feel the gentle peace

In thy presence, is fullness of joy Psalm 16:11
Just pause a moment and go outside and look at the face of God who is constantly reminding us of his presence. I could 'feel' the gentle peace in the mist silently hovering in the folds of the spring green hills. I could 'hear' God's masterpiece in the warble of the magpies, welcoming the morning. I could 'see ' his creativity in the delicate, beautifully crafted blossoms of the Wattle (have you looked at one up close?) and yes, even the weeds of the field have flowers of yellow, white and blue and I see, so cheeky, a sulpha crested cockatoo pop his head up from among the long grass as if playing hide and seek with his mates and I momentarily see God's humour. These are moments of stillness and reflection and as I

pause I reflect on the words of Martin Luther who said: ' Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection not in books, but in every leaf (and I say presence) of springtime.'
The new day is full of new discoveries, new signs among us. Who could doubt the living God.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

To God be the Glory

O Lord my God, you are very great......the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.' Psalm 104:1,13
Have you noticed God is putting on his glory again?
The Daphne is out.The Cootamundra wattle is out.The Japonica buds have burst.The morning sky is a kaleidoscope of colour and, on the flowering gum, tiny 'ballerina' like blossoms are dancing in soft pink tu-tu's.
Its so special to be able to look about and see  the things of God, here, there and everywhere and we  will see his glory, if we have our eyes fixed on him.
Fanny Crosby had 3000 of her works published and among them was  the hymn, 'To God be the Glory.' Fanny was blind from birth yet God gave her a knowledge that allowed her minds eye to'see' his glory.

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

From insect to mountain top.

'He gave us eyes to see them and lips that we might tell, how great is God Almighty who has made all things well.' (TIS 135)

Suddenly, when we sing a familiar hymn from down the ages of the older people, faces light up, voices are raised and memory fills the singing. That happens at the aged care facility when we sing the likes of 'All things bright and Beautiful' I was reading some works of Henry Gariepy who said: 'He (God) polished the eye of every tiny insect, painted the bell on the Lilly and crafted the exquisite geometry of the snowflake. He is the one who has made 'all things bright and beautiful.' Somehow its that sense of 'God is in control' that sits deep within us from the beginning of our faith. A God who can so powerfully create tiny detail and momentous expanse of mountain and sea yet is a God who know the depth of you and me. In this troubled and anxious world let us hold strong to the God of our childhood, the God of our faith formation, the God who has journeyed with us through life, the God who never leaves us, the God who is only a prayer (or a hymn) away.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

the promised land

Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mt Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho and the Lord showed him the whole land.....The Lord said to him. 'This is the land, I will give it to your descendants.'  Deuteronomy 34:1-4 (paraphrased.)
I was walking on the bicycle track after rain and there were worms attempting to cross it. The bitumen was drying fast and many were stuck. Some made it to the other side, some perished on the way and for some strange reason I thought of Moses and his people as they struggled for years to reach the promised land. Some made it, some perished on the way. Then, I took that thought further into our own lives and how many struggle in their endeavor to reach the promised land. Some are lost on the way, some die, some don't know it exists and some run with great perseverance to reach it.
 Our task is to lead God's people, to seek them out,to make Christ known, to nurture them on the way to that promised land that is theirs by faith.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

disconcerting

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Psalm 23:6
Something to think about today. Its called 'Disconcerting' and I don't know the author. It says:
'I read in a book, that a man called Christ was going about doing good.Its very disconcerting to me, that I so easily satisfied,was just going about.'

It sort of pulls you up in your tracks a bit and makes you think, doesn't it.

Israel. Road to Jerico

So lets pray about that by saying:
Day by day, O Lord, of you three things we pray,to see you more clearly,to love you more dearly
to follow you more nearly
day by day. Amen
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

create in me

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
Everything was so still and I could feel the warmth of spring already creeping into the day and as I walked there was just me and God.
I stopped in my tracks as I heard the call of a baby bird anxious for its breakfast and being watched by its mother, one eye on the baby and one eye on the food gathering.
I marveled at the increasing bud burst on the blossom tree where pink blooms were bursting free from dry, uninteresting buds on leafless branches.
And for the first time this spring the red rump, fire-tail finches are gathering the crumbs from the base of the bird feeder.
I looked at the small cup shaped indents in the  dust where the sparrows have been having a dust bath and thought of God's promise that he even cares for them.
I love the early morning when everything is still, when every hour belongs to me, and I do as I will (Chrissy Greenslade)
Make time for yourself. Enjoy the special moments.

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

continual feast

The cheerful heart has a continual feast. Proverbs 15:15
We are never poor when our heart has a continual feast:
Company of good friends sharing chocolate, sharing the beauty of nature, sharing life.
Walking at sunrise, catching the creation of the day, the fog,the mist, the colour.
Welcoming in the spring,the smell of  mown grass, wattle,  bright yellow daffodils, warm sunny days.
The blessings from God, The stranger we meet along the way,Godly encounters, our life, his comfort and his love.
I read this from Iris Murdoch: 'One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Are you Jesus

'You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before others that they may see your good works and give Glory to your Father in heaven.' Matthew 5:14-16(paraphrased)
There are so many ways we can be the light of Christ in this world and I recall a  story that I heard many years ago: Three men were running late for their flight home after a convention and in their haste they knocked over a stand that was selling apples and they went everywhere. In fear of missing their flight the men kept going. As they got close to the departure gate one of the men said to his friends, 'call my wife and tell her I will be on a later flight' and he turned and went back to the apple stand where the young girl was struggling to gather the apples. He proceeded to help her and in conversation discovered she was blind. With the apples back in place, he gave her money for the damaged ones and said his good bye. As he was walking away she called out to him 'Mister, are you Jesus?'

Think about how your daily actions can cause others to see Jesus.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.