Titus2's Steve Maxwell: Seriously Anti-Fun

[apandaaries]

 

<f'ed up the quotes trying to shorten the text.  apologies.>

Is this why Christians fast these days, in order to get something from God in return?!

So according to Gothard, yes!  I broke down and purchased some used Gothard and IBLP texts. Gothard has a long and boring post about how to pray properly in The Sevenfold Power of First-Century Churches and Homes (& probably elsewhere).  He mentions that for major needs, prayer should be combined with fasting, to be more effective.  He mentions keeping it quiet, though, unlike the Maxhell fasts.

[treemom]

And dancing once led me to buy a short black miniskirt covered in sequins. Admittedly I wore it with back tights underneath, but still....

 

Steve has a point, y'all.

Dancing led me to consider taking up pole fitness classes. STEVE WAS RIGHT!

Dancing made me crack my smartphone's screen!

Dancing led to me dislocating my knee and falling.  And requiring the entire knee to get a renovation.

[blessalessi]

Steve is hungry AND angry...

Seriously, he has heard there are homeschoolers out there who LEAVE THE HOME sometimes.  What part of HOMESCHOOL do they not understand?  If the wives are struggling with their confinement, Teri's books about her 30 years of depression can help! 

(Note to Steve: No, the "homeschooling" of children by unstable, unhappy, uninspired, uninterested and totally unqualified parents is not a real profession. Nor a vocation. And it results in unhappy, barely literate adult children that no amount of fasting can mend.)

http://articles.titus2.com/a-real-profession/

A REAL PROFESSION?

This was posted on November 10, 2015 by Steve Maxwell.

I’m shocked at how many families who profess to homeschool spend many hours out of the home each week. Homeschool is comprised of two words—home and school. How many hours is your family away from home during the school week? It’s not homeschool if you are not home. When home, are the children doing real schoolwork? Significant learning does not occur by osmosis; it takes consistent daily planned effort. If your wife is struggling, we can help.

Dads are responsible to the government to meet the requirements of the state. Are you sure that your homeschool is doing so? Light years more important than the law is that we are responsible for preparing our children for their success in life. For that, we are answerable to a far greater authority, our God.

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” (Romans 13:1)

Steve

[Sweet Fellowship]

Stevo needs to eat something, before he goes even more nuts.

[kpmom]

I've looked over the Maxwell's schedule from their homeschooling days, and Steve has some nerve complaining about other people's homeschooling.

None of the Maxwell's got beyond basic schooling.  No higher level math or literature that I can see.

Anna's "bookkeeping" class consisted of going through the Accounting for Dummies book.

The vast majority of the last couple of years of John and Joseph's homeschooling consisted of them building the house they live in now.  Steve called it vocational training, which wouldn't be so bad if their academics weren't so skimpy.

If I recall, actual academic subjects, even for the high schoolers, took up maybe 2-3 hours a day.  They did stuff around the house in the afternoons, and took Fridays completely off to clean.

But they did this at home so it was o.k. I guess.

[anjulibai]

Hey Steve, the government does not consider only Dad responsible. He considers both parents, so including Mom. If your wife can't do it, let her work and do it yourself. 

[nausicaa]

Most of the homeschoolers I know are always quick to point out that "homeschool" is a misnomer, and their kids are not home all day. They are in clubs, group home school classes, on field trips, or taking community college classes. This include a woman I know who went to Bob Jones University and thinks the world is 6,000 years old. Her daughters go to a weekly Classical Conversations group and participate in Christian ballet classes, soccer, and do mock trials at our local courthouse. 

I'm really wondering how large of an audience Steve has for his dribble. 

[samira_catlover]

Pokes nose in, because still catching up on old M threads---send the rescue ferrets ASAP, even though I haven't left the FJ discussions!

(Mixed general comments) This guy is SOOOOOOOOO utterly nuts.  (Just hit the part about bypassing the Grand Canyon to carry out mission work.  What, you can't minister to yourselves a bit by seeing a spectacular sight, and giving praise and song to a wonderful deity who makes such a gorgeous world for us to enjoy?)

Some of routine schooling, whether public, private, or homebased, IS going to be not fun---but good heavens, taking joy in the neat stuff does make the yuchh more tolerable.  

Re: John List: There are a lot of scary similarities.  However, IIRC (one of Ann Rule's books, I think), it was pointed out that List could have gotten out of some major financial problems if he'd sold off a few home goodies (think there was a nice Tiffany-glass chandelier that would have brought in some serious bucks).  The possibility that List might have just decided to selfishly restart his life (sans nuisancy family) needs to be considered.  Not sure if the GodMax might take things that far--but I'm willing to bet a pound of coffee that there's serious emotional abuse going on in that family.

Free the Maxwells (poor bastards)!

[nokidsmom]

Most of the homeschoolers I know are always quick to point out that "homeschool" is a misnomer, and their kids are not home all day. They are in clubs, group home school classes, on field trips, or taking community college classes. This include a woman I know who went to Bob Jones University and thinks the world is 6,000 years old. Her daughters go to a weekly Classical Conversations group and participate in Christian ballet classes, soccer, and do mock trials at our local courthouse. 

I'm really wondering how large of an audience Steve has for his dribble. 

I know several homeschoolers and none of the kids are home all day, every day.  There are plenty of outside activities that these kids engage in.   I had a coworker whose kids regularly went on field trips either with the parents or with other homeschooled kids.   A neighbor had her kids participate in the community garden plot they had for a couple of years.  

Steve's idea of homeschooling sounds more like prison; the kids are prisoners in solitary, Teri is the guard and Steveovah is the warden.  

 

[princessmahina]

Most of the homeschoolers I know are always quick to point out that "homeschool" is a misnomer, and their kids are not home all day. They are in clubs, group home school classes, on field trips, or taking community college classes. This include a woman I know who went to Bob Jones University and thinks the world is 6,000 years old. Her daughters go to a weekly Classical Conversations group and participate in Christian ballet classes, soccer, and do mock trials at our local courthouse. 

I'm really wondering how large of an audience Steve has for his dribble. 

What is Christian ballet? I've only ever heard of the evil secular kind. I remember trying "praise dance" in middle school. Is it like that?

[mango_fandango]

What is Christian ballet? I've only ever heard of the evil secular kind. I remember trying "praise dance" in middle school. Is it like that?

I don't know, but maybe the leotards have sleeves (short ones anyway) and the girls wear knee-length skirts for modesty reasons, and they finish each lesson with a prayer as well as or instead of a curtsey. (Totally guessing).

[jerkit]

What is Christian ballet? I've only ever heard of the evil secular kind. I remember trying "praise dance" in middle school. Is it like that?

Dancing for Jesus, a la Alyssa Alexander.

[Palimpsest]

I don't know, but maybe the leotards have sleeves (short ones anyway) and the girls wear knee-length skirts for modesty reasons, and they finish each lesson with a prayer as well as or instead of a curtsey. (Totally guessing).

I used to follow Anna Naomi's ballet efforts on until she married.   The school is still going so you can enjoy modest dress ballet here:

http://thekingscourts.blogspot.com/search/label/costumes

Steve is hungry AND angry...

Seriously, he has heard there are homeschoolers out there who LEAVE THE HOME sometimes.  What part of HOMESCHOOL do they not understand?  If the wives are struggling with their confinement, Teri's books about her 30 years of depression can help! 

(Note to Steve: No, the "homeschooling" of children by unstable, unhappy, uninspired, uninterested and totally unqualified parents is not a real profession. Nor a vocation. And it results in unhappy, barely literate adult children that no amount of fasting can mend.)

http://articles.titus2.com/a-real-profession/

Steve is getting desperate for sales.  I'm sure the Maxwell children had some field trips without Dad, or was that the Moodys.

What I find interesting here is his mention of the State.  Steve is essentially middle class so he invokes the government, unlike most of our Fundies who despise it.

I wonder whether he's having kittens because Melanie is taking the ABCs on field trips. 

[nausicaa]

What is Christian ballet? I've only ever heard of the evil secular kind. I remember trying "praise dance" in middle school. Is it like that?

Sorry, I should have specified "a Christian ballet company." The girls wear more modest recital outfits (not Maxwell level, but floaty costumes that always have sleeves and at least knee length skirts) and also perform at senior centers as charity work. They might also pray at the beginning of class and offer praise dance classes. I know the woman who takes her daughters there liked it because they don't teach any grinding moves in jazz class and many of the ballet performances are Christian themed. 

Looking at the website now, it seems like the owner wanted to open a dance school in an already saturated market and figured out a niche market to distinguish herself. 

I believe my acquaintance's daughters also play in a Christian soccer league. Can't have your kids running drills with the heathens.

At any rate, it's a hell of a lot more than Sarah, Anna, or Mary will get to ever do.

[uber frau]

Hey Steve,  you know how the word 'homeschool' has the the word 'school' in it,right? Because that part seems to have been overlooked in your children's education.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FloraKitty35]

Anna Marie is an attractive woman.

 

[nastyhobbitses]

I used to follow Anna Naomi's ballet efforts on until she married.   The school is still going so you can enjoy modest dress ballet here:

http://thekingscourts.blogspot.com/search/label/costumes

Steve is getting desperate for sales.  I'm sure the Maxwell children had some field trips without Dad, or was that the Moodys.

What I find interesting here is his mention of the State.  Steve is essentially middle class so he invokes the government, unlike most of our Fundies who despise it.

I wonder whether he's having kittens because Melanie is taking the ABCs on field trips. 

Those costumes don't look bad (though someone should tell them that the Arab costumes are a bit cringe-y), and I can't hate on a dance troupe that uses music from The Prince of Egypt because that movie is awesome. I wonder if the Maxwell kids would be allowed to watch it...it does present a more nuanced view of faith and the story of Exodus than even I learned at my fairly hippie-dippy Reform Jewish Hebrew school.

[salex]

Oh Steve.  My home school heros are relative whose college educated parents home schooled their 5 kids (still finishing up on one, I think) and the outside excursions included a lot of museums, traveling exhibits, etc.  Not to mention real music and art classes, some provided by relatives and some provided byt others.  They even included sports.  THEN every one of their kids who has graduated so far went to secular universities, one went on to grad school.  The girls worked until they got married (Not sure if the younger one has quit, she only was married over the summer) and boys all have career type jobs.  The next generation are starting to send their kids to home school co-op, but the academic expectations of this family (and the people they married) is very high.  Steve might see them as failures, as they wear standard clothing (including pants and shorts on the women--even though some of their friends wear frumpers ) and did not disown one child who has apparently rejected their faith.  As far as preparing their children for the world, these relatives had launched a next generation of people who are competent, well spoken, kind, well mannered and bright.  They also were allowed to launch, instead of being tied to their father's apron strings forever. 

 

[Shoobydoo]

It really, really is. Other Christianese words I can't stand: 'covet' (as in, 'we covet your prayers'), 'purpose' used as a verb, and of course the dreaded 'helpmeet'.

Er, I'm familiar with the word covet, but I've never thought of it as something you'd want to do. I have always thought of covet as having similar connotations as envy. Am I imagining things?

It's also a move in Pokemon games where you steal an opponent's items! 

[twin2]

Holy Shit, Steve is really starting to loose it.  According to him, home+school=homeschool.  So (home - not home)+ school ≠ homeschool. By my standards in the Maxwell model. based on their own daily schedule is home + (school - not school) so, by the laws that govern FJ mathematics is that their model is not home school either.

[blessalessi]

Er, I'm familiar with the word covet, but I've never thought of it as something you'd want to do. I have always thought of covet as having similar connotations as envy. Am I imagining things?

It's also a move in Pokemon games where you steal an opponent's items! 

I think "covet" has become the holy alternative to "desire".  Because "desire" obviously leads to sex and dancing.... 

[Justme]

Well, I seem to remember Stevie dragging his children all over the country when they should have been "homeschooling". 

Another case of do what I say and not what I do. And buy my crap while you're at it....

[CyborgKin]

I’m shocked at how many families who profess to homeschool spend many hours out of the home each week. Homeschool is comprised of two words—home and school. How many hours is your family away from home during the school week? It’s not homeschool if you are not home. When home, are the children doing real schoolwork? Significant learning does not occur by osmosis; it takes consistent daily planned effort.

 If I ever doubted that Steve was nuts before, I don't anymore.  That's blatantly utterly wrong!

[albanuadh_1]

Wonder when we'll hear about Steve's fast and how it saved the world...

[blessalessi]

Steve's broken his fast to bring us another incoherent message of encouragement:

 

RUNNING IN THE DARK
This was posted on November 17, 2015 by Steve Maxwell.
Teri and I have been walking early in the morning when it is still dark. Many mornings we meet an “out and back” runner who on his return runs barefoot on the sidewalk. It is amazing how tough his feet are as evidenced by the pounding we can hear as he approaches us. Running barefoot on pavement in the daylight is one thing but in the dark, quite another.

Over the weekend we noticed several glass bottles had been broken on the sidewalk, likely by partying teenagers desiring to remove “evidence” from their cars. We were quite concerned for our barefoot runner “friend.” If he ran unaware into that broken glass, his “good idea” of running barefoot might be superseded by an unexpected result.

So often what seems like a good idea, maybe even one that is popular with others, is seen later in a different light when over time the fruit of that decision comes to light. (Think of cholesterol, youth groups, debt.) May we make right decisions as we lead our family. May we seek the Lord’s direction in all things and then follow Him obediently. That is the path of no regrets.

“The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.” (Matthew 11:19)

Steve

 

Not sure what relevance the bible verse is, except that apparently, even Jesus is gluttonous compared to Steve! 

Love to think of Steve and Teri passing time on their morning walk judging the other people who dare to use the street at the same time as them.  I thought for a minute, Steve was going to say he and Teri cleared away the broken glass as an act of service to the runner, but nope, they just saw the potential for him to learn the error of his ways.....