You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5
I see the prunes tree  loading itself with masses of pink blossom, the wattle a flush of bright yellow, signs  that tells me spring is just around the corner. As I see these signs of spring

 its easy to theologically reflect. Many thoughts  about God come to mind, new life, faithfulness,  assurance, presence, love, joy.
When I pause to see the petals of the last seasons roses lying softly on the ground I think of God's gift to us in beauty and brokenness.
When I hold the hand of the frail elderly in their dying then I am on Holy ground.
Early in the morning when I look to the east to catch the rising sun and offer my prayers, and in the evening when I turn my face to the sunset to give praise for the day, it seems that all around me and where I am, there is God.
Today keep an eye out for his presence, not only in the surrounding of nature, and in others you encounter, but also in yourself.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

mirror image

' let your light shine before others so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.' Matthew 5:16
I look from my office window across the road to a large pond and on a day when the air is clear, the sky is blue and the day bright I am drawn to see, in the stillness of the water a reflection of the ponds surrounds is  so clear and detailed that it stops me in my path. Were I to take a photo it would be hard to distinguish the reflection from the real scene. I often see the beautiful reflection before I see the scene that made it.
I remember reading about St Francis of Assisi and how he felt  so unworthy of God's presence and use of his life and people would say, 'What is it that draws us to you, why is the whole world following you?'
Francis himself would marvel that God chose such a 'worthless creature' to do his work,  to reflect God's life.
Amy Carmichael says: A pilgrim looked at the reflection of a mountain in still water. It was the reflection that first caught his attention. But presently he raised his eyes to the mountain.'Reflect me, ' said the Father to him, then others will look at you, then they will look up and see me.'  
                                       The stiller the water the more perfect the reflection.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

photo:Galong monastery

Jesus among us

'Lord Jesus stand among us and bring your healing love. May we know your presence as we break bread together.Give us your peace.' (APBA)
A small, frail, elderly lady sat  among the others gathered for the Communion service at the aged care facility.I had been told she had dementia and she had forgotten much. She sat quietly, just looking at the floor, not engaging or participating until we sang our final hymn, 'Jesus loves me this I know.'  She didn't move, she showed no emotion, she held the hymn book closed on her lap but her lips mouthed the words and her eyes seemed to be looking down the years of knowing. As I looked at her my heart melted. I felt a deep sense of peace, of hope, of assurance and of  being on sacred ground. All else might be seemingly lost to her but there is Jesus. His presence was  alive in the very words she mouthed ' Jesus loves me this I know.'
How important it is to retain the old hymns and the old familiar version of the prayers. especially the Lords

Prayer. They allow inclusion and familiarity for those who seemingly have lost all else.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

God's presence

Jesus said: ' I am not trying to do what I want, but only what he who sent me wants.' John 5:30
I can imagine how a climbers heart must leap and spirit soar when they reach the summit of a high mountain and survey the view around and below. Breath taking. I can imagine a leaping heart and soaring spirit when an architect surveys a completed magnificent building. When I drove into Durham and came around the corner to be confronted by the city, there in its midst was the Durham Cathedral towering over all other buildings causing my heart to leap and my spirit to soar. Like wise when I came over the hill in Jerusalem to be confronted by the city with the Dome of the Rock before me and the tears just silently  ran down my face. Yet I also can look at a brightly coloured beautifully crafted flower or a tiny blue wren and my heart leaps and my spirit soars. To me this is standing on sacred ground. A hiker on a mountain top explained her experience like this: ' Suddenly I felt God's power and presence penetrate right through me. I was so overwhelmed I just sat down.  My eyes overflowed with tears and I thanked God that he had taught me to know him and I begged him ardently that my life be consecrated to his will.'
What causes your heart to leap and your spirit to soar?  Where do you 'meet'God?
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Photo: Western Wall. Jerusalem

You are seen

I am his and he is mine, here in the power of God I stand.(Song: How deep the Fathers love for us)

I think  the words of this spiritual song make for a good mantra.'I am his and he is mine, here in the power of God I stand.' Think of all the situations and times  you could grasp hold of that line as a life line, a means of strength or to express the power of God's saving grace.

I remember a conference I went to at Kurrajong in the foot hills of the Blue Mountains, a place of beauty and rest, a place of quiet yet the sound of the Bell birds still rings in my mind.  There an aged care chaplain told the story of an elderly frail  lady with sever dementia and her conversation seemed to have no meaning to the listener. As the chaplain sat with her,gently  massaging fragrant oils into her arthritic hands she had a great sense of inadequacy in her ability to have meaningful conversation with this lady and often the silence was long and uncomfortable. This particular day the chaplain had brought with her a CD for background music  to fill the silences. In the CD was a repetitive one liner: ' You are seen, you are loved, you are doing very well.'  Then, in the midst of a muddled conversation the elderly lady looked into the chaplains eyes and after a moment of silence said, as clear as the call of the Bell birds. ' You are seen, you are loved, you are doing very well.'

Serve God with confidence for you to are seen, loved and doing very well.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne, servant of the Lord

God's recreation

'Morning has broken, like the first morning.' TIS 156
The sun did nothing spectacular when it came over the horizon today but minutes later a midst the morning fog and icy frost it hung ghost like from  the shifting fog that had covered its face, a breathtaking  perfect circle of , colourless shinning  silver. All was so still and quiet except for beautiful song of a magpie. It was a special moment.
One of my favourite hymns is 'Morning has Broken.' It says so much about what we see and hear if we take the time to listen and look, and it says so much about what we miss if we don't go a little slower, to say nothing of missing the joy of the gift of each new day
.(Lessin)
Jesus is the sun rise in the morning and the sunset of your day.
His mercy greets you every morning and his goodness tucks you in at night.

Every new day is like looking God straight in the eye. Its as simple as that.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

let your light shine

At the end of each day I reflect on the people who have crossed my path and sum that up in my prayers, especially  when I think of those who experienced Christ through the encounter, those who catch a glimpse of Christ through  relationship with them or in a brief passing. a brief word, a brief touch. I think of my daily round and yours and sum that up as many who have had a touch of God through us all and I thank God that we can bring some light into a dark world through who we are and what we are doing. For some, as the saying goes, we may be the only gospel they ever hear, the only encounter with God they ever have and it may be just enough to change their world.
'Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.' Matthew 5:16

Robert Louis Stevenson, as a small boy, was staring out his bedroom window one night when his nanny summons him to bed. He was reluctant to come and

his nanny asked what was the attraction outside in the dark night. he said, pointing to the lamplighter who was lighting the street lamps. 'Look nanny,the man is putting holes in the darkness.'
Lotz says in her book Just give me Jesus. 'You and I may not be able to change the world, but surely each of us can put a hole in the darkness.
Turn on the light! share what Jesus means to you and give God's word to someone else.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne,servant of the Lord.

A gift for life

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things in all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Cor 9:8
Most of us love to receive gifts. They remind us that we are thought of and loved even if they are only 'momentary' gifts like a movie pass,a book, once used or read it becomes a personal memory. How many times do we receive a gift that we can share with others, for life.
I think of our daily lives and how we give from the bottom of our hearts, for the love of Jesus, giving him to others through love, a love that we ourselves have experienced in Christ. What a  gift. There are still many in need of that lasting gift, the gift of God's love: your neighbor,the homeless, the man on the street corner looking for a handout, even the friend you might be having coffee with today.
The gift of Jesus, the Christ, is the gift that keeps on giving, through us as we share the gospel through word and action.
Lets not hoard and keep this gift stowed away in our hearts, but scatter it on the air and breath of this new day so it falls on those who need it.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.