Are you ready?

Stay awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come. Mark 13.35

This time of the years I find myself just folding into the sounds  and sights that seem to come as we wait for  Christmas. The smell of the dust dry earth bedded with crisp brown eucalypt leaves and that chorus, that wonderful  chorus of cicadas  singing notes  high and low until they become one voice.  And, O yes, the baby Galahs' driving their parents to distraction with their endless squawking for food, and more food. To me, the sounds and sights of the coming Christmas, and its time to get ready for the celebration. Yesterday at church there were shepherds, part of our nativity set, just gathered in a distant corner  as if they were getting ready for something. Another sign that Christmas is coming and a wake up call that as we celebrate his birth we need to be mindful and ready for his coming.  Celebrating Christmas reminds us that Christ has come and Christ will come again. 

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne, servant of the Lord

                    While shepherds watched their flock by night.

Power in silence.

 Be still before the Lord. Psalm 37:7

I was having a quiet time sitting outside in the evening. It was still and a silence was present. And I thought, there is power in silence. Think of all the things that happen in silence.  A tree  grows in silence into something big and strong. A flower grows from a seed into beauty of colour and perfume, in silence. The stars shine  out at night in silence and the dew falls, unheard  bringing a freshness to the day while a spider weaves its web in silence. What wonderful miracles, all happening in silence and as Blackfoot would say: 'There is the little shadow that runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.' In  the silence, with miracles all around there is God, the creator of miracles.

Be still,  be still, be still before the Lord. There is power in that.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                 The trees and flowers grow and bloom in silence.

 

Take God with you everywhere

 - .for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible. Col 1:16

Little treasures are hidden all around us but are they hidden or do we just not see them. It is so lovely to be blessed by a treasure. I stumbled across one when out walking in the country and the smile on my face broadened with delight. Two small pine cones nuzzled together in the grass and their parent tree had fresh small droplets, small sacs of life, hanging from its soft needles. I think I found more than one treasure on that walk; the pine cones, the tree, the smell of fresh pine needles and God, because without God on my mind I suspect I would not have really found any treasures.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                  hidden treasures

Surprises of beauty and colour

 O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder. TIS 155

There is nothing more delightful and surprising than coming across something of beauty and colour when it wasn't expected. You can be meandering along on a walk as I was doing amongst the long dry grass and suddenly God through in a surprise of colourful pink flowers, dainty and bright that caused me to say aloud ' O how beautiful you are, thank you God.'  Patience Strong wrote: Something unexpected may be around the bend. Something to encourage you. A gift, a friend, and I say a flower, a beautiful king parrot or a pewee splashing with joy in the birdbath. 

The unexpected gifts from  God are our delight.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                        Unexpected joy and delight

Unfolding parasols

 O Love that will not let me go. TIS 602

Lots of what we see in our world  can bring such healing to our rushed and anxious spirit if we just stop a moment and pause. Be still.  And when you do you see the wonder that puts a hush in your spirit and a smile on your face. I mean just look out side - have you seen the magpies kicking in the tan bark, as Annie Dillard would say, or the unfolding parasols of the glorious roses, and the growing size of the baby Pee-Wee birds that nested not long ago in the gum tree? And as for the sunset across the water, that can only be described as a pathway leading straight to the  golden ball of the sinking sun. Ah, go find his love it will lift your spirits.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                        A golden pathway

Not just a rose

 O the deep, deep love of Jesus it washes white as snow. TIS 232

I looked with wonder at a white rose bud that was just opening. It was perfectly formed, pure white with dots of red and crystal clear rain drops on its petals and as I pondered its beauty something drew me beyond its floral beauty  and I saw the white as the purity of Jesus,  the red drops as his blood and the raindrops as his tears and  as I gaze at it I see the love of Jesus. Though I don't know the name of that rose I call it the ' sacrificial rose.'  

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

Anne, servant of the Lord

O the love of Jesus

Woo me to your world.

 Listen to me for I have excellent things to tell you. Proverbs 8:6

There is nothing better than getting out into the countryside. Its like all the cobwebs are blown away and for a few hours you are in a different world, a world that delights and reinvigorates both body and spirit. And on this day God was dressed in all his glory of colour and spender, in red and yellow, orange flowers, striped with black and dotted in paler shades that lined the country road  and even those amidst the dead branches on the ground still shone their brightness.  And I see God had even more fun with his painting pallet scribbling on the tree trunks and painting the hills purple with Salvation Jane. And ahh, the quiet and the peace....

In our changing world that coops us up, the freedom of a country drive is life giving.

Blessings are the life breath of those who believe in the sacredness of space and place, all things and life. (Joan Chittister)

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

Anne, servant of the Lord.

God has been painting his glory.