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.

Keep within me a stillness

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever. Ps 52:8
I love forests. I use to love riding my horse through the pine forest as a child. I loved exploring Sherwood Forest in Nottingham and I love to just sit in the stillness and quiet of a forest, smack bang in the middle of nature and oneness with God and God's creation. We all know the saying, ' I cant see the forest for the trees'  Sometimes life throws up a barrier of stress or overwhelming life circumstances,hectic work scheduled or far too fast a pace of life making it so easy to lose that sense of oneness with God in the mix of his creation, making it hard to see God through the density of life issues. There is a lovely prayer  from the Hebridean Altars which says: Keep within me a stillness, deeper and sweeter than a forest's in mid winter.

glorious endings

Better  is the end of things than the beginning. Eccl 7:80
You need to stop and reflect on this verse to see how true it is.. A rose starts from a bud and grows to an open flower filled with perfume, incense that brings joy to the heart. A sunrise, rich in colour fades to a glorious day that holds potential for multiple blessings. A delicious meal, wonderful to smell as it cooks, to wait in anticipation, but the memory lies in the enjoyment of the finished product. A new found faith, rich with potential, grows and blossoms into service for the Lord.
Better the end of things than the beginning.
Gods  intention is to strengthen and bless us day by day. May you be richly strengthen and blessed through all your endings,
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

author and creator

Come and see what the God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals. Psalm 66:5
 I could hear the rain drops, big ones, dripping on the carpet of withered leaves and the air was full of leaves fluttering down from the half naked tree in the gentle breeze. It was playful to stand on the leaves, kick them with my feet and have them fall like confetti on my head and shoulders: all yellow and brown, yet they held a special brightness and a label in my mind said: 'Made by God.' How good it feels when we look past nature and see the creator, the author. Eugene Peterson in the message says. Take a good look at God's wonders - they will take your breath away.
Peace be to us all and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Like jewels on a necklace

What ever our song...............

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all of God's people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus . Ephesians 3: 17-19
I remember well standing in the hot sand on a  dry river bed outside Alice Springs and looking at the Gum Trees showing their roots above ground but well plunged deep into the sand, anchoring the trees in position, strengthening them for when the storms and floods come after the long awaited rains The roots were the life saving anchor for the trees. Holding them firmly in place.  I cant look at such an image and not thing about ourselves. What is our anchor in life? How deep do we go down to be rooted in Christ who is our strength in stormy times and in dry times. When I  reflect on these  bare rooted trees  I just want to sing, 'O the deep deep love of Jesus! Vast, unmeasured , boundless and free.' Or perhaps another hum wells up in you ' Will my anchor hold in the storms of life.'  Whatever our song, rooted in Christ we know our anchor will hold.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Just look at any given day

The Lord our God will bless you in everything you do. Deut 15:18
That is so true. Loyalty, faithfulness, devotion,  following and service are all the ways we love and serve our Lord and he responds with countless blessings. Look at your life and I suspect the blessings are more than you can count. Just look at any given day that you start and end with God and blessings cover it. Blessings of peace in turmoil. Blessings of answered prayers.  Blessings of knowing you have done God's will and those special blessings when you truly know it is from God, those ones that make you feel warm inside. Yesterday  when I came home from church and walked to my garden I heard the song of the blue wrens. The first time I had seen them where I live now. I thought I had left them all behind at my previous home where they were in abundance but no, God knows what we need and when we need it and if we are attuned we wont miss the miracle of miracles and that is the rich blessings. Such blessings that are' God alive.' Dose'nt it make you want to sing.......'Count your blessings name them one by one. Count your blessings see what God has done.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Count your blessings, name them one by one.