The meaning of somewhere: some unspecified place.

The word somewhere is in the Bible 13 times. 

This word is so vague… can somewhere be found? Can we find this special location on our trusty GPS??  Or is it just beyond the horizon?? 

There are times when I pray that I have been whisked away to a faraway land. And it's there I find love and a feeling of peace that can not be described… 

Is this a spiritual location between heaven and earth?  I know it is somewhere my soul yearns to go … There is a force there that has captured my heart… It is there that I can hear and feel a His sweet whisper in the wind … 

When I am there the world as I know it grows dim. 

I can feel a warm light source that fills my soul as He patiently teaches me of the beauty that abounds while I am in His presence … 

Is it somewhere in another dimension of time and space? Or is this a glimpse of heaven? 

Perhaps it is just a tease of the love that awaits? 

My mind can not seem to rationalize where this somewhere is? 

 So it slowly surrenders to my heart and soul… 

Was this “somewhere” in time written by my Creator long before I was even born? 

How does He fill the hearts of so many? How does He provide such a unique meeting place for anyone that seeks Him…  I hear His home has many rooms? Now I know why… 

The somewhere is the GPS He placed in my heart… it’s personal, it’s intimate and it's a place that my heart longs for… It feels like home.

You see somewhere is not a physical location. 

It’s Him. It will always be Him. 

He is my somewhere, today, tomorrow until the end of time.

I call Him Elohim...  

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:2-3 NIV

But one has somewhere testified: What is man that You remember him, or the son of man that You care for him? Hebrews 2:6

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner  

Inspiring Music: YouTube

Jewel  - Over The Rainbow https://youtu.be/G_V1Xg3A3_A

Mary’s Perfect LOVE

When a beautiful blessing caused heartbreak.  

As a mother how do you reconcile that your child carries the weight of the world on his shoulders? How can you deal with seeing the pain in your child's eyes? How do you stand at his feet and watch him take his last breath?  Witnessing this must have put a rip in her heart so deep she felt it was beyond repair... She must have suffered every wound, every tear, and every drop of blood that fell. The anguish must have been beyond comprehension.  She gave us such a precious piece of her life.. She gave us her beautiful son... She was just a child herself when he was born. But she trusted God to hold her hand through her life's trial. 

Even knowing how important his role is, the loss must have always haunted her soul.  She was left behind with all her human frailties to embrace and understand the magnitude of his life.  Only her son could deliver such an amazing gift of peace and healing to her heart. I am so grateful for her and her sacrifice.  

When you look for strength remember this story of a mother and child and their journey. It’s unconditional love at its finest.. It’s the most beautiful love story we will ever know... 

Today let’s remember Mary's sacrifice and her beautiful gift of LOVE.  

“And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

Luke 1:46-47 KJV

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner  

Inspiring Music: YouTube

Anne Wilson - Mary, Did You Know? (Official Audio)

They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. 

Titus 1:16

The meaning of deny; is the state that one refuses to admit the truth or existence of.1 John 2:22-23 

We located 40 verses in the Bible that speak of the word denial… 

If the roles were reversed between Jesus and ourselves What would it take?  How far would we go to prove ourselves to this unforgiving world??  Would Jesus deny our very existence??  

Even those who claim to be believers have shown doubts and have denied Him when things in life get a little sticky or challenging …

I will admit when we think with our human mind His story seems so hard to believe. How could the story be real? How could our Creator love us this much? Why hasn’t He denied us of His amazing love? 

I can only share my experience. I will admit there have been times I too have questioned how He could be real? Is He just a manifestation in my mind??  And then I have then been swept away with thoughts of the day He touched my life and all doubt dissipates like a vapor in the wind. He doused me in an unexplainable Love and in an instant, everything changed… He opened my heart to see the beauty that had become mundane. I began to see and hear with a freshness that I had missed since being a child.. He has taught me many things. He has held me in the lows and celebrated my highs… He has freed my once-bound soul… 

How could I have any doubt? How could I deny Him?? How could I not give Him control over my life.. when this life I call mine was His from the very beginning?? 

Denying Him is like stopping life dead in its tracks... 

I had an experience recently. When I shared a painting of Jesus as an infant with a Christian group that will remain nameless… I was told it was not Christian enough.. and the word deny came to rest in my heart… 

We must be careful of how and why we close doors… it just maybe Him coming to visit that one soul that has been searching for His love… Not all messages from God come to us as we expect… He is an unpredictable spirit and has been known to teach us in unconventional ways… 

Matthew 10:33

But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

Who among us has been appointed as “the keeper” of the gate ??  

I believe it’s Him and only Him... 

Only He knows our true heart… 

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner  

Inspiring Music: YouTube

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