Home Living

We can have happiness in our lives. Though there be tragedy and deep concerns which we must
deal with, these difficulties are not made easier by grumpiness or moodiness. Sometimes we have
to smile through the tears. It is certainly not appropriate to be unsympathetic during sad situations, but
it is possible to be firmly optimistic. We can have peace in our lives even when there is turmoil around us.

Many people who are unhappy are fighting God. When we fight God, we are walking a path full of darkness where we are stumbling and can never quite have victory over our problems, On this path, we cannot find a successful plan to live. When we live the principles of the Bible (principles of life, love, justice, peace, goodness, righteousness, etc.) our path is clearly lit by the living Word.

Those who fight for good causes that help save people's souls and people's lives, though somber and concerned, experience happiness, knowing that they are in alignment with God's will. In contrast, those who fight against the the commandments of God, are bitter, frustrated, resentful, unhappy, and discouraged. True happiness comes from doing what is right. To develop the habit of happiness, try this: do a task that you have been putting off for some time, such as cleaning a shelf or drawer or room--or even the garage or yard, that has been bothering you for years, or clean off your front porch and decorate it in a welcoming manner. These simple things often bring the greatest happiness.


Even when life is good, many people experience depression. They cannot seem to identify why they feel so low. Our moods are made better by learning to seek loveliness and beauty in our lives and doing good things for others, rather than looking on the dark side of everything. When you get up in the morning, do you immediately think that it is going to be another trying day, or do you look for the opportunity to make it a better day than previous days? Do you take mental note of the mistakes of the previous days, and learn strategies of avoiding such errors?

If you will look for the good that can be done today, you will be able to look back on the week, just as God looked on the Creation, and say that "it is good." In a month you will see that things have changed in your life. As the years go by, you'll see that you have not only been happy, but you have done something worthwhile.


What kind of story will your life tell? A story of despair and disappointment, or a story of courage and fulfillment? It all depends on whether or not you will adopt the thinking habits that determine what you do or do not do. Will you go through your life being picky and critical about everything that is good, digging for flaws in people's lives? Most people will avoid such acquaintances, and if we continue in this behaviour, we will feel less and less happy.


Everyone who has ever lived, has experienced troubles. The greatest battle to fight in life is discouragement.
One person can have very little and be happy, and yet another, who strives for achievement in great things, can
be unhappy. The key to happiness is to have a purpose in life that is so strong that nothing can deter you; nothing
can discourage you. We must not just look to the conditions in our lives at the moment, but to what our goals are
for the future.



We can substitute depressing thoughts, item by item, with happy thoughts this purpose in life. Your role in life as
a daughter or sister, wife or mother, friend or church member, grandmother or mother-in-law, has the potential of
having a very strong purpose. Your various roles in life can be a shining light to those around you and lift their hearts
considerably.

In the mornings when the weather is dim, rainy, cloudy, and cold, we can either look at it and let it affect our mood for the worse, or we can look at it as a wonderful painting, full of mystery; weather that is designed to make the grass greener and the countryside well-nourished. We can have happiness knowing that such uncomfortable weather affords us more time indoors to do things that ought to be done, without the lure of recreational activities.




Being constantly critical or thinking of the dark side of everything, can rob our hearts of happiness and create discouragement. Try for one full day not to criticise or complain, and see if your mood is elevated.

Surround yourself with beauty and the things you like, and you will find yourself considerably less depressed. If you are depressed, check to see if you've done these things today:

Have I been creative?
Have I helped someone or given some encouragement to someone else?
Have I eaten right? (Too many sweets and caffeine can cause anxiety: some chocolate has caffeine in it).
Have I looked my very best today?
Have I smiled? (A smile can actually improve your mental outlook and change gloomy feelings)
Have I learned something today?
Have I avoided reading discouraging material, or am I feeding on the "bad news" that is broadcast? (Try avoiding these things for several days and see if there is a noted improvment in your happiness level. You'll discover that the
world keeps on going!)
Have I improved myself in any way today?
Is my house clean, orderly, and beautifully decorated?



To keep discouragement from crippling your life, just remember that life is part good and part bad, and it has its ups and its downs. The weather is sometimes cold and sometimes hot. Our financial situations are sometimes comfortable and sometimes too tight. We can recover from all this and move on, but it does not mean that we can completely escape these conditions in life, for they are part of life. What we can do is determine to be encouraged and to succeed in our purpose in life. To fight off discouragement, sometimes we must "grin and bear" things, or "smile though the heart is aching." The people before us did it, but somehow, we may have been led to believe that it is better to wallow in self pity and melt into a puddle of gloom when troubles come upon us. As you practice smiling through troubles, you will eventually overcome depression.

There are things that feed discouragement, that we must leave behind us: depressing words of certain music, reading materials and friendships, and depressing things to look at. Surround yourself in beauty, and you will find that you have fewer days of unhappiness.


As we grow older, we must remember that others are watching us to see how we handle problems, and that also we are leaving a record or "history" of what we do. Will we be embarrassed about the way we carried on about problems, or will we be glad that we did not cave in to discouragement? We live in an era where people have been encouraged to "vent" and air every personal problem, rather than practice the restraint that was more dominant in people in past centuries. To gain control of ourselves is a wonderful mark of strength. One of the best ways to begin this self-control is in the area of fighting discouragement and practicing a life of happiness.

To practice the kind of self control that was characteristic of our forbearers, try this: In the gloomy moments, force yourself to smile, and think of something very good. It will not be easy, but the doing of it will eventually make you the boss and the mood the servant!

Happiness does not come from external circumstances. It can be had just by changing the mind! I once read of a young man who did not come from a happy home, who would escape by himself to draw and paint. He painted houses that he imagined happy families lived in, and he created his own world in his mind. He fought discouragement by being creative. You know him as Thomas Kinkade, the painter of light. He wrote that the light of a fireplace or candles in a home was a warm, golden light, while the light of the modern screens was blue. He captured that warm light in his beautiful paintings.

Another boy from a very poor family, used to take walks in old neighborhoods of Victorian homes in the South. He learned to love architecture. One day an architect noticed him and helped him learn to design homes. His is known as William Poole, and publishes a regular periodical which you can buy called "WIlliam Poole Designs." In both these cases, people kept hope alive in their hearts by pursing a strong purpose in life.


If you want to have a purpose in life, than pursue it with all your heart. Gird yourself up with determination, and fight off discouragement. If you want to have a lovely, functional house and a happy home, then don't let discouragement rob you of that happiness. Gather around you the tools and learning materials you need to accomplish your goal, and go to it. Fight off discouragement by substituting good productive thoughts for the old, defeating thoughts. Keep hope alive, and keep the sun shining in your heart.




If you are persistently unhappy, then check into your relationship with others and with God. You may be sufferring from unresolved conflicts. Make things right with everyone, and submit to your authorities in life, and you will find favor with them. The jitters will go away, and you'll be free to be happy, at last.

Live each day as though it were your last. Be pretty, be cheerful, be happy. Remember that God is writing a book of all your words and deeds. Practice only the things you want recorded. Ask forgiveness of wrongs and let God erase them from the story. Others are watching you too: your little children, your husband, your parents and siblings, and your spiritual sisters and brothers and church authorities. You can either encourage them or discourage them by your countenance.


If you want to be happy, then do the things that will bring happiness: do what is good and right. One of my loved ones recently told me that he was feeling on the down side for quite awhile and could not understand it. After finding employment that he liked, the feeling went away. It is true that we can live without so many material things and be happy, but a man must not forget that he has an obligation to support his family. As we add more comforts to our lives from the money that is earned, our responsibility to others certainly increases. The rich are warned, in the New Testament, to also be rich in good works. As we increase in good works, our happiness is also increased.

Another person said that once she began to send out cards and letters to people just to cheer them, her mood was improved. Your countenance and mood is often in direct relationship to the things that you do and the thoughts that you think. Think on the good side of things each day and try not to let gloom and discouragement creep in. Fight them off mentally. Happiness will not abide in a soul that is full of dark and gloomy thoughts, so think about your future, and be happy.


Happiness must be found in the home. The home is a source of rich culture and learning. When we realize this, we can be much happier. Samuel Johnson, the author of the first English dictionary, said, "To be happy at home, is the ultimate result of all ambition." We must earnestly strive to keep our homes free from the problems this world offers, and make them sweet havens of safety and rest. This is largely in the hands of the woman, for no matter where she lives--whether it is a tent or a mansion, she naturally wants to make it a nest full of good things that make a home feel homey. My friend and sister in Christ is is visiting me from Australia, commented that when we see something cooking on the stove top, we automatically want to stir it. When we see a baby we want to pick it up. When we are visited, we want to serve them something to drink. If we will allow it, these natural instincts will return to our lives, and make us much happier.

Look on the bright side of things. Every cloud does have a silver lining. Though evil surrounds us, our triumph is in the fact that God has provided an avenue to be happy: think lovely thoughts and do what is right.

Things to Read:

Philippians 4
Psalm 25
I Peter 4:14
James 5:11
Romans 14:22
Matthew 5

Publications and Books:

My Heart Sings by Joan Winmill Brown