Thursday, December 28, 2017

Duggar Christmas Travels

This morning, we shared photos from Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo's Christmas celebration in Philadelphia, and earlier this week, we posted snapshots from the Duggar Christmas extravaganza that took place at Jim Bob and Michelle's house on Christmas Day.

After the holiday, several of the Duggar siblings--including Joseph and Kendra--flew out to Massanutten, Virginia, for a little vacation. Cousin Amy (Duggar) King and Dillon also went along. The boys have been skiing, while the ladies have been tubing and shopping. If you follow our Bates blog, you may remember the Bates' trip ski trip to Massanutten a year ago.

For those wondering where Josh and Anna Duggar and their five children (Mackynzie, Michael, Marcus, Meredith, and Mason) spent Christmas, they went down to Florida to be with Anna's family.

Josh and Anna Duggar Christmas 2017
Josh and Anna Duggar
Mackynzie Duggar, Michael Duggar, Marcus Duggar,
Meredith Duggar, Mason Duggar

Photo courtesy Josh and Anna Duggar/duggarfamily.com

119 comments:

  1. What a beautiful family! Mackynzie and Michael are getting so big!!

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  2. i cant believe how tall michael is getting!

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  3. What a lovely picture and Mason is so big now! I'm sure it was warmer in Florida than it was in Arkansas and definitely warmer there than it was here in Arizona
    Thanks ladies for posting this picture. It really is a beautiful picture.

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  4. Wonderful picture. Anna is such an awesome example of showing an abundance of grace. Not many woman would stay with their husbands. She practices what she preaches. It must have been extrememly hard for her but she leaned on her Lord Jesus Christ. Her parents raised her well. I think it is safe to say that Anna is one Duggar that everyone loves. May God bless you richly, Anna.

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    1. I hope you are not implying that any woman who leaves an unfaithful husband was not raised well by her parents, or is not an example of grace. Josh is just barely out of the gate in terms of being on the road to earning trust and healing his marriage. For Anna's sake, I hope he has indeed reformed.

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    2. I agree. I hope he has reformed....not just for Anna's sake but for the kids and everyone else. I think it's wonderful her relationship with the Lord and how she leans on Him. She is an example of JOY - Jesus 1st, Others 2nd, Yourself 3rd. I am assuming that since she grew up in a Christian home her parents had something to do with it. I wish you and yours a Happy New Year.

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    3. I don't think she was implying anything. To me, she was expressing how amazing Anne is.

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    4. I don’t know if you guys are right.But the comment about how strong Anna is true.She is going through a lot but she loves her husband even when he was unfaithful to her she was there and this family is so strong and beautiful.Sometimes we make mistakes but we can try to love and forgive them like Jesus did for us.

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    5. you have to admire anna she is a strong lady and i wish her well and all of her kids are happy

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  5. Love the pic of Josh and his family. Meredith looks like a doll and makenzie looks like her moms family.
    Kom

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    1. I agree that Meredith looks like a sweetheart. She reminds me of Anna's sister Priscilla. Also see that somewhat in Marcus. Michael is the most like his mother from what I can tell. I see a bit of Anna in Mackynsie, but overall I actually think she resembles her dad the most of any of the kids.

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  6. Can someone explain what tubing is? The only tubing I am familiar with is in water during summer. It doesn't snow where I live except once in a blue moon. Nice picture of Josh and Anna and their beautiful children.

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    1. Same as water but on snow going down a hill

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    2. You slide down a snowy hillside in an inflated "inner tube" - which is no longer a tire inner tube, but a heavy inflatable rubber "donut" with handles, made for sliding in the snow. Sometimes the centers are solid, where you sit or lie down on your stomach to slide. Similar to the water tubing, but no towing behind a boat involved. Gravity pulls you down the hill.

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    3. Sliding down a snowy hill with an inner tube.

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    4. It’s like tobogganing/sledding except you go down the hill in an inner tube (similar to the ones you use on the water in the summer). I’m more puzzled about why the girls don’t ski?

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    5. Using an inner tube to slide across the snow. Just like a sled.

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    6. It's, basically sleding but with a rubber tube.

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    7. Tubing means going down a snowy hill on any type of sled, including an inflatable circle like the ones used in water :)

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    8. Thanks for the explanation. Sounds like great fun!

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    9. I sincerely hope that this post was wrong and "the ladies" are not tubing. I live 20-30 minutes from Massanutten-the slopes are swamped from 1-2 weeks before Christmas through New Year's week. There are tons of people of all ages tubing, which increases the likelihood for injury-not good if you're pregnant.

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    10. I live in Florida near a river. Tubing to us is floating down river on tubes. And yes, there are gators in the river we go down too! We just quietly float on by as they're either sunning themselves on the river banks or we see their beady eyes gliding on the water watching us. Nothing like living on the edge!

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    11. I'm sure they can tube safely. I played volleyball through 13 weeks and softball too. I wouldn't go tubing. But it's their decision.

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    12. We went tubing at Massanutten last year. The tubes moved so slowly that the resort has employees posted half way to push riders the rest of the way down. It is extremely tame.

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  7. Merideth is toooo cute!!

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  8. Such a sweet family! I hope your Christmas in Florida was a treasured time with family!

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  9. Yay, finally a picture with Mason! Anna is looking gorgeous.

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  10. I can't believe how fast they are all growing up, they look so adorable. Great looking family!

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  11. Such a beautiful family, everyone is growing up so fast.

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  12. Love love love this picture! Such a beautiful family :)

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  13. So great to have info and pictures of Josh and family. So thankful this family seems to be on the mend and growing in God. I live in Florida (not far from Anna's family home) and keep hoping I will run into Josh, Anna and kids on one of their visits! I would LOVE to meet them. Thanks for the update on them.

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    1. You can tell from the picture that they're on the mend and growing in God? Can't see that as clearly on my monitor.

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    2. Betty you must live near by me. I'm close to where the Kellers live too. And Betty was my mom's name, we have a few things in common!

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    3. She said "seems" to be on the mend. That's different than what you said she says the picture discloses. Why so critical?

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    4. "Seems to be," just from looking at the picture. No difference. Never any explanation from Anna or the Duggars about the situation, so we can all see or surmise what we want and then discuss/ask.

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    5. 10:30 PM -- Why so critical of another person's kind-hearted comment?

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    6. I, too, am tired of people looking at a picture of Anna and claiming everything must be great, because she's standing there smiling. Chocolate Easter bunnies look beautiful on the outside...but are hollow inside.

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  14. Absolutely love Mackynzie’s dress in this photo!🌹❤️

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  15. Which Duggar siblings went??

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  16. Do you have any pictures of the trip?

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  17. How can a pastor (minister) leave his church at Christmas? Along with Easter, that is one of the holiest times in the Christian calendar, with many extra church activities happening! What kind of church does Jeremy have that allows the pastor to drop all holiday responsibilities and head home to go to a museum and see a movie? And even more puzzling, what kind of pastor puts those personal activities first, ahead of the spiritual needs of his congregation? I don't understand. This is like no other church (or pastor's role) with which I am familiar.

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    1. Is Jeremy a pastor or an assistant pastor?

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    2. Pastors have families too! It is good for them to travel and visit with their own families. A lot of churches celebrate a week or two before Christmas with special music and programs, since so many members travel to see their families during Christmas week. It is hard for churches to have a program on Christmas week with so many members out of town, so it makes sense to do it a week or two early.

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    3. Anon 7:38. There is no way Jeremy is the senior Pastor of his Church. My brother in Law is a Pastor and my friend is also a Pastor and my Pastor do not leave our Churches on Christmas or Easter. It is a time of the year where people who might never go to Church will visit Churches so it is a special time for Pastors to reach the UnSaved visitors. Also a important time to reach out to those who have needs, such as loneliness, financial and the shut-in elders who are alone for the Holidays without our Churches reaching out to them. Our Pastors visit family right after the Holidays. Jeremy must be an assistant Pastor.

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    4. Not everyone's church is like yours either.

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    5. Maybe he's like an associate pastor, assistant pastor, or youth pastor, rather than the main pastor of his church. I honestly don't know, but either way we don't know the situation and shouldn't judge his decision to spend Christmas with his family. As diligent and responsible as he is, I'm sure he wouldn't leave if it were going to be a problem.

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    6. I am Catholic and priests take turns looking after the church. Unlike a hundred yrs ago, we realise that priests are humans, too, and it is good and normal to spend time with family. My cousin is a United minister and she had this Christmas off as she takes turns with others. She has worked the past five or more Christmas times in a row. Everyone deserves family time. That is honestly a bit sad that you have never encountered a church where holidays are a shared responsibility. I hope that means that the pastor or minister has family right close by and is not alone for every single holiday.

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    7. Maybe they flew out after Sunday services on Christmas eve?

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    8. Jinger and Jeremy probably headed to PA after Christmas services at their church. They may have traveled Christmas day or 12/26.

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    9. These Duggar in-laws seem to always have jobs that allow them to travel. Derick was always traveling with Jill's family after he started at Wal-Mary. Ben doesn't work; so he's free all the time.

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    10. Maybe he is a Junior minister? They usually do not have as many responsibilities as the Pastor does. Just tossing out the idea. Have a wonderful new year!! 😀

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    11. I have often heard it ordered like this
      1.God- Put Him first in your life
      2. Family
      3. Ministry-If Pastor Jeremy isn't providing time for his family then his ministry will suffer. The church also has more than one pastor. One man can't do it all. That's why so many burn out.

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    12. Christmas was on a Monday, why would a pastor need to be there on a Monday? We don't know specifics. Maybe they flew out on Tues. Pastors are human and deserve to celebrate with their families. When my Pastor is gone, there are a host of associate pastors to take over. You must give them personal time and not expect them to be there 100% of the time... that would most likely cause burnout.

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    13. It's a little storefront

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    14. Perhaps his church has other pastors besides him. Also, there is nothing wrong with Jeremy spending time with his family. We all need a break from our professional roles now and again.

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    15. The post said that they celebrated Christmas, as in the event. It did not say when. Families often get together during the weeks before or after the 25th, since you can't be in 2, 3, 4 places at once. Do not assume Jeremy is negligent to his congregation. They may have gone up to his folks for a few days in the middle of the week, earlier in the month.

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    16. They always seem to be traveling. Does make you wonder about being available for those he leaves back in TX.

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    17. One person’s experience doesn’t account for the way all churches work. In my particular group we don’t have a “pastor”. We have a minister who preaches. He is not the only one who preaches though and that role can often be filled by other ministers in the group or even members who don’t get a paycheck from the church but they are called to speak or give a lesson. Our holiday festivities and responsibilities were shared among the group and time with individual families was prioritized even over time coming together as a group. The needs of an entire congregation was never meant to be put on one person or shouldered by the “paid” ministers only. As someone who grew up with a minister for a father I can attest that the more a congregation helps and provides for the needs of their minister the better he/she can do their job. Sometimes that “need” is a break and time spent with family.

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    18. Christmas was on a Monday so they most likely had Christmas service on Saturday Night or Sunday morning and then they may have flown out Sunday afternoon to join family on Christmas Day, Monday. He has a really small church so they probably worked it out amongst the members to have a service and then be with their families on Monday, Christmas.

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    19. Please do not judge. We don't know the circumstances around everything. I am learning this lesson myself.

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    20. Just think , he's not traveling all the time
      just because we see a few pictures....as far as cost , seems they all keep John David -busy busy busy --the family pilot...😮

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    21. My pastor is always there for Christmas Sunday, and takes time off between Christmas & New Year's. Always has a guest speaker. Pastors are human too, & need a break now & again.

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    22. While it's true that pastors deserve family time, they should realize, when they take the call to be a pastor, that their family time may be at a different time than other people have their family time. Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter are so important on the church calendar that the pastor's first responsibility is his/her congregation. After those holy days, pastors deserve a long rest and family time. God bless them.

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    23. There wouldn't be any questions if the Duggars took the time to explain things more fully or talk about what they're doing and why. But they simply post picture after picture and leave the rest up to us to wonder about. Don't they understand the questions they raise? Or don't they care that they raise them?

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    24. You can have a pastor take time off and someone cover, if your church is big enough and has enough staff. I don't think Jeremy's is. They meet in what looks like a remodeled old ranch house or storefront.

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    25. Any good Bible believing church celebrates the birth death and resurrection of Christ EVERY Lords Day. To single out "Christmas" as a day more important than any other Lords day is doing a disservice to the commandment of God. While it's nice to celebrate with family and friends - the truth is - it holds no place in Gods Word. Go easy on Jeremy he did nothing wrong.

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    26. There are always more church things scheduled around Easter and Christmas - more services - Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, vigils, pageants, Midnight Mass, Christmas morning mass, etc. That doesn't equal "disservice" to God. Quite the opposite, since those things bring more people to church. That does mean, however, that the pastor or priest or minister has extra duties to attend to, on top of the usual ones. It's not a good time to schedule vacation.

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    27. All these people talking about a pastor burning out -- you do realize that most Pastors are supported by tithes and offerings, and some still live in a parsonage provided by the church. Their job is to preach on Sundays and other services, conduct weddings and funerals, and be there for the congregation at other times. I'm not sure that qualifies as a grueling 8-5 job like the rest of us do. What would your boss say if you always wanted to take off at the busiest time of year (for a pastor, the holidays)?

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    28. 1:17 - Being a pastor can actually be very grueling, as people expect you to be on call 24/7. My husband was an assistant pastor, and it was not a cushy job.

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    29. 5:29, Thank you.

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    30. 1:17. Obviously you are not related to any pastors. They have a very hard job. They are basically on call 24/7. If a church member has a need in the middle of the night, guess who they call? They make hospital visits at all different times along with visiting sick and dying members. They are called when there are major family problems and counseling is needed. Every pastor that I know is at the church seven days a week. They don’t get weekends off. Even if they try to take a day off during the week, they usually still have emergency phone calls to deal with as well as special meetings and services. When a spouse leaves a marriage or a child tries to commit suicide or ends up in prison, people call their pastor. They also make sure the church is run correctly and bills are paid. They help and minister to missionaries around the world.

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    31. As a pastors wife it is humorous to read all these comments. A pastor is on call 24/7. Yes, there may be "office hours" but the work day of a pastor begins and ends loooong after the door to the office opens/closes. And yes, pastors do indeed take trips around Christmas! Not every denomination holds Holy Week services or follows liturgical calendars. Most non-denominational/ pentecostal and baptist churches hold a Christmas Eve candlelight service and rarely a Christmas Day service unless, like this year, Christmas fall on a Sunday. These churches do not keep advent either. So therefore, outside of the plethora of "Christmas Parties" ( ladies party, children' party, deacons/staff parties) the typical pastor of these denominations have no additional services than any other time of the year. Therefore, you cannot apply a universal argument to support your case. It would seem you are trying to bring division where obviously no devision is apparent among his flock. Finally, I highly doubt Jeremy draws his living from the church. Most of his travels are essential to finance his ministry among those in Laredo.

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    32. 5:29 -- I agree about celebrating every Lord's day, but even though the celebration of "Christmas" is not in the Bible, it's wonderful to have a special day of celebration because Christ's birth is a story that is given great attention in the New Testament and pointed to by the Old Testament in many places. Most nominal Christians who don't regularly go to church will go with their families on Christmas and Easter. For that reason alone, it's important for the main pastor to be there -- he's preaching to a larger crowd and could very well be evangelizing to the unsaved. (I don't know if Jeremy is the main pastor...??)

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    33. 11:50 AM -- I know it can be grueling for many who are very serious about the job of being a pastor. I wouldn't say it's grueling for my pastor, though. We're in a large church and there are so many "associate pastors" that our pastor has a pretty cush life, lots of recreation, etc. It's a bit of a sore spot for some of us.

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  18. beautiful family photo :)

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    1. Wow, how the children have grown! Anna is such a sweet person. I pray it all goes well with her.

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  19. Tubing is riding an inter-tube from a car or truck tire down a snow covered hill.
    YouTube video of a boy going down a hill on a intertube

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  20. This picture made me smile. What an adorable family! Thank you for sharing...Jane

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  21. I LOVE U ANNA, AND EVERYONE LOOKS GOOD!!!!!!!!!! U ARE A WONDERFUL WOMAN, AND DON'T FORGET THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  22. Great photo of your family. The children are growing up so quickly. Thanks for sharing.

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  23. FYI. I am a pastor’s wife. In 25 years, I’ve been with my family twice. This is a sacrifice that I am glad to make, but I cannot judge Jeremy for being home. We cannot know all the aspects of his life, but we can exude grace...and trust the good Lord to discipline those He loves- if there is sin involved. Please give the young couple some grace and pray for them rather than using a public forum to scold or correct or question. Matt 18.

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    1. I love this response- maturity, grace, wisdom and truth. Thank you for taking time to post- I needed this in lesson in a few areas I'm working on.

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    2. We are supposed to talk about the posts in this section......

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    3. Nice comment about how you feel and how we should show grace and pray for them, but at the same time, this is a forum for discussion.

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  24. Would love to see them back on the show.

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  25. Pastors are human. They have families. They should not be expected to be living at the church 24/7. Elders and deacons can fill in for the pastor when absent. Jesus wants pastors'families to be strong too.

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    1. Jeremy's congregation is too small to have all those back-up people in place to take over for him.

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    2. Agree with the exception that leading service on one of the two most solemn and important holy days on the Christian calendar is your job as a pastor.

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    3. Why assume the dates that he went to visit family? He may have gone before or after services. It doesn’t matter what we think. His church family are the ones who have to be concerned about when he is there or not. If you are not a member of his church, then it isn’t your concern.

      A lot of pastors of smaller churches also work a job. Jeremy is also on Counting On and needs to be with the family at different times for filming.

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    4. Even if you're not preaching, there should be enough special church events requiring the minister's presence, as well as all back-up people. Not just the 24th or 25th, but all week long. Do they do Boxing Day charitable activities?

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    5. 7:38- maybe they're so small that the entire church was traveling or had other plans besides staying in Laredo.

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  26. Happy to here Amy is being included again.

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  27. Word to Kendra and Amy- Massanutten's just a few miles from Harrisonburg. You need to stop in at Once Upon A Child (in the shopping Center across from the Valley Mall with the Kroger & TJ Maxx). They've got tons of well-priced, very nice gently used clothing for children (as well as toys/books/strollers/pack & plays, etc.). We've bought lots of nice children's and pre-teen clothing there over the years. We've also got some of the nicest people manning our Chick-Fil-A. :) Mr. J's is a great stop if you're into bagels (wide variety, as well as sandwiches).

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  28. Marcus is such a cutie! All beautiful children. Great pic of Josh and Anna, too, and Anna does look lovely.

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  29. It's so nice to see Anna looking so happy in this photo. She is such an angel and has kept her family together in one of life's most difficult trials. She just gets more beautiful with age. Wonderful to see a photo of the whole family together.

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  30. Some posts here seem to suggest that Jeremy hasn't seen the either family for quite a time and should visit at Christmas. First of all, the Vuolos are frequently visiting the Duggars in Arkansas and in other locations. There have been photos posted here of them all over the place. They also traveled to California and other places which leaves Jeremy away from his church office. I find it unlikely with a small 'house church' with 50 families belonging to need multiple pastors and preachers. I, for one, am interested in knowing definitively who belong to that church's staff. Is there not kind of weekly bulletin printed down there that lists who is in charge of that church? Wouldn't that answer the question if Jeremy is leaving his church without a pastor on site? I, personally think he travels all too much for having the responsibility of being a pastor of a small church. He's just not available to his congregation from what is shown.

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    1. I don't know his situation, but I go to a small church. We have a pastor and a youth pastor, which is my husband. Our pastor hardly ever leaves. Being a pastor isn't just on church days. He's a pastor everyday. He ministers to different families all of the time. Whether it's visiting the hospital, meeting with families, he's always on call no matter the time.

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    2. Anon 11:37, that's the way it is with most churches, small or not. There is always going to be a call or a need, 24/7/365. Vacations, if any, are scheduled well in advance and there is always a fill-in pastor at hand. I don't recall Jeremy ever talking about co-pastoring that church. Yet he and Jinger seem to travel constantly. If someone at his church has a problem, are they sent somewhere else in the meantime?

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    3. I come from a church that has about 50 people, and when our preacher is out, other men just step up. A good church won't depend on one man, but will be strong enough to stand without requiring one man to baby it 24/7. Yes, it's an important time of the year, but we don't know exactly what day they left, whether they had an earlier service or had a visiting preacher come in, or even whether it's small enough that most of the members were traveling themselves. We just don't know everything about them, and I think it's fairly silly to surmise and get worked up without knowing the details.

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    4. I don't see how someone who's just establishing his position, the way Jeremy is, can travel so much either.

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    5. Agree, 12:00 PM! I'm getting really tired of the drama created in these comments out of sheer speculation.

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    6. Well,Anonymous 5:59Am. It is fortunate that you are not a part of his congregation! My husband is a pastor and we have had holidays, family time interrupted by people at our door. Some just have walked right into the parsonage!! Regardless of church size, pastors families are first and foremost "a family". Even small churches have board of deacons who rotate with on-call duty to address issue which require "immediate" attention. We don't even know if Jeremy draws a salary from his church plant. Typically a pastor of a new/young/small church is expected to be bi-vocational. You are a prime example of why it is hard to keep good pastors at small churches. Apparently Jeremy's church doesn't have the demanding expectations you require. Many pastor distance programs require "residency" hours before completion of degrees. I assume that is what many of the trips to California entail. Me thinks you should focus on you and yours and not worry about Jeremey's congregation.

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  31. I hope Kendra did NOT snow tube - the early stage of pregnancy is time to be very careful - she has years and years ahead when she can do those physical activities. Now is the time to take it easy.

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    1. Yes, she tubed. Yes, it can be OK to do that while pregnant, but really... Given how sacred the Duggars hold life to be right from conception, why would any of them take any sort of chances with unnecessary physical activity? Especially an activity where you can accidentally smash into something or someone else. I put it down to her young age, or maybe some pregnancy advice from a certain sister-in-law.

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    2. Doctors will tell you that a properly implanted pregnancy is virtually impossible to injure. It is so well cushioned. Olympic athletes have competed while in the early stages of pregnancy, with no complication or miscarriage. Kendra is fine to snow tube at this stage.

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    3. Geesh, people. Do you realize how protected the baby is in the early stages of pregnancy? Tubing is perfectly safe. She's not being reckless. Pregnancy is NOT an illness. She's fine.

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  32. Is Mackynzie and Michael the same height? Wow,they are all growing up way too fast!

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  33. I think it's pretty safe to say that Anna lives out her faith on a daily basis.

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  34. Nice picture love y'all God bless

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  35. It seems a shame that you never seen Josh and his family with Jim Bob and Michelle and his siblings. It seems like they are ignoring him. I know TLC won't allow him on the show which doesn't make sense with all the other questionable shows they are showing. I have stopped watching TLC for that reason.

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    1. Josh and Anna were in the group baby congratulation video that was just posted.

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