It’s 11 p.m., and we’re home. Nathan, Melanie, and the girls surprised us by showing up Friday during dinner. The Lord so blessed the conference! My mind is foggy as it’s late, and it’s been a big weekend, so I will write more later, along with pictures.

Love,
Sarah

“… if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
–1 Peter 4:11

Ladies,

Thank you for taking the time to share. The reason we originally went with the coil was to make it more reader friendly and you all affirmed that. What a blessing the feedback was. We will continue on as we have and know that the majority find the coil a blessing. Thank you again for your feedback and encouraging comments.

Bless you all.

In Christ Jesus,

Steve (and Teri)

“Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.”
Proverbs 19:20

We are making the decision tonight whether to change the binding on the Chores book. Currently, it is plastic coil bound, but we are considering binding it like the other books such as Hearts, Meek and Quiet Spirit, and Preparing Sons. The advantage of the plastic coil is it lies flat very easily when being read, the disadvantage is when we process the books the coil is a significant hindrance to us and without the coil it is much easier to package in boxes.

Thoughts? Is the plastic coil something you have found you really, really appreciate?

Thank you.

In Christ Jesus,

Steve

“Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” Proverbs 15:22

We are so very excited to announce that Teri’s new book, Sweet Journey, is now available. It has been a whole-family investment in bringing this labor of love to completion. We have seen the Lord overcome many obstacles to it finally becoming available.

Why am I writing this announcement? Because I believe deeply in my heart that it will help countless moms. It isn’t a self-help book, but it is a book that points moms to the the source of power and grace–Jesus Christ and His Word. I’ve seen how the Lord used His Word in Teri’s life for years as she battled depression and anger while facing each new day with active little ones. I have seen God’s power at work in a life that was struggling and challenged. Instead of using anti-depressants, she relied upon a risen Savior Who is alive, well, and able to restore, empower, and heal.

We receive so many e-mails from struggling moms. We have seen God work in those who were willing to make an effort to “draw nigh” to their Lord as Teri encouraged them in the Word step by step. Frankly, it makes me cry when I read an e-mail back from a mom who earlier was in the depths of despair and now is well along in a Sweet Journey with her Lord. This material is proven.

There are other moms who aren’t in the depths of despair, but they don’t know what they are missing. They are going through life as a Christian, while lacking power and peace. Sweet Journey will greatly benefit them as well because it will guide them in establishing the foundations that are missing in their Christian walk.

There are moms who want to disciple their daughters and don’t know where to begin. This will be a powerful tool in their hands for that.

Also, ladies groups are often going through studies. This Bible study is practical and well-suited for group settings as well. I know there are plenty of other Bible studies out there, so why is Sweet Journey unique? I feel it is because God has first worked a beautiful work in Teri’s life. She has walked down some very deep and dark valleys and tasted of the power of the Savior in her life. She isn’t sharing a quick fix, but a steady, sure, and sweet path with her sisters.

That is why I’m rejoicing!!

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” James 4:8

Steve

I don’t know if one says “Happy Labor Day” but I will. May your day be filled with the joy of the Lord Jesus Christ as you are busy about what He wants for you.

The Maxwells, here in Kansas, have plenty to do, and we are grateful for all the Lord gives us to accomplish. Maybe I’ll get some normal life pictures for you all soon!

Love,
Sarah

“Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.”
–Colossians 1:29

We took Wednesday as an easy day. After a later breakfast, we packed up, and drove awhile on a dirt road, which had its good parts and not-so-good parts. We had been told about a trail that would take us to St. Elmo (the old mining town/chipmunk feeding area), but we weren’t finding it, so Dad decided to park, and then we walked on the road for awhile. We came to a trailhead and took it. Not far into the trail, it was decided that we would need to split-up so the little girls could eat lunch and return to the cabin for their afternoon naps. So, we divided, and when a storm began building, the second group on the mountain turned around. The rest of the afternoon was spent kayaking and canoeing on the ponds. Each day ended with a delightful dinner (planned by Mom), and family Bible time.

Love,
Sarah

“Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights.”
–Psalms 148:1

Tuesday morning, quite of few of us set out to hike Mt. Princeton, one of Colorado’s 14ners (meaning the mountain is over 14,000 feet). Some stayed back with the little girls.

Five thirty we left the cabin and drove to the trailhead. At that point, we dropped the van, and loaded into Christopher’s truck to drive up further. From the research done, we were planning on parking at the radio towers. It took us almost an hour to drive up the single lane, rocky, rough road, but we made it.

We weren’t totally sure what to expect of the terrain, although most of the group, except for the girls and Jesse, had hiked a 14er before.

At 7 a.m. we left Christopher’s truck, and the first forty minutes was quite easy, just walking along a dirt road. Then, we left the road and followed a path through a meadow. We soon hit a rock field, and we spent the remainder of the hike having to place each footstep among the rocks. Most of the time, we could see the summit in view.

We spent hours going across rock fields, but we pressed on. Around 11, we were on our final ascent. It was literally hand-over-hand as we climbed up the rocks. It would still not be considered a “technical” climb at all by those experienced, but for us it was difficult.

In our final ascent, the rest of the group got ahead, and I suddenly became fearful and told Dad I was done. I couldn’t imagine how we would get back down. I thought I would just sit on the rocks and wait for the others. Looking down all I saw was steep rocks, and looking up was still a hand over hand climb. Dad gently talked me through the situation, encouraging me that the rocks were solid and not slippery, and we would do it together. I needed to keep my eyes only on the rocks near me, not looking up or down, but move on, one “step” at a time. I took Dad’s encouragement and pressed on, and I’m glad I did . It reminds me of a spiritual analogy. If we set our focus on our past, we can become discouraged. If we look to the future, we can also get concerned. We have to focus on what the Lord has for us right now!

The summit was gorgeous, beautiful, amazing! We spent about a half hour on top, taking pictures and talking. Several others had also made the climb, and so we had company up there, and one man took a group picture for us. It was a wonderful experience.

It took around three and a half hours to hike back to the truck and about another hour down in Christopher’s truck to the van. It was a very long day and everyone was exhausted. Well, actually, the boys had far more energy left than some of us.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Psalms 19:1

The Lord has been blessing our time, and it has been a joy to experience God’s Creation and Majesty!

Our Internet connection at the cabin is very slow, but we came into town, so here are quite a few pictures. Most Joseph took, and all except two, are from Monday.

Remember, you can click into any picture to make it larger.

Love,
Sarah

And this final picture is from Tuesday. We’ll share later about what Tuesday’s event was.

“Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all” (1 Chronicles 29:11).

We are excited to inform you that ITonRamp is now offering an HTML course. Let me translate what HTML means — websites! If you want to know how to create websites, this course is for you.

“Ahh, but can’t I just use one of those point and click software apps, or doesn’t even Microsoft Word have a ‘Save as a webpage’ feature?” Yes, technically those software applications create HTML. Now, do they create good, clean HTML — no, certainly not! If something isn’t rendering correctly, do you know how to manually edit the HTML to fix it? What if the pages look good on all except one browser? Knowing HTML and CSS is critical for doing any real website work.

Led by Joseph Maxwell, this course will cover HTML, CSS, code troubleshooting, and some aspects of design and usability. ITonRamp will provide an area where each participant can build a test website and complete assignments.

It’s a 10 week course.

Click for more information.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Psalm 100:2

About 10:45 last night, a wild storm blew in with very strong wind, lots of rain, some hail, and plentiful amounts of thunder and lightning. As a result, we lost both power and Internet. Power was restored about 6 a.m. for us, but Nathan and Melanie’s power didn’t come back on until 6 pm tonight, which made their trip preparations more interesting. Internet just came back up for all of us.

So, it’s been a flurry of packing, cleaning, wrapping up last minute details, playing with nieces (for Aunt Anna and Aunt Mary), packing vehicles, and more! Our friends, the C. Family, will ship our Titus2.com orders while we are away, so we restocked them as well (yesterday).

It’s feeling real: we will be in the foothills tomorrow night, as we spend the night in Colorado Springs before driving to Buena Vista Sunday. We would be grateful for prayer as we set out tomorrow.

Love,

Sarah

“Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied” (Jude 1:2).

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”
—Psalms 8:3-4

“I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.”
—Psalms 9:1

Love,
Sarah

It was a delightful morning for a ride, with a nice breeze blowing throughout the spacious tram. We had purchased from the safari a 50# bag of feed, so we had plenty of treats for the animals. Abby stuck pretty close to Aunt Anna and enjoyed feeding the animals or watching Aunt Anna feed them. Everyone else moved around quite a bit, and it was just an overall incredible time of enjoying God’s amazing creatures.

By the time we were done, Bethany still hadn’t exhausted her “ehh ehhs”, and our bag of feed wasn’t quite gone, but some of the family braved the pouring rain to walk around the “walk through” area, while a few of us opted to stay inside the gift shop. It had been a delightful event.

I’ll wrap it up with a final blog post on our final surprise for Dad.

Love,
Sarah

“My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise” (Psalms 57:7).

About 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Nathan, Melanie, and the girls had gone home to finish packing their van, but Dad didn’t know they were doing that. He thought they were putting the girls down for their naps. Christopher and Anna Marie hung around, as they usually do on Sundays, to chat for awhile. We all sat in the living room, casually talking, and thinking about the surprise that was about to be unveiled. We had each packed overnight bags and stowed them in the back of the van, taking opportunities after we came home from church to sneak out and put our bags in the van. Dad still did not know.

Finally, after Nathan texted Mom that they were ready to go, she announced, “Everyone ready?! Let’s go!” An enthusiastic response was given, and Dad sat still, very comfortable and rather bewildered. He wondered where we were going. I think Mom told him it was a surprise, and we all rushed out to the van, with Dad following. His mind was racing, trying to figure out what we had planned! He noticed Nathan and Melanie’s van out in the street, and Abby waved to him. So, they were coming too! The girls were supposed to be taking their naps.

The first stop was to fill the van’s fuel tank. It was 1/2 full, and it didn’t make sense to Dad as 1/2 tank is plenty of fuel. Then we started driving and as we drove, a wild storm was brewing. Dad and Nathan fought strong wind and blowing dust for over an hour, but we were grateful to finally get ahead of the huge storm. Dad was still mystified, since we didn’t seem concerned about bad weather spoiling our plans.

We passed Kansas City, and Dad was definitely thinking. Occasionally, he would make a comment or a guess, and finally he guessed right: the wildlife safari! But, he didn’t know everything. He thought were going directly there (and returning home yet that day), but we weren’t. We had arranged to stay in a hotel, because it was a four hour drive. This was apart of our gift to him. We wanted to make his 60th very memorable, and it was!

So, Monday morning dawned, and after individual Bible time, breakfast, and packing out, we drove a half hour to the safari. We again surprised Dad with having a tram (aka — a commuter type of bus with no windows) for our family. The van is less than ideal to tour the park in because only the front two windows open. With the van only two people would be able to hand-feed the animals. But with the tram, everyone could feed the animals!

Mom had been praying for weeks about the weather, because we’ve had weeks of heat with heat indexes up over 100 most days. The Lord gave us a COOL morning: with temperatures in the lower 70′s. Praise HIM!

Joseph took almost all of the pictures we’re posting. He’s incredible.

We’ll continue on with at least one more post with pictures later.

Love,
Sarah

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so” (Genesis 1:24).

As our fall trip approaches, it’s time to get back into practicing music and preparing for the trip. So far, we have five weekends filled, and the sixth is pending due to a church scheduling conflict. We still have openings for single evening conferences in between.

Yesterday, we went to an assisted living home in town to share through music and testimony. It was a blessing! Afterward one man who is celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary today, told me that it was the best music he had ever heard in his life! Another lady, after hearing Mom had homeschooled eight children said, “And she’s still alive?!!” Dad thought that was pretty funny when she told him that. It’s not uncommon for people to say about a homeschool mom, “She must have so much patience!” or “I could never do it!” The beauty of following the Lord’s leading is how He equips those He calls. We suspect most don’t have “the patience” when they start, but part of the plan is developing a mom’s heart in the process.

Scripture says: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13) and 1 Corinthians 1:27: “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”

And, yes, I was there–just taking pictures, not in them .

Love,
Sarah

Tuesday lunch found John, Joseph, Jesse, and me at a local restaurant. This wasn’t just a lunch to eat out, but it was a “special” occasion. You might be thinking that it didn’t look like a very fancy restaurant to have a special meal at, but there was significance to the place we chose.

Here’s why we went out to lunch at Taco Bell on this day! The other night while talking before Bible time, we were all sharing memories. One memory that came up we laughed about, but at the time it wasn’t funny.

Here is what happened. We were on a trip (many years ago! : )) and the boys and I were having an argument about cats and dogs. Thinking back, it seems quite silly to be arguing about cats and dogs, but at that moment in time for three little children, it was a serious matter! The boys happened to prefer dogs, and I liked cats much better.  When I wasn’t winning the argument, I brought it to Dad’s attention, making myself sound like the angel in the situation.

The situation escalated to where the boys were given a consequence for arguing. They  were to eat a lunch of Wheat Thins in the van while we girls, Dad and Mom  ate inside at Taco Bell where Dad could see the boys in the van. After eating my lunch, instead of me having a sad attitude and realizing that I was part of the problem as well, I had a proud attitude and was pleased that the boys were in trouble.

Now many years later, looking back on the insignificant things that provoked the argument, I can see how silly it was to argue about cats and dogs, how wrong I was to tattle, and then to be happy that my brothers were given a consequence. I shared that with the boys, and I invited them out to Taco Bell this last week as restitution for the attitude I had during that time.

We had a wonderful time together!  It has been neat to see how the Lord has worked in our brother and sister relationships, because we truly are best friends! For those moms out there who have children like we were, be encouraged with Mom and Dad’s consistent encouragement, daily in the Word as a family, and the Lord’s help, we have grown to where we love to be together! Yes, we’re not perfect, but the Lord has done an amazing work in our lives. I am so grateful to the wonderful parents that the Lord has blessed me with, because I know that I would not be where I am now with out them!

And yes, I have to say I do now really like dogs better than cats. Maybe that was influenced by finding out that I’m allergic to cats!?

Anna

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34)