I AM

By Hazel Holland

After writing a word from His heart this morning I was inspired to paint this water color this afternoon as I thought about Sara, a young friend of mine, who is going through a difficult time in her life right now. You can read the word from His heart here.

To see a larger art print please click here.

Look to the Light

By Hazel Holland

I wrote this poem after receiving the Vision of the Trees.  Then last night I did this pastel to illustrate the last tree in the vision that didn't draw attention to itself...


You stand so stately, tall and green.
The most perfect tree I've ever seen.
How your lights sparkle and make you glow.
They're clear as crystal—you steal the show.

At first you stood erect, alone.
Now another tree comes to take your throne.
Blue light’s flicker where they've been placed.
On every branch so perfectly spaced.

Sadly I watch your beauty fade
Just like the sparkle the other pine made.
Now another tree glitters where you once stood.
Its multicolored lights for a moment look good.

Then suddenly you vanish before my eyes
And in your place to my surprise
Is a forest of trees, shimmering, bright
Like silent sentinels guarding the night.

All of a sudden a string of lights appear
To circle the forest in a shackle of fear.
Again and again the cord wraps around
Until the forest is nowhere to be found.

Again the scene changes its wintry face
As a fir displays its beauty and grace.
The soft rays of Light make everything new
As each branch glistens like morning dew.
Now rainbow colors rest on each needle.
Its glory surpasses a mighty cathedral.

Then I heard His voice so gently say,
"Look to the Light while it is still day.
Don't make your own light when you can't see.
I am your Light; look up, It is Me!
Even when you walk through the darkest night,
Trust in My love, walk by faith, not by sight."

"Forgive us dear Lord for what we have done.
We repent of our pride, we submit to Your Son.
Break the chords of our bondage--we will be free.
Bring us back from captivity.
We renounce our light, and receive Your fire.
You are our Light,our heart's desire."

Lover & His Beloved

By Hazel Holland

I painted this water color yesterday. Actually it was early this morning after I had posted "His Beloved Daughter" on my other blog.  I didn't realize it was in the early hours of Valentine's Day when I painted it! I believe the Lord wants to share His heart with us through this painting... In spite of the darkness seen in her heart, the Beloved is offering her heart just as it is to her Lover knowing that His blood covers her sins completely...

This picture came as a result of writing the post, “His Beloved Daughter”, that reveals my past struggles to love and accept myself, and finally discover who I was in Christ. I wanted to illustrate my brokenness and His willingness to receive and love me just as I was/am. Here are a few of my thoughts…

A friend pointed out the striking similarity between this painting and the Father's Broken Heart that I had done earlier. As I was painting this picture I noticed the similarity, too, and I wanted to make it different, but I couldn’t as much as I tried. I don’t believe this is a coincidence, because God was compelling me to paint it as He brought His heart on me to do it.

When I began to paint I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted to hold up my hands and offer Him my heart just as it was... Then as I prayed the Spirit impressed me to paint Jesus looking down on me from the cross with His blood falling upon me. As I began to do this I recognized I had portrayed my heart as I wanted others to see me--not how He saw me. I had painted my heart all red with no darkness inside. I had covered up my broken and imperfect heart so that it would look like an acceptable offering to Him. But that is not what He wants! The Father’s heart was broken for us by the sacrifice of His Son. He accepts willing and contrite hearts. He wants us just as we are so that he can change us into His image...

Then, Like Peter, I wanted Him to wash all of me, not just my “feet”, so I began to paint His blood running down my hands and arms symbolizing my need to be totally covered by His sacrifice for me. But I believe the Lord would say to us, “When you offer Me your broken and contrite hearts, you are totally covered by my blood! There’s nothing more that you can do, because it already has been done by Me! Rest, my Beloved, in the knowledge that I AM your Lover! I accept you and adore you just as you are! And I will change you from glory to glory…”

The rainbow above Jesus symbolizes the truth that He is the Promise Keeper! He will fulfill His promises to us because we are Beloved—His Bride.

I know at times in my life when I have reached out to God He has felt so far away. We have all experienced that at times. But the truth is, because He has already given us His Spirit to live in us, He is nearer than the breath we breathe. I wanted to convey the truth that He is near--not some distant God, but very close to us. He is God with us—Emmanuel!

As we lift up our hands in intercession, bringing Him the hearts of His beloved and hurting children, He will not fail to keep His promises to us. His arms are outstretched, reaching out to embrace and receive this world’s hurting sons and daughters… He is calling us to bring them to Him just as they are, and allow Him to perform the miracle of His transforming love upon their broken and imperfect hearts.

* A larger copy of this painting can bee seen here.  

Fruitfulness

By Hazel Holland

This was one of the first oil paintings I did many years ago at a time when there seemed to be very little fruitfulness in my life. I wanted to create something beautiful on canvas so that I could forget about the ugliness I felt inside of me... If only I could wipe away the sad memories and erase the bad decisions with one stroke of my oil brush...

Now as I look back at that time in my life when I was walking through a desert valley... I was not deserted or alone because God never abandons His children. He was in the valley with me. He supported me when I stumbled along in the desert. He wiped away my tears when the sorrows of life seemed impossible to bear. He carried me on His shoulders when I was too lost to even know I needed to be found.

But the most beautiful thing I learned about God is that when the Master Artist dips His divine oil brush in His blood to wipe away our mistakes, they do not remain covered up underneath another layer of paint. They are totally removed from the canvas of our life as if the error was never there in the first place. And in the place of our deepest brokenness He uses His oil brush to paint a beautiful picture of our fruitfulness that now comes from Him!

Limitations of Life Within The Fish Tank

By Hazel Holland

Recently the Lord urged me to paint what I had seen in a vision that I received from Him while praying for a friend twelve years ago. Although this water color painting falls short of the beauty of the fish tank I was shown, it reveals the message that is on God's heart...

As I was painting this picture of my friend in the fish tank trying to swallow tiny air bubbles that came out of the filter in order to stay alive, my heart became strangely moved with a deep sorrow... I hadn't fully understood what this really meant twelve years ago when I received this vision, because I was also in the “tank” sucking air bubbles to try and keep alive…

"Lord, release us all from fish tank living into the Ocean of your Amazing Grace where we can drink daily of Your River of Delights. Lord, You are the air we breathe! We’re tired of being bound to man-made “filtering systems” that keep your Holy Spirit from breathing His true Life-giving Energy and Presence into us. Lord, we want the quality of Life that comes from living in You with no filters, because You came to give us Life to the fullest!"

God wants to free all of us who have found ourselves confined by the limitations of life within the tank! You may read more about this The Fish Tank vision in my "Sound the Trumpet" blog.