A joy every day

The cold wind in the winter, the pleasant summer sun, the ripe fruits in the garden: God made them every one. (Cecil Frances Alexander)
Spring still evokes in me a joy every day. I said to a friend as I looked out on her garden, just 'how lovely are all the flowers this time of year.' Every flower I look upon has a 'joyful, colourful, face of beauty' What great love for us, from God.  I love to pick the beautiful roses in all their glory and place them on my table. That is such a prayerful action, an in the moment action and the sweet peas placed in the vase in the bedroom give off an everlasting reminder in the night of God's love.
From an unknown writer comes these words: The beauty of creation convinces me that the creator not only loves me,but he wants me to have the very best.
Take a moment now, before the rush of the day sets in, and go and smell the flowers.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning.

Praise for the singing, praise for the morning, praise for them, springing fresh from the word. TIS 156
It is said that 'anything worth thinking about is worth singing about' and Mary Oliver adds 'which is why we have songs of praise, songs of love and songs of sorrow'. I can relate to this thinking so much as I often have a song in my heart and on my lips so much so that  though I go to bed at night and sleep there is something in me that still listens for the joy of the beautiful melodious sound of the blackbirds song in the early morning, the first of creation to sing to God on a new day.
May there be songs in your heart and on your lips that bring you joy and peace and comfort and assurance of God.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne,servant of the Lord

Just a Caterpillar?

I am like an olive tree growing in the house of God. Ps 52
The little four year old had hold of my hand tightly as we walked to the park to play. Suddenly he stopped and squatting down started examining a caterpillar with great curiosity. It was just an ordinary plain  black caterpillar with lots of legs going at its almost standstill pace  across the path but to the four year old it said far more because after a long period of examination he said: ' I know what that  caterpillar will be, I can see it now, it will be a beautiful, colourful butterfly and it will have wings and it will fly. There is a wisdom story from oral tradition that says: 'A genius is one who can recognize the butterfly in a Caterpillar, the  eagle in an egg, the saint in a selfish human being.' I like to think its the one connected with the creator and his creation.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Massive Wedge tail eagle in the SA outback

Beautiful and abundant.

He gave us eyes to see them and lips that we might tell how Great is God Almighty who has made all things well.TIS 135
I was taken by the hedge of lavender that lines my front path. This year it has been exceptionally beautiful and abundant and has given delight to many who pass by. Its been a work place for the bees and countless varieties of butterflies and as always I am drawn to thoughts of God and his abundant variety of creation given for our pure delight. I read this Irish Blessing recently:
May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day. May songbirds serenade you every step of the way. May a  rainbow run beside you in the sky that's always blue . And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne,servant of the Lord.

Hug a tree!

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God. Ps 52:8
  I have always loved trees. They speak to us, they show us their glory, their beauty,their gracefulness. They give shade from the hot sun, shelter for the birds to nest and a bounty of colour and new growth and they stand tall and steadfast,. There is so much we can 'read' in a tree if we see it as it is, a creation of our God.  I like what  Joyce Kilmer wrote:' I think I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree. A tree whose mouth is prest against the earth's sweet flowing breast; a tree that looks at God all day and lifts her leafy arms to pray.' There is nothing more affirming of the presence of God if we see him in creation and creation as his. Perhaps today is the day to 'hug' a tree!
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Hundreds of little parachutes

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. TIS 768
 I am seeing the lawns around homes being mowed and tidied and manicured as spring settles in and they all look lovely but for me I love to see the Cape Weed in its thousands  with its bright yellow flowers and its centered black dot 'smiling' in the sunshine with memories of making daisy chains. I love the native Blue Bell flowering in the front garden and on the edges of the road and the 'pin cushion' look of the dandelion waiting for a breeze or a child to pass by and blow its hundreds of  little 'parachutes,' its fairy down, into the air and I say thank you God for everything that brings a resounding yes from deep in my soul.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Floral memories

Behold the beauty of the Lord. Psalm 27:4

The treasures of spring are truly something to behold and  I find a real lasting impression in spring that stays with me through my life. Yesterday I smelt the wisteria and everywhere I go that its out I have to smell its glorious deep fragrance because the minute I do I am transported back to my childhood where I am playing in the garden. Like wise with the bearded  Iris, there are so many beautiful colours but the perfume takes me back to my childhood among the ladies 'doing' the flowers for Sunday church and I whisper  just a few words of thanks to God ans I breath them in. As long as we stop to smell the flowers, we have memories, childhood memories. God memories.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning said. 'Earth's crammed with heaven and every common bush afire with God.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne'servant of the Lord

the very edge of your soul

 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden. Gen 2:8
I took a group of ladies from my ministry out to the Tulip Tops Gardens to experience the ambiance, the beauty, the quiet and the sheer delight of the spring gardens. The day was warm with a real sense of spring about it and we had our picnic among the blooms of colourful tulips and other glorious flowers and blossom trees. Everywhere was God's. His work of creation, colour and beauty.Then  came into  my mind were the words I love : ' I said to the almond tree: Speak to me of God' and the almond tree blossomed......
Audra Foveo said: If you have never been thrilled to the very edge of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

seeing the expected and the unexpected

For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed. Luke 8:16

It's the time of the year when the garden is coming into its best as the spring flowers start bursting their full buds, those  unknown pockets of beautiful colour and perfection that are a mystery to us until they shed the skin of their bud. Then there is the promise of great expectations in the vegetable garden as we watch the vegies grow from seed to sustaining food. Among it all I see some mysterious plants that I know I didn't plant, they are long and scrawny but their bud cluster bursts into beautiful tiny cornflower blue flowers. A weed yes, no doubt from the seed fallen from the bird feeding tray but so dainty and emanating pleasure. I understand the meaning of Thomas Jefferson words when he says: 'There is not a sprig of grass that shoots uninteresting to me.' Seeing the expected and the unexpected' in everyday life and gaining such joy from it has to surely be a 'God thing.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

pack peaches or grow an orchard.

Psalm 16: You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence.
 Sometimes the people I work among in daily ministry have no hope. They see no purpose in their lives and often struggle to just exist. I love this thought by John Gardner: When people are serving life is no longer meaningless. We can see more in our lives than what it seems.Its like this: some people spend their day sorting peaches or cutting out pockets for pants and they do this all their lives and never feel the exhilarating sense of creativity that comes from within such as 'growing  an orchard' or 'designing a suit.' The meaning and the blessings that accompany our life come not from achievement but from what we do for others out of how we live. Gardner goes on to say if we are lovers of beauty, then beauty will fill all our days and if we are committed to justice, then justice will drive us even past fatigue. My prayer is that we all see more in our lives than what it seems to be.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

The bird dose not  just build a nest but makes it a home.

a special place called home.

Let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Romans 14:19
It can be a busy, bustling world in the hours of work, and home is often the place for retreat. I find as I get older that this place of retreat is something I look forward too more and more. Its a place of peace and quiet and presence where the voices and rush  of the day leave me as I open the gate,
and the stars at night and the sunsets and sunrises are crystal clear and unaffected by city lights.Three years ago I decided to find myself a new home - one on the very edge of community where I can live in silence in the presence of God and every day as I go walking I look for him in this place and find him everywhere.When I open the back door the  morning delight is full of pleasure as the perfume of the sweet peas ( and I quote Mary Oliver) 'sends its perfume to me on a gentle breeze and I go to it for a deeper, fuller experience and its called heavenly and something inside me melts and awakens'. There is something about home, retreat, and silence combined with sweet perfume and the early morning warble of magpies and the twittering of blue wrens and I know what it is. Its the presence of God.
Where is your quiet place of retreat?  Where do you go to experience the fuller, greater love of God?
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

good balance

To you, O God, I lift my soul. I trust in you....relieve the distress of my heart. Psalm 25
Sometimes I disrepair at the pace of life.That instant response that comes with it like emails that require an immediate response or phones that are forever with us and are answered the minute it rings regardless of where we are or what we are doing. The pace of life seems to be getting increasingly faster and faster so how do we avoid the stress it can create, that puts our right mindedness out of balance? I like this story: Once upon a time, two thieves were undergoing a trial by ordeal. If they could walk a wire over a gorge, they would be considered innocent and would be spared. If however they failed to cross the gorge the belief was they had been executed by the gods for their guilt. The first thief was successful and reached the other side. The second thief was terrified and called out. 'How did you do that?' I don't know' came the voice from the other side. All I know is that when I felt myself tottering to one side I leaned to the other.'A trusting heart is what enables us to lean to the left when life tilts us to the right. Its called balance  (Joan Chittister  Songs of the Heart)and isn't that what we need in life, a good balance in all things. May we always have God in our sights so we get a good balance in life.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Love without end.

I love you O Lord, my strength Ps 18:1
Where  does your love lie? Can you count your many loves? I start but somehow they seem to have no end: The early morning rising to catch the quiet and the first bird calls
 The 'smells' of spring. The 'look' of spring. (Just go for a moment and look O so close into a beautiful flower, look hard into its creation.)
 The old dog looking for a walk. That's one of her loves!
The quiet spot to go  and be.
The tiny blue wren looking at me through the window as I sit at my desk, singing its little heart out.
The anticipation of what the day holds for me as I serve my greatest love, My Lord Jesus Christ.
These are loves that cause me to feel there is almost no space between me and God. Loves that give me pleasure in the everyday detail. Annie Dillard says: I love with a keen, clear love. A love that wells up as I stand rooted in the now. Moments when I feel centered and grounded.Moments thanking God for everything from good simple food to the gentle breeze,to a shooting star across a clear summer night sky.
Van Gogh adds:   I always think the best way to know God is to love many things.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

A quiet spot to go and be.

listen and God speaks

A time to keep silence and a time to speak. Eccl 3:7
Listening, intently listening.
Sometimes I listen deeply, so deeply that the silence is loud. So deeply that out of the silence comes a still small voice or more profound, a beautiful, richly coloured bird lands within  inches of my sight, and God speaks.  I was sitting on my front porch just sitting in the quiet with God and the beautiful Crimson Rosella came with his partner, as they do each spring, and checked out their nesting place, They stood on the fence and just looked at me ad I at them, and God spoke.
Mother Teresa said: ' God is the friend of silence. See how nature, trees, flowers, grass all grow in silence'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

A lovely sort of wild place

The Lord satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:8-9
I was deep in thought  in a lovely sort of wild place beside a pond thanking God for the many blessings of the morning in this quiet place. My intent was to just sit and listen to the silence but God came by, into the silence and showered me with many morning, everlasting blessings.ending with the O so beautiful song after song that came forth from the honey filled blooms of the Japonica bush of the lovely orange breasted Rufus Whistler, so busy in her own happiness and my heart melted as I thanked God for his creation filled with pockets of  holy places, such beauty and joy for our delight.
Sit, be still and wait for the Lord to come by and O the blessings.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

for the love of feathered friends

All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing. TIS 100

We all seem to have a special bird that is meaningful to us. Some love the kookaburra whose song brings out of us  a laugh that spills out from  deep within us. Others will spot the call of the Rufus whistler sporting his orange chest among the honey filled spring flowers, others will simply 'melt' within at the glorious song of the blackbird at the break of day and as for the sparrow, Mary Oliver says: 'Of course I love the sparrow, those dun coloured darlings.'These are all 'God moments.' Need I say for me its the blue wren and when I think of them singing I ask myself  is it prayer? What could it be if it isn't? so I just listen,with thoughts of God and am blessed.
Don't miss the unmissable God moments in your day. They are so precious.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

take time in his presence

My Lord and my God. John 20:28
The chorus of frogs in the pond of which I know not one from the other, is unbelievable and how do they all manage to sing in such  harmony and in tune. What a delightful sound and rising above it, or is it in chorus with it, is the beautiful call of a tiny bird I am yet to identify. I think of all God's creation. All identified and known to him personally. You, me, the frogs, the tiny bird, he has put his mark and his name on it all and how special, how very special to know that he knows each and every one of all his creation by name.
I love this morning blessing: May you take time in his presence so you will remember how strong and mighty he is. And may your day be filled with sacred moments that remind you just how precious you are to him.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Only God can do that

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord Psalm 145:10
Spring just throws up so many thoughts in your mind, and its just around the corner. I look at the bare tree outside my office window and its literally bursting its buds to push out the new leaves and the prunus in the back yard is displaying gorgeous little pink blossoms like a hundred young girls in tulle dancing dress and just a step out the back door the air is filled with strong violet and Daphne fragrance. The first words that fall from my lips are 'O God how glorious, how wondrous are your works.'  Somehow, having seen a shrub or tree empty or bare of any visible life and then to see it slowly open up into its glory is indeed a miracle. Its beauty in brokenness and life from death. You cant make the bare tree blossom, I cant make the bare tree blossom only God can do that. Only God can bring in new life..

Flowering Japonica.

One little duck went out one day..

 The Lord bless you and keep you. Numbers  6:24

Quietly sitting by a pond that's totally undisturbed by any visible signs of life other than a few water grasses and a bent willow tree when out of that island growth comes a lovely duck, his feathers iridescent green as the rising sun catches him. He paddles silently, smoothly across the water leaving a perfect arrow shaped wake behind him and all to the call of the wrens busily searching for breakfast for the young ones. Amazing things are revealed in silence and my inside was filled with happiness yet there was only the pond, the ducks and me.
Mary Oliver says: Instructions for living life are:. Pay attention, be astonished, and tell about it . For truly the body needs a song.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Ah, now I see.

Blessed assurance Jesus is mine, O what a foretaste of Glory divine. (Hymn)
The first morning of the retreat I was looking out of my window on the third floor and fixed my eyes on a clump of flowering violets under a beautiful bright yellow wattle tree. There is something about  little flowers that grow under a tree and I couldn't place why it is so special a 'something.' And then a thought comes, a God planted thought which says, 'I am your God, over and above you, I am your shelter, your protector, come and be under my everlasting protection.'  It was a God thought that made me glow inside. It is indeed in the stillness and quiet that God speaks.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Look and see......and live!

My soul thirsts for God,for the living God Psalm 42:2
The glory of the Lord shines through so much of what we see around us. Its there in  almost every place I look especially as the signs of spring are coming.  I recall a time when a new lady came to church and she was just 'aglow' with every aspect of her worship,- engaging, enjoying and so touched. It was so encouraging to see and then I think of the  nights when the moon has been high in the sky, shining,magnificent, full, a true light in the darkness, a presence of God. It is so powerful that we can meet God in all things. I recall on one of my outback holidays, standing on a sandstone cliff face in the desert and looking God in the face with all I saw before me.
I like this blessing of welcome (Iona Community) May you meet God in every place, in every person and in the depths of your own heart.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Breakaways, Coober Pedy.

a flower grows inside me

Teach us to count our days so that we may gain a wise heart. Psalm 90:12
I was looking at the Fuchsia in the garden, dormant, almost dead looking but then I saw tiny buds of life as new leaves were forming and I marveled at the fact that within a short space of time these leaves would be flourishing and green but what was more profound was the thought that from the very center of this creation flowers were forming ready to burst forth into new life when their time has come, turning something ordinary into something special and its all happening in the silence of the garden. I love silence. Things happen and grow and develop in silence, within the heart, the mind and the spirit. Its probably the next best thing to early morning walks where the silence is everywhere and in it you can hear and learn so much that has the potential to bring you life, turn your day into something lovely and beautiful. I like what Marion  von Waldner writes: 'From the center of my soul, a flower grows inside me, a love that makes me whole, a budding love that sets me free.'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Lord, keep me awake

May the Lord bless his people with peace. Psalm 29:11
There is something magical about the daylight pushing the night out of the way with a blaze of colour and there is something magical about the birds waking up one by one and adding chorus to the colour and its all backed by the rhythmic  squeaks, pips,  and croaks of the frogs on the pond. And while I walked I thought of the words of my 4 year old grandson yesterday when I said we would pray and thank God for the food he has given us  and he looked at me with big open eyes and laughing,without hesitation said, No 'Nan, God didn't give us the food, Mummy and I got it from the shop!' Isn't it just wonderful that every day is a message and a blessing from God.
A Lawson says: Always keep an ear bent towards heaven.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Lets go fishing

As he (Jesus)  walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother casting nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them. 'Follow me and I will make you fish for people.' Matthew 4:18-19
I was enjoying walking in the quiet with just the call of an occasional bird, looking at  the bear trees that were exhibiting a beauty in their nakedness and in thought with God about the matters of the day ahead. Its amazing when we reflect on our lives and see where we have come from to reach the place we are at now especially in light of Jesus words, 'Come follow me.' I thought of the quote (anon)
What I am is God's gift to me. What I become is my gift back to God.
In a quiet spot during the day give your life's journey a thought and thank God for your response when he said 'Come follow me.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee.

gathering treasures

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. Matthew 13: 44
All our experiences come home with us in our minds at the end of the day. Some to be discarded, some to be treasured.  It reminds me of when we walk on the beach, along a dry creek bed or walking on the familiar morning walk and we bend down to pick up something that is to be admired and slipped into the pocket to take home and treasure. In my garden I have small shiny white stones and dark round smooth ones that were picked up on a walk. I have jars filled with lovely sea shells of all shapes and colours that serve as book ends on my book shelves.I have a collection of different couloured bird feathers that stand in a jar waiting for the next visit from the grandchildren. The stooping and picking up, the wonder and the noticing of everyday 'things' are real moments of oneness with God that we keep because they are 'moments with God.'.
S Larson writes: 'Moments (like these) that you keep wrapped in a tissue paper inside a jewelry box or set on a shelf in your room like upon an altar. Moments that center and ground us.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

 Treasured 'God moments' when these shards of china and glass were found' hidden' on the site of my GGparents property where nothing else remains of their life there.

God's shadow

For the joy of ear and eye, for the heart and mind's delight, for the mystic harmony, linking sense to sound and sight. Christ our God to you we raise, this our sacrifice of praise. (TIS 137)
Crystal clear frosty morning with one long,  thin band of  deep pink cloud fringed 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 clear crystals and I recalled a quote by 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.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                               Behold the beauty of the shadow of God.

pockets of lights

Lord, the love of your light is shining........shine Jesus shine, fill this land with the Fathers Glory (TIS 675)
As I walk to  the rise of the hill and pause at the top I look back over the valley and across the suburb behind me and see clusters of street lights in the dark of the early morning and  it reminds me again and again of each one of us who carries the light of Christ into our community, often into areas of darkness, of isolation,loneliness  pain, and suffering. As I watch the light of day brighten  and the community  lights dim  I think of how the light of  mornings God encounters  fill us for this new day.

I can think of nothing more appropriate to say than.........let your light shine!
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord..

lift your face to the day star

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14
As I thing of the day that lies before us. I think of the challenges, the peoples paths we will cross; those who will be rejoicing, those who will be mourning, those seeking a shoulder to lean on, those who need encouragement, those who bless and please us, those who need a touch of God's love. Those who need a kind hand to pick them up and set them on the path again.
You know, nothing satisfies me more  early in the morning than to feel that call from God to come and spend some time with him. The quiet of the  morning seeps deep into my being and there it liaises with God taking in peace, hope, love, calm,joy, strength and understanding. Tools for the day, gifts to share and a sense of being sent forth with God's blessing.
Macrina Wiederkher wrote: Lift your face to the day star now, experience the coming of dawn, bathed in morning light, pray that the lantern of your life move gently through this day into all those places where light is needed.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,
Anne, servant of the Lord

Those who need a helping hand

I see you Lord

And all the peoples behold his glory. Psalm 97:6
Sometimes we feel we are looking into the eye of God. I have a beautiful book called 'A Tree full of Angels' by Macrina Wiederkehr and in one section she talks of a 'meditation pause' quoting Guigo, and it says: Until your heart is touched....
I look in awe at the buds on the prunus tree just getting ready to bust and some have already popped out of their little cocoons of cover, blushing a spot of cheeky pink.
I look in awe at the deep red of the flowering gum blossom, dressed like little ballerinas in tu-tu's.
And I saw them.....a tree full of angels, and my heart was touched and my silent whisper said, ' I see you Lord.'
Look about but just don't look about, look and see the Lord
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

shine your light

The gifts of God for the people of God. (APBA)
Early morning and the dark was  bathed in the soft moonlight from the moon high in the sky, so bright that it cast my shadow onto the footpath and a silver reflection on the dam in the paddock and all the objects  of the landscape, the cattle, the mountains, the trees, the fences,were illuminated so I could see what was there regardless of the dark. The breeze blew across my face, icy but refreshing and there was a mystery occurring because to the east the sun was rising in a brilliant display of pink, orange and gold and between the two was my breath taking prayer as the glory of the Lord shone all around. I didn't quite know which way to look to capture it all.
I reflected on the brightness of the moon which has no light of its own. The light it casts is from the suns reflection, like its bouncing off a mirror.
I reflect on our lives with Jesus, the Son, and wonder at his reflection that shines off us. He is our source of light.
May the light of Christ that reflects in your life, shine on all you meet.
Anne, servant of the Lord

a good measure pressed down

Give, and it will be given to you. A good  measure, pressed down and shaken together, running over, will be put in your lap, for the measure you give will be given back. Luke 6:38
I tried to find a definition of a blessing and it was hard to come up with something I felt met the
feeling but Luke gives it plain and clear in his Gospel. What drew me to blessings this morning was that they were in my heart when I got up. I was thinking they were like boomerangs.You give one  out and it comes back to you and the blessing then becomes yours, as well as theirs. Time and again I have gone into my day and assisted those less fortunate than myself, people who the world passes by, and they are so grateful and often say the time together is a real blessing but I go home feeling blessed by the privilege of having been with them. God can give us a cold wet morning, shrouded in mist, yet the beauty of it takes our breath away and becomes a blessing prayer of 'thank you Lord.'
Blessings are something we don't forget. They are powerful, collected and save in the soul.
May the blessings fall like the rain on you today.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

The blessing of a  surprised encounter

Prepared for anything

Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Mark 1:3

I was touched by the early morning,so still, so quiet with a magpie waking the dawn with a note perfect solo and I just sat and engaged.....God and me....a oneness. Its like the whole start of the day is on pause before it lunges into its business and strife.
 As I sat, over and over in my mind roll the words from Psalm 46:
Vocate et videte quomiam ego-somdeus. 'Be still and know that I am God.'
Do you know this is called the war psalm, said before soldiers engaged in battle?
I don't think there is a better way    of entering each new day than to be wrapped up in the love, protection and peace of God, prepared for anything.
Go well into this new day under the protective cover of your God.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

full but hungry

O Lord you light my fire, your face is all I see. (Song of Praise)
 Fresh, cold, snow on the mountains and an icy wind, the intensity of the winter season.
A night sky  full of stars, the deep colour of the rising sun and the softness of the sun set.
 Beauty of creation.
Uniqueness of every bird.
A special friend.
An elderly face.
A needy person.

Ron Lessin said:
Lord keep me full but hungry, Content but needy. Complete but never satisfied.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Behold the beauty of the Lord

in everything there is God

The light of the sun shines down on everything, and everything is filled with the glory of the Lord. Sirach 42:16
I like the word everything, in this passage. Nothing is excluded.
The sulpha crested cockatoos wake from their overnight camp in the eucalyptus trees down by the creek and together in full flight screech their way across the green, long valley towards the mountains  in pursuit of their food for the day. Its a perfect picture as they become part of the breathtaking panoramic view before me, a kaleidoscope of colour backed by the birds chorus and a rising sun.....and everything is filled with the Lord's glory. I was in conversation with an elderly lady  as she told me some of her life's story, a life that is sustained and fed by a God she has loved and depended on, and the look on her face, so full of character, so weathered with age and the experiences of life emanated everything about her   It is a face that tells in every wrinkle and the furrowed brow, experiences of sadness, of joy,of love,of fear,of child, of wife, of mother, of grandmother,of wars,of droughts.  Of life all lived. Its a face that says I have been and I still am, and everything is filled with the glory of the Lord.
Where is God for you today? will he be in the creation? in the sandy beach, the shell you pick up,the mountain, the mist, the flower you stop to smell, the face of a friend, the elderly, the dying?...........can you feel it? Can you see it?
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Precious water

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 on the garden bed 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 the life giving streams of water that flow through our lives from the love of Jesus and how we have the  wonderful opportunity, the unique opportunity to flow those streams of life giving water onto others and I found myself humming. 'Come into his presence singing Alleluia, Jesus is Lord. I reflected in my quiet time of the love of Jesus, of his faithfulness and of the people he already knows that we will encounter today and I felt equipped and ready. I also reflected on the saying:Those who sing, pray twice.  Keep singing and we are constantly praying. Keep singing and we are in his presence always. Keep singing!

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

tissue thin spaces.

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and the numberless stars by the breath of his mouth. He gathered waters of the sea as in a water skin. Psalm 33:6-7 (APBA)
What imagery!
I was telling the story of creation using the flannel graph. I laid the blue background for the sky and one by one added the yellow stars. I laid the blue of the sea, adding a wave or two and as I did this I had a real sense of creating. It was one of those 'thin places' experiences. A tissue thin space between earthly and heavenly things, and it was as powerful as when I read the story of creation. My thoughts went to the stars....by the breath of God's mouth....imagine God opening his mouth and a whole stream of stars coming forth and placing themselves in position where they landed.....some clustered like the milky way, some isolated on their own yet ever so bright and I think to myself 'what holds them up there?' My thoughts went to the sea. What contains it? This huge water skin laid down in the base of the ocean before the waters were gathered into it and I imagine the arms of God around a huge mass of water, squeezing it into the water skin, there to be contained.
What a mighty God. No wonder we keep coming back to him for there is nothing that he cant do. There is nothing he cant provide.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Deep peace of the Aaronic blessing

The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24
I see this beautiful passage of scripture come true so many times in a day.
The sulfa crested cockatoos jostling for the food on the bird feeder.The sunrise, the unwrapping of a gift of a new day.A rainbow after rain.A friend willing to listen.
The stranger we encounter.
Blessings....... God's face shining on us.... bringing peace.
Treasure the blessings. They are the face of God.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

rise and shine

O for a heart to praise my God. TIS 568
Some people say 'why do you get up early? Frost on the ground and in the air, a chill that cuts right through you?' and I reply 'well its like this.' The still,  waters on the pond that mirrors every reed and bull rush as if they are growing upside down are just about to be disturbed as the first of the wood ducks emerge from within them. The rising sun clips every blade of frosted grass across the paddock as if I was looking through  a kaleidoscope, lighting them in a million, million clusters of crystal colours, breathtaking! and the drops of dew on the cobwebs that hang from the fence wire show a crafted  brilliance no human  could make and beneath the windowsill of a house I pass the tiny blue wrens are seeking their breakfast from a trapped insect and bolder still is the magpie who sits on the lamppost cherishing the taste of the moth he has acquired for his breakfast and Oh there is so much more to cherish and give thanks for. And I know that if I were to get up a minute later than I do for my morning walk all this would no longer be, it would have passed into activity and business. And you know, there is in each and every thing a prayer, a prayer in the ordinary. And now they come to the tree in front of my window again, the blue wrens, the willy wag tail and the red rump finches. All of this, that is why I get up early.
Mary Oliver writes: Every day I see or I hear something that more or less kills me with delight.....grow wise with such teachings as these, the untrimmable light of the world, the ocean's shine, the prayers that are made out of grass.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

I listen, I see

Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord. Isaiah 2:3
Several things have caught my eye these past few days.The bright blue of the stately Dutch Iris. The raindrops, clusters of them, on the beautiful Camellia bush, which, by the way is a mass of the most beautifully formed flowers, white, with a blush of pink. The two magpies on the power pole, warbling, singing to each other about the coming day. And the sunset last night that burst, literally burst, from the grey clouds, in a blaze of gold, showering fine dust rays of gold across the mountains, valley and tree tops.
I read this from a poem by Mary Oliver:
It doesn't  have to be the blue iris, it can be weeds in a vacant lot, or a few small stones, just pay attention, then patch a few words together and don't try to make them elaborate, it isn't a contest, but a doorway, into thanks, and a silence in which another doorway may speak.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Field of cobwebbs

voices of hope

All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small all things wise and wonderful The Lord God made them all. TIS 135
We only have to go down the channels of time in our minds to fall into step with this lovely old hymn and I don't know about you but I have never doubted God' great love of all he created. As I looked out the window from my office I was filled with wonder and joy at the activity in the  winter naked tree. First a flock of noisy sparrows arrived in a fluster of chatter, then came the red rumped finches full of twittering and business, then arrived the blue wrens,well,  we know about them showing off their colour and upright tails to say nothing of their brood. Then, the beautiful willy-wagtail, alone and doing a solo of his lovely call but the one that really took my breath away was the robin red-breast. Brilliant in colour and just silently sitting on a branch. When they arrive we know that winter is here. We had a lovely prayer in church yesterday which said: God our creator, help us to love all creatures as kin, all animals as partners on earth, all birds as messengers of praise, all tiny beings as expressions of your mysterious design and protect all creatures as voices of hope. (www.seasonsofcreation.com). My tree was certainly filled with messengers of praise and voices of hope  as was my heart.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Put God in all things

Let your loveliness shine on us and bless the work we do. Psalm 90:17
As I enjoyed the encounter with God in my morning walk I was thinking how  people we come in contact with might see the presence of God through us and so see new possibilities in their days. I have a cleaning agency who provides me with a cleaner each week and I was somewhat frustrated that it was a different person each week and I didn't have the chance to get to know one person well but then I thought, perhaps this is a God's 'thing' because I reflect on the different people who have come to my home. They are mostly from  Africa or India and are trying to make a new life with us in our country. Inevitably and in their shyness they start a conversation with me about my home particularly my office and  ask me if I am Christian. 'Indeed I am,' comes my reply and its so lovely to see some of their shyness fade as they recognize a fellow traveler and declare 'so am I'. I may not see them again but we have both reached out and had a God encounter which had changed our day. I thought of the words of Emily Dickinson who sad.' We dwell in possibility.'   Sometimes we need to put God first in all things and as his loveliness shines on us he will bless the work we do.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

New day, new possibilities,.

tincture our lives

Among us and before us Lord you stand. TIS 259
The winter is coming upon us quickly. The temperature has dropped and the morning walks have to step up a notch  and many of our morning greetings are about how cold it is! That's if you live where I live! BUT, Oh the beauty of the Lord. The sun as it rose was a ball of silver.Not red, not 'fiery' but silver, shrouded in fog and I could see the distant horizon through a pocket of fog showing a grey and florescent pink cloud bank of sun touched beauty and I thought on the prayer of the day we heard in worship yesterday and the line that read - 'Tincture our lives with your beauty and fill our potential beauty with your abundant life through Jesus of Nazareth.'  As you go out today see the beauty of the Lord in all things and be O so blessed knowing you are part of that beauty.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

shouts of joy

To behold the beauty of the Lord. Psalm 27:4
Its is so lovely, the autumn and there is a peace about it at times, especially when the fog is in and the air is still. There is a feel about it that's a mystery. A mystery of the beauty of God. The day breaking through the morning mist, naked autumn trees, beautiful in their nakedness, resting and waiting. It takes my breath away in the moment before the 'wow' comes and the 'thank you Lord' arrives.
I like the opening lines of Mary Oliver's poem 'Messenger.' (Paraphrased)
My work is loving the world...... let me keep my mind on what matter......, which is my work and learning to stand still and be astonished. The phoebe, the delphinium, the sheep in the pasture and the pasture. A mouth with which to give shouts of joy, to the moth, the wren, telling them over and over  how it is we live forever.
May there be many 'wow' moments in your days followed by 'thank you Lord'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary beholding your power and glory, because your steadfast love is better than life and  my lips will praise you. Psalm 63:2-3
It is so true that many of the things we see about us actually preach to us. Today the blessings of an early morning fine drizzle of rain cutting through the first rays of sunlight like 'fairy dust,' and holding itself  in tiny rain drops that slide off a leaf and land on the dry earth. The rocky outcrops on the face of the mountains shines like a mirror and the pink and grey galah's sit on a slippery fence post grooming their freshly washed bodies and it seems the earth is crying out in joy and everywhere the glory of the Lord can be seen and I want to race out and tell everyone of the blessings of a faithful God.

Mother Teresa said: (a person) filled with joy preaches without preaching.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Enjoy God always

'.....can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?' John 3:12b
When I glimpsed the autumn tree in passing I found myself going back to look again as something had touched my soul, something put me momentarily on sacred ground. Although a rather insignificant tree the passage of the autumn tones is what touched me. There were green leaves,changing leaves, leaves in full colour and those already seasoned and fallen to the ground. They all spoke to me about life's journey. They spoke to me of the faith journey, of trusting God.They spoke of new life, maturity and dying. They spoke to me of God's glory and they took my breath away and gave me a glimpse of God, a window to God, a flash in a moment in a day that stayed with me as sacred moments do. Enjoy the beauty of the autumn, its so God given.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

The saints

....that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may  be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes all understanding. Ephesians 3:17-19
I have a Christian friend who says to me in all seriousness, 'when I die, the final hymn at my funeral is to be 'When the Saints come marching in.'  She knows what it means to be a saint. Not someone perfect or worldly but someone who has had their sins forgiven and  they have been embraced and welcomed into the arms of Jesus. Today we hear of people being 'made' saints through good works and long life commitments but in reality, according to the bible we are all saints.How does that make you feel? For me, its not something that puts me on a pedestal in my mind, heaven forbid, but instead its something that puts me on my knees in humility before God.I read somewhere about  'Saints in circulation.' That's you and me and everyone who carries the forgiven love of Jesus into our communities, into our day, into our lives with that deep peace of knowing.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,
Anne, servant of the Lord.

peace to you

He said. 'Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord for the Lord is about to pass by.' Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind the earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire the sound of sheer silence - then there came a voice to him. 1 Kings 19:11-12
Its so still and quiet in the early morning, like an ocean before the tide comes roaring in and as I step out for a morning walk in this quiet, this silence with a 'good morning Lord' I know what it is  to experience his presence. I know what  it is to experience that ' sound of sheer silence' and then comes the still small voice as a tiny bird sings the sweetest song in the pre dawn darkness.
Sometimes ministry and life in general can be like splitting mountains and breaking rocks and a great whirl of wind and it can be about things that are not of God but God never passes us by and when we experience that sound of sheer silence we hear his voice. That beautiful whispering way he has of reaching us.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

layers of dust

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord. Jer 17:7
When I was in Israel I recall one of the tasks to do at the end of a days walking was to wash the dust off my feet. I wore good walking sandals and when I removed them I could see the marks of the straps on my feet  highlighted by a layer of dust. In many  places the dust is fine and as I put my foot down others beside me would gather the 'puff of dust' from my feet and likewise I from them.I thought of the disciples who had walked this country with Jesus and how they two must have had feet covered in dust at the end of a days walk and Jesus often referred to 'the dust' in his conversations.  Recently I heard a beautiful ancient blessing which said: 'May you always be covered in the dust of your Rabbi.'
My prayer for us all is that God's presence will be with us  -  always and praise the Lord - we cant wash that off!
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Road to Jericho

All we need is love

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also most love one another. John 13:34
We look at the world and its great need for love. We look at one another and our great need for love. Words of caring and love can go such a long way to changing lives and giving people hope. I have a person in the community  who lives alone and is socially isolated and each nigh she calls me and we have a chat about her day and it enables her to have someone to say good night to. Small acts of love can change a persons life.  I heard this story recently: A six year old boy was sad because his friends at school teased him about all his red freckles on his face and he shared with his grandmother his sadness Grandmother put her hand under his chin and turned his face to look at her and as they looked into each others eyes she said to the boy ' I think you have the most beautiful freckles, and I love them.' The boy stared at his grandmothers face with affection and placed his small hand on her cheek and after a pause said.' And I love your wrinkles too.' It doesn't take much to change a persons life.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Faith that lives in others

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that first lived in your mother Eunice, and now I am sure lives in you. 2 Timothy 1:5
There is an add on the television that sends a message out about our life style and how children copy us. It shows a child in his toy car going to MacDonald and ordering fast food and a child lying on the couch with a soft drink and chips. Children will copy the behavior of the adults and I cant help but think how that applies to all ways of life. Its up to us to set the examples the children will follow. Two of my grandchildren came to visit, one 5 the other 7 and they were sitting in my lounge room looking through some of my treasures from Jerusalem. The 5 year old had the Hebrew prayer book and the traditional  reading stylus and said he was reading about God 'in a different voice.' The 7 year old commented that when she grew up she was going to be a children s minister like her Sunday School teacher at church. Its hard to explain the feeling this gives to see the grandchildren living a life that is God centered and how remnants of our lives brush of onto others and so the light of Christ continues to shine.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

sign him with the mark of the cross to show he is one of Christs own