Daily blessings

 The gifts of God for the people of God. (APBA.)

Gifts are wonderful things full of surprises and there are no greater gifts than those showered on us by God. From the sacred space my morning is filled with gifts. There is the sun shining through the autumn trees at day break. The dew glistening on the grass, the last rose of summer opening, the Rosellas bathing in the birdbath with sheer joy, and the Rufus Whistler whistling, now that's a gift! and of cause the gift of being alive and loved by God as this new day breaks.  We are so blessed when we are open to the gifts from God, daily. What gifts I wonder have you received today?

May the peace of God( and his gifts) fill your life every single day.     Anne, servant of the Lord.

Now there's a gift!

Breath taking God

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

I was in awe  of the beauty of the autumn trees along the path way. Glorious in shifting colours, dressed for autumn were the trees as they prepared themselves for winter 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.

I wonder how often we get so accustomed to the things about us that we fail to see God, fail to stop in awe and wonder, fail to see his creation?

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

                                                                Glorious things

Well of living water.

 Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Col 2:7

There is something ancient, knowledgeable and  a mystery about the roots of the trees that stand above the sands in the river  bed. They look so strong having mastered many a storm and through drought their roots reach deep, deep down to the well of water in the depth of the earth. As I meditate on these roots I am drawn to think of the words of Christ as one who spoke of being the 'well of living water.'  The one who holds us firm in a storm and the one who is there in the times of  drought in our spiritual lives.

(annon) 'Like the deep roots of a plant drawing support and nourishment from the ground, your faith in God provides an anchor for the rest of your life.'

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

                                                An anchor for life.

Silence and solitude

 This is the day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm118:24

There is something about a rainy day. The only sound that can be heard other than the rain falling gently on the roof is the magpie singing its beautiful song. In this lovely day the yellowing autumn leaves on the tree seem even brighter in colour and there is a graceful stillness about it.  I love to just sit and soak it all in for there is God displaying his day. Ann Rennie says: 'Can we savour silence and solitude as wells of spiritual refreshment?  

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

                                                    Sit awhile with me.

There is beauty.

 One God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all and is present in all. Ephesians 4:6

Something of beauty catches my eye as I pass along the garden path. A glorious perfectly formed rose. I pause and look, I catch its perfume  and reflect. How do you see the things of beauty? Wonder and amazement or common place? Look, look long enough that you become a part of it so that the fine line between you and its creator become one. Look deeply - there is beauty, there is beauty going deeper and deeper and deeper  among its petals - there is God.

Easter. Has it been a common place experience  for you or one full of wonder and amazement?

Alleluia Christ is risen.          Anne servant of the Lord.

                                              Created by God.

Creation announces the Divine

 O God, you are my God; At dawn I seek you: for you my soul is thirsting. Ps 63:2-3

The early morning sky was a vast dome of soft blue, perfectly curved and cloud free, it was as if God was stretching his hand out over the day, sweeping away the night and the more I looked at it from the sacred space the richer the blessing was. The Rufus Whistler was singing his beautiful song and an early yellow autumn leaf fell silently to the ground from the laden tree. Quiet, still, blessed as I watched creation announce the Divine. I thought to myself, not a thousand soft goose down feathers on my bed would stop me from missing this early morning time of the day with the Lord.  I wonder. Have you ever returned from a time with God unblessed?

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

                                                A single autumn leaf fell to the ground. 

Oh wow!

 Be surprised and full of wonder. Isaiah 29:9

Friedrich Buecher said: ' Lord catch me off guard today. Surprise me with some moment of beauty or pain so that at least for the moment I may be startled into seeing that you are here in all your splendour always and everywhere, barely hidden, beneath, beyond, within this life I breathe.' 

Sometimes we can be so busy hurrying through our days, our diaries, that we fail to see what's in our day and days blur into weeks and years in our lives and we miss the ordinary yet life giving joys.  Slow down, notice the brilliant red of the flowering gum full of the light of the sun or the pastel pink and blue of the sunset, the first call of the morning birds and say to the Lord: Thank you for the ordinary gifts of every day, evoking in me wonder and surprise.

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

                                                                Red flowering gum

Shafts of sunbeams.

 In the morning you will see the Glory of the Lord   Exodus 16:7

Pre dawn darkness suddenly shot with rays of light, shafts of sunbeams lighting up the Eucalyptus tree like the burning bush, brilliant orange and yellow hue's.  It was just a sunrise, just a tree  - but I knew it was God and on the beath of prayer I whispered 'Good morning Lord.'

Macrina Wiederkehr said: You slip into my life  like the night and day, like stars and sunrise - I know that you are God.

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

                                                Good morning Lord.

'Here I am'

Love divine, all love excelling, joy of heaven to earth come down. ( Charles Wesley hymn)

God lavishes his love on us. Go outside, you can see it - creation in all its glory and what joy to hear nothing else but the beautiful melodious song of the magpies, sitting on the branch of the gum tree, head held high and singing with such joy and down closer to the ground the bees are busy in the grevillea gathering their harvest for the day from the brilliant red blossoms, produce for our enjoyment and there is a mass of butterflies on the magenta blooms of the Buddleia bush and from among the twigs and flowers God says 'here I am.'.  What love God has for us that he can create such as this for you and me. They are all miraculous detail of God's creation - daily gifts. What will you thank God for today?

May God's blessing be upon us and remain with us always.      Anne, servant of the Lord.

Miraculous creation.

Walk and talk.

 I come to the garden alone, while  the dew is still on the roses and the voice I hear falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses. And he walks with me and he talks to me and he tells me I am his own and the joy we share as we tarry there non other has ever known. (Hymn. Austin Miles)

I love strolling through the garden early in the morning with a cup of tea in hand, just alone, just listening to the morning song of the birds, a beautiful chorus of different calls and I feel the freshness of the air and gaining warmth of the sun just up and still ,O so still and quiet , and looking behind me I can see my footprints in the dew laden grass and then I am reminded I am never alone,  be it in the garden in the still of the morning, or in a busy Mall or entrenched in the daily grind, we are never alone. Whenever I see my footprints or my shadow for that matter, I know Jesus walks with me. Our sacred spaces are so valuable to us, especially in the early morning and the quiet for its here that Jesus walks with us(or sits with us) and talks to us and joy is shared.

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

.                                                Dance, dance wherever you may be.

In the storm

 'I am with you always. Matthew  28:20

We know that God is every where, in all places and in  all times but sometimes we forget this so keep this one posted on your wall - the wall of your kitchen, the wall of your office, the wall of your heart and read it often, so often that it becomes a way of life, an imprint on heart and mind and a breath of the wind  of the Spirit within and pull it out in full force when the storms are raging.

Lucado puts this in powerful context, ( I am with you always)  right into our every day lives, in fact into every minute of our every day lives.

'A storm on the Sea of Galilee was a kin to a sumo wrestlers belly flop in a kiddies pool. The northern valley acted like a wind tunnel compressing and hosing squalls onto the lake. Waves as tall as 10 feet were common. Yet from the centre of the storm the unwavering Jesus shouts - 'I am.'    In ICU, on the battle  fields, in the boardroom,  the prison cell or in the maternity ward. Wherever your storm, 'I am.'

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

   

A stormy sea.           

                                    

God at play

Dance then, wherever you may be. I am the lord of the dance said he and I'll lead you all, wherever you may be and I'll lead you all in the dance said he. (Sydney Carter - hymn)

If there was ever a time to be caught off guard by God its when the wind suddenly blows. This particular day the wind came out of nowhere and really stirred up everything around the sacred space, tossing old gathered leaves around, bending tree tops low - it was as if God was playing and this came to mind:

The windblown tree tops bow to the ground as if kissing the earth,

 and the birds 'fly sideways' as the wild wind gathers pace, tossing spent leaves, tuffs of dry grass and a  discarded birds nest in a swirl then dumping them 'thud' to the ground where they lay again.

Waiting - Waiting for the next playful wind and the 'flying sideways birds' navigate a bumpy landing around the spent leaves, the dry tuffs of grass and the discarded bird nest - to rest before the next playful gust of wind comes to play again. - What a joy it is to see God at play. Moments spent in the sacred space are a blessing for the day.

May God smile on everything you do - God go with you - God love you.    Anne Servant of the Lord.

                                                  A gift from the 'flying sideways 'bird.

Stand and see

O sing a new song to the Lord. Psalm 96

The glow of the rising sun casts colours of pink across the branches of the white river gum outside my window and on a single branch the magpie sings his morning song. What a delight to wake up to such a kaleidoscope of colours and a chorus of song, in the still, otherwise quite morning. And God is there, God is in it, it is God wrapped in light.  Its times like these that nourish our inner lives and strengthen our faith.

Mary Oliver said: Sometimes I only need to stand where I am to be blessed. 

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

                                                     Pink hues in the snow gum.