Gifts from God

' Opening their treasure chest, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.' Matthew 2:11

I am always so struck by the wonder and graciousness of God in the distribution of gifts for us.

Glorious rain, not just a little, but a lot.

Beautiful flowers with splashes of colours and deep perfumes. The colour would have been enough but no, he has added the perfume.......an extra gift.

The beauty of the coloured birds woulds have been a delight in themselves but again he added an extra gift of song, sweet melodious song.

A pair of ducks crossing the road.......waddling, enough to put a smile on my face but even again he added the 3 fluffy babies by their side.

Even the gift of the plain euchalyptus in flower, a brilliant flower from the plain green nut.

As we give gifts at Christmas to show our love of one another, so God gives us these gifts and so much more, to show his love for us.

I think we all know the saying: Every day is a gift from God. That's why its called the present.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

O what a gift

' Oh what a gift, what a wonderful gift.' Sacred song.

Gifts are stacked beneath the Christmas tree and there is an air of expectation and excitement about what each may hold as we wait for Christmas morning to celebrate the birth of Christ our savior. But you know, the best gifts are those that come to us unwrapped and unexpected:

Like the first time your 3 year old granddaughter tells you that Christmas is Jesus birthday or the first glance in the morning at the rising sun, its rays covering the mountain like a yellow lace veil, or the bright coloured parrot who sits inches from you and looks you in the eye. Or that rainbow stretching in its fullness, a complete bow across the open paddock.

May Christmas especially be a time of surprises and blessings that come unwrapped and unexpected.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

My heart just wants to sing

' My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.' Luke 1:46-47

The opening lines of the Magnificate always bring to mind several hymns such as 'Tell out my soul, the greatness of the Lord,' and 'Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.' My heart just wants to sing when I read this passage from Luke.

How easy is it in our daily life to want to express this feeling. Every time I come away from a pastoral engagement with people on the very edge of society, for what ever reason, I feel so blessed that I just need to drive around the corner from where ever I am and sit a moment with God. The blessings, the knowing, that what has been engaged in is from God, is so humbling. Yesterday I celebrated at a wedding in the country in a small Wesleyan Chapel with a small group of people........ it was simple, uncluttered and so special and today I am taking a Christmas tree and decorations to a family of a mother and four small children, refugees from Africa who are isolated in the community and struggling to get on their feet. When God puts us in places of need one wants to react......react out of a response that says deep inside that there is nothing in my life I would rather be doing, than serving the Lord.

Through your Spirit heavenly Father make these your servants faithful to serve and constant in advancing the gospel in the world. May they follow the example of Jesus Christ your Son, who washed the feet of the disciples and set the needs of others before his own. (Common Worship liturgy)

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

I've a mind to be contagious

' For you will be his witness to all the world...........' Acts 22:15

I was so blessed and filled with a sense of the 'Spirit, moving in this place,' when I received a Christmas card from a parent at school who's child has severe disabilities. She said, ' I asked him what he does in the GT's group (God's Team) at school .' And he replied, 'We learn how to look after for each other like Jesus.'

I was so moved, so touched. How wonderful it is to be a servant of Christ, a messenger for him, a gatherer for him, a spokesperson for him, a deliverer of a message that brings life to all.

I trust you too can reflect on your year and see the footprint of Christ in the lives you have touched.

I love this verse from Macrina Wiederkehr:

Don't hurry morning, come slowly, dress yourself in light, climb over the hill lovingly, hand me a new day hopefully, get into my bloodstream, and colour me like the rising sun, slowly. I've a mind to be contagious. Colour me bright.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Keep it simple, keep it focused

' Where is the child who has been born King of the Jews?' Matthew 2:2

Its that time of the year when we are all tired, worn out and pushing hard to get to the end of it yet we seem to go to more parties, more celebrations,more farewells, more 'last minute meetings'more.....more........more and by the time Christmas day arrives we somehow cant wait for it to be over. Is that the way to celebrate Christmas? I would be the first to say no, yet am probably the worst at all the above.

During Advent I have reflected a lot along the lines of how I 'do' Christmas........one thing my thinking does is that it draw me closer in thoughts and prayers with God.......

The true meaning of Christmas is always with us, its never changes and will never change, but we can change our attitude, our way of celebrating and more and more I think...keep it simple, keep it focused......focused on Jesus.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Your light must shine before all people.

'You are like a light for the whole world.......no one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl;instead he puts in on a lamp stand where it gives light.' Matthew 5:11-16

All of us have a task to do for Christ and that is to spread the word, to tell our friends, our neighbours....the whole world that Christmas is the coming of Christ,

Our Saviour and friend.

We believe that Christ can save us and the world so why do some hide this wonderful news.

I had said to me on two occasions this week, by Christians. One conversation: 'I am going to take a hamper to a man with a young family down the street who has just lost his wife. He doesn't go to church so I will tell him its from the 'Lions Club.' and another. 'This year I have sent all 'non Christian' cards to my friends who are not Christian, rather than offend them.'

My heart sank and I must say I did react and encourage them to think otherwise. Why have the light of Christ within us and then cover it up to the rest of the world? How can we claim to be the light of Christ, if we hide the light'

This Christmas think of the real meaning of the coming of Christ and don't hide it. Be bold,be strong in your faith......share the light and let it pass from you to them.

There is a saying that a candle loses non of its light if hundreds of other candles are lit from it.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

When you give a banquet

'..........But when you give a banquet, invite the poor,the crippled, the lame and the blind. And you will be blessed.' Luke 14

If there was room for more around your dining room table at Christmas time who would you invite?

Yesterday I was at a Christmas part with the 'Faith and Light' community, a group of about 30 people with a range of disabilities. There were encouraging and proud moments as actors took their place for the nativity play, there were mixed and emotional voices as the carols were sung, there was a wonderful traditional Christmas dinner and great glee at gift giving time.

There was no where else I would have rather been yesterday afternoon. Yes, there were 'fields to plough,' other places I could have been, other dining tables I could have been around, but I wouldn't have missed this banquet anything, I was so blessed.

This Christmas look about for the lonely, the left out, the poor and make that extra space around the festive table, and you will be blessed

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

God's love for us

'What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them.' Psalm 8:4

I took and evening walk and paused in the dark to look up to the sky, covered in masses of stars and a large, white full moon, just there, suspended, and in all that vastness....I felt small, just like a dot and the words of Psalm 8 came to me..'When I look at the heavens and the work of your fingers....the moon and the stars which you have established ....' no wonder I was feeling small and I had this overwhelming desire to fall on my knees.....'what are humans that you are mindful of us...that you care for us'

At the age care facility I have introduced the Hymn, 'How deep the Father's love for us......how vast beyond all measure....' We sing this in realization that even in all that God has created he cares for US...for every one of us....even you.

Grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne