I love makeovers.
I watch shows about makeovers. I enjoy stories and photo albums that track makeovers. I join my husband in buying old Chevy trucks so we can strategize how to design makeovers on wheels. And when I have the money and time to do a makeover in our home it just may be my most favorite thing! (I share a photo journey down below of a recent renovation in our home, so keep reading!)
There’s just something about taking something that is in disarray and drab or outdated and neglected, and actively transforming it into a glorious display! If only I could embrace this sense of adventure when it comes to my thought life. I forget that the thoughts I think are movable, they are not concrete. I can take them in and move them out! I can sit on them or rip them to shreds. I can build with them or reject them. So the good news is I have power in my thought life. The tough news is that it will take my intentional choice to use it.
Ya’ll, we can give our thoughts a makeover!
So before I get to the home part of our week, let me deal with the area of my soul that has had me up all hours of the night this week: stress and worry.
Nothing robs me of rest faster (whether the inner life kind or the sleeping through the night kind) than stress and worry. When stress and worry pin me down and choke my joy, rather than give in to their threats I am learning how to actually look them straight in the eye and rearrange them to tell me a different story.
To start this “new story” process we are going back to Barb Raveling’s excellent line of questioning for these tricky kinds of situations. I introduced you to her last week, and I’m going to use her helpful line of questions on the topic of Worry this week.
The goal: rearrange your thoughts so they create a cozier space for your soul!
So worry, here we go:
- What are you worried about? Be specific.
- What are the odds that your worry will take place?
- What do you hope will happen? Be specific.
- Why do you want that to happen?
- Do you think God wants that to happen? Why or why not?
- Are God’s priorities different than your priorities in this situation? If so, how are they different?
- Can you control or influence this situation? If so, what could you do?
- Yes: Do you think God wants you to do that? Why or why not?
- No: If not, have you accepted the fact that you can’t control it?
- Are you willing to trust God for a situation you can’t control?
- Is God worthy of your trust? Why or why not?
- What do you think God wants to do for you (and/or your loved ones) in this situation? (See the insecurity Bible verses and Romans 5:3-5 for ideas.)
- How can you love God and others best in this situation?
- Is there anything you need to accept?
- What can you thank God for in this situation?
That #11 is a stress-kicker. A hope-sweller. A fear-stomper. A worry-choker. Giving thanks for who God is and all He has done and is doing and promises to do for us in the midst of unresolved problems is such a powerful choice. I don’t make it often, I’m not going to pretend I do. But when I do choose to practice gratitude intentionally I’m surprised by how transformative it is for my soul.
So I pray you and I together practice this light and airy way of thinking that takes worry apart and creates space for our souls to give thanks.
Now for the home part. Spring cleaning in this space isn’t too hard since the space is still pretty new to us. This space has quickly become our rest-center, the place we retreat to daily to do our finest resting!
A little over a year ago we had one of those rare opportunities to do a major renovation right here in our home. We had been saving our money for a dream that didn’t pan out and in our grief we found solace in the creative enterprise of renovating a wasteland space in our home into a sanctuary!
Our basement had been a concrete catch-all — a home for spiders, dust bunnies and a sundry of unnecessary items. The only redeeming purpose it served for our family was to store our Christmas trees, hunting equipment and was where we inflated the bouncy house for our daughter on cold or rainy days. Add some of Mommy’s Zumba music and a boring frigid Tuesday morning in the scary basement magically became “Club Toddler” for all who visited!
And just in case you think I’m exaggerating, check out our basement “before”:





The renovation felt overwhelming at first. With so much mess it was hard to know where to begin and it was easy to get discouraged by the size of it all. I’m sure you’ve felt this way in your home, and in your soul at times too. But you have to start somewhere, and always we plant small. So we set out and took a picture – in our hunting gear…who knows why.
From start to finish it took almost 6 months with some weather delays, but the hard work and investment was worth every second of hammering and drill buzz.
In with the new…
Being a beach-raised girl, I wanted a predominantly coastal vibe. I wanted to feel like we were retreating to the ocean when we came downstairs, and like we were in the main house bright and open versus in a basement. To capture all the brightness I wanted, I went with a high white wainscoting and as much white trim and paint as I could get away with. And since we sit on a hay farm with fresh deer meat in the freezer thanks to Grizz, I wanted to incorporate our rustic roots as well. This was the first space I really had the liberty to create from scratch with Grizz, so paying attention to our lives and our story was important to me, and I think you’ll see little ways it comes out throughout the space. We also made the entire space handicap accessible (unless you come down the stairs) since everywhere else in the home involves stairs. It’s wonderful to have a space where everyone in the family — no matter their physical needs — is able to come together! And if you choose to use the stairs, isn’t this a much lovelier welcoming!?


















So that’s some of our REST-oration journey, now what about yours? Whether it’s texture, smells, words, memorabilia, family furniture, favorite books, lighting, secret passage ways or handicap accessible showers (I didn’t even get to our farmhouse bathroom with a refurbished record player for a sink!)…you can create a space that reminds you to rest, reminds you to trust God, reminds you of who you are and who God is right now with a few rearrangements.
And while you’re at it, consider rearranging those worries too. Make room for more #11 in your day and find rest much easier to come by in any space.