Good Saturday morning from Plum Cottage, may you all find beauty and joy in the weekend.
Yesterday morning I woke up from a horrible claustrophobic dream and had a big panic attack. Sheesh! It was right around 5 and I decided to get up. I started the kettle for a cup of tea, and then had a spell of 'dry heaving'. Oh my gosh. I prayed, read scripture and eventually calmed down. I felt out of sorts and not so good most of the day, but gradually by the end of the day I was feeling more normal and much better. I slept good last night and was thankful for that.
One thing I did yesterday that helped give me a different perspective was to go into the caravan and lie down on the bench/bed in there. It was very warm, but not unbearable. I just laid there. It was nice to be out of the house, out of the gardens, to be somewhere different. Sure it is an unfinished project, the last one dear husband was working on. I will never finish it like he would have done, but I can make it look more presentable. Right now I've stored some things in there, but I can easily clear them out and go from there. It is a sweet little place. We 'were' going to camp in there while working on laying new flooring in our bedroom. That didn't happen of course. Life goes on though, and here it is 7 1/2 years later, I'm still putting one foot in front of the other, doing what I can.
I loved the way the sunlight was shining through one of the stained glass windows.
These past 4 months have been rough for everyone around the whole world. We are all affected differently. It has made me miss my dear husband all the more. It has made me think about what is really important at this stage of my life. It's not about things, it's about faith in God, love for Him and for others. It's about forgiveness, about encouraging one another, letting go of the past, looking forward to each new day.
This morning I came across this scripture that inspired me to keep focused on Jesus. To know that He is my strength when I am weak, that He is always with me.
My fellow believers,
when it seems as though
you are facing nothing but difficulties
see it as an invaluable opportunity
to experience the greatest joy that you can!
For you know that when your faith is tested
it stirs up power within you to endure all things.
And then as your endurance grows even stronger
it will release perfection into every part of your being
until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
when it seems as though
you are facing nothing but difficulties
see it as an invaluable opportunity
to experience the greatest joy that you can!
For you know that when your faith is tested
it stirs up power within you to endure all things.
And then as your endurance grows even stronger
it will release perfection into every part of your being
until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
James 1:2-4 TPT
That's it for now. I've got to eat some breakfast and get ready for our GriefShare meet and greet zoom meeting this morning. There may be only 4 of us, but God will be right there with us comforting us with His ever lasting love.
Have a great weekend ~ FlowerLady
27 comments:
Very wise words to live by: "It's not about things, it's about faith in God, love for Him and for others. It's about forgiveness, about encouraging one another, letting go of the past, looking forward to each new day."
Those inspired me at the moment...seriously, and gave me courage to work on heeding those exact thoughts! And, I thank you for it.
Wonderful Scripture passage. Yes, the last while have been hard on many. i trust that you will find comfort in the memories and also in sharing with others.
Oh, I'm wishing you glimpses of heaven in unexpected places. Thank you for your beautiful post and those life-giving words from James. I hope those sweet moments in the caravan remain to refresh your mind even when you go back to the routines of your day.
Heart hugs,
Brenda xox
Hi Honey, I hope you are feeling much better now. Please keep yourself hydrated...the heat works on us even when we don't know it. Call someone when you get so low. Yes, praying to our heavenly Father is the best thing. I cry a lot more these past crazy months and I fear it's not near over. Praying helps me stay sane. Blessings to you, xoxo, Susie
this is so beautifully written, full of passion and tenderness.
I'm here from Hootin' Anni"s blog.
With out the Lord...where would we be?
Sue
I am glad you are feeling better. Anxiety building here too as I contemplate having to go back to school without school districts here in this state NOT taking precautions to keep teachers safe and healthy. Such are the times we live in. God's got this. All will be well. Have a good weekend.
I well remember this little caravan.
I do hope you are okay now, there's nothing worse that something like that in the middle of the night, bless you.
Hugs
Briony
x
I think you probably remember how much I love your caravan! And oh, my! These photos just tickled my fancy even more...
Yes, these months hav been challenging for everybody. My sister has had some serious anxiety/panic episodes. Me? I stick to very basic routines. Not nearly as productive as I wish, but doing my best. Trying to provide stability for my 93 year old father who lives with us and has a hard time processing what's going on in the world...
Keep the caravan photos coming! ❤️
So glad you made yourself take a breather in your caravan. You have had
some difficult and scary moments these past months. Jesus is our strength
and He will provide respite when you need it most. I would tell you to
"take time to smell the roses" but you live with them, so I know you are
surrounded by His beauty. Take care.
I agree, it's not about things. It is about faith
I hope this finds you feeling much better. Your post is so inspirational! blessings to you!
Very wise words as another wrote. I think the Lord put your blog in front of me this evening. Today would have been the 38th anniversary of my late husband and I. While I remember his birthday each year since his passing, I had stopped commemorating or thinking about the anniversary. Today my daughter mentioned it and as the day wore on I felt sad, his absence. Your blog article truly helped. Thank you, God bless.
So very inspirational! Hope you are feeling better!
Rainey, Thank you for your openness. Your words encourage me. God bless you, my friend.
A secret place, a nice get a way to breathe. I can feel really caged in but I go outside to change the feeling. As with you the temperature is so hot that I can only go out in the morning. My Iowa jungle isn't very large so I can work on it each morning. Thanks for the scriptures.
Lorraine, that verse is so special. Thank you for sharing that. It's always good to get out and see different things when we are having a difficult time. I visit Nel once a week, and there is always something interesting to see over there. She is making a fairy garden right now in her back yard. I really like your painting, pitcher, and mirror. Very unique items, and I love one of a kind items as well. It's always a pleasure coming over and seeing what's going on around your neck of the woods. : )
~Sheri
I’m so glad that you’re feeling better and that you found comfort in the caravan. You’ve shared such thoughtful words to live by, especially during these crazy times.
Hi There, We all need a NEW prospective at times, especially now with so much bad stuff going on all around us.... For you, that caravan is a new prospective (like a new home for you to enjoy).... For George and me, when we got out for a few days in the mountains in June, was a HUGE new prospective and one we both needed.... It can get very depressing staying inside our homes (with very little outside contact) for so long.
BUT--at least I have George. Since you are without your husband and are basically alone, then that makes all of this even harder. May God Bless you and keep you in his arms...
Hugs,
Betsy
After a couple of days of quarantine, not having anyone to touch, oh my, my own bereavement was reawakened! It's good to hear how you are taking care of yourself, and using tribulation as a faith-strengthening prompt. God bless you, Dear Lorraine!
Lorraine, thank you for keeping my neighbor situation in your prayers. I appreciate that so much. So glad I found you in blog land. You are a wonderful person with much faith.
~Sheri
I'm so sorry you had a panic attack. My last one was a year ago and it was the worst one I'd ever had. I thought I was having a heart attack and/or dying. I am so glad you have a lovely, peaceful place to retreat to sometimes. I can only imagine how much you miss your dear husband, especially in uncertain times like this. God bless you.
Panic attack is not good for health, i hope you are fine now, god bless you always Discounted Gift Cards!
Hello my dear lady!! So glad to hear you are doing okay. I worry about you in Florida. So many cases of covid. You take care. The Lord has your back. Love, KK
Dear Lorraine. I am so sorry you had to experience those feelings. To be honest with you, I don't think I could get through all of this if I were alone. Undoubtedly, it would be so hard and I commend you for your coping skills. Hopefully this will all get better for all of us in the not too distant future. We cannot give up those hopes..Stay well, my friend..xxoJudy
Those pictures are so pretty. They remind me of beautiful old pictures you would see hanging on a wall. Waking up from a dream like that is such a bad feeling. Hope you're feeling much better now.
hi there Lorraine, I do hope you are feeling much better by now and the anxiouxness has left. I absolutely love that caravan....it's amazing! No wonder you love it. And the COLOR!! love that mirror you have in there and the lace curtains--I have lace up at as many windows as I can. Old fashioned goodness. Long as it's not too unbearable hot in there, a nice place to rest/relax/pray in your sweet little caravan. I'd love that in OUR back yard!!
I'm so sorry about your morning panic attack and bad day. That sounds awful! I do think that being inside, at home, for so so long, is hard on the emotions. We are all used to getting out more, going places, interacting with others. And we didn't even realize how much we needed it. Perhaps moving out to the caravan and feeling better are connected -- a change of scenery just for a bit. May God give you strength to endure, and peace in the meanwhile.
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