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Finding Peaceful Sanctuary…

‘Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace by all means. The Lord be with you all.’ Second Thessalonians 3:16

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In this time of national tragedy in Las Vegas, the ongoing damage from flood waters in the U.S.Virgin Islands, and our beautiful island of Puerto Rico, our wonderful states of Texas and Florida as they continue to recover; there are also natural disasters and unrest around the world. When we observe these tragedies, it is human nature to feel a heightened sense of confusion and helplessness. It is important to find peaceful sanctuary in your faith, the verse from II Thessalonians has been a comforting companion for me, so often. I hope you will share your affirmations with me during these difficult days.

I also find peaceful sanctuary in nature, the roses have been uplifting and glorious. I find peaceful sanctuary in beautiful communal spaces, like St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans where we visited last week.

Acts of kindness no matter how small go a long way. When we extend understanding to one another, light a candle or two, share a meal, find language to calm and soothe others- we can stave off feelings of personal helplessness.

Here in this small public space we call Camellia’s Cottage -we believe in offering peaceful sanctuary whenever we can- a place of peace from the world’s upheaval.

  • We believe in promoting goodwill
  • We believe in community
  • We believe in the power of comfort food
  • We believe in lifting spirits whether by the old wise ways or gentle wit and
  • We believe in the strength of human kindness and the power of genuine prayer.

I hope you agree, it is important to find and offer peaceful sanctuary by all means humanly possible wherever you are.

Love y’all, Camellia

  • verse from KJV of the Bible
  • *photograph obviously taken by me in St. Louis Cathedral, on Jackson Square in New Orleans, Louisiana
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In the Garden…

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‘I come to the Garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses; and the Voice I hear falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses.’IMG_3525

 

‘He speaks and the sound of His Voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing; and the melody that He gave to me within my heart is ringing.’IMG_3527

‘And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other… has ever…known.’ IMG_3528

This wonderful hymn was written by C. Austin Miles, at the request of Dr. Adam Geibil in 1912. It was commissioned to be a tender sympathetic song which would ‘ bring hope to the hopeless, rest for the weary and downy pillows to dying beds’.

Even though it was written over one hundred years ago- this Great Hymn of the Faith- called, ‘In the Garden’ – remains a restful comfort and source of sweet communion in the stillness of a quiet garden. I know I felt His Presence in the garden here at Camellia’s Cottage, as I headed out to do a bit of early fall cleanup one morning. IMG_3512

The simple beauty of a Garden Bench, the sweet birdsong and the morning stillness was of a great comfort…‘when the dew was still on the roses…’

Have a Blessed Lord’s Day!

Love y’all, Camellia

*All photographs are obviously mine.

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Stormy Weather…

IMG_3212‘…when evening had come, He said to them, ‘Let us go to the other side of the sea.’ And leaving the throng, they took Him with them, just as He was, in the boat- and other boats were with Him. And a furious storm of wind ( of hurricane proportions) arose, the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled. But He was in the stern of the boat asleep on a leather cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Master, do You not care that we are perishing?’ And He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Hush now! Be still!’ and the wind ceased, (that is, sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was immediately a great calm- a perfect peacefulness…’ Mark 4:35-41 KJV Amplified VersionIMG_3209

Please notice first- ‘other boats were with them’. When a storm comes- you will not be alone. Others are affected by the same storm; others will suffer and others injured by strong winds- and there are others who will be blessed by what He does during that storm – even though they are not ‘in the same boat’ with Jesus; the storms we endure affect others, right? …

The part of the Amplified passage which I love best- is how the ‘rebuked’ storm reacted to Jesus. ‘And the wind ceased- sank to rest, as if exhausted by its beating and there was a great calm- a perfect peacefulness’.

If you have ever been through a hurricane or a tornado or any ‘Act of God’ afterwards there is a great calm; an almost perfect peacefulness. As the damage is assessed… The weather may be peaceful, yet the path of destruction is astounding…IMG_3223

The cleanup work is ahead; the wreckage yields it’s own suffering. Keep in mind that though the Galilean storm stopped raging- the disciples had to bale the water out of the boat. Storms have aftermaths.  Excerpt from ‘Four Days- the Lazarus Principle’

As Hurricane Irma continues her destructive path, a devastating earthquake has damaged an area outside of Mexico City and cleanup efforts continue from Hurricane Harvey- we would remember those affected by these Acts of God- situations beyond human control, as the insurance folks call them- we know these are Natural Disasters of Epic Proportions. It is always appropriate to remember that God does care about us all.  May we each do what we can to ease the suffering aftermath these folks now face, here and around the globe.

Love y’all, Camellia

* These beautiful photographs were taken by Jeremy Miniard. Find more of his wonderful work at jeremy-miniard.fineartamerica.com  Four Days- the Lazarus Principle written by Brenda Wyatt can be found on Amazon.com, BN.com and other fine booksellers. More information about this book may be found on our ‘About Us’ page.

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Gratitude…

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Have you ever gotten a line or two of a song in your head and just couldn’t stop thinking about it? That happens to me occasionally…for instance recently, I kept thinking about this line…‘I hope Life treats you kind..’ from Dolly Parton’s famous song, ‘I Will Always Love You’. Dolly wrote the song when she left the Porter Waggoner Show. Later, Whitney Houston elevated this same song to unbelievable heights and popularity. Country and Pop music fans loved that song! It’s a song about leaving, heartbreak, loss, bittersweet memories and to some extent betrayal.  A sad song really.IMG_0155

Often, when a line from a song or a portion of Scripture stops me in my tracks… I want to sit with it a while…contemplate it. With Dolly’s Song… I let the words run around in my head, moving on to that line about ‘Bittersweet memories…’ Ultimately, in the privacy of my own home- I broke out singin’ it- loud….no, I did not sound like Dolly or Whitney- more like a bad version of Willie Nelson, in case you’re wondering. Then, there was a Scripture, I was reading a devotional recently and a portion of a verse just hopped off the page and stopped me in my tracks-I wanted to sit with it awhile- here it is:

 ‘…the same night in which He was betrayed, He took bread; and when He gave thanks….’  First Corinthians 13:23-24.

 Jesus was betrayed…He shared a meal, He gave thanks. Think about it. Betrayal and Gratitude are puzzle pieces that rarely seem to fit. I wondered, what if it said-

  • ‘And after she lost her job…she gave thanks’  or
  • ‘And after he was put on hospice, he gave thanks…’ or
  • ‘After she was abandoned, she gave thanks…’
  • ‘After his father had beaten him, he gave thanks…’

Think of any emotional damage that causes human suffering. Sit with loss, betrayal, abandonment, physical illness, abuse and heartache for a while. Think of them as Gunshots to the Soul. Now, insert those grave wounds into that same Scripture… Does hosting a meal and giving thanks follow heartache? It hardly seems possible. And yet…there is a deep truth in there. Suffering isn’t convenient- a gap opens up, right in the midst of Living. The Betrayal occurred right in the middle of the Last Supper that Jesus would have with his closest friends;  He continued living, He turned to what remained of His life; gave thanks and resumed the meal. I must be honest here, I am not a big fan of telling folks to count their blessings when they are in the midst of suffering– it seems to add an unnecessary burden onto an already wounded spirit. However, for myself…I have found when I am able to allow light to come into my suffering- turn to what remains- the good that life still offers- it takes the form of gratitude and the healing begins…IMG_0152

Life is hard; it never permanently gets easier. Bad things still happen to good people. Promises are broken and some dreams die.  You cannot go back and make Life different. If you look at the photograph, you will see Crepe Myrtles blooming at the back of our yard. There is a gap between the trees- where a clump of beloved dogwoods used to be- they died this year and were cut down.  I mourned the loss- this area is a Memory Garden. The loss of the dogwoods seemed to be a metaphor for what has already been a year of difficulties-among them, the loss of two sweet friends and my mother. As if to drive the heartache/ gratitude connection home, the crepe myrtles are blooming their heads off! Meanwhile I’ve been staring at the Gap- the Loss. These trees have never bloomed so profusely before this year, maybe the dogwoods were blocking our view! IMG_0156

I took photographs of the heavy blooms hanging down close enough to be at eye level- midst the most incredible blue sky with puffy white clouds- the fragrance was faint and lovely. I had stared so long and so hard at what I had lost, feeling the dogwoods had betrayed the Memory Garden… having bittersweet memories… I realized I was missing the near and present loveliness!  ‘Life was treating me kind…’ Thank you, Dolly. The day after the photographs were taken, to further emphasize the point of the Scripture from First Corinthians which I had been contemplating for days…one of the big crepe myrtle branches heavy with blooms broke.  ‘And the same night He was betrayed, He took bread, and after He had given thanks, He broke the bread…’ Wouldn’t you know? In the sun-filled blue skied day, the truth of Jesus’ actions broke through my mind…instead of dwelling on one more bad thing-I decided to cut the blooms from the broken branch and make something of it! I’m so thankful I did! IMG_3105

Just look at the planter shaped like a woman’s head! She’s surely grateful  for the glorious flower-dy hat she’s wearing! Turns out the broken branch isn’t a mortal wound… Life does go on, bright blue skies mingle among the cloudy days- enjoy what you can and when you think of it? Give thanks to God… He will always love you! Have a blessed Lord’s Day!

Love y’all, Camellia

p.s. Be honest now, you’re humming Dolly Parton’s tune aren’t you?

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Thorns- a prayer…

IMG_2583Thorns, in Scripture symbolize troubles. Troublesome people, troublesome habits and troubled people.

  • And, being cast out of the lush Garden of Eden- God told them..’ Thorns and thistles shall the earth bring forth…’ Gen. 3: 18-19
  • ‘Other seed fell in the midst of thorns and the thorns grew up alongside and choked the good plant…The seed that fell among the thorns, these are the ones who- as they go their way are choked and suffocated with the anxieties, worries, cares and responsibilities of this life…’ Luke 8:7,14
  • ‘And you, son of man, be not afraid of their words; though briers and thorns are all around you…be not afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks…’ Ezekiel 2:6-7
  • Three times the Apostle Paul asked for his Thorn in the Flesh to be removed, ‘a thorn… a messenger of evil, sent to rack, buffet and harass me’ ..ultimately the thorn remained. Paul changed his mind: ‘I am quite happy about the thorn, and about the insults and hardships, persecutions and difficulties; for when I am weak, then He is strong…the less I have, the more I depend on Him’ 2 Cor. 12:10.
  • A blind and heartbroken George Mattheson wrote: ‘My God, I have never thanked Thee for my thorns, I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my Roses, but not once for my thorns…Teach me the value of my Thorn.’
  • ‘…and weaving together a Crown of Thorns, they began to mock him, struck His Head and spat on Him, making sport of Him…’ Mark 15:18-19

IMG_2591Lord Jesus, as daffodil trumpets herald the beginning of Spring and the Dogwood dares to bear blood tinged white blossoms centered with a Crown of Thorns- we know that it not right for so many of us to be wracked with mental agony, fearful of the future and plagued with anxious fretful minds. Too often we are tired, worried with the strains of life, burdened with responsibilities, splintered by hurtful words, choked out and suffocated by prickly concerns in lives too full and complicated. Thorns…stunt our growth, halt our progress and reduce our growth and productivity. So we pray with heavy hearts, bringing burdens we have tried to shoulder on our own- yet even as we lay them before You, plead for relief, recount the burdens once again…something strange inside of us begins to gather our troubles back up again-

  • re-packaged belongings,
  • re-purposed fears,
  • thick envelopes of worry,
  • bags of the same old anxieties

Believing our concerns are not worthy of Your Glorious attention or- worse without a mustard seed of Faith or the Patience to wait, we wonder if we ever really believed Your Divine Power would be exerted on our behalf.  Why is it Lord, we are caught in thickets of calendars crammed too full, bristling while we wait in a line, harassed in heavy traffic, suffocating from social obligations, drowning in debt or choked out expecting too much out of life? We are worn out trying to organize what we already have. Will we ever be free of the need for more when there’s no time to take care of the gifts You have already given?

We live in a briar patch of stress and strain, fretting foolishly, harboring broken promises, words spoken in haste, small slights or outright rejection- jeers of foolish beings who feel superior only when they’ve put others down; these are Thorns in our flesh, Splinters in our hearts-Dry parched lips from sweat filled nightmares- we’ve all felt them. How can we ever think our Cross-Slain Savior doesn’t know how it feels? Yet, our Divine Friend, You do, if Anyone ever has known, You know. IMG_2589

As the earth begins to thaw… as Easter draws near, we see the everlasting sign- the Crown of Thorns within Dogwood blooms. Let every sense available bring forth Golgotha- the odor of sweat mingled with fresh Blood, bitter gall, vinegar and dried spit, the agony of humiliation; loud boisterous gaming for a White Robe, heinous laughter and coarse jeers. The sky darkens, You know- if anyone knows, You know deserted loneliness when Heaven’s Angels turn their backs on You; You know rejection-even Your own Father has forsaken You; Yes You know. Let us remember anew, throughout all Eternity…You know exactly what humanity feels. Of all of the suffering wounds, perhaps the most worrisome encircles Your Head- A Crown of Thorns…

  • ‘John, take care of My Mother’ …
  • One thief accuses, ‘You saved others, You can’t save us!’
  • Another pleads- ‘I’m dying, Lord…don’t forget me..’

Even in the Sacrificial Dying- the constant strain, the needs of others were piercing Your Mind…In every way, You understand the human dilemma. We ask You then, to teach us how to live in the thicket of thorns, how to grow in expectant joy- right in the midst of stress and strain; and as we exist in this troubling human condition, help us to find ways to be gentle, affectionate toward one another and always thankful for our thorns. Give us strength to explore the depths of pain and find blessings there. Teach us the value of our thorns. Allow us not to be strangled by circumstances and suffocated by life. Provide ways, in quiet stillness, to find our peace in Thee. Fill us with the peace that passes all understanding in the midst of our chaotic thorny paths fraught with worrisome distractions. Help us to do our part to simplify our lives. Teach us the secret of serene living: Each day has potential to bring so much joy among life’s aggravations. May we know without question that You are an understanding Savior, in Whom we have:

  • unfailing Mercy,
  •  Divine Strength,
  • abundant Grace,
  • eternal Forgiveness-
  • Divine Love
  • perfect Peace

All of these gifts help us to live as kind, grateful Children of God. May our lives resemble the fleeting beauty of the Dogwood Blossom and the fresh renewal of Springtime. Take us in Your Loving Arms-

  • apply Your Healing Balm to every piercing, every scrape and every scar-
  • smooth out the life lined worry-wrinkles,
  • relieve our feverish anxieties,
  • lift our burdened hearts,
  •  heal our fear-filled, doubt-ridden minds,
  •  place Your cool Hand of Mercy on our wounded souls and
  •  be refreshed as we find our Rest in Thee.

To the One Crowned with Thorns on Calvary’s Cruel Cross, the One Who has overcome Tribulation and is now and forever The Living Water and Earth’s Divine Oasis. Amen. IMG_2591

Blessings from our briar patch to yours…Love y’all, Camellia

*photographs of waning Dogwood Blossoms are obviously mine.