Joy and delight

 Lord how various are your works, in wisdom you have made them all and the earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104:1

I so often think - If you don't sit with it you miss it. The holistic value of 'just being' is so precious. I was watching a family of  Starlings bathing in the bird bath, all of them in together, about nine in all and they were having the time of their life, splashing, jumping, singing. The babies, new to life, taking great delight in it all then off they would fly, stumble and try again. It all brought a smile to my face and in my heart and I knew that inner smile would be with me all day and I would not have missed it for the world -  for the joy in my soul. The image  reminded me of the words of Noel Davis when he said the family of wrens were spilling joy all throughout the garden 

May the peace of God fill your life every single day. - Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                Splashing, jumping, singing

regular daily appointment

The hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. Ezek 8:3

In the Jewish tradition the home itself is called the 'Mikdash meyat ' a little sanctuary where God can dwell.  I feel that, I sense that and it extends into the garden where the 'special' sacred space is among the  shimmering colours of the flower display, the birds sing and perfume fills the air and its here I invite the Lord to meet me . Its like a regular daily appointment  and it has the same feeling  I had as a child when I came home from school and would sit with my mum or dad and tell them all about my day, the ups and downs, the laughter and joy and it made me feel warm inside.  Sacred spaces, quiet spaces, pauses and reflection, places of peace, love and healing  - this is the makdash meyat, the sanctuary where God can dwell.

May the peace of God fill your life every single day.    Anne, servant of the Lord.

A sacred space.

O so beautiful a song

 Morning has broken like the first morning, blackbird has spoken like the first bird. Praise for the singing.. TIS 156

There is never anything more pleasing to my ear than the sound early morning and evening of the song of the blackbird. It is so melodious, so pure, so beautiful and every time I hear it breaking into the silent dawn or peaceful evening I am riveted to the spot, just listening and enjoying O so beautiful a song. It's call draws me to God our wonderful creator who made everything for our joy and delight, even the plain blackbird with the beautiful song. As Joyce Rupp says: The thin veil moments of sheer surprise when not only eye( and ear)  but heart is kissed.

May the peace of God fill your hearts every single day.   Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                    Morning and evening the blackbird sings.

Miracles, everyone of them.

 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see our God.  TIS 448.

It is such a miracle to see the rose bush gather its new fresh green leave, sprout tight buds ready to burst into colour and then open, open into the most beautifully formed, petal upon petal rose, breath-taking in formation, breath-taking in colour and packed with a perfume that momentarily sends you to heaven and back! Oh only God can create such beauty and delight from almost naught. Miracles, every one of them. Thich Nhat Hanh says: 'Around us, life bursts forth with miracles - a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, rain drops - miracles everywhere.'  Do you see it like that? Do you have time to stop and see God's miracles? They are happening right before our eyes.  As Joyce Rupp would say: ' Its a trip, a spiritual adventure uniting self with hidden beauty, with the our creator.'

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  Anne, servant of the Lord.

Petal upon petal

Holding on.

I will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isa 12:3 

It was in great wonder that I stood and looked at the massive Eucalyptus trees in the very dry, sandy Todd River bed and wondered when they had last drunk from the deep waters. Their trunks were well above the sand and their massive exposed roots held them together, stopping them from toppling over yet when I put my ear to their trunk I could hear the rushing of water going up and into every branch, nourishing the entire tree from deep, deep down in the earth. Oh it reminded me so much of how our deep roots go into the love of Christ who nourishes us with the living water of Jesus. Even in times of spiritual dryness, that living water is still there holding us up.  If our roots are well imbedded in Christ we can stand strong in all circumstances.

May the peace of God fill your life every single day.   Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                                    Deep rooted.

The Lord God made it all.

For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies, for the love which from our  birth over and around us lies.  TIS 137

  Wander around outside and you wont go far before God's beauty is revealed in the greenest of green grass, the abundance of new growth on  the trees and flowers of every kind and colour flourishing in the garden beds and fields and  its an absolute wonder to sit in the sacred space and be filled with the love of God all around me. The Aquilegia's, grandmothers bonnets, are yellow and purple and blue, their heads nodding in the gentle breeze and  the forget-me-nots  are making a final hurrah  reminding me that we are never  forgotten. But God's glory doesn't stop there. The night sky holds so much mystery and wonder and beauty of its own. Psalm 65 tells us to look at the heavens and see the works of your (God's) fingers. Today, deliberately take in the beauty of the earth and tonight the beauty of the skies and be touched by the blessings.

May the beauty  of God fill your life every single day. Anne, servant of the Lord.

The beauty of the night sky.