Little White Table

It turns out my parents used to be auction junkies and ended up with a lot of crappy furniture that now resides in my parents' basement. It also turns out that I am growing a great affection for fixing up furniture.

Yesterday I found a very wobbly turn of the century table hiding under my dad's electric screw drivers and old car batteries. The paint had been mostly stripped from it, but from what was left on it, I believe it used to be red at one time, and green another. It had a very musty smell, had some burn marks on parts of the wood, and had 5 holes screwed into the top.

The first thing I did to the table was clean, sand, and tighten the legs on it. The legs were fastened with bolts, so after tightening those, the table went from being very wobbly to very sturdy.

Next I started to paint it. I used white semi-gloss paint. I decided to go with the shabby chic look that I love oh-so-much, so I made sure each layer of paint was very thin. I used three paintbrushes to get the job done -- two medium and one small. The small paintbrush was used to get the more detailed spots of the table, and I used one of the medium brushes for the rest. I kept the other medium paintbrush dry, and used it when the paint was halfway dry to create stress marks on the table. I like to put stress marks on edges of the furniture where it seems more realistic for paint to wear. I don't like to put wear and tear all over furniture so it still has a nice look to it.

Halfway through painting I realized that I forgot to put plugs into the holes on the top of the table. So I took a break from painting and got that done. I measured the size of the holes, made some wooden plugs, and popped them in with some wood glue. I used another block of wood with a hammer towards the end to make sure the plugs were in evenly, and then made sure all the edges were filled by smearing on some putty. After the putty dried, I made sure to sand all the little bumps down before painting over it all.

There were some cool hand painted wooden drawer liners that were original to the table, so I cleaned them up and kept them in the drawer.

And the final product:

Real Women Hold Their Tongue

It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.
Proverbs 21:9

It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

Proverbs 21:19

If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

Nobody likes it when women are angry. All that estrogen in our bodies can make it hard to contain our negative emotions. It is clear when a woman is unhappy -- everybody stays as far away from her as possible to try and avoid her wrath. 

Lots of things can set women off. Mostly, the things that set us off are the little things. But God makes it clear to us that we should try and hold our tongues the best we can:

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Proverbs 14:29

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Proverbs 15:1

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Proverbs 15:13

As my Aunt has always told me, "If it's not going to matter in two weeks, don't argue about it."

Not only do we need to have positive attitudes, but we also need to remove ourselves from women who do not act positively. When we hang around women who are not godly, they make it seem that it is okay to behave in the manner they do. Their negative actions and attitudes rub off on us, and make us treat ourselves and others poorly. God makes it very clear to us that surrounding yourself from negative people will only bring us grief, and that it is very important to stay away from these people.

A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.

For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city.

To call passengers who go right on their ways:

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. 

But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

Proverbs 9:13-18

My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding.
That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

Her me now therefore, O ye children, an depart not from the words of my mouth.

Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her home.

Proverbs 5:1-8

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 14:12

The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein.

Proverbs 22:14

Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

Proverbs 30:20

A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. 

Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.

Proverbs 27:15-16

After you have removed the negative people from your life, I can assure you from experience that you will notice a difference in your attitude. God explains this to us in the book of proverbs:

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.

Proverbs 13:20-21

   So, don't be an angry and brawling woman. Instead, be slow to wrath, and choose to respond with a soft answer and possess a merry heart. You may knoweth not (or choose not to know) that your "friends" are a negative influence in your life, but it is best to realize this and remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her home. 

   Your negative friends will make you think that their ways seemeth right, when these ways could really be the ways of death. These negative friends may lead you away from God, and he that is abhorred of God shall fall therein. These friends will try to convince you, "I have done no wickedness." Remind yourself that a continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.  

   Finally, replace negative friends with positive and godly friends, for it will bring such happiness that it will create a tree of life within you. You will find that you are no longer an angry and brawling woman. These positive friends will be a positive influence on you, because he that walketh with wise men shall be wise. Not only will you gain wisdom from godly friends, but to the righteous, good shall be repayed!