Thank you for your love and prayers. Your comments and e-mails have been a sweet balm to our hearts. You all are a blessing to us–sharing our joy and sorrow.
We had planned a family trip to Colorado, but we are now leaving Thursday. In addition, we have decided to extend our time there as we heal, enjoy God’s creation, spend time in God’s Word, work on speaking material for the fall trip (what better surroundings? honestly!), and oh yes, we’re definitely taking some intense hikes, including at least one 14er!
So, life is very full as we prepare to leave. We are grateful to the C. family for their willingness to ship Titus2 orders while we are gone on this trip and the entire fall trip.
Again, thank you for hurting with us when we hurt.
More pictures to follow as we are Colorado bound!
Love,
Sarah
“Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be
for my comfort, according to thy word
unto thy servant. Let thy tender mercies
come unto me, that I may live:
for thy law is my delight.”
–Psalms 119:76-77
Joseph’s carpet was installed! Here it is before they cleaned it up.
Here the installer, who is an incredible worker and craftsmen, was working on the stair carpet.
Anna got creative with drying our laundry. Yes, our dryer works, but to avoid shrinkage with some of our items, we like to air dry them.
Mom and Anna have been doing great with planning out the food and all the other details that go into the trip.
We received a beautiful gift basket from dear friends of ours. Thank you all so much.
The girls made energy bars.
I will be praying for you as you leave on your trip. One comment regarding Joseph, if I may…we had been working on an adoption, a year ago, of two little children. When it fell through, my heart was absolutely broken…I felt as though I had lost those children…children I had considered MINE! I grieved as if I had had a miscarriage…of the heart.
It took me a long time to heal but now God has brought us a wonderful little boy who is becoming more and more dear to our family every passing day. We could not be happier with him AND with his spiritual growth during the short time we have been blessed to be his parents. Those old hurts are being healed.
I pray for the same kind of healing with Joseph. It must hurt horribly now for all of the family…but God will make all things right! You can be sure of HIM!!
Blessings,
Beth
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Amen.
May your time away be filled with healing and peace. You are all in my prayers.
Susan
Have you shared your energy bar recipe before? If not, would you? Thank you!
I will continue to pray for you all as you enjoy time in Colorado. May God continue to bring peace and restoration to your hearts.
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I’m sure the ladies will be happy to as time permits.
I do hope you all are able to enjoy your time and heal from this recent sadness, then move forward with your trip whole again. I love hiking so I will be looking for beautiful pics. Homemade energy bars sounds great. Maybe the recipe will show up sometime.
Blessings
I’m glad you’re going early. Hope you have a fun, joyful, refreshing trip. The beautiful mountains will be such nice scenery.
Have a great trip. We’ll continue to pray for everyone.
What a huge blessing that you can leave early for your trip to Colorado. I have been praying today for Joseph, Elizabeth and both the families and will continue to do so.
The Lord does work in some interesting ways. It is wonderful and providential that you had this trip planned, and that you were able to go early when the situation demanded a time of healing. There is no balm for the soul like spending time in God’s creation, away from the noise of every day life. Your family remains in our prayers as you embark on the healing process.
Enjoy your trip, take time to rest, and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation!! Praying for you all!
I hope you all have a great trip!
Our hearts have been with you the last couple of days and we have been praying continually for healing and comfort for both families. May this trip be a source of encouragement for your whole family that you will come forth as gold. Check out Ron Hamilton’s “Rejoice in the Lord” for a beautiful song he wrote after a major trial in his life. God bless your family.
Have a great trip,you are all in our prayers.
I pray you all have a safe trip. On another note, I am curious about your Energy Bar recipe…and, I would love for you all to excerpt a “Recipe” section for Blog readers to click on…I am sure you all have accumulated some great recipes throughout your journeys.
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In time they’ll get it up. Maybe a post on making them.
You will continue to be in our prayers. May you find healing as you spend time in His Word and creation. Have a wonderful trip. In Christ, Grace
It’s wonderful that you can get away early. We will continue to pray for everyone. Hope your time away will be peaceful and healing. The hiking sounds like fun. I look forward to the day when our children are old enough to do a hike longer than an hour. 🙂
Dearest Maxwell Family,
You know how dear you are to my heart, so my heart has hurt so much for you all, especially for Joseph, these past couple of days. You have been in my thoughts and prayers most every hour. I know the Lord will use this trail for your good and His glory. I know that you KNOW Him and He will will be your shield, comfort, strength, strong tower, heal, and grow you making you shine all the more as vessels for His service.
The greater the trail, the greater the blessing. The Lord is so faithful and so good. I’m so glad you will be heading early to enjoy that special time together, with the Lord, surrounded by His beautiful creation. I will pray He will abundantly bless this your time together and just want to thank you for giving your lives to serve our Lord…through all the joys, trials, mountains and valleys, may you continue to bring glory to His name.
Much, much love and prayers,
Jaynee
I think the trip out west is just what the Lord ordered! Have a peaceful time. Please know that although we have never had the pleasure to meet, I love you all as a sister in Christ.
Sometimes it lasts in love and sometimes it hurts instead. Praying for you all.
Rolling in the deep well of His mercy,
Adele
Continuing to keep you all, Joseph, and the other family in our prayers. Praying you all enjoy your family trip and that you feel God’s love, peace, comfort, healing, and presence. 🙂 Safe travels Maxwells!
God bless and keep you!
~Miss Rachel~
I pray that you have a wonderful trip and that the Lord continue to give you His peace, strength and healing.
I hope you all have a lovely trip!
The photo of the clothes air drying interested me – I take it that you do not have a clothes-line? I know it is not unusual to use a dryer and not a clothes-line (even here in NZ), but for my family a clothes-line is the norm and we have never had a dryer. 🙂
I too will be interested in seeing the recipe for the energy bars!
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Yup, no clothes line. That would be far more efficient!
I’m keeping your family in my prayers. Enjoy this time together…I know the Lord will bring peace and healing to each of you! God’s blessings and safe travels to you all.
Sounds like a wonderful time of getting away and healing.
I would be interested in the energy bar recipe too!
You are constantly in our prayers and thoughts during this time. We hope this holiday will be a time of rest and relaxation — and of trusting anew in the unchanging truth of God’s love, goodness, and sovereignty.
“I trust in God through darkest night,
He faithful will remain;
I’ll trust Him till the morning light
Restores my sight again.
“Our Father leads through sorrows deep,
A cooling spring to make;
Where those who thirst and those who weep
May from that stream partake.
“When disappointment breaks my heart,
And tears of sorrow flow;
When troubles come and hopes depart,
God’s promise stands I know.
“Joy will come in the morning,
Hope is sorrow’s adorning;
Tears will vanish at dawning,
For joy will come in the morning.”
(hymn by Frank Garlock)
Sending our love across the miles!
I am so happy that you all are leaving on the Colorado trip very soon. 🙂 Praying for safety as you travel, and continued prayers for healing, comfort, and peace for you all—especially precious Joseph. A BIG “thank you” (again) 😉 to sweet Sarah for being so diligent and faithful with these blog posts/photos. Looking forward to vacation photos later on. Prayers and Love, Mrs. Patti
Maxwell Family,
Our prayers are with you during this difficult time. God knows what he is doing! We are so happy that y’all are coming to Colorado! We live here:-) We were hoping we could see you again at the confernce you are going to be speaking at! If y’all need anything at all we are willing to help:-)
Rest In HIm,
Kelsey
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Thank you. Hope to see you in Ft. Morgan.
I could just say “ditto” to every word of Patty Jo’s comment. I am so thankful that you can go on this trip to Colorado. I pray it will bring just the healing and encouragement and blessing your hearts need right now. Joseph (and all of you) have been constantly in my prayers these past few days. I even woke up at night and thought of you and prayed. I also prayed when I read the Moody books to my daughter this afternoon. God bless each of you in a special way in the days and weeks to come. Oh, and I am another one who would love to have the energy bar recipe when it is convenient. 🙂
Dearest Maxwell family,
I pray that you will all be renewed and healed during your wonderful trip to Colorado. May the Lord fill you with His Love, His Grace and His Joy and may He keep you safe during your travels!!
Joseph, you’re in my thoughts and prayers. May the tranquility of the mountains restore your heart in this time of grieving. But I promise you, if you only knew what the future holds, after a hurricane comes a rainbow.
And yes, please share the energy bar recipe when you return! Yum!
Wishing you a safe and productive trip. Even though your family is going through a rough time, I hope and pray that you will be able to have some fun along the way. Sometimes laughter is the best medicine!
Take care and God bless.
Isn’t it wonderful how God, in His great wisdom and grace, knew ahead of time the pain that your family would need to regroup from and so this trip was already lined up?! I love how gentle God is. I read about the cancelled wedding and my heart broke so deeply for all of you in the pain you must be going through. Thank you for sharing your joys and your pains with us. You family is a wonderful example of faith. I pray for God’s healing balm to reach deeply into your hearts and lives as a family during this time. As a side note, thank you for continuing to share the progress on Joseph’s home. I was thinking that might stop but it is exciting to see you continuing to work on it and to share that with us. Blessings upon you and may your trip be filled with God’s presence and peace.
Soon these tears will be drying.
Soon these eyes will see the sun.
Might take time, but I’ll see it.
It won’t be long.
Gonna feel the sweet light of Heaven.
Shining down its light on me.
One sweet day.
Thinking of you as you heal from this difficult period. Joseph will be back on his feet again in no time.
I am sorry to hear about the breakup of Joseph’s courtship, but be comforted that He moves in mysterious ways. One day you will look back and you’ll see you were held by His love during this difficult time. He will lead Joseph and the rest of your family to a bright future, better than you could have imagined during the engagement. All my prayers.
It is true that some things in this life are sad, but it is such a blessing to see your family come together to focus on being positive at this hard time. It is my firm belief that it is important to always look on the bright side of life, and not to grumble at the hardships, or the gristle of life, if you will.
Yours in Christ
Eric
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147 v3
…the Lord binds up the bruise of his people, and heals the stroke of their wound. Isaiah 30 v6
For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole. Job 5 v18
May you all, and Joseph in particular, feel the gentle healing touch of our precious Lord through this experience. It is painful at the time, oh so painful, but it becomes precious with the process of healing and the passage of time. And the preciousness is His love, His gentleness, His care, His unfailing love. God bless you all. I hope you have a wonderful holiday and assure you of my prayers.