Dreams find their roots in the deepest, truest parts of our being.  Too often, the dreams that bubble up, from our most authentic longings, are written off as being unattainable…or silly.  Many times, they are snuffed out, barely before they have a chance to take their first breath.  I know this to be true, by virtue of my own hasty dismissal of more than one dream.

But, dreams can –and do– come true!

Cottage Creek sprang from my own longings for peace.  My heart’s desire was for a quiet place, where I could retreat, in order hear the wisdom of Stillness.   I needed a serene sanctuary – a sacred space-  where I could re-connect and find my way back Home.

Paradoxically, the dream for a quiet place of solitude took form in the middle of a conference, while surrounded by hundreds of people. The speaker was sharing about the importance of staying centered, and he spoke of an ancient practice of retreating to a quiet place which was designed for the sole purpose of communing with the Divine.

They called this place Tameion.  A secret chamber.  His portrayal of those ancient, sacred spaces provided the perfect, poetic picture of where my heart longed to rest.  As I copied the beautiful Greek letters into my notes, the dream came alive.

Esoteric arrows pointed the way, inching me toward the realization of my dream.  A picture here.  A word there. I began to understand that those kinds of guide posts are ever present, as the Creator of all good things steadily guides us toward our best life!  I was primed and ready to receive that guidance, and like a sponge, I soaked up every nuance of those divine gifts of direction.

Pursuing the dream began to feel like a treasure hunt.  I had eyes to see things from a different perspective.  Treasures began to surface at yard sales, antique shops and flea markets, which would furnish the cottage.  It was such fun to pick up an object and declare, “THIS is for my cottage!”.

I watched countless ‘how-to videos’ on building a small structure.  I spent long winter hours, planning, learning, developing a materials list, and dreaming.  Then spring came.

And it was time.

I wish I could say that I was walking in total confidence with no fear, but that would not be true.  There was a lot of trepidation; however, I knew that it was time to take the plunge.  Sink or Swim.

Pursuing a dream requires a combination of patience, hard work, persistence, faith, and courage.  It is filled with easy parts and hard parts.  THIS was the hard part, and it fell far outside my realm of experience and my comfort zone.  All I could do was my best, and I decided to surrender the outcome, with full acceptance and appreciation for the journey.  Doing so would allow me the satisfaction of knowing that I had found the courage to meet the challenge, and that I had not given up without giving it my best shot!

So, there I was, building materials list in hand, with plans to bring home my first load of supplies.

For a few weeks, preceding this first trip to the lumberyard, my husband had encouraged me to contact an Amish builder, who builds small sheds (on-site) and moves them to their new locations.   I had immediately dismissed that idea, because I knew how much money it would take for the materials, alone, and I barely had enough to cover the cost.  In my mind, there was no way anyone would want to work with my rough, hand-sketched plans and do a custom build for the money that I had to spend.  He had tried, several times, to encourage me to consider that option.  On my way out the door that morning, he tried one last time.

Perhaps it was the reality of what I was about to do that caused me to decide to finally accept his advice.  Pointing my truck in the opposite direction of my plans, I drove to a quaint family-owned operation in the middle of nowhere.  The owner and his wife were lovely, humble people, and I could feel them lean into my story as I shared some of the details of the long pursuit of my dream.  They sent me on my way, with promises to look at every angle and let me know what they could do.  On the way home, I felt at peace.  I knew that all was well, no matter what.  When the phone rang, the news was unbelievable.  They wanted to take on the project, working within my plan parameters, and it would be delivered within two weeks!

“All is Well” had become my mantra.  Love was powering this project and teaching me some pretty amazing things in the process.  It was soul satisfying to see the realization of this dream.  And finally, the time had come to pull out all of the treasures that had been waiting to grace their new cottage home.

Gratitude.  That was the overriding feeling, as I sunk into the cozy chair, in the midst of the lovely cottage.  I began to reflect on the journey, thinking of all the gifts and blessings from Above, which had blanketed the way.  I thought of the simple yearning, for a pathway to Stillness, which had summoned the dream.  I remembered the years of intentional, persistent, and impassioned belief.  Of the hard work.  Of the courage to act on the dream -and then surrender- trusting the outcome to One, who knew better than I.  In that moment, it became crystal clear that the wisdom, found in Stillness, had always been available to me.  It is an ever present place of peace where we can dwell -no matter the physical circumstance.

The weeks of labor, building the creek and planting the gardens, was delightful.  It was as if Love had handed me a giant puzzle box, full of pieces, and I was given the pleasure of fitting it all together.

Peaceful waters tumble down and spill into a heart shaped pool.  Flowers bloom.  Birds sing their songs of praise, and peepers croak on the banks of Cottage Creek.  It is the sanctuary that Love built… a beautiful, serene place of retreat, which symbolizes the truest pathway to Stillness and the power of belief.

Dream your dreams.  Embrace Hope.  Follow Love.  Be courageous.  Search for Deep Truth, and above all…

Believe!