opportunities to pray

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer. Ephesians 6:18
One of my grandsons, who is only 4, is constantly looking for opportunities to pray. He came into the kitchen as his mother was making his sandwich to take to school for lunch and said. 'Stop mummy, stop now, we need to pray.' His mother stopped and the little one, hands folded in prayer and head bowed said.' Hello God, I hope you are having a good day. Thank you for my lunch and thank you for mummy making it. Amen.'  I have a sense that there is something special about that child. In fact the three children of that family are very 'God aware.' What a thing to nurture, to grow, to encourage and to have input into. Who do you see as 'having a touch of the Spirit' in their lives' or who you could nurture in that way? Pray about that at all times, even like St Lawrence who prayed at every opportunity, even when he was elbow deep in soap suds as he did the washing up!
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

something special

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. Psalm 148:5
When I go out walking every morning its 'a prayer walk.' God and I communicate and share with each other the beauty of his creation. Its so special. Somehow the land covered white crisp frost baring my foot print speaks of something special. Somehow,the trees stark in winter nakedness, showing their bare beauty, speak of something special. Somehow the mountains tipped with the pink and orange of the rising sun speaks of something special. Somehow the new day as it pushes away the dark of night, speaks of something special. Somehow the spring in my step and the song in my heart speaks of something special. Somehow there is a deep sense of the sacred.
Tillhard de Chardin wrote: Lord, help me see the world with the same beauty it had when it tumbled out of your creative hand. Help me see that nothing here below is profane, on the contrary, everything is sacred.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

sit awhile

Withdraw to deserted places and pray.  Luke 5:16

 
We often reflect on prayer, and we carry it out in our various ways but today I can't get out of my mind the image of something that was shared this week during the aged care service, about prayer. It went something like this: 'When my husband prays he sees  himself sitting on a wall, his legs swinging back and forth and he is picturing before him  a beautiful scene and alongside him sitting on the wall also swinging his legs, is Jesus and they are having a conversation. To me he says, that's how I pray.' How beautiful is that! How lovely. How powerful. How unforgettable. Where do you go to pray. What draws you too a special place.  I love to sit in my front porch looking down across the farm land and into the valley and the foothills of the mountains and I see Jesus walking towards me from the depth of the valley, past the creek, across the road and arriving on my door step and strange as it may be I raise my tea cup and say, sit awhile and would you like a cup of tea. And you know, my soul weeps with the wonder of it all and my heart kneels to pray.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne,servant of the Lord.

God's fragrance

 I love the place O God, where in your honour dwells. (Church Hymn) 
I love the special moments when something profound happens. They are 'God' moments and they pop up all the time. Moments like when I see a new born calf attempting to stand by its mothers side. A flock of Blue Wrens arriving in the garden, and the metal bell sending out a rich ring in the night as its touched by a passing breeze. I know they are God moments because my heart sings and my voice praises God. I read these words by Ann Siddall: 'If you have never stayed awake to hear the courageous song of one small bird breaking into the stillness of the night, consider it. Its a God moment. If you haven't sat down lately with a cup of tea and simply admired a view, consider doing it. It is a God moment'. She goes on to say. 'I use to think God moments were special, set apart moments, perhaps brought on by praying in  particular ways. Gradually I have come to see that these graced moments fill ordinary days and shyly invite our recognition and response.' For me, God moments are when there is an element of surprised recognition that what I see or hear is  God. Its as if he has passed before my eyes and left his fragrance.

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

I see the Lord

My eyes are ever on the Lord. Psalm 25:15
God is brilliant in all the seasons but lately he has been excelling. The sunset the past few nights has been stunning, glowing red and pink and orange amidst dark clouds, covering the horizon in a blazing work of art, so lovely a picture that it makes me simply say, 'Aha'  And have you seen the moon these past few nights, perfectly round, glowing, clear and seemingly suspended by nothing,just sitting there and still present as the day breaks on the clear crystal frosty morning, another 'Aha' moment. It gives me a great sense of being alive, of knowing the presence of God, of knowing God is present and that gives me such life, such keenness to serve him.
What makes God real for you, so real that he is 'alive' everywhere around you?
Harold Whitman said:
'Don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go and do that because what the world needs, is people who have come alive.'

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

where will we go

'Come into his presence singing Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord.' (Spiritual song)

I look at the naked tree outside my office window and think of its slow undressing over the autumn season.Some days I would see one or two leaves fall and another day, when the wind chose a playful day many would go scurrying down the street.
Today for many its a holiday and I hear the voices around about me saying; 'what will we do?
  Where will we go?
  What will we visit?
For me, I am intending to go into the garden to love and care for the plants, to take times to sit and reflect and be near to God's heart.
John Ruskin said: 'Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord