Notable guests.
Writers, artists & friends of the Lodge
Something about this lake draws creative people — and quiets them enough to work. Over the years the Lodge has hosted writers, musicians, and dear friends who came to rest and ended up creating something. A few of them, with more to come as we gather their stories.
Tessa Afshar
Bestselling author · a dear friend of Rob and Beth
Tessa is the award-winning author of biblical and historical fiction — Bread of Angels, The Peasant King, Daughter of Rome, and many more. A cherished friend of the family, she worked on one of her books right here at the Lodge, at the quiet edge of the lake. You can find her work on Amazon or visit her at tessaafshar.com.
She wrote this little tale just for us:
Once upon a time, there was a cottage on a lake in the land of Maine where the moon shone brighter, and the loons sang deeper, and the silence healed your soul. The magic of the lake made everyone who stayed at the cottage feel calm and rested. They laughed and healed and played board games and learned new jokes and kayaked on the lake and went home happier and thinner (from all the fun paddling).
For centuries, this cottage was a secret. But now you can have it for a whole week. And it comes with a cleaning lady at the end of your stay!
— Tessa Afshar
Rev. Dr. Mark Fee
Founder of First Loved Ministries · a dear friend
The Rev. Dr. Mark Gordon Fee is the founder and director of training of First Loved Ministries, whose mission is to help people deepen their daily experience of being loved by God — fully loved, healed, and equipped for thriving relationships. He is the son of the renowned New Testament scholar Gordon Fee, who served on the translation committee behind the NIV Bible.
Mark has led several weekend First Loved retreats here at the Lodge — gatherings so joyfully large that they spilled over onto the Homestead, with guests camping in the old garden and all around the property. They were wonderful weekends, and we count Mark a dear friend.
There’s a whole shelf at the Lodge given over to books written — in whole or in part — within these walls, or by authors who have stayed here. It was a favorite writing place for Rob’s father, Robert Logan Bull, a prolific writer himself, and a few musicians have composed here, too. We’ll keep adding their names as we go.