"God Wants Us To Be Happy"?

The idea that, "God wants us to be happy," is the basis for a lot of bad theology in our day and age.

Happiness is elusive... even in supremely comfortable, desirable, and wonderful situations, many people will not "feel" happy... and even in supremely difficult situations, some people choose to be content and pleasant and might even feel happy.

While I'm sure God doesn't mind in the least if we're happy, I don't believe His main "want" is for our own happiness-- rather, it is-- primarily-- for His own glory and, secondarily, for our good. His glory and our good do not always add up to us being happy... they may at times, and they may not at other times. Particularly if our feelings of "happiness" depend on being able to have our own way, which they often do.

If God just wants us to be happy, then He sure has unnecessarily burdened many people with sadness and suffering and certain unhappiness, including Joseph, Hosea, Paul, Hagar, Leah, and Stephen (and me! can I make the list?), but above all-- Christ Himself . Happiness, I daresay, was not the ultimate aim there. Nor is it, I'd put forward, His aim for us today.

Joy may indeed be a derived and intended result from His will for us... but instead of joy through feelings of happiness, it may at times be joy through contentment: in pain, hardship, and sharing in the sufferings of Christ. Considering all of this, while I'm confident that God offers immeasurable joy to His children, we need to beware any theology based on shaky sentences like, "God wants us to be happy".

MY SHOW

Words can not express how wonderfully our In-Home show went.

This was our third year for our show but the first time it was open to the public and we certainly plan on doing it again next year.

On Saturday we had a steady flow of customers from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m. with only an hour around noon when it died off and today we had a very good day with most of the customers coming early this morning....there was just no sign of a recession!

There was a snow storm coming in and we thought people would stay home but they didn't....when the snow started we still had people coming. Also, we had 5 repeat customers from yesterday - AMAZING!!!!

Our proceeds were over the top and for that we are so thankful for and not only that we met so many wonderful people and so polite and careful being in someone's home.

We had compliments that overwhelmed us not just on the products and the set up but about our home as well.

I have met a few friend through the Country Sampler Forum and they came to the show as well....three of them actually. One was from IL, one from way up north here in WI and one several towns away from here. What a super wonderful surprise!

My pictures didn't come out very well - they were rather blurry so I will take some more tomorrow and post them in a new post....sorry....but you all have been so kind and supportive and generous with your comments and I so wanted to share them with you right away.

Doug took me out to dinner tonight and now we are totally pooped out. Bless his heart he manned the cash register for two straight days - I certainly couldn't have done it without him and it gave me a chance to mingle with the customers and answer questions.


This is Carrie from Reedsburg, WI. Her and her husband Matt drove 2 and a half hours to get here! Sweet kids.


And me with Lorry from Illinois - she drove over 3 hours to get here and she brought a friend along and they stayed overnight and came back here this morning to shop some more before heading back home.


This is Jackie from Twin Lakes, WI about 35 minutes from here along with Lorry.

Anger: Facing the Growing Mold

Our bathroom ceiling is in really bad shape. Sometime this summer, it started out with a few drips in one corner of the bathroom... almost imperceptible. Over time, we noticed that on another corner of the ceiling, the paint began to darken. Then, over the bathtub, it started to peel.

REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
Now, let me back up a bit... lest you think us irresponsible or just flat out gross. We live in Central Asia. True enough, we live in a large city... but if one came to live in this city expecting it to measure up to western standards, it would be quite a disappointment. So we brought our expectations from China here... expecting inconveniences and differences in these most basic aspects of daily life. We called our landlord several times, and he eventually came, looked around, talked to our upstairs neighbors and pronounced the problem taken care of.

LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACE
But what he didn't realize is that he had misdiagnosed the source. So the drips kept coming.

And over the past few months (in between landlord calls, visits, and a repeat of his same attempt at a solution again and again), the paint has started... well... molting might be the best word. Dripping. Flaking. Shedding. Little feathers of white paint littered our bathroom sink for weeks on end. I have vacuumed the ceiling several times. Guests notice. And while we still notice it, particularly when it flakes, it's just become part of the normal "landscape", if you know what I mean.

AHA!
One night we had a neighbor family over, and we asked them about the problem... they said that ALL the buildings (and all the apartments) in our complex had the same problem and most had been dealt with 3-5 years ago. SO... the problem was INHERENT! It was part and parcel of living here. Only none of us realized it... not our landlord, certainly not us, and not our upstairs neighbor. We'd been trying to solve a problem without understanding it.

THE PROPOSED SOLUTION?
The landlord suggested that we just wait until the ceiling stops dripping and then he'll come and paint over the cracks, bumps, and whatever else is there.

Hmmm... that solution is not very consoling. The mold will still BE there, even if painted over.

OK, SO WHAT'S YOUR POINT, JESS?
But, that's not the point of my writing. I don't want suggestions on dealing with the mold problem. (Really, I don't.) Truth is, we hope to move within a few months anyhow. The point is that a couple weeks ago, as I looked up at the spots and cracks on the ceiling, I realized that this mold we're dealing with is like my own anger.

It has gotten worse and worse. It had gotten to the point of dripping into almost every day of our lives. At first, it was merely a slight, occasional, annoying but manageable drip. And, knowing that culture shock is stressful... and having babies... and medical emergencies... and moving around the world a couple of times... and learning languages... and raising four children... well, I have tried to have realistic, gracious expectations of myself in these present circumstances.

But when I tried to deal with the problem (anger), I misdiagnosed it. I attributed the source as external-- just like my landlord looking to the upstairs neighbor as the problem, and not realizing that the problem was in the make-up of the building. I've been looking at the outside problems as the problems... blaming others, the stress, or the conditions of life-- finding "reasons" to explain away the growing mold of anger.

But--aha!-- the problem is IN me. I'M the problem... this sinful flesh... my nature. Now we're getting somewhere.

DEALING WITH THE GROWING MOLD OF ANGER
I've been praying and working on it, and I've still got some work to do. This can't just be painted over. It'll require rooting out the problem and dealing with it at the true source.

Truth is, I don't know how to deal with mold... and I don't know how to really deal with anger. I don't mean just hiding it-- I mean slowly but surely getting rid of it. Rooting it out. And then working to actively fight against any future return. I've been taking it in prayer to the maker of this "building" and begging the Holy Spirit at work inside of me to fix this problem from the inside out.

I've printed out some verses and put them up around my house to focus on the 1 Corinthians 13 qualities of love, and even taped the nine "fruits" of the spirit up on the ceiling over my bed, so it's the first thing I see every morning to remind me to pray for these things to be evidenced in my life. And I think, slowly but surely, God is doing His work. The more time I spend in Scripture, and the more time I spend focusing on love, self-control, patience, and gentleness, the "drips" of anger are diminishing.

I know I have to keep fighting, but I am thankful for His work thus far fighting and treating this mold of anger in my life. And I guess I just wanted to share that with you. He is faithful, and He is fruitful in our lives when we take our problems to our Creator.

WHATCHA WORKING ON WEDNESDAY & SHOW PREP.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ONE AND ALL....THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL COMMENTS YOU ALL LEFT HERE.

YOU ARE ALL THE REASON I LOVE DOING THE BLOG - IT IS A GREAT OUTLET FOR AN OLD RETIRED GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND NOW HOUSEWIFE!

HAVING IFRIENDS IS A HUGE PART OF 'LIVING' AND I AM THANKFUL ON THIS DAY FOR ALL THE FRIENDS I HAVE MADE HERE.

BLESS ALL OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES!


Today was last minute day here in the Martinsen household….if we didn’t get it done today, IT AINT GOING TO GET DONE!

Yesterday we spent the day putting up window lights, garland throughout the house, decorating the tree with some of the ornaments for sale, putting the stockings on the faux fireplace front….…. and now and then I got to work on some of my products like all of my hand drawn and painted tags.

Friday when we start setting up the show in the house we will decorate in bare places and put greens where needed but after looking at all those boxes in the basement we will need many more rooms to set up in! PRAY FOR A GREAT SHOW PLEASE.

Another of our favorite snowmen on a window

Our son had a faux fireplace front he gave us for the show - we decided because there wasn't anything behind it we'd put Santa's legs coming down along with the stocking that are for sale.

Our very overpriced stocking we purchased in Lancaster at our favorite shop...Family Creations. It's made of really dark gold grunged wool and filled with grungy little snowmen. But we love it!

Sorry, this one came out dark every time I took it...but we got the lights in the windows as well as the boughs on the windows

Dining room chandelier

Santa Clause being pulled by a sheep!

Our sheep collection above our pantry...just a few of the many we have

Greens on hutch in Den....and all of our Salt Glaze plates from Eldreth Pottery in Lancaster, PA. And some of Doug's decoy collection

Our tree after we put it up

With lights and ivory pip berry garlands

Hand made icicles from Shari Kraft of http://cranapplechristmas.blogspot.com/

Tree mostly finished with products for sale....more to be done on Friday

Angel tree topper (for sale) from THE SPINNING WHEEL http://www.spinningwheelonline.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

Today was also baking day for the show and Thanksgiving.

Doug made all the breads - Banana Nut and Cranberry Nut…sweet huh???? He did this while I prepared some other items.

I still need to make my Chocolate and Pumpkin pies yet - actually I'm in the process now. The chocolate is cooling and the Pumpkin pie is in the oven....but these two pies are for our Thanksgiving dessert tomorrow!

I’m thinking I have more money tied up with treats than I do products for the many, many trips we made to the store for MORE baking supplies….but even if they don’t buy they’ll be fed well! lol

6 Layer bars....oh yummmmm!

Crust for the Chocolate pie

Oh....here it is all filled....another yummmm!

My all time favorite pie...PUMPKIN (still baking)

And you can't go wrong having brownies

So that’s’ my WHATCH WORKING ON WEDNESDAY!
Check back later, I just may have more to share.

Smith & Mills

Smith & Mills is a TriBeCa bar & restaurant designed by John McCormick. I've never been, but it looks pretty wonderful, with blueprints on the walls and industrial pieces combined with soft banquette seating.


It's ...the sort of place where a 1920s Eastern European factory worker could blow off some steam after a hard day hammering steel.

Inside the non-marked spot, you'll find a diminutive den of working-class touches: male staffers in basic blue workman's jackets, ladies in factory dresses (so unsexy they're sexy) and shelves lined with antique dishes, cans and mason jars. Meanwhile, low-lit Edison bulbs create a moody, amber vibe you can soak up from one of the faded lime banquettes as you sip vintage cocktails (Old Fashioneds, Sazeracs, Negronis). In the bathroom—a onetime elevator shaft—you'll use a train car sink that empties manually (it'll be just like that summer you spent in Dresden). (UrbanDaddy)

serves classy cocktails of the Hoover regime to women with vintage handbags and men who’ve cultivated the facial hair of silent-movie villains. The bar itself is tiny, but so low-lit you’ll hardly notice how small it is. Shadows and 30-watt Edison bulbs are complicit in helping to create a dramatic atmosphere, though the space has plenty of narrative to begin with: Smith and Mills is in a 200-year-old building that once housed a coffee roaster, a seafarers’ inn and a horse stable. The current decor is remarkable, from the drainpipe mirrors behind the bar to the ship blueprints that adorn the walls to the bathroom, which is actually a vintage elevator. Everything seems rusty, which lends Smith and Mills a blue-collar, proletariat feel. (PaperMag)

Be Thankful

I want to wish each and all of you a very happy Thanksgiving day tomorrow. Be safe if you are traveling and take time to remember all that you have to be thankful for. Enjoy your loved ones and the chance to spend time with them.

Please be sure and check back next week as I will be posting about a fabulous little shop called French Nest! You will be enchanted! Until then, be safe and try not to eat too much~~haha!!

Thanksgiving Blessings To All,
Shelley

SOME DECORATING DONE

Yesterday was a day of many different projects from getting the outside decorations done to me drawing and painting my grungy hang tags for the show and getting a couple orders finished up.

Just when I thought I could whip through a batch of fudge in a few minutes and then get back to my decorating and sewing a wrench was thrown in.....my fudge failed! NEVER FAIL FUDGE that failed....lol

It was so sugary and grainy and horribly sweet so I threw it in the trash and Doug had to go to the store for more Chocolate Chips and Marshmallow Fluff, oh and vanilla - I was totally out after the first failed batch.

So I get another one going and I can tell already that it's going to be the same but I continued on hoping I was wrong - NOT TO BE! Same thing.

Well, I decided it was the sugar causing the problem.....mind you I always buy brand names for most of my groceries but last week there was an off brand on sale so I bought it....DON'T DO THAT!

So.....off to the store Doug went again for more....you said it - Chocolate Chips, Marshmallow Fluff and this time SUGAR! I finally got the fudge made after wasting tons of sugar, chocolate, fluff and walnuts! Oh and the butter that went into it....grrrrrr!

Ever have one of those days????

So....after lost time I finally got back to decorating a bit more and now today I have been printing out my business cards, product labels and whatever else I can find to print and then it's on to painting my tags.

Hope today proves better than yesterday, I can't afford any more downtime.

Remember this picture from Monday?

well....this it is what we woke up to on Tuesday moring.

Fun things....

Keith sent me a link to this campaign furniture champagne bucket (for chilling your champagne when you are on safari, I presume). Part of a larger set of campaign furniture at Sporting Wood.
And Steampunk Angel mentioned this log roller: transform your newspapers into firelogs through the extraneous machinations of this mechanical device.


She also pointed us to this useful Art Nouveau font for free download.

Fun things, all.

Principles About Family in Scripture

I wanted to share some simple insights I found about the attributes of children, mothers, and fathers while reading Scripture today... this is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but simply a list from what I found doing a few word studies ("like child", "like mother" and "like father"), today.

SOME THINGS WE CAN LEARN ABOUT CHILDREN FROM SCRIPTURE:

• Children are like olive shoots... they grow and multiply and signify great blessing. - Ps. 127
• Children are like arrows... they are to be sharpened and they are to be shot out with a specific, useful purpose.- Ps. 127
  
• A weaned child is at ease and comfortable around his mother. - Psalm 131:2
  
• Generally, scripture shows that daughters become like their mothers ( Ezekiel 15:44-45), and sons become like their fathers (2 Chron. 30:7-8, John 5:19-20), and children become like their parents (, 2 Ki. 17:40-41, Ps. 78:7-8). This can be either a promise or a curse. We should take it as a challenge.
  
• Little children can sometimes understand spiritual things better than even the very wise. - Matt. 11:25
• It is a terrible thing to lead a child into sin. - Matt. 18:6
• When a child feels drawn to Jesus, no one should hinder him/her from that desire. - Mark 10:14-15
• A child speaks, thinks, and reasons like a child, not like a man. - 1 Cor. 13:11
• Someone who deserves to be treated like an adult will stop speaking, thinking, and reasoning like a child. - 1 Cor. 13:11

THINGS WE CAN LEARN ABOUT MOTHERS FROM SCRIPTURE:

• Fruitfulness is a blessing from God for mothers. - Ps. 127
• A mother nourishes the little "olive shoots" God has grown on her "vine". - Ps. 127
• A mother should gently care for her dear little ones. - 1 Thess. 2:6-8

THINGS WE CAN LEARN ABOUT FATHERS FROM SCRIPTURE:

• Fruitfulness is a blessing from God to fathers. - Ps. 127
• A father considers what inheritance he will leave his children. - Jere. 3:19
  
• A father meets his children's needs and gives good gifts to them. - Luke 11:11-13
  
• A father exhorts, encourages, and charges his children in the way they should walk as a member of his family. - 1 Thess. 2:11-12
  

Perhaps this will help us as mothers and wives and students of God's Word today.

Gonzalo Álvarez -- Mueblos Raros

Gonzalo Álvarez is an artist that works in a variety of mediums, but I was taken with his clocks and furniture. (Have I mentioned my philosophy on clocks in a steampunk home? Clocks -- along with lights -- are where you should indulge in the steamiest creation you can make or find -- there are plenty of options out there, and they will make a statement.)



The interior gears are cut from wood.



Oh so airship pirate, no?


He uses this clever hinged drawer in other pieces as well.

Thanks to Juanan for pointing this out.

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY "THANK YOU" TO EVERYONE WHO POSTED SUCH WONDERFUL COMMENTS TO THIS POST.

I HAD FUN DOING IT AND THINGS LIKE THIS MAKE ME FEEL WARM AND COZY - WISHING I COULD RELIVE MY CHILDHOOD AND TAKE IN ALL THE WONDERFUL FUN MOMENTS AND STORE THEM AND NEVER FORGET THEM.

I HOPE IT BROUGHT YOU ALL SOMETHING SIMILAR.

Okay, now that I got everyone's curiosity built up this will probably be a huge let down, but I was so excited when I found this site because I loved the illustrations I found as well....after you read this click on the link at the end and see how beautiful some of the inside pages are.

I would have included them in this post but it would have taken up so much room.

I like to keep my posts short so I apologize for this one....but I just had to do it.

We all grew up hearing the poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and it is still a number one favorite among children and adults today

I think most of us never tire of hearing or reading it to our children, grandchildren or ourselves…it just wouldn't’t be Christmas without it!

Below are illustrations of the original covers of this beloved book. Do you remember any of them?

A Visit from St. Nicholas, more commonly know today as ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas (or The Night Before Christmas), was published by Clement Clarke Moore (July 15, 1779 – July 10, 1863) anonymously in the Troy, New York Sentinel on December 23, 1823.

The poem is one of the first modern stories about Santa Claus, and thus is one of Santa Claus' favorites.

The poem has been continuously in print - the original is at the end of the illustrations

1862 and 1864

1869

1883 Versions 1 and 2

1886

1895

1896 Versions 1, 2 and 3

1898 Versions 1 and 2

1900

1901 Versions 1, 2 and 3


1902
Visit the link I put at the bottom to see how
different Denslow's version is from Moore's

1903

1904 Versions 1 and 2

1905 Versions 1 thru 6

1907

1936

1940

1942

1975

1980

Here is the Original
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
A Visit From St. Nicholas/'Twas the Night Before Christmas

by Clement Clarke Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas,

when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!
"As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night."

Taken from this site:
http://www.santaclaus.com/christmas-stories/twas-the-night-before-christmas/index.php