My Prayer Garden

Need Loving Homes for My Cats

2011-07-13T23:10:00.000-07:00

By Hazel Holland

I plan to move to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho so that I can live near Rob and Angela and my grandson, Jakey. However, there is one big obstacle that stands in my way before I can make this a reality. Besides finding a part time job in that area, I need to find loving homes for my cats. I cannot move six cats with me to Idaho. Perhaps one, but not six!

Let me explain... Back in 2007 I rescued three 5 weeks old kittens that had been abandoned in my back yard by different mothers. Then again in 2008 I rescued another three 5 week old kittens that were abandoned by their mother.

Of course I planned to find homes for the second family of kittens, but instead I fell in love with them, and they became a part of my family. I know that it would have been far easier to find homes for them all when they were kittens than now when they are grown cats...

So for all of you out there who are cat lovers please share this information with others so that I can find loving homes for at least five of my cats pictured below.

All of the cats are inside cats. They've had their shots, been spayed and neutered and have had their front claws removed.

Eby (short for Ebony)

Eby was the runt of the last litter and not expected to live, but she defied the odds and made it. She's a very sweet and petite cat who loves to snuggle and be stroked. She has a very quiet purr and loves to have her tummy and back rubbed. She especially likes to get under the quilt or a blanket and take a nap there all day. In fact she finds her place of safety under the covers whenever I run the vacuum cleaner. What she can't see won't hurt her! She's long-haired and about 3 years old.

Lovey

Lovey rarely stops purring and finds joy in the simplest of things, like running water, eating, and snuggling up on your lap when you're sitting on the toilet! She also loves to be brushed and stroked and always wants more loving! She sometimes runs after you "bleating" like a little lamb in order to get more attention and get more strokes. She's long-haired, the sister of Eby and about 3 years old.

Leo

Leo is the brother of Eby and Lovey...the lucky male among 5 females! He is black like Eby, but has a few white wisps of fur coming out of his ears. His fur is silky, and he has the longest and fluffiest tail. He is shy, but rather mischievous at times and likes to chase the females, especially Eby. However, she does not appreciate his antics and tries to stay out of his way. Leo is a love-bug and enjoys kneading on your arm and purring up a storm. He is also long-haired and around 3 years old.

Mimi

Mimi is from the first litter of kittens, is short-haired, and is about 4 and 1/2 years old. She is a very loud purer and loves to get under the covers with you and snuggle up on cold winter nights. She also loves to play and love on your feet. She will often do somersaults and butt your feet with her head in order to get your attention so that you will play footsie with her. She has a very outgoing personality and tries to keep the other cats in line!

Touche

Touche is around the same age as Mimi, but long-haired and is about 4 and 1/2 years old. She and Lovey look a lot alike, but she is the light-footed one and loves to take her naps in the highest place she can find in the house. She's very warm and loving and enjoys sitting on your lap when you're working at the computer. She'll also be the first one to come and greet you when you come in the door.

Sasha

Sasha was the first kitten I rescued from my back yard. She is short-haired and is about 5 years old. She "talks" a lot when she sees you and when you pet her. She still likes to climb up on your shoulder and be carried around at times like she did when she was a kitten. She's also a lap pooch and loves to sit on your lap when you're on the computer or sitting on the sofa relaxing. She has a sweet habit of pushing her head into your hand in order to have her head caressed when you lie down to take a nap.

Here's the link to my post that shows pictures of these cats when they were kittens:
http://my-prayer-garden.blogspot.com/2008/02/prayer-garden-ministry-animals.html

My Testimony

2010-03-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

by By Jean Goll
(Written by Hazel Holland-2/20/01)

As I was organizing my computer files today I came upon this precious personal “testimony” that Jean asked me to write for her 9 years ago. I had forgotten that she had shared this with me. I was so blessed to read her thoughts again, and know that her life did bless others besides mine. Sure do miss my “Momskey” since she went to be with the Lord!

"I asked my neighbor, Hazel, if she would kindly help me organize my thoughts so that I could share a short testimony that would reflect my spiritual journey. Here is the combined effort of our time together.

Although I accepted the Lord Jesus as my Savior when I was in the 6th grade, I didn’t understand the significance of my decision at that time. Years later after I was married, when our daughter was tragically taken from us, I suffered a lot of remorse and guilt because of the nature of the accident that took her life. Looking back on that time of grief I now see how the Lord brought me comfort and hope through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

However, as the years have passed I have not always been sure of the Spirit’s presence in my life. At times I have backslidden as I have looked at my own faults and failings or the faults and failings of others, and doubted that God could accept me as I am. I see now that in the past I have chosen to listen to the enemy’s accusations and lies instead of believing who I am in Jesus Christ.

Recently, I have begun to grasp the significance of God’s extravagant love for me. I’m choosing now to believe that it’s not my life God is looking at, but His Son’s life. As I choose to trust, and rest in Christ’s righteousness alone, I’m discovering a peace and security that I have not always known before.

I pray that God will give me more opportunities in the days ahead to bless others with the Good News of the gospel that I am just now beginning to understand."

In Loving Memory of "Momskey" (part 2)

2010-01-02T21:11:00.000-08:00

by Hazel

The Memorial Service for Momskey was held in the Sierra Memorial Chapel Mortuary.

Pastor Lex Enquist, a chaplain for Chapman Hospice who visited Jean regularly during the last 6 months of her life had the service for her. What a gospel centered message he gave! The service was very moving! In spite of our loss and separation from the person we love, we know that Momskey is rejoicing in the presence of the Lord.

Pretty lady! A picture that I took of her last Christmas.

Picture boards that I made that tell some of the story of the last few years of her life.

If you look closely you will notice two pictures in the bottom right corner of this picture board that show Momskey dancing with her hubby and line dancing with the girls... a few years back!

In Loving Memory of "Momskey" (part 1)

2010-01-02T20:28:00.000-08:00

by Hazel

I had lived next door but one to Jean for 35 years, but it wasn’t until after her husband suddenly died of dementia in 2000 that our friendship began to deepen and grow. Since she was living right across from me, it was easy to start taking her dishes of food to help supplement her meals, and to do odd jobs around her house.

After losing her husband she was lonely and longed for social and spiritual support and companionship. In fact she seemed to really enjoy herself at the weekly prayer and worship group that met in my home every Thursday. She was always a part of these meetings! Anywhere from eight to fifteen plus students would come over from La Sierra University to my home on a regular basis for years and we would sing praise songs and minister to one another and pray for one another to be healed of burdens on our hearts.

The kids all loved on Jean and patiently listened to her questions about the Bible when she didn’t understand something. They regularly prayed for her to be healed of her fears and depression that plagued her on and off for years. Over time her anxieties seemed to diminish and she became sure of her salvation in Jesus.

Jean loved to witness students let go of their bitterness and unforgiveness toward those who had hurt or spiritually abused them. She loved to watch how God began releasing them from all kinds of bondage and addictions that had kept them in spiritual darkness. As a result of this ministry of the Holy Spirit, Jean also received healing and freedom from her own pain that she had carried for many years over the death of her handicapped daughter. She was finally able to truly forgive herself and receive God’s healing for her own hurting heart.

It was during these meetings that Jean became a “grandma” to many, many needy and hurting students. They loved on her, and accepted her even as they saw her mind begin to decline as she began coming down with all the symptoms that later proved to be Alzheimer’s.

I don’t know when it was that I "adopted" Jean as my "Momskey". I guess I needed a “mom” as much as she needed a daughter. I had been taken away from my biological mom at birth because of her mental sickness and when I was given back to her she had lost all love for me. It is still hard for me to have a meaningful relationship with her because of her schizophrenia… and now dementia.

But it was very easy for me to have a relationship with Jean over the years because she was open to giving love and being loved. She loved God’s word, loved to sing and cook, loved flowers and cats and watching and feeding the birds. She loved to dance and enjoyed watching others dance, too. Her favorite color was aqua, and she loved blues and greens and the color peach. She always noticed the latest trends in fashion and always wanted to dress younger than her years. She had a great sense of humor. Take a look at the picture boards and you will see what a spunky lady she was!

But as the months passed by and turned into years I gradually began to notice a change in her ability to remember how to perform normal daily routines. It was little things at first. After seeing her eat cold soup one too many times in the middle of winter I knew she had forgotten how to use the microwave or stove. Since I knew she liked to hang her wet laundry outside to dry, I questioned what was going on when I saw only one pair of pants or one blouse at a time hanging on her clothesline. She had forgotten how to use her washing machine so she was trying to wash one item of clothing at a time in the kitchen sink.

The day I found more candy bars than food in her refrigerator after she had gone grocery shopping, was the day I knew her ability to reason and make wise decisions was slipping. The day I realized that “Momskey” could no longer remember how to drive her car was the day I realized that she needed a “Daughterskey”. She fondly began signing birthday cards, “To my Daughterskey” until she was unable to remember how to write the words. Then I would write them down for her to copy. Sometimes that task would take her several hours as she tenaciously struggled to make the words legible.

The last few months haven’t been easy. In fact they have been excruciatingly painful at times as I have watched “Momskey” have less and less control over her bodily functions. But even more heartbreaking was seeing her trapped inside her own confusing thought patterns as she struggled to find the words to express herself in a way that could be understood by me.

This breakdown in communications was the hardest blow! All I could do at times was hold her gently in my arms and silently weep as I asked God to give me His patience and compassion to face the ongoing and ever-increasing challenges of taking care of this dear lady who had become “my mom”.

Over the last year she was very confused at times and sometimes didn’t remember where she was. Sometimes she would talk about me in the third person, and I would become “that nice lady who helps me!” Thankfully, the delusions calmed down in the last 6 months. But the on-going struggle to try and make sense of what she was saying and bring her back from the land of oblivion into the world of reality was at times a minute by minute challenge.

I’m very thankful that the day never came when she no longer remembered who I was. There were moments, but then they would vanish and she would smile and say my name. But what was most important to me over this last year was that I would always remember who she was, and continue to treat her with the love and dignity and respect that she deserved.

Sometimes when she would forget my name, she would whistle for me. She had a great whistle. Lucy, my dog, would also respond to the whistle, so there would be two of us coming to Jean’s aide when she needed something. When she whistled songs she never missed a beat!

In her younger years Jean loved to dance with her husband. Amazingly the rhythm and beat of dancing aided her when she could no longer walk by herself. I would sing little ditties to her as I helped her from her chair to the bathroom like, “Row, row, row your boat", and "One two buckle your shoe." But “You are my sunshine” was her favorite.” She would sing along with me and keep in step to the rhythm of the song until she could no longer walk. Then she would whistle the tunes as she sat in her chair.

Right up to the last month of her life she was able to still hum or whistle, “Amazing Grace” whenever I played it! Worship songs were her favorite kind of music and I noticed that this peace would come over her face every time I played them. So I played them regularly, because the words brought her such comfort. Sometimes she looked like she was asleep, and then I would hear her humming or whistling a worship song that was playing softly.

When she needed to be in a hospital bed, I moved her into my office next to the kitchen where it was warmer and where I could play worship songs on my computer around the clock. Up to the very last day of her life even when she could no longer talk or respond to me, I knew she could hear the music.

The last few days of her life were very hard for me to go through because although she looked peaceful most of the time, I knew I was losing her, and that I was going to have to say goodbye to this lady who had become my Mom.

Christmas Eve about 1 am. I finally was able to release her to the Lord and say goodbye. I hadn’t been able to do it until that point in time because I didn’t want to let go. But I sensed it was time. I hugged her and cried and told her that I was letting her go to be with Jesus and that I would see her again soon at the Second Coming. Although she couldn’t respond, I knew she heard me.

About 1:30 am I went to bed intending to get up at 4 am and turn Jean over on her other side. But at 3 am my dog, Lucy, woke me up barking. After realizing that the dog didn’t need to go outside I immediately went to check on Jean. Initially, I panicked when I realized that her vitals had suddenly slowed down. So I took her in my arms and held her softly while I called Hospice.

Over the next five minutes her labored breathing became easier and easier until she finally took her last breathe in my arms. I had prayed that I might be there when Jean died, and God graciously answered my prayer my sending an angel to wake up Lucy!

Yes, I was heartbroken and wanted to revive her, but the look of peace on her face told me that her spirit had already left her body to be with God. Jean was no longer there… just her body. She had gone home!

Jean will always be my "Momskey "and I her "Daughterskey", because deep within our hearts was a bond of love that even this disease could not sever. Together, as mother and daughter, we bravely faced so many challenging days as we confronted the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s with the weapon of His love.

Now Momskey has been reunited with her husband, Chester, and her other daughter, Donna. She’s more alive in Christ now than she’s ever been. So although I’m sad about her leaving us, and I miss her terribly, I rejoice that she finished her journey here triumphantly.

"I’ll see you again Momskey when the trumpet sounds and the dead in Christ will rise first. I can hardly wait to hear you whistle again on that grand and glorious day!"

My Grandson, Baby Jake

2009-06-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

by Hazel

I was walking in my prayer garden yesterday realizing how much I missed holding, hugging, and kissing my precious grandson, Jake.

His mommy and daddy moved to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho earlier in the week where they are going to settle down and raise their family. Although I'm very sad, I'm also very thankful that his other set of grandparents are there to love on him, too!

After babysitting this darling angel for three months, it is extremely difficult for me to be separated from him now that he is 6 months old! My heart hurts because I love him so much! Guess where I plan to move to just as soon as I can?

I'm the most adorable baby that ever lived!

My Grandma says so, so it must be so!

I love to sit up in my play station and play with my toys.

Especially this blue ball!

Jean Momskey, the lady grandma takes care of who has Alzheimer's, opened her eyes for a few fleeting moments and smiled at me! I liked that!

Give me some more lovin' Grandma!

I love it when Grandma makes all these weird noises! See, I can poke my tongue out further than she can!

Sometimes I just like to sit still for a brief moment and look adorable!

Then I'm off in my walker while grandma plays peek-a-boo with me. That's a fun game!

Touche's about to get her tail pulled! I love to grab cats and make them run...

Is Touche considering how near she should risk being grabbed by me? Soon I will learn how to pet cats gently.

I'm just too cute for words! Yes, you can plant a big kiss on my cheek right now!

I just love to crack up at Grandma while putting my fingers in my mouth!

Ebony (Ebbie) the Runt of the Litter

2009-02-04T03:09:00.000-08:00

by Hazel

I wasn't going to show a picture of Ebbie because I intend to try and keep her if my other inside cats will accept her. She is quite smaller than the other two kittens that I showed in my previous blog... very laid back and quiet and loves to snuggle and purr.

Two Kittens Need a Loving Home

2009-02-03T23:55:00.000-08:00

by Hazel

Here are pictures of two of the five abandoned kittens I found in my front yard about four and a half months ago. Two of the kittens went to a loving family around 2 months ago. So I have three kittens left.

Ebony, the runt of the litter (not shown here), was so small and so frail that I didn't want to give up the other two because she needed to snuggle with them to keep warm on cold winter nights. She is still far smaller than Leo and Lovey. I think I'm going to keep her and see if she will get along with my 3 inside cats that are almost three years old now. If they don't accept her then I may have to find a loving home for her, too.

These two kittens play well together and get along great. Lovey is a female, gray and never stops purring... even when she is play fighting with Leo! Leo is a male, black and with a few white hairs coming out of his ears. They both have very sweet dispositions.

They have had their kitten shots and will be spayed and neutered shortly. They will still need their first set of shots which are about $50 per cat. If I have gotten that taken care of before you decide to adopt a kitty, I will expect to be reimbursed for the cost and will give you the paper work showing that it was done.

These kittens are 41/2 months old and need a loving family to adopt them! How about you?

You can leave a comment below with information so that I may contact you. These kittens are also linked to my Profile on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1463311324.

My New Grandson, Baby Jake!

2009-01-12T00:18:00.000-08:00

By Hazel

Here are as few pictures of my new grandson, Jake, who was born December 10. Isn't he precious? I just love being a grandmother!

Rob & Angela and baby Jake

Found a New Home

2008-10-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

by Hazel

Isn't he precious? I found this darling kitten a few days ago in my backyard. Since I already have three cats of my own and feed about six other stray cats in the neighborhood, I had to find him a good home. That happened today! Leila is the proud mother of this 8 weeks old kitty. Yeah!

Heart to Heart

2008-08-31T11:54:00.000-07:00

by Hazel

Let me introduce you to Jean, another dear member of my family. I "adopted" Jean as my "Momskey" soon after her husband died quite suddenly of dementia in 2000. Since she was living right across from me, it was easy to start taking her dishes of food to help supplement her meals, and to do odd jobs around her house.

But as the months passed by and turned into years I gradually began to notice a change in her ability to remember how to perform normal daily routines. It was little things at first. After seeing her eat cold soup one too many times in the middle of winter I knew she had forgotten how to use the microwave or stove. Since I knew she liked to hang her wet laundry outside to dry, I questioned what was going on when I saw only one pair of pants or one blouse at a time hanging on her clothesline. She had forgotten how to use her washing machine so she was trying to wash one item of clothing at a time in the kitchen sink.

The day I found more candy bars than food in her refrigerator after she had gone grocery shopping, was the day I knew her ability to reason and make wise decisions was slipping. However, the biggest shock came one year when I volunteered to get her receipts ready for income taxes. I discovered that she had been draining her savings accounts of thousands of dollars in order to write checks for the many “charities” who were lining up at her door to receive “easy” money. After shutting down that scam, I began to help her manage her finances.

The day I realized that “Momskey” could no longer remember how to drive her car was the day I realized that she needed a “Daughterskey”. She fondly began signing birthday cards, “To my Daughterskey” until she was unable to remember how to write the words. Then I would write them down for her to copy. Sometimes that task would take her several hours as she tenaciously struggled to make the words legible.

The last few months haven’t been easy. In fact they have been excruciatingly painful at times as I watch “Momskey” have less and less control over her bodily functions. But even more heartbreaking is seeing her trapped inside her own confusing thought patterns as she struggles to find the words to express herself in a way that can be understood by others, especially by me.

This breakdown in communications is the hardest blow! All I can do at times is hold her gently in my arms and silently weep as I ask God to give me His patience and compassion to face the ongoing and ever-increasing challenges of taking care of this dear lady who has become “my mom”.

Lately she’s been very confused at times and sometimes doesn’t remember where she is even when she’s in her own home. Sometimes she talks about me in the third person, and I become “that lady who helps me!” Thankfully, the delusions have calmed down somewhat since she started a new medication a week ago. But the on-going struggle to try and make sense of what she is saying and bring her back from the land of oblivion into the world of reality is at times a minute by minute challenge.

As the events of her yesterdays get erased, and the confusion of today reigns, I know that the day may come when she will no longer remember who I am. But what is most important to me is that I remember who she is, and continue to treat her with the love and dignity that she deserves.

She will always be my "Momskey "and I her "Daughterskey", because deep within our hearts is a bond of love that even this disease cannot sever. Together, as mother and daughter, we will continue to bravely face the challenging days ahead as we confront the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s with the weapon of His love.
------------------------------

I would also like to ask those of you who feel led to please pray for us... especially that God will receive glory in the midst of this time of emotional suffering.

My Family's Good News!

2008-04-18T01:40:00.000-07:00

by Hazel

Here is a picture of my handsome son, Rob, and his beautiful wife, Angela, in their apartment. It was taken shortly after they got married at Edwards Mansion in Redlands, California.

Recently they came over to my house and asked me how I would like to be a Grandma? Yes, I was totally taken by surprise! I laughed and cried at the same time as my heart took in the good news! How much I am looking forward to becoming a grandma... What a wonderful gift this new little life will be... I can hardly wait to hold my grandchild... sometime in the month of December!

Smelling Roses or Pulling Weeds?

2008-04-17T17:26:00.000-07:00

by Hazel

My friend, Leila, wanted to do a photo shoot of me in my English Prayer Garden a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I ruined many of the pictures by acting goofy, because I was ashamed of the way the Prayer Garden looked. During the long periods of rain we had everything grew like crazy, especially the weeds! Since I hadn't had a chance to spruce up the place, it looked rather wild and unkempt.

So a few days after the photo shoot I began a weeding marathon, hoping to make the place look more inviting by removing the unwanted weeds that were rapidly growing between the bricks along the many garden pathways. Alas, just when you least expect it sometimes life throws you a curve... I never finished my weeding project...

About three weeks ago, it was dark as I was pushing a trash can out to the street. I didn't see the pothole in the blacktop near the street and stepped into it, turning over my foot and fracturing my fifth metatarsul. Hobbling around on crutches and trying to maneuver myself in a wheelchair doesn't work well for this garden enthusiast!

Then today I discovered that I needed to get a manual sprinkler to the far end of the garden in order to water an area that wasn't being watered by the automatic sprinkler, because there was a leak in the water line! Of course the water was flooding into an area that was difficult to reach. And guess what is was watering? That's right. More weeds!

Ouch! Don't you just hate it when other things fall apart at the same time and create even more stress? So instead of fretting and complaining about this ordeal, I'm choosing to praise God in the midst of this adversity.

I'm hoping to learn a valuable lesson in patience... In the midst of my impatience with this trying situation, I'm learn to stop and rest. I've always been a very busy and active person who get things done... I hardly ever sit down...not until the work is done! And of course the work is never done...

So now I'm learning to watch life from the sidelines as I struggle to do the most simple chores. I'm praying that when my foot is healed I will take more time smelling roses and less time pulling weeds!

Four-legged Blessings!

2008-02-01T00:33:00.001-08:00

Here are some of God's four-legged creatures who continue to bring smiles of joy to my heart...and to the hearts of those who have been touched by their gentle souls.

For those of you who are cat lovers... Here are some pictures of my babies that I rescued two years ago when they were five weeks old. They were all abandoned by their mother's in my prayer garden! Sasha is the eldest, being four months older than Mimi and Touche who are about three weeks apart in age. Needless to say, it was pretty crazy raising three kittens that were so close together in age!

Blue-eyed Touche at six

weeks old...drying off

after having a bath!

Sorry, but she hasn't

learned modesty yet!

A year later she still loves

to show off her tummy!

I'm acting like a lady now!

Even although she was a baby herself,
Mimi chose to "mother" Touche
for the first four months of her life by
letting her "nurse" on her...

Mimi hiding from Touche so she
can have a moment of undisturbed
rest!

Mimi

purring

praises

in her

sleep!

Mimi found Sasha her "bossom" buddy!

Sassy Sasha always wants things her way!

Mimi & Sasha enjoying a moment on the bathroom windowsill...

Mimi, Touche and Sasha all engrossed listening to the birds singing!

But on second thoughts the bed is a more comfortable place to relax...

and dream of birds!

Here are my other babies... Yes I know they are fully grown dogs, but I've raised them since they were not quite babies... Lucy, the Laso Apso I rescued from the street when she was about 7 months old, and Simba, the Australian Shepherd was given to me by someone who could no longer take care of her when she was about four months old...

Simba & Lucy were buddies for many years...

Simba was always thirsty after she got diabetes.

Simba was a very loving dog who always wanted to sit on your feet and be petted. She had warm gentle eyes that took in everything...even after she lost her eyesight to diabetes, she still could "see" when someone needed some loving...

Washing Lucy's eyes was something Simba liked to do on a regular basis! Even after she went blind, she continued to find Lucy's eyes in need of regular attention...

Yes, God uses furry friends to minister His unconditional love to us when

we least expect Him to show up!

Garden Sanctuary at Night (the way it was...)

2008-01-25T00:53:00.000-08:00

All of these photos were taken several years

ago before the thick trees surrounding the

back and one side of the garden were removed.

It looks different today.

Sadly the privacy is gone

that made this bird

sanctuary into

a secret

garden.

Sometimes during warm summer evenings

we would worship outside so we could enjoy

the fragrance of the flowers and listen

to the chatter of birds settling

down for the night.

Recent Pictures of My Spiritual Family

2008-01-24T17:34:00.000-08:00

Scott is one of my "spiritual" sons.

He's hugging Timothy, Ramone and Yoko's

little boy. Y0u will see them in a minute as

you scroll down. I got the pictures out of

order. Scott you were supposed to

bring up the rear!

Leila is the youngest member of my"

spiritual" family. She joined the Thursday

night prayer group after Ramone left for Japan.

Quickly she found a place in my heart and

became a "spiritual" daughter! Not only that,

she also found a welcome place in my

home. She lived with me for two

years while God healed her

heart and restored

her spirit.

Now she is able to fly!

Soar, Leila!

Ramone and Yoko holding their precious

son, Timothy when they recently visited

us from Japan! Ramone and Yoko are

also my "spiritual" son and daughter.

What a blessing they were to all

of us as they shared God's

heart on them for

Japan!

~~Looking back I realize~~

God used Ramone's enthusiasm

in pursuing God's heart in worship

to kindle a flame in others. He

used Ramone's willingness

to bare his soul and reveal

his brokenness to attract

other hurting and

broken students

to Himself.

Ramone and Yoko, David and Sheila

and soon-to-be baby! That was a

couple of weeks before

Christmas...

More smiles from the recent

reunion of some of the members of

the Thursday night Prayer Group

that met in my home for

four years!

Flowers Galore!

2008-01-24T02:35:00.000-08:00

Roses
in
J
a
n
u
a
r
y?

Only in California!

Tiny red scarlet flowers...

This potato vine looks
nothing like a potato.

Hope
these

lillies

will

still

around

for

Easter!

Impatience

are

delicate,
yet
hardy...

always struggling
to survive the

snails who

consider

them a

d e l i c a c y !

A wheelbarrow full of flowwers

looks

fresh

and

clean

after the rain...

or was it the

sprinkler?

This
pair
of
turtle
doves
will
not
fly
away
or
coo

if
you
come
too
close!

Here's

l
o
o
k
i
n
g

at life

from another persepctive!

These
lush
grasses
love
to
send
their
roots
d
o
w
n

to the

b
o
t
t
o
m

of the pond...

In His Appointed Time.......

2008-01-23T23:30:00.000-08:00

By Hazel Holland

At times my journey toward

freedom was like that

of a caterpillar

encased in

a dark

cacoon…

not knowing

the appointed time when I

would emerge as a beautiful butterfly.

Garden Sanctuary (pictures of the way it was)

2008-01-23T18:57:00.000-08:00

Sunlight through leaves makes

everything look beautiful! So does

Sonlight through people!

Large grassy area under the spreading

branches of the old elm tree. The block

and wood benches have been replaced

by garden benches made from

old church pews!

Old tree stump seemed to make

a good bird feeder... at least for

awhile...

Another view of the garden in the

early spring.

And another view at a different angle.

An interesting shot taken through leaves.

You must have stood on a ladder

to get this shot, Rob!

Garden pathways...

This thick hedge use to encircle the back

yard giving you a sense that you were in

a Secret Garden.

Looking through a bird feeder!

French street light overlooking

rock garden.

A shady retreat.

Let's hang out and worship Him!

Another place to sit and listen to Him.

Everything takes on a new perspective

when you rest in His love!

I love nasturtiums. Their beauty puts

a smile on my face...but His

beauty puts a smile

on my heart!

smiles...

from

Him!

How it all began...

2008-01-23T18:24:00.001-08:00

The discipline of waiting upon the Lord is something I knew very little about before I began making this prayer garden sanctuary. Our generation wants instant answers, instant revelations, instant understanding to the questions and problems we face in our daily lives. We live in a fast-paced world. We drive fast cars. We eat fast food. We live in the fast lane. When we don’t get instant answers we often get impatient and discouraged and go looking for quick substitutes.

But there’s no substitute for waiting on the presence of the Lord. There’s no substitute for waiting on His timing for His purposes to be fulfilled in our daily lives. Even during those times when we feel nothing, He is there. Even during the long dry seasons, He is there. He is listening to our every word and thought, preparing us for what lies ahead.

Whether He comes to us in a still small voice, or comes upon us like a mighty rushing wind, He is preparing us to walk by faith. If we ask Him, He will teach us how to wait on Him. But are we willing to pay the price for this kind of intimacy with Him? Are we willing to worship Him while we wait? Are we willing to persist in prayer while we wait?

A Call to Live by Faith

During this time of “waiting on the Lord,” I was pressured to resign from my public school teaching position in 1998 by the school administration. Although my classroom was once considered a model classroom and I appeared to have great rapport with the school administration, false accusations of incompetency were trumped up against me and I was advised to resign in order to protect my reputation. I thought I would just apply for another teaching position in another school district, but that was not in God’s plan.

One of my friends at that time confided, “Hazel, I don’t think the Lord is planning on sending you back to work in the public schools as a teacher. You will never get past the first interview with that shaking and “ho-ing.” I knew she was right.

The prophetic shaking that began to come upon me in 1995 when I began receiving visions and dreams was getting stronger and interfering with my ability to hold on to a "normal" job. So did God have plans for another way for me to be able to support myself? Throughout this difficult time of waiting on the Lord to know how He was going to fulfill His promises of provision for me, He used fellow believers in the body of Christ to speak words of encouragement.

I am reminded of the time soon after I resigned from public school teaching when God showed a word picture to a fellow teacher friend of mine while several of us were praying after church. As soon as we had finished praying, Richard, who rarely saw pictures at that time when he prayed, saw a breadbox outside my front door, but he didn't know what it meant. I knew...

I'd been hearing the words in my spirit for some time, "If you feed them they will come", but didn't know what it meant. Now I knew. The Living Bread (Jesus Christ) that I had been feeding on must be shared with others. He must go forth from my place. But how was that supposed to happen? I was through with trying to make things happen... It was only after I had used up all of my own financial resources that the Lord began to provide miraculously for all my needs.

Miraculous Intervention

Several months after I had quit my teaching job, a representative from a construction company in Rockville, California called to ask me if I was interested in selling an easement to my property. I learned that since his company was planning to build a nursing home in the vacant lot behind my home, they wanted an easement so that they could run drainage pipes underground alongside my property so that the excess water from their land would be drained on to the street. The money that I received for agreeing to grant them their request came just at the right time when I had exhausted all of my financial resources.

Daily I thanked the Lord for this divine intervention, but when I got down to the last of this money, I became scared again. I wondered how God was going to continue to provide for my needs. Many times I desperately prayed for Him to lift the heavy manifestations of His Spirit off of my life so that I could hold a regular job. But He never answered that prayer.

Then one day as I was nearing the end of my financial resources again, I received another phone call from the same construction company in Rockville. They informed me they were interested in buying my home for a certain price. Since God had specifically told me the dollar amount of how much to sell it for when the time was right, I was not willing to come down on the price. So this seemed like a dead end street as far as I was concerned. I wondered what God was up to…

Divine appointments continued to happen when I least expected them. Over a period of two weeks, three people in three different churches, all strangers, came up to me and gave words of knowledge about many details of my life. Knowing nothing of my circumstances or the call of God upon my life, they each encouraged me to wait on the Lord’s timing and trust Him to take care of my financial needs.

They told me that God’s favor rested upon me and that He was pleased with me because I had chosen to be obedient to His Spirit and walk by faith. They told me that everything that He had shown me in visions and dreams would be understood in His timing and that He was preparing me to be a prophetic voice to the nations... (Little did I realize at that time that God can use the Internet for such purposes! Without ever leaving the confines of our homes God can use our "voice" to speak to the nations that are all around us).

These unexpected words of knowledge were like music to my ears. God used them to sooth my apprehensions and quell my racing heart. I became immersed in a bubble of His protective love as I chose to take authority over the spirit of fear. Joy began to overflow my being while not knowing how I was going to pay my bills. I could almost see His invisible shield around me. Each day as I read Scriptures and claimed God’s promises, my hope was renewed and my faith strengthened. I could hardly wait to see how God was going to answer my prayers.

Four days after receiving the last of these prophetic words, I received a phone call from a young man in Bakersfield to whom the Lord had spoken about sending me profit from an investment that he was about to make. Although I had never met him or his wife and family, a week later, money arrived in the mail from them. For another seven months the Lord put it into their hearts to continue to bless and support me in this loving and unexpected way.

I continued to receive phone calls from time to time from the construction company in Rockville who were trying to negotiate a deal with me over my home. After seven months of haggling over the price, we finally came to an agreement. I sold my home to this construction company through an Options Agreement for twice as much as they initially were willing to pay. Not only did I get to remain in my home, but I also received an annual income from them that would take care of my financial needs. Was I being prepared to minister to God’s children as soon as He opened the doors?

Time to Prepare

Then God began impressing me to “prepare my house for meetings.” Since I lacked sufficient seating arrangements, He impressed me when to go to Salvation Army Store, what sofas to buy that would match my existing décor, and what deals to take advantage of. I was thrilled by the personal interest God took in my likes and preferences—even down to the shade and color of cushions. I was able to buy good furniture at greatly reduced prices because God placed His hand over items He wanted me to have so that I could purchase them at the 50% off sales held at the end of each month.

A few months before I found out who the “they” were that God was bringing to me to "feed", I met a young Chinese student, named Sam. Several weeks after meeting him he came over to my house to relate a vision that God had given him about me. In the vision he saw a line of people outside my front door. These people would come into my home looking discouraged and sad, but after being in my home for a short period of time they would leave joyfully to go and share with others what they had received from the Lord. Sam told me it was like my home became a “revolving door.” As soon as people received healing, they would go out and share their newly found joy with others and more people would come to my home to receive healing and deliverance from the Lord. Several months after I received this prophetic word from Sam, the “they” began to come.

“They” Come

It happened quite unexpectedly, as is often the case with God. He is full of “suddenlies.” On November 6, 2000, I received an email from Ramone, a young man who was currently attending La Sierra University. He had been doing a research paper for an English class when he ran into a prophecy that I had posted on the Internet (On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand), and he had stayed up all night reading it and printing it out. As soon as he discovered that I lived five minutes away from La Sierra University he made an appointment to come over and talk.

I learned that he had grown up Adventist, had already been a missionary to Japan, yet continued to be troubled about many of the teachings in the SDA church. He was unable to fully recognize the doctrinal errors without feeling guilty. Like many of us ex-Adventists, he had been told from a child, “Don't criticize God’s church,” and "No church is perfect." But when he read what God had shown me in two prophetic dreams, he finally understood that God had seen all His children’s pains (including his) and was very concerned about what was happening to them.

As we talked, he cautiously tested me on my beliefs to make sure I spoke the gospel that he was familiar with in the book of Romans. After discovering that I believed (as he did) that we are saved by faith in Christ, he was reassured. But then quite unexpectedly he began to test me on the Sabbath question. I said something quite shocking to him. "If we are saved by keeping the Sabbath in the end-times, then we are saved by our good works instead of by faith in Christ's finished work!"

He admitted to me that for the first time in his life, the Gospel was allowed to interpret the Adventist end-time beliefs. He knew he had truly heard the Gospel, but he was frightened of going through this turning point because the Sabbath was his life insurance policy in the “last days.” He wondered, "Was God now calling him to walk where there seemed to be no ground beneath his feet, to step out over the chasm trusting that He would catch him"?

When he came to visit me a second time he brought all his friends with him. This was the beginning of the line of people Sam had seen in a vision months earlier.

Ramone was thirsty for God, and his insatiable thirst to know His love was contagious. He brought new students with him from week to week as we met for worship, prayer and ministered to one another... soaking in God's healing presence. A Thursday night prayer meeting was born.

As the meetings continued students began to move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit that they had never recognized before, such as speaking in tongues, gifts of healing, words of knowledge and prophecy. Although the gifts were exciting they were never the focus of the meetings, because it became so clear to all that God gives the gifts of the Spirit as aides to help us get to the root problems in our hearts.

Within a short period of time God began healing and restoring many wounded, discouraged and broken students so they would come to understand and accept who they were in Jesus Christ. As they let go of their bitterness and unforgiveness toward those who had hurt or spiritually abused them, God began releasing them from all kinds of bondage and addictions that had kept them in darkness. As a result of this ministry of the Holy Spirit, countless generational wounds were healed as we chose to “carrying each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2).

Seeing students freed into the light of His glorious presence was the best gift I have ever received! Seeing students learn how to “rest” in God instead of continuing to toil and strive to be accepted by Him is an on-going privilege and joy. I remember how Ramone would share from time to time that he and the other students were the “birds” God had told me to feed. I knew he was right.

Working from a Position of "Rest"

2008-01-23T14:01:00.001-08:00

In the Spring of 2001 God began impressing me to make a Prayer Garden out of my backyard. It was to be a place of sanctuary—to reflect what He had been teaching me about His “rest” as I waited on Him…

As I “toiled” tirelessly in my garden to make the vision God gave me a reality, I found I was “working” from a position of “rest.” Although the work tested my physical endurance at times, it was always a joy to be part of what God was doing to bless others. I never felt I was performing or that the work I was doing needed His approval, because I was in His presence continually. Daily I was energized by the Spirit to continue the “work.” Constantly the Spirit led me and showed me what to do next.

Through this experience of working in my garden to make it a place of beauty and sanctuary for others I learned how to enter into His Garden where the “work” has already been done. As I entered by faith into the “rest” of His grace I found that it is a place where no “work” is allowed. For in His Garden the “work” is already finished! The only thing left for me to do is to enjoy sweet fellowship with Him as I hear Him calling me upon the gentle wind of His Spirit to enter more fully into the “rest” that he has already provided... Himself!

Then from this place of “resting” in Him He shows me the “work” He has prepared in advance for me to do. From this place of “rest” where I abide in His presence continually, I “work”. But it is not like the “work” I use to perform under the old covenant—it is not heavy or burdensome, because His yoke it easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

Whenever I go into my garden and hear the soft cooing of turtledoves in the late afternoon hours, I am reminded of how the Holy Spirit is drawing each one of us to come into His Garden and find true intimacy as we enter into the “rest” of His grace.

Can you hear the Lord calling you to come into His Garden to rest? He is waiting for you with outstretched arms. He has placed you like a seal over His heart because His desire is always for you (Song of Solomon 8:6; 7:10).

“Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land… Arise, come my darling; my beautiful one, come with me” (Song of Solomon 2:10-13).

God is calling us to come into His Garden and find true rest in Him. As we linger in His presence and enjoy close intimacy with Him, He will heal our brokenness and restore our soul.

Lover Calling His Beloved

2008-01-23T13:20:00.001-08:00

My Lover spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with Me." Song of Songs 2:10

"All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you." Song of Songs 4:7“

In anticipation I responded, "Listen! My Lover is knocking.” Song of Songs 5:2

"I belong to my Lover, and His desire is for me." Song of Songs 7:10

"Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth... for Your love is more delightful than wine... Your name is like perfume poured out... Take me away with You... let us hurry! Let the King bring me into His chambers." Song of Songs 1:1-4)