who like me his praise should sing?

'Praise my soul the King of heaven, to his feet your tribute bring...' TIS 134

The first serious frost was down this morning and there was a glittering of white sparkle as the sun tipped the frosty ground. It reminded me of a white, tiny sequenced, ballroom gown, shimmering across the floor.

There was a carpet of God's love of multi coloured autumn leaves covering the path that I playfully kicked as I walked, reminiscent of childhood.

The quiet was broken by the call of the currawongs and a new day was dawning full of God's Glory.

In the rush of life it can sometimes be hard to find the calm of God's peace yet one step out the front door and the voice was almost a whisper...a whisper from God.....peace, still,quiet,calm,rest,reflect,refresh...

That one step aside with God is the best medicine for the soul one could ever wish for.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

The reason for the season

' I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.' John 10:10

I am soaking in the Easter season in multiple thoughts and reflections of its meaning, very life giving, and I think of others that perhaps we have brought life to as well, this Easter.

The display on the east wall at church was simple but thought provoking as it was created by JAFFA (our group for people with disabilities) and it told of how they felt about the risen Christ.

And

at Messy Church (a large group of community families that are unchurched) I was blown away by the response from a four year old about what she didn't like and what did she like. Many of the children responded to the question with.....'I don't like carrots, I don't like dogs......I like ice cream....but this little one of four said so seriously, so thoughtfully. 'I don't like it that Jesus died but I do like it that he is alive again. That makes me feel sooooooooooo good!

Inclusion, welcome, love and embrace. That's the reason for the season.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Easter/anzac day

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. John 15:13

The Easter event could easily be forgotten in the flow on today as we reflect on Anzac Day, yet in the tension of this our thoughts can be of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of thousands of men and women in war for their countries.

I reflect on my experience when I visited the Somme a few years ago. Heart breaking, numbing, emotional,utter grief and disbelief at the thousands upon thousands of lives lost, yet there was a spirit of peace that hovered over the Somme. Its almost sacred, indeed it is sacred ground.

I truly felt that day, as I looked at 10,000 names of soldiers who had no known grave, of hundreds of cemeteries scattered along the road sides, that Christ was deeply present. He knows our sacrifice, he knows our suffering, he knows our grief, our desire for peace and he is forever in it.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Good Friday.

So Jesus came out wearing a crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them. 'Here is the man.' John 18: 5

Let our minds transport us back to a part of the world that throbs with the words and wonders of Jesus himself.

In the 1800's William How wrote this hymn:

It is a thing most wonderful , almost too wonderful to be true

That God's own Son should come from heaven, and die to save a child like me.

I sometimes think upon the cross and shut my eyes to try and see

The cruel nails and crown of thorns and Jesus, crucified for me.

Let us gaze on the wonders of the day and see Jesus pinned to the cruel tree, not by nails, but by love for you and for me.

Peace.

Anne

inclussion..........for Jesus sake.

'And I will raise them up, I will raise them up at the last day. (TIS 535)

There is a growing sense of thoughtfulness around issues of those who gather and worship with us at church who have a disability. I have been so blessed this season of Lent as I have worked with the disability group at church preparing for Easter. There have been sessions of colouring in and cutting out, creating and making, talking and singing...............all about the Easter story.......not just to hear and learn the story but to serve the congregation in such a way that all are include, all are blessed. This Palm Sunday the activity of the Disability group JAFFA was the centre of reflection in the sanctuary. What a blessed moment, what a humble moment as people reflected on the seasonal focus point, and reflected on the hands that had created it.

Inclusion is the key to life........isn't that the gospel message?

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Jesus loves me

' Jesus said: People who are well don't need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have come not to call respectable people, but outcasts. ' Mark 2:17

Have you ever broken something precious and then arduously tried to put it back together gluing each piece bit by bit?

I was attempting to glue a broken chip back onto a much loved ornament and as I worked at it (sometimes with frustration) I thought of how God must labour over the lives of broken individuals...............you know, the ones that society casts aside...........broken, hurting, unloved people...............God's people.

Then I reflect on how on how God can change lives and how he can use us to be his hands, his voice and his feet, his advocates. Who of the unloved are you going to love today..........in the name of Christ.

The Easter message is that God can change prostitutes like Magdalene into disciples and broken reeds like Simon Peter into rocks...... (Fulton Sheen)

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

' resurrection'

' I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord.' John 11:25.

There is something so special about the autumn. God brings a sense of freshness, of quiet, of colour and emptiness, of fog and mist, of perfect reflections on still waters, a beauty so deep.

I think in every season we can see the Glory of the Lord if we are looking. Multiple layers of life and death.................all seeming to die, before it lives....................resurrection 'stuff' that brings to mind the Easter message.

Take a moment..................just a moment and marvel at a tree in colour, then look again in a little while at its emptiness and then in spring look again........................and see layer upon layer of the Glory of the Lord'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

open their eyes

' I was born blind but now I see.' ( John 9)

How many times do we hear but we don't see. The penny doesn't drop then one day, we suddenly see what we have been hearing. Over and over I kept 'seeing' the face of this blind man as suddenly the revelation hit him...................the man who gave him sight was JESUS, Saviour of the world ................what a spiritual revelation what an epiphany for him.

I think of us all as we set about our day and wonder about the people God will put in our path that are blind, that perhaps hear but don't see. I know that I set about a day with passion and desire, a passion and desire to serve the Lord, to help the blind to see.................to see not just the light of day, but the light of Christ.

We are Christ centred, healing people to a hurting world.....................through Christ we can open the eyes of the blind.

With dignity and integrity I want to add.....................go get them!

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

God is in his house.

' let all the world, in every corner sing: my God and King. TIS 105

The early morning autumn mist hovered over the summer grass with haunting beauty and trees, sentinel like seemed to have no base in the fog, just towering upward from the mist,

still,

quiet,

peaceful,

slowly moving.

The gentle, fresh breeze rippled across the grass and onto my face , refreshing like the Spirit of God.

Lord, I care not about position in heaven. Let all those bent on having power rule as they may. Give me only a small place close enough to see your face. (Calvin Miller)

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

For heavens sake.

' Never be lazy in your work but serve the Lord enthusiastically.' Romans 12:11

There is a saying which says: 'What on earth am I doing for Heaven's sake!' Now we can say that in the context of something we have done that hasn't quite gone the way we wanted it to or we can say it in a prayerful way, depends where we put the emphasis.

Yesterday I was sitting in 'Messy church' amongst many 'unchurched' families and I glanced across at a young couple. The dad was nursing their child . It was a sacred moment as I realised that through 'Messy church' this young couple were not only learning about God and the love of Jesus but they were giving this child an introduction to Christian life. The revelation almost put me on my knees before God.

What on earth are you doing for heavens sake?

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

God is present

' He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.' Isa. 53:12

Sometimes we forget that God is in the thick of things in the world. He doesn't sit in a place on high and survey, he is right in the midst with us.

He is in the thick of the earthquake in New Zealand, in the tsunami in Japan.

Every time you hold the hand of the dying, visit the sick, visit a day care centre, sit for bible study or a cuppa with a friend, in all you do in the comings and goings of your day...................there is God.AND, come evening when we reflect in silence on our day, God is in our prayers our thoughts and our sleeping.

As Lucado says:

He draws near,he is involved.He is as near to us on Monday as on Sunday, in the work place as in the sanctuary.

In all our comings and goings, like the tide of the sea, ever present, ever moving is our God.

Stop sometime during your day and acknowledge the presence of God in whatever you are doing at that moment and you will be blessed .

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Walking meditation

' Seek, O seek the Lord while he is near.' TIS 464

Images in life surround us all the time but we don't often read into them anything of significance to our life journey in a spiritual way. I love the 'God' connection when I see a part of creation, in any of its forms be it God himself or his message.

Walking the beach earlier this year I saw many such images but one in particular caused me to stop and reflect. It was of three stones, clustered together and two or three separate from the group and into my mind came several thoughts like 'gathering and dispersing' or 'when two or three are gathered together in my name there I will be also.'

Reflective, meditation walks are so 'life giving' so connecting to God's Spirit. Recently someone told me how a large butterfly came and settled on his hand and stayed there for some 15 minutes in stillness and quietness. What a God moment.

To have such moments we need stillness, quiet and time alone with God.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Harvest

' He said to his disciples.' The harvest is great , but the workers are so few. 'So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest: ask him to send out more workers to his fields'. Matthew 10:37-38

The summer gave us rains like we haven't seen for a long time and the growth of the grass was just amazing, in fact so strong that it caused verges and parkways to be overgrown and visibility limited, the place looked a mess.. There was a backlash at the local Government about not enough workers to keep up with the task, to reach the places that were becoming weed infested.

When I was out walking it was just coming on dawn and three tractors mowers passed me, lights shining bright, driven by men who looked like they were on a mission! They were on their way to cut back the overgrowth of grass in the area I live.

In our 'broken and cracked' world today there is a great need for more harvesters. Harvesters prepared to go out amongst the 'overgrowth' of the lost and take the Good News of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Go well as you yourself transofom lives today, in the name of Christ.

Anne

Lent

' They knew nothing about what was happening until the flood came and destroyed them. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. Matthew 24:39

I had two thoughts on my mind this morning when I woke up. I was reflecting on the story of Noah's Ark that I was telling at Messy Church a week or so ago and also on the deep and meaningful Ash Wednesday service during the week.

What did those two thoughts have in common? my daily reading said it all. (to quote Lucado)

'Noah was sent to save the faithful. Christ was sent to do the same. A flood of water came, a flood of fire will come next. Noah built a safe place out of wood. Jesus made a safe place with the cross.

Those who believed hid in the Ark. Those who believe are hidden in Christ.'

This Lent, as we travel the journey to the cross, may it hold a sense of new revelation, new assurance, new discovery, a freshness like the gentle rain that's falling this morning to the chorus of bathing birds.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Seek God first.

'Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through the generations.' Psalm 145:13

We often sit and spend time at the start of the day, writing the list of things that need to be done, the things we must do, the people we must touch base with, the ministry we must attend to and as the day wears on we work though this list, ticking of the tasks one by one often satisfied by evening that we have at least achieved some of them, or frustrated because the list still holds many tasks and the day instead shot off into another direction.

I stop and think. Whose day is it? Whose tasks are they? Mine or God's?

Having been given the gift of a new day it is wise to put on the very top of our list of must do items............'seek God's kingdom.' At the end of the day, what remains of the list doesn't really matter. The day has been in God's hands.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

footsteps of Christ

'This is the list of the ancestors of Jesus Christ...................' Matthew 1:1-6

It is a typical Autumn morning with a wisp of mist in the valley, blue, stark mountains and a freshness in the air. The dew is heavy on the grass and as I walked I could see foot prints where others had walked before me.

I thought of those footprints, and mine that were now imprinted with them, I thought of Jesus, who walked the earth and God who left his footprint on all creation and I thought how we all belong to the ancestors of 'the followers.' We continue, to walk in the steps of Jesus.

I don't see that walk as a step, by step, tiring journey one foot after the other but a daily step as a follower of Jesus, in making walls tumble..........walls of discrimination, injustice, exclusion, isolation.................in the name of Christ.

Think of your journey with Jesus. Are you marching on the spot or walking in his footsteps?

Catherine De Hueck Doherty said:

Those who follow in Jesus' footsteps, who never deviate from his teachings, find that these teachings are revolutionary.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Messy church

The Lord said to Moses. 'You will be able to tell wonderful stories to your children and grandchildren about the marvelous things I am doing.................to prove that I am Lord.' Exodus 10:2

It was my second encounter with 'Messy church' and it was so refreshing and life giving. The church seemed to be packed with mothers, children and fathers all engaging in 'worship' according to Messy church. To you or I it wouldn't look one bit like 'church' but the teaching through games, craft, activities, talk and song were speaking 'worship' to the unchurched from our community, and as for engagement, welcome, inclusion and pastoral care, well, it was all happening.

Two things set my heart souring for Christ. One was a lady I spoke to several times during the evening. She was there with her two children but my joy was that I had encountered this family in the community over the past years and baptised the two children and here they were, in Messy church! The other joy was real 'sacred ground.' As I was telling the story of Noah's Ark a toddler stood with me momentarily, her soft toy tiger in one hand and my hand in hers. I felt the power of the Spirit flow through us.

Open wide the doors of the church and the people will come in.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill our lives

''O let the Son of God enfold you with his Spirit and his love...............' TIS 655

It swept across the sky like streamers across the ballroom ceiling, hanging,waiting for the dance to begin,ribbons of bright colours of brilliant orange layered with pastel pinks and blue.....................a breath taking sunrise.

I heard a man ring into the local radio station saying, 'I just caught a glimpse of the rising sun in my rear vision mirror.'

Two thoughts crosses my mind when I heard his words.

'May we never see the Risen Son in hindsight.

And, may others see the risen Son in us today.'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Come as you are

'................some men cam carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus........' Luke 5:18

At the recent confirmation service for the two young men with disabilities, one of their friends rested awkwardly on his crutches at the communion rail, to receive a blessing. He lingered awhile before returning to his seat. Moments later he returned to the communion rail, almost in leaps and bounds despite his disability. As he stood at the rail, his smile was radiant and his face seemed to be filled with joy.I asked him why he had returned to the communion rail. His reply..................'something made me come again...I can feel something special here...........this is a special place.' We were on sacred ground.

Yesterday this young man was listening to teaching on confirmation, at his special church group, and with the same radiant smile and gentle spirit has asked to be confirmed.

The great love of God is lavishly given if the doors are open wide enough for the wheelchairs to fit through and the ones on crutches invited and welcomed to participate.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

in God's strength

'Behold, I am the Lord.....is anything too difficult for me?' Jeremiah 32:27

Visions and dreams, goals and aims, hearts longings and desires, health and happiness, service and love are all the things we desire and at times the 'dreaming' seems to big for us alone.

The value of putting God first in all things is what enables the 'dreaming' to become a reality and a song of all sorts to sing in your heart.

'What matters is not the size of the mountain, but the strength of the mountain mover.' (Anon)

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Heavens above and below

'I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.' Psalm 89:2

The glory of the Lord was all about this morning from the golden rising of the sun to the misty clouds tipping the mountains and the sky was scattered with various, facinating cloud formations.

Sometimes you can look at the sky and see just that, the sky and other times you can look at the sky and see it like a huge dome, other times its a place of darkness, or light, sun, moon, stars, colour and exciting cloud formations. What a mighty God we have, who 'pegged' out the skies, the heavens and its in that greatness that our heart sings his praises in word and action as we come to this new day.

L Moody said:

A little faith will bring your soul to heaven but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul.

Anne, servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings

Blessed assurance.

'Ti's mercy all, immense and free: for, O my God it found out me.' TIS 209

A glorious morning to be out walking and welcoming in the day and as I did so I reflected on yesterday. What a wonderful, liberating, freeing day for all. The confirmation of two young men with disabilities.

I could not help but look on them in the service, one being assisted by friends and the other presented in his wheelchair amidst a packed church. and I thought these words from psalm 18:32 ' 'It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.' These young men were very visibly touched by the Spirit of God.

As I reflected on yesterday I still can't determine who received the blessings the most. The congregation, the two being confirmed, their families, me, or Bishop Trevor............ or was it God!

Abraham Lincoln said:

God is the silent partner in all great enterprises.

Anne, servant of the Lord.

Blessings

Gilded sky

'May the name of the Lord be praised.' Job 1:21

As I walked this morning I watched the pink of the early morning sunrise give way to a band of deep gold around the horizon that pushed its way above the clouds and to my voice came the hymn: 'When Morning Gilds the Sky.'

I am excited about Sunday. Two young men from our disability ministry are coming forward in Confirmation to declare that they are friends of Jesus. They know the Love of Jesus in their life, they radiate it, and they want to declare that before us all.

The love of God is so wide, so inclusive, so embracing, so special.

James says in his Epistle:'Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?' (James 2:5)

I continued walking with these thoughts in mind, singing: When morning gilds the sky, let earth and sea and sky from depth and height reply, let Jesus name be praised.

Anne, servant of the Lord

Blessings

From where comes our strength

'Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress.' Ps 71:3

I walked along Casey's Beach, looking at the sand and I looked up and saw a wall of huge rocks banked up along the shore line keeping the high tide and crashing waves from breaking out over the road and residences.

What a fortress, a strong hold, of protection.

And then into my mind came a arrow prayer. 'Lord, be to me always, protection, a solid rock to lean on, to stand on, a fortress against all that challenges me, confronts me, encroaches on me, threatens me as a child of yours.'

Like the rocks on the shoreline, God is our solid rock and keeping our eyes on him, nothing can break through and destroy.

Whats that hymn we sing?......................'on solid rock we stand, all else is sinking sand...........'

Anne, servant of the Lord

Blessings

wide wide as the ocean

' He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.' Job 9:8

That verse comes to mind every time I look at the ocean, so vast, so wide that its horizon meets the sky and its edges wash the uncountable grains of sand and I want to sing, 'Wide wide as the ocean, high as the heavens above.........................is my Saviours love.

It gives me a sense that if God can encompass such a broad creation, and control it, with its beauty and its storms then we, his creation, are well included in his care through our beauty and our storms.

There is a saying:

I can face the waves for I trust the One who made the ocean.

Anne, servant of Jesus

Blessings

acorns

' If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea and it would obey you.' Luke 17:6

I stopped under a mighty oak tree this morning when out walking and admired its abundance of nuts. The tree was loaded with bright green acorns all proudly wearing their caps.

As I held an acorn in my hand I couldn't help but think of our mighty God when I marvelled that such a small acorn could grow into a great tree and I thought of the mustard seed, so small, yet having the same impact as the acorn and I thought of our faith, so small to start with and how that grows into something mighty in service for Jesus.

The apostles said to the Lord. 'Increase our faith.'

Anne, Servant of Jesus
Blessings

crisis and recovery

' In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.' Romans 8:37

Recovery, in any circumstance in life takes a strong will, a determined mind and a 'conquering spirit.'

But Oh how much more bearable,

how much more manageable,

how much more possible,

when we throw ourselves into the arms of God, our sustainer, our strength and our hope.

Washington Irving says:

Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune

but great minds rise above them.

Anne, servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings

Flood crisis

' Now may the Lord of peace himself give peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.'2 Thessalonians 2:16

Over and over the past week in my mind run the words of Dorothea McKellar's poem. 'I love a sun burnt country, a land of sweeping plains.......of drought and flooding rains.We live in a country that expresses all that this poet wrote about. We know what to expect but at times we are hit with the extreme yet the spirit of the Australians comes to the front.

I want to share a verse from a hymn that has been written in the light of this Australian crisis. It was written as a prayer gift to the wider church at this time.

In this Great Southland, Australia,

sparkling beach and arid plain:

stamped upon her rugged form is,

drought and flood, then drought again.

In a land that's always changing,

there's a constant mighty force

Jesus Christ our Lord is with us

He's the start, the end, the source. ( Anne Younghusband.)

To all the people of Queensland, especially the deacons

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

Anne

Thoughts for the New Year

' I am a person of prayer.' Psalm 109:4

All too often we are in a 'holy' hurry with our devotional time. I wonder do we measure it in minutes or as a 'must do' then I will feel good?

I cant think of anyone in history who has changed the world through science, literature, or personal sacrifice, who didn't make their plans and preparation in quiet solitude. No growth in holiness has ever been achieved by anyone who doesn't take time, frequently, to be alone with God.

Our time in prayer can change the course of a persons life.

Our time in prayer can change the world.

Our time in prayer can change us.

Let's not just sit a moment praying , but in our heart, fall on our knees, and grow there.

Anne, servant of God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings.

Crown the year

'You crown the year with your bounty.' psalm 65:11

The soft morning mist that just settles gently and quietly over the countryside has such a feel of still and calm and peace.

I thought of the gift of the day

The gift of the hour.

The gift of the moment

new opportunities

in the gift of the New Year

I thought of the couple I sat with yesterday in funeral preparation for their loved family member. They were strangers to me yet we held a common bond, known to our same God. As we held hands around the table in closing prayer there was a strong sense of unity in Christ and it settled on us like the mist of the early morning.

New year, new day, new moments, new opportunities to experience a deeper relationship with our friend and Saviour Jesus Christ and to share that around.

Anne, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings.

New Year

' When John pointed out the 'Lamb of God' to the two disciples, they went to Jesus and asked him where he lived. 'Come and see' Jesus answered. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.John 1:39

Sometimes events in our lives are so clear and so memorable that we can remember the exact hour that they occurred. For John, when he pointed out the 'Lamb of God' it was so important that he even remembered the hour of the day.

Looking back on 2010, some significant events I can pin down to not only the day but also the hour, some I wouldn't want to repeat and others were such blessings. I wonder what 2011 will hold and in reflecting on these things I more and more know of one thing and that is that Jesus, the Lamb of God, will be in the events of my life year after year.

Reflect on your relationship with the 'Lamb of God' and look how he has been by your side in all things.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Christmas Eve

' Oh ,what a gift what a wonderful gift......' (Christmas song)

We are on the eve of celebrating the greatest gift we have ever received. The gift of life.

I heard a conversation this week about just that. Some children were looking into the manger. One picked up the baby Jesus and had a nurse. She looked thoughtfully at the baby Jesus in silence, and then said as she passed HIM to the boy next to her, 'See, you can pick Jesus up and pass him around, here, you take him, .'

Grace and peace this Christmas as you gather with family and friends and don't forget to pass Jesus around.

Blessings

Anne

The nativity

'.....Joseph went to the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem......he went to be registered with Mary' (Luke 2:4-5 )

What do you see when you look into the manger and look upon the family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus, in a stable?

What are you thinking?

Do you know what I see and what I feel when I look at the nativity scene?

I think of the journey Mary and Joseph have taken.

I think of the dangers they have had and still do have to complete the journey
I think of them far from their home,

separated from family and friends.

And I think of those migrants who feel unwelcome in our country.

I think of the refugees, the homeless and the boat people.

And I pray.......

for them, for the Government and for the world that Jesus Christ came to save.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Gifts

' We three kings of orient are,bearing gifts we traverse afar...' Christmas carol

Christmas is almost upon us and we are, amongst preparing for 'holy things ,' running around last minute gift shopping. As I walked out this morning in the beautiful cool of the early day I could not help but see the gifts given already by God that remind me Christmas is coming:

The dry eucalypt leaves carpeting the ground, full of their aroma in the dew laden morning.Cicadas singing, kookaburras laughing ,mountains looking like islands in a sea of morning fog,clouds, playful in the breeze, rolling back to reveal the blue day sky, a sense of a hot day emerging.

But most of all, as I peered in the window of the church the real reminder of the most precious gift ever given, is seen in the nativity.

In all the preparation, the gift hunting and gathering together, ponder awhile on the nativity.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

For the love of Jesus

(Jesus said) ' Your Father in heaven does not want any of these little ones to be lost.'

Its hard to explain the feeling when we know what we are doing in the name of Jesus, is bearing fruit.

These little ones had been given a book of a bible story as their year of 'Sunday teaching' draws to a close. I asked one of them, all of just three years of age. ' Who is your book about?' and she paused awhile to think, then replied: ' Jesus, my God, 'and at that she ran off skipping down the corridor.

What joy, what delight and I felt so blessed, so affirmed in faith and hope, so touched by God.

An ancient Chinese Proverb says:

A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every passerby leaves a mark.

Engage in everyone you are passing by, with the love of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

All for Jesus

Ninety year old Eleazar was a Jew who was martyred for his faith.

'His courageous death was remembered as a glorious example, not only by young people, but by the entire nation.' 2 Maccabees 6:31

Sometimes I am so blessed when I glance up in church to see a person in the congregation who has come to be there as a result of ministry I have had with them in the community. Sometimes I am so blessed because a family I have ministered to in the community comes back to me time and time again for pastoral ministry................The blessings come in a deep, warm inner feeling, like a peace that I can only describe as a 'God feeling.' Its humbling, affirming, assuring, encouraging. What a blessing knowing others have come seeking 'God things' through example.The things we do and say in the name of Jesus can have such amazing power on others. How bold we must be in using it to bring others to know the Lord and Saviour that we know.What a treasure we are entrusted with. As you gaze at the child in the manger this Christmas reflect on His life and reflect on yours.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

memories

'The memory of the righteous is a blessing.' Proverbs 10:7

A boy called Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge in a book written by Mem Fox asks the question, 'Whats a memory?'He asks the old people in the old people's home. 'Whats a memory?''A memory is something that makes you laugh, its something warm, a memory is something that makes you cry, a memory is something you treasure.....'Memories are something special, they are what makes us the people we are in many ways.

Christmas can be a hard time of year for many and for others its a great time of festivity and celebration, for Christians its a sacred time filled with memories of Midnight Mass, carols in the park,church filled with flowers and people. We all have wonderful memories of Christmas's past....threepence and sixpence in the Christmas pudding that was hung out on the veranda on the mop handle to 'marinate.' Relatives, coming to stay, dressing the tree, good food and family.

Memories are treasures that we can enjoy again and again . I think its good to look back and reflect where God and his loving grace, has left his footprint in our lives......powerful, gentle, quiet, calming, reassuring, footprint.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

pockets of darkness

' What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do: and the God of peace will be with you.' Philippians 4:9

In the dawn of the day I could see, dotted in folds of the dark hills and lower ridges of the mountains the occasional house light, bright, shining, evident in the dark, some alone, some in clusters.

When I was in rehabilitation the patients would gather in the small dining area together for a meal and I would listen as some talked and some sat in silence. I thought about how some people sit in pockets of darkness and what an opportunity for a light to shine. As I sat with a small group of about 4 people someone asked me what work I did. My revelation lead to being invited to say grace before we ate, it allowed the others to let down their guard and allowed them to share their life story, their fears, anxiety and apprehension and their faith. After that conversation more and more gathered to share a meal and many hovered there at supper time to ask for prayer.

Steiner Rice says:

'Give us strength and courage, to be honorable and true, practicing your precepts in everything we do.'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Advent

' Those people who keep their faith until the end, will be saved.' Matthew 24:13

Recently several people have spoken to me of pain and difficulty and hardship in their lives, and where is God. Sometimes its easy to lose focus. Sometimes we struggle to know who we are and why God can seem so 'far off 'yet in all of that we can cling to the fact that we know that God never lets us down, he never lets us go, he never loses sight of us and regardless of how 'far off he can seem, we know that in actual fact he is right there with us, we just sometimes cant see it in the cloud of the moment.

Advent is on our doorstep and that draws us to remember that Christ came, and will come again, and our relationship with him may need rebuilding, refocusing or refreshing. We also need to remember that Advent is about getting our relationship right with God so we can serve him fully in caring for his sheep, giving a drink to the thirsty, tending the Christ in others.

In Portuguese, a person who has the ability to 'hang in' and not 'give in' has 'Garra.' Garra means 'claws' What imagery. Lucado says: 'A person with Garra has claws which burrow into the face of a cliff and keep him from falling. So do the saved. They may get close to the edge, they may stumble and even slide, but they will dig their nails into the rock of God and hang on.'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Inclusion, welcome, embrace.

' When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind and you will be blessed.' Luke 14

A couple of Sundays ago we were so blessed at church when there was a celebration for disability awareness Sunday. All the participants from the special group were invited to take part in the service.Welcome rs in wheelchairs,sides persons in wheel chairs,others with disability using their ability to light the worship candle, pray the intercessions and be overall included.

The spirit moved right across the congregation, some were in tears of blessings, some offered to help with this special group when we gather, others said lets have more and more of this inclusion.

'Set before our mind and hearts, O heavenly Father, the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, when he was upon this earth, found his refreshment in doing the will of him that sent him, and in finishing his work. '(Charles Vaughan)

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Christian Blind Mission in Melbourne has many resources for ministry with people with disability. Their program is called Luke 14. Their website is:www.Luke14.cbm.org.au

Is God the first daily appointment in your diary?

'Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.' Psalm 96:6

There is such an urgency and an excitement about the dawn.Its like a 'calling' that can't be resisted.'Come, it says,come quick before I pass and we haven't met.'

The blackbirds calling,

pockets of clouds sitting on mountain tops,some drifting,mist hovering

cobweb in the wire

stillness, quiet.

God hour,God's hour.

How important, life giving and refreshing it is to be with God.

Top priority for the new day.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

'symbols' of Gods presence

'......when he is revealed.............we will see him as he is.' 1 John 3:2

Ever present God.

We only have to stay conscious of that to receive daily blessings and encouragement from him. Many of us have 'symbols' in nature that remind us of the presence of God.....we see them and God speaks.

I remember when in hospital, looking out the corridor window with longing ,in the direction of home and I looked down to a new building site. The building had been completed but alongside it were piles of builders rubble in the mud of recent rain and there, sitting precariously on a piece of wire, in all the mess, was a blue wren, singing his heart out. and in that moment God spoke.

All I could say was, 'Thank you, thank you Lord, as my spirit rose.

In all the rubble of daily life, if we keep watch, we see and feel the 'symbols'in life, the reminders of Gods love and hope.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Keep watch, keep listening

' I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me in.' Matthew 25:35

I was at an Archdeaconry meeting last night and was so blessed by many stories people had to tell of how God's Spirit is moving amongst us and the excitement was contagious. It was a wonderful evening of affirmation and encouragement.

One person told a story of their church ministry to people who sleep in their cars in the church grounds, and how they leave the amenities open for them and provide them with a substantial breakfast the following morning before they move on. One lady felt so safe, so loved, by the care given that she came to the early church service in her dressing gown!

I wonder who receives the greater blessings in this ministry? The recipient may, the ones who are serving may. But you know what? I think its God.

FB Myer says: Show me, today , dear Lord, one of your little ones to whom I can give a cup of cold water in your name.

Go OUT in peace to love and serve the Lord

Anne

Here I am Lord

...'Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature's night: thine eye defused a quickening ray---I woke: the dungeon flamed with light! my chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed thee.' (Charles Wesley TIS 209)

One of my favourite hymns is that of Charles Wesley: 'And can it be....'

I thought of this as I arrived at Galong Monastery for the retreat. I stopped on the outside of the gate and peered in through the fence at peaceful setting within the grounds and I immediately was struck by Wesley's words and I felt a sense of the business of the world falling away and a peace filling that inner emptying space.

Oh the joy, the necessity and the blessings of retreating into the lap of God in a place of peace and quiet.

Its absolutely essential to take a retreat. A holiday is refreshing but a retreat is refilling.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

new life

'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' Matthew 21:28

I could almost see the new life pulsating through the pruned vines, getting ready to grow and bear fruit and I thought of the man in the hospital chapel who asked the question, 'Tell me, how do I talk to God?'

What wonderful places God puts us in to help others and show them the way. We never know when we step outside the front door each day, who he will lead us to.

A prayer for today:

Heavenly Vine! Pour your life through me so that I may bear much fruit for your sake. (FB Myer)

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

THE gate

' Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.' John 10: 1-2

I love the King James version that says 'verily, verily. I think that has a richness and a deeper meaning that reaches deep inside ones being......verily, verily I tell you.

I like to think of this gate as something we all pass through, or should pass through each day before we go out into the world,into the sheep fold, where there are sheep and wolves. Unless God is with us in mind and heart and prayer, unless we have sought strength through him, then its a bit like the wolf entering the fold.

I like this prayer:

You are the gate, O Lord!

Through you may I pass, out to my daily work and back again to rest, and whether in work or rest, may I abide in your safekeeping. (FB Myer)

Lets set about our daily work, having passed through the 'gate' first.

Grace and peace.

Anne

your love for us is manifested

' You well deserve the praises of your children, O God.......you that answer prayer.' Psalm 65 (Psalms Now)

Its our humanity that gets in the road when we give up hope, or begin to doubt. I think of the anxious years of the recent drought and our fears we would never see again the abundant spring rains, lush grass and full dams but there it is, God has stayed faithful, he has answered prayer and delivered.................he reached out to save us.

All around we see the power of God in the grandeur of the mountains, the roar of the sea, grain laden fields and new life in all creation yet we doubt and become anxious when we are threatened.

I love this last verse of psalm 65: The meadows are clothed with sheep; and the valleys stay so thick with corn, they shout and sing for joy.

When times are tough we need to stay close to God, right by his side and trust.

Blessings on your day and peace from God the Father.

Anne

The travelers psalm

' I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where will my help come?' My help comes from the Lord., Psalm 121:1

This is one of those ' grounded' verses that stay with you always. Every time I look at a hill or mountain, every time I 'need' God close, every time I am feeling a bit anxious, every day on the walking track overlooking the mountains and before the day begins....... it comes straight to mind.

It doesn't matter if you are on a journey to Israel, traveling down the highway or heading for the operating theatre, God's comfort and protection, is there with you. His help is only a whisper away.............'from where will my help come?' 'It comes from the Lord.'

Grace and peace on this glorious day.

Anne

Seek ye first the kingdom of God

'One thing I will ask of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his temple.'

There they were this morning, tiny capsules of pure delight, bursting with God's love and I thought of those who do not know of that love and my heart was on fire for them.

Go seek and find the lost in the name of the Christ we server.

Grace and peace.

Anne

Love from God

Morning has broken and the blackbird is the only sound, high on the power line, singing and singing and singing in the rain. What a beautiful blessing for the day.

Longfellow has a saying:'Into all our lives, in many simple, familiar, homely ways, God infuses this element of joy from the surprises of life, which unexpectedly brighten our days and fill our eyes with light.'

I think that is so profound and fills one with joy just to read it. Think of your days and those blessings that comes so unexpectedly......treasured gifts from God, that's what I call a blessing. They are mine, they are rich, they are special, they are personal, life giving, faith affirming, exciting. They are like 'love' from God directly to our heart.

Sometimes it comes when we serve others and we end up with the blessing.

Sometimes it comes from a glorious sunset

Sometimes it comes from a beautiful sing flower.

When you settle down tonight, count the blessings from this day and you will be blessed again.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Rejoice!

This will be familiar to many from the Thursday daily office but I wonder how many stop to really meditate?

'As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you, now and forever.'

As I was praying this I looked up from my place of prayer and saw the gifts already being given, and the presence of God was so visible in the breaking day.

A glorious tree, naked, standing proud with buds of new life ready to burst open, daffodils and jonquils at its base, bright gifts of joy interspersed with violets, their perfume only imaginable from within the room.

Wet grass from a heavy unexpected frost and the deep, sweet melody of the warbling magpies, all before I stepped outside.

'As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence O Lord, set our hearts on fire for you.'

As Steiner Rice says: 'Who but God can make the day!'

Grace and peace, and morning blessings from God our Father.

Anne