Christmas is coming.

 And may the God of love be with you. 2 Cor 13:11

I look at the tinsel and baubles hanging on the garden gate and ponder the meaning of Christmas and then my gaze rests on the nativity scene set on a table by the fence for those walking past to see and reflect on and  I just sit in the mystery of it all in the quietness.   Two words fall into my mind: Christmas and Shalom.  I like to break the word Christmas up holding onto the Christ within it, Christ-mas for with out Christ there is no Christmas. As Christ came into  the world that Christmas nigh to live among us  I pray he will come  and live within us. Then the word Shalom - peace. This is a far deeper meaning than just a sense of peace, its a deep indescribable peace presence not just within our self but within the way we lead our lives and regard our neighbours and all living things.  I have a different feel about Christmas this year. Its a feeling of a deep love for Jesus and the gratefulness that he is in my life, no, that he is my way of live. So be it for you also.

Blessings, love and peace.

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                While shepherds watched their flocks by night

Storms of life.

Hide me under the shadow of your wings. Psalm17:18

Here we are watching, waiting, preparing, embracing the coming of Christmas and I was reflecting on these matters from the sacred space when I saw a baby bird that had been thrown out of the tree along with its nest in the storm that had just been. It was  stunned and anxious as was its mother watching from close by. I picked up the little one and it stood on its feet but was too young to fly.  It hopped off into the bushes where it was comforted by its mother and though still in the storm was feeling safe under her wings. I thought of the storms in our lives and how we flounder and fall away from home.  God is the father/mother that can calm the storms for us and bring peace when caught in the storms of life. What a great feeling it is to know we can run to him and hide under the shelter of his wings. What imagery!

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ. Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                Storms of life.
 

Your maker and your God.

 I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. Song of Songs 2:1

I don't have to go beyond the garden fence to see the beauty of the Lord and everywhere I look is a place of prayer because the imagery reminds me of something of God. I wonder do you find that you cast your gaze on something and immediately and from know where comes God thoughts? I stooped to smell the rich perfume of the deep red rose and immediately thought of an elderly friend and Christ's love we have shared over so many years and I give thanks. I often wonder when our heart is touched how can we pray because sometimes the 'touch' leaves us speechless, then I think of the words of a poem  where it says: 'In sweetest, smiling bloom, declare your maker and your God.' and that's the prayer.

Grace, peace and hope this Advent season

Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                        The red, red rose.

Beckoning - come!

 The sun comes up its a new day dawning. Its time to sing your song again. Bless the Lord Oh my soul worship his holy name (1000 reasons by Matt Redman)

A quiet fell all around in the morning stillness as I visited the sacred space, amerced in welcome, beckoning - come - and I came and I saw God everywhere as my gaze fell on the garden about me and rested on the pale yellow and pink aquilegia, or grandma's bonnet as we call them,  and I thought how I had come here, not to seek God's help but to seek him, and as always happens he was there, everywhere, and as I pondered on the Aquilegia, the grandma's bonnet, I thought about and elderly lady who I don't know but who I came to know about through a book I brought in a second hand book shop. Inside the front cover was a note in a  shaky hand which said, ' its me again God, I am here, you are here, you are everywhere. Let us pray together the prayer your Father gave us.' How blessed are we by the simple gifts others leave for us to discover.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                            How blessed are we.

A touched heart

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see their God. Matthew 5:8

My gaze rested on a spent rose, visible from my sacred space. It had  come to bud, flourished in its life and  brought awe and wonder to many a passer by but now it was fading. It had run the race of life and rested quietly on the bush dropping its petals one by one. As my gaze deepened into meditation I reflected on an elderly lady in our church service in the nursing home, a beautiful Christian lady who faithfully attended and even in her dementia, participated. Since seeing her last time she had deteriorated in health and was now in a day bed seemingly asleep. I looked at her and thought, she is on her way to God . As communion was distributed she was gently tapped on the shoulder to see if she was conscious and her eyes opened wide and in a strong voice said. 'I am still here.'  and received her communion before succumbing to sleep again. It was a wonderful God moment that truly touched my heart. I read a quote  which said: A touched heart means that in some way God has come.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                I am still here!

A smell that is heavenly

 O what a gift, what a wonderful gift - who can tell the wonders of the Lord? Let us open our eyes, our ears and our hearts; it is Christ the Lord it is he! TIS 278

It was the sweet smell, a smell that is heavenly coming from the deep crimson Buddleia bush  which drew me into my contemplation today in my sacred spot and it reminded me of the words of an elderly lady who visited the chapel in the nursing home when her husband was dying , and left me a note, written in a shaky hand, on a small torn off piece of paper  which said. 'Rev'd Anne, can you smell God? When I came to the chapel today it was filled with this beautiful perfume yet there were no flowers in the chapel. So lovely was it that I just wanted to sit awhile and be. Was this God?  she asked.

Be enriched by the  things that come to us when we see in the light. (of God)

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

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                    Made by God.

Stay awhile with me

My beloved has gone down to the garden, to the beds of spices, to browse in the garden and gather lilies. Song of Songs 6:2

I have come to my sacred space with no shoes on today as I feel God is there before me, waiting, waiting for me to sit and just be. As I do that my eyes fall on the garden and on a flower in front of me, a glorious fuchsia and for several minutes I contemplate on what I am seeing: I look deep into its colours and envisage the creator with his palate of paints deciding which colours to use. 'This one? no, this one -  perhaps that one  - and I think of all the flowers in the garden with their different shapes and colours and sizes, intrinsic detail,  and marvel at the joy God must have had in making them and painting them just for me, just for you, his beloved. It seemed a long time that I sat with God in no hurry to go anywhere. Macrina  Wiederkehr says contemplation is like going to heaven for awhile.

Jehovah - Shalom the  Lord is peace.

Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                Heads bowed in prayer.