Southern California Memories

It's only been a couple of weeks since we returned from California, but the memories of the flowers, green trees and warm weather are fading. I have to relive them in our photo albums of the trip (links below).

This rose was nearby the hotel we stayed at on our last day. I stopped to bury my nose in it with my eyes closed, thinking of my rose-loving friend, Louise Allred, back in Alabama. She's also waiting for the blooms of summer she enjoys so well.

It's amazing that in such a short period of time, the events of each day tug at my flower memories like they are pulling a petal off with each task that makes demands for my attention. "Does she do me?" "Does she rest?" I love to do and I never knew the concept of rest during the day, but I know that my body and soul and spirit need rest and time to nourish and retrain my thoughts.

What do I believe are the necessities and priorities of life? As I've often said, it amazes me how many times Jesus said, "Only believe." Our beliefs control so much of what we think ... but we can change what we believe by what we choose to think about. That's the priority time I have to give myself each day .... mind renewal. Sometimes it feels silly and such a waste of time ... but oh! how much better life is when you do the work required to change those thoughts and messages that threaten to destroy our minds and flesh.

Go back to the flowers and they'll tell you their secrets :-)

Photo gallery albums from Southern California trip:

Centennial Heritage Museum Gardens - Santa Ana, CA

Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve - Murrieta, CA

Old Town Temecula, CA

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, CA

Seaport Village - San Diego, CA

Balboa Park - San Diego, CA

Mission San Juan Capistrano, CA

Environmental Nature Center - Newport Beach, CA

Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, CA

San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary, CA