Sweet Journey

[addyviolet]

tasted of the power of the Savior in her life.

Better the Savior than Pepsi.

[Guest Anonymous]

Can someone help me with an ignorant question: do self published books have an ISBN? I would love to ask my library to get copies of the Maxwell books for me to peruse.....

[Guest Anonymous]

Can someone help me with an ignorant question: do self published books have an ISBN? I would love to ask my library to get copies of the Maxwell books for me to peruse.....

[VodouDoll]

I don't even know if the Maxwells would consent to sell to a library. They are very anti-library because books in a library mean just that many potential customers who aren't giving money to the Maxwells. They consider this stealing.

[marmalade]

This.

Thirded.

I'm mildly bi-polar and suffer from GAD, complete with panic attacks. Despite meds, the symptoms often flare up around PMS time; I get manic and often function on almost no sleep. Throw in a panic attack or 5 and I'm often a mess unless I up my meds a smidgen once I notice the signs of mania or suffer a panic attack out of nowhere.

My husband was suffering from severe depression to the point where he was walking around muttering he hated this life and would rather be dead. I finally found him a psychologist and while he's still getting meds sorted out (as anyone with these disorders knows, it's really tough to find the right combination of meds), he isn't walking around with a dark cloud over his head anymore. I wish he hadn't been so resistant to therapy for many years; he lost so many years of happiness because he was stupidly stubborn. He now uses his bible as a supplement to his therapy, not as the sole "cure" which obviously didn't work.

[fundiefan]

There are a few Maxwell books & some of Sarah's Moody books on Amazon and they have ISBN numbers. But, as a whole, I have no idea how that works.

[MamaJunebug]

I know there are plenty of other Bible studies out there, so why is Sweet Journey unique? I feel it is because God has first worked a beautiful work in Teri’s life. She has walked down some very deep and dark valleys and tasted of the power of the Savior in her life.

Deep dark valleys, like having your husband admit to his men's Bible study group and all the internet that he hated you for no reason. Poor woman.

...

Can anyone provide a link to where this is documented? I don't doubt it for a moment, I'd just like to read the primary source materials. TIA!

[VodouDoll]

The April 1998 Dad's Corner. It's not online anymore but you can see it in the Wayback Machine. Steve wrote:

There was some trivial imperfection in my sweet wife and I allowed myself to dwell on it. Whenever I saw her, I would take up that thought. I began to feel sorry for myself and be judgmental of her. I knew it was wrong, but I continued to do it anyway. Soon she knew something was wrong and asked me about it. I told her it was my problem and she could pray for me. Sharing that with her would have been hurtful and not helped in any way. Her prayers were what I needed.

By God's timing our churches' men's meeting came and I was eager to go. During a time of sharing I confessed to the men that my heart was wrong towards Teri and I needed prayer. I was allowing wrong thoughts, but had not been able to break out of it. As is the custom during these fantastic fellowship times, the men gathered around me and prayed for me. The result -- God totally freed me from my thoughts and I had wonderful peace on the way home that night.

[MamaJunebug]

Thank you, VodouDoll!

Gosh, that sounds .... so immature! My The Spousal Unit and I have had a heck of a marriage, have felt estranged and angry many times, but I gotta say, it's always been over significant stuff, not "some trivial imperfection."

Well, at least he grew up and admitted it.

Thanks again! Must make myself familiar with the Wayback Machine and Google Reader for when you guys are off on vacations!!! ;)

[YPestis]

The first thing I thought when I read the introduction post to the new book was: a lot of fundie women are now going to suffer at home and never seek treatment for their MEDICAL ILLNESS because Terri Maxwell says she was "cured" through prayer. How damaging is that? How many women will suffer and die because of the Maxwells?

Up until now, the family has shown themselves to be fundie control freaks with some crazy advice about how to raise children and such. However, this advice is really dangerous and can lead to real tragedy. I find it appalling.

I was also disappointed about the subject matter. Glancing at the title, I immediately thought they finally wrote a "preparing daughters" book or a courtship book, then I realized they really can't do that until one of their daughters get married! I guess Terri choose to write about her depression journey in the format of a bible study book----the Maxwells would never allow time spent writing about self-discovery and personal journey because that isn't productive and may be way too interesting......

[gardenvarietycitizen]

Maybe it's just me and my faulty memory, but I get the impression (having read through the entire Maxwell blog at some point, and sampling the Corners) that their recent stuff is far heavier on the scripture quotes than previously.

I mean, it's always been fundie fundie and you should have Biblical reasons for doing whatever it is, but now so much of the Corners seem to be just quotes strung together with only the thinnest of filler, while the older Corners had more just everyday Maxwell anecdotes.

As for "they can't write a courtship book until one of their daughters gets married" - heck, they don't even have any daughters even BEGUN on the courtship path yet, do they?

[denimjumper]

Methinks Steve came home from the corporate world to take care of his very sick wife....

[fundiefan]

Methinks Steve came home from the corporate world to take care of his very sick wife....

The why could be speculated forever; there is more than enough material to support all kinds of theories.

I do think that his 'coming home' was the beginning of the end for that family. Once he was there 24/7, there was no escaping him and he didn't even have to play nice or pretend while out in the real world. He stopped working and his family became the only world any of them would ever know.

[Justme]

I read the 9 sample pages they made available, and they don't say anything!! It's letters or emails from readers, bible verses, or questions w/ no answers. :roll:

Also, in the preface, Teri says she's the "helpmeet" to Steve in HIS ministry.... the poor woman gets NO credit at all! :?

[lilwriter85]

I guess since the book is done, Teri will resume the grocery shopping duties.

[liltwinstar]

I think this is so dangerous! I mean, there's having a bad day or a couple of bad days, and I suppose that you were a religous person, prayer and bible study could pull you out of a minor funk.

But Bible study instead of meds???? No. Just, no.

I suspect that my Mom has depression/anxiety issues, and she tried to pull herself out of it with prayer and all that too. It didn't work. She was never what I would call "crazy" but she clearly wasn't happy, either, and that had a really negative effect on the household. If she'd done some combo of therapy and medication (if needed), things would have been much better.

Also, sometimes I think an overly-religious disposition doesn't help when battling depression. You already feel like shit; you don't need a (potentially mythical) deity telling you that you're a dirty rotten sinner on top of that.

[Hane]

Mental health professionals, chime in here: Isn't ever-increasing hyperreligiosity a sign of an upcoming psychotic break?

[jockosmom]

The only reason Teri is "better" now is that the kids are all grown up and self-sufficient with all the daily stuff. Running around after a bunch of little kids - changing diapers, wiping noses, feeding, bathing, running to see what's going on when someone starts bawling - all that stuff wears you down no matter how much you love your kiddos. Add to that the fact that at one point, she must have thought they were done having children and then the Lord lays it on Steve's heart that they needed to procreate some more. Can you imagine what she must have thought when that little gem of wisdom dropped from his lips? After our third child was born, my husband got a vasectomy and we were done. I can't imagine, if a year or so down the road (how long for the Maxwells between the first bunch of kids and the reversal kids?) my husband came home one day and said he was getting a reversal and we were going to have more children!! The horror! I would have run screaming out the door, I think. She's "cured" now because life is different; everyone is an adult, can feed, bathe, and dress themselves, and do some of her work too, in the bargain. Also, she's getting older and maybe mellowing a little with age. The whole hormonal roller coaster has probably evened out. She can convince herself it was scripture memorization if she wants to but I don't think it's true.

[NurseNell]

Mental health professionals, chime in here: Isn't ever-increasing hyperreligiosity a sign of an upcoming psychotic break?

That's what this R.N. has learned.

Nell

[ElphabaGalinda]

When reading the title of this thread, i thought it would actually be a good thing...like her deciding for herself if she can order a pizza or something. But now that she's done the book...what is she going to do? At least with the book she had something to do with her life. And i worry about the people who will be "helped" by this book. And by "helped" i mean they will ignore the medications they need to feel happy and function normally, and at least some of them are going to end up hurting themselves or others. This scares me.

[SunnyAndrsn]

Dear Terri,

I'm offended that you feel that other people 'resort' to anti depressants instead of God. You imply that those who use medication lack faith. In addition to lacking in creativity for book titles, your view of God and the help He sends to His children is lacking. I believe God intended me to take wellbutrin and seek qualified, professional mental health therapy. I did so for 18 months, and if I have another major depressive episode, I will again use the tools that God has provided to become healthy again. Excuse me now, I need to get a Pepsi.

[Jessica]

Sunny, did you really send that to her?

[SunnyAndrsn]

Sunny, did you really send that to her?

No, I didn't...do you think I should?

[Jessica]

Heck yes! I'd like to see them explain why medical intervention is okay when Melanie has a baby but not when you're struggling with severe depression. Hey, maybe they can do a 15-part Corners series. ;)

[doggie]

if praying fixed mental issues then where are there so many real religious crazy people? Hell look at your hubby praying has not fixed him.