Jesus Calms The Storm

Rembrandt's The Storm on the Sea of Galilee

I've been browsing the interwebs for great songs about the resurrection. Easter is about a month away, and I love finding songs that move me to really reflect on the beauty of the story of the Resurrection.

In the process, I  found the song Rescue Me by Selah, and it got me to thinking about the story where Jesus and the disciples are in the boat on the sea, and a storm comes up and Jesus calms the storm. You've all heard the story, right? It's a popular one in Sunday School. But sometimes I think we become so desensitized to the miraculous nature of these stories because we've heard them so many times. Allow me to tell you the story again, with some of my thoughts sprinkled throughout.

Background: Jesus and the disciples (and others in other boats, according to verse 36 in Mark) get into a boat to sail across the sea after a full day of teaching and ministering to others. Jesus had taught some of his most famous parables that day, namely The Seed and the Sower, and the parable of the Mustard Seed.

So Jesus is understandably tired (I always find it tiring to be with people all day long. Have you ever wondered if Jesus was an introvert or an extrovert? ) and lays down in the back of the boat with a pillow while they set out.

As they are sailing, a storm comes out of nowhere. It sounds like the disciples try to navigate through this storm for a while, as it says that the boat fills with water. I'm assuming that doesn't happen immediately. Either way, Jesus sleeps through this whole event in the back of the boat.

Now, remember, this is a boat. Not a cruise ship or an ocean liner. I'm guessing he wasn't below deck, camped out in a plush cabin. I'm assuming that he was getting cold and wet, but still slept through it. Which makes me think of two things. 1)He must have been very, very tired. 2)He must have had an amazing amount of trust in the Father. He knew the Father wouldn't allow him to die before he had accomplished the purpose for his time on Earth, so he didn't waste time worrying about drowning in storms. Seems like something I could apply to my life.

So the disciples are now certain that they are going to die. And they are in amazement that Jesus is still sleeping! They go and wake him up, with the plaintive question "Jesus, don't you care about us dying?" The question, by the way, is reminiscent of Martha's question "Jesus, don't you care that I'm the one doing all the work?" Of course Jesus cares.

Jesus immediately gets up. I love that about Jesus. He always responds immediately to us. We ask for peace, for comfort, for love, and he's always there.

He rebukes the wind. Rebuke means to express sharp disapproval or criticism. This part makes me smile. I love the idea of Jesus scolding the wind. The wind! Everything really is under his control. He says "Peace, be still." And.It.Does.

By the way, living in Rochester, I know I've rebuked the wind and the rain plenty of times, and all I get for my efforts are a colder, wetter face. I'm just forced to put up with it. But Jesus? Nope, he says "knock it off" and the wind is like "yes sir! so sorry sir! never again, sir!"

This is the amazing part. The storm literally disappears. Living in Rochester, we've experienced more than our fair share of storms. I've never been in danger of dying, but there have definitely been some storms that make me nervous. I'm trying my best to imagine myself in one of those storms, with Jesus by my side. I'm trying to imagine him standing up next to me, and saying "Peace! Be still!" and the storm instantly disappearing.

I've always wondered, by the way, how Jesus said those words. Did he bellow them out so that his voice boomed above the storm? Did he speak them quietly and matter of fact? Clearly he spoke them authoritatively, with every assurance that he would be obeyed.

So now the storm is gone, the danger has passed, and Jesus turns to his disciples. And what does he say to them? "Why were you so afraid? Where is your faith?" That's a mind boggling question. If I had been there, I probably would have said something brilliant like "um, Jesus? Did you not just see that we were about to die? That's some scary stuff!"

And that's really the crux of the matter. Jesus admonishes us over and over throughout Scripture to NOT be afraid. We are not to live in fear. We are not to make decisions out of fear. We are not to find ourselves crippled with fear, wondering what will become of us as we look at our circumstances, certain that we are about to die.

Ironically, when he says this to the disciples, they are more afraid. It says that they were exceedingly afraid, wondering what kind of a man can make the wind and sea obey him. I'm not saying their reaction isn't understandable. What I am saying, is that we can learn from this story, that we all learned in Sunday School, that Jesus is always in control, and there is truly nothing to be afraid of. Nothing at all!

Endure the Hardness

"Thou therefore, endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."

This verse has been my mantra for the last several months. Last Sunday marked my 29th birthday and officially three months out from my due date with this little baby girl. It feels good to be entering into the third trimester. It feels good not to be mind numbingly sick all.day.long with this baby.

But it's still hard to be pregnant. I get frustrated with the amount of energy I have (or don't have). I get frustrated by the constant hunger, and then filling up within two bites of yummy food. I get frustrated by the stabbing cramps in my side after only a few hundred feet on a walk.

So far, I'm blessed with healthy pregnancies. Although I may not feel well most days, my baby grows big and strong inside my belly, and there are no worries or complications. I'm blessed and I know that.

But it doesn't change the fact that being pregnant is hard for me. It's not all bad, of course. I do enjoy how scared people are of pregnant women, as if I am some kind of pregnant Mount Vesuvius on the brink of erupting at any point. I have some fun with that. :) I am so thankful for the little babe growing inside me, and on the hard days (every day?), I look at my little Javi and remind myself that soon I'll have another little one toddling around, making me smile and being a love.

That verse above reminds me that my Jesus loves me, sees my hard days, and carries me through them, while I in turn carry my baby. And that, my friends, helps me to endure the hardness.

Another Storm and my stormy thoughts

Well, we are in the midst of winter storm warning 9,358 for this winter. We're supposed to get 12 inches in the next 8 hours, and most of it is supposed to fall before noon.  I'm sitting on my living room couch typing this, and it is kind of a strange feeling. The snow is coming down so heavily and blowing so fiercely, that at times it is almost completely white outside, and it is eerily silent. A very strange feeling. Lover chatted me from work to ask me not to go run my errands today, to which I was happy to comply. Me no likey the snow. :-) We were supposed to have all of our nieces and nephews over for a fun evening tonight, and I am hoping that will still happen. We'll see. I don't want anyone risking their necks in this weather!

We've lost a lot of sleep this week as we have stayed up late into the night talking about anything and everything. Lover and I are both feeling especially burdened by the amount of people in our lives that need extra love and care and attention. It's hard to invest in people and love them, and do whatever you can for them, and then watch them make bad choices. It's hard to watch people settle for "good enough" in their marriages, or life, or relationship with God. It's hard to be pushed away by the very people that need you most.

I often think, if it is this hard to be invested in people's lives who are "grown-ups", what will it be like to be parents? If the day ever comes for us to have our own children, how do you find a balance between loving them and wanting to protect them, and still allowing them to make their own mistakes? Sounds like a hard job to me.

And through all of this, I keep coming back to this one thought. This must be a tiny glimpse of how God feels. He loves us all so much, and invests so much in us. It must hurt him so much when we push him away, or refuse to listen to him, or do something he knows will hurt us. It gives me a greater appreciation for his longsuffering towards us, for his patience with us no matter what.

Isn't God good? He really is. And it's amazing how much we can do when we simply rely on him to give us the strength to get through each day.

OK, well I am off to get the house ready for all the little people coming over later. And all the bigger people coming over this weekend. It's another busy weekend here at Wendhurst Castle, but I can't complain, because all that means is that we are so blessed! :-)

Make Time for Friends

I had a friend over for lunch this week. We enjoyed several uninterrupted hours of great conversation, and as she pulled out of my driveway, I found myself thinking how blessed I am to have such a great group of girlfriends.  We laugh together, give advice, listen to our hurts and struggles.  Not too long ago, I didn't have many girlfriends. Now I have more than I know what to do with :-), and it's so much fun.

This week, make time for a friend. Get together and talk about your lives, about what's going well, about what's not. You can lunch, or meet for coffee, or just meet in your house. Don't stress about whether or not your house is clean, or if things are perfect. Just have fun. One of the greatest blessings we have in life is having friends to go through life with us. :-)

Forward a Year Ago

As the new year approaches, I have been thinking about my goals for 2011. I try to come up with things that are true goals that I can reach for throughout the year, and not just well meaning New Year's resolutions that fall by the wayside after the first two weeks. Here's what's cluttering up my mind these days;

True Christianity. Christ calls us to be in the world, not of the world. Christians so often squabble over things like clothing, celebrating holidays and movies watched, but I think the intent that Christ meant here was much, much deeper and far reaching. We know from 1 Samuel that God looks straight past what we do on the outside and examines our heart and motives. So, to make a trivial example, he doesn't care that my socks don't match my shirt, but it saddens him to see me angry at a friend over something inconsequential.

This last year I have been overwhelmed by the power that Christ can have in my life when I step back and allow him to lead. With his help, I've accomplished things I never thought were possible, and I've seen it in ways I never imagined. I've always believed in the power of prayer, but this year I saw it in tangible, measurable, mind-blowing ways. I always believed that His strength was made perfect in weakness, but never did I see it more clearly than throughout this trying and stressful year, in which I hardly ever felt stressed.

As I look at next year, and I set goals for myself, my marriage and my family, I want to spend more time meditating on that power, and how to allow it to overtake my life. I don't want to separate myself from the world, I want to be in it and have people notice that there's something different about me. You know the Maybelline commercials? "Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline." In a sense, that's what I want to be whispered behind my back. "Isn't she nice? It's gotta be God."

My brothers and I have been spending a lot of time lately talking about cherished memories from growing up. There have been several embarrassing stories about my less than stellar babysitting skills which pretty much consisted of yelling at them until my parents came home. Not my proudest moments, to be sure. But you know what? I don't yell at them anymore. The power of God in my life can do monumental things, but it can also do simple things like change family dynamics and help brothers and sisters to love each other.

My family in Christ is a bigger example of that family dynamic. I love my brothers, with all their faults, and they love me, with all of mine. Taken to a larger scale, I have millions of brothers and sisters around the world that I am to love, and they love me in return. With the love of God flowing through me, there should never be a time when I utter the words "I just can't stand that girl." Because she is either my sister in Christ, or she is my potential future sister in Christ. Isn't His love amazing?

As I look at the next year of my life, my goal is simple: to allow Christ to shine through me.

Simple, but that one goal impacts every single area of my life. I can't get caught up in petty Christian arguments like whether or not we should have a Christmas tree. But, I also must remember that those petty Christians are my spiritual siblings, and I need to love them, not just be frustrated by them.

Each day is a choice. I can choose to make my own decisions and live in my own strength, or I can look to Christ for the strength, grace and love to make it through each day, and to leave others better than I found them.

When I have a million hours of free time...

Whenever I get caught up on my current list of fun projects, I am going straight to this post for my next set. Here's what caught my eye this week:

Modern Family Tree

I am obsessed with genealogies and our family tree. I would love to sit down with the grandparents on both sides of the family, and pick their brains for all of the family history they can recall. In a totally non-Sylar-picking your brain kind of way. :-) I love how the tree became three dimensional with the addition of the frames over the vinyl tree. I especially love that Natalie made the vinyl decal herself! Awesomeness!

Canning Jar Soap Dispensers

I'm always a fan of repurposing something, and I also love using pretty glass to hold my liquids (like my makeup remover), so you can imagine how much I love these blue canning jar soap dispensers! They look easy enough too, and how cute would they be beside your bathroom or kitchen sink? Jan even has a few for sale in her Etsy shop, if you don't feel like making your own.

Upcycled Sweater

I shop for all my clothes almost exclusively at thrift stores now. I have so much fun, and I feel like my wardrobe is much more me and eclectic. Sometimes though, there's a certain new trend I like that hasn't made its way to the thrift stores. Sara shows you how to makeover a large men's sweater into a trendy sweater dress! And it's only a couple of seams for all you sewing-phobes. :-)

And now for the grand finale of my finds this week - a faux capiz chandelier!

DIY Capiz Chandelier

Erin spent a little bit of money, and a lot of bit of time :-) to make this super convincing knockoff capiz chandelier. I'm thinking that it would be super easy to adapt this idea for any size light that you might want in your home, and I am specifically considering this for my far-off-in-the-future office.  The "shells" are made out of wax paper - how cool is that?

So that rounds up this week's inspiring projects. And someday when I think "gee, I have nothing to do today!" I will know right where to go for more ideas! :-) Yeah, right, like that day will ever come....

A Happy Life

Lately I have been thinking a lot about happiness. And contentment. And how both of those things are intrinsically linked. Someone was asking me the other day about my job, and if there are any elements of it that I just really hate. I sat there for a few minutes thinking about it, and wondering at the fact that there literally isn't anything in my life right now that I hate. Part of that is that fact that I am incredibly blessed  - all my needs are provided for, I don't have to work a "normal" job, I have a husband who loves me, more family and friends than I can barely handle, and a "job" that feels like playing every day.

The other part though, is that I am learning to be content. Are there things about my life that I would like to be different? Sure. I'd love for Wendhurst Castle to be completely renovated. I'd LOVE it if Lover didn't have to travel so much. I'd love it if my family, and my adorable nephews, lived closer.  But, I am not going to dwell on these things. I am learning to simply accept the different things in my life as pieces of a puzzle that all add up to create the wonderful life that I enjoy.

We've spent nearly four out of the last ten months away from home, and that was really hard. At the same time, it was really easy. I'm learning that even though my preference may be for one thing, it does not have to have any bearing on my mood, attitude towards others, or my enjoyment of each day.

When I spent a month in California in August, it was really hard to be away from Lover. It was frustrating to lose time to work on the house, to see friends, to enjoy "my life." But, I got to spend gobs of time with my little one year old nephew who I love to death, get to know my brother-in-law a lot more, and be a blessing to them at a time when they were really in a difficult place. And I honestly loved doing it.

I guess you could say that I am learning to roll with the punches. :-) Paul said, "I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Lately, this verse has made me chuckle, because I have taken it literally to heart: New York, California, Pennsylvania, or even Canada or Spain. But the message there is so much more than just superficial. It means, in a nutshell; "no matter what is going on, I will choose to be satisfied with the life that has been given me."

And that, my friends, is what it is all about. Learning to accept the life God has given you, and being truly grateful for it. Lover said recently, in a conversation about trials and blessings, that some people have trouble seeing the blessings when they are in the midst of  a trial. But, when our perspective is on the blessings that surround us, all of the sudden it is hard to see the trial in the midst of the blessings. I couldn't agree more.

Inspiration Tuesday: Trent Hultgren

I recently came across this room, and I really, really liked it.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was designed by Trent Hultgren, the baseball cap wearing designer that didn't do much on this season's Design Star. (Side note: I only watched a few episodes of this season and was underwhelmed. That said, Emily has a pretty entertaining blog.) Trent said that the environment of Design Star wasn't one that he could be creative in, and he voluntarily left the show. I totally get that, as I am someone who can only paint artistically when the stars align and the "mood is right" :-)

But isn't that room above fun? It's totally not my style, as we sooo do not live in a beach house, but I love all the texture of the room, and the fact that it emits a lived in vibe. I'd love to see more work from him like this room. Not too shabby, Trent!

Inspiration Tuesday: Simple Summer Palettes

Country Living

Phoebe Howard

House Beautiful

HGTV

House Beautiful

House Beautiful

Calm, Cool and Collected.

Simple, Neutral and Fresh.

I love quiet, calm neutral toned rooms in the summer, when the outdoors is so beautiful. Let your windows be the art at this time of year, when everything is a showstopper!

Inspiration Tuesday: Alphabet Office

OK, how seriously cool is this office?  I am luvin it. I was on Rate My Space browsing for basement ideas (and anything else inspiring) and stumbled upon this little gem.



I'm not one to simply copy  a design, but I think this room is stellar. That awesome wall treatment is done by projecting words onto the walls and painting them, and then layering silver wall  words over top of them.

The room cost under $1500 to do start to finish, and you could probably come in even cheaper if you have a good Craigslist in your area.



The floor is laminate wood, and don't you love that crisp white trim against the gray walls? I also love how they worked around the basement windows by simply adding ap picture ledge beneath the window. The big items in the room are from Ikea and TJ  Maxx, and don't you love the collection of white accessories?



I love the interest that they added to the ceiling, so that it doesn't look so basement-y



And purple and turquoise add the perfect splash of color.

So what do you think? I think I love this room a little more each time I look at it. Feel free to comment here, or head over the Rate My Space to comment on this room!

Inspiration Tuesday: Fun and Easy Projects

Here a few ideas I have come across lately that I felt were so great I just had to share them! Take the time to check them out, they're all great!





This has got to be one of the most innovative storage solutions I have seen in a while. Becky over at Infarrantly Creative came up with a way to display board games by framing the play boards and clipping the pieces to the back. Check out her post for the step by step tutorial.



Sarah at Five Camels came up with this super chic yet ridiculously simple solution for displaying your necklaces. This has definitely been added to my to do list for the future, when life is a little calmer. Ha. Like that is gonna happen. :-)



Layla breathed new life into this table, with a lot of elbow grease and just a few supplies. Now it has the perfect timeworn finish for the farmhouse look she is achieving in her cottage.



The fabulous girls at Shanty 2 Chic came up with a genius idea for napkin rings, using curtain clips! This is such a great idea for parties, as the clips can hold any kind of party appropriate decorations.

And, finally, just for fun, Beth put together a post a while ago about the decorating trends of the blogosphere. If you are up for a good laugh, go check it out. :)

Inspiration Tuesday: Candice Olson Basements

Are you tired of hearing about our basement yet? I'm sorry. We're tired of working on it too. :-) This week we're taking a well deserved rest from the renovations and spending some serious time together, relaxing and reconnecting. In the mean time, here are some great basement designs from Candice Olson.

Inspiration Tuesday: No Rhyme or Reason

Today I'm sharing a few images of rooms I've come across lately that I love. No rhyme or reason to them, I just like them. Because I am random like that. :-)

ishandchi

Love the mobile, the collection of frames and the "desk" made from two folding tables.

tracey interiors

Love that stenciled wall, and doesn't that chair look oh-so-comfy?

pottery barn

Love that wall color, and that awesome framed collage. I'm itching to do a collage like this somewhere... but where?

What's inspiring you today?

Inspiration Tuesday: Fellow Renovators

We're up to our eyebrows in basement renovations, and, to be perfectly honest, it can get discouraging at times. I think the hardest part is the time right before you start rebuilding, and everything is torn apart and looks a mess and makes a mess, and you wonder what were we thinking to tackle this enormous project?

When we started the basement renovation, we had no idea that the previous owners had covered up huge holes in the walls, or shoddily replaced a door with chunks of drywall. We weren't aware of the fact that the basment was actually seven feet tall, and they had lowered the ceiling more than a foot in many places. We also found two windows that they had completely blocked off, drains they had covered, and electrical work that was a disaster waiting to happen.

Needless to say, it turned out to be a project that was far beyond what we were expecting, which was both overwhelming and discouraging. (Have I mentioned that my office/craft room was next on the list? oh, yes, I have)

That said, we're finally at the rebuilding stage (after months and months of demolition and carting garbage out to the curb) and things are moving along, albeit slowly. I'm finding great solace in other bloggers who have tackled huge renovations and either lived or are living to tell about it. ;-)

There's Kim and Ryan at Newlywoodwards, who renovated their entire home, and then bought a rental last year and renovated that too. I think they are actually reincarnations of Popeye and WonderWoman. :-) Click this link to read about their first renovation.

Then there's Layla and Kevin at The Lettered Cottage, who are slowly remodeling their less than picture perfect home into something seriously stunning.

And Jennifer at The Old Painted Cottage, who truly had a vision for her kitchen and dining room that took the rooms from sea-surfing weirdness to awesome.

And lastly, anytime I start to feel sorry for myself, I head over to Thirty Eight 20 and read about Emily and S's adventures renovating their log house built in the 1800's. Nothing, and I mean nothing, we've endured renovating compares to the stuff they've put up with: no running water, no heat... even no toilet for a while! These two are hardcore. I am in awe.

So there you have it. A bunch of people with mad skillz that encourage me to keep on keeping on, with the hope that one day, our little (!) basement project will be finished. Next week I'll start giving you pictures of the basement renovation, with lots of information and pictures and a few before and afters. Fun!

On a side note, isn't it funny how, when you're in the midst of a renovation, money begins to be represented in renovation items? Example: we have $60. Oh, perfect, we now have our new toilet. :-) A weekend of overtime = 2x4s and sheetrock for the walls. :-)

Have a wonderful day!

Mood Board Monday: Wisteria Dresser

I came across Sarah's blog recently, and saw that she has a semi-regular party making mood boards! How fun! I signed right up, and today I'm showing you an imaginary room featuring this marvelous dresser from Wisteria.

I decided to design an imaginary dining room, that would be small and intimate, but still very elegant. This dresser turned buffet wouldn't fit in just anywhere! The palette (1)is really rich and layered, but still laidback, so that the dresser is still the focus of the room. The wall color would be Smoky Charcoal by Glidden. The aged silver of the dresser is repeated in the chandelier, mirror and napkin rings. The rest of the colors from the room are pulled from this painting (3) with lots of warm neutrals, light and dark green and smoky blue grays.

I'd hang this painting (3) over the dresser, opposite the large windows across my imaginary dining nook. The windows would be framed in ivory silk duponi drapes (4) and this beautiful and eclectic chandelier (5) would hang in the middle of the room. Beneath it, this blue gray rug (6) would add a bit of modern pattern, and provide a cozy cover for this classic white pedestal table (7). This room would be a place to settle in and enjoy a lazy morning or a long evening, so these upholstered chairs (8), in sage linen, would provide plenty of comfort.

This pewter mirror (9) would reflect even more light, as well as the view of the pretty chandelier. The topiaries (10) would sit on the dresser/buffet, and I'd finish off the room with a lovely table setting (11) of this beautiful china with a great pattern, some cream colored napkins with silver rings and sparkling crystal.

So there you have it. A beautiful imaginary dining room with loads of color and comfort, and lots of glam. Sources are below. Hope you enjoy!

Dresser - Wisteria

Curtains - Pottery Barn

Mirror - Overstock

Art - Allposters.com

Rug - Target

Chandelier - Shades of Light

Table - One Way Furniture

Chairs - Ballard Designs in sage linen

Table Setting - Waterford, and Bed Bath & Beyond, Bed Bath & Beyond

Topiaries - Ballard Designs

Linked to Mood Board Monday @ Pewter + Sage

Inspiration Tuesday: Canopied Romance

image taken from goodhousekeeping.com

I love the simplicity of this room and the romance. This would be a beautiful look in a master bedroom, a little girl's room, or even for a guest bedroom. So ethereal and serene. Obviously the bed makes this room, without it the room would just be ho-hum. The good news is that the furniture in this room is painted, so you could find deals in secondhand shops and perhaps on Craigslist to pull together a similar look.

Here is a new version of this four poster canopy bed, but it will cost you a pretty penny. Then you could hit up places like Target for the bedding (this set is oh so feminine) and lamps, and order a sheer canopy set here from Overstock. If you couldn't find a second hand set of nightstands, this one from Pottery Barn has a similar look. The wallpaper in this room is beautiful and understated, much like this beautiful pattern from Ballard Designs.

So what do you think? Does this style speak to you at all? Are a ruffles and lace kind of girl, or more of a plain Jane? Is there an element of this room that you would work into another style of room all together?

Friday Fav: Focal Point and NYCLQ

Lynda Quintero Davids

In my opinion, queen of redecorating on a dime. This glam girl reinvents her living room every other month it seems, and always does it in high style. She is an expert at reusing and reimagining the items that she owns to create a totally different look for her rooms.

She first caught my eye on Rate my Space when I saw her taxicab-inspired living room and recognized it from a magazine I had just seen it in. I spent some time perusing her other rooms, and loved her style, her free decorating tips and her endless vision to constantly reuse her items. Here's the picture I recognized:

And here's the same room, with a totally different, tropical feel thanks to smart swapping and accessorizing.

And again, glammed up for the holidays, during the day and at night.

Changing the pillows, lamps, curtains and a few accessories brings a whole new feel to this room, as demonstrated by this redo, and yet another.

It's like "One Room, Five Ways" and "How to Re-Use What You Have" got together and had a baby. And I love it. To see more of her rooms and redos, do a search for her (nyclq) at ratemyspace.hgtv.com or check out her blog at http://nyclq-focalpoint.blogspot.com/.

Have a great weekend!

Linked to Finer Things Friday @ Amy's Finer Things