Plant Seeds of Hope:

For A Better Garden, Yes...

More Importantly, For A Better Life!

NO END TO THE PROBLEMS...
You watch the grass wither, see the weeds thrive.
One gopher hole last week, now there are five.
The snails and bugs feast on all your prize plants.
The crabgrass takes over, and here come the ants!
You're ready to throw out your gardening tools,
No longer a member of "Do-It-Yourself Fools".
When life's full of problems that start with your yard,
It's easy to think there's no hope... It's so hard...

Does this describe the condition of your yard and garden, and/or your state of mind?
Are you ready to wave the white flag of surrender?
Don't give up yet! Don't lose hope!

You might be an expert gardener or a complete novice at taking care of a yard. Sometimes it makes no difference. There are days, seasons, even years, when nothing seems to go well or end up quite right. Are you in that cycle now?

Any project can be frustrating. Some problems you face with very little time or resources for coping. The problem keeps getting bigger.
Other problems you try to tackle head on with all the knowledge, experience, effort and determination you can muster. The problems resist and persist.
That can be disheartening. What now?

A word of encouragement is the first thing you need.
Don't let yourself be without hope. Problems can seem insurmountable when hope for a solution is minimal and twindling.

Is there an answer? Is there a way out?
I get many requests from people asking for the Garden Counselor's advice for taking care of their current difficulty.
I started to notice a pattern. People are looking for more than information. Want to know what they seek?

People need hope. You need to have reason to believe that things can and will be better. When situations head downhill and nothing appears able to stop the skid before all your wonderful plans and hard work are wasted, it is hard not to lose hope.
Can you relate to that? Or do you have concern for someone else who is a bit overwhelmed these days?

Shifting Gears... Wait a minute, are we still talking about gardening here? It sounds quite a bit like life in general, doesn't it? It's true, there are a lot of parallels between gardening and life.
Dealing with all the challenges in maintaining a healthy, beautiful landscape is very similar to facing and overcoming a lot of the issues that are a normal part of everyday life.

What kind of hope do you need? Did you know that there are different kinds of hope? Have you ever thought about where you go to get hope?
Are you just getting by these days?
There are a lot of angles to consider when you answer that. Look at the financial, emotional, physical or spiritual, just to name a few of the areas where our resources can be severely lacking.

I started the Garden Counselor site to offer people help with their gardening problems. The current list of topics may have just the article you need. But I don't yet have everything written for every situation. So a lot of folks contact me when their situation requires an extra dose of assistance.
You're welcome to do the same (just use the "Contact Me" page) if that's your immediate concern. (p.s. Occasionally you'll see on that page a notice that I'm not taking requests at the moment, but I give you permission to ignore that. Your needs at this point are important and I'll help if I can.)
But I'm looking at the big picture right now, so this page deals with more than that.

Hope to the Rescue!
It's considered website suicide to venture outside established protocol and mix unrelated themes on a site, but I'm diving in. I feel compelled to do something for people with life struggles bigger than gardening, to offer them seeds of hope. I'll tell you why later. Right now this isn't about me. It's about reaching out with a hand, or a hug, to those who are running on empty.

I want to share with you a number of sources of encouragement that have brought hope to numerous individuals. Today may be your day to glimpse a ray of sunshine through the storm clouds of struggle.
We are all unique, isn't that great! But it does mean that what is impacting for one person will leave others still feeling blah. So I'll continue to add additional venues for you to investigate.

I also want to enlist the help of those who possess a source of hope and can participate in passing along some practical assistance in their own sphere of influence. What websites or agencies do you engage with that lift people up with a helping hand or a hopeful word? Share them with us! Join me and be an encourager!

So here goes. Let's all hope for the best!

Sources Of Hope: A Growing List...

1. PLANT SEEDS OF HOPE: Encouraging Words from Music! 

A song can change a heart. A heart with hope can change a life. 
What are you listening to these days? Does it distract you? ...agitate you? ...numb you? ...or build you up?
You know your body can't thrive on junk food, but you eat it anyway. 

Isn't it time to consider the importance of feeding your spirit something positive and uplifting?
Here is a powerful, yet subtle and unexpected way that thousands of people have turned the tide on discouragement. 
(An easy way to change your countenance without having to exercise or diet or spend money!)

...What are you Feeding your Heart? 

2. A HARVEST OF HOPE From Our Gardens!

Gardeners Wanted! & Friendly Promoters... 

To Stop Hunger and Improve Health In Your Own Community!

One out of six Americans needs food assistance, but can't get fresh produce from the local food pantry. 
Yet, millions of American homeowners grow more food in their backyard gardens than they can possibly use.

If you are a backyard gardener who harvests more fruit and vegetables than you need, the AmpleHarvest.org campaign can help you diminish hunger in America by finding a food pantry nearby which would love to get your contributions. (& perhaps help you harvest!)

Help Move the Food by Moving the Information! If you don't grow food, are you willing to Grow Hope by Spreading the Word? Simply promote the program by presenting a flyer to places you shop! 
AmpleHarvest.org ...Will you Feed your Neighbors? 

3. HOPE FOR A HARD LIFE: Gain A New Perspective

Life is hard… and then it gets harder. So many people are of the opinion that the “good old days” are gone in our society.

Where does a person turn to stay hopeful? How do we stay encouraged to do the right thing and trust that things will work out? What is going on in this crazy world, and why?

There used to be a few ‘absolutes’ that guided people, so that whatever life threw at them, they had something to hold onto. Today, different segments of our society have followed and fallen for cultural gimmicks and behavioral fads that led us through a maze, then left us stranded in corners. The depth of our individual and collective troubles can seem overwhelming.

Do you have faith in someone or something that will make it all better? If so, is your faith well founded? It’s hard to maintain hope when one's faith is insecure. What will we believe? Who will we trust?

A different perspective can totally change our view of life. Here is a source that has seen a way through the clouds of confusion. Jack Kelley, a Christian Bible Teacher, presents an understanding of what is going on, where we are headed, and what we can rely on.
Dare you look at such a perspective for dealing with hard times?

Perhaps you scoff at 'Religion' as an antiquated, impotent device for controlling the masses? I agree with you. That is why you should consider reading Jack’s free E-Book to discover the truth about what Christianity is supposed to be like, instead of what it became.

There are hidden reasons why life is so hard. Download this short treatise as a Free E-Book and reflect on the possibilities. Perhaps there is a better way to view and respond to life, with hope. Living the Christian Life in Hard Times. ...What will you Feed your Soul?

MORE HOPE, ON THE WAY! What can you share? What troubles you? Contact Me with any questions or comments. 

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