It couldn’t have been a more beautiful morning in Kansas. Grandad and I had just finished a walk together, and we were sitting in a couple of lawn chairs out in front of their house. In making conversation, I shared how there were a couple of people who reacted to our including the mention of aborted babies in our Memorial Day post. I asked Grandad what he thought about it.
Grandad is a eighty-year-old, decorated, retired Army officer, and he was wounded in Vietnam. I had asked him a few minutes earlier if he would like me to put the U.S. Flag out. He said yes, and that he missed having it out every day. He loves his country and served his country with all he had. With that background, he looked at me, gave me a thumbs up and said, “Great idea! It was good to mention them.â€
We believe God has called Titus2 to “equip, exhort and encourage†believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to a walk that is pleasing to our Lord. As we endeavor to do that, we have seen that there are those who disagree with what we share. While our flesh would have everyone like us, we know what we share will not make everyone happy. As a result, we have at times received negative and even harsh criticism from those who disagree with us. It is especially troublesome to those who disagree with us and want to express their views on our blog that we choose not to approve their posts.
We feel that the Lord will hold us accountable for what is shared via our website. This is a blog and not a public forum. The purpose is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and be salt and light to a lost and dying world. Our heart’s desire is to please Him. Will we make mistakes in the process? I’m sure, but the only way to make a mistake is to do something. We believe it’s worth the risk.
Steve
“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldierâ€
(2 Timothy 2:4).
Thank you for standing firm for your convictions! And for serving your country not only in the past in a military capacity, but more so now by encouraging others to follow the Lord in every aspect of life!
May God bless!
Paul
Steve,
Your family’s blog brightens my day and encourages me in service to and love for Christ.
Thanks to you all.
Susan
Steve and family,
I always walk away encouraged when I visit here. So glad your sticking to your mission to equip,exhort and encourage! I have always found the following quote by Ronald Reagan convicting regarding the abortion issue:
I’ve noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born. ~Ronald Reagan
May God bless you tremendously as you boldly proclaim a higher standard for Christians and non Christians!
Suzanne
I have kept silent and just read and watched this develop mainly due to my tendency to run people through when confronted with conflicting viewpoints regarding my faith. I am constantly encouraged by your blog and your ministry. As single mom whom has made her share of bad decisions, namely not seeking the Lord’s will in a husband and enduring the abuse therefrom, I am so glad to have a place like this as well as contact with your Sarah as a sounding board and reaffirmation in my walk with Christ. I grew up in church, and I find that as I grow older and raise my children, I come to understand and grow stronger in my faith and my relationship with Jesus Christ. Historically, Memorial Day started out as a day of remembrance for service members, and over time it has developed into a day of remembrance for all of those whom have made an impact on our lives and passed on into eternal life. This includes the unborn children who have been aborted. What those who want to criticize are doing is making it political instead of moral. There are no politics in right and wrong; there is no grey area. If those people choose not to see it that way, that is their decision. I know of nobody who is in charge of this blog that will condemn them for what they believe, rather truth in love is spoken/written here. Thank you for your firm convictions and unwavering faith. It has served you and continues to serve others, including me, very well!! Love you all!
Lori
Bless Your Hearts!
For the record, I am one of those people who doesn’t think that everything you say is applicable to my life, BUT, I am also a great admirer of what you do. You faith in Jesus Christ, your work ethic, and your genuine concern and love for your brothers and sisters throughout the world radiates from all of you.
I pray the Lord blesses your ministry, AND that you continue to follow where He leads. I hope you won’t concern yourself too much with those who disagree and become offended. I see nothing offensive in what you do.
Many blessings.
Thank you for standing firm in every aspect – choosing to glorify God in all you do! While you are right, and not everyone agrees, what I see posted here has always been an encouragement and a “light” for Christ. While you don’t ‘post’ the negative comments, you have graciously answered them and clarified issues – which I believe to be enough! Negativity and dissension breeds more negativity and dissension! Thank you for taking the time to respond to differing views, yet keep this blog as an encouragement for everyone!
We agree with Susan B’s post – your blogs are an excellent encouragement & we really are blessed by your family’s ministry – blog & all!! The road is narrow, it seems to get narrower the longer you walk it, wouldn’t you say?
God bless you!!!!!!! Jesus Himself said that we would receive persecution on this earth. Anna’s post about why she isn’t going to college was an encouragement to me, and Sarah was right to mention the heartlessly murdered babies in this country!!!! I try to be mindful everyday of the freedom granted to us by God, but as someone I know of has said,” Abortion is worse than slavery”.
God bless! Rebecca K.
Dear Maxwells,
I am most definitely not your target demographic – In fact, I have a feeling we don’t agree on much socially or politically. Honestly, I’m probably one of your much more liberal, unexpected, readers. I am a young, career-oriented, single woman who just finished a Master’s degree from a well-respected secular school.
However, I am also someone who is just starting her walk with the Lord. I happened to find this blog a little over a year ago in my darker days – I’m really not sure how I ended up finding the website. I remember I was a bit taken back by some of the content posted in your blog when I first started reading it, simply because my lifestyle was, and still is, so different than yours.
Nevertheless, I found myself enjoying your blog – and dare I say – encouraged by it as well. Most importantly, I’m learning that God is good, all of the time. I am also making time to pray, praise God and read the Bible – all things I have not been good at keeping up with before. I believe that your blog played a role in changing my heart. My path may be a bit different than yours (ok, let’s face it – a lot different!) but I have a lot of respect for your family and how you present yourselves, even if I don’t always agree with you.
I’ve only commented on the blog once before, regarding the post where your family prayed for the waitress at the Olive Garden. I remember being shocked that someone would phrase their criticism in such a harsh way. I find it odd that so many people take offense to your posts and feel the need to comment in such a negative way. You are most definitely correct – this is a private, personal blog – not a public forum and you do have a right to state whatever you please. You also have the right to post, delete or edit any comments as you see fit. Nobody is forcing anyone to read your blog and if someone does not like it, they don’t have to read it. Simple as that.
I sincerely pray for the people who seem to be taunting you – it’s one thing to disagree with you, but it’s entirely another thing to attack (and apparently get joy and amusement from doing so) someone for their beliefs.
I just wanted you to know that you have a reader, who is probably not your average reader, on your side. I hope the nasty comments of the few do not prevent you from posting to the blog in the future. I would really be sad to see it go!
Much love,
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Your comment was particularly encouraging. Thank you.
Steve
Definitely not a mistake to post the two in the same article~God bless you all as you continue to shine for HIS glory! Bless your father too!
Aloha in Christ~
Denise
What an interesting post!
Bless you all!
Amen!!! May the Lord continue to bless you and your family. Please thank Grandad for his service to our country for us! =)
Blessings!
I praise God for your ministry and make mention of it often with my family. I have been blessed by your post and other materials. Thank you for following God’s will and standing firm on THE NAME that saves us all!!!
Many blessing in Jesus name,
Semone
Yes, I love your blog, a place to visit and be encouraged in homeschooling, as well as my walk with the Lord! Keep it up!
And, we also love the Moody books!
In Christ’s love your family,
Jane
As a military wife (my husband and his two brothers are all in service, and his grandfather flew in the Berlin Air Lift as well)… I just wanted to say that we support your posting and your gracious response. I could also say more about the tremendous pain abortion caused several of my friends.
God bless you and your ministry. It has been such an encouragement to me.
Oh, yes! Will pray for you, Sarah as you work on the outline for Winter Days!
Bless your heart, indeed! I was happy to see that nobody has posted anything here opposing your Bible-based convictions!
I am so thankful for your blog. It offers me such encouragement in my walk with the Lord. I have matured as a Christian as a result of your family and the example they set. Praise the Lord for people who set out to glorify the Lord Jesus in all that they do! God Bless you all!! You all are always in my prayers.
Keep it up. You have been a blessing to my husband and I more than you probably know.
We have enjoyed reading your blog daily for the last 2-3 years. Usually it’s just me with my children, but occasionally we read it as a family, as well. My husband and I have five children ages 5-14 (a son and four daughters).
So, we are especially grateful that we can confidently allow our children to read what you have posted, knowing it will be aligned with God’s Word and there will be nothing to destroy their tender hearts or cause them to stumble. It’s wonderful for our daughters to read post such as the one Anna wrote about why she will not go to college. It’s a blessing for our teen son to observe your sons’ work ethic and seek the Lord to make these godly traits real in his own life. I don’t have enough space to share all that the Lord has done in our lives because of your family’s ministry and stand for Christ. Even when you post excerpts from critical comments, these provide teaching moments with our children in how to graciously respond to those to attack what we say and do or who viciously disagree with our convictions.
This blog challenges, convicts, encourages, exhorts, and even sometimes rebukes us in our daily walk with the Lord. We value this input in our marriage and parenting, in how we spend our time, in seeking the Lord first, and much more. We appreciate the “safety” in this blog, for ourselves and for our children, and the freedom from anything that would draw us into sinful attitudes.
It’s important to search the scripture for ourselves and let the Lord lead and direct our family…to not look to the Maxwells, the Duggars, Vision Forum, or anyone else to shape and guide our beliefs and convictions. Our faith has to be our own–not piggybacking on someone else’s. But it is equally important that we have godly believers “speaking” into our lives whom God can use to shape us into the vessel He wants us to be for His glory. That’s what this blog does for us. Even though it covers a variety of topics, in some way, the words spoken in each post here provide us with nuggets of truth to chew on and use for spiritual nourishment.
And so, with that said, I’d like to just say a big “thanks” for standing strong in your convictions regarding the content and purpose of this blog. Our family is grateful.
This was SUCH a blessing to read today.
Well said!! I don’t understand people sometimes… why do they even read your blog if they don’t like what you all say or they don’t agree with you?? I just don’t get it!! Anyway, praise the Lord for all that you and your family do for the Lord and for others!! I am so encouraged by reading your blog several times a week!!! Keep up the great work and don’t let satan get you down!!!
Here is another comment and it’s also an asking for forgiveness from you. I’m very sorry but a couple of times I was one who made some snarky comments. Please accept my apology. It was before meeting you in person and I am very sorry.
Our family is almost the exact opposite of the Maxwell’s. About the only things we have in common is our belief in Christ, homeschooling, and letting God determine how many gifts He’s going to give to each family. We were only given one gift 18 years ago and 3 months ago God chose to take him back for reasons we cannot understand.
However I have been blessed by this blog and by the message board before and yes, even convicted sometimes. 🙂
Again, please forgive me for some of the comments I made a couple years ago.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Deana,
We do remember meeting you and your emailing us about your son. We did pray for you in your loss. Yes of course we forgive you.
Steve
When I see our small congregation in rural Alabama come to worship the Lord it is beautiful, except for one thing.
For every precious child I see and hear singing “Yes, Jesus Loves Me!” there is another that never got to be born. In some areas here in the South, the Bible Belt, there are as many as TWO children unborn for every child you see.
Millions of precious babies have been deprived of the very thing our brave soldiers have been fighting for: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.