Thursday, April 17, 2008

Smelling Roses or Pulling Weeds?

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!

























Friday, February 1, 2008

Four-legged Blessings!

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!

Friday, January 25, 2008

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

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.










Thursday, January 24, 2008

Recent Pictures of My Spiritual Family

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!

Roses in January?  Only in California!








Tiny red scarlet flowers...



















This potato vine looks nothing like a potato.





















Hope these lilies will still be 
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 flowers looks fresh and clean 
after the rain... or was it the sprinkler?














This pair of turtledoves will not coo or fly away
if you come too close!



























Here's looking at life from another
perspective!





















These fiber octave grasses love to send their 
roots down to the bottom of the pond...

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

In His Appointed Time.......

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)


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!





More


smiles...


from


Him!