The sun is shining through

 Sing to the Lord a new song: sing to the Lord, all the earth. Psalm 96:1

Mildred Bell wrote: The mornings here, another day, the sun is shinning through, I left my worries all behind, today I start anew. And I think how could you not leave your worries behind as its so beautiful outside and the spring is so much waiting to make you smile and as the Syrian Clementine Liturgy would put it: Its the abyss of peace.  There is a small but O so colourful butterfly on the lavender pods of perfume and his tiny wings are closed as if in prayer -  and the birds are singing with the gift of song. Our world is full of so many life giving symbols of God's greatness may we not let the worries of yesterday, or today, take away the joy of God in his creation, his presence is so visible there. Pause like the little butterfly, sing like the little bird and choose to love this day because its a love that heals.

May the God of peace be with all of you.

Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                        The mornings here another day

A life of faith and love

 I love you Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you O, my  soul rejoice. (Christian music - Laurie Klein) 

 As much as I see the face of God in the beauty of nature I see him in the face of the elderly. Faces lined with a  long life and hearts still praising God, a journey of faith over so many years and still, in the difficulties of aging,  living with the Lord. I was at the nursing home church service   sitting next to an older lady who has dementia  and as the intincted  bread and wine was placed in her hand and the words of life said she looked at the sacrament for a moment then  said :  ' I love you Jesus.' It was quiet, it was real and it was said with such humility and love that I felt the power of standing on sacred ground. What a blessing, what faith, what love, what encouragement.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                                   I love you Jesus

Created love kissed with blessings

 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth..........to him be glory for ever and ever. Colossians 1:16 Paraphrased.

I saw a burst of love  when I saw the Crab apple tree in full bloom: I saw a burst of love  when I saw the golden wattle:  I saw a burst of love  when I smelt the perfume of the sweet peas:  I saw a burst of love  when I was given a bunch of violets that filled the moment with  a life time of memories. And (as Paula D'Arcy wrote) 'My heart whispered 'thank you' but it seemed shallow compared to the gift.' It's in these things, created by God for us to enjoy, that give me strength for the day. To see his created love that's kissed with blessings for us.

May the Lord of Peace himself give you peace at all times and in all ways.

Anne, Servant of the Lord.

                                                                    A burst of love

Behold our God

 Behold the maker of sight and sound. Romans 5:8

God loves to decorate. Have you noticed that lately. He is decorating with pink and white blossoms and visible green new leaves: he is decorating with yellow flowers with trumpets and pink, red, white and yellow cups of the tulips: red bottle brush filled with the pleasure of the honey eaters and have you noticed the tiny blue wild flower amidst the field of grass to say nothing of the yellow smiling faces of the Cape Weed daisies and the fresh happy songs of the birds.  There are bursts of love everywhere. God's love, to give us joy and pleasure. And, he is also decorating within you, a picture of kindness of love and compassion.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne, servant of the Lord

Love abounds

Given with love.

Therefore I say unto you. Be not anxious for your life behold the birds in the air and the lilies  of the field. Matthew 6 :25 paraphrased
William Wordsworth wrote: 'I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o'er vales and hills when all at once I saw a crowd, a host of golden daffodils.' That's  a poem remembered from school days and when I read that line I get a sense that the poet  was wondering deep in his own thoughts and his spirit was lighten at the sight of the crowd of daffodils. Flowers and gardens do that for us, they can lift our spirits. Its like the plaque I have in my garden ....The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of the birds for mirth, you are nearer God's heart in a garden than anywhere else of earth. How true, how true and be it daffodils, a garden of flowers or a single blossom on a flowering crab apple tree, all God made and all God blessed, they have a way of drawing us to reflection. Times are hard, times are different but to lift our gaze from our room to our window, to glance a flower, a bird, the sunshine, our spirit can be lifted.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord

You cant help but smile.

Where is God?

My presence shall go with you and I will give you rest. Exodus 33:14
I recall a time in the outback when I sat by a pool of water, life giving water in the desert,and there were  rock faces  and lots and lots of red sand and I ask God, 'where are you in this arid place?' He replied, 'I am here within every grain of ancient sand. I am here in the life giving water in an arid place, I am here, I am here in the tree roots clinging  to the rock face. I am here, even in the meter span of a cobweb reaching from one rock to another, blowing in the wind, unbroken. He says I am here, I am  here from ancient times to with you now. And I ask God, 'where are you in the pandemic' and he replies 'I am here, I am here.'
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Breakaways Coober Pedy SA

Bright yellow, dazzling in fact.

Lord, the light of your love is shining, in the midst of darkness shining.......shine Jesus shine, fill this land with the Father's glory  TIS 675
Bright yellow, dazzling in fact it is so bright. That's the wattle in bloom everywhere at the moment. Every time I look at it a smile comes across my face and my heart stirs.. There it is, clusters of fluffy balls of cheer dancing with joy in the gentle breeze and I am reminded of the lovely words of Macrina Wiederkehr 'A tree full of Angels.'  One glance and my day is brightened.  One glance and I am filled with blessings. Because of our love of Jesus we can shine this bright in God's world. We can put a smile on someones face today. May many we encounter today leave with a smile on their face and a blessing in their heart.
May the Lord of  peace himself give you peace at all times and in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord

God's love is shining

shards of love

Richer than gold is the Love of my Lord: better than splendour and wealth (TIS 534)
Love is a God gift that is given to us all. The one factor that gets in the way is that we rush through life and miss so much of this gift of love . We miss the love gifts that God has given us that enrich our lives and give us a 'warm inner ' feeling and a sense of his presence. In a busy life the challenge is to see the gifts as we live life and to not go right past things that show us God's love. It is spring and God's love is abounding. The roses are flush with abundant new growth, the Daphne is not only a sight to behold but carries God's fragrance as does the bed of violets and the tree of  wattle  and the daffodils. I mean, really its only love that can create their  bright yellow colour and unique trumpet and its hard to go past one without smiling!  God's love shines in so many ways , made just for us, but we have to slow down to see it.

God's love