Star gazing

 The heavens proclaim his righteousness and all peoples have seen his glory. Ps 97

The practice of going outside before bed to gaze at the heavens and all the stars in the sky has been with me for many years. The stars are so bright and fresh looking, some 'sparkling' and 'winking' , seemingly just hanging there . Somehow it has a settling effect and speaks of the greatness and magnitude of our God and his presence and I stay  awhile in the quiet and the peace.   I think of the three wise men and how they saw the bright star in the east and followed it until they found Jesus.  Star gazing at night draws me to Jesus, to reflect, to be nearer. Tonight, go outside, gaze at the stars and think of the star that drew people to the Christ child.

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

                                                         The star in the east.

Come, sit.

 Now when he had spoken, a Pharisee asked (invited)  him to have lunch with him, and he went in and reclined at the table.  Luke 11:37

Christmas is the time of the year when we seem to get many invitations. Invitations to lunch, invitations to dinner, invitations to catch up with friends, invitations to attend various church services and carols in the park and some invitations even come with a gift. But  the greatest invitation, the greatest gift, is the one from Jesus who so often says, ' Come aside and sit with me awhile.'  In the business of Christmas preparations, lets not forget to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. Lets not forget his invitation, and his gift  to us of hope, of peace, of love and of joy.

Jehovah - shalom. The Lord is peace.  Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                               God's gifts to us.

Colours of Christmas.

 Let all together praise our God. TIS 297.

God is so 'there' in the sacred space which is surrounded by his creation and filled with the warmth of the rising summer sun and around me I catch glimpses of the bottle brush bushes with green leaves and Oh so brilliant red bottle brush like flowers. Their colour and presence remind me of Christmas and  what joy they bring among the other mixed  colours of the garden and have you seen them after the rain?  As Christopher Monaghan says.'  A bottle brush after heavy rain is beaded  and jewelled with natures own tinsel.'   Take a moment to look at the bottle brush in all its glory of Christmas colours and next time it rains take a look at its 'tinsel.' You will be so blessed.

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

                                                        Colours of Christmas.

Yesterday and today.

 The joy of the Lord is my strength. Nehemiah 8:10

It can be so hard to stay positive sometimes in this struggling world where we seem to hear nothing  but the destruction of lives through war and famine day after day after day. It can be so easy to let these thoughts steal our joy.  To find positive thoughts I turn to God who has always been my strength and I recall writing some time ago these words:

Yesterday I had a wonderful day. I woke with the Lord and opened the day in prayer with a chorus of birds in the background.     Today I had a wonderful day. I woke with the Lord and opened the day in prayer with a chorus of birds in the background.  

May we continue to hold up in prayer all those who are suffering and pray for peace.

Let the peace of Christ dwell in your heart.    Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                Wake each day with the Lord.

A gentle soft presence.

Fill us at daybreak with your mercy, that all our days may sing for joy.  Psalm 90:14

I love that first light of the morning as it cuts into the night sky with a gentle, soft presence, the awakening of a new day. Its still, its quiet and holds all the glory of the moment. 

I love the old Irish blessing which says: 'May the blessing of light be on you, light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine on you and warm your heart till it glows like a great peat fire, so that the stranger may come and warm himself at it, and also a friend.  What a lovely thought at the start of the day as the sunrises.'

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

                                                  Sunrise over the sea of Galilea 

A glimpse of heaven

 May my prayer come to you like the sweet smell of incense. Psalm 141:2

D.H Lawrence said: ' Oh for the wonder that bubbles into my soul.' and that was exactly my sentiment this morning as I stepped into the sacred space and my breath was drawn in deeply taking with it the absolute richness of the perfumes of God that surrounded me, perfumes that floated in the gentle breeze, coming to me like rich gifts.  The roses, the jasmine, the sweet peas. All so full of blessings. I read somewhere that God sprinkles tiny hints of heaven on earth that give us a taste of what's to come. A  glimpse of heaven on earth.

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

 The sweet pea. A gift from God.

I saw the face of God

 The Lord has decided the number of  the stars and calls each one by name,. Great and mighty is our Lord. Psalm 147:5

I saw it in the puddle of life giving water by the roadside. I saw it in the sky night stars being tucked away behind soft pink clouds in the sunrise. I saw it as the sun shone through the crimson maple leaf. I saw it in the Currawong as he calls his mates into the dawn. I saw it in the single crystal clear rain drop that hung from each leaf and  single blade of grass. I saw it in the soft blue, perfect formation of the bluebells that clutched the side of the road. I saw it. I saw the face of God and my soul sang: How great thou art! World famous musician Pablo Casals said: I find God in the smallest and the largest things. I see God in colour and design. No two things are alike, no two voices the same. 

Be blessed by the face of God that surrounds your day.    Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                    Native blue bells.

The fulness of joy.

The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything. Julian of Norwich

  So many words can be said and written about the wonders of God, the beauty of his creation and the joy of our lives being filled with his love but sometimes we don't need many words, sometimes we just need quiet and space and a focal point for meditation such as the surrounds of  a sacred space, therein lies many blessings. I mean, what can be more beautiful, more reflective, than gazing on a garden full of bluebell?

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

 

                                                    A garden of Bluebells.

Gather me in Lord.

 May the Lord cause you to flourish. Psalm 115:14

Just sitting in the sacred space and pondering the beauty of God in his creative work in the garden thinking - what a paint palate he must have - pinks, and yellow and red and blue and green and all in variants of their colours.  Its among the flowers in the miracles of their life that I  am enriched in my faith for who can look on creation  and not see the creator. Silently, silently,  in the stillness I hear a tiny bee humming and I know that God is with me and as  I look a small prayer passes through me saying : 'Gather me in Lord, gather me in as one of your created, enable me to flourish and grow.  

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

                                                          All the variants of the colours

Pray for peace

 Hymn 446 in TIS says: 'Glorious things of you are spoken, Zion city of our God: he whose word cannot be broken formed you from his own abode. On the rock of Ages founded, what can shake your sure repose? With  salvations walls surrounded, you may smile on all your foes.'

I wonder do we know what we are singing when we sing words such as this from this beautiful old hymn especially in light of todays war in the middle east. The Dome of the rock sits on Mount Zion within the old city of Jerusalem, surrounded by its high fortress, ancient walls of which I have walked around. For Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian  this is the centre of  faith. O that it never be damaged by war. In the foyer of  St Georges Cathedral in Jerusalem these words are written: Pray not for Arab or Jew, for Palestine or Israel but PRAY  rather for ourselves that we might not divide them in our prayers but keep them both together in our hearts. 

Jehovah - Shalom. The Lord is peace.  Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                             Mount Zion. Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem City

A morning offering

 I arise today, blessed by all things. May I live this day.  John O'Donohue

'Its 4 in the morning  and why is the currawong calling. Its  moon light before the dawning - why is the currawong calling?'  Those were my thoughts  as I lay awake listening to the sound of the currawong, I felt it was a special gift in the silence and I recall these words (By  John O'Donohue)  'Meet me in the morning dawning - I will wait for you there.'  Just you and me Lord and that bird singing to us from a tree. Peace, O such peace. What a gift.  Ah, its moments like these that I know God is with me.

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

Its 4 in the morning

And God smiles

 All  things bright and beautiful....the Lord God made them all.  (TIS 135

Spring is the time when God surrounds us with his smile. The glorious colours of the flowers in bloom, deep green grass and the breath taking sun rises and sun sets. This is the season when all of creation shouts before us the smiling face of God.  His presence is a present - a gift, a treasured gift. As I gathered myself  in prayer in the sacred space  my words rang out to God -  How good of you , to give us all of this.

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

.                                                    smiling face of God.

Wander in the morning

 Creator God who  shaped the earth and heavens. Your glory shines in all you have made.  (Christian song)

There is so much of God's creation to soak in when time is spent among it, just sitting of wandering in and about the garden. Beauty before me and out of the corner of my eye I catch yet another beauty to indulge in. We are so enriched and blessed by creation. As I wandered in the early morning I stooped to pick a cluster of Freesias  to bring home, feeling like I had been given a pearl of great price. I put the flowers in a vase and the fragrance of God filled the house .

Michael Leunig writes: 'you have no place in spring except upon your knees.' 

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

God's love

Brilliant creator

 '...all creation shows your glory, heaven and earth draw near your throne, singing, 'Holy, holy, holy. (TIS 99)

God's love for us is so great that he showers us with countless gifts and blessings. He lavishes his love on us and its all about to see.  Just sit awhile and look, unwrap each bit of his beauty before you and enjoy with thanks and praise, marvelling at the brilliant creator.  The other day I picked a small piece of the forget-me-not flowers  from the garden  and placed it in the lapel of my vest and all day long I saw and reflected the love of God for me, a God who will forget-me-not.

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

                                                                The love of God.

I am here, with you

 'I am with  you always.'  Matthew 28:20

Imagery can be so strong. 

Every time I see a flower growing in the crack of a path or out of a stone wall thoughts such as this come to mind: 'May you always notice the  flowers growing up between the cracks and may your life be full of little resurrections' (Neil Paynter)

May the peace of God fill your life every single day.

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                Growing between the stones.

the voice of silence

A time to keep silent and a time to speak. Eccl 3:7

Sometimes I can listen deeply, so deeply that the silence is loud. So deeply that out of the silence comes the still small voice, or more profound  a beautifully, richly coloured bird lands within inches of my sight and God speaks. I was sitting in the sacred space, just sitting in the morning quiet with God and a beautiful  Crimson Rosella came with his partner. They looked at me and I at them and for that moment we were one in God. Mother Teresa said: 'God is the friend of silence. See how nature, trees, flowers and grass all grow in silence.'

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

                                                        They looked at me and I at them.

And it forms a prayer.

 I love the place O God, wherein thine honour dwells - it is the house of prayer  where in thy servant meets. (Hymn)

There is a warmth in the sacred space of late and its not just coming from the change in the season. It comes from that special gift we give ourselves when we take the time to sit alongside God awhile where there is little else besides the voice of quiet and all within sight forms a prayer. I mean, look at the spent leaves from the nearby tree dancing in the wind, blowing up and down and around and around.  Look at the spring flowers in all their glory growing there for your delight and as gifts to share with those who pass by.  Everywhere, all around  on every side there is a joy and a prayer. May you feel the warmth in the place you call your sacred space. 

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

                                                   Swerling into a pile.         

Bathed in God's Glory

 When morning guilds the skies. my heart awakening cries, may Jesus Christ be praised. TIS 227

Words of a timeless melody. One of those old favourites that hangs about forever. But, Oh! How true it is. When morning guilds the skies our thoughts go to God.

I saw in the sunrise a magnificent sight that I could not put into words. The words that did come forth were in gratitude, appreciation and worship[ to a faithful God who never fails us, morning by morning. During the week the same breath-taking blessings crossed my lips as I watched the moon fade away into the sunrise. In the interim the soft mist hovered over the ground, magically weaving its way between the trees with ghost like moves. I thought - and there it hangs, the morning mist, moon-light bathed and sunrise kissed. God is in his house. 'O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder.'

With his grace and presence, go into your day having been blessed at its beginning.    Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                              Morning glory.

Grateful praise

 For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies, for the  love which from our birth over and around us lies. (Hymn F.S.Pierpoint)

It is so hard not to have those words in your heart and the tune in your head at the moment as all God's beauty 'over and around us lies.'  Everywhere we see God's extravagant gifts in abundance. Clusters of jonquils, daffodils, wattle, daphne, violets and so the gifts keep giving full of the mystery and miracles in the waking earth at springtime and have you seen the super moon of late? Yes, God's beauty fills the skies at night with the moon  in a perfect shape, full of light surrounded by a magnitude of stars. God's love does indeed cover us on the earth and in the skies. Feed on his beauty.

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

(super moon)

God's light shinning

Let my hands perform his bidding, let my feet run his ways. (Hymn, All for Jesus)

Often in my morning prayers are the words to Jesus, 'Where you lead I will go.' and again he led me to the nursing home with  a bunch of daphne and my little dog in hand, just to wander about and bring some joy to people.  As I went around those seated in the lounge room there were many wanting to smell the daphne and the responses flowed. One said ' What a blessing, I smelt the daphne and I saw my mother.'  Another, 'I smelt the daphne and was right back in my garden.'  The joy and delight that memories bring but I noticed one lady in a day bed, nothing moving except her eyes and I approached her with my little dog and sat her on this ladies knee and ever so slowly her feeble   hand  reached out and held her paw, she stroked the paw and I saw a faint smile break on the ladies face and for a moment she connected with me and the little dog and I heard a still quiet voice within say, ' Let your hands perform his bidding and your feet  run his  ways.'

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

                                                A moment of joy.

leaping faith

 God will always leave a witness. 1 Kings 11:36

In the sacred space the air is filled with the fragrance of God emanating from the glorious daphne bush and the clusters of violets and I am drawn to reflect on our loving God who wants us all to share his fragrance with others. Often we don't see the result of our evangelising  but recently I saw it  as I reflected on an elderly Christian lady who befriended a lonely lady at her home and brought Christ to her. When that lady went into a nursing home she took Jesus with her and recently when she passed away her closest friend there started to go to the chapel service to seek what her friend had. Here was faith 'leaping' from one person to another - where to next I ponder.

May God's fragrance  continue to fall from us all onto another, to another.  Anne, servant of the Lord

.                                                The fragrance of violets.

God's shadow

 For the joy of ear and eye, for the heart and minds delight, for the mystic harmony, linking sense to sound and sight. Christ our God to the we raise, this our sacrifice of praise. (TIS 137)

When looking down the valley on a crystal clear frosty morning there was one long, thin band of deep pink cloud fringing the  mountains and the reflection from it shone on the pockets of white snow in the valleys which changed them  to a soft marshmallow pink,  glistening  in the sun like a million crystals and I recall a quote from Gabriela Mistral: ' beauty.......is the shadow of God on the universe.' How wonderful O Lord are the works of your hands. What beauty to behold. You have created a divine song in our hearts from what our eye has seen and your presence fills the start of our day,

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

Its the shadow of God.

Born anew

 I am the resurrection and the life says the Lord. John 14.

It feels unseasonably like spring.  The bulbs are up. The daffodils, the jonquils, the tulips, the snowdrops, all those that have seemingly died and laid  under the soil all winter now spring back to life in all their glory. How much I ponder this miracle of our creator God yet why do some doubt so much that we too will rest awhile in our seemingly death yet rise again in glory?  Oh, how much we can learn from nature, the miracle of nature, that tells us nothing really dies. Its no wonder we call the season of spring 'spring' because isn't that what it does, it springs nature back into life. 

                                                            Beautiful Creation.

Be with me-enjoy me.

 For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies. Christ our God to the we raise this our sacrifice of praise. TIS 137

When I came to the sacred place there was a wonderful collection of surprises waiting for me all covered in the perfume of the Daphne bush just outside the gate. There is the dancing heads of the Daffodils swaying in the gentle breeze, the endless flowering of the Grevilia bush, the numerous coloured  Cyclamens pushing their flower heads through their leaves ( how can that tiny pin head of a bud turn into  such a flower?) and the ever faithful Violets of every imaginable colour competing with the other fragrances of the garden. Oh what love God showers onto us and all of a sudden all that is before me becomes a prayer. What a display of God's Glory  which to some is 'a lovely garden' but to me its my cathedral filled with the wonders and mysteries of God. It was Noel Davis who wrote: ' Look around with your eyes and your heart, you will see and feel me everywhere. Be with me, enjoy me. Foster all that is good and share me.'

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

                                                                    God's love.

Where I am there you are also.

' We love the place, O God, wherein thine honour dwells, the joy of thine abode all earthly joy excels. it is the house of prayer wherein thy servants meet and thou, O Lord, art there. (William Bullock)

The more I visit my sacred space the more I feel the presence of God waiting there for me. Its like his hand is on my empty seat and he is patting it and saying, 'Come, sit with me awhile.' That's the draw of the sacred space. Its such a peaceful quiet  shelter away from the pending tide of the daily rush and business. A place where one is enfolded in love. A place wherein all I look out and see  is of God because it is said of God: 'Where I am there you are also and there is nothing on earth that you are not in.' The flowers, the buds on the trees waiting to burst into spring blossom, the perfume of the Daphne floating in the air, the puppy on its morning walk with its person, the birds singing in the new day, the clear blue sky....the breaking of a new day, .there is ever so much of God's love to be seen. Where ever your sacred space is, that place you have created to spend special times with God, may you also be filled with his presence. May you also feel he is waiting there for you. May you pause awhile and thank God for all that is and all that will be.

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

The presence of God.

Made by God.

 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. Genesis 1-2

What detail. What incredible handiwork. What a creator. They were my thoughts as I lightly touched the delicate, perfect flower head of the blooms on the daphne bush, its perfume holding on my fingers. If one were to create the world and all that is in it in 7 days you would be inclined to think that it was a rushed job, things thrown together, tossed here and there but not so. The beauty of the smallest flower, the painted back of the lady bird with its red coating and black spots and the tiniest of legs, the colours of the birds and shapes of the animals, that's no rushed job. When you look in the mirror this morning you will see your image. Pause and look, that was no rushed job either, what you see is as precious in the sight of God as all of his creation made by God.

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

                                                        Its perfume holds on my fingers

Its colour, its perfume.

 'All is silent, in the still and soundless air I fervently bow to my Almighty God.' (Bing Xin. China)

One thing was on my mind when I came to meet with God this morning. It was the words of the beautiful hymn, 'Glorious things of thee are spoken.' and I had this image in mind of the beautiful, stunning bright yellow of the wattle trees coming into bloom that line some of our roadways and dot the bushland around us.. Bright, cheerful yellow balls of fluffy wattle blooms that hold a perfume which send me right back to childhood memories. Somethings in God's creation can put us on our knees with their colour, their beauty, their perfume, their memories and I thought of these words from the Iona Community: The turn of the leaf in the morning sun and the catch in our throat drives us to our knees and into prayer.

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

                                                        Beauty in colour.

Cover the day with prayer

 Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! Psalm 116:2

Every day is a prayer. All day is a prayer. I wonder do you see it like that? To wake up with a prayer on your lips of thanking God for the gift of a new day. To gaze out the window at a snow white frost while  holding a steaming hot cup of tea warming the hands and thanking God for the beauty  you behold.  To be blessed by two beautiful Rosellas on the garden path  and pause in the sacred space to lay the day before God and all those he will put in your path path today who may need your help. Francis de Sales said: Sprinkle a seasoning of short prayers on our daily living. If you see something beautiful, thank God for it. If you are aware of someone's need, ask God to help - you can toss up prayers all day!

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

                                                                   Morning delight

Hold hands with God

 In your presence is the fullness of joy and from your right hand flow delights for evermore . Ps 16:11

Oh the stillness. Oh the quiet. Oh the peace. Oh the beauty of it all in the sacred space as the stars fade from sight and the thin veil of light heralds the day, a day untouched, new and fresh showered with rays of the rising sun breaking through the trees and almost falling at my feet to the rhythm of the tinkling bell of a tiny bird waking and all I see and feel descends as a yearning in my heart, to heaven, to thank God for the gift of this new day.  All of it is a morning prayer and I am blessed richly before the day has even begun and my closing prayer to God is this: 'You have blessed me with light at the suns rising, shine on me now with love.'   May we all find that sacred space in the morning where we sit and hold hands with God all be it just for a little while.

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

In your presence is joy.

Surprise me God.

Let us ask ourselves today; are we open to 'God's surprises'?  Pope Francis 

God is often referred to as the God of surprises and he never fails to live up to that description. All around us in our day there are things that cause us to say, 'that was of God, or that is of God.' Yesterday I was taken by surprise when the end of the day seemed to pause between that thin veil of light and dark as God put on a magnificent spectacle in the sun set.  A spectacle of intense colour and beauty that caused such an intake of my breath, stopping me in my tracks in moments of awe and wonder. It was indeed a moment of nourishment.

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

                                                    A moment of nourishment

A morning mystery

 Praise God the great creator (TIS  165)

The mystery of a winters morning with the ground frost white and glittering in places like a million jewels as its kissed by the rays of the rising sun and the mystery deepens as a thick fog embraces the eucalyptus trees, white ghost gums, living up to their name. What a gift that called me to bless the Lord in thanks for showering the opening of the day with a thousand blessings. As I looked into this days beginnings I recalled the words I read by A. Spanger: ' When you start  to make a habit of blessings God, you will discover that daily life can begin to feel like Christmas morning.'

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

The mystery of  the morning

Beauty and brightness

 Praise God from whom all blessings flow. TIS 768

Just a few days ago God put on a magnificent spectacle. It had been raining, the air was clear, the sun came out and there it was a stunning, bright coloured rainbow in all its glory emanating God's love and promises. A perfect arc across the sky. What a wonderful creative God we have who blesses us in so many ways. The daily office reading from Sirach  34 last night said: 'Look at the rainbow, and praise him who made it; it is exceedingly beautiful in its brightness. It encircles the sky with its glorious arc, the hands of the most high have stretched it out.' 

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

God's beauty

The Lord is here.

 I am always aware of the Lords presence; he is near and nothing can shake me . Psalm 16:8

There are things to be seen and things to be heard all around us if we attune our eyes and ears, if we are in a state of awareness, otherwise they become lost so much so that at times we completely miss them.

Noel Davis said it well when he wrote: ' The tiny bird singing in the old banksia tree, the family of wrens spilling joy through the garden. Lord meet me there.'  

Unaware of our surroundings, rushing into the day, so much can be missed.

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

                                                    Not just a clump of weeds.

Shalom, the Lord is peace

 My peace I give you. John 14:27

There is a peace in us - 'God's peace' that allows us to jump hurdles and ward off anxiety and sing a song even in hard times. Its a peace that carries us. A peace that sings in our soul. A peace that says 'all is well and all will be well'  It reminds me of the little bird that sat on a fragile twig that hung out over a great waterfall and despite the fragility of the twig, the chasm below  and the roar of the waterfall he sat there and he sang and he sang. In all our ups and downs of life remember the words of Jesus: 'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. ' John 14:27

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

God's peace at the close of day.

Pods of living water

 He made water flow for you from the flint rock. Deut 8:15

I was watching the raindrops fall into the birdbath. As they rippled to the edge one after the other, they fell, pods of life giving water that rolled off the edge and onto the garden below. Raindrops full of nourishment, so small yet so vital to life.

Filled with thelife giving, living waters of Jesus we too become pods of nourishment that spill over into those God puts in our path day by day. May those pods of nourishment overflow and strengthen. May not one drop go to waste.

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

                                                        Life giving water.

Sing ye birds.

 My voice you will hear in the morning,  O Lord will I direct my prayers to you and I will look up. Psalm 5: 3

I love to go outside before turning in for the night and just look with wonder and awe at the night sky. In the cold crisp frosty night the moon illuminates everything on earth and the stars are radiant and shinning in their millions upon millions - and all is still - silent. What an incredible creator we have - the magnitude of his creation, but there is more. I read these words: 'In the vastness of the stary night how easy to see the workings of God! But teach me, Oh teach me to see it in all the small things that abide around us' Things like the naked tree stretching long arms upwards and in its branches the magpies warbling every so beautifully and in harmony and a touch of the golden  sun rays hitting just one spot on the frosty lawn reminding me of the pearl of great price. Listening to the Magpies I am reminded of the words of  William Wordsworth . ' Then sing, ye birds, sing, sing, sing a joyous song.' Ah how God lavishes his love on us, showering us with his presence. Don't miss it. Don't just look up for God but seek him everywhere, come face to face with him.

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

                                                Early Morning.

Constant companion

The Lord is my constant companion......he touches me with eternal joy.( Psalm 23 from Psalms Now)

Our companionship with God,  can be so refreshing and enlightening,  He draws us into his world of wonder and delight and what's so amazing about it is that we don't have to travel the world to find it. Its right there and all we have to do is step outside. This morning it was in his voice as the 3 magpies on the fence were warbling and breaking notes of a morning song, serenading one another for our joy.  It was in the ground, coloured different every morning, that is today dressed in glistening frosty white as  the winter sun walked across it. and its  in the fragrance of the wet autumn leaves mulching  the earth.    William Wordsworth wrote, ' Its the harvest of a quiet eye.'   

May the faith that gives us hope. May the love that shows the way. May the peace that cheers the heart, be yours today (Unknown)

Anne, Servant of the Lord

Morning has broken

Heaven on earth

 All creatures if our God and King. (TIS 100)

I recall lifting a garden pot from its resting place to be taken by surprise and delight at a tiny little brown,   frog, its eyes wide open and looking  at me just as surprised.  I love it when we find the tiny creatures in their world, living their life, their way, like the tiny frog and a black and orange beetle burrowing in the vegetable garden soil.  I read these words that were said to be written on  ancient papyrus. They are said to be the words of Jesus Christ. ' God is down here with us in the world, not away up there .'  When we look, when we seek, when we see, may we do so with real delight as we see  what God sees. 

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

                                                    A tiny brown frog.

A single leaf

All things bright and beautiful - the Lord God made them all. TIS 135 

From the sacred space.

In the stillness, in the quiet - peace as a single leaf twists in the gentle breeze and spirals graciously, like a ballerina to the ground, where it rests on a carpet of colour.

A few moments of awareness with God and your entireday can change. 

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

                                                            Gently falling.

Full of God

 Come change our love from a spark to a flame. TIS 690

The deep, deep, rich red and crimson of the remaining leaves on the tree and the kaleidoscope of yellow coloured ones, falling gently, silently, carpeting the ground first took my attention and then a smile crossed my face as I watched a pee-wee come onto the birdbath, skidding  with surprise on the ice covered water. Its a still morning, mist laden images of the garden silhouetted in a weak rising sun, beauty almost indescribable . Ahhh, the joy of being in the sacred space. I read this observation by Angela of Foligno, a Franciscan nun from the 13th centaury.' The eyes of my soul were opened, and I held the plenitude of God, whereby I did comprehend the whole world, both here and beyond the sea, and the abyss and all things else; therin  I beheld naught save the divine power in a manner indescribable, so that through access of marvelling the soul cried with a loud voice, saying; ' This world is full of God.!'

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

                                                        Deep, deep, rich red.

Retreat

 God has given you rest. Deut 25:19

It is so lovely to have a retreat day away from the business of life. To step out of the normal and create something different. Its so life giving and refreshing. This was the experience when I walked along a beach recently looking at the long sweep of the beach, watching rock pools form ,  listening to the sounds of the sea gulls, the waves rolling onto the sand and the wind bringing in the lovely smell of sea air. The sights, the sounds, and the smells took me into a different realm - one of peace and calm.  I read these lines from Ainslie Mears. 'Its all about on the mountain top, in the deep of the forest, on the curving sweep on a lonely beach and kneeling in the cool crispness of summers night.'

Do it. Take a day to visit your special place and you will find your sacred space is there, waiting.

Jehovah - Shalom. The Lord is peace.   Anne, servant of the Lord

                                            Watching rock pools form

Gifts of love.

 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father above. James 1:17

The sacred space is carpeted with hundreds of  multi coloured autumn leaves , a kaleidoscope of colour and the birdbath is filled with floating leaves  like little ships in a port while the gentle breeze is falling the remnants of leaves from the near naked trees, falling gently like confetti. God was filling the sacred space with his blessings.

May the peace of God fill your life every single day.

Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                Little ships at sea.

A lasting deep peace.

 How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believers ear. It soothes his sorrows heals his wounds and drives away his fears. ( Hymn: John Newton)

So often we in the church are constantly wanting to try new hymns and modern Christian songs which is wonderful but lets not forget the ones that have been around for a long time and held so much meaning in peoples lives. This is one of the most asked for hymns from the older people in the nursing home. It brings a true sense of peace, of being held by God and that feeling goes deep, deep into the soul. I think of all the names that come to mind that are encompassed in the name of Jesus and I come up with; redeemer, saviour, master, comforter, healer, friend. Lee Self says, ' Jesus, I try to encompass all your names but they slip from my grasp. When I hold nothing I hold you. When I hold you I hold everything.

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

                                            

                                                A lasting peace.

Give thanks

 O Lord how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all, the earth is full of your possessions Psalm 104:24

Take a look at everything that is in your field of vision and reflect. God made it all and what strikes me  is that he is still making, creating and being extravagant. Every sunrise, every new day, the fresh shower of rain that transform the roadside with pink and blue and yellow wild flowers. The baby birds in the nest. Everything that is in your sight God made. They are his. They are his possessions (had you ever thought of creation in that way?) and he wants to share them with us.

 Lord, you are a constant, faithful creating God and we thank you. 

 Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                                Made for our joy.

He comes disguised.

  Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty early in the morning to you our song shall be. (TIS132)

Its a beautiful  autumn morning where the fog weaves its way through the naked trees and hovers across the ground giving an offering of what I call haunting beauty.  There is a mystery  about it, a stillness and a calm - and a presence -  and it felt like God was passing by. I was drawn to think on God and how his love covers the earth. He has a heart and a love for us all, enough to cover the whole world and  as June Bacher would say, 'yet small enough to curl up inside your heart.' 

May the peace of God fill your life every single day.

Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                There is a mystery about it.

Sing to the Lord

 Come into his presence singing Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord. (Scripture in Song)

 I woke up to the sound of rain falling on the dry leaves in the garden outside my window and my thoughts immediately went to God and how faithful he is. Rain....life giving water for us and for the earth and I thought of life giving streams of water that flow through our lives from the love of Jesus and how we have that wonderful opportunity, the unique opportunity to flow those life giving  water onto others and I found myself humming, 'Come into his presence singing Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord.'  I reflect on my quiet time with Jesus, of his faithfulness and of the people he already knows that  we will encounter today .  I also reflect on the saying: 'those who sing pray twice.' Keep singing and we are constantly praying. Keep singing and we are in his presence always. 

Mane nobiscum Domine - Stay with us Lord.               Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                    Precious gift.

Have you seen God today.

 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving. Psalm 95:2

 One of the greatest, most powerful, most humbling experiences we can have with God is those occasions when we find ourselves and him alone together and he whispers, 'here is a gift for you.'  Those moments can come in a flash: Be it a feather of stunning colours or a brilliant autumn leaf lying at your feet or a very busy Wattle bird in the Grevilia bush filling itself with delight, or an autumn fog weaving itself through the naked, undressed trees of autumn  its a God moment, gifts from God as he stands there with you handing them out one by one. Gifts that linger and stay in your memory. I love these gifts. Its like having something special in your pocket, you put your hand in and pull it out again being blessed every time. When we are gifted with the awesomeness of God's presence we savour every moment of it, we let God hold us and carry us as the sea holds and carries the boat.

Mane nobiscum Domine - Stay with us Lord.       Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                A gift for you.

Greet the day.

Therefore my heart dances for joy. Psalm 28

What a blessing to be able to sit down in a sacred space and listen and look, and wait for the Lord. I watched a Peewee walking very delicately along the garden fence looking so like a gymnast, one spindly leg after and over the other, balance perfect, with his eyes on me as if to say, 'Look at me, how good is this' and from the garden came the perfume of the last rose of summer. It was Thich Nhat Nanh who said ' As we sit down next to a stream, we can listen to its laughter and watch its sparkling waters -  an offering of peace and joy' and that's how it is when I come to sit down in my sacred space. Its a place of listening, peace and joy, 'waiting for the Lord to appear, listening so closely that I will hear his footsteps as he nears my humble place and I see his face.'  Was that  him in the Peewee and the perfumed rose?  Ah yes, he has come.  Be blessed by greeting the day with inner peace -find your special place and wait for the Lord.

Mane nobiscum domine - remain with us Lord.                            Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                            The last rose of summer

A beauty!

Lost in wonder love and praise. (Christian Hymn) 

The autumn is stunning. The colours, the sunlight through the tree, the carpet of leaves on the ground, just beautiful and all I could do in front of a beautiful tree dressed magnificently in red was to stand still and be astonished. Wow, what a God, what a creator. I like these words from Paul Kelly. 'God you take our breath away when we see such beauty everyday. Our hearts are filled with more than words can say' you take our breath away, you take our breath away.'

Mane nobiscum, domine - remain with us Lord.

Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                    

                                                        Glorious