We Are Travelers and God Is Our Home 

Meaning of Bench: a long seat for several people, typically made of wood or stone."a park bench” 

After all this time of studying words, I am still surprised when a word comes to mind,  that I doubt is in the Bible… Well, Bench shows itself in eight instances… color me surprised!! 

As I read the scriptures that contained this word, the word that accompanied the word bench was judge… 

We as a society have learned to lead with the word judge… How did we become so unaccepting??? 

So full of self, so righteous?? 

I have had many experiences on this bench… however things are never as they seem. 

Many of you know I meditate.. and a vision that comes to my mind is the bench. I listen to music that lulls me into a state of peace and as my mind drifts Jesus appears. He looks just like many of His followers see Him. 

Chestnut brown shoulder length hair, His cream color robe, sandals on His feet… His skin is tan…His face is peaceful His smile is engaging …His eyes of blue have a boyish sparkle.  Most of the time He reaches for my hand… no words are spoken … He leads me to this bench.. it looks like the one in the image I have provided.. as we approach the bench He lets go of my hand and sits down… He looks at me and smiles and pats the bench with his hand… as to welcome me to sit. 

So I make my way there and sit next to Him. I snuggle in close. 

And lingered there a moment and then found myself laying my head down in His lap… He loving stoked my hair much like a parent and child… 

Sometimes He hums a soft melodic tune. 

I close my eyes and take a deep and deliberate breath, my body relaxes and my soul drifts off to a slumber rich with peace. I feel protected and loved while in His care… My Jesus-induced sleep drifts into a heavenly state of mind… 

I am not sure why this image often appears in my meditations … But I have concluded it happens often when I am tired… I do believe He knows what we need more than we do… “Peaceful Sleep”

So the next time you have trouble sleeping or you feel that life is a little overwhelming… close your eyes and find peace beyond our human understanding. His bench is a place of reflection, rest, and rejuvenation… 

It’s Him, It’s always Him…

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”Matthew 11:28-30

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner  

Inspiring Music: YouTube 

Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, and too short for those who rejoice, but for those who LOVE, time is eternity. Henry Van Dyke..

Did I lose you or did we all lose?? When we lack understanding, and compassion towards others….. with each strike and blow,  there is a price to pay... we may not realize it at the time. 

But I believe, we lose just a little piece of our heart… and it creates a void that is so difficult to fill…No matter where we run, no matter how hard we chase completeness... The opportunity to love and to be loved slips just past our fingertips…

We were created by God to love… but without understanding, compassion and kindness… love is only a shallow emotion… 

How deep is your love ??  Is it just a shallow emotion or have you taken the time to understand??? 

“ walk a mile in my shoes”

“ things are not always as they seem”

And now these three remain:  faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.  

1 Corinthians 13:13 

“It's shame some people will have to learn how to appreciate you by losing you.”

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner  

Inspiring Music: YouTube 

Audrey Assad - Sound of Silence live, acoustic (Simon and Garfunkel)

God's promises are all on condition of humble obedience. Ellen G. White 

“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Genesis 28:15

The only way to get acquainted with the voice of the Holy Spirit is through intimacy with the Holy Spirit.

Meaning of overwhelmed: to bury or drown beneath a huge mass. “the water flowed through to overwhelm the whole dam and the village beneath"

We have located 55 verses in the Bible that reference the word overwhelmed. 

There are times in life when we feel overwhelmed by life itself… But when we can claim that we have been overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit it is indeed a heavenly gift from God… 

Without searching or being chained to any religious beliefs... I had a Holy Spirit Encounter...  It’s not surprising that I did not understand the magnitude of what had just transpired on that lonely road in Triune, TN... I know that I felt a love and warmth beyond anything I have ever felt in my entire existence on earth. 

From that moment my soul felt a freedom and a love that I found difficult to contain... I felt driven to discover more about this Heavenly gift.. and my journey of chasing Him took flight. As He whispered words of love to my soul the creative spectrum that had been stifled by life began to emerge… And to my surprise, I began openly sharing Him with any creative means I could discover. And then this once shy person …. stepped out from the shadows into the light. 

During this fantastic journey, He began to teach me things about His mission on earth.… And as He poured these nuggets of wisdom into my thirsty soul, I realized my life would never be the same. He became as important as the very air I breathe... 

This image began as a painting of Jesus' face… and as I brought it into my digital world. His love story began to unfold… 

My Triune shares an overwhelming love that will capture our hearts and free our one-bound souls.

“Overwhelming LOVE”

With just a whisper... I Am undone … 

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18 

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner  

Disappointment to a noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers, intensifies, but never destroys it. Eliza Tabor

The meaning of disappointment: It is sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one's hopes or expectations.

We located 45 verses in the Bible that deals with the word disappointment…

I am sure that we have all struggled with the word disappointment.  We set expectations, and goals, and create in our own mind how we want life to unfold… And when things don’t go as planned that sad word disappoint creeps into our saddened little souls… 

When I peel back this word and traveled through the scriptures most deal with us as a self-centered lot…

It points us to turn to our Lord for comfort and strength…. But the cord that struck my soul was do we disappoint God?  Have we as humans missed His message of love and faith ???

When I channel surf and catch the headlines I would think He must be so disappointed… There are wars raging across borders, rumors of wars being eminently possible… battles on the home front… political unrest which carries such underlying agendas of power and greed. There are talks of famine, and innocent blood being spilled on our streets. Making us feel unsafe. Many have retreated to their homes.  We have learned to keep our children within arms reach… Our beautiful children are growing up in such a turbulent, unpredictable world… 

The verse that kept coming to my mind as this word disappointment settled within my mind was…. John 11:35. 

Jesus wept… 

Do we understand the crushing explication of this verse ??  

I can not help but feel He allowed Himself to be crucified to save humanity … To save our world… to save you … and to save me… 

I feel that He must be so disappointed. Understand that His love is so deep … Even disappointment can not alter His love for each man, woman, and child… But do we stop and think of His feelings??? Or are we so caught up in self that disappointing Him never crosses our mind until we have a mess on our hands.

Do we have the power to execute change in our world??

Do we speak love, do we practice kindness? Do we show compassion? Do we leave that judgmental thought behind? Do we embrace our fellow man? 

There is a saying that has traveled the Christian circuit for years ”WWJD” “what would Jesus do” if we asked ourselves that question it could be the catalyst for change… 

Easy to say… but to understand and second guess what He would do… You must know Him intimately. Better than you know yourself… 

I challenge you to be the light in this unpredictable world... Let's make His tears, tears of Joy!!! 

It's Him! It will always be him!!

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14:1-3  

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner  

Become the person you were meant to be, light your inner fire and follow your heart’s desire. Leon Brown… 

Meaning of stoke .. add coal or other solid fuel to (a fire, furnace, boiler, etc.).

The word stoke is only used one time in the Bible. 

It's 3 am and I can not sleep… as I close my eyes and begin to pray the word stoke nudged my mind and stirred the smoldering fire within… 

What sets our souls on fire? What is this pull God has placed within my soul to chase this greater existence? This greater peace?  This greater LOVE… 

Has this kindling been placed in our souls before birth… Does it sit dormant just waiting for that golden opportunity? That date with destiny, when our Heavenly Father has preordained the exact moment-in-time of when He will remind us of who we are… and how our story began… ??

We are all His children … When He created us He placed His seal of ownership on our heads. And sprinkled His love into our hearts. He lovingly kissed our tender souls…And then gently placed us in our mother's womb… 

I believe this precious kindling sits waiting in silence… Waiting like combustible atoms of light! All waiting for God to unlock and ignite the fire of heaven's light.

This is what I consider the rebirth of the soul. Many call it an awakening… However, I find it odd that there are those that claim an awakening of the spirit … and they may find many gifts!!  However, they miss the most important ingredient, the reason, the main event… and our true purpose... 

Even when it's our Heavenly Father’s very breath that has stirred up that primal craving to search for more… Some still do not get it ...It is sad that many do not cherish this gift or for that matter even acknowledge where it came from. 

He gently blows His heavenly breath into our smoldering souls… the fire within our hearts begins to spark and the flutter of new life can be felt. He lovingly stokes the coals with such care and He sings a love song that resonates with the most intimate places in our souls. His love is the purest love that we could ever be blessed to feel. 

The coals react with the oxygen in the air and the glowing red heat turns into a flame. This fire can be equated to birth and resurrection… 

This portion of His heavenly love has had our name on it since the beginning of time. 

The power of this love is beyond our human understanding. It is a beautiful process of reconnecting with our Creator… Our mission in this life is to find our way Home so we can reunite with our first love. 

It is our destiny to fall madly in love with the greatest soul that I have ever grown to know… 

It's Him, it will always be Him. 

Breathe on me…  your sweet breath of LOVE🔥it contains enough octane to blow the human mind… He is the eternal breath of life… 

The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. Job 33:4 KJV

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah 1:5

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God John 3:5 

I love how He inspires my soul… 

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner  

"Smile" - Art inspired by a greater LOVE...

“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” – William Arthur Ward

Smile 

Is it an involuntary emotion?  Yes, it is true, studies have shown that the very act of seeing another person smile triggers an automatic muscle response that produces a smile on our face. Did you know a smile can be contagious? 

As I began to peel back this word… I began to ask myself what I have done today to make Jesus smile… Have I spoken with love? Or have harsh words spilled from my lips… Have I been thoughtful and kind? Or have I been too busy with myself to realize you needed to hear my voice? 

There is so much hate in our world… So much discord … So much judgment…. 

Did you know a smile could change a mood… it could open a door .. a smile can warm a troubled heart… 

When we try to share the greatest love ever known to mankind….  I think we should start with a smile… 

The ripple effect is contagious!  

It’s His light that is shining from within. 

A smile invoked from His presence is an uncontainable involuntary emotion that speaks of His joy, love, and peace! 

It’s Him, It’s always Him

Have you made Jesus smile today???  If not what are you waiting for …. ❤️🕊😁

Smile the world is watching...

Art 16x20 Acrylic 

Digitally finished 

“Smile”

Proverbs 15:30 “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.”

Proverbs 17:22 “A joyful heart is good medicine, but depression drains one’s strength.”

Proverbs 15:13-15 “A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit. A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash. For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.”

Psalm 126:2-3 “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.”

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner  

Kirk Franklin - I Smile (Official Video)

Meaning of mean: If you describe a person or animal as mean, you are saying that they are very bad-tempered and cruel.

We located 100 verses that speak of the ugly word “mean”.

Just how mean can we be??? Are we quick to weld that judgment sword? Do we feel so full of self that there is no room in our hearts or love left for anyone that does not fit into the mold we created?  

As I sit studying this word my scars seem to reappear and bleed… I know many of you can relate… This action word “mean” unfortunately can and does appear on both sides of the spectrum… 

I do believe we all can have that mean streak that can surface at will … or we could be that wounded soul that bleeds from the cruelty of another.
The scars may fade but do they ever truly go away??? I say not… 

I have witnessed this ugly human trait as early as infancy… and as old as.. (you should know better)…  

Does the word outcast ring a bell??? Do we cut people out of our lives because we do not have an open mind or the heart to understand? Do we leave wounded souls in our wake ??   Do we show remorse for our actions ??  Are we so callous that we can not see the hurt in the eyes of the one scorned? 

Words and actions toward others say a lot about our character and who we truly are as human beings.

I must say I have felt that deep wound of rejection during my journey…It's a wound that cuts deep into my soul … But at the same time, I found peace within my soul, because I found the greatest love I have ever known. 

The emotions that went along with the events, flooded my vulnerable heart and had my head spinning… But Jesus loving held me while I reconciled my mind, body, and soul. He has a talent for rescuing bleeding hearts... He too has felt that pain of heartbreak and rejection.  

The experience of healing in His hands is an experience that will leave you forever changed. 

When others leave scars we will learn that it is their insecurities that cause them to ignore, lash out with words that sting, and actions that may crush our souls. These actions are in hopes of diminishing our sense of worth.  While they inflate their own ego. "Self" is selfish a four-letter word. 

We must remember that we are only here for a brief moment in time… And no matter what happens in this life Jesus thinks we are priceless!!! 

I say learn the art of being Teflon in a cruel world..  Make others wonder what treasure you have discovered!!! 

It’s Him !! It will always be Him!!! He is my hiding place… He is the healer of my heart and the lover of my soul… 

PS. I can tell you that He does not have a mean bone in His body… And His LOVE is like no other !!  It’s indescribable!!! 

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2

Just a little love can resurrect life, hopes, and dreams..

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner  

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. Dale Carnegie

I am a photographer by trade. And as many of you already know, the art of painting is a new adventure. 

My introduction to a love greater than I ever knew started with a Holy Spirit encounter 4 years ago.. 

During this time I started the new practice of Meditation. I also moved to an old farmhouse in a quaint city by the name of Triune… There I found a neglected rose bush. Bugs had ravished her leaves. She was sad and had almost lost her will to live… I began taking care of her I watered, fertilized, pruned, and loved her… and life returned … she gave me the roses appearing in this collage. 

(With no forethought on the subject) 

Yesterday while meditating I had a vision in my mind appear. It was Jesus I could tell by the scar in the palm of His hand and pink rose petals began to slowly fall.. and as I watched them gently float downward. I was moved and began to cry. 

I was unaware of what this meant .. and I found this 

A fascinating fact about these roses is that in ancient Hebrew texts, it is written that pink roses are the only flowers permitted inside the walls of the city of Jerusalem, largely because they were the only roses of the time. Their spiraling petals represented a journey towards perfection.
Also, there were roses of different colors in the past, and pink roses’ symbolism throughout the world often reflected a desire to give the most beautiful flower in nature, a gift that is selfless and pure… yet sure to be noticed.

Just a little love can bring you life...

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner  

Emily Watts - La Vie En Rose (Lyrics)