That put a smile on my face!

 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from the Father. Matthew 10: 29

So many things can put a smile on your face and can brighten any dull day. The beautiful red, yellow and green coloured Rosellas with a ting of blue, feathers all brunched up, dancing around and under the sprinkler on the lawn with sheer delight and joy on a hot morning. A speckly brown sparrow on a fragile tree branch that's swaying up and down in the wind, quite unperturbed, in fact enjoying it. (can a sparrow smile? I thought I caught a glimpse of one) So much about us can bring a smile to our face. Morning stillness had me reflecting on our creator God and I thought how can anyone think that God doesn't care about the life of these enjoyable creatures, or see them as his creation?  Ah, they don't know God at all.

                                                Dancing around and under the sprinkler.

Such a fragile little thing.

 Count your blessings name them one by one. (Hymn)

My mother use to say precious things come in small parcels and I thought of that when I saw the beautiful small feather lying on the table in my sacred space. A gift for the morning. It wasn't just any light brown feather because when it caught the light its true colours were revealed in a magenta  shining colour which caught you by surprise. Such a fragile little thing yet so full of beauty and I thought of the bird who had left it there for my delight and I thought of its creator and I thought of how the light of Christ can come and shine on us and reveal our true colours. Joyce Rupp says: 'And so in my life, what I see as fragile, weak and frail, may be my greatest gift.'

Left for my delight.

                                                

First fruits

May the foot of God walk with you and his hand hold you tight. (TIS 779)

 There is something magical about the time of the new day when  the sun filters through the night sky and breaks into light. Stepping out the door   for the first time in a new day is like my feet touching the newness, the 'never walked on until now' path of the new day and as God comes along side I discover the offerings of the day that would have otherwise been missed. Offerings and events that give joy and blessings and the days strength, like the magpie kicking in the tan bark, the different shades of glory covering the sky as it ventures further into the day and have you heard the call of the starlings? I love it, they sound like tiny horses whinnying. The wonderful morning gifts, of time with God, new every morning  are the most powerful pearls of great price to deposit in our heart and mind as we go further into the day, into the unknown. I love these words of St Patrick's lorica: Christ be with me. Christ be within me. Christ behind me. Christ before me. Christ beside me.

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

                                                Morning Glory.

Sshh, the Lord is here.

 The Glory of the Lord shall be revealed. Isaiah 40:5

Ssshhh, I heard the Lord coming through the garden, treading softly on the dew laden grass, clothed in the beauty of floral colours and surrounded by an air of incense. Quietly in the sacred space I wondered, if I was in a hard place, a noisy place, or in front of a breath taking moment would I still hear the Lord coming to me? I believe so, because isn't it said by God, 'Where I am there you shall be also.' (John 14:3)

May the peace of God fill your life every single day.  

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                  The Lord is with the lost children of Ukraine

Like a bell ringing - softly.

 

May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith as you are being rooted and grounded in love. Ephesians 3:17

The tinkling call of a little bird is just like a bell ringing  softly and gently -  peace, calm, joy. Those words came to mind from Macrina Wiederkehr as I sat peacefully in the sacred space, the growing day showing up all its glory across the perfectly blue sky and the perfume of the Gardenia and Jasmine filled the air. So often I would just love to stay there in that space because God is so present, so inviting, so embracing. His presence seen in the beauty of his created flowers so full of joyful blooming and his Spirit felt in the gentle breeze that crosses my face. O how much we miss out on if we don't pause awhile with God and allow him to prepare our hearts for the day ahead. May your morning experiences be also filled with peace, calm and joy.

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

                                            Rooted and grounded in love.

Give God the Glory

 That my heart may sing your praises and never be silent. O Lord my God I will give you thanks forever. Psalm 30:12

I love the way God comes in so many disguises and sitting in the sacred space on this beautiful summers morning I am blessed by so much of the presence of God. One flower  in particular caught my eye and stopped my wandering thoughts with its beauty, its perfect formation, its shifting colour in the sunlight as if the master creator was still at work in it.  What a magnificent creation but more so, what a magnificent creator. O give God the glory for all his creation.

May the peace of God fill your life every single day. 

Anne, servant of the Lord

Stop and stare.

 Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

Stop and stare is something I do frequently when out on a walk or just sitting in the quiet space, just me and God. Stop to look more deeply and stare to see beyond what is in front of me where a wild flower in the grass is more than a wildflower, in fact its a thing of great creation planned by God for our enjoyment and the pleasure of the bees and butterflies. I pause at the song of the birds to just take in the beauty and perfect rhythm of their song and at Christmas I found myself pausing for long moments in front of the baby Jesus in his crib in the nativity scene and the more I stared the more I saw the wonder of  not a baby but God.   A New Year resolution might well be to pause and stare - just take the time to pause and stare.

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

                                                Pause awhile with me.