Holy week

Ride on ride on in majesty TIS 348
I recall standing at the top of the mount of Olives and looking down the road that once was covered with cloaks and branches gathered from the nearby fields and crowds of people shouting Hosanna, a word that means 'save us.' Clearly you can see the city of Jerusalem, the city Jesus had his sights set on. The city of  his destination and his death, only known to him and his Father God. At the top of the Mount of Olives stands a faithful Palestinian Christian with his white donkey called David patiently offering tourists 'a donkey ride experience' down the road to Jerusalem, passing on the way, sights of significance in the Holy Week experience. What a special week this is in our Christian journey. We have sighted and held the palm cross received at church and now it lies on the kitchen table, or the desk or on the bedside table , for thought and reflection, carrying it in our minds eye throughout the week. It symbolises the cross that Jesus had to bare and the crosses of our life also, the cross that enables us to bare them, the cross that saved us, the cross of love.This week is a time for deeper and focused meditation on that great love of God.

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

my arms remain open wide.

One day Jesus asked his disciples for their few loaves and fishes  to feed a hungry crowd of people. Jesus took them, gave thanks to God and broke them and gave them.....to the people. Matthew 15:36-37
Never once have I ever had  regret or moment of doubt about the life that God has given me. I constantly feel called, humbled, privileged, honoured and affirmed, day after day. The disadvantaged I walk with daily,those in society, our neighbours, Jesus called them, those needing a shoulder to lean on, a friend for the journey.  God calls me to witness and to serve and my arms remain open wide for whatever else he holds for me. On Sunday at church I gave a small focus talk on the Nursing Ministry that is run at the church. God was putting in our path so many needy people and a small group of us  were working hard to keep up with their needs. We needed more help but it didn't seem to be coming and in the back of my mind was that 'still small voice.'  It seemed to be saying, 'you want more help yet you haven't asked me?' 'Your arms remain open wide for what I send you, I have sent,so now open your faith wide and ask me for  what you need, and I will provide.' I prayed hard and long for more help, and you know, following Sunday our volunteer group for this ministry increased from a few to 28!! Why should I be surprised? Is that loaves and fishes or what?  Is that faith in prayer or what? I don't know, but I do know God heard my prayer and touched the hearts of many and from that multiple people in need will be blessed.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
Anne, servant of the Lord

Loaves and fishes at the sight of the feeding of the 5,000 sea of Galilee.

enjoy the ride

I have learnt to be content in whatever state I am in. Philippians 4:11
What a wonderful gift it is to be able to say we are content in whatever state we are in. I think Paul, in making this statement really knew the depth of God's love and the peace that comes from all understanding.. I know there are times we feel content, but there are many times when we don't, when things go off course and we find the day isn't working out as it should.Last week early in the day I was in the garden and suddenly there was this loud noise of rushing wind that seemed to come from no where. I turned around and almost came face to face with a hot air balloon that was very close to the ground. It looked like it was coming into land yet it was some distance from a suitable landing spot. It was obviously coming to land in a place that was not where it had planned to do so. It was off course yet everyone on board seemed to be enjoying the ride where ever it was taking them.  Could that be contentment? to enjoy the ride wherever it takes you. If you have mapped out and planned your day but during the course of it, it leads you to unplanned areas, then be content with where you end up for you are where God wants you to be.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

balloons over Capadocia. Turkey

Children of God.

Jesus said,' Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them for it is to such of these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.' Matt 19:14
I was taking a graveside funeral for an elderly lady and two small children were kneeling alongside the grave after the coffin had been lowered, peering down on it. They were deep in thought and as I was about to say the final farewell one child, about 7 years old, asked to say something. She said, 'when my gran was born she was like a rose bud, and as she grew up she opened to a full, beautiful rose and when I saw her before she went to be with Jesus the rose she had been only had one brown and fading leaf left on it because it was dying but in heaven she will be like a rose bud again

.' What could I say after that. A child so sure of her image of life and death at such a young age was obviously well grounded in inclusion and teaching in the family. What a blessing those words were to all who stood around the grave that day.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Just hold on....

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,my God,my rock in whom I take refuge,my shield and the horn of my salvation,my stronghold. Psalm 18.2
As I looked across the very dry paddocks  with that early blue mist of an Autumn morning still about I thought how dry it was all looking. A  wind storm could easily bring it all to bare earth and uproot everything and I recall a farmer saying to me once about the drought we were experiencing. He commented on the trees and how some species are dying, age old trees, particularly the pine trees that are used for wind breaks around the farms, trees that have survived to date, but now, lacking life giving water are dying. He said a profound thing: 'Pine trees have shallow roots that spread out and just sit below the surface and when a storm comes they cant hold on, they topple over, while other trees send their roots deep down and are anchored in that depth and can weather the storms of life.' He continued. 'Its like that with us and God. If we don't send our roots deep down we too will topple over in the storms of life.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

1000's of years it has stood against all the storms. A fortress in Israel.

prayerful distraction

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 Thessalonians 5:17
I was reading my early morning devotion and trying not to be 'called away' by the twitter of  the blue wrens in the garden but they won me over and I went to the window to observe their  garden fluttering of insect catching and bird bath bathing. With joy they played in my garden and I found myself thanking God for them and realising how much they were a  prayer. Other things in the garden caught my eye also, the beautifully formed rose bud on the rose bush called 'The Good Samaritan.' that was given to me by the relatives of an elderly lady  who had valued my pastoral visits a midst her isolation and I pondered on that parable awhile. I also acknowledged the rose that was open and aging yet flourishing and I stayed there awhile reflecting on the ministry I have with the older people. The Easter daisy bush, lent purple in colour is in full bloom and I gave thanks for the gift of this new day full already of the presence of God and a chorus of those delightful little birds. Prayer is where you are, in what you are doing, at any time and as you read these words, may they to be a prayer.

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

Just be.

Whom shall I send.....? (TIS 658)

How often do we get caught up in wanting to find solutions and 'doing something' for someone in distress or need. Sometimes we lose the sense of  'just being.' I remember many occasions in ministry where I have sat with people in deep grief, in loss, in pain and in suffering and just holding their hand in the quiet and they have said the most appreciated aspect of those times was just being present, being there for them. I read a  story about a little girl who had come home after visiting the family of her friend who had died suddenly. Her father scolded her for going to her friends house at a time the family was in grief. 'Why did you go there?' He asked. The child replied.' To comfort the mother.' 'But what could you do?' replied the Father. 'Nothing.' said the child. 'I just sat in her lap and cried with her.' Reflect a little on your day. Unwrap it slowly and treasure its beautiful gifts yet to be discovered. Your profit is in the human frailty that you serve for the Glory of the Lord, not the ticks in the diary of tasks completed.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Live and love and serve the Lord

'This is the day that the Lord has made;he calls the hours his own. TIS 368

I have this song running around in my head in the otherwise quiet of the morning. Still dark, still quiet but yet I know a chorus will erupt soon and the sunrise will be greeted with that song in my head which goes. 'All God's creatures have a place in the choir, some sing low and some sing higher.' The magpies will warble, the blue wrens will twitter  and the kookaburras will laugh and out of my ear shot will be hundreds of birds greeting this new day, this wonderful gift of yet another day in which to live and love and serve the Lord.  I am still reading Mary Oliver and she says.' All the quiet notes Mozart didn't have time to use before entering the cloud-boat are falling from the beaks of the finches......and they speak of nothing but light and delight.' We cant deny that all the world is a happy place, there is much going on that needs our prayers and our help but Oh we are so fortunate to be able to greet this day as gift and from our gratitude and the love of God use it to live and love and serve the Lord.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne,servant of the Lord