There is beauty.

 One God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all and is present in all. Ephesians 4:6

Something of beauty catches my eye as I pass along the garden path. A glorious perfectly formed rose. I pause and look, I catch its perfume  and reflect. How do you see the things of beauty? Wonder and amazement or common place? Look, look long enough that you become a part of it so that the fine line between you and its creator become one. Look deeply - there is beauty, there is beauty going deeper and deeper and deeper  among its petals - there is God.

Easter. Has it been a common place experience  for you or one full of wonder and amazement?

Alleluia Christ is risen.          Anne servant of the Lord.

                                              Created by God.

Creation announces the Divine

 O God, you are my God; At dawn I seek you: for you my soul is thirsting. Ps 63:2-3

The early morning sky was a vast dome of soft blue, perfectly curved and cloud free, it was as if God was stretching his hand out over the day, sweeping away the night and the more I looked at it from the sacred space the richer the blessing was. The Rufus Whistler was singing his beautiful song and an early yellow autumn leaf fell silently to the ground from the laden tree. Quiet, still, blessed as I watched creation announce the Divine. I thought to myself, not a thousand soft goose down feathers on my bed would stop me from missing this early morning time of the day with the Lord.  I wonder. Have you ever returned from a time with God unblessed?

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

                                                A single autumn leaf fell to the ground. 

Oh wow!

 Be surprised and full of wonder. Isaiah 29:9

Friedrich Buecher said: ' Lord catch me off guard today. Surprise me with some moment of beauty or pain 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.' 

Sometimes we can be so busy hurrying through our days, our diaries, that we fail to see what's in our day and days blur into weeks and years in our lives and we miss the ordinary yet life giving joys.  Slow down, notice the brilliant red of the flowering gum full of the light of the sun or the pastel pink and blue of the sunset, the first call of the morning birds and say to the Lord: Thank you for the ordinary gifts of every day, evoking in me wonder and surprise.

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

                                                                Red flowering gum

Shafts of sunbeams.

 In the morning you will see the Glory of the Lord   Exodus 16:7

Pre dawn darkness suddenly shot with rays of light, shafts of sunbeams lighting up the Eucalyptus tree like the burning bush, brilliant orange and yellow hue's.  It was just a sunrise, just a tree  - but I knew it was God and on the beath of prayer I whispered 'Good morning Lord.'

Macrina Wiederkehr said: You slip into my life  like the night and day, like stars and sunrise - I know that you are God.

Lord, as you bless us with light at the suns rising, shine on us now with Love.    Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                Good morning Lord.

'Here I am'

Love divine, all love excelling, joy of heaven to earth come down. ( Charles Wesley hymn)

God lavishes his love on us. Go outside, you can see it - creation in all its glory and what joy to hear nothing else but the beautiful melodious song of the magpies, sitting on the branch of the gum tree, head held high and singing with such joy and down closer to the ground the bees are busy in the grevillea gathering their harvest for the day from the brilliant red blossoms, produce for our enjoyment and there is a mass of butterflies on the magenta blooms of the Buddleia bush and from among the twigs and flowers God says 'here I am.'.  What love God has for us that he can create such as this for you and me. They are all miraculous detail of God's creation - daily gifts. What will you thank God for today?

May God's blessing be upon us and remain with us always.      Anne, servant of the Lord.

Miraculous creation.

Walk and talk.

 I come to the garden alone, while  the dew is still on the roses and the voice I hear falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses. And he walks with me and he talks to me and he tells me I am his own and the joy we share as we tarry there non other has ever known. (Hymn. Austin Miles)

I love strolling through the garden early in the morning with a cup of tea in hand, just alone, just listening to the morning song of the birds, a beautiful chorus of different calls and I feel the freshness of the air and gaining warmth of the sun just up and still ,O so still and quiet , and looking behind me I can see my footprints in the dew laden grass and then I am reminded I am never alone,  be it in the garden in the still of the morning, or in a busy Mall or entrenched in the daily grind, we are never alone. Whenever I see my footprints or my shadow for that matter, I know Jesus walks with me. Our sacred spaces are so valuable to us, especially in the early morning and the quiet for its here that Jesus walks with us(or sits with us) and talks to us and joy is shared.

Jehovah - shalom. The Lord is peace.   Anne, servant of the Lord

.                                                Dance, dance wherever you may be.

In the storm

 'I am with you always. Matthew  28:20

We know that God is every where, in all places and in  all times but sometimes we forget this so keep this one posted on your wall - the wall of your kitchen, the wall of your office, the wall of your heart and read it often, so often that it becomes a way of life, an imprint on heart and mind and a breath of the wind  of the Spirit within and pull it out in full force when the storms are raging.

Lucado puts this in powerful context, ( I am with you always)  right into our every day lives, in fact into every minute of our every day lives.

'A storm on the Sea of Galilee was a kin to a sumo wrestlers belly flop in a kiddies pool. The northern valley acted like a wind tunnel compressing and hosing squalls onto the lake. Waves as tall as 10 feet were common. Yet from the centre of the storm the unwavering Jesus shouts - 'I am.'    In ICU, on the battle  fields, in the boardroom,  the prison cell or in the maternity ward. Wherever your storm, 'I am.'

Mane Nobiscum Domine - remain with us Lord.   Anne, servant of the Lord.

   

A stormy sea.           

                                    

God at play

Dance then, wherever you may be. I am the lord of the dance said he and I'll lead you all, wherever you may be and I'll lead you all in the dance said he. (Sydney Carter - hymn)

If there was ever a time to be caught off guard by God its when the wind suddenly blows. This particular day the wind came out of nowhere and really stirred up everything around the sacred space, tossing old gathered leaves around, bending tree tops low - it was as if God was playing and this came to mind:

The windblown tree tops bow to the ground as if kissing the earth,

 and the birds 'fly sideways' as the wild wind gathers pace, tossing spent leaves, tuffs of dry grass and a  discarded birds nest in a swirl then dumping them 'thud' to the ground where they lay again.

Waiting - Waiting for the next playful wind and the 'flying sideways birds' navigate a bumpy landing around the spent leaves, the dry tuffs of grass and the discarded bird nest - to rest before the next playful gust of wind comes to play again. - What a joy it is to see God at play. Moments spent in the sacred space are a blessing for the day.

May God smile on everything you do - God go with you - God love you.    Anne Servant of the Lord.

                                                  A gift from the 'flying sideways 'bird.

Stand and see

O sing a new song to the Lord. Psalm 96

The glow of the rising sun casts colours of pink across the branches of the white river gum outside my window and on a single branch the magpie sings his morning song. What a delight to wake up to such a kaleidoscope of colours and a chorus of song, in the still, otherwise quite morning. And God is there, God is in it, it is God wrapped in light.  Its times like these that nourish our inner lives and strengthen our faith.

Mary Oliver said: Sometimes I only need to stand where I am to be blessed. 

As you bless us with light at the suns rising, shine on us now with love.     Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                     Pink hues in the snow gum.
 

Star gazing

 The heavens proclaim his righteousness and all peoples have seen his glory. Ps 97

The practice of going outside before bed to gaze at the heavens and all the stars in the sky has been with me for many years. The stars are so bright and fresh looking, some 'sparkling' and 'winking' , seemingly just hanging there . Somehow it has a settling effect and speaks of the greatness and magnitude of our God and his presence and I stay  awhile in the quiet and the peace.   I think of the three wise men and how they saw the bright star in the east and followed it until they found Jesus.  Star gazing at night draws me to Jesus, to reflect, to be nearer. Tonight, go outside, gaze at the stars and think of the star that drew people to the Christ child.

Mane Nobiscum Domine - Remain with us Lord.    Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                         The star in the east.

Come, sit.

 Now when he had spoken, a Pharisee asked (invited)  him to have lunch with him, and he went in and reclined at the table.  Luke 11:37

Christmas is the time of the year when we seem to get many invitations. Invitations to lunch, invitations to dinner, invitations to catch up with friends, invitations to attend various church services and carols in the park and some invitations even come with a gift. But  the greatest invitation, the greatest gift, is the one from Jesus who so often says, ' Come aside and sit with me awhile.'  In the business of Christmas preparations, lets not forget to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. Lets not forget his invitation, and his gift  to us of hope, of peace, of love and of joy.

Jehovah - shalom. The Lord is peace.  Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                               God's gifts to us.

Colours of Christmas.

 Let all together praise our God. TIS 297.

God is so 'there' in the sacred space which is surrounded by his creation and filled with the warmth of the rising summer sun and around me I catch glimpses of the bottle brush bushes with green leaves and Oh so brilliant red bottle brush like flowers. Their colour and presence remind me of Christmas and  what joy they bring among the other mixed  colours of the garden and have you seen them after the rain?  As Christopher Monaghan says.'  A bottle brush after heavy rain is beaded  and jewelled with natures own tinsel.'   Take a moment to look at the bottle brush in all its glory of Christmas colours and next time it rains take a look at its 'tinsel.' You will be so blessed.

May the God of life bless you and keep today and always.  Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                        Colours of Christmas.

Yesterday and today.

 The joy of the Lord is my strength. Nehemiah 8:10

It can be so hard to stay positive sometimes in this struggling world where we seem to hear nothing  but the destruction of lives through war and famine day after day after day. It can be so easy to let these thoughts steal our joy.  To find positive thoughts I turn to God who has always been my strength and I recall writing some time ago these words:

Yesterday I had a wonderful day. I woke with the Lord and opened the day in prayer with a chorus of birds in the background.     Today I had a wonderful day. I woke with the Lord and opened the day in prayer with a chorus of birds in the background.  

May we continue to hold up in prayer all those who are suffering and pray for peace.

Let the peace of Christ dwell in your heart.    Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                Wake each day with the Lord.

A gentle soft presence.

Fill us at daybreak with your mercy, that all our days may sing for joy.  Psalm 90:14

I love that first light of the morning as it cuts into the night sky with a gentle, soft presence, the awakening of a new day. Its still, its quiet and holds all the glory of the moment. 

I love the old Irish blessing which says: 'May the blessing of light be on you, light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine on you and warm your heart till it glows like a great peat fire, so that the stranger may come and warm himself at it, and also a friend.  What a lovely thought at the start of the day as the sunrises.'

May the God of life bless you and keep you today and always.    Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                  Sunrise over the sea of Galilea 

A glimpse of heaven

 May my prayer come to you like the sweet smell of incense. Psalm 141:2

D.H Lawrence said: ' Oh for the wonder that bubbles into my soul.' and that was exactly my sentiment this morning as I stepped into the sacred space and my breath was drawn in deeply taking with it the absolute richness of the perfumes of God that surrounded me, perfumes that floated in the gentle breeze, coming to me like rich gifts.  The roses, the jasmine, the sweet peas. All so full of blessings. I read somewhere that God sprinkles tiny hints of heaven on earth that give us a taste of what's to come. A  glimpse of heaven on earth.

May the God of life bless you and keep you today and always.  Anne, servant of the Lord.

 The sweet pea. A gift from God.

I saw the face of God

 The Lord has decided the number of  the stars and calls each one by name,. Great and mighty is our Lord. Psalm 147:5

I saw it in the puddle of life giving water by the roadside. I saw it in the sky night stars being tucked away behind soft pink clouds in the sunrise. I saw it as the sun shone through the crimson maple leaf. I saw it in the Currawong as he calls his mates into the dawn. I saw it in the single crystal clear rain drop that hung from each leaf and  single blade of grass. I saw it in the soft blue, perfect formation of the bluebells that clutched the side of the road. I saw it. I saw the face of God and my soul sang: How great thou art! World famous musician Pablo Casals said: I find God in the smallest and the largest things. I see God in colour and design. No two things are alike, no two voices the same. 

Be blessed by the face of God that surrounds your day.    Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                    Native blue bells.

The fulness of joy.

The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything. Julian of Norwich

  So many words can be said and written about the wonders of God, the beauty of his creation and the joy of our lives being filled with his love but sometimes we don't need many words, sometimes we just need quiet and space and a focal point for meditation such as the surrounds of  a sacred space, therein lies many blessings. I mean, what can be more beautiful, more reflective, than gazing on a garden full of bluebell?

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

 

                                                    A garden of Bluebells.

Gather me in Lord.

 May the Lord cause you to flourish. Psalm 115:14

Just sitting in the sacred space and pondering the beauty of God in his creative work in the garden thinking - what a paint palate he must have - pinks, and yellow and red and blue and green and all in variants of their colours.  Its among the flowers in the miracles of their life that I  am enriched in my faith for who can look on creation  and not see the creator. Silently, silently,  in the stillness I hear a tiny bee humming and I know that God is with me and as  I look a small prayer passes through me saying : 'Gather me in Lord, gather me in as one of your created, enable me to flourish and grow.  

Mane Nobiscum Domine. Remain with us Lord.   Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                          All the variants of the colours

Pray for peace

 Hymn 446 in TIS says: 'Glorious things of you are spoken, Zion city of our God: he whose word cannot be broken formed you from his own abode. On the rock of Ages founded, what can shake your sure repose? With  salvations walls surrounded, you may smile on all your foes.'

I wonder do we know what we are singing when we sing words such as this from this beautiful old hymn especially in light of todays war in the middle east. The Dome of the rock sits on Mount Zion within the old city of Jerusalem, surrounded by its high fortress, ancient walls of which I have walked around. For Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian  this is the centre of  faith. O that it never be damaged by war. In the foyer of  St Georges Cathedral in Jerusalem these words are written: Pray not for Arab or Jew, for Palestine or Israel but PRAY  rather for ourselves that we might not divide them in our prayers but keep them both together in our hearts. 

Jehovah - Shalom. The Lord is peace.  Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                             Mount Zion. Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem City

A morning offering

 I arise today, blessed by all things. May I live this day.  John O'Donohue

'Its 4 in the morning  and why is the currawong calling. Its  moon light before the dawning - why is the currawong calling?'  Those were my thoughts  as I lay awake listening to the sound of the currawong, I felt it was a special gift in the silence and I recall these words (By  John O'Donohue)  'Meet me in the morning dawning - I will wait for you there.'  Just you and me Lord and that bird singing to us from a tree. Peace, O such peace. What a gift.  Ah, its moments like these that I know God is with me.

May the God of life bless you and keep you today and always.  Anne - servant of the Lord.

Its 4 in the morning