God of surprise

While he was speaking these words to me I was speechless. Daniel 10:15
Why should I be surprised when God steps into a situation with a solution. When he suddenly seems to be there on 'the same page' as me?  I have a client at the Day Hospice who I had promised a new wheel chair as the one he was using was not safe and then my funding ran out and on my mind was my promise to this man of his new chair. 'How Lord,' I asked in prayer,' am I going to honour this promise?' These thoughts were on my mind as I went to visit a family to discuss the funeral of their elderly mother. After the discussion one of her son's said to me, quite out of the blue.' I don't suppose you know anyone who could use an almost new 'Mercedes style' wheelchair do you?' It seemed an age before I responded with a 'yes I could', trying not to sound too excited and then explained I have a man at the day hospice I am involved in and...... They were so chuffed to think the chair was going to be used and I was so blessed that God came to that funeral preparation. I drove home almost in shock at the events that had unfolded. God is so good, so good.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

God calling

Fill my whole life, O Lord my God. TIS 596
As a child I grew more and more fascinated in people who worked and devoted their life for God. I loved to see pictures in mission magazines of missionaries 'working' for God and when they visited our parish I was in awe of them. As I grew up this fascination grew with me and people like Mother Teresa became one I admired, respected and saw as one who gave her life totally in service to Christ..(Of course my father, a parish priest was well up in my books also.) What an inspiration these people and more have been in my life.
I read in a book called 'God Calling' a simple phrase that said, 'God's calling ......FOR ME.'  We can always draw inspiration from people around us who live extraordinary lives of love and service, who spark the best in us. When we hear of Christians exemplifying God's best best in their love for others, their service and their character..................learn their song......and sing it, calling out to God, 'Lord help me leave a legacy of love.'
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

Anne, servant of the Lord.

He is risen

 On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away but when they went in they did not find a body. He had risen.' Luke 24 (paraphrased)
What a glorious autumn morning. The golden sunlight crept across the last of the dark of night bringing light to the new day. Everywhere I looked the golden fingers of light brought colour and life to a dark earth.....across the dew laden paddocks and through the fog in the valley. I paused a moment to watch the mist rising from the pond as it reflected the reeds and bushes around itself. The two swans were just stirring from their sleep, slowly raising their long black necks in a stretch and the mountain tops showed a hue of pale pink as the sun tipped their peaks and the magpies called in the new day.  I thought of a poem I had penned...'soft soft the morning mist did rise.' Gifts from God, every one of them and I reflect on Holy Week and the great love of God and the risen Christ. What wonderful fuel for the day.

The tomb garden Jerusalem

(Steiner-Rice) I saw the dew glisten in crystal like splendor, while God with a touch that is gentle and tender, wraps up the night and softly tucks it away and hangs out the sun to herald a new day.
May your day be blessed with new beginning. May your life be refreshed by the Easter experience and God's peace be with you.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Jesus the Messiah

What should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?  Matthew 27:22

These words of Pilate have really sat with me this Easter. Its been an experience of previously 'unnoticed' words suddenly leaping off the page at me and sitting in my mind in reflection and meditation......'what should I do with Jesus?'
We have stood before the cross  this Good Friday and reflected and now look towards facing  the resurrection and we do so with a renewed 'life' and an even deeper desire to keep the risen Lord Jesus Christ alive.
Ask the question Pilate asked but ask it of yourself......'what should I do with Jesus?'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne,servant of the Lord.

Holy week

'Take our lives and let them be, consecrated Lord to thee, take our moments and our days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.' Hymn by Alan Wilson 1945
Palm Sunday or as its  known these days as  Sunday of the Passion, the beginning of Holy Week. When I think of the word Passion in relation to this event I think of the great passion, the great love of God who was prepared to sacrifice his Son Jesus for us...for ME. That's huge.That love is unimaginable.And all the while Jesus walked to Jerusalem he knew he was walking to his death but he also knew that in doing so it would give us life. As a child Palm Sunday was exciting. The gathering of the palms, the Saturday spent making palm crosses, the bright red liturgical dressings in the church sanctuary, the procession of palms and  hymns that raised the roof  and we would go home after the service clutching our treasured and so meaningful palm cross but more meaningful I think is the fact that we went home with a 'fire,' a passion,' an excitement that has stayed with me all my life and which is ignited and relived  every time I open my prayer book and am faced with a fading,discoloured, aging palm cross, a perpetual reminder of God's love for me. Imagine the scene in Jerusalem when Jesus arrived; palms, excitement, people everywhere to greet him shouting 'Hosanna to the King,' then imagine the heart of Jesus.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

The road from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem

stone of help

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah and named it Ebenezer, for he said,' Thus far the Lord has helped us.' 1 Samuel 7:12 NRSV
I am often reminded of this text when I reflect on a small, round, smooth stone that I have on my prayer desk with the word 'peace' carved on it. Somehow when I look on the word on that stone I have a sense of the ever present help of the Lord and how that word alone, set on a rock can calm what ever storm might be raging and affirm the victories won. It reminds me of God's faithfulness throughout my life.It reminds me that Jesus came into our world to bring peace and peace comes to us when we surrender to his will.

I like this translation from the TEV. 'The Lord has helped us all the way......and he named it 'stone of help.'
How good to remember that God's help is just a stones throw away. As he was for Samuel, so he is for you and me.

The secrets and beauty of God

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Ps 150:6
Its seems the older we get the more meaningful the seasons of the year become to us, in a spiritual way. Its like we dive deeper into the secrets and beauty of God as we see the depth of his love in creation. The autumn at the moment is  just coming into its best looking glorious and each year I find myself saying it just gets better. There is something about a tree of multiple colours with the sun shining through it that always wants me to say 'now there is God's glory ' and yet I can look at a leafless tree silhouetted in the fog and see the same glory. I feel my spirits rise when I see the new growth in the springtime and the magic of blossoms and the shade trees

                                             

                       

                                                               Grounds of St Saviours Cathedral Goulburn

provide in the summer. It seems that trees can portray their beauty whatever the season.
I think of our lives and work, the people we encounter each day and trust that we may reflect God's beauty throughout our lives and appreciate it in others. May we truly see God's glory in one another.
My prayerful thoughts today include those people who can see no beauty in their lives.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

For Jesus

May I never boast about anything except the cross of  our Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:14
We had a lovely time together in the service at the aged care facility. We had talked about the beautiful roses I had brought in from my garden to put on the table . We sang hymns that touched our spirit and went deep into our souls, we had a small bracket of interactive reflection on 'the man born blind.' before we prayed for the world and for  every head bowed in that small group and for  those who had 'gone to be with the Lord ' from among us. Following the service we went into singing for fun and the roof raised when we sang' Jesus Loves me this I know'.I always come away from that service knowing exactly what it is that God requires of me and that is to not only love one another  especially the older people but to raise them up in spiritual strength. At the conclusion of the service the roses were passed onto one of the ladies to put in her room. As I was leaving one of the congregation tapped me on the arm and quietly  said: ' I love it when you come, I get so much more out of the service and go away encouraged with so much to reflect on.'
May we thoughtfully minister to our older people beyond  just  'maintenance.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne Servant of the Lord