You can go from winter one Saturday to “spring” the next and still be in February. Yesterday we took advantage of the weather and enjoyed working outside. Saturdays are perfect project days. Items accomplished among the family yesterday: vehicle washing and detailing, cutting up a tree, stacking and hauling wood, cleaning in the basement, organizing, computer work, and a bike ride.
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily,
as to the Lord, and not unto men.”
Colossians 3:23
We haven’t caught you up on a work project at Joseph’s house for awhile. He gutted his basement about a year and a half ago, but with his blossoming relationship with Elissa last year, well, that got put on hold.
Dad wired last Saturday, while Joseph finished framing things out. They also enjoyed great fellowship in the process. We Maxwells love work projects–you get something worthwhile accomplished while fellowship. Talk about great teamwork!
Joseph’s office will be in this area. He’ll also give his ITonRamp HTML-Step One in Website Design and CSS-Step Two this spring in his new office, Lord willing!
Dad’s wiring the storage room here.
“Praying us with much intreaty that we would
receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship
of the ministering to the saints.”
2 Corinthians 8:4
When Joseph bought his house, he knew he needed to do some major drainage work. What would have seemed overwhelming to me, he tackled with an awesome attitude. That’s one thing I love about my brothers: a willingness to jump into hard projects.
Here’s the first phase of the project. After the initial excavating is through, he’ll be working in the trench.
Serving Jesus,
Sarah
“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness;
but of every one that is hasty only to want.”
Proverbs 21:5
For those of you who have small businesses, you know what the end of year means: inventory, making any necessary year-end purchases, holding a corporate meeting, going over financials–among other things. Inventory was never my favorite part of the task, but it was something that had to be done. As our product lineup has increased, so has the time it takes to do inventory. In 2012, however, and again in 2013, Dad and Mom successfully tackled inventory, along with entering discrepancies into our financial software. They make an awesome team!
Serving Jesus,
Sarah
“The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance
and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.”
Psalms 16:5
To begin our Christmas celebrations, we decided to do family projects on Monday, the 23rd. Our first project was to polish the cabinets at our house. Not very exciting, you might think? Well, we had a blast talking and laughing as we worked. I thought it would take us awhile, but we did the entire kitchen, which has a lot of cabinet surface area, in about thirty-five minutes. Fast progress!
After that, we girls dropped in at Melanie’s to clean their house. Each of the aunts got a helper (three aunties and three nieces!). Bethany was mine for awhile, and I enjoyed her enthusiasm. At one point, she was squirting the side of the bath tub and wiping it off. In her sweet voice, she asked me, “Do you like to clean with little children?” (Of course I told her I did.) So precious.
The afternoon’s project was to work at Joseph’s house. We cleaned, polished cabinets, installed shelving, painted, and hung temporary blinds. When we were through with that, we girls got busy with Christmas baking for the next day.
Many hands equal the Maxwell team!
Serving Jesus,
Sarah
Bethany and Sarah
“Trust in the LORD, and do good;
so shalt thou dwell in the land,
and verily thou shalt be fed.”
Psalms 37:3
Saturday was a “work on Joseph’s house day”! Because of the quantity of items to be thrown away, Joseph rented a dumpster. By Saturday evening, the dumpster was full: carpet, doors and door frames, toilets, bathtub, shower, ceilings from the dining room and kitchen, partial walls, the back porch, and more were piled into the 40-yard container.
It is exciting to see Joseph’s house take a different twist, although it definitely is in its roughest shape until the rebuilding part begins. Out with the old and in with the new! Reminds me of a spiritual analogy. As we rid our lives of sin and repent, the Lord cleanses our heart. Removing sin isn’t easy, just like demolition. In fact, it can be a messy job, as sometimes it requires going back to individuals we have wronged and asking forgiveness. Rebuilding, which is like cleansing from sin, takes work. It takes effort. “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.” (Ezekiel 18:30)
John tore down the porch. It was quite the job. Although at first glance, one might have thought the porch was fine, it wasn’t. The wood was rotted and falling apart–too much to bother trying to repair.
To open up the kitchen, Dad tore out the wall between the dining room and kitchen. Joseph tore out the dining room ceiling as it was built rather strange.
Mixed into the day, Christopher and I worked on two photo sessions with Joshua. He slept most of the time, so that made it nice. Isn’t he adorable?
Back to the work scene:
It was a warm day, and since the guys had taken the ceiling out in the dining room, the attic heat seeped into the house, and it would have been no use to turn on air conditioning.
Near the end of the day, Joseph cut part of the living room wall to open up the dining room a bit more.
Thank you all for your enthusiasm. Even though we haven’t met many of you in person, your support and love for our family is an encouragement.
Love,
Sarah
PS – No news on Melanie. She is now 39 weeks and her due date is Friday.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit
will I put within you: and I will take away the stony
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
–Ezekiel 36:26
