There is more to football than football

God lives in us. 1 John 4:1
A one liner that has a huge impact. A one liner that says it all if we love one another.  I think it was Julian of Norwich who took a one liner and pondered on it in depth with great insight. Sometimes we can be engaging in every day life and come face to face with a one liner, for example, I was watching a crowed stadium at a sports event  one day and among the banners and flags that were flying was a simple one liner in bold print on a piece of cardboard which said : John 3:16 and being a football fan I was watching the Raiders game last night  and I noticed some players had writing on their wrist strapping. One I saw was a persons name and when a try was scored the wearer would touch his wrist strapping, then his chest, and then point to heaven.  But the writing on one  wrist particularly caught my eye in the middle of a tackle. It was in bold black printed, two words saying simply 'Jesus Lives.' Thousands watch the football either on TV or in the crowd and thousands saw those words, 'Jesus lives.'. Now that is literally wearing your faith on your sleeve for all the world to see.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Peace - Jesus Lives.

The shepherd.

When he has brought out his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. John 10:4
How comforting are those words? For some reason the timeless parables are what seem to stay with us from way back in our Sunday School days.They are what we remember most and what we often depend upon most in our faith journey.  They assure us that Jesus is always with us in all situations and whats more, he is the answer to all our situations.  There is the timeless parable of the lost sheep and it always comes to mind when I see sheep walking in single file across the paddock, following one after the other. Just think on this, (and often in day to day life its a hind sight thought,) but think on it now - Wherever we go, whatever we do, whatever situation we find our self in now, or in a moment or in an hour, or tomorrow, Jesus is there just ahead of us. He is in front of us. He is the next  moment, the next hour, the tomorrow we often are so wary of. He is there already. In a poem by J.Danson Smith, the last verse says: He goes before, be this my consolation. He goes before, on this my heart would dwell.He goes before, this guarantees salvation. He goes before, therefore all will be well.
As we live life with its ups and downs may we always be mindful of the shepherd. he is there,just ahead, follow his voice.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

The sheep follow the shepherd, they know his voice.

A priceless present

This is the day that the Lord has made: we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
This verse of psalm 118 has a lovely ring to it. Its a happy verse and especially carries a real depth   for those who are morning people. What a way to start the day by looking out the window (when you cant be out walking in it) as the dawn creeps through the last veil of the fading darkness. Its hard not to recite this verse while engaging in the morning. This is the day which the Lord has made - I think, here it is, new, fresh and a door to open into a wealth of opportunities., unimaginable opportunities, graciously given by a gracious God. Here is a chance to live another day. Here is a chance for blessings to roll, to give and to receive and a chance to serve the Lord more and more.
Sometimes we dont even see this side of a day. Perhaps we just roll out of bed with a head already full of the days list of things to do and sometimes we might say from under the blankets, 'surly its not time to get up already!' However we look at a new day it sets the pattern for the day. Which pattern for your day would you like to set - acknowledging God is in it from the very beginning or not even seeing him until the morning is well past. Alice Britt Chole says:'As we open our eyes each morning, God sets before us a priceless present. Unique, fresh, and full of potential. Each day God gives us time - rejoice and be glad in it.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

And a new day dawns

Shout his praises.

Altogether now - applause for God! Psalm 66:1 (the message)
Psalm 66 invites us to come and see what God has done. To take a good look at his wonders for they will take your breath away. I mean, just take a look at this, does it not take your breath away? God made that just for you and me.

Lets make happy noises about God.

Where I am there you are also.

God is our strength and ever present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
At the Day Hospice the prayer service starts with a very comforting, reassuring prayer which goes like this: The light of God surrounds me, the love of God enfolds me, the power of God protects me,
 the presence of God watches over me. Where I am God is.
A small boy was in distress and his Sunday School teacher told him that no matter where you go God is always with you. There is no place he is not. If you are an astronaut and fly to outer space in a space ship God is with you. If you are an ocean explorer in a submarine on the ocean floor, God is with you.If you are a mountain climber hanging off a sheer drop on the side of  a cliff face in Simpsons Gap, God is there.  And if you are a small boy in distress, God is there. Every move you make, every breath you take every joy and every sadness, God is there.
 Its quite profound when you really stop and reflect that God is so close to you regardless of where you are, no matter what is going on in your life and around you. In his strength we stand, in his love we are enfolded even if its just an ordinary day or a cliff hanger.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Cliff face at Simpsons Gap.

New birth into living hope

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us  a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter:3
I find an old tree stump that has new shoots growing from it, quite powerful. It has a real message about it and when I look and see something stirs in me from way down in my soul and there is a deep spiritual connection. I read this quote which said: 'A green shoot grows out of an old tree stump announcing to the world that there is power in dying.' Ah yes, I knew there was a spiritual connection as I reflected on the dying and resurrection of Christ.  There are many little pockets of dying and resurrection in life and this is so obvious at this time of the year when the lovely fresh, new shoots of the spring bulbs are pushing through the dark winter soil into the light. Wander your garden and look and see.
May grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Anne, servant of the Lord

little pockets of  dying and resurrection.

All together lovely

Serve the Lord with gladness, come before his presence with singing. Psalm 100:2
Today, like every day, we have the wonderful opportunity to serve the Lord. When we get up out of our beds we come into God's presence with singing and from then onwards into the day we are ready to serve him. Think of it: Our God who is a mighty God, a powerful God, a creator God, all together lovely and all together worthy wants us to reach out and touch others with his love. He wants us, ordinary people to do extraordinary work, the most precious, the most blessed work. Its work high above that of a CEO, we need no top qualifications or prior learning, all we need is to take that love of God that dwells in our hearts and use it to serve him through prayer or through action. Wow! what a privilege, what a joy, what a delight.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Off to love and serve the Lord

Loyalty,faithfulness and perseverance.

'Great is your love reaching to the heavens, your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Psalm 37:10
I remember a few years ago standing in silence at the marked tomb of St John in Turkey and for a moment I felt a connection that went right down the centuries and a feeling that time stood still. It is a tomb perfectly restored in its preservation amid a city of ruin and excavation and archaeological diggings.  But it was more than just a tomb. It was a symbol of a man's great love of God. A symbol that said to me that despite the destruction about us in our life and in the world, no matter how life pans out, God will be, and God endures. John left his mark for Christ for all to see, for all to know, a mark that spoke of determination to tell the world that Jesus Christ is Lord. I wonder, in the name of Jesus Christ, what marks we will leave on the world, on our community, on our church, on our families that will endure for generation to generation,not as a mark of greatness but a mark of loyalty, faithfulness and perseverance to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

The restored tomb of St John.

sacred pauses

'All things wise and wonderful - the Lord God made them all' TIS 135
Many an acorn crushes underfoot as I walk beneath the large canopy of the oak tree and I never cease to marvel at such a small acorn turning itself into a very large tree or I can walk in a forest across a carpet of pine leaves and see the tiny native orchid growing in the most unlikely place sheltered beside  a fallen limb. Such mysteries, such surprises of wonder are before us every day, God's handy work  for our enjoyment, our pleasure but if we never cease to hurry then we wont see these things, which are the face of God looking back at us as we pause in wonder. I read this lovely quote by Thomas Kimber: 'We may not understand nor know just how the giant oak tree throw their spreading branches wide nor how upon a mountain side the dainty wildflowers grow.' But one thing we do know and that's the creator who created them - The   wildflowers in their beauty, the mountain ranges tall, the billabongs and rivers the friendly birds that call - the Lord God made them all. (TIS 135 v:1)
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Growing in the most unlikely and unexpected places