP “literature” and such. “Have our own relationship with the Lord” -joy

Are they doing a name theme with sons? Gideon, gunner…

-No, Gunner was almost named Bowman James and they didn’t realize both boys wound up with G names until after they’d written gunners birth certificate

Are they going to read jills book?

-Yes! Joys already read jingers book. “If your family member wrote a book about your family would you read it? Duh!”-Austin

Dream vacation?

-Alaska!

What does it mean to put God first in your home?

-Honestly all they answered was just…. Barely coherent. Be the same in the home as in church? Whatever that means? Teach the children about him? That’s not vague. Keep the home pleasing to Him? Give me one (1) specific on how to do that I beg y’all!!! And then there’s a spiel about praying…

Do joy like Austin beard?

-yes but she’s getting bored with it. And then there’s a Totally Healthy banter about how joy was going to shave it of while he was asleep (impossible but ok) but Austin threatened to do the same to her eyebrows so she’s dropped the idea

The key to a successful marriage?

-Fight for your marriage, but fight together and not against each other. Austin is apparently very good at apologizing

Does Gideon like his swim classes?

-yes

What is evelyns favorite song?

-blippi, cocomelon…..

What has Gideon been learning about in Bible time?

-Old Testament stuff! King Solomon and monotheism

What is Gideon’s best joke?

-First he says VBS, then Sir laugh a lots

What does Evelyn want to be when she’s bigger?

-a princess!

[brookston]

Holidays 3.17

Holidays

Buy Women Owned Day

Camp Fire Girls Day

Children’s Day (Bangladesh)

Day of Comics & Comic Books (Spain)

Doctor-Patient Trust Day

Ennensaii (Kyoto, Japan)

Evacuation Day (Suffolk County, MA)

Glider Day

Kustonu Diena (No Planting Day; Ancient Latvia)

Mobilization Employee Day (Ukraine)

National Children Day (Bangladesh)

National Muay Thai Day

National SBCD Day

National Slime Day

Patrick Star Day (SpongeBob)

Psyche Asteroid Day

Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Day (Philippines)

Rubber Band Day

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Day (Bangladesh)

Social Care Day of Remembrance & Reflection (UK)

St. Carl’s Day (Sacrilege Brewing)

St. Patrick's Day (a.k.a. ... 

Corned Beef & Cabbage Day

Green Ribbon Day

Irish Coffee Day

Irish Stout Day

Lá Fhéile Pádraig

St. Catrick’s Day

Submarine Day [also 4.11]

317 Day (Indiana)

Vanguard I Day

Violet Day

Wood Anemone Day (French Republic)

World Maritime Day

World Shale Energy Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Irish Coffee Day

Irish Stout Day

National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day

National Irish Beer Day

National Irish Food Day

3rd Sunday in March

American Chocolate Week begins [3rd Sunday]

Buzzard Sunday (a.k.a. National Buzzard Day) [Sunday after 15th]

Root Canal Awareness Week begins [3rd Sunday]

Silly Sunday [3rd Sunday]

Weekly Holidays beginning March 17 (3rd Week)

American Chocolate Week [3rd Full Week]

Clutter Awareness Week [3rd Full Week]

Consider Christianity Week [begins 2nd Sunday before Easter]

International Goof Off Week [3rd Full Week]

Jobs for Teens Week [3rd Full Week]

National Agriculture Week [3rd Full Week]

National Animal Poison Prevention Week [3rd Full Week]

National Anonymous Giving Week [3rd Full Week]

National Bubble Week [1st Week of Spring]

National Button Week [3rd Full Week]

National Clean Out Your Closet Week [3rd Full Week]

National Fix a Leak Week [3rd Full Week]

National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week [3rd Full Week]

National Introverts Week [3rd Full Week]

National Poison Prevention Week [3rd Full Week]

National Surveyors Week [begins 3rd Sunday]

Passion Week (thru 3.23) [Week before Holy Week; Christianity]

Passiontide (thru 3.30) [Passion Week + Holy Week]

Schools Library Media Center Week [3rd Full Week]

World Folktales & Fables Week [3rd Full Week]

Independence & Related Days

North Albania (Declared; 2009) [unrecognized]

Republic of Abrus (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Venice Republic (Declared; 1848)

Festivals Beginning March 17, 2024

Austin Fringe Festival (Austin, Texas) [thru 3.24]

Kegs & Eggs Bar Brunch Block Party (Atlanta, Georgia)

NIOP Convention (Palm Springs, California) [thru 3.19]

St. Patrick’s Day Festival (Dublin, Ireland)

St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Birmingham, UK)

St. Patrick’s Day Parade (New Orleans, Louisiana)

St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Feast Days

Agricola (Christian; Saint)

Alexius of Rome (Eastern Church)

All Snakes’ Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Damballah’s Day (a.k.a. Damballay Weddo; primordial snake of life Iwa; Vodou)

Dave the Dog (Muppetism)

Feast of the Blessed Leprechaun (Church of the SubGenius)

Gertrude of Nivelles (Christian; Saint)

Hans Namuth (Artology)

Jean Baptiste Oudry (Artology)

John Sarkander (Christian; Saint)

Joseph of Arimathea (Western Church)

Kate Greenaway (Artology)

Liberalia (Ancient Roman festival of Liber Pater)

The Martyrs of Serapeum (Christian; Martyrs)

Mikhail Vrubel (Artology)

Noah Entered the Ark Day (Middle Ages Christianity)

Patrick of Ireland (Christian; Saint) [Ireland] *

Paul of Cypress (Christian; Saint)

Shabbat HaChodesh (שַׁבָּת הַחֹדֶשׁ) [25 Adar]

St. Patrick’s Day Excuse (Pastafarian)

Tacitus (Positivist; Saint)

Trefuilnid Treochair (Feast of Triple Bearer of the Triple Key; Ireland)

Orthodox Christian Liturgical Calendar Holidays

Forgiveness Sunday (Orthodox Christian) [Last Sunday before Lent]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [16 of 60]

Premieres

The Agony and the Ecstasy, by Irving Stone (Novel; 1958)

American Hot Wax (Film; 1978)

Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero (WB Animated Film; 1998)

Beezus and Ramona, by Beverly Cleary (Novel; 1955)

Bound for Glory, by Woody Guthrie (Autobiography; 1943)

Bowery Bimbos (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1930)

Break Like the Wind, by Spinal Tap (Album; 1992)

Breathless (Film; 1960)

The Champion of Justice (Might Mouse Cartoon; 1944)

Circle of Friends (Film; 1995)

Dial “P” for Pink (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1965)

Erin Brockovich (Film; 2000)

Final Destination (Film; 2010)

Fletch Lives (Film; 1989)

Goofy and Wilbur (Disney Cartoon; 1939)

Gym Jam (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1950)

Iron Fist (TV Series; 2017)

iZombie (TV Series; 2015)

The Little Princess (Film; 1939)

The Magician’s Elephant (Animated Film; 2023)

Maiden Voyage, by Herbie Hancock (Album; 1965)

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (TV Series; 2017)

Minx (TV Series; 2022)

Naughty Number Nine (Multiplication Rock Cartoon; Schoolhouse Rock; 1973)

Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, by Frederic Chopin (Piano Concerto; 1830)

Plane Crazy (Disney Cartoon; 1929)

Purple Haze, by Jimi Hendrix (UK Song; 1967)

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (Film; 2023)

Son of a Son of a Sailor, by Jimmy Buffet (Album; 1978)

The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the World's Greatest Philosophers, by Will Durant (Book; 1926)

Thank You for Smoking (Film; 2006)

This Year’s Model, by Elvis Costello (Album; 1978)

Traffic Troubles (Disney Cartoon; 1931)

Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky, by Patrick Hamilton (Novel; 1935)

V for Vendetta (Film; 2006)

William Gibson (Writerism)

William Tell, by Friedrich Schiller (Play; 1804)

Yakety Yak, recorded by The Coasters (Song; 1958)

Today’s Name Days

Gertraud, Gertrud, Patrick (Austria)

Domagoj, Gertruda, Hrvatin, Patricija, Patrik (Croatia)

Vlastimil (Czech Republic)

Gertrud (Denmark)

Gerda, Gertrud, Kärdi, Kärt, Kerli, Kert, Kertu, Ruta, Ruuta, Truude, Truuta (Estonia)

Kerttu, Kerttuli (Finland)

Patrice, Patrick (France)

Gertraud, Gertrud, Patrick (Germany)

Alekos, Alexios, Alexis, Gertrude (Greece)

Gertrúd, Patrik (Hungary)

Patrizio, Teodoro, Wanda, Vanda (Italy)

Gerda, Ģertrūde, Karīna (Latvia)

Gendvilas, Gertrūda, Patrikas, Varūna, Vytė (Lithuania)

Gjertrud, Trude (Norway)

Gertruda, Harasym, Jan, Patrycjusz, Patryk, Regina, Rena, Zbigniew, Zbygniew, Zbyszko (Poland)

Alexie (Romania)

Ľubica (Slovakia)

Patricio (Spain)

Gertrud (Sweden)

Oleska (Ukraine)

Paden, Pat, Patrice, Patricia, Patrick, Patsy, Patti, Patty, Trish, Trisha (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 77 of 2024; 289 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 11 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 1 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Ding-Mao), Day 8 (Geng-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 7 Adair II 5784

Islamic: 7 Ramadan 1445

J Cal: 17 Green; Threesday [17 of 30]

Julian: 4 March 2024

Moon: 59%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 21 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Socrates]

Runic Half Month: Beore (Birch Tree) [Day 8 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 88 of 89)

Week: 3rd Week of March

Zodiac: Pisces (Day 28 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Fearn (Alder) [Celtic Tree Calendar; Month 3 of 13]

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Today in Christian History

Today is Saturday, August 5th. It is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 148 days remain until the end of the year.

1590: Meletius Pegas becomes the Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria. He will endeavor to reunite the Greek and Coptic churches.

1604: John Eliot is baptized in England. His non-conformist views will eventually prompt him to move to America, where he will found fourteen congregations of Indian Christians, translate the Bible into Algonquin, and help prepare the Bay Psalm Book—the first book printed in America. Captured by Indians, he will learn their language while in captivity.

1720: Death in England of Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea, a notable poet and hymnwriter, loyal to King James II. Among her best-known religious poems is “The Atheist and the Acorn,” which depicts an atheist as a fool for trying to outguess God’s arrangements. She had also written a praise hymn beginning, “To the Almighty on his radiant throne / Let endless hallelujahs rise.”

1751: Rev. John Cuthbertson, America’s first Scottish Covenanter pastor, arrives in America. His name appears frequently as a genealogical authority because he will keep a log of births and marriages. In it, he records over five thousand family names as well as notes of six hundred marriages and almost two thousand baptisms he performs in the course of seventy thousand miles of ministerial travels.

1833: Allen B. Freeman, a young man recently graduated from a Baptist seminary, arrives to serve as a missionary in Northern Illinois, but will die of cold and exhaustion in December the following year after his horse collapses under him, forcing him to walk many miles back to Chicago.

1835: Death of Thomas McCrie, Scottish minister and church historian. He and three other divines had left the General Association Synod and formed the Constitutional Association Presbytery. He also wrote biographies of John Knox and Andrew Melville.

1844: The first assembly of Queen’s College, British Guiana, meets. The school has been established by Anglican bishop William Piercy Austin, a missionary to the South American colony.

1876: Scottish missionary Mary Slessor boards the SS Ethiopia to sail to Calabar (Nigeria). She shares the ship with a cargo of liquor.

1955: Death of Jesse Irvin Overholtzer, founder and first director of Child Evangelism Fellowship.

[dwuerch-blog]

July 4th – a Very Big Deal

Of course it is. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. Fast forward to 2023, and many of us see this day as simply a paid holiday, family picnics, gatherings and fireworks shows. And much of it was just that, as our celebration was early, on July 2nd, Sunday night. It was a…

[baptist-denominations-poll]

The first of our one-day polls, folks!

Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists

Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec

Image: University Baptist Church, Austin, Texas (AWAB)

[dcstruction]

[ olivia cooke | cis female | she/her | twenty-six ] ——   welcome to grimrose, ESTHER MCLEAN. it’s cool that you’re here, you know. haven’t you heard of the history of this place… anyway, how’s being a NEWCOMER who has been in town for ONE MONTH , especially since you spend most of your days as a CASE WORKER at GRIMROSE TOWN HALL ? also, not that it’s a bad thing, of course, but i’ve heard people say you can be a little BRITTLE more than you are INCISIVE… but that’s just coming from people who are bored here, i promise. to me, you remind me of BITTER SWEET SYMPHONY  by THE VERVE and repeating your sentence thrice before giving up , the fog that settles on the land after a rainy night ,clumps of cut brown locks in the bathroom sink , building sandcastles at the beach even as the tide comes in and speaking your truth even as your voice shakes . hope to see you around, ESTHER. —

full name — esther renee mclean name meaning — "star” / to hide or to conceal age — twenty-six date of birth — december 01 place of birth — austin, texas current location — grimrose, new hampshire gender — cis woman pronouns — she / her religion — baptist , only semi-religious occupation — case worker education level — MSW / masters degree in social work, certified in texas and newly in new hampshire residence — fixing up her grandmother’s home just several minutes from main street  family —  frances jean mclean (nee howard) [grandmother, living ] , willie mclean [grandfather, deceased ] , pauline mclean (nee gordon) [mother , living ] , cecil mclean [ father , living] , everette mclean [brother , presumed living ]  finances — comfortably middle class spoken languages — english, some bits of french faceclaim / voiceclaim — olivia cooke

background — tw mentions of death ,

the house in mary’s cove was pretty decent at the time . it was only one floor , but it had enough rooms to house all four siblings of the mclean family . willie was a fisherman by choice and frances a midwife by necessity - some evenings at the house lonesome for the children but the oldest soon learned how to cook and was the matron at the young age of fourteen . finishing high school was not required when there was a baby to take care of at home -- and cecil mclean was no easy child . he was rough by the edges , independent even as a newborn and steadfast as a young father years later .

cecil remembers the evening that his father came home from the sea with an extra wrinkle etched on his forehead and a defeated ‘the fish haven’t been biting’ . that memory was clear but the rest were muffled ; something about how they should move down south - it was warmer , it was new and hell , even the jobs seemed even better down in texas .  so the family left everything they knew and made a new life in a very different state . the house was forgotten , left to dust and photos on the walls never aged while the mclean family did .

esther is born to a teenage mother only two years later . it was a consequence of a spiked punch at senior prom and a couple that had only gone on a few dates. the teen pregnancy was first met with disdain ( mostly from the perspective that cecil was raised to be a very respectful gentleman by the word of god ) but pauline soon became the daughter frances soon adored . sundays were always spent at church ( the only hour pauline really dared to be a decent lady ) but the rest at some bar that she fronted as her job . pauline was never meant to be a mother - she had a drive to be someone so why let some mistake ruin her life ? they only had to get married for the snobby church - some elaborate lie that the child was definitely not out of wedlock . but they divorced when esther could walk so pauline could travel the world because that was the truest marvel ; not the baby left alone in the bassinet .

the only real mother figure esther had growing up was her maternal grandmother . they often butted heads about religion , but it had been her who had changed all esther’s dirty diapers , told teenage esther about the birds and the bees , and who had been the first to know that esther had gotten engaged to the brainy kid from her high school .

the engagement didn’t really last more than a year . what began as an impulsive forever soon withered under the pressure of reality . adulthood was no easier than university and certainly not when the two had different ideas of what a family meant . he wanted children and she wanted a life  ( really the only similarity she had to pauline ) .

a letter came on an otherwise unremarkable tuesday . addressed by her grandmother who often seemed lonely these days after her grandfather’s untimely demise. it was a property deed for a home that had been abandoned fifty years ago . several inked words told the story of the wooden house near the coast . a picture was attached to the prose and the blue paint was most definitely chipped by now , but all it took was one glance for the pull to drag esther back north .

it’s been one month and esther spent most of her time in the attic . the house was certainly a skeleton of memories as nothing’s moved . she walks the same steps her father once did and it’s the closet thing to home she’s got now .

several head cannons :p

at the surface level , esther is pretty easy going . however , as someone gets to know the true her - the one that is hidden under several layers of truly complicated feelings , she is a ghost . there are times that she is aware of how shitty of a friend she can be but it doesn’t outweigh the flight that carries her day to day . to know her is to not know her.

she decided to pursue case work after picking up a part time job when she was in university at an office that worked with at risk youths . it’s truly an emotional job for her which is why she is a pretty emotionless person at home . but since moving to grimrose, she’s taken on a full time job at the grimrose town hall where she assists tourists and newcomers acclimating to the new town by providing local resources. it’s not exactly her passion but it pays decent.

with the roleplay’s progression , esther will develop the ability of pathokinesis . while it is one’s ability to manipulate emotions, it will take a rather different approach at onset . she will have a sudden rush or awareness of someone else’s emotions to the point of becoming overwhelmed . i find that this will be ironic for a person who has always had difficulty in conveying emotions so this ability will be the literally the only way (whether conscious or subconscious) for esther to communicate how she feels at the moment or about someone.

[bcofl0ve]

hi- i think i’ve addressed this before but it was before this blog kinda blew up so i’ll say it again (and anon i just got pls don’t feel bad you seem so sweet and ik you were coming from a good place). yes- i am aware members of austin’s family appear to have some…disappointing social/political views. but since they aren’t public figures that < is about as much as i feel comfortable saying on it. i have people in my family, and in the southern baptist church community i grew up in (and left, fwiw i’m episcopal now haha) that i still love so deeply even i wish they viewed certain things very very differently.

i think it’s absolutely okay to post stuff of austin with his family even so- and i think it’s for the better that we as a fandom don’t harp on that aspect of things too much. there’s enough chaos round here without that thrown into the mix. 😅

[wutbju]

Gerald Dean “Jerry” Hilterbrand II passed away suddenly on Wednesday, January 19th, 2022, at Delta Health hospital in Delta, Colorado. He was 62 years young.

Jerry was born on October 27, 1959, in Springfield, Missouri to Verna (Hollis) and Gerald Dean Hilterbrand Sr. Jerry spent his childhood in the Denver/Lakewood area of the Eastern Slope of Colorado and graduated high school from Silver State Baptist School in 1978. He went on to graduate from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982. June 4, 1983, Jerry married the love of his life Diana (Smith) in Ava, Missouri.

At the Lord’s calling to serve, Jerry spent time in Forest Park, Georgia for two years and then was again called to serve in Galesburg, IL to be the Assistant Pastor/Youth Pastor and Bible teacher from 1986 to 1992. Jerry and Diana longed for the mountains, and moved to Montrose on the Western Slope of Colorado where he became the Senior Pastor at Faith Baptist Church. In 2000, it was a time for a change of venue so Jerry and Diana moved to the Parker area of Colorado where he became a bank manager for Wells Fargo. He transferred back to the Western Slope of Colorado in 2007, and moved to Austin, CO. His love for the Lord once again came calling in 2010, when he became the Pastor of Garnet Mesa Baptist Church until his work on earth was done and the Lord called him home to Heaven.

Jerry loved the outdoors. Hunting big game and birds, camping, fishing, and archery. He was an avid at home wood worker and handyman. He became quite the YouTube mechanic, and could fix just about anything. He also loved animals, and had many dogs. One of his special dogs is an Aussie named Katie who had learned to alert him when his blood sugar dropped, saving his life several times. He was also training his chocolate Labrador, Shadow, for bird hunting, and was looking forward to taking her into the field.

Jerry is survived by his loving wife Diana Hilterbrand, his daughter Aspen Joy Hilterbrand; his sister Victoria (Brian) Gottschall of Farmington, NM, nephews and nieces Chuk (Martha) Gottschall, Jon (Jen) Gottschall, Brian Jr. (Courtney) Gottschall, Ben (Becca) Gottschall, Clarissa (Andy) Gilbert, and Bethany (Adam) Joyner, and many great–nephews and great-nieces.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, Gerald Sr. and Verna Hilterbrand.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory.

A celebration of his life will be held at Garnet Mesa Baptist Church on Saturday, January 29, 2022. Visitation will be at 9:00 a.m., and the service will be at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be at Grand View Cemetery in Montrose, CO.

[fundieshaderoom]

This is just a suggestion and feel free to ignore! Something I think would be helpful would be to include at the top of your "Fundies and Adjacent I Follow" type posts a summary of what makes them fundie or adjacent. I haven't heard of the majority of them, so I can't tell if it's a friend of the Duggars, someone with a blog that spouts hate in the name of Christianity, a vlogging family, or just a random family that just so happens to have a bunch of kids. Maybe for the lesser known follow up pregnancy or engagement announcements where most fundie followers would go "who is this...?" linking back to the main post? Thanks for all you do!

Fundies and Adjacent I Follow: Why are they notable (Last Names A-C)

Great Idea! I will be doing all the families I have posted by last names. I am going to start here with A-D. You can see links to all families here.

Alexander Family:

The Alexander Family of California is headed by father Ken Alexander and mother Lori Falk. They have been married since 1980 and share 4 children, 4 children-in-law, and 16 grandchildren as of 11/20/2023.

Lori Alexander runs a blog and Youtube channel called "The Transformed Wife" where she discusses biblical womanhood, marriage, and motherhood.

Anderson Family:

The Anderson Family of Arizona is headed by father Steven Anderson and mother Zsuzsanna Toth. They have been married since 2000 and share 12 children as of 11/20/2023.

Steven is the New IFB movement and pastors the Faithful Word Baptist Church.

Zsuzsanna runs a blog called "Are They All Yours?"

Andregg Family:

The Andregg family of Arkansas is headed by father Dwayne Andregg and mother Melanie McPherson. They have been married since 1999 and share 6 children, 1 son-in-law, and 2 grandchildren as of 11/20/23.

They are connected to the Wikstrom family as their daughter Lauren married the Wikstrom's son Devin.

The Andreggs have also been notable friends with the Duggar family for years and are members of the IBLP. They were featured on the Duggar's TLC shows.

Dwayne is the former campaign manager for Jim Holt.

Baird Family:

The Baird family of Texas is headed by father Michael Baird and mother Heidi Mick. They have been married since 1982 and share 8 living children, 6 children-in-law, and 9 grandchildren as of 11/20/2023.

Daughters Bethany Beal and Kristen Clark run Girl Defined Ministries.

Balka Family:

The Balka Family of Tennessee is headed by father Mike Balka and late mother Kristy Dotson. They were married in 1993 and share 6 children, 3 children-in-law, and 4 grandchildren as of 11/20/2023.

Son Kelton is married to Josie Bates.

Ballinger Family:

The Ballinger family of Arkansas is headed by father Bob Ballinger and mother Jessica Thomas. They have been married since 1998 and share 7 children, 1 daughter-in-law, and 4 grandchildren as of 11/20/23.

Their son Bobby married Austin Forsyth's sister Meagan.

Bob Ballinger served in the Arkansas General Assembly from 2013 to 2023. Jed and Joy Duggar served as interns for him.

Barrett Family:

The Barrett family is headed by mother Gabby Barrett and father Cade Foehner. They have been married since 2019 and share 3 children as of 11/20/23.

Gabby Barrett is an accomplished country music singer who originally gained fame on American Idol.

The couple was good friends with Jeremy and Jinger Vuolo while living in LA. Jeremy officiated their wedding.

Bates Family:

The Bates Family of Tennessee is headed by father Gil Bates and mother Kelly Jo Callaham. They have been married since 1987 and share 19 children, 11 children-in-law, and 29 grandchildren as of 11/20/2023.

The Bates family rose to prominence via their friendship with the Duggar Family. They have since gone on to have their own shows with TLC and UPTV.

They are long-time members of the IBLP and Gil Bates is on the board.

Many of the children have popular social media presences.

Bontrager Family:

The Bontrager family of Iowa is headed by father Marlin Bontrager and mother Becky. They have been married since 1989 and share 10 children, 7 children-in-law, and 14 grandchildren as of 11/20/2023.

The Bontragers are friends of the Duggars and sons Carson and Joshua are married to Bowers girls.

The unmarried Bontrager children are in a band with their parents.

Bowers Family:

The Bowers Family of Alabama is headed by father Curtis Bowers and mother Lauren McAlvany. They have been married since 1989 and share 9 children, 2 sons-in-law, and 6 grandchildren as of 11/20/2023.

The family is friends of the Duggar Family. Daughters Carolina and Cassidy are married to Bontrager boys.

Bure Family:

The Bure family is headed by father Valeri Bure and mother Candace Cameron. They have been married since 1996 and share 3 children as of 11/20/2023

Candace was a main cast member of Full House and is now an outspoken Christian actress and sister of Kirk Cameron.

Burnett Family:

The Burnett family of Oklahoma is headed by father John Burnett and mother Cheryl Clay. They have been married since 1981 and share 8 children, 8 children-in-law, and 19 grandchildren as of 11/20/2023.

They daughter Abbie married John Duggar in 2018. They were at one point members or running in the circles of the IBLP, but I am unsure of the Burnett family affiliation now.

Caldwell Family:

The Caldwell family of Arkansas is headed by father Paul Caldwell and mother Christina Hamrick. They have been married since 1998 and share 9 children, 1 son-in-law, and 4 grandchildren as of 11/20/2023.

Paul Caldwell is the former pastor of the Duggar family church. Their daughter Kendra married Joseph Duggar in 2017. The family was at one point in the IBLP. I am unsure of their current affiliation.

Cameron Family:

The Cameron Family of California is headed by father Kirk Cameron and mother Chelsea Noble. They have been married since 1991 and share 6 children and 2 children-in-law as of 11/20/2023.

Kirk is a former main cast member of Growing Pains and was an actor in the Christian film FireProof. He was featured on several episodes of 19 Kids and Counting.

Clark Family:

The Clark family of New Jersey is headed by father Charles Clark Jr. and mother Aprile. They share 3 children, 2 children-in-law, 9 granchildren, 6 grandchildren-in-law, and 7 great-grandchildren as of 11/20/2023.

The family runs a church called Solid Rock Baptist Church. They also have a band called Clark Family Band.

Grandson Travis is married to Katie Bates.

Collingsworth Family:

The Collingsworth family of Ohio is headed by father Phillip Collingsworth Sr. and Kimberly Keaton. They have been married since 1986 and share 4 children, 4 children-in-law, and 9 grandchildren as of 11/20/2023.

The family makes up the Collingsworth Family musical group. Daughter Olivia has made music with Lawson Bates. The family also rubs shoulders with the Duggar family.

The Collins Family:

The Collins family of Texas is headed by father Mandrae Collins and mother Karissa Goering. They have been married since 2007 and share 10 children as of 11/20/2023.

Karissa's online presence has garnered the family a lot of negative attention. She promotes giving family size up to God.

Coverett Family:

The Coverett Family of Pennsylvania is headed by father Jeremy Coverett and Ellen Vincent. They have been married since 2001 and share 6 children and 1 son-in-law as of 11/20/2023.

Ellen has been in the downline of Jill Rodrigues for many years. Ellen is the sister of the matriarch of the Hill family and introduced Kaylee Rodrigues and Jonathan Hill. Heidi Coverett is now engaged to Timothy Rodrigues.

Crane Family:

The Crane Family of Arkansas is headed by father Josh Crane and mother Melodie. They share 7 children, 2 children-in-law, and 3 grandchildren as of 11/20/2023.

Daughter Madi and her husband work for PragerU along with Lemuel Reber.

The Crane Family is friends of the Duggars and former IBLP members. It is speculated that some leaked information about the Duggar family has come from friends of the Cranes.