Ready for a new year with beauty

“Rocky Beach” 24x36, original acrylic by Donna Reed, $155

 

“Rolling Waves” 24x36, original acrylic by Donna Reed. $155

  "Fjord Country" by Solveig Berg, 34.5"x28.5" framed

Seeing the Christmas story through a child's eyes

Here's my attempt to create an alpine lake vignette by setting June Evanoff's beautiful portrait of Mt. Rainier next to an old mirror. Now while you are enjoying your tea at our window tables, you can imagine you are sitting high in the mountain meadow!

While you are waiting till we re-open on the Tuesday after Christmas, here's a link to a beautiful, funny, touching story of what it's like to see Jesus' full gift for the first time. Found by way of a line of links to antiquers and junkers and repurposers!

Enjoy!

http://rockinm.blogspot.com/2009/12/through-childs-eyes.html

Through a Child's Eyes (Author Unknown)

God recently allowed me to see Jesus through the eyes of someone seeing Him for the first time. Having the advantage of knowing how the story ends, we can easily forget the cost of our redemption and the love of our Savior.

Every year we attend a local church pageant at Christmas time, which tells the story of Jesus from His birth through His resurrection. It is a spectacular event, with live animals and hundreds of cast members in realistic costumes. The magi enter the huge auditorium on llamas from the rear, descending the steps in pomp and majesty. Roman soldiers look huge and menacing in their costumes and makeup.

Of all the years we have attended, one stands out indelibly in my heart.It was the year we took our then three-year-old granddaughter, Bailey, who loves Jesus. She was mesmerized throughout the entire play, not just watching, but involved as if she were a player. She watches as Joseph and Mary travel to the Inn and is thrilled when she sees the baby Jesus in His mother's arms.

When Jesus, on a young donkey, descends the steps from the back of the auditorium, depicting His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Bailey was ecstatic. As he neared our aisle, Bailey began jumping up and down, screaming, "Jesus, Jesus! There's Jesus!" Not just saying the words but exclaiming them with every fiber of her being. She alternated between screaming his name and hugging us. "It's Jesus. Look!" I thought she might actually pass out.

Tears filled my eyes as I looked at Jesus through the eyes of a child in love with Him, seeing Him for the first time. How like the blind beggar screaming out in reckless abandon, "Jesus, Jesus!", afraid he might miss Him, not caring what others thought. (Mark 10:46-52) This was so much fun.

Then came the arrest scene. On stage, the soldiers shoved and slapped Jesus as they moved Him from the Garden of Gethsemane to Pilate. Bailey responded as if she were in the crowd of women, with terror and anger. "Stop it!" she screamed. "Bad soldiers, stop it!" As I watched her reaction, I wished we had talked to her before the play. "Bailey it's OK. They are just pretending." "They are hurting Jesus! Stop it!" She stood in her seat reacting to each and every move. People around us at first smiled at her reaction, thinking "How cute!". Then they quit smiling and began watching her watch Him.

In a most powerful scene, the soldiers lead Jesus carrying the cross down the steps of the auditorium from the back They were yelling, whipping, and cursing at Jesus, who was bloodied and beaten. Bailey was now hysterical. "Stop it! Soldiers! Stop it," she screamed. She must have been wondering why all these people did nothing. She then began to cry instead of scream. "Jesus, Oh, Jesus!"

People all around us began to weep as we all watch this devoted little disciple see her Jesus beaten and killed as those first century disciples had. Going back and forth between her mother's lap and mine for comfort, she was distraught. I kept saying, "Bailey, it's OK. Jesus is going to be OK. These are just people pretending to be soldiers. She looked at me like I was crazy.

In my lap, we talked through the cross and burial. "Watch, Bailey, watch for Jesus!" The tomb began to tremble and lightening flashed as the stone rolled away. A Super Bowl touchdown cheer couldn't come close to matching this little one's reaction to the resurrection. "Jesus! He's OK. Mommy, it's Jesus!"

I prayed that she wasn't going to be traumatized by this event, but that she would remember it. I shall never forget it. I shall never forget seeing Jesus' suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection through the eyes of an innocent child.

Following the pageant the actors all assembled in the foyer to be greeted by the audience. As we passed by some of the soldiers Bailey screamed out, "Bad soldier, don't you hurt Jesus." The actor who portrayed Jesus was some distance away surrounded by well-wishers and friends. Bailey broke away from us and ran toward him, wrapping herself around his legs, holding on for dear life. He hugged her and said, "Jesus loves you." He patted her to go away. She wouldn't let go. She kept clinging to Him, laughing and calling His name. She wasn't about to let go of her Jesus.

I think God in heaven stopped whatever was going on that day and made all the angels watch Bailey. "Now, look there! You see what I meant when I said, 'Of such is the kingdom of heaven?'" Bailey's reaction should be our reaction every day. When we think of Him, who He is, what He did for us, and what He offers us, we have to say, how can we do anything less than worship Him?

Christmas week!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas from everyone at The Living Room!

The Living Room will be open Tuesday and Wednesday this week, December 22 and 23, then closed for Christmas Eve through the following Monday.

If we miss you this week, have a wonderful day celebrating the Savior's birth, and see you next Tuesday, December 29.

~ Katie, Elisha, Noah, Christopher

Carols! And more Step-of-Faith on Saturday, December 19, 2009

Here's a sweet picture taken as Living Room co-owner, Elisha, and Step-of-Faith friends, Brittany and Emily, headed out for an evening party.


The amazing Step-of-Faith will be performing at The Lighthouse Foursquare Church in Kenmore tomorrow night, 12/19/09. Tickets, if there are any left, would be $7 at the door. Better check first, though, with Step-of-Faith's business office: 425-344-9700.


My son, Chris, and I are working at the shop after hours tonight; we just heard hauntingly beautiful choral singing wafting into the room, but couldn't place its origin. We went as pilgrims out into the misty evening to track it to the source.

The soaring voices seemed to come from this direction and that as the sound bounced off building walls in the downtown area. We finally spotted lighted ships on the water, just offshore beyond Kenmore Air and Log Boom Park. A choir onboard was singing carols glorifying God. I couldn't ask for a more beautiful blessing to rest over our city than these heavenly voices proclaiming the gospel of Christmas: God's gift of love to the world in His Son, Yeshua the Messiah, given to us.

As the concert was ending, we came back to the shop and learned from Laurie Sperry's Kenmore Blog that we had been enjoying Con Brio Women's Choir from the Christmas Ship's visit to Kenmore! I'm so grateful we were here to hear!

Now, it's back to paperwork, accompanied by some of the same carols sung by David Shelton on the CD Deb brought in this morning. Wonderful :^)

Not that we're clock-watchers, but...

The lovely chiming wall clock was a fun way to check the time during the day.

Now it has found a happy new home, and it occurred to me that some of you may have a clock you'd like to consign.

Consign your clock and help us pace ourselves during the busy day :^)

Just when I said, "We have no more room!..."

... we are blessed with the opportunity to help with an estate sale and to help a neighbor who must suddenly move for an out-of-state job.

So, we're filled to the gills! Come before lunch, so you can squeeze through what remains of our aisles.

Some of our prices are negotiable, some are not, so please ask. Come enjoy browsing through the really lovely items that have just come in:
Mahogany highboys








 
 dresser,

 

 end tables,

 a sweet, ivory brocade sofa,

vibrant sunset-colored striped swivel arm chair with ottoman.




Stitched Christmas trees. Corner curio shelf, antique oak workstand, bed tables and twin sleigh beds with very good mattresses...

Added to our usual--the unusual--at The Living Room today :^)

Gift wrapping at The Living Room!

Need your Christmas gifts wrapped with care?

Come to The Living Room today, Saturday December 5th, or next Saturday, December 12th, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.! 
 

Gift wrapping is a fundraiser for Bethany Bible Church's mission trip to Mexico in 2010. Wrapping is free, with donations gladly accepted!

Beauty, hard-slogging, and merciful touches of joy

Just to have something pretty on the blog, here is the prancing reindeer that Margo brought in! I'm debating whether to sell him in the store or try him on ebay. Despite my camera's tricks, he is a silvery color, not gold. Made of steel welded by a Bellingham artist whose name is not known to me. Does anyone recognize the artist?

What is steel called when it's not stainless steel? This is not a set up for a joke; I need to describe the reindeer as made of steel, without resorting to "steel-not stainless" :^)

Do you sometimes feel giddy after finishing an exhausting job? Just installed new consignment software, entered what feels like years of backlogged data, paid our consignors, and got all our accounts up to date. Gotta crash (not the software, me!!) but want to stay awake just long enough to enjoy the small swells of joy and hope that come as a gift after a hard slog.

See you soon in the fresh new month, December 2009! We've never been here before :^)