Peace deep into the soul.

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believers ear. It soothes his sorrows heals his wounds and drives away his fears. (John Newton Hymn)
This is one of the most asked for hymns from the older people in the nursing home. It brings a true sense of peace that goes deep,deep into the soul. I think of all the names that come to mind  that are encompassed in the name of Jesus and I come up with: redeemer,saviour, friend, master, comforter, healer...........
Lee Self says:
I try to encompass all your names but they slip from my grasp.
When I hold nothing, I hold you
When I hold you, I holdeverything.

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

Deep, deep peace

The face of God

The Lord has decided the number of stars and called each by name. Great and mighty is our Lord. Psalm 147:4-5
I saw it in the sky as the night stars  tucked themselves behind the glorious sunrise.
I saw it in the sun as it shone like millions of crystals on the frosty ground.
I saw it in the mist hovering over the ground.
I saw it in the 'top knot' pigeons dancing on the lawn and the tree full of feeding cockatoos
 I saw it in the single drop of water hanging like a gem stone on the end of a leaf.
I saw it in the wrinkled and life worn face of the elderly lady.    I saw it.
I saw the face of God and my soul sang How Great Thou Art.
World famous musician Pablo Casolas said:  I find God in the smallest of things and in the largest of things. I see God in colours and designs. No two things are alike, no two voices are the same. Who but God can do that?
Be blessed by the face of God today in all you see.
Anne, servant of the Lord

 I saw God in the mist

Glory and power

The heavens declare the glory of God: the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1
It is so powerful and humbling to be aware of God's presence in our every day life and catch a glimpse of his work. On one occasion I recall being  in a rural setting where kangaroo and birds of many varieties were in abundance. As I sat on a granite outcrop at dawn, half way up a hill I surveyed a panorama of deep blue rolling mountains, distant ones snow capped, green hills and rabbits almost at my feet and God graced me with a brier bush full of blue wrens. I wrote in my notebook: Today I have been blessed at the start of the day with a chorus of kookaburras and I have been among  God's treasures. For me he opened the lid of his treasure chest and let a few come out and as I thanked him yet again, in a breath taking response he gave me one more of his treasures, a beautiful blue orchid, among the granite and the brier. I thought of  our powerful mighty God who created rugged mountains can also create a delicate wild orchid. Little do we realise sometimes that the glory and the power of he who made the universe lies hidden in a flower.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree

for Jesus

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16
                  I read somewhere that we should make a pulpit of every  circumstance.
 Those words draw me to think beyond the familiarity of the church and into the community where I recall seeing crowds of 1.000's watching a cricket match and amidst all the waving banners was one that boldly quoted John 3:16. And as I watch football something stirs deep inside me when I see the big burly men run onto  the field  with several of them making the sign of the cross. Yesterday afternoon's football  drew attention to the commentators who were trying to discern a scripture quote written on a wrist bandage of a player. The quote was Isaiah 41:10 which was thought to be a message to a person called 'Izzy'. (  'Do not fear for I am with you, do not be afraid for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.' The commentators  were saying 'Whats that he has written on his wrist bandage.That's a biblical text isn't it? Who was Isaiah ? He wasn't one of the disciples. No I don't know I will have to look it up when I get home'.Imagine the impact these shows of faith have on thousands of viewers of sport. If they are familiar with the quote they will feel blessed to have seen it displayed in such an arena. If they are not familiar with it they will go looking for it when they get home or on the spot using Google. Wow, what a witness and I wonder how much do we show our faith in the arena of the community?
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Let your light shine.......for Jesus 

Pods of life giving water

He made water flow for you from flint rock. Deut 8:15
I was watching the raindrops fall into the bird bath outside my window. As they rippled to the edges, one after the other they fell, pods of life giving water that rolled off the edge and onto the ground below. Raindrops full of nourishment, so small yet so vital to life.

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

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

Life flourishes with living water

.

I believe because...

It was you who set the boundary of the earth; you made both summer and winter. Psalm 74:17
Sometimes its just the little things that speak to us of God. A bulging raindrop on the end of a gum leaf , just hanging there. A tight flower bud, waiting expectantly to burst into a bouquet of beauty. A small brown wren with a touch of blue coming in his tail, a sign of his impending rich blue to come. A butterfly beautifully crafted, a fragile creation of incredible beauty. Phillip Brooks wrote:  ' All the world is an utterance of the Almighty. Its countless beauties, its exquisite adaptations all speak to you of Him.  I like gospel music and  one song (sung by Elvis) goes like this: 'When I hear a new born baby cry or touch a leaf, or see the sky, then I know why I believe,'  There is always the sacred
presence before us. We just need to take the time to see it.presence before us.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

South Australian flowering  Eucalyptus.

Teach us Lord

Glorify the Lord with me;let us exalt his name together. Ps 34:3
Sometimes a simple statement is all that is needed. Let it speak for itself. These words from a song by Chris Rice says it all:
'Lord, teach us to count our days.
              Teach us to make our days count.
Go well into this new day with grace and peace and make a difference.
Blessings

Let us be the light in the world.

Anne, servant of he Lord

Come to the waters

I thirst  for you,my whole being longs for you. Psalm 63:1a
I was reading about the Northern Reindeer and how once a year  whole herds  of them do a frantic dash 100's of miles from their grazing on the flat grassy planes to the Polar Sea that they have caught the sent of. As they gathered pace on their journey some of them were lost on the way and some gave up. There was no stopping for food , there was just one aim, a desperate aim, to have a once in a life time drink from the sharp,salty water ahead of them. And amazingly, once they had their fill of the sea water they were found to be grazing quietly, contently, on the sea shore.  I couldn't help thinking and connecting this story with our great need to go to the source of living water, Jesus Christ. There are many times that we get a 'sniff, a scent'  of his living water, weather its to seek solace and peace or a frantic race for a long drink. I love the words of this hymn:I heard the voice of Jesus say, 'Behold, I freely give, the living water, thirsty one, stoop down, and drink, and live. I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life giving stream:my thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in him.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,
Anne, servant of the Lord

The vital spring  that supplies Israel with its water.

Keep within me a stillness

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever. Ps 52:8
I love forests. I use to love riding my horse through the pine forest as a child. I loved exploring Sherwood Forest in Nottingham and I love to just sit in the stillness and quiet of a forest, smack bang in the middle of nature and oneness with God and God's creation. We all know the saying, ' I cant see the forest for the trees'  Sometimes life throws up a barrier of stress or overwhelming life circumstances,hectic work scheduled or far too fast a pace of life making it so easy to lose that sense of oneness with God in the mix of his creation, making it hard to see God through the density of life issues. There is a lovely prayer  from the Hebridean Altars which says: Keep within me a stillness, deeper and sweeter than a forest's in mid winter.

glorious endings

Better  is the end of things than the beginning. Eccl 7:80
You need to stop and reflect on this verse to see how true it is.. A rose starts from a bud and grows to an open flower filled with perfume, incense that brings joy to the heart. A sunrise, rich in colour fades to a glorious day that holds potential for multiple blessings. A delicious meal, wonderful to smell as it cooks, to wait in anticipation, but the memory lies in the enjoyment of the finished product. A new found faith, rich with potential, grows and blossoms into service for the Lord.
Better the end of things than the beginning.
Gods  intention is to strengthen and bless us day by day. May you be richly strengthen and blessed through all your endings,
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

author and creator

Come and see what the God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals. Psalm 66:5
 I could hear the rain drops, big ones, dripping on the carpet of withered leaves and the air was full of leaves fluttering down from the half naked tree in the gentle breeze. It was playful to stand on the leaves, kick them with my feet and have them fall like confetti on my head and shoulders: all yellow and brown, yet they held a special brightness and a label in my mind said: 'Made by God.' How good it feels when we look past nature and see the creator, the author. Eugene Peterson in the message says. Take a good look at God's wonders - they will take your breath away.
Peace be to us all and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Like jewels on a necklace

What ever our song...............

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all of God's people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus . Ephesians 3: 17-19
I remember well standing in the hot sand on a  dry river bed outside Alice Springs and looking at the Gum Trees showing their roots above ground but well plunged deep into the sand, anchoring the trees in position, strengthening them for when the storms and floods come after the long awaited rains The roots were the life saving anchor for the trees. Holding them firmly in place.  I cant look at such an image and not thing about ourselves. What is our anchor in life? How deep do we go down to be rooted in Christ who is our strength in stormy times and in dry times. When I  reflect on these  bare rooted trees  I just want to sing, 'O the deep deep love of Jesus! Vast, unmeasured , boundless and free.' Or perhaps another hum wells up in you ' Will my anchor hold in the storms of life.'  Whatever our song, rooted in Christ we know our anchor will hold.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Just look at any given day

The Lord our God will bless you in everything you do. Deut 15:18
That is so true. Loyalty, faithfulness, devotion,  following and service are all the ways we love and serve our Lord and he responds with countless blessings. Look at your life and I suspect the blessings are more than you can count. Just look at any given day that you start and end with God and blessings cover it. Blessings of peace in turmoil. Blessings of answered prayers.  Blessings of knowing you have done God's will and those special blessings when you truly know it is from God, those ones that make you feel warm inside. Yesterday  when I came home from church and walked to my garden I heard the song of the blue wrens. The first time I had seen them where I live now. I thought I had left them all behind at my previous home where they were in abundance but no, God knows what we need and when we need it and if we are attuned we wont miss the miracle of miracles and that is the rich blessings. Such blessings that are' God alive.' Dose'nt it make you want to sing.......'Count your blessings name them one by one. Count your blessings see what God has done.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Count your blessings, name them one by one.

Love thou through me.

(God's revelations) They are more desirable than gold, yes than gold; sweeter also than honey, and the drippings from the honeycomb. Ps 19:10
What a magnificent God we have who can create a world for us. A world of heavens, of days,of sun and moon and shelter and wrap it all in his love. How many times do we stop and pause to thank him for the love he showers on us. We tell people we love them and sometimes its a bit like a cast away line like have a  'good day' we also cast away the line 'love you' But how much do we tell God of our pure love for him? Do we tell him we love him?   In the great love God has for us, so we love back with this greatness and share it with others. (L.B.Cowman writes) O blessed love of God, that all may taste and see. How good thou art, once more I pray. Love thou through me, even me.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

you made yourself known to me.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Ps 23
This psalm is so familiar to us that we can say it with our eyes closed. Even many a  non church going person will know it. But I wonder do we all really know the shepherd. Do we really know the one that  guides us along the path of life, protects us and journeys with us through many a rocky place in life, many a brier bush, many a green pasture. Do we really know this shepherd? Bernard of Clairvaex  a 12th century writer said :  'How did I know God was in me? I couldn't miss it! my heart was softened and my soul roused from its slumber. He went to work in me. He cleared and cultivated the soil of my soul. He planted and watered and brought light to dark places. He opened what was closed and warmed what was cold. I have seen a fraction of his glory and it was awesome.'
If we read these words of Bernard and be stirred within then we can truly say we know the shepherd.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

The Lord's my Shepherd.

A small space

Let all the world, in every corner sing: My God and King. TIS 105
The early morning autumn mist hovered over the grass with a mystical beauty and trees stood like soldiers in a line seeming to have no base in the fog, just towering upwards from the mist:
still, quiet, peaceful, slowly moving in a gentle breeze which seemed to ripple down across the grass and up into my face, refreshing like the Spirit of God.
Calvin Miller said: Lord, I care not about positions 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.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

The Moses staff

My soul thirsts for the living God. Where can I go to meet you. Psalm 42
Every time I go out early in the morning I always come home with many blessings. It might be the blessing of a tiny wild flower tucked away in a clump of overgrown weeds. It might be the vivid colour of  an autumn tree, its colours, its beauty, lingering with me. It might be the beautiful song of a bird, sitting high on the power pole. Yesterday I was leaning on my walking staff watching two playful puppies romping with each other when a man came by in a wheel chair. He stopped and said: 'I had a walking staff like that one. I called it my Moses staff.' Therein followed a conversation about Moses and his rod, his staff, and God.' I don't know what he was thinking as he went on his way but I went home yet again with a blessing. A blessing of having encountered a fellow Christian also out and about to meet with God. 
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Morning Blessing

This is love.

What are you doing down on your face? (Joshua 7:10)
Autumn can take our breath away with trees of multiple coloured leave, or just a single tree wrapped in yellow glory. And then there is the cluster of trees  with various shades of red among the changing greens, their base a carpet of  the fallen and again the child in me wants to walk through them, kicking them around in delight. And I think yet again of the creator of all this beauty. A God who showers us with such blessings. A God who goes 'all out' to please us with his creation in so many ways and I wonder why does he care for us so much. After all we are only a speck in a vast universe of his creation. He flung stars, the planets, the galaxies, and the sun and moon into their position yet he took it on himself to create our planet of infinite beauty and delight just for us. Just for you, and just for me.  His creation is his gift to us. To me this is  the unmeasured, overwhelming love  of God
and its enough to put me down on my face.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

God's gift .Just for you and just for me.

love shows the way.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34
The last week in its mixed emotions of Holy week, with all its drama and reflections, the one word that stands out is love. Jesus gives us a mandate to love others as he has shown love to us. I recall a conversation from one of the volunteers in our community program who assists a client with a degree of disability requiring help sorting out her home. She said. ' I had taken a client out for coffee and while we were chatting she told me how the support we are giving her has changed her life
She now feels she has hope.This client even looks like she is standing taller. Lucado said: A little rain can straighten a flower stem. A little love can change a life.
Go in peace and tell the world Christ is risen!
Anne, servant of the Lord

comfort, comfort all my people

Remembrance of that grim Friday

'Whom do you seek?'  'Jesus of Nazareth.' ' I am he.' ( John 18)
Good Friday and we are in the depth of Easter. For some its been a 'full on' Easter journey of services, remembering and engaging in foot washing and the Last Supper of the Pascal Mass and reaffirmation of vows and today brought the remembrance of that grim Friday when Christ was crucified in what must have been the most horrible of deaths possible. I think this death is the greatest example of 'tough love!' May we, in the quiet  of this day catch a glimpse of this suffering, this sacrifice, that enables us to live. May we do this 'living' well.  A living that leads to eternal living. A prayer in my morning prayers that draws me  to our way of living. " Lord teach me to pray: Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people and kindle in them the fire of  your love. '
May the death and resurrection  of Christ continue to live through us in word and action.
Have a Holy and blessed Easter
Anne, servant of the Lord

Stain glass window. Grafton Cathedral

The cross of love

All glory praise and honour, to you redeemer king. TIS 333
Each time I open my prayer book at the front page I see an old faded, graying palm cross, I gaze at it and reflect and remember a journey.
 Christ's journey.
 My journey.
I remember as a child making palm crosses. A wonderful activity of gathering palm branches and sitting around a table in the parish hall with a group of ladies from church. There was lots of chatter and laughter as it was the day before Palm Sunday. I remember it as one of the many treasured steps of my faith journey. As I look at this palm cross I think of the crosses of life. The crosses I have had to bare. The cross that enables me to bear them. The cross that saved me. The cross of love.
Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim, till all the world proclaims his sacred name. (TIS 351)
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

The mark of God

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. Psalm 19:7)
We cant miss the mark of God on his   handiwork. The beauty he created. The orderliness he  formed and the massive grandeur of the night skies. The stillness of the stars, the  silence in the sunrise. If we want to see his glory then just look about you. its all a love letter from God, his priceless gift to us.  Socrates said: 'Speak that I might see.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

The mark of God in creation

My Saviours love

This love that surpasses knowledge. Ephesians 3:19
The world is full of God's love but we really only see the surface of it. Take the ocean for example. We look at the wide expanse of water and think we see the ocean but there is so much more to it. There are the hidden bays around the corner of the shore line. There is water going on and on beyond the horizon we cant see from the beach that lap the shores of other countries . There is a depth to it that is full of the mysteries of sea life that we can not see from where we stand. God's love is as immeasurable as the ocean. We catch sight of it in our lives, in the creation, in the times we feel God's love around and near us  but we have never seen it all. We have never seen what depth it holds.
(L.B.Cowman)  We can only see a little of the ocean, just a few miles distant from the rocky shore, but out there - far beyond our eye's horizon. there's more - immeasurably more. We can only see a little of God's loving - a few rich treasures from his mighty store: but out there - far beyond our eyes horizon there is more - immeasurably more. If you are like me you will at this moment be humming - Wide, wide as the ocean,high as the heavens above, deep, deep as the deepest sea is my Saviour's love.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

A glimpse of God's love

Going about your business

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. Psalm 8:1
Do you recall a moment that filled your mind with awe and wonder?  Its one of those moments when God reveals himself . There you are going about your business and suddenly there is God....in the beauty of the wild flower by the walking track. In the beauty of the one bright red autumn leaf on a tree of fading green. A friend was telling me about the moment she saw the most beautiful butterfly in a most unexpected place. A butterfly with colours like she had never seen before and it filled her with awe and wonder that has stayed with her even to this day.  These moments are moments of precious discovery, discovering  deeper, our God, and they stir our spirit. Howitt wrote:
When forth I go upon my way a thousand  joys are mine, the cluster of dark violets, the wreaths of the wild vine.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,
Anne, servant of the Lord

wildflowers by the wayside.

God's embrace

Yes I have loved you with an everlasting love, and it is in this love that I embrace you. Jeremiah 31:3
If I could paint a picture of the morning it would go like this: The soft light of dawn filtered through the leaves of the ghost gum, sending shades of gray and light through the window of my  room  as the wind played  with its leaves.  A Currawong, a true sign of autumn, called from among its branch breaking into the silence and as the dawn parted like a curtain to let in the light of day I hear God's call to 'come walk with me'.  What a precious moment it is when we realise that God is with us always, embracing us with his love, even when we wake up in the morning. I often say 'Have you been there with me all night watching over me since we said our good night prayers together?  (I sometimes think that is why I have an empty chair in my room, so he can rest while watching)
God's love, his everlasting love surrounds us always. Embrace it with him.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

God loves us with an everlasting love

All day I thought of God

Morning by morning O Lord you hear my voice. Psalm 5:3
My grandson, in his first year at 'big school' was telling me that every morning they say prayers and on Friday morning they go to the big church and he said it was there he saw 'God on the piece of wood!!' ( Oh to be 6 again)  He said: 'I couldn't stop thinking about God all day.' Isn't that so true. If we meet God in the morning he is with us all through the day. Gariepy says: As the grass and flowers of the morning are refreshed by the dew that comes before dawn, quietly from  above, so the soul that waits upon God on the first hours of the day is refreshed and nourished by the heavenly dew of God's grace. Besides the wisdom of a 6 year old who says he saw God in the morning and he thought of him during the day,  it is Jesus great example of morning prayer we model: 'Very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went off to a solitary place where he prayed.' (Mark 1: 35) That morning dew of prayer is what sustains our day and keeps us 'God focused.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

God on a piece of wood!

Creative hours with God.

He was going there on foot. Acts 20:13
There are times in our day when we just want to journey with no one other than God. It might be a quiet spot in the garden,a comfortable chair by a window, or  on the bed.  My morning walking is one such time. Its a time of just 'me and he' alone, chatting, pondering, listening. Its a time that I feel God very near and the conversations are real. I ask him about the beauty of his creation, about helping Mrs Smith to get back on her feet and to comfort the lonely and isolated. Its a time to ask about the plans he has for me and how best I can serve him.  Moses was alone when God showed him the burning bush and his commission. Joshua was alone as he walked around the walls of Jerico  and  the Lord of hosts stood before him. Mary was alone when she encountered the angel who came with Good News.
I was alone when the Rosella in its suit of blue and red came so close I could have touched it and the Glory of the Lord was in it as one soft, quiet, blessing. So special, so revealing are the times alone with just 'me and he'. Journey with no one at some stage of the day and God will join you.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Morning walking . Central Australia

Talk to the shepherd

The Lord's my shepherd I'll not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside still waters. Psalm 23: 2
I love nothing better than seeing a mob of sheep in a paddock. It says something to me about God. They draw me to biblical verses such as in Psalm 23 and John 10. Loved and memorised passages of scripture that have been a part of my life. Recently I saw a mob of sheep all in a line  and I was compelled to stop the car, get out and just watch them.  The sheep didn't seem to have a care in the word. Is that because they are cared for, have food, have water, have a 'shepherd' a farmer, who takes care of all their needs? Jesus, our shepherd provides for us in this way and I always remember a line from a Max Lucado book which simply said: ' If you cant sleep - don't count sheep - talk to the shepherd.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Mob of sheep along  Cooma Road

Where are you.

God, creator of the ends of the earth. Isa 40:28
So many times we find ourselves in places of wonder. Wonder at the beauty, wonder at the creation, wonder at its beginnings. I recall one such place when I sat between the two huge 'centennial 'like cliff faces in Simpson's Gap in Central Australia that flanked the life saving water hole. I came to that place. I paused. I wondered as I gazed at the scene before me set in the arid red sand of the desert and I asked God.' Where are you?' and a voice from within the rocks said. 'I am here - within every grain of ancient sand. I am here-in this pond of living water. I am here - in the tree roots clinging to the rocks. I am here - even in the 2 meter span of the cobweb that swings gently in the breeze, its ends attached to the rocks by the silk like threads'. Friedrick Beauchner said: When God created something where before there had been nothing as the author of the book of Job puts it: 'The morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. Its the sheer and shimmering novelty of things,' (38:7)

At Simpson's Gap

The most beautiful sweet song

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.  1 Chr 16-:25
I could not resist the childlike play when I was out walking, stomping on the fallen acorns and hearing their caps crunch under foot., marveling at such a small capsule that can grow into such a big tree. I marvel at this like I do with many things, especially the sight of a flowering plant growing out of a crack in the pavement, or on a rock face. Or a tiny bird, safe in the thicket, singing the most beautiful, sweetest song. And  God comes near . Mary Oliver says:  When I was thinking these things a wren in the privet began to sing and I thought, what could this be if it isn't a prayer.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

an inheritance of joy.

The good person out of the treasure of their heart produces good. Luke 6:45
Somethings just stay with us all our life. Special things that are given to us  by family or friend and they are real treasures. In many ways they can shape our lives because they travel within us like a treasure in a clay pot. One such special treasure is the verse that my father wrote in my bible which was  a gift at my confirmation in 1957. It is from Psalm 119 V 105. 'Thy word is a lantern unto my feet; and a light unto my paths.'  While buried in my heart it has carried me through life.  John B Gough, a Temperance lecturer was given a text by his godly mother, which indeed became like buried treasure, for it lay hidden in his heart for many years.Treasure those godly people who have set your path in the right way.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

rooted in living water

Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil,yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant. Job 14:8-9
I looked at the tree stump in the ground of the dried up river bed . Broken and burnt from the traumas of its life yet from its base was coming this green, vibrant and healthy new growth.  Though unseen from its arid bed, it must have had its roots deep down in water.   Day after day we go out into a new day often with the same rhythm, the same movements, doing the same things yet we still carry a skip in our step because we know that deep down within us we are fed by the everlasting streams of God. Its a valuable mantra to say in daily life........'keep your roots deep in the living waters.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Todd River Alice Springs

stopped in our tracks

For your steadfast love is before my eyes. Psalm 26:3
Numerous times in a day we have God encounters be they through people or creation. Sometimes they just stop us in our tracks  and we feel we are on sacred ground. Other times its in hindsight that we felt God had just been walking with us. God encounters. God moments. How precious. I was coming home from my walk and stopped to chat to a lady. She was taken by my 'Genna' dog. She patted her and talked to her and said.' Look at that lovely colouring, the waves in her hair, and her ears, those lovely curls all over them. What a beautiful creature......only God could create something like this.' I was in the moment of her admiring my dog, like a mother with a child and not expecting God to come into the conversation from a near stranger and there he was, right in the conversation, present.  Such encounters just lift our spirits up a notch and draw us into awareness.
Sr Stan says: 'God, teach me what is sacred within my day as I tread on holy ground.' 
 Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne,servant of the Lord.

Genna has a ministry of her own.

Suffer the little children.

This little light of mine I'm going to make it shine, make it shine, make it shine. (Children's chorus)
I just love the innocence of children yet they hold a wisdom as if they have been here on this earth before. My grandson started school this year and was very excited about that. He is enrolled in a Catholic school, his family wanting religious education , uniforms and all that goes with those principles so there he is, first day at school. I asked him did he have a good day. He was very excited. 'Loved the new friends he can make, loved his teacher, loved every bit of it. Then he said with double the excitement. 'The best bit of all. Do you know what that is?' I  said 'no.' The best bit is they know about Jesus. He is here at this school as well as at your church!!.'  I thank God for that timeless blessing that he is safe in God's care. How precious it is to nurture the children into faith. Life's path will have many valleys and mountains but the strength of the Lord will be their stay.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Baptism day.

glimpses of mystery

May all who seek you rejoice and be glad. Ps 40:16
There are many things in life that give us joy. Often we don't see them because we are either too busy or worrying about the matters of life. But what delight when we do see them. Yesterday a sulfa
crested cockatoo sat on my fence, staring at me through the window and when he flew off he left a long pure white feather on the garden, almost like a calling card, a gift. And I marvel at the long summer grasses that come to the very edge of the walking track. There is nothing much of beauty about them but tucked away amidst is a tiny pink wildflower , doing its bit to bring joy to anyone who sees it. And I heard before I saw, the bright green acorns with their little caps, falling to the ground from the great oak tree. I watched in wonder as they fell, one by one and wondered, if I wasn't there to hear them would they still make a sound when they landed on the ground?
Sr Stan says: Joy comes in little whispers in sudden unexpected glimpses of mystery.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

acorns in their little caps on.

you and God together

Every day I will bless you and praise you. Psalm 145:2
The morning gift was wrapped in the soft pastel hues of pink and orange against a blue sky. It reminded me of the colours of ribbon tied around a present.  I found my first words for the day were good morning, good morning, good morning as I reflected on a prayer  by Stanislaus Kennedy:

Through you I rise
and you through me
into this new day
we are making together.

Blessings on your day.....you and God together.

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

Sunrise on the sea of Galilee

no drum roll

My mouth is filled with your praise. Ps 71:8
Stillness is a powerful thing. Many things are born in stillness. Many things happen in stillness.Stillness is a mystery. For example I placed 3 stems of lilies in a vase, they were just buds on a long stem and then later that day I was taken by surprise at the full blooms they had turned into. Glorious, perfumed filled cluster of colour.  There was no fan fare, no orchestra playing the alleluia chorus, no drum roll, no shouting, just stillness.So often stillness is filled with God.  Sister Kennedy says: A flame burning, a  snowflake falling, bud opening, wheel spinning - the dynamic of stillness.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

In the stillness - a new day is born.

never underestimate God!

Let all who are faithful offer prayer to you. Psalm 32:6
I smiled to myself when I was out for an evening walk and got caught in the rain. I smiled because earlier in the day a friend had said to me as she looked at the weather map, (which showed all the coming rain missing our area.) 'Do something', she said. I made some comment like the prayers of 2 or 3 may be better than one.  As I walked away I said to God. 'Some rain would be lovely, send some our way!' Macrina Wiederkehr said: Rain fell gently on the thirsty ground. Slowly, carefully,steadily it came to an earth parched with waiting. Through those holy raindrops I walked, unafraid - without an umbrella. I knew it was God.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Parched earth...... waiting.

Come sit with me.

All praise to thee, my God this night, for all the blessings of the light. TIS 558
On these hot summer evenings I sit down outside and in the silence, think about God and all the lovely things about me. The beautiful purple rose, perfectly formed from a bud to a full flower over the day and a petal falling softly to the ground. The white cockatoo on the bird feeder, silently feeding and joining me in the delights of the evening. As he leaves to join his family  a white feather falls   silently onto the paving at my feet as if to say, 'here is a memory of me.'  And joy of all joys a crested pigeon comes and sits on the chair opposite me and just looks straight into my eyes as if to say I know what you are thinking about. In the silence we look at each other in admiration and wonder and I say to him. 'How is it you keep your feathers so neat, so tidy, so immaculate and as for that top knot on your head, I am sure you have a stash of brylcream in your nest, it sits so beautifully straight on your head! Ah God, what a creator you are, what love you have to share but Oh how it takes us moments of stillness  to see it it.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Not a feather out of place.

The great I AM

He leads me by still waters. Psalm 23
Every morning at 5am I wake to the beautiful melodious chorus of the birds and they seemed to be singing in harmony with one another. I think God deliberately wakes me at that time so I don't miss this morning blessing  in the stillness of the breaking day. The chorus is soft, melodious, beautiful and full of peace. Its a prayer just lying in the bed and listening and I am  every so thankful to God for this mode of prayer.   Joan Chittister would say: Prayer is not a magical act; it is a relationship that calls the spiritual dimensions in us to life, that attunes us to the universe, that hears the sound of the great I AM everywhere.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

A sound of the great I AM

Not just any gate

I am the gate. John 10:7
There is something about a gate. Is it its invitation to go through and see whats on the other side? Is it a sense of mystery about what is on the other side, the unknown, the unseen? Or is it because in the back of my mind I hear the words of Jesus, 'I am the gate and who ever enters by me will be saved.'' Perhaps that's why I feel many a gate has a sense of invitation about it.
I like these words (author unknown) At the side of the road is a garden gate, which is always open, early and late....just over the hill and up along. And inside the gate is a place of rest where the host will give you His very best...just over the hill and up along.
Grace and Peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne,servant of the Lord

The Gate.....Come!

Everyday Genesis

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth........and all that is in them. Genesis 1 (paraphrased)
I marvel almost daily without ceasing at the beauty and 'magic' of God's creation of this earth.
 Sunshine and snow
 rainbows
 sunsets and sun rises
 delicate little wrens and BIG red kangaroos
spring blossoms and autumn leaves
                  and my darling little dog
                                        all is an everyday genesis.
Creator God may we appreciate and be blessed daily by your creations. May we see your face in all we see.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne,servant of the Lord.

Crested pigeons enjoying a shower under the hose on a very hot day

Lead me O thou great Jehovah

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year.; 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown' and he replied.' Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be better than light and safer than a known way.' (King George V1 Broadcast 1939)
Here we are well into the start of the New Year and I wonder where it will take us. I wonder what our thoughts, feelings and apprehensions might be as we venture 'into the unknown' There is one thing I know for sure and that is whatever is before us  all will be well if we hold the hand of God. I woke up today with this hymn in my heart.
Guide me O thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land; I am weak but thou art mighty. Hold me with thy powerful hand. (Hymn)
Many blessings for 2018 as we go 'into the unknown.'  May we all be 'lit' with an inner sureness of the path we tread.
Grace and Peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

path into the unknown

Come tarry with me.

And he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, non other has ever known.( Christian song)
I  often  hear this song  when I have Elvis singing  gospel music  on the CD in the car but it rings quieter in my heart when I am out walking. The perfume of the dew laden grass, and the absolute delight of hearing the small voice of a blue wren tucked away amidst the dense growth of a bush and the melodious solo  of the black bird. Sounds and sights of summer often broken in this Christmas season by the perpetual harassing cry of the baby Galahs pestering their mothers for more food, and more food. I thank God for such sights and sounds.  I cherish this time of the day walking  with God,talking to God, every morning. What joy and what a privilege to be able to share it..  This Christmas I find I am thanking God more and more for Jesus. May your Christmas be one of joy as you 'tarry' with Jesus and may you be the light that shines for many, leading others to Emmanuel......the God who is with us......always.
God's peace and blessings for this precious season.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

sounds of  an Australian Christmas

The greatest gift

God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Christmas is just around the corner and gift choosing is on our agenda as we shop with wish lists in our hand and I think, if I could give a gift to the world it would be that everyone knew the depth and meaning of this passage of scripture. Those precious words. That great love from God. That life changing  'living' that comes from a 'Christ filled life.'  Events in the world over the year have caused us shock, shame and horror. Sometimes we think can it get any worse, can it get even more evil from the  actions of those who 'live in the dark without the knowledge of Christ.'   Its a blessing to be able to stand in the cool freshness of the new day and feel the presence of God in the stillness. In all things he is with us even though at times it may not seem so. We cant change what is but we can make a difference. May each day be something we value and treasure. May we show love to all, Christ's love and may it be know to others by our words and actions.
Come Lord Jesus.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Peaceful morning walk

What a creator. What an artist

God created all kinds of birds. He blessed them all and told the birds to increase in number. Gen 1:21-22.
I woke up to the beautiful warbling of two magpies under the tree near my window. They were singing to their hearts content, wings spread as they were washing their black and white suits in the gently falling rain. Fussing about a short space away was the pair of pee-wee showing their two new offspring how to dance and sing in the rain. It was all such a picture of delight and enjoyment. And then, joyously , in the distance a kookaburra laughed, and he laughed and he laughed. And I laughed at the sight of the sulpha crested cockatoo swinging precariously on a branch that looked like it wouldn't hold his weight but he was full of fun as he bounced up and down causing the yellow rump finches to scatter in a flurry of yellow hues. What a mighty God we have. A God who created. A God who gave us and all creatures great and small his individual stamp of ownership. A God who loves all his creatures. As Christmas draws near we can reflect on what God has given us in the wonderful gifts of his creation and above all the wonderful gift of his Son, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

What an artist. What a creator. What a God.

Advent

Its that time of the year when all the invitations come to us from family and friends.
Invitations to the pre Christmas parties
Invitations to school and university graduations
Invitations to end of year parties and celebrations
Invitation to holiday with family
Invitation to Christmas dinner.

But you know the best invitation comes from Jesus
'Come to me' he says in Mathew 11:28
'Come to me.'
 Now THAT is the best invitation we can ever get.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Come walk with me.

Seek O seek the Lord

Seek, O seek the Lord, while he is near. (TIS 464)
I love this quote from Mary Oliver: 'Hello, sun in my face.Hello, you who made the morning and spread it over the fields and into the face of the tulips'. It sort of beats just saying 'Good morning Lord.'  Oh, and did you see him smile at you today? I did, and it was for me in the glorious shape of the flower I call 'Grandma's bonnet.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne,servant of the Lord

Jogged awake.

Where were you while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy. Job 38:4-5

I like this saying by Annie Dillard. She says: 'If I am lucky I might be jogged awake by a bird call. This morning it was the wood duck.'  I  often wake up to the sounds of the early morning before I look the day in the face and today, in the distance was the melodious call of the blackbird, a solo artist singing its song to God from the top of the power line, the highest point it could find to sing its melody to everything with in ear shot.  How are we going to approach our day? with a song in our step that  sings to everyone within ear shot? A song that says I have joy, the joy of the Lord?

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne, servant of the Lord.

perhaps this one jogged you awake?

Those pockets of fear

And the peace of God which transcends all our powers of thought, will be a garrison to guard your hearts and minds in Christ. Phil. 4:7 (Waymouth)
There is something 'deep' about the wording of some texts that is so meaningful...the peace of God which transcends all our powers of thought.....Have you been in that place where the storms in your life are raging yet by the power of God there is an inner peace, a calm below it all?  A lady was telling me about the shock she had after visiting the doctor who told her she needed open heart surgery. 'Initially,' she said 'my mind was full of all sorts of thoughts and I felt like I was in utter turmoil. I had no where to take my thoughts and fears but to God and then, wave after wave of his deep peace filled all those pockets of fear in me.I felt a peace I had never felt before.' Sometimes the storms of our lives rage like a storm across the ocean but you know, under the  surging waves of a stormy ocean, there is calm at its depths.  I read these words on a street notice board: Storms draw something out of us that calm seas don't. (B.Hybels)
May you ride each wave of  life's storms in the deep, deep peace of Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

below the turmoil lies  a deep calm.