And the silence is itself

Declare your steadfast love in the morning.  Psalm 92:2
Sometimes we can sit so still and quiet as if a bird has landed on our head and our whole being  is  focused on the moment. Pre dawn is always such a lovely time with silence, stillness and presence  and I was reading a saying by Thomas Merton which said: This flower. This moment. This silence - the Lord is here. Best because the flower is itself and the silence is itself, and the silence is itself and I am myself.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord

morning stillness. The Lord is here

sweet melody

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise you the Lord.  Psalm 150:6
So does that mean my little dog who lies on my knee in sleep, breathing softly, or the bird that sings at the crack of dawn in rhythm of its breathing ,praises the Lord?  To these thoughts I say yes, yes and yes,I believe so. The bird high on the lamp post as the sun rises and sets, singing its little beating heart out with such beautiful musical notes that it can be doing nothing more than praising God. William Blake said: For every thing that lives is holy. Life delights in life.

Singing to the Lord

I sing because I'm happy

You are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:31
Even though the sparrow is a common, plain little bird, he is loved by God and God uses this common little bird to tell us that no matter what we are, no matter how we look, no matter who we are we are valued by God. I watch these little birds scavenging in the garden ever so happy, ever so 'chatting' and busy and cant help saying to each and every one, 'you are special.' Mary Oliver says:Of course I love the sparrows, those dun-coloured darlings, so hungry and so many.' and I found these words : I sing because I am happy. I sing  because I'm free, for his eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me. (anon)
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

A sparrow in the tomb garden in Jerusalem

It happens so suddenly.

Is anything to wonderful for the Lord? Gen 18:14
We can be just going about our day minding our own business when a piece of music, the sight of a beautiful flower, a sweet perfume in the air or a butterfly ever so graceful crosses our path, or the blackbird singing in the morning sun rays and our heart flutters for one brief moment and we are raised out of what ever it is we are doing to a 'heavenly place' and then, in just a flash, we are back on our way in our daily routine. 'All the things we enjoy, ' says John Calvin, 'are ladders by which we ascend nearer to God.'
May the Lord of peace himself, give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Lost in wonder

Who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:4
I was always fascinated by the wriggly bark on some gum trees and wonder what God had in mind when he planted that species. Who did he invite to joining in the creation with him? Is it just a pattern on the tree trunk or did he have the assistance of a tiny creature? I think when we look closely at just about anything we can be asking similar questions that steer our minds and thoughts to God. Like the beauty of the rose bud that blossoms into a flower from the inside out. Or an acorn that grows into a huge oak tree, or the small ants that make huge nests. God gave us so much to see, to treasure, to draw us into his presence in wonder and delight. Jean-Pierre de Caussade said: If one looks long enough to almost anything, looks with absolute attention at a flower, a stone, the bark on a tree, grass, snow, a cloud - something like revelation takes place. Something is 'given' and perhaps that something is always a reality outside of self.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Tiny ants, huge nests. How clever is that.

Hope

Love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord. Thessalonians. 1:3
 The catastrophe fire storms have left so many people homeless, lives lost and  stock killed and thousands of miles of bush and wildlife destroyed  . Can there be any hope for those who are in the midst of all of this? I was watching the news and taken by the hope that one farmer has. He was all but burnt out yet in a paddock that had been singed by fire and surrounded by devastation there was a  horse who had just given birth to a new foal.The farmer saw this as a sign, and it gave him a great sense of hope. Amidst the fire storm there was new life,a blessing,  a new beginning and a quote came to my mind: 'Hope is like the sun, which,as we walk towards it, casts a shadow of our burdens behind us.' (author unknown) 
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

New life, new hope.

Take a little rest

Wide, wide as the ocean, high as the heavens above, deep deep as the deepest sea is my saviours love. (hymn)
Ah, there is nothing like a rest after a hard days work and that goes for all creatures in our world, not just us humans. Without stepping aside we fail to see the treasures that God has prepared for us, for our enjoyment.I stepped aside for two days and spent it by the sea and God didn't fail in his blessings. The sky was blue, the white topped  waves were playing gently with the breeze, the seagulls were almost aerobatic in their attempt to catch a morsel of food from a passer by before the other dozens of gulls caught it. (a bit like feeding the 5,000) and the pelicans got into clusters to see who could be first to take the catch thrown to them from  the fishing boat that had just positioned itself at the jetty. All the activity of the fishermen and the creatures came to a stop  in the afternoon. It was a time of rest from business and the pelicans caught my eye again, all lined up in a row, resting. The entire day was like a kiss from God.  We have a beautiful world, created for our pleasure and enjoyment if we take the time to stop and enjoy. There is a Jewish saying: On the day of judgment God will ask one question: 'Did you enjoy my world?'
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Time for a break from working.

Oops, they got it wrong.

Then Peter said to Jesus, 'Lord it is good for us to be here;if you wish I will make three dwellings here, one for you,one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' Matthew 17:4
Sometimes we get it wrong. Sometimes we over think things and sometimes we rush in before we think or in our excitement we over look the real meaning of what is happening. These thoughts were running through my mind as I was quietly looking at three 'wiltjas' or Aboriginal 'dwelling places.' at a campsite of  story telling  around Alice Springs. As I was looking I thought of  Peter's words to Jesus when he said: 'Lord it is good for us to be here. If you wish I will make three dwelling places. One for  you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. At the first rush of adrenaline, at the first assumption of why they were on the mountain with Jesus, they got it wrong. I love these words of  Mary Oliver.. She wrote: Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.  
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

And there were three dwelling places.

Holding tight

Hold me up that I may be safe: Psalm 119:117
The wind has been particularly wild lately, blowing in all directions and with force, yet as I was driving, I was in awe of a tiny lady bird holding fast to the window screen of my car. Despite the wind which I thought had the power to break a tree, this little creature with its bright red coat and tiny black spots stayed with me on the window of my car. What incredible strength in those tiny legs and how the suction on its feet. (are they called feet on ladybirds?) held her on. I found myself talking to this little creature saying hang on we will be home soon and the moment I pulled up at home this little soul flew off the window and landed on a rose in full bloom. Its a parable isn't it?   I can see how such a story could be our story as we  hang onto God when life gets rough and the strength he gives us to hold on until we arrive 'home' and fly off to safety in him. I read this  saying: The little bugs that scurry, the little beasts that creep among the grasses and the weeds, and where the leaves are deep: All of them were made by God as part of God's design. Remember that the world is theirs, not only yours and mine.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord

All God's creatures have a place in the choir.