And they became a prayer

 Your love to me was wonderful. 2 Samuel 1:26

The  autumn tree is almost spent of its summer dress and I love the way the last of the leaves are gathered up and swirled around on the path in a playful gust of wind, coming from all directions in small whirly winds. To sit in the sacred space and just look and listen and feel is, (as Macrina Wiederkehr says) like going to heaven for awhile' and as I contemplate these moments of beauty -  they become a prayer. 

Ralph S Cushman wrote: 'I met God in the morning, when the day was at its best, and his presence came like sunrise, a glory in my breast.'

Let the peace of Christ dwell within you.  Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                                Spent of its dress.

Deep Peace of the Aaronic blessing

 The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and give you peace. Numbers  6:24

This would have to be my favourite blessing. It has come down in time, in centuries, from Moses across all the faithful, to us, and it will go on forever and so many times I see this blessing come true during the day.  The beautiful crimson Rosellas quietly feeding in the birdfeeder, the sunrise, the unwrapping of the gift of a new day, a rainbow after the rain and the stranger walking down the path who pauses to look at the last summer rose in the garden and offers a greeting. Blessings - God's face shining on us - bringing peace and I haven't gone further into the day than to my sacred space. Treasure the blessings, they are the face of God.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and give you peace.

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                      A blessing. God's face shining on us.

Breath-taking God

 See the streams of living water, springing from eternal love. (TIS 446)

I stood in awe of the beauty of the tree lined pathway to walk among the autumn leaves carpeting the ground, kicking through them with childhood memories. The trees were glorious in their shifting colours, dressed for autumn yet preparing themselves for  a winters  rest. They were so colourful that they took my breath away, every leaf seemed to emanate the handywork of God and I was left with a song in my heart: Glorious things of you are spoken.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                    Stunning

On the tree, covering the ground.

 Silver and Gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee. (Christian Song)

I look at the glorious autumn trees all around with all the colours God could think of and the one that speaks to me the most are the leaves on the Crepe Myrtle just outside my door, gold and silvery  yellow glory, on the tree and covering the ground - what a picture - what an image - what love, and to mind comes the words of the song: 'silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I thee.' and its true, we don't have much but we give what we have in service to our God and one another becoming part of his story. I love this little poem by Rosalie Kuyvenhoven: Humble dazzle of autumn these leaves on the ground. Each one a page in a book, a poem  that says I lived. I was a small part of the whole story - this is my song, this is my glory.

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

This is my Glory

Peace abounds.

 Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven, like the first dew fall on the first grass. Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden, sprung from completeness where his feet pass. (V2 TIS 156. Morning has Broken)

There was a mystery in the morning as I looked from my sacred space, across the  lawn, thick with dew, to the green grassland just emerging through the morning mist, The garden lights were still on as the night hadn't quite given away to the emerging day. The trees, some naked of their leaves, others still undressing were still and empty, (the birds were still in bed!) Its quiet, ever so quiet and you could almost hear the bulging, bursting, pods of water drops falling from the bushes full of life giving water from the nights rain. Its a new day, a fresh day, a new beginning and what a way to begin it - with God - in silence, giving thanks for all he gives us, for all we have, Peace abounds in the sacred space. Do you find that in your sacred space? Peace abounds.

Peace to those who are far off. Peace to those who are near.    Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                    Peace

How good it is to know you Lord.

 Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear. Isaiah 50:4

There is something about putting your hand in God's each morning with words of thanks for the new day that is dawning. Some mornings just shout 'God' and today was one of those mornings - beautiful clear blue sky without a cloud in sight, a perfect dome, crisp, fresh air with a touch of frost and autumn leaves covering the ground, fallen, falling from the almost naked trees that I want to kick up as I walk by , letting the child in me loose. How good it is to know you Lord, I rejoice that I am so blessed, and I want at times to shout - go for a walk, be daring  and ski down a sparkling, crystal white slope, count the stars on a clear night, watch the trees change dress's for the autumn - you will see him there saying - 'I am God.'

Peace to those who are far off and peace to those who are near.      Anne, servant of the Lord.

God in the morning .

I held it in my clasped hand

 They were holding golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the people. Revelations 5:8

I held the flower of the golden yellow rose in my clasped hands and before I lowered my head towards its glorious formation I could smell the deep, rich perfume flowing from it and on its petals were droplets of dew ,  and all I saw and smelt was a prayer. Then, in the peace of my garden, at the sight of such a glorious creation my gaze fell lower down to a cluster of forget-me-nots still flowering and why I don't know, my thoughts went to Ukraine. I think it was the combination of the yellow and blue colours and my thoughts then wondered to the sanctuary at church, where across the front of the Alter we are constantly reminded to pray for Ukraine, by a long strip of intwined yellow and blue cloth and  again my thoughts were as prayers.

I love the thought that we, here in a quiet country, can send our prayers up like incense to God, for those in desperate need and that a humble rose and a tiny forget-me-not have the power to remind me of that.

Peace to those who are far off and peace to those who are near.  Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                        For Ukraine.