Free spirit

For he commanded and they were created. Psalm 148:5
There is a survey going on at the moment  to record sightings and colours (what I call their personalities)of the butterflies. There is something about a butterfly. Its like a soft gentle spirit silently passing by and hovering over the perfume of the  sweet smelling flowers.They are like angels, drifting on the air,  a creature that stops us in our path and draws from us a breath of delight -  an AH moment  - and leaves our heart feeling warm and fuzzy. They are those little angels that delight us at the time we are looking to God for comfort or  peace or just an uplifting of our spirits yet when we think about its transformation from a caterpillar to this beautiful spirit we are left in wonder.   Maya Angelou said:We delight in the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty   
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord.-  

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly. (Richard Bach)

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Pause as the new day dawns

This is the day that the Lord has made. Psalm 118:24
Its here again Lord, your gift to us of another day and I wonder how much we really appreciate that. Have we stopped to listen and to look at its sights and sounds before rushing head long into it. Is our wakening mind full of the coming events of the day, all those hastily scribbled notes for the days agenda that wait in the diary to be fulfilled.Take a moment, a precious moment and look at the face of spring blooming around you.Go low enough to see the face of the flowers and take in their sweet perfume. Mary Oliver said. O do you have time to linger for just a little while out of your busy and very important day for the goldfinches that gathered in the field of thistles.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways
Anne, servant of the Lord

And a new day dawned

Eastern or Western spirituality.

He is named wonderful counselor, mighty God. Isa 9:6
Around the walls of my office I have a few icons of various sizes that I have bought home from several trips to the Holy Land but there is one that sits on my prayer desk and it comes with me when I go on retreat, on holiday and on many occasions when I have been in hospital. Its small enough to travel  in my pocket, be placed on a bedside table or desk with my prayer book and note book, and other items of devotion and has the image of Mary and the baby Jesus. Somehow, it doesn't matter how many times I look at it in prayerful silence it always has something new to discover and meditate on. Its a bit like sitting in the quiet of a garden and in the stillness gaze at the intricate,  delightful and colourfull  flowers and seeing something new every time, just sitting and looking at my surroundings and reflecting on the creator. I call these icons too. Living icons. that I never tire of. Thomas Merton said: I have a small icon that goes with me, its made of wood and is of Mary and child. Its like a kiss from heaven and is a perfect act of timeless worship. I never tire of gazing at it. It is unutterably splendid and silent.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Lost in wonder, love and praise.

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From a bud to a rose

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. Matt 13:44
I recall the story of a young boy who was seen by his mother as he sat on the back step of their home just quietly and with curiosity peeling  petals  off  the a tight a rose bud. His mother asked him what he was doing and he said he was trying to open   the  rose.. His mother replied that the rose and all its beauty and sweetness can only be opened from the inside. Its like a parable isn't it? or is it a miracle ? that change and goodness and beauty come from within when opened out by God. That what begins is not how it is.  Spring  is a time when there are  signs of new life and opening rose buds are on full display. I love this line from one of Mary Oliver's poems:Roses- opening now their soft dresses, their leaves are shining. Oh how spring can bring a picture of parables and miracles.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne ,servant of the Lord.

Ah, what beauty, what perfection

created, shaped, drew and painted.

He gave us eyes to see them and lips that we might tell how great is God Almighty who has made all things well. ( hymn 135,v5  TIS).
Spring is such a lovely season that carries beauty, perfume and many an 'Ah' moment. But then again so does the autumn with its stunning displays of leafy colours that drifts on the wind from their moorings and yet again we can claim winter as a lovely season with its white frost, magical floating fog and the icy cobwebs that hang on the fence wire. Summer also can claim our love with its warmth, clear blue sky and long balmy nights. Sometimes I am speechless at God's creation. What love for us that he created and made and drew and painted adding splashes of colour, different shapes, different sizes and different sounds all of which draw our minds and thoughts to him.Vincent Van Gogh said: (But) I always think that the best way to know God is to love many things.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Even the laughing kookaburra

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Live with intention

Be still before the Lord and wait in patience Psalm 36:7
We live in a fast pace world that often leaves us exhausted and under pressure. Today's world is one we know we have to step out of regularly for the sake of our body, mind and spirit and what better place to do that than  in the garden where there is a sense of peace and calm and the only sounds are that of the birds singing to God. A quiet place I love to be  is in my small garden surrounded by open spaces and the rich colour and the beauty of the spring flowers. Its here I  can feel God's presence moving in and the stress and pace of the day moving out.
Elena Pasquali said:I sit still and quiet in this my quiet place, and think of good and lovely things and God's unfailing grace.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Silence and stillness are gifts.

Lost in wonder

For everything created by God is good. 1 Timothy 4:4
I was admiring the beautiful spring flowers that are everywhere in the garden from tulips to blue bells, to jonquils, to lavender and as I reached out my hand to draw the vine of sweet peas closer to get a full burst of their perfume my arm stopped before I touched them and it was like there was a real oneness in that moment.
Pablo Neruda said: Many things give me completeness, they did not only touch me, my hand did not merely touch them, but rather, they befriended my existence. 

Painted by God.

O what a gift, what a wonderful gift.

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day so may the light of your presence, O God set our hearts of fire with love for you now and forever. (Daily Office APBA)) 
Every time I say the daily office I think of all of you who are doing likewise. its a practice that bonds us together even though we can be near or many hundreds, even thousands  of  miles apart.  Its a practice not by rote or habit but with a true hart and therefore with sincerity we say 'Thank you Father for this day because its a lovely gift from you and  thank you for the birds. Even if I don't praise you they would go on singing to your glory'  (Treasury of prayers)
May we  focus our eyes and our thoughts and our presence to see God at work in our day. Unwrap it slowly, gently, bit by bit, savoring its silence, its sounds,its perfumes, its beauty.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord  .
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PEACE

God revealed

When he is revealed........ we will see him how he is. 1 John 3:2 (paraphrased)
Many of us have 'symbols' in nature that remind us of the presence of God. We look about and God speaks.There are so many daily blessings and affirmation of his presence with us.. Even the tiniest flower will be dressed in the handiwork of God. Its like he has a paint palate and he ponders and chooses colour and shape and splashes that around and perhaps he will think with each stroke of his brush that this will please my people, this will bring them joy, this will bring them blessings.this will show them my love. Look and see that the Lord is good.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne,servant of the Lord.

Who would make a flower so beautiful

See more than there is.

All things have been created through him. Col 1:16
So much more can be seen when we  look beyond what is right before us and so often we miss the beauty, the blessings of awareness. So,when you look at a window, look through it into the world.  When you look at the beautiful bright mass of yellow on the wattle tree take a closer look at the tiny balls of fluffy yellow that make up the mass. When you look at a gum leaf after the rain you can see a life giving drop of water bulging on its tip.When you walk past a pocket of perfume on the Daphne bush notice its little tiny pink and white individual flowers that make up its beauty  What delight there is when we let our 'God mindfulness' play on our imagination.  W.E.B Dois says:  Lord make us mindful of the little things that grow and blossom in these days to make the world beautiful for us. 
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Look beyond the window

All the things we enjoy

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,give thanks in all circumstance.  1 Thess 5: 16-17             
 A weekend of silent retreat in the  highlands of New South Wales and I found myself repeatedly thanking God around every corner I turned. There were flowers smiling brightly,an occasional fading autumn leaf still visible on the ground,an old  tree of fading pink blossoms that looked like it had been sharing its joy for many years, Kookaburras laughing, and  rows and rows of vineyards ready to burst into production of the finest dinner wines and there was peace and there was quiet and there was God. John Calvin said, 'All the things we enjoy are ladders by which we may ascend nearer to God.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.
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                                     I see heavens glory shine and  faith shines equal (Emily Bronte)         

Within ear shot.

Because he has inclined his ear to me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. Psalm 116:2
As a child I loved exploring the bush, climbing big mountains and roaming around river flats with my friends.Sometimes we would split up in pairs and go separate ways catching up at the next gully or creek and we would keep each other within earshot with the very Aussie  'coo-ee.' We would 'cup' our ear to hear the far off voice responding. A voice that kept us connected.  A voice that made sure our friends were close by.  Psalm 116 is a psalm of love towards God and a knowledge that he has his ear tuned to  hear us at every call be it sadness or joy, pleasure or pain, when we call he hears us. What a faithful, loving God. How can we ever repay his love to us who is surely very near. I answer myself with the hand written note in my bible at psalm 116:v12. ' I will give a life of service.'  How did you answer?
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Over fields, around ponds and up the mountain.

Ever present God

 Its good to be near God. Psalm 73:28
You might be standing beneath a wattle tree catching its perfume and admiring its bright yellow colour or you might be looking at a tiny wild flower that is here today and gone tomorrow or perhaps you are among those who see little hope in their lives and no God in the smell of the wattle or the face of the tiny flower. When I have a short prayer time with the very ill people in the day hospice we always start the gathering with a moment of quiet and stillness drawing into the presence of God and remembering that  where we are, he is also there.' How lovely it is to know that we cant move an inch sideways, forward or backwards without God being there. No matter where we are, we are  in the place where God has brought us and that truly makes for Holy ground.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

God is here because you are.

Lifting holy hands above.

For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the sky, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies..........for the mystic harmony linking sense to sound and sight (TIS 13)
So much around us in today's world has the potential to cause us despair and impact on our well being. But don't let any of that cause you to lose your joy in the Lord for Oh how we also live in a world of wonder and delight. Yesterday I had the  perfume of the new mown grass mingled with the sight of wattle blossoms bursting with bright,yellow from every individual bloom, packed with a real punch of perfume that sent me back to where I grew up as a child. God so blesses us when we come out of the gloom of winter into the season of spring where he showers us with so much joy from his treasure chest of colour, perfume, and sound. And as I reflect on these things I am blessed with  the beautiful warble of a pair of Magpies singing their joy. Take each day for what it is, balancing  in it the prayers for  the dramas of the world and the joy of the Lord.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

The light of spring rising through the winter gloom.

Do you believe in angels?

And suddenly the angels came and waited on him. (Matthew 4:11)
Some things stay in our minds and hearts always and its usually because they have made an impact, so much so, that we actually feel a stir in our heart and a leap in our faith because God is in it. An elderly lady was telling me about an encounter that she could only call an act of God through an angel. She had been out for a walk and was struggling to get her 'wheelie walker' up her front steps when what seemed like a presence out of nowhere  came a young man who said, 'Can I help you with that?' Prior to this she had not seen anyone around and had never seen him in her neighborhood She accepted his offer and then he seemed to go as mysteriously as he had come. She described him as a young man perfectly groomed with skin so smooth, a glow on his face and his hair beautifully combed. She said I can't explain his looks except he looked like someone who had just stepped out from a shower in preparation for his day yet it was more than that and as she spoke about this it was obvious by her experience that something, or someone special had helped her that day. I call such experiences as 'having your soul tickled by God' Go into this day being aware of angels.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

An angel of the Lord.

Joyful in believing

How shall I sing to God when life is full of gladness. (TIS 667)
I was watching a playful wind pick us the dry leaves from the carpeted ground and toss them into the air in a spiral and off they went in a twister that carried them high  into the sky well above the tree tops where the birds fly and as I looked up I had a sense of the grandeur of God that reminded me of a verse I had read:
The woods are God's own cathedral with pillars that reach the sky and a faraway ceiling of fluttering leaves where songbirds and angels fly. (anon)

God's own cathedral.

And the perfume of the violets pack a punch

All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above, so thank the Lord, O thank the Lord  for all his love. (TIS 130)
God has been putting down his perfume, its just outside the front door in the beautiful aroma of the Daphne. Its along the walking track in the bright and fluffy flowers of the Golden Wattle. Its filling the air, its hanging off pearls of tight pink buds among the already merging blossoms of the Prunes tree and its in the cheerful faces of the daffodils and  those jonquils beside a fallen tree and it hovers in the bright blue of the violets that pack a real punch among the garden beds.  All around is the glorious perfume of spring hastening our hearts towards God and holding hands with our soul.
From a book of Treasury of Prayers I read this lovely prayer:
 Sing to God with thanks and love.
 Praise him for his joyful spring, bringing life to everything.
 Praise him for the blossom trees,birds and butterflies and bees.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

The perfume of God from hidden places

Every night will have its morning

Comfort, comfort all my people. (TIS 647)
 I was sharing with an older lady who lives alone, about God's comfort after she had expressed some anxiety at bed time when all was dark and all was quiet and there was a loneliness in that. I shared with her about my prayer practice at bed time saying one of the last things I do when I go to bed at night is wrap myself in prayer thinking  as I wrap myself in the warmth of the blankets that I am  wrapping God himself around me giving me a feeling of his presence. It really is quite comforting. I have a small book called Irish Blessings by Pat Fairon and in it there is this lovely prayer called, On Lying Down saying: I lie down with my dear God, may my dear God lie with me, two hands of God about my waist, a cross of angels over me, from head to sole tonight and until a year from tonight, and tonight itself.  Isn't that so comforting? I love the two hands of God about my waist.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,
Anne, servant of the Lord

Peace

Go out with determination

Because the Lord helps me, I will not be dismayed, therefore I have set my face like flint to do his will, and I have known that I will triumph. Isaiah 50:7 (TLB)
We know we have the help of the Lord at anytime because he is on our side so why is it we dismay? How blessed we are to be in a situation where we can know this right to the depth of our heart that God is always present, always in what we do in his name. We sometimes say in tricky situations: Grit your teeth and get on with it, or bite the bullet and just do it and what I like about Isaiah is he juts does that with a great sense of determination . ' I will set my face like flint and do his will.'
When we have matters of 'dismay' in our day we have the promise of God's help so whatever might come your way, go for it, with determination, God will be there holding your hand.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

In the hands of God

Now that is prayer.

Keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and  love of God and of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (Prayer Book blessing)
I was sitting in my quiet space, just listening to nature  and watching two beautiful King Parrots having a feed on the lawn. Their colours were brilliant as if they had just bathed and groomed their feathers  and there was silence.  Sometimes I listen - deeply - so deeply  that the silence is loud.
So deeply that out of silence comes a still small voice, or, - or  more profound one of the beautiful, richly coloured birds lands within inches of my sight - and God speaks.  Its a powerful assurance that we are filled and surrounded by the knowledge  and  love of God.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

What a blessing.