Verse of Encouragement

And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" And He got up and rebuked the wind and sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 

Mark 4:37-39, NASB

Let's first just take a moment to comprehend the enormity of this passage. In only three verses, we see an extraordinary example of Jesus's power and greatness. The disciples were in the middle of a pretty intense squall, and the waves were so much higher than the sides of their vessel that the poor thing was already starting to fill up after only  a few moments. Sinking, and perishing, must have seemed imminent at that point in time. Picture, if you will, a dozen men scurrying across the deck -- tying off ropes, bailing water, trying to keep the boat steady -- all with rain stinging their eyes and sea water soaking their clothes.

Then, they notice Jesus again. 

Their Savior and Messiah, who they may well have forgotten in their seemingly urgent cares of the world.

But what is their first response? Is it to believe that He can keep them safe, even though He is asleep? Is it to wake Him and tell Him how glad they are that He is with them in the storm? Or maybe they'll ask Him to stop the storm...that would be something they might do, right? No, no, and no. I mean, they wake Him up, for sure, but the speaker is accusing in his question. Paraphrased it might read something like this: "Don't you care? We're dying, and you're sleeping. What's wrong with you?"

Jesus is gracious, though, as always. He forgives them of their coarseness and fear.

And with just three words, He calms the sea.

The water stills. The wind quiets. All is at peace. No longer are they crashing and dipping and smashing against wave after wave.


This is the power Christ has. He is the calmer of storms, the bringer of still waters, the Prince of Peace. I believe we are shown this story because it is a reflection of who we are (the doubting disciples) and how forgiving and gracious Jesus is. Despite our lack of faith, He forgives us. When we cast our cares upon Him, He selflessly soothes the turmoil inside of us, and grants us peace in Him.




What do you all think of these verses? Feel free to leave your ideas in the comments below :)

The Art of Characters Linkup: Love Interests

Alrighty, then, it's time for another link-up! 

This is a continuation of storitorigrace's link-up series "The Art of Characters", wherein participants take one of their characters and answer a few questions. This time around, it's my MMC Tristan who's in the spotlight. Here we go!

He has green and brown eyes, and perhaps slightly
darker skin. But otherwise, it's his face. ^ ^
Credit to owner. 

So there's no actual interactions with lions in his WIP,
so this is more of a metaphorical image.
Tristan has the heart of a lion.

So this is almost exactly what his
tunic looks like.  However, his pants are brown.
 He also wears boots.
Pic from pinterest.

Or maybe it's more like this...oh well.
Mayhaps he uses both. Regardless, it's cool.  :P

1.) What does your character's eye, skin, and hair color tell about him/her?

  Tristan's hair is a deep brown, and probably one of the least informative things about him. It's a few inches long, but he keeps it  short enough to stay out of his eyes. That wouldn't do, after all. It might impede his vision. His skin is light, but tanned; an indicator of his frequent time outdoors. His eyes are green with brown streaks contained in the iris, and it is indeed important to his character, but the exact reason why is a spoiler....sorry, folks. ^ ^'

2.) What does your character's hairstyle tell about him/her?

Well, again, it's not terribly informative. A bit longer than, say, military regulation (as seen in the first picture) but still short enough to be practical. Which is a key point in his personality. He doesn't have any need to fuss with faddish hairstyles.

3.) What does your character's default outfit tell about him/her? 

I suppose before we get into the analysis of the outfit I ought to describe it. Tristan wears a green tunic, brown pants, and sturdy boots. The colors of his clothing alludes to the forest in which he lives, and the sturdy materials are indicative, again, of his role as a worker and someone who values practicality. They also provide a modicum of camouflage and protection in the case of battle. (also the Robin Hood-esque shades are indeed intentional. ;) )

4.) Does he/she have an object he carries around a lot?

Yes. He has a small copper and glass pendant that was made with some of the ashes from his father's cremation. His mother gave it to him upon their reunion. It hangs from a simple cord, tucked under his shirt, and he doesn't really ever take it off.

5.) Does he/she have any particular scars or birthmarks?

Hmm. Well, he has freckles. ^ ^ And he doesn't really have physical scars -- actually, I take that back. He has three across his back, going from his right shoulder to his left hip from an event early in his life. THey have faded to thin white lines, but the are there. 

6.) Does he/she have any piercings or tattoos?

Negative.

7.) How does he/she carry themselves? Shoulders back? Eye contact? Eyes down? Slumped shoulders? 

It rather depends on the situation he is in, and his surroundings. He always walks with surety, and a quiet confidence, but when he is around first-class citizens, due to his position, he tends to be keep his eyes down or focused on the task at hand, and not make contact that could draw attention to himself. When he is around his own people, though, he walks with more open pride; he moves like a leader. 

8.) What is his/her default expression? Smiling? Frowning? Solemn?

Tristan's default expression is a somber one, but he isn't surly. He's just serious by nature, though when he smiles he is indeed capable of brightening a room. 

9.) Does he/she wear makeup or face paint?

lol no.Not this guy. He's not the type. 

10.) Does his/her physical appearance change at any time? For example: If they have a power do their eyes glow or hair turn blue? 

Spoilers, dearie. 

Bonus: Does the character change his/her appearance to impress the love interest? 

No. Honestly, he isn't even a love interest at first, he's an antagonist. A good guy, but an antagonist to the FMC's starting goals. So there isn't a need to change his appearance, and he wouldn't try to be someone he isn't anyways. 

That's all there is for now. Any questions for/about him? If I get enough maybe I'll do a character interview or something.


  

Verse of Encouragement

As far as the east is from the west, 

so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:12, NASB

This verse is so wonderful--after all, who can truly tell how far apart the east is from the west? It's an infinite distance. It is to such great lengths that Jesus has separated our sins from us. He has made us clean and whole; once-tarnished vessels now made beautiful for God