joy

Today Let’s Just Be Happy and Other Complicated Things

Posted on by jptanabe

“Mousey, today let us just be happy!” my husband would say from time to time. “Mousey” was our nickname. “Forget everything, take my hand, let’s run to the woods. Look up the sky that is true blue! Look down, the earth is fresh from the rain with multi colored flowers.”

Sometimes Dietrich would come up with a sentence that had deep meaning for the day and more. He was studying complicated things in theology and could condense the whole thing into one sentence, “Let us just be happy” (the purpose of life is joy).

When he was writing his Ph.D. dissertation, he chose the topic “Marriage and family in the Christian tradition.” The German theologian and philosopher, Friedrich Schleiermacher, was his interest. He was one of the first to break through about revolutionary ideas for marriage and family after the Protestant Reformation.

So, Dietrich wrote his dissertation on this subject. Then, years later, one day during a big clean up a copy of his dissertation went to the dumpster. Our daughter Diesa, who was then a college student, said she wanted it. Dietrich went back to the dumpster and retrieved this precious book, which then went back on a shelf.

A few years later I gave it to our editor, Dr. Tanabe. During the summer of 2024 she edited it and later surprised us by publishing it as a book to honor both Friedrich Schleiermacher and Dietrich Seidel.

The Christian foundation has been the bedrock for a happy marriage! Let us all be happy today!

Thayer Lane, Where the Moon Is My Street Light

Posted on by jptanabe
Thayer Lane in winter

When we moved to our new home there were no street lights on Thayer Lane. There never will be.

The nature, the evergreens, the night sky, the shiny bright stars, the North Star, the constellations, and the universe are there for all of us. Besides, among the celestial planets, when there is a full moon, it is as bright as it can be.

If you could see with spiritual eyes, you would see the warm fire of our hearts reaching out to each other and to God, love being the fastest of all, reaching across the oceans and mountains to illuminate, encourage, and heal those who have been wounded by angry words, irresponsible acts, means actions, bad choices, immoral behavior, and all the ugly things. If you could see with your spiritual eyes, you would see that there is a safe place with a loving couple standing before God, making petitions for others, and bringing them together as an extended family, to reach a new level of understanding and happiness, fulfillment, and accomplishments.

Our house wrapped in a rainbow

Joy is to be found and elevated to a new world where God lives. The knowledge of God is the greatest knowledge of all. God’s creation, all of nature, teaches us so much about how to live harmoniously with God and with each other.

Your friend, Elisabeth Seidel

Peace and the Kingdom of God

Posted on by jptanabe

This month of April I was reading two books by the famous Christian couple, Rick and Kay Warren. My motivation is always to find out how they make their marriage work and how do they work well together.

First I read a most moving testimony by Kay Warren somewhere on Facebook. I was moved to tears because her marriage was not working and she was in the pit of hell. As you all know, Faith moves mountains. She could work her way up and be victorious. Her book is called “Choose Joy.” Her joy is rooted in gratitude: No joyful heart without a grateful heart. I had great admiration for Kay Warren, because she could practice “With God all is possible.“

Then I read “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick warren, her husband and Pastor of the Saddleback mega church in California. My take away from this inspiring book is that all research demonstrates than when people lose a sense of purpose in life, they lose the motivation to live at all, so whatever time we have we need to be purposeful. Rick Warren also says “You must begin with God your creator. You were made by God and for God and until you understand that, life will never make sense.”

Today one in four teens wants to commit suicide. In my opinion they are confused where to find their purpose and goal in life.

My husband was wondering in his early twenties why Jesus could not marry and show the way to build successful families and a peaceful world. Today as many of us show the way, God again is speaking. Who searches finds, qui cherche trouve.

Let’s go against the trend to be whoever we feel we are, with many different pronouns and genders. Let’s be simple by asserting that a family is the beginning of God’s kingdom. A peaceful family brings a peaceful world.

And as our Heavenly Parent loves us as a Father and Mother, He also gave us commandments throughout the Bible of how to live. In the Old Testament we got 10 commandments. Jesus told us to love one another and love our enemy as well. In my church we are reciting the Family Pledge, as peaceful families make a peaceful world.

Your friend, Elisabeth Seidel