Maxwells at the *symphony!*

[JillyO]

What the fuck?! Brushing one's teeth daily IS "critical to our well-being and our future." Hate to break it to you, Steve. And don't pretend like you're so fucking busy you don't have five minutes twice a day to brush your damn teeth. Good grief, what a tool.

[clueliss]

Steve obviously went (more) mental during that last fast.  

[Handmaiden of Dog]

Well I was wondering about that fast and if it would ever come up again.  It seems to me that if it went well and he became energized and recharged, then he would tell us all about what a tremendous effort it was not to eat for 10 days and how close he feels to the Lord and yadda, yadda, yadda.  All told from Sarah's POV, of course. "My father was so tempted to eat but he is glad that he did not give in to temptation.  Readers, it has made him even stronger, a warrior for the Lord.  All of us were humbled and blessed by the experience of watching our father pray for strength and resolve."  But so far nothing.  I've begun to wonder if he failed to stick to it for 10 days or if it made him so weak and dizzy he got scared. 

[WonderingInWA]

I was of the impression that Steve wasn't fasting for 10 days but that the fasting period was open for 10 days to better accommodate men who couldn't fast over a weekend.  I do think it's odd there's been nothing said about it on the blog, though.

[blessalessi]

Quote

For men who are interested in prayer and fasting with Steve, you have the option of one or more days starting Saturday, November 7th, and ending Monday morning, November 16th. Choose a day(s) that works for you. Steve is fasting and praying that whole time. Sorry, ladies, I can’t manage that long of a fast so you only have one day offered!

According to Teri, he planned to fast 10 days.

We'd love an update, Steve!

[molecule]

I've been wondering about the fast, too. Maybe God answered his prayers and gave him answers he didn't like--such as "let your daughters experience some life outside the compound" and "loosen your grip" and  "have fun." Maybe he's in denial and doesn't want to tell us what God revealed.

[nellautumngirl]

On 9.12.2015 at 7:23 PM, sparkles said:

I do think Anna Marie is very pretty but in a way we're not used to these days. It's like she belongs to another time. She's very fresh-faced and natural, with a quiet prettiness that you really don't see anymore. I find her look very refreshing.

I know others have said that the Maxwell girls are much pretty in person but based on their photos (and I'm the least photogenic person I know so I sympathize), I'm not impressed. I think they look attractive on first glance but not on closer inspection. Sarah always looks like tired and worn out to me.

I think she's beautiful as well. That's it, this timeless, quiet beauty.

I used to think Mary was pretty, but she just looks smug to me nowadays, kind of like Jessa.

[Myfanwy]

6 hours ago, accountingstar said:

-snip-

My favorite part of his post, "Here’s a question for you. In light of eternity, which do you think is a more important habit— brushing your teeth or reading your Bible every day? The answer is ridiculously obvious. Reading one’s Bible every day is critical to our well-being and our future."  -snip-

Well if I ever wanted to go to non-existent heaven I certainly don't now. Gah and blerg all that bad breath. YUCK. 

[CyborgKin]

By Steve's logic, we should skip brushing teeth, bathing, personal grooming, and any other non-essentials so we can have more Bible time.

[WonderingInWA]

2 minutes ago, CyborgKin said:

By Steve's logic, we should skip brushing teeth, bathing, personal grooming, and any other non-essentials so we can have more Bible time.

Like sexin'.  Don't brush your teeth, but read your Bible and leave time for plenty of sex.  Because sex makes baybeeez.  

[CyborgKin]

2 minutes ago, WonderingInWA said:

Like sexin'.  Don't brush your teeth, but read your Bible and leave time for plenty of sex.  Because sex makes baybeeez.  

Only if you're a married Christian, of course.

[Granwych]

3 hours ago, WonderingInWA said:

I was of the impression that Steve wasn't fasting for 10 days but that the fasting period was open for 10 days to better accommodate men who couldn't fast over a weekend.  I do think it's odd there's been nothing said about it on the blog, though.

Remember that here is a family that lost two grandfathers and never mentioned their passing for over a year.

Our friend is rather unpredictable in what he decides to post.

 

[Gossamer1]

8 hours ago, Marian the Librarian said:

Economic desperation, is my theory. His conference schtick is drying up, and he has three unmarried adult, stay-at-home daughters rattling around the house, evidence that his much-touted "courtship model" is not working. I imagine there must be grandbaby-craving fundie parents out there who look at the Maxwell daughters' failure-to-launch situation and think "ummmm.....no." Maybe, just maybe, it's dawning on Stevie that perfect mates don't just magically materialize on the doorstep.

 

I wonder if it has occurred to him that suitors might be lacking becasuse he is not wanted as a father-in-law. 

[Marian the Librarian]

In keeping with our "Maxwells at the Messiah" theme:

HAL-itosis!

HAL-itosis!

Halitosis! Halitosis! Ha-al-i-tooo-sis...

And Steve shall reign for ever and e-e-ver...

[iweartanktops]

5 hours ago, Granwych said:

Remember that here is a family that lost two grandfathers and never mentioned their passing for over a year.

Our friend is rather unpredictable in what he decides to post.

 

Really? 

That is absolutely bizarre. 

Is there a specific post where they reveal the deaths, or? 

[IrishCarrie]

Assuming the whole heaven thing is real and I die and go there and get to meet God face to face, I really don't want to  be shaking his hand and saying 'Hi God, so nice to finally meet you. Thanks for a great life' when I have breath that stinks of last nights Indian takeaway...

[Peas n carrots]

The coffee cake and 7 layer salad recipes are great examples of classic Midwest church cookbook recipes. Always plenty of oleo, Miracle Whip, and the secret to any casserole Cream of Mushroom soup (aka Lutheran Binder).

Yes they have lots of processed ingredients but I have fond memories of these foods from childhood potlucks. I admit I kind of want to try the coffee cake recipe!

[twin2]

37 minutes ago, Peas n carrots said:

The coffee cake and 7 layer salad recipes are great examples of classic Midwest church cookbook recipes. Always plenty of oleo, Miracle Whip, and the secret to any casserole Cream of Mushroom soup (aka Lutheran Binder).

Yes they have lots of processed ingredients but I have fond memories of these foods from childhood potlucks. I admit I kind of want to try the coffee cake recipe!

Just for fun last night I pulled out an old midwest church cookbook from the early 80s my mom gave me and, yep that is pretty much it.  The recipes are for the most part a box of this, a bottle of that, a can of the other thing. I read something around this once, someone questioning why midwest food is like that.  Basically, what the author said was that we fail to forget transport of fresh food was not as easy as it is today and was quite cost prohibitive, transport of dry goods, more manageable.  So in the midwest, where it is cold and snowy for much of the year, fresh food, not abundant and quite expensive, packaged food is what was most available and affordable. As such these were what recipes were based on and were what got passed down.

I grew up in the midwest eating a fair number of things we mock and make puking faces at here on FJ.  Hate to disappoint the masses, but truthfully, it really doesn't taste that bad, in fact some of it I think tastes pretty good.  Still claim the best macaroni and cheese I have ever eaten was the one my grandma made with Velveeta.  I don't cook like that for myself, but if I go home at Christmas, and mom just happens to have a good Midwestern tater-tot casserole one night for dinner, I'll enjoy eating it.

That being said, I never liked 7-layer salad as I didn't like the dressing, too much mayo/miracle whip for my liking.

[blessalessi]

I don't think Steve is at all saying that people should substitute bible study fror toothbrushing. The Maxwells seem to be more well-groomed and take more exercise than many families we snark on.

I think he is just expressing (badly) the common "if we take time every day to do X (worldly activity), then how much more important is it that we do Y (godly activity)  ?!!!11!!.  

It is a commonly heard theme in the pulpit, I would say. Similarly, daily time in "the word" is often compared as being more important to spiritual growth than regular meals are to our physical growth.

So I give him a pass on the concept here, but will deduct marks for presentation.

2 hours ago, twin2 said:

So in the midwest, where it is cold and snowy for much of the year, fresh food, not abundant and quite expensive, packaged food is what was most available and affordable. As such these were what recipes were based on and were what got passed down.

I think the packaged food issue for the Maxwells is more that they are all stuck back in time, in the period in the 80s where Teri was depressed and Steve's isolating behaviour took hold.  Everything they have and do (technology aside) seems to be a throwback to the pre-cult time.  

Their food, their version of modest clothing, their home decor, their homeschool curriculum, their recommended preachers and resources are all incredibly dated.

It's not like the family have selectively chosen to take family traditions forward through the generations, they don't seem to know any different, and Sarah genuinely writes as though she is sharing new ideas and not old ones.

[molecule]

I'm a lifelong midwesterner. My mom didn't believe in cooking with prepackaged processed stuff, so it was rare that we had anything with cream of mushroom soup or Velveeta. I didn't see that much in my friends families, either.

My husband's family, though, wow. It was like a whole other world, even though it was just a few hours away from where I grew up. His mom and grandma put cream of mushroom soup into just about every meal.  I've often wondered if it's related to changes in farming practices. My mom grew up on a farm that did crops and livestock. Their daily routine was pretty set, and although there were times of the year that certainly were busier than others, my grandmother rarely had to take a break from the kitchen to go help with the farming. 

Where my husband grew up, though, everyone raised crops only. During planting and harvest (especially during harvest), it was a high-stakes all-hands-on-deck kind of thing. The farm wives often had to run errands, run meals out to the field, etc., and they simply didn't have much time in the kitchen. So anything that added bulk and saved time became a staple. Processed food made life a whole lot easier and kept work folks fed and full. And anyone who wanted something sweet and pretty could have a jello salad.

I occasionally cook in the midwestern style being mocked here, but I mock myself as I do it. It was funny, though. Of all the things I ever cooked for my in-laws, the thing that got the most compliments was the one time I made a special jello concoction for Easter dinner. I hate jello, but the grocery store was giving away egg-shaped jello molds one year, so I gave it a try. I had egg-shaped jello in different colors/ flavors, and just to be cute I served them on a platter of shredded coconut that I had died green like Easter basket grass. My husband's grandmother gushed about that for years. It was the epitome of midestern processed food or something.

I do have a place in my heart (and always a place in my stomach) for funeral potatoes. I know the LDS claim it, but so do several small non-LDS communities in central Illinois.

 

[anjulibai]

As a note about them being stuck in the 80s, I was leafing through the Keeping Our Children's Hearts book (sorry I haven't done my book report on them, just busy lately!), and there was a part about what types of toys they limit their children to. 

They said they don't buy "faddish" toys. As an example, they used Star Wars toys. 

Star Wars toys are faddish....

Star Wars.....as a fad....

I could sort of see them thinking that in the mid-late 80s, not long after the original trilogy came out, but in the year 2015 how anyone can say Star Wars is just a fad is beyond me.

So yeah, out of touch and stuck in the 80s. 

[Marian the Librarian]

I love the way FJ threads often segue to discussions of food...and I *love* the reference to cream of mushroom soup as "Lutheran binder!" I'm stealing that! 

Mr. MtL and I have, on occasion, hosted a good friend from the Midwest. When the most recent visit's talk turned to fond memories of church supper "hot dish," I concocted a slightly upscale version using organic ingredients - Costco ground beef and really good cheddar cheese; Amy's C of M soup; organic onion, mushroom, celery, and tater tots. Said friend and hubs ate as if they hadn't in a week, and it's now a regularly-requested dinner item. I guess this means I have something in common with the Maxwells...

[Justme]

20 hours ago, Granwych said:

Remember that here is a family that lost two grandfathers and never mentioned their passing for over a year.

Our friend is rather unpredictable in what he decides to post.

And Steve's Mother passed away. I don't think they ever acknowledged that on the blog, either. Our FJ investigators found her obit. Joe purposed to Elissa the day of her funeral causing speculation that he, and possibly others didn't attend her funeral.

 

[VodouDoll]

2 hours ago, Marian the Librarian said:

I love the way FJ threads often segue to discussions of food...and I *love* the reference to cream of mushroom soup as "Lutheran binder!" I'm stealing that! 

Mr. MtL and I have, on occasion, hosted a good friend from the Midwest. When the most recent visit's talk turned to fond memories of church supper "hot dish," I concocted a slightly upscale version using organic ingredients - Costco ground beef and really good cheddar cheese; Amy's C of M soup; organic onion, mushroom, celery, and tater tots. Said friend and hubs ate as if they hadn't in a week, and it's now a regularly-requested dinner item. I guess this means I have something in common with the Maxwells...

Oh, I know exactly what you mean! Amy Thielen is a cookbook writer I like and a kind of historian of Midwest cooking besides. She has this amazing spruced up chicken and wild rice hotdish. No cream of mushroom soup - she has you melt aged gouda into a béchamel - but you'd better believe there are crushed ritz crackers on top.

[WonderingInWA]

We have the same dish every year for Christmas that came from our church cookbook in the 70s.  It's bacon-wrapped chicken (okay, so that's pretty hipster right now) but...wait for it...it's topped with a mixture of sour cream and cream of mushroom soup!  We love it.  Don't judge me...