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