Keep us Lord

Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life.....and so will always be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17

I think of the elderly I visit at home.
I think of the disability group of a Sunday afternoon
I think of the person behind the shop counter
I think of the man and his dog, homeless, sitting on the street at the local shops
I think of my family and friends
I think of my colleagues and work mates
All the people I engage with in my daily life and I think of those profound words that have stayed with me ever since I first read them. Words of power 'We are entrusted with the words of life.'
Lord, keep me in a sure and confident faith, and let me help others find it.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Colour is Joy

For each perfect gift divine, to our race so freely given, graces all of your design, flowers of earth and buds of heaven. TIS 137
How 'deeply' do you look at God's creation? I mean, really pause and look deeply, in wonder,at the shape, the design and most of all the colour. We can miss so much in the business of life, brushing past the most beautiful of creations without really seeing it. I make a real point of a garden morning walk in particular, reflecting deeply on it's beauty and its 'fullness of God's gifts. Its a lovely place to be 'God filled ' and I marvel at all the colours he must have had on his painting palette. How big must the options of colours been. Imagine it, dobs of blue, red,green,purple,yellow, black, pink and many many more in all their various shades and him dipping his brush in and painting a rose,sweet peas,lavender,violets, blossoms, autumn leaves. To me when I think about colour I think about joy. Its a rich blessing from God to brighten our day and give us pleasure. It never ceases to amaze me  that our mighty God, in all his majesty and power and dominion can think of such small things as our pleasure and enjoyment. Next time you look at God's created colour, enjoy the moment and breath it in deeply.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

offer to fetch.

I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you. John 14:18
I was reflecting on a pastoral visit I had with an elderly housebound couple that I had visited in their own home. They were very isolated from society, an elderly man caring for his wife for the past 20 years following her debilitating stroke and both were reaching out for some connection, just that human presence,  that human touch.Someone to journey with spiritually into the ending phases of their life. I thought of many people whose paths we tread as we bring Christ's love in friendship to the isolated and housebound. I found myself answering my own question of how to minister to these people and a small verse from a poem by Jean Harris came to mind:
Offer to fetch, Offer to carry. Offer to lend a hand. Offer to listen. Offer to stay. Offer time.......
to understand.

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

O what a gift.

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18
I just love to go to those places of solitude where you can sit and ponder and reflect and view the day or plan its path with God. Somehow when I do that everything that weighs heavily or everything that need discernment, or everything that needs righting, or everything that needs God's love just seems to fall into perspective. Right outside my front door as I look onto the hill some distance away I can see a seat. It is just placed there for walkers to sit and rest awhile and some locals even sit there with their cup of tea in hand and survey all they can see  and what a view. Its absolutely magnificent, right across the valley and onto the mountain range and beyond and is coloured with the seasons and  with the reflection of the rising sun in the east or a full blown glorious sunset in the west.
Rob Sagendorph said: Climb up some hill at sunrise. Everybody needs perspective once in awhile, and you will find it there.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

people of the way

Follow, follow I will follow Jesus anywhere, everywhere I will follow on. (Sunday School song)
I keep coming back to the old songs that have stuck with us all our Christian lives. The old faithfuls that we still know word for word but they come to mind more so when they become a living thing in our daily life. I visited the Trash and Treasure markets after church yesterday as I sometimes do, not to purchase anything but to just mingle. I paused to look at a stall that had paintings on it. Armature paintings but there was something about them besides the fact that some were of blue wrens!! The stall holder spoke in a thick European accent. 'You must be a person who is on the way?' I thought he meant on the way home from church but no, he followed that up with,' On the way, on the journey, you know,  following Jesus.' The next ten minutes was spent sharing faith and the love of Jesus with this stranger and I came away rich in blessings and a purchase of two hand painted pictures of blue wrens under my arm. I love to linger and loiter with intent.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

There are many places we can loiter with intent.

I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses (Spiritual Song)
I think there is nothing nicer than the peace of a quiet garden in its full glory and especially in the cool of the day. Its so full of 'God.' God in the beauty. God in his ongoing creation. God in the colour. God in the perfume.God in the wet dew hanging on every leaf and petal. God in the birds that also delight in meeting him there and enjoying his creation. I never see a seat in a garden as empty thought it might appear to be, its more a waiting space with its own atmosphere around it. A space waiting for your next visit, your next chat with God, Its like God is waiting there for you. How precious is such a space, such a seat and at times I find myself looking through the window onto the garden at the seat and a voice within me says, ' I'm coming Lord, I'm coming.
F. Frankfort Moore says: I think if ever a mortal heard the voice of God, it wold be in a garden at the cool of the day.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,
Anne, servant of the Lord

Come Lord Jesus

Withdraw to deserted places and pray. Luke 5:16

In the early light of morning I bid you come, Lord, and we meet the day together. You show me the way I should go, and I follow. You walk before me, making my way smooth, steering my course, inspiring courage. (Eaton/Brummett)

It could well have been the start of Autumn today. The air was fresh, the dew lay wet on the grass and a thick fog hung low across the farm flats. The sun was up and there was no real hint of the forecaster  heat for today. Peace wrapped itself in all I could see and feel and there was a presence in it all like someone had been here before me and were still lingering. These special morning experiences are ground zero. They are where God touches the earth and comes to give strength for the day, warmth for the spirit  and encouragement for life and I so often find myself wrapping a mantra around my heart. "Lord take my words, take me, shine your love through what I am, through what I do.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

keep up the talk.

Tell me the old old story of Jesus and his love. (hymn)
I have a picture in my mind when I recall this song I learnt in Sunday School. Its a picture of Jesus sitting on a hillside around the sea of Galilee  with followers and interested, curios people sitting and standing before him just listening as he tells the stories. Stories of fishing for people, of loving one another, of how the lesser is the greater, the richer the poorer, the needy needing our help. Here he was sowing seeds of love, telling the story and isn't it wonderful when we have the opportunity to carry that on, to share the old old stories. My 5 year old  grandson called me second day after he started school, full of excitement. 'Guess what.' he said,' I learnt a song at school and I want to sing it to you' and he proceeded to sing 'My God is so big, so strong and so mighty.' Here it was , this small child's voice coming through the phone, telling me the old old story with great excitement. I  was at a clients house helping her sort out her home full of years of hoarding and as we were chatting she stopped working  and just looked at me. 'What' I asked. She said ' You know, seriously I want your God to come into my life.' Here it was again....tell me the old old story. It just does not go away does it! As long as we live and do we tell the old old story.

Sea of Galilee from the probable site of the sermon on the mount. 

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

God's simple surprises.

O worship the  King all-glorious above and gratefully sing his power and his love.....the earth with its store of wonders untold. (TIS 133)
The morning is so fresh with new rain leaving large full drops of water hanging off every leaf and blade of grass and its exhilarating to walk among it breathing in the freshness and to  be filled with joy just at the simplicity of what it is. Lots of things can bring joy  and renewed spirit through their simplicity but we miss it every time if we are not in tune with what God puts around us. I love a stroll on special walks where I am surprised by every day things that cause me to stop and ponder and wonder at God's crafting and handy work be it a rock wallaby, fury and upright looking at me with the same sense of wonder, an abandoned home of the blue wrens in the bare branches of a hawthorn thicket or  the perfume from wet eucalyptus trees filling the air with their own freshness. John  Burroughs says: '

To be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a birds nest or wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life.'  How lovely to have moments of simplicity in such a busy world. Take them into your day and savor them and mull them over in the pauses of your day and call them worship.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.