BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Well that was a morning I didn't expect! I was quietly doing some sewing when I received a text from our neighbours asking if we could go and speak to them about the fence that needs to be erected - we have now decided to go with the man who came round last night and he can do it TOMORROW!

Yikes that meant there was a lot of "stuff" to be moved so that he has a clear run. So it was on with the gardening gear and then in the heat of the sun, we sorted out lots, which of course, should have been done months ago, but we had just left it, as you do! I made Mr. HCB put all the rubbish in a pile at the front of the house, so that we will see it every time we go out and hopefully in that way, it will be taken to the tip quickly - well that's my plan!

The beautiful rose is one on my Queen of Sweden bush and the blooms are magnificent at the moment; cutting it back hard last autumn has paid off.

The beasts are the slugs, all fat and slimy, that were underneath some of the garden rubbish. Can anyone tell me the purpose of slugs? Lots of them "flew" over the garden fence - not to our neighbours, but to the world outside, where I hope they have a happy and fulfilling life, munching on the Council's land rather than my plants.

Sometimes our lives are like this - parts are filled with beauty and good things that we can enjoy and be happy about and then perhaps something dark and nasty finds its way in - perhaps through our own doing or maybe even through an illness or unpleasant circumstances and we then have to deal with it. At the moment, I have several friends who are going through difficult and life-changing circumstances and my prayer is that they will find healing, safety and security in the one who said:

“Are you tired?
Worn out?
Burned out on religion?
Come to me.
Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.
I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me—
watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me
and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11 : 28-30
The Message