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by Sylvia B. Bodell

The Center Garden Dedication

It was a glorious day as The Center for Integrative Counseling and Psychology dedicated The Center Garden given in memory of Ruth Taulbee Glaze by her daughter Reverend Dr. Katherine Glaze Lyle.

Garden dedication

On Friday, May 6, right before Mother's Day, The Center Garden given in memory of Ruth Taulbee Glaze was dedicated before an intimate gathering of family and lifelong friends of Reverend Dr. Katherine Glaze Lyle and her mother Ruth Taulbee Glaze.

The heavy rains from the days before left the gardens glistening, especially green and lush, and a reminder of spring and God's renewing power.

“Reverend Katherine Glaze Lyle served on our board years ago and knows the impact of our work. Her thoughtful and generous gift right before the shutdown in 2020 helped propel our fundraising efforts and allowed us to create this beautiful garden in loving memory of her mother, Ruth," shared Dr. Brad Schwall, President and CEO of The Center. "We are grateful for Katherine's decades long friendship and how she cares for others. Her mother, Ruth, was a prayer warrior and dedicated to her church Park Cities Baptist. She had such a gift of hospitality and welcoming, it's only fitting that this garden does exactly that.

"Coming to counseling takes a lot of courage and when people pull up to our building, the garden welcomes them and provides a sense of peace and calm. I’ve seen couples hugging in this garden after their session before getting in their cars to head back to their day’s responsibilities. I’ve seen children walking tight rope style across the larger rocks in our garden. I’ve seen clients waiting before or pausing after their therapy hour on our garden benches. I watch clients choose which path they will take through our garden to get to the door at our Central Office. My viewpoint reminds me of the anticipation before therapy of the chance to explore and learn and the relief felt of being given unconditional positive regard after therapy."

Garden Dedication Prayer

By Dr. Marisol De Jesús Pérez

Lord may your eyes be open to these gardens and the ministries it represents so this becomes a place where prayers are uttered and heard by you.

Let this be a place where you reveal yourself in nature and a setting where people discover your plans for them. Let this be a place and space where a desire for forgiveness and the journey to reconciliation begins.

Make this a quiet place for those who need rest. Allow this to be a setting of peace and refuge for those who seek solace, comfort and healing. Make this be a place where beauty delights our senses and awakens us to joy and gratitude.

Father, allow this place to be a space where faith is strengthened, and others will be inspired to love and serve you. Make this garden say ‘come’ to those who find their way here. May this be a place where the gift of laughter will rise above our troubles, where fresher stories will be shared to make us wiser; where the pain of loss will be embraced with arms of hope and trust. May it help God’s servants healing and helping each other as those who have come before us.

May the flowers remind us to keep blooming, may these benches remind us to stop and sabbath, may these trees remind us to root ourselves in Christ and shelter one another in grace. In every season may this garden welcome our neighbors and draw us all to the goodness of our Savior and creator.

Lord, we dedicate this garden to you in gratitude for the labors of all who love, give, and serve the broken-hearted in loving remembrance of Ruth Taulbee Glaze.

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