Close, how close to God?

The Lord spoke to Elijah...'Go out and stand before me on top of the mountain...' The Lord sent a furious wind, but the Lord was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After that there was fire but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire there was a soft whispering of a voice and when Elijah heard it he hid his face. 1 Kings 19:11-15
When have you felt so overcome that all you could do was stop and stay in that space as your heart fell to its knees? Sometimes its such an overwhelming feeling that we don't know how long we lingered with it. Some will smell a perfumed rose and linger awhile in that space. Others will see a paddock full of wildflowers and linger in that space awhile where time means nothing. Its a rich time where there is such a thin space between you and God and every time there is that experience of being on our knees before God something new stirs within us. I have a lovely CD of  just music with sounds of creation backing it and every time it plays ' Be still and know that I am God' my whole being stops and my heart falls to its knees and I am renewed. Michael Cabot said: Whenever beauty overwhelms us, whenever wonder silences our chattering hopes and worries we are close to worship.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Walk with him and talk with him

'I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses. And I walk with him and I talk with him and he tells me I am his own' (Gospel song)
I always want to linger and stay awhile when I take that morning walk. Peace, quiet and God fills every silent space that gradually is blessed by the morning chorus of the birds and frogs from down at the pond  and  I am enriched by the row of magpies in black and white suits lining the fence and warbling in such harmony as if they were in a grand opera..  Its these treasures, these prayers that enrich my day. Mary Oliver says. 'When I am among the trees they give of such hints of gladness, I would almost say that they save me, and daily.' Likewise the treasures of the morning walk are my saving grace. A time spent with God is life giving, life saving,sustaining and  strength for the day.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

What we see.

Even birds and animals have much they could teach you....All of them know that the Lord's hand made them. Job 12:7-9
There is something about that first step out the door. Its like meeting God face to face. He is there in the trees, the parched earth and the wisp of mist in the valley, even in the thunder rumbling around the mountains.

He is there on the pond, in the ducks and swallows and the perfume of the rain soaked lavender on the nature strip.  I read this poem that says it all: I see his blood upon the rose and in the stars the glory of his eyes. His body gleams amid eternal snows, his tears fall from the skies. I see his face in every flower. The thunder and the singing of the birds  are but his voice and cavern by his power. Rocks are his written words. All pathways by his feet are worn. His strong heart stirs the ever beating sea. His crown of thorns is twined in every thorn. His cross in every tree.(Joseph Plunkett)
What we see is more than what we see and sometimes we may need to sharpen our vision.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Share God's love

'O the love of Jesus, it washes white as snow.' (Spiritual song)
Sometimes God just knocks harder on the door of our heart to get our attention and other times he just flows through our heart and thoughts like a cool refreshing river on a hot day. His river was flowing this morning as I walked in the fresh early morning and I thought of his love. His love for you and for me . His never ending, never changing love. I reflected on the person in yesterday who said she was not loved by God. 'How can he love me' she said. 'Look at me living in the gutters of homelessness, begging for a dollar here and there just to get something to eat. At McDonald's they call me 'the lost cause.'  As we chattered I said to her.' God loves everyone of us, including you. He dose not look at who we are as much as  who we can be with him, with his love. There is one song that sits on my heart and I know it was written there long ago and its never been forgotten, The words are this': Something beautiful, something good, all my confusion he understood. All I had to offer him was brokenness and strife but he made something beautiful of my life. She asked me to write the words on the back of the McDonald's receipt so she could take them with her. She may have a long hard road to another way of life but hopefully she will find the Jesus who loves her as a travelling companion..

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

Ownership

You heard the true message......you believed in Christ, and God put his stamp of ownership on you. Ephesians 1:13

Sometimes I wonder what makes us different from many others. What is it that people see when they look at us and watch as we live day from day. I had a meeting with a community service person yesterday to review what we were doing for a client, to coordinate our program, and she said to me. ' I can see in you a passion and a love, not just for what you do for our disadvantaged people, but in whose name you do it for.'  Ancient generals put an ownership stamp such as a tattoo on their soldiers,An ancient writer told Christians to use the symbol of a dove,( the symbol of the Holy Spirit and of hope) for their ownership stamp and Paul likened ownership stamps to 'Gods gift of the Spirit' to us. Giving us his Spirit was our ownership stamp. How clearly do you think others around us see that stamp of ownership in us? How does it reveal itself through you and me? Victor Hugo said: Let us be like a bird, for a moment perched on a frail branch while he sings: Though he feels it bend, yet he sings his song knowing that he has wings.

the first fruits

'May the foot of God walk with you and his hand hold you tight' (TIS 779)
There is something magical about the time of the day when the sun filters through the night sky and breaks into light. Stepping out the door for the first time in a new day is like my feet touching the newness, the ' not walked on until now' path of the new day and as  God comes alongside I discover
the offerings of the day that would have otherwise been missed. Offerings and events that give joy and blessings and the days strength, like the magpies kicking in the tanbark, the different shades of glory crossing the sky as the sun rises over the mountain, the birds calling in the new day and that delightful sound of a baby kookaburra trying to learn his laugh.  The wonderful morning gifts, of time with God is  new every morning are the most powerful pearls of great price to deposit in our heart and mind as we venture into the rest of the day, into the unknown.I love these words of St Patrick's lorica: Christ be with me. Christ within me. Christ behind me. Christ before me. Christ beside me.

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

living water

Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift. Revelations 22:17
I watched the fallen  rain water gushing down the water course and into the pond and fill it with new life. The patches of unwanted debris and stagnant water were swept away and replaced by fresh,life giving water. When the pond was refreshed  with this surge of clear water and became still again  the baby wood ducks came out from the long tall reeds in formation behind their mother and I laughed at their antics of trying to go 'heads down tails up.' There was quacking with delight and the dragonflies hovered over the waters looking for food. Swallows, Willie wag tails and wrens all chattered together in excitement at how the water had renewed life on their pond and even the mud wasps were visibly collecting fresh mud to build  their homes and O it all reminded me of the words Jesus said about living water and new life.
Eleonora Duse said:  If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature  have a message that you understand, rejoice for your soul is alive.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Love, love love.

God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5
The Christmas season has come and gone and now we launch into a New Year with so many opportunities for new beginnings. I wonder what your 'theme' for 2016 will be. What will you aim to achieve or focus on?  I remember the song,  ' All we need is love, love, love.' Imagine if every single person wore those words on their chest, in their heart, day by day all through 2016, just for starters.  A story goes like this: A small child struggled as he carried a large  gift wrapped box over to his Grandfathers chair on Christmas day.  As he carefully unwrapped it and looked inside he said to the boy, 'But its empty, did you forget to put my gift inside?'  The boy raised himself to full height and on tip toes peered into the box. 'Oh no,' he said to his Grandfather.' 'I didn't give you an empty present. I filled it with my  love.'  May Christ's love be visible within us in all we do and say in his name. May that love be a true gift to others and as blessing to you.

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