About Melt the Heart

Dirty dishes, a rocking chair…and a dream.

Growing up in a family of five sisters and two brothers, we’ve been the recipients of many good times and many sibling rivalries. For though we shared the same last name, we had different personalities. As we matured (much to the delight of our parents), we began to see how our diverse talents and interests could be combined into a well-rounded work team…at least most of the time.

The perfect opportunity was a sinkful of dirty dishes.

With suds on our elbows and towels in our hands, we could escape the drudgery of chores with a little dreaming. A favorite fantasy was the dream of owning our own Gospel Store. As we brainstormed, planned and assigned duties in our dream store, clean dishes cycled back into the cupboards…and life went on. One by one, we started families, careers and our own dirty dish piles. As our minds concentrated on child-raising, health concerns and job issues, our childhood dream began to fade.

Until just recently.             

In the spring of 2004, Marsha approached a local Christian Bookstore, asking if there was a need for homemade cards. She enjoyed designing all occasion cards on her computer, mostly for the benefit of family and friends. With a little encouragement, she decided to see if there was a possibility to turn a hobby into a small home business.

There was.

But she had to change her thinking. Customers weren’t so interested in homemade cards for various reasons, but they did have a need. Cards which quoted verses from the King James Version of the Bible were becoming harder and harder to find. So with an inkjet printer and a little creativity, she began to fill the need.

Meanwhile, in January of 2005, Paula joined a group of girls who desired to share their singing talents and produce a special music CD. Over a year’s time, they met together whenever their schedule allowed at a local recording studio. At the project’s end, they had an inspiring CD to offer, with all profits benefiting charity.

As Paula worked through the process of making their CD available to the public, Marsha began researching ways to offer her cards to a wider customer base. During a family night at our parent’s home on February 3, 2006, a CD was given to each family member to enjoy…and a card flyer was shared for review. Late that night, Paula began brainstorming as she rocked her infant daughter.

And thus was born, Melt the Heart.com.

We hope you enjoy your visit to this site and come back often. If you ever have any suggestions, comments or ideas regarding the site or any products you would like to see added, please contact us. We welcome your thoughts!

Marsha & Paula

We would like to thank our family, who give us encouragement, offer ideas, technical support and feedback and fill the occasional need for a baby-sitter. We cherish our many growing up memories and look forward to teaching our children the right way to wash dishes…with a dream.

Special thanks to:

Our Families:

            Marsha’s husband, Mike Lanz, and children Marissa, Mikayla, Micah & Mariah and one on the way!

            Paula’s husband, Nate Kelson, and children Heidi, Zachary, Travis and one on the way!

Our Siblings:

            Melodee Rabe & husband Adrian (Bloomington, IL)

            Ted & wife Teresa (Forrest, IL)      

Kristi Strahm & husband Clinton (Sabetha, KS)

            Brenda (Crogan-Naumberg, NY)

            Kurt (LaCrosse, IN and Forrest, IL)

And especially our parents, Marvin & Mary Bachtold (Forrest, IL), who ingrained in us the love for God and each other.

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