Christmas past and present

My soul does magnify the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my savior. Luke 1:47
Christmas as a child was an event I wont forget.. We were poor like others in the immediate post war era and presents were a luxury. Never the less memories of Christmas were very much about the 'reason for the season' and that was to celebrate the birth of Jesus. That was the focus. All the preparation for His arrival were carried out with  excitement and a feeling of expectation. The church was clean and polished and the flowers  were the familiar ones of Christmas, white chaster daises, lavender stems and hydrangeas and the hot days were filled  with the smell of dry eucalyptus trees, back yard cricket, noisy cicadas and noisy baby galas waiting  to be fed. Christmas doesn't have to be what it has become.......one great rush to get the presents. Large debt  on credit cards and a sense of rush and business. It doesn't have to be a grand  event that leaves us exhausted and relieved it is over for another year! Look at Jesus, born in a stable... that's no luxury yet he was the best gift we will ever receive, not wrapped in glittering paper and tied in a bow...... but open and ready to be given and received and always available to us all. In the quiet spaces of Christmas reflect on the  most precious gift of all....the wonderful gift of Jesus.

O come let us adore him. Christ the Lord.

love and more love.

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:1.
I heard a song on the radio and one line in particular has stayed  in my mind and shifted to my heart and the line goes like this: 'Your love goes on forever' Just days out from Christmas and I think of the great love of God to us when he came down from heaven and rested in the manger in Bethlehem that first Christmas. A love that goes on and on through the 'God of life and Lord of love.'  A love that draws a response from us to love  back. In this song the verse goes on to say: (God) All I have I'll give you, everything you see. (me) What have I to give  you? All I have is me.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

God of life and love

Remembering Jesus

O what a gift what a wonderful gift...(TIS 278)
Have you been wrapping gifts in readiness for Christmas day or are you still shopping? It is so easy to get caught up in the hype of the last minute rush to prepare for our Christmas day and how easy it is for the pendulum to swing wide from the full focus of what Christmas is about and that is the most precious gift of all, the gift of life. I heard a conversation about this among some small children who were looking in the manger. One of them picked the 'baby Jesus' up and had a nurse. As she looked into the eyes of the 'baby Jesus' she passed him to the boy next to her. 'See, you can pick baby Jesus up and pass him around. ' She said. ' Here,you take him and pass him onto someone else.'
Grace and peace this Christmas as you celebrate with family and friends and in your heart and don't forget to pass Jesus around.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Giving to those in need.

A still pond or raging waters.

There is a river  whose streams make glad Ps 46:4
Rain ,rain and more rain and how blessed we are to have had such life giving water on a drought stricken country. Its such a gift of life and always my mind goes to  what Jesus said, ' I am the living water. Whoever comes to me will not be thirsty.'
Then through us can come life giving water for others who God puts in our path.  I read this lovely reflection: (Jesus) 'Release through me, as rivers of living waters, your goodness, your truth, your love. Take my heart and fill it,take my hands and  use them, take my feet and guide them and may  your glory be the signature over all I do today.'(Lessin)
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Living waters.

O for a thousand tongues to sing my great redeemers praise. (TIS 210)
I watched it, a tiny river of water running down the gum leaf until it reached the tip and there it formed a bubble of life giving water ready to drop on the parched dry land. And the incense buds of the flowering gardenia filled the air with love and all around is quiet, is silence, and God is here. Yes God is here.
Horatius Bonar said: Oh this is life! Oh this is joy! my God to find thee so. Thy face to see, thy voice to hear and all thy love to know.

Rose buds, gardenias, whatever perfumed flowers are incense buds of God's love

The epic journey

Emmanuel. God is with us. (Matthew 1:23)
End of the year is looming. Christmas is on the horizon and I suspect the wise men might be getting ready for an epic journey of discovery and as for the shepherds they are going about their daily business of minding the flock unaware that their lives are about to change. We too are getting ready for the Christmas event, pausing in Advent and waiting for the coming of Christ. It can be a time of letting down and ramping up as some things come to a closure for the year and  other things demand our undivided attention to prepare for celebrating Christ's birth.  Tanks running a bit on empty? then try this for a mantra:
Breathe on me breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what thou dost love,and do what thou wouldst do. (TIS 407)
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Shepherds field chapel door 

God's gifts

Opening their treasure chest,they offer him gifts of gold,frankincense and myrrh. Mathew 2:11
I am always struck by the wonder and graciousness of God in the distribution of his gifts for us. Glorious rain recently,not just a little in some places, but a lot. Beautiful flowers with splashes of colour and deep perfumes. The  colour would have been enough but no, he has added the perfume, an extra gift.  The beauty of the coloured birds would have been a delight in themselves, but again he added an extra gift of song, sweet, melodious song. A pair of swans on the lake waters would have been enough but again he added the extra gift of three fluffy baby swans beside their parents and even the gift from the eucalyptus in flower, a brilliant flower from a plain red nut. As we give gifts at Christmas to show our love of one another, so God gives us these gifts and so much more to show his love for us. I think we all know the saying: every day is a gift from God. That's why we call it the present.

Gods gift of a beautiful flower from a  plain nut.

Pick me up and dust me off

Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,do it all for the glory of God.. 1 Cor.10:31
Every little thought,every big consideration,every feeling transformed into action,every act deliberately carried out,everything that I do, may they all be to the Glory of God. And God forgive me when I fail. Pick me up and dust me off and give me the courage to start again. And then I thought of the flowers in the garden and shaking my head I said to myself naught is impossible to him who trusts always.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne,servant of the Lord.

                                Naught is impossible to those who trust God.

The blackbird sang

Praise with elation, praise every morning. TIS 156
Eleanor Farjeon writes in her lovely hymn, Morning has Broken,'blackbird has spoken like the first bird.' Isn't it true, that sometimes we look but don't  see what we are looking  at and sometimes  we listen but don't hear what we are listening too. In the first moments of dawn  I sometimes hear  the melody  of the blackbird, high on a power line singing, and singing, and singing......is it just the blackbird singing or is it 'a God thing?' Perhaps his perpetual singing is praise for the new day and praise for his creator......or is it just a blackbird singing? I recall being at a small rural church when an elderly lady said to me,' I was baptized in this church.' In those few words I saw and heard a lady of deep faith, of loyalty and faithfulness to her God, one of the great crowd of witnesses, running the race.  How blessed are we when we listen and hear, look and see 'the God thing' in everyday life.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

A tiny rural church

Singing in the rain

His praise will always be on my lips. Ps 34:1
What wonderful rain and our minds are on the drought stricken areas that  they too can sing praises to God for rain, at last, at long last. So be it Lord. Rain dose something for all God's creatures. Its life giving, refreshing water. I read this quote from G.A.Leichliter:
I heard a joyous strain - a lark on a leafless bough sat singing in the rain and Jehovah  Shammah - the Lord was there.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

A top knot pigion enjoying  the rain

Such a wonderful God.

Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and his judgments.1 Chr:12
An acorn, weighing less than an ounce falls to the ground  and  can produce an oak tree weighing  more than two tons. Bury one minuet kernel   of corn and watch it grow from a green stem popping through the soil to a plant around six feet tall that produces cobs of hundreds of kernel. And that tiny pea shaped seed that grows and flowers into beautiful scented sweet peas.Ah, we have such a wonderful God of miracles.Miracles all around and yesterdays bulletin at church held a few powerful lines of a miracle. It said, caterpillar-cocoon-butterfly-can one not believe in miracles?  Look and see and enjoy all of the miracles around you in this new day.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Believe what you believe

Just believe.  Mark 5:36
Living in the outback many years ago I often wonder at a lone tree that had fallen in the desert where no one was for hundreds of kilometers, would it make a sound as it fell?
J.H. Jowett said: 'Does the wildflower bloom less carefully and are the tints less perfect because it rises beside the fallen tree in the thick woods where mankind never enters?
Its all like belief isn't it? While we cant 'see' faith  we know its there. While we cant 'see' Jesus, he is there. This simple statement from Marks Gospel says,(paraphrased)  'Just believe.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Did the tree make a noise when it fell and no one was there to hear it?

Restoration

Beauty from brokenness,hope for despair. (TIS 690)
For several days I have looked back on the reflection from Friday November 2 'Spring back into life.' and the imagery I used of the dormant, seemingly dead rose bush in winter that springs into life with love and care, water and tenderness, and blossoms in spring.  I called a modern day parable.  It strikes me how something can come out of what seems  to be dead and I pondered the idea of life, death, and new growth and I wonder, do the people we share our lives with see this new growth, this change in our  lives as we grow from what we were to what we are now, fruits of our journey with Christ. 
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne,servant of the Lord.

New life 

What can I say

How good is it to give thanks to you, O Lord. Psalm 92:1

Sometimes we forget to say 'thank you' to God. Sometimes our prayers are all about our needs and our wants and the thank you can become lost from our thinking. When I start my day I try to remember to say. Thank you for the roof over my head. Thank you for the new day. Thank you for food. Thank you for the beauty that surrounds me with spring flowering gardens and the peace and quiet. Thank you for being there with me when I need you most. I think that often we can forget how life is so good for us especially when I reflect on the homeless woman on the streets, the young man racked with mental confusion, and those who have no trust in Jesus to guide their lives. Lourdes Ruiz wrote: What can I say as I live each day. What can I say to you, my God? All I can think is thank you. 
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

For the beauty of your creation, we thank you O God.

Spring back to life.

He is God not of the dead but of the living. Mark 12:27
I was admiring the new beauty of the buds and blooms of the rose bush and thought how can it be that something so dead and lifeless a few weeks ago can spring back to life and blossom with such beauty. And I thought of God and our lives. People of God who have sprung  into life through the love of God and the power of living water. I look again at the rose bush flourishing with love and water from its gardener  and think this is a parable and I want to tell the story over and over again of how God's love can come into our lives and raise us from death to  life.

Covered in God's love

Eyes open.

.......then their eyes were open and they recognised him. Luke 24:31
The disciples walking on the road to Emmaus were startled to find that their companion was the risen Lord Jesus and the disciples on the Sea of Galilee were startled to see the figure walking towards them was the risen Jesus. Sometimes we to are startled to find the Lord is with us. He presents himself  and shows himself and reveals himself in the beauty and in the pain of our daily life. Sometimes the realisation is sudden and sometimes, like with the disciples it can be a slow awakening. Frederick Buechner said: Lord, catch me off guard today. Surprise me with some moment of beauty or pain so at least for the moment I may be startled into seeing that you are here in all your splendor, always and everywhere, barely hidden, beneath, beyond, within this life I breathe.
Grace and peace from the  Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

The beauty in a dry arid place.

Will I go this way

Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, 'this is the way,walk in it.' Isaiah 30:21
Sometimes I have a discussion with myself when I set out for a walk. Will I go this way to the open  walking track, or will I go via some streets and lanes, or will I just take the direct path that will get me to where I am going. The aim of the walk is to be with God, to walk with him in the freshness of the early morning even before the sun has kissed the capeweed into flower,   So often, when I deliberate about the path to take I think of this passage from Isaiah because  I often answer myself with 'walk this way.'  Sometimes at a funeral people use  the chapter from John's gospel(14)  and ask if they can leave out verse 6 'I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me.'  My response of course is 'no.' The inner voice that we hear is the voice of God, directing, guiding and leading, along the right path, the right way, to him.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Which way will I walk

who we are

I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord. John 1:23
There is always a bird that heralds in the morning. Its call is like a prayer, breaking the silence, welcoming the day. Its a joyous call that straight away I sense it is of God and I thought of John the Baptist heralding in Christ, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'prepare the way of the Lord.' I wondered in my quiet time this morning, in unseen unison with each other , how many of us are readying ourselves to 'prepare the way of the Lord' as we think and pray for the day ahead. You know we wear the name Christian not because of what we are or who we are or where we are but because of whose we are (Rick Ezell.) Go forth in confidence and faith.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Preparing for the day

Live Christ

The world wants something that has God in it. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is. 1 Corinthians (the message)
I was going out with family for a meal and we were stopped in our tracks by one of the poorest ladies I had ever seen on the streets of Canberra. While warm with ample clothing on she had no shoes or socks on her worn feet. She looked tired and very much in need of a shower. She apologized for all the fur on her coat saying it was from the cats she sleeps with. In talking to her all she wanted at that moment was a meal, nothing more, just a meal. After providing her with this request and a 'God bless you.' we moved on. It took sometime to get past the image and wondering of this  lady as I counted my blessings.
Lucado says: The greatest thing that any of us can do is not to live for Christ but to live Christ.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Live Christ

 

The sweetest song

There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God (Hymn)
If I had to choose a favourite hymn I don't think I could single out one above another but some do sit in your heart and bless you. Some seem to draw us into the lap of God. This particular hymn does that. There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God. A place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God. O Jesus, blessed redeemer, sent from the heart of God, draw us who wait before you, near to the heart of God.   Sometimes words and thoughts and   places draw us so close to God that we don't want the moment to go. We want to remain in that space. Its like you are one with God and cant get any closer to his heart.
Where are such special times for you where you find that deep closeness.
This morning I have to say it was in the sweetest song of a tiny bird singing at day break.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Singing at daybreak

story tellers

I love to tell the story, t'will be my theme in glory to tell the old old story, or Jesus and his love.
(Arabella Ketherine Hankey (1834-1911)
The air is fresh,the morning is quiet and the new day dawned. Each new day opens itself up to so many possibilities. Every day is a fresh new start. Every day is a fresh new opportunity. Every day is a fresh new witness. Just think of the people who will cross your path today. Those you plan to meet with, those whose meeting will be unexpected. Multiply that  by 7 days, by 4 weeks by twelve months, by 365 days, by a life time of telling the story and you thought you were one small person in a big world.
There is an African  proverb which says: If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito!
Go into the world proclaiming Christ by your very being there and tell the old, old story.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

traveling with us

I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where will my help come? my help comes comes from the Lord. Psalm 121:1
This is one of the .'grounding ' verses in the psalms that stay with you in life. Every time I look at the hills or mountains, every time I need God close, every time I feel a bit anxious or even just on the way to work, it comes straight to mind. It doesn't matter  if you are on a journey to Israel, or travelling down  the highway or heading for an operating theater, God's comfort and protection is with  you. His help is only a whisper away....'from where will my help come? It comes from the Lord'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Our protector God, ever present.

Ah, the glory

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed. Isaiah 40:5
I stopped on my walk to smell the flowers before I had even passed my garden.
  The striking deep red, and pinks and spotted white azaleas  bursting from bulging buds.
 The blackbird running around the garden path, busy in pursuit of dry grass and debris to build a nest. The tiny delicate blue forget-me-nots
and the dainty freesia packing a powerful hit of perfume that floats on the breeze.
 Ah, the glory of the Lord is revealing itself all over the place.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,
Anne, servant of the Lord

The dainty freesias.

A-bend to God

Breathe on me breath of God, and all my life refine, until this earthly part of me glows with your fire divine (TIS 407)
I often think of the prayer warriors in the community. I know of several  that live around my place and others that I call on to pray for me and the very vulnerable people I care for in the community. I know they, and their prayers are what underpins my daily ministry and gives new life to many. I read that 'neither my preaching,nor my praying brought  others to God.  It was the good woman 60 miles away whose prayers brought the breath-touch of God upon struggling souls in our community.'  Being a prayer warrior is a life changing ministry. Don't underestimate its worth and its power. God has chosen you to be a blessing to many.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

A prayer warriors tool

life of blessings

From the fullness of his grace, we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16
A blessing that cant be surpassed is our knowledge and love of God in our lives. Life comes to life in that knowledge as we walk daily with him. From the toughest of days, just to know he is there with us, is a blessing. Watching a tight bud on a rose bush opening into a fragrance of beauty, colour and delight, a mystery, a wonder, a miracle, a blessing.  If there is something tough on your plate today, something you are anxious about, something you need God's blessing for, then smell a rose, or look in wonder at the dense blossom on the prunus tree, or into the bright face of a golden yellow daffodil and know that God's is every present, ever with you and be blessed.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

A blessing in life

  

To the mountain

Many people shall come and say. 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob: that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. Isaiah 2:3
For me one of the most meaningful words in our Christian lives is 'retreat'. I have been fortunate enough to have had two retreats in a matter of weeks and  both were at beautiful Galong.
To go on retreat is not just about retreating from our busy lives but it is also about regathering strength, especially spiritual strength and to regather rest and deepen our relationship with God.  To stop and take  a step back and be still and hear what God wants us to advance with. And in all of that  the beauty of retreating is - --- suddenly  there are flowers to smell and birds to see and the stillness of God's voice to hear.  If you haven't  retreated from your day to day life for awhile then step aside with God and be renewed, refreshed.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

And I heard the little bird sing

The richness of God

The blessings of the Lord makes a person rich. Proverbs 10:22
You know, its that time of the year when the Daphne is out and there is no way I can walk past it and not stop to have a smell of those beautiful richly perfumed blossoms. Its like meeting with God every time I take in the aroma and everything else seems to fall into oblivion. What a sacred moment. Its one we want to visit again and again just to be in his presence. What makes you rich in life? Where do you meet God and have that sense of space where there is just you and him? Seek it out and pause often.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Packs a punch of perfume.

 

Rejoice

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so might the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with  love for  you now and forever. (daily office)
As I was praying this  I looked up from my place of prayer and saw the gifts already being given and the presence of God was so visible in the breaking of the day. A glorious  naked tree standing proud with buds of new life ready to burst open, jonquils and  daffodils at its base, bright gifts of joy interspersed with violets, their perfume filling the air. Wet grass from a heavy dew and the deep,sweet melody of the warbling magpie all made this prayer  come to life.
As Steiner Rice says: Who but God can make the day!
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Beautiful Galong at day break

This day, right now

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it. Psalm 118:24
There are days when the last thing we want to do is rejoice. Sometimes we feel things are out of hand, sometimes we feel flat, or are discouraged.  The writer of this psalm obviously felt like that  on some days and he too was a person of God, a person of faith. However , as the psalmist talked to God in prayer, his psalm always ended in praise.
Be honest with God. If you don't feel like rejoicing, say so and it can almost be guaranteed that you will end up with praise on your lips before the day is ended. God has given us this day to live and to serve him. Be glad in it.

   A new day.  New needs. New mercies.
  One faithful, loving caring God in the midst of it all.(Lessin)

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

New day. New needs

 

Full of presence

Blessed be his glorious name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with glory. Amen,Amen.  
Psalm  72:19 
I stepped outside before turning in for the night and from the wet ground following a rain shower there was a mist rising, embracing the night and filtering through the trees. It was like a veil of silk and the night was so peaceful and full of 'presence'    My thoughts went to this psalm I had been reading and these lines from it stayed with me:
Let the mountains be laden with peace (because of his righteousness)
May he come down like rain upon the new-mown fields: and as showers that water the earth.

God walks the earth: he goes before us in all things,
He is in all things, holding all things together
Including you and me.

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

A veil of silk like mist rising

Rock of safety

My God and the rock of salvation. Psalm 89:26
Massive rocks line the beach beyond the sand as a barrier to potential danger. They are rocks that protect the community of houses beyond them from the force of storm erosion and rising swells. But when I look at these rocks I see more than that. I see solid rock that can't be moved.Solid rock that is protective. Rock that is unbreakable but even more than that I see God. The God David  relates to in his psalms when he says 'The Lord is my rock, my rock of safety.' and I want to burst into song with Rock of Ages Cleft for Me followed by ' On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all else is sinking sand.' And then I add my own words of  'Fastened to the rock of ages, I shall not be moved.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Rock of safety.

Messages of blessings

In you I trust, O my God. Psalm 25:2
I love it when I have a day at home. Whatever I do with it I encounter many blessings. Blessings of rest,of friends, of quiet walking and lazy reading. Its a time of 'catching up' with myself. It allows space to reflect and to garden. I stopped in a moment of awareness as I was gardening. It was striking....the deep,deep green of the moss growing through the cracks in the brick paving and as I turned over  the leafy mulch on the garden bed it exposed clustered tips of the new growth of spring bulbs, revealing their intention to burst out of the darkness into the daylight, into their full glory. And the buds on the Japonica bush are threatening to do likewise. The gifts from God. The hand of God, in the seasons of life. In the seasons of our life. Full of messages of blessings, reassurance and hope.
 Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord 

Some just cant wait to blossom

Climb into the lap of God

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
This line from psalm  46 is well worth visiting time and time again. How often do we get caught in the business of life and self and forget what it is like to be in a place with just God.
I recall the silent retreat I was on recently at beautiful Galong where again I was struck by the 'deafening silence' amidst a group of people  who had come for the same reason, in fact almost ran to Galong from a busy life for the same reason, to be still and know God. When I reflect back on the retreat I realise how 'filled' the days were yet  I did very little except seek God in the stillness and the beauty of the place and in the peace of meditation. Its a feeling like  I had climbed into God's lap, snuggled in and stayed secure and warm in deep peace. I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything else except for the interludes of praise and worship. It reminded me of those winter days when you curl up in front of the fire, warm and snug with a good book. Retreats equip us for who we are  and what we are called to be in Christ. Without it we walk alone, running close on empty. Quiet, solitude, meditation, God and self.......what a mixture of ingredients...a recipe we all need to taste.
May today bring you some times of quiet and solitude.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

The peace of Galong.

Always there.

He who keeps you will not slumber. Psalm 121:3
'Where does God go when I go to sleep? ' a small child asked me. 'Does he go home to sleep? Can I invite him for a sleep over if I need him?' Sometimes we might feel that God is only with us when we are awake  but I assured this child that God is with us always.When we are awake and when we are asleep. I assured him that God is only a whisper away.
Timothy Dudley-Smith wrote: 'I lift up my eyes to the quiet hills with a prayer as I turn to sleep: by day, by night, through the dark and light, my shepherd will guard his sheep.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

By day and by night, always there

Come away

He went up on the mountain to pray. Matthew 6:46
Even when sitting in my room on the retreat at Galong I could see through the window the things of God. Everywhere on the lawn were the little blue wrens, scatty and busy. The sun rise just clipping the frame of the window enough to show the light breaking through the night darkness. Everything is still. Everything is quiet until a distant kookaburra laughs, and laughs.  It all puts a smile on my face as I acknowledge the presence of God. How blessed we are when  we step aside,take a break,  and recharge in a place where we see God more clearly and feel him so near away from the noises of daily life. If you haven't had the chance to experience the presence of God lately then set a goal to do it somewhere quiet, somewhere peaceful.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

The welcoming driveway  to Galong

Gather in the new day

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
How often do we get up of a morning and see nothing before us  but the worries and issues of yesterday. We miss the glorious  day with the  sun shinning and the crispness of the frost on the ground. We miss the gift that it is , ready and waiting to be opened and lived. Indeed the unfinished  business from yesterday may well be with us  but what a shame to  allow  that to block out the sun (Son)on a new day.
Mary Jean  Iron says: Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, savor you. Let me not pass by you in quest of something rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may for it will not always be so.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Sunrise over Alice Springs.

Holy is the Lord

Holy,  Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts: the earth is full of his glory. Isaiah 6:2-5
I often reflect on the Holiness of God and in one of his books Max Lucado says that 'God's Holiness silences human boasting.' When I think of the holiness of God I get a sense deep within of a stirring of the Spirit, not in a charismatic way but in a way that curls me up inside like I am wrapped in a blanket of God's love and held in his arms. I guess in some ways we call it humility. Lucado says that the one occasion that the Seraphim occurred in scripture  they endlessly sang   'Holy, Holy, Holy  is the Lord God Almighty.  In  Hebrew scripture repetition acts like a highlighter, a tool to emphasis.
God is not Holy....... He is not Holy, Holy......... He is Holy, Holy,Holy.
May we all find and cherish the Holiness of God.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Holy, Holy, Holy

The wonder of God

He heard things which he couldn't put into words. 2 Cor.12:4
I passed a garden when I was out walking that was very drought effected and in the middle of a drooping bottlebrush shrub were the most magnificent  flowers,  soft orange in colour and in the brown bush  and on a twig sat a lovely Jenny Wren and just momentarily it sang its song.This verse from Corinthians draws my thoughts into  what it is  that we hear or saw and cant put into words. Things such as  magnificent scenery in a special place that takes our breath away , a perfect reflection on a pond,  the chorus of  morning birds when all else is asleep,and  time and history etched on the face of  the elderly, or the colour of autumn leaves,or the reaching out of hands to receive the sacrament. All of this causes a small  voice in our hearts to say 'Yes' and senses the presence of God  that cant be described. Matthew Henry said: The ground of our hope is Christ in this world but the evidence of our hope is Christ in the heart.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

a reflection on a pond

A spark or a fire?

(Jesus said)  A person takes a mustard seed, the smallest seed in the world, and plants it in the ground. After awhile it grows up and becomes the biggest of all plants. (Mark 4:11-32)
I wonder how often do we think of ourselves in the big picture of the kingdom? Do we wonder  about the impression we might make? Do we wonder about our gifts and abilities, after all they are God given.Do we see them as small with only a small impact?How sure are you that he can even  use the smallest of your gifts to proclaim the greatness of the Lord? What was it that Paul said to the Corinthians? He said that God chooses what the world considered weak, to shame the strong. Amando Nervo wrote a poem, a portion of which reads: I am only a spark, make me a fire. I am only a string make me a lyre. I am only an ant hill, make me a mountain. I am only a drop, make me a fountain.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

I am only a bud make me a flower

Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill our lives

O let the Son of God enfold you with his Spirit and his love......TIS 655
That is such a lovely hymn and I found myself humming  it this morning when I woke up and it brought to mind a glorious sunrise that I has seen recently. It swept across the sky like colourful streamers across a ballroom ceiling just hanging, waiting for the dance to begin. Ribbons of bright colours of brilliant orange layered with pastel pink and blue.......a breathtaking sunrise.
I heard a man ring into the local radio station saying: 'I just caught a glimpse of the rising sun in my rear vision mirror.'  Two thoughts crossed my mind when I heard his words. May we never see the risen Son in hindsight and may others see the risen Son in us today.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Kingdom building.

At the works of your hands I sing for joy. Ps 92:4
Our attitude and how we see our purpose in life has a lot to do with how we go about our daily life. About how we see things, how we do things especially how we see our attitude with God and our journey as followers of Jesus. I read this profound saying: Two stone cutters were asked what  they were doing. The first said, ' I am cutting this dammed stone into blocks.' The second replied:'I am on a team building a cathedral.(anon)
How do you approach your daily life?
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

St Saviours Cathedral Goulburn

The lantern of your life

Come let us walk in the light of the Lord.Isaiah 2:5
Early this morning I was reflecting on those words.
It seemed the country side has stood still, almost empty, not a sound, even the early birds were still asleep yet I knew that within the hour the light would come and every living creature and plant would start  responding to the new day. Its like that with the light of Christ. We know that it too will move and filter into dark places and will reflect on each of us as 'light bearers'  as those who carry  the light of Christ into places of need be it through action or the word or the breath of our prayers. I have a mission statement for my nursing ministry to some of the most vulnerable in the community who struggle with the daily  issues of just living. It says: please bless the ones who have no hope and show me how to help.
Macina Wiederkehr Says: Bathed in morning light, pray that the lantern  of your life moves gently this day in all those places where light is needed.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Light filters into dark places.

Peace deep into the soul.

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believers ear. It soothes his sorrows heals his wounds and drives away his fears. (John Newton Hymn)
This is one of the most asked for hymns from the older people in the nursing home. It brings a true sense of peace that goes deep,deep into the soul. I think of all the names that come to mind  that are encompassed in the name of Jesus and I come up with: redeemer,saviour, friend, master, comforter, healer...........
Lee Self says:
I try to encompass all your names but they slip from my grasp.
When I hold nothing, I hold you
When I hold you, I holdeverything.

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

Deep, deep peace

The face of God

The Lord has decided the number of stars and called each by name. Great and mighty is our Lord. Psalm 147:4-5
I saw it in the sky as the night stars  tucked themselves behind the glorious sunrise.
I saw it in the sun as it shone like millions of crystals on the frosty ground.
I saw it in the mist hovering over the ground.
I saw it in the 'top knot' pigeons dancing on the lawn and the tree full of feeding cockatoos
 I saw it in the single drop of water hanging like a gem stone on the end of a leaf.
I saw it in the wrinkled and life worn face of the elderly lady.    I saw it.
I saw the face of God and my soul sang How Great Thou Art.
World famous musician Pablo Casolas said:  I find God in the smallest of things and in the largest of things. I see God in colours and designs. No two things are alike, no two voices are the same. Who but God can do that?
Be blessed by the face of God today in all you see.
Anne, servant of the Lord

 I saw God in the mist

Glory and power

The heavens declare the glory of God: the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1
It is so powerful and humbling to be aware of God's presence in our every day life and catch a glimpse of his work. On one occasion I recall being  in a rural setting where kangaroo and birds of many varieties were in abundance. As I sat on a granite outcrop at dawn, half way up a hill I surveyed a panorama of deep blue rolling mountains, distant ones snow capped, green hills and rabbits almost at my feet and God graced me with a brier bush full of blue wrens. I wrote in my notebook: Today I have been blessed at the start of the day with a chorus of kookaburras and I have been among  God's treasures. For me he opened the lid of his treasure chest and let a few come out and as I thanked him yet again, in a breath taking response he gave me one more of his treasures, a beautiful blue orchid, among the granite and the brier. I thought of  our powerful mighty God who created rugged mountains can also create a delicate wild orchid. Little do we realise sometimes that the glory and the power of he who made the universe lies hidden in a flower.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree

for Jesus

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16
                  I read somewhere that we should make a pulpit of every  circumstance.
 Those words draw me to think beyond the familiarity of the church and into the community where I recall seeing crowds of 1.000's watching a cricket match and amidst all the waving banners was one that boldly quoted John 3:16. And as I watch football something stirs deep inside me when I see the big burly men run onto  the field  with several of them making the sign of the cross. Yesterday afternoon's football  drew attention to the commentators who were trying to discern a scripture quote written on a wrist bandage of a player. The quote was Isaiah 41:10 which was thought to be a message to a person called 'Izzy'. (  'Do not fear for I am with you, do not be afraid for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.' The commentators  were saying 'Whats that he has written on his wrist bandage.That's a biblical text isn't it? Who was Isaiah ? He wasn't one of the disciples. No I don't know I will have to look it up when I get home'.Imagine the impact these shows of faith have on thousands of viewers of sport. If they are familiar with the quote they will feel blessed to have seen it displayed in such an arena. If they are not familiar with it they will go looking for it when they get home or on the spot using Google. Wow, what a witness and I wonder how much do we show our faith in the arena of the community?
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Let your light shine.......for Jesus 

Pods of life giving water

He made water flow for you from flint rock. Deut 8:15
I was watching the raindrops fall into the bird bath outside my window. As they rippled to the edges, one after the other they fell, pods of life giving water that rolled off the edge and onto the ground below. Raindrops full of nourishment, so small yet so vital to life.

Filled with the life giving, living waters of Jesus we too becomes 'pods of nourishment'  that spill over into those God puts in our path day by day. May these 'pods of nourishment'  overflow and strengthen  May not one drop go to waste.

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

Life flourishes with living water

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I believe because...

It was you who set the boundary of the earth; you made both summer and winter. Psalm 74:17
Sometimes its just the little things that speak to us of God. A bulging raindrop on the end of a gum leaf , just hanging there. A tight flower bud, waiting expectantly to burst into a bouquet of beauty. A small brown wren with a touch of blue coming in his tail, a sign of his impending rich blue to come. A butterfly beautifully crafted, a fragile creation of incredible beauty. Phillip Brooks wrote:  ' All the world is an utterance of the Almighty. Its countless beauties, its exquisite adaptations all speak to you of Him.  I like gospel music and  one song (sung by Elvis) goes like this: 'When I hear a new born baby cry or touch a leaf, or see the sky, then I know why I believe,'  There is always the sacred
presence before us. We just need to take the time to see it.presence before us.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

South Australian flowering  Eucalyptus.

Teach us Lord

Glorify the Lord with me;let us exalt his name together. Ps 34:3
Sometimes a simple statement is all that is needed. Let it speak for itself. These words from a song by Chris Rice says it all:
'Lord, teach us to count our days.
              Teach us to make our days count.
Go well into this new day with grace and peace and make a difference.
Blessings

Let us be the light in the world.

Anne, servant of he Lord

Come to the waters

I thirst  for you,my whole being longs for you. Psalm 63:1a
I was reading about the Northern Reindeer and how once a year  whole herds  of them do a frantic dash 100's of miles from their grazing on the flat grassy planes to the Polar Sea that they have caught the sent of. As they gathered pace on their journey some of them were lost on the way and some gave up. There was no stopping for food , there was just one aim, a desperate aim, to have a once in a life time drink from the sharp,salty water ahead of them. And amazingly, once they had their fill of the sea water they were found to be grazing quietly, contently, on the sea shore.  I couldn't help thinking and connecting this story with our great need to go to the source of living water, Jesus Christ. There are many times that we get a 'sniff, a scent'  of his living water, weather its to seek solace and peace or a frantic race for a long drink. I love the words of this hymn:I heard the voice of Jesus say, 'Behold, I freely give, the living water, thirsty one, stoop down, and drink, and live. I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life giving stream:my thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in him.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,
Anne, servant of the Lord

The vital spring  that supplies Israel with its water.