Joy

 For the joy of the Lord is your strength. Neh 8:10

You know how it feels when you round a corner, or come over the crest of a hill and there before you is  is the most stunning, breathtaking sunset or breathtaking view or a kookaburra laugh breaks the stillness of the morning or even when you come across an unexpected  family of kangaroos on the walking track, grazing and just being family or recently for me this beautiful image of a soaring cockatoo just gliding, flying, cruising.

 All the elements of  pleasurable surprise. I was touched by these words in a recent conversation, ' joy comes through surprise.' We have a God of surprises, who fills our hearts and lives with joy. A God of surprise who meets us often when we least expect it.

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

The joy of beauty.

Photo by Guy Thomas.

A small space

 Let all the world in every corner sing: my God and king.  TIS 105

The early morning winter mist hovered over the frosty grass with a mystical beauty and the trees stood like soldiers in a line seeming to have no base in the fog, their tops just towering upward above the mist: still, quiet, peaceful, slowly moving in a gentle breeze which seemed to ripple down across the grass and up into my face, refreshing like the Spirit of God.

Gavin Miller said: Lord I care not about positions in heaven. Let all those bent on having power rule as they may. Give me only a small space close enough to see your face.'   

 Where do you see God's face?  

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

                                                              A misty morning.

Where can I go ?

 Where can I go from your Spirit, where can I flee from your presence. If I ascend to heaven you are there; if I make my bed in sheol you are there, if I take the wings of the morning and settle on the furthest limits of the sea you are there.   Psalm 139:7-9

From my sacred space I was in thought and listening to the voice of God and both collided in my mind as I reflected on the beautiful clear sky last night with millions of  stars and a brilliant moon so far away and I thought how vast is God's love and presence. I recall a conversation I had with a small boy who asked me if he was an astronaut way up in the sky would God's Spirit still be with him? My reply was, it  doesn't matter where we are, what situation we are in, what troubles, what delights, whatever our situation, even if we were in outer space, we are surrounded by the depth and width and magnitude of a God who knows us and our every need. His hand is outstretched ready to guide and lead us by the presence of his Spirit.

I always give thanks to God that we can not go from his presence because it simply means he is with us always.  Do you feel that? Do you feel God is with you always?

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

                                             Even in the vast outback he is with us.

Thank you

 1 Chronicles 16:8 .O give thanks to the Lord.

  As I sit in my sacred space I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, God for all I see about me.

Thank you for life. Thank you for the beauty of Autumn 

Thank you for the singing of the crickets after the rain. Thank you for the dawn silence and the sound of dawn waking, the warbling magpie,s and the rising sun light on the trees.

 Thank you for family and friends, for cats and dogs.

 For humility to serve you among those who need a companion for the journey, those who society abandons.

 Thank you for the love of Jesus in our lives. May our thanks fill the quiet spaces of our day May it be the last word on our breath as we go to sleep at night.

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

The rising sunlight.

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning

 Praise for the singing, praise for the morning, praise for them springing fresh from the word. TIS 156.

It is said that anything worth thinking about is worth singing about and Mary Oliver adds ' which is why we have songs of praise, songs of love and songs of sorrow.'  I can relate to this thinking  so much as I often have a song in my heart and on my lips and even as I   go to sleep at night there is something in me that still listens  for the joy of the beautiful warbling sound of the magpie  in the morning, the first creation to sing to God on a new day.

May there be songs in your heart and on your lips that bring you joy or peace or comfort and the assurance of the presence of God. 

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

                                                                 Boy, can I sing!

It was like the tinkling of a small bell

 The glory of our King was seen (TIS 253)

I was sitting in my sacred space just quietly and thinking about how God is in the present - in my breathing -  and  how he  can be seen in all that surrounds me. And it was as if I was seeking God when I heard a tinkling bell like sound coming from a small pair of birds in amongst the glorious autumn colours of the crepe myrtle bush on the the edge of my sacred space. In the quiet the tinkling little call was ringing in the still morning air, softly and gently giving a sense of a gentle peace and joy. There are so many God given treasures to be seen and heard from my sacred space where God says just loose yourself in me and find my love. Take the time to just 'be' in your sacred space and await the blessings.

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

                                                            The glory of the King

Shout for joy.

 Glorious things of thee are spoken. TIS 446

Have you ever had your breath taken away by something beautiful in God's creation - a complete rainbow after a storm, or a thundering waterfall with its spray  falling like mist on the surrounding country side, or a glorious sunset beyond description, or the beauty of the magnificent autumn leaves especially when the playful wind blows through the trees and the leaves rain down on you  like confetti. O yes, I say it again, have you ever had your breath taken away by something beautiful in God's creation.

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

                                                                                                                         Lost for words

                                                              photo by Guy Thomas with permission

The Lord is in his house.

 Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

The early morning was so quiet and my sacred space was still in darkness. There was a nip in the air and even the birds were still sleeping in their nests. It was so peaceful to just be with God and I could see the cloud around the horizon with a tinge of red and I waited for the morning to explode into the colour of an autumn sunrise.

I was not disappointed.  Layer upon layer of red and orange and grey and blue that kept coming and coming like a tide on the shore and it rebounded across the sky in a repetition of colourful episodes.

Breathtaking, mind centering and blessing upon blessing as the Lord showered the day with his presence. My cup has been filled, the Lord is in his house.  How have you filled your cup ready for the day?

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

                                                              Autumn sunrise

Angel Dust

 May the Lord bless his people with peace Psalm 29:11

Sometimes there are no words when I look to the west in the evening just on sunset and the countryside is lit with colour and radiance and a sense of fine dust filtering through it as if its find gold dust falling from heaven. I call that angel dust sprinkling our earth for our joy and pleasure. Have you seen it?

                                 I read this prayer from Frederick Buechner:

Lord catch me off guard today. Surprise me with some moment of beauty so that at least for the moment I may be startled into seeing that you are  here in all your splendor, always and everywhere, beauty hidden, beneath, beyond, within this life I breathe.

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

Sunset. Evening glory.

A sacred silence

Morning has broken, like a new morning. ( Hymn TIS 156)

Its just past day break , a lovely autumn morning. The fog was twisting, weaving its mysterious silence through the trees and across the dew leaden grass  and a stillness and quiet  hung in the air - a silent mystery full of haunting beauty. Daniel O'Leary says: 'Enjoy something good and beautiful today even if it's just to take a moment to look at the shape of a leaf.' or as for me, to stand on the edge of the fog with God  and be shrouded in its mystery. 

As you bless me with light at the sun's rising, shine on me now with love.     Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                                       Silence.