Come Lord Jesus

O you who answers prayer. Psalm 65:2

The invitation is there in my sacred space in the garden, for God to join me for a cup of tea, or was it him who invited me there?

However, as we sat I pondered on a cluster of sticks, seemingly dead in a pot at my feet and thought, ' It's time I threw that out' but then I saw a tiny bud, a sign of hope, swelling on a fragile stick and I was curious. I must tend to that and nurture it I thought. (Unbeknown at the time, that bud was to turn into a beautiful Fuchsia of pink and purple flowers with their heads bent as if in prayer.)  This seemingly dead stick was to me a symbol, a reminded for me  to watch for the green shoots, new life, and reflect that with God the end is never the end but the beginning of new things.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                Resurection

Tea with God

 Jesus said: 'Come a way with me. Let us go to a quiet place and rest awhile.' Mark 6:31-33

I have a sacred space outside surrounded by my garden and signs of work in progress with pots being filled with dirt for planting,   a shovel leaning on the fence and a little dog exploring and there I sit having invited God to join me with a cup of tea.  In this space the birds are splashing in the birdbath and looking for breakfast among the clusters of colourful flowers whose perfume fills the air and there is silence and there is peace and there is God. Today as I was reflecting and chatting with God he drew my attention to a tree fully washed from overnight rain and it was aglow with raindrops just like someone had flung a multitude of fairy lights over it or as Macrina  Wiederkehr would say its a tree full of angels  and look, see the holiness  wrapped in the ordinary. What do you see from your sacred space as you have tea with God?

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                Fairy lights or angels.

The Lord is here.

 I am with you always. Matthew 28:20

Imagery can be so strong!

Every time I see a flower growing through a crack of the path or out of a stone wall thoughts such as this come to mind:

May you always notice the (dazzling white) flowers growing up between the cracks and may your life be full of little resurrections (Neil Paynter)

May the Peace of Christ dwell in your heart.

Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                We grow through the cracks in our lives.

Yes, it is I

In your presence there is fullness of joy, in your right hand are pleasures forever more.  Psalm 16:11

Some mornings are just magnificent.........one almighty 'Hello' from God expressed in the sky of deep red, orange and the  fading black of the night. 'Here I am ' it was saying, 'Here I am right here with you. What you are looking at , what you are in awe of, is me.

Meister Eckhart said: Who ever possess God in their being, has him in a divine manner, and he shines out of them in all things: for them all things taste of God and in all things it is God's image that they see.'  So very very true.

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

Anne, servant of the Lord.

Your blessing only

Hearts burning within us. Luke 24. ( and so they saw Christ) 

Sometimes the presence of God's blessings takes your breath away. Sometimes  the blessing is meant to be just yours and it turns into a prayer on your breath. Such blessings often catch you unawares and last a life time. One such blessing came when my ear rested on the merry trilling  song of the Blue Wren and my eyes fell on it brilliant metallic blue feathers. The first blessing this little bird gave me has impacted my life and bonded with me. God's blessings come in many forms, often sighted or heard by just you at that particular time. That is your blessing, God sent.

 Jehovah - Shalom. The Lord is peace.

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                              Darling little things of God.

Caught off guard

The Lord bless you and keep you. Numbers 6:24

How lovely are the spring flowers. It's like God opened a window in heaven and poured out his blessings. Joyce Rupp says: The loveliness of a single flower in radiant bloom can sing my drooping spirit into joy. How true. How very true. I cant look at a rose bud, or poppy capsule, or pending daffodil and not sense the blessing to come and as for the sweet peas, how can such a glorious perfume fill that small pod?  I read this prayer by Frederick  Buechner: Lord, catch me off guard today, surprise me with some moment of beauty  so that at least for the moment I may be startled into seeing that you are here in all your splendour, always and everywhere, barely hidden, beneath, beyond, within this life I breathe.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                The great Love of God O how lavishly given.
 

Morning glory

 Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing, give me joy in my heart I pray.  (New Harvest 58)

So many things wrap my heart in joy but nothing more so than the rising at first light. There is such an urgency and excitement about the dawn - its like a calling - 'Come, it says, come quickly before I pass and we haven't met.'  The sweet song of the blackbird, first call of the morning is saying come, come quickly for my first song is just for those who choose to hear it. But best of all in this morning call is the love of God who fills it all.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                Glorious things of thee are spoken

I just have to be present

 O breath of life come sweeping through us.... O breath of love, come breathe within us TIS 409

What is it that sustains you? There are some things in life that draw me closer to my inner self, that feed my soul, that  beckon me  to be present. Its like a breath-taking sunset that compels you to stop in your tracks in awe, in wonder and delight. The sight hits you deep within and communes with your soul. Likewise the beautiful little honeyeater getting its joy from deep within a flower as it feeds on the nectar that fills it with delight. If you are close enough to it you will see the rapture in its eyes. And I am  draw by the perfume in the evening air  coming from the vine of sweet-peas and I just have to be present.  What is it that sustains you?  I am reminded of the Latin phrase 'The Vestigia Dei - the fingerprint or footprint of God.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Anne, servant of the Lord.

Fill thou my life O Lord I pray

Here is seed for you.

 Here is seed for you, go and sow the land. Genesis 47:23

These words thread  right through our understanding of passing on the word of God. Any plant seed that is given to us and planted will grow but if we leave it on the bench it will wither and die. Some of the biggest Oak trees I have ever seen in my life were in Sherwood Forrest in the UK yet they grew from a tiny acorn. I love to stand under a big tree and ponder on its journey from the small seed to this massive growth of branches and leaf canopy. If no one is about I might talk to it and tell it what a miracle it is. As for the blossom trees, how come such a tiny seed can produce not only a tree but beautiful blossoms. How does all of that fit in a tiny seed? What a wonderful God. We are full of the seeds of knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ, sown into us by someone where it has grown and blossomed. Life changing, life filling, life meaning. Never underestimate the power of a seed, sown it will grow.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                            

                         I ponder on how many seeds have grown from this original one..