story tellers

I love to tell the story, t'will be my theme in glory to tell the old old story, or Jesus and his love.
(Arabella Ketherine Hankey (1834-1911)
The air is fresh,the morning is quiet and the new day dawned. Each new day opens itself up to so many possibilities. Every day is a fresh new start. Every day is a fresh new opportunity. Every day is a fresh new witness. Just think of the people who will cross your path today. Those you plan to meet with, those whose meeting will be unexpected. Multiply that  by 7 days, by 4 weeks by twelve months, by 365 days, by a life time of telling the story and you thought you were one small person in a big world.
There is an African  proverb which says: If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito!
Go into the world proclaiming Christ by your very being there and tell the old, old story.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

traveling with us

I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where will my help come? my help comes comes from the Lord. Psalm 121:1
This is one of the .'grounding ' verses in the psalms that stay with you in life. Every time I look at the hills or mountains, every time I need God close, every time I feel a bit anxious or even just on the way to work, it comes straight to mind. It doesn't matter  if you are on a journey to Israel, or travelling down  the highway or heading for an operating theater, God's comfort and protection is with  you. His help is only a whisper away....'from where will my help come? It comes from the Lord'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Our protector God, ever present.

Ah, the glory

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed. Isaiah 40:5
I stopped on my walk to smell the flowers before I had even passed my garden.
  The striking deep red, and pinks and spotted white azaleas  bursting from bulging buds.
 The blackbird running around the garden path, busy in pursuit of dry grass and debris to build a nest. The tiny delicate blue forget-me-nots
and the dainty freesia packing a powerful hit of perfume that floats on the breeze.
 Ah, the glory of the Lord is revealing itself all over the place.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ,
Anne, servant of the Lord

The dainty freesias.

A-bend to God

Breathe on me breath of God, and all my life refine, until this earthly part of me glows with your fire divine (TIS 407)
I often think of the prayer warriors in the community. I know of several  that live around my place and others that I call on to pray for me and the very vulnerable people I care for in the community. I know they, and their prayers are what underpins my daily ministry and gives new life to many. I read that 'neither my preaching,nor my praying brought  others to God.  It was the good woman 60 miles away whose prayers brought the breath-touch of God upon struggling souls in our community.'  Being a prayer warrior is a life changing ministry. Don't underestimate its worth and its power. God has chosen you to be a blessing to many.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

A prayer warriors tool

life of blessings

From the fullness of his grace, we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16
A blessing that cant be surpassed is our knowledge and love of God in our lives. Life comes to life in that knowledge as we walk daily with him. From the toughest of days, just to know he is there with us, is a blessing. Watching a tight bud on a rose bush opening into a fragrance of beauty, colour and delight, a mystery, a wonder, a miracle, a blessing.  If there is something tough on your plate today, something you are anxious about, something you need God's blessing for, then smell a rose, or look in wonder at the dense blossom on the prunus tree, or into the bright face of a golden yellow daffodil and know that God's is every present, ever with you and be blessed.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

A blessing in life

  

To the mountain

Many people shall come and say. 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob: that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. Isaiah 2:3
For me one of the most meaningful words in our Christian lives is 'retreat'. I have been fortunate enough to have had two retreats in a matter of weeks and  both were at beautiful Galong.
To go on retreat is not just about retreating from our busy lives but it is also about regathering strength, especially spiritual strength and to regather rest and deepen our relationship with God.  To stop and take  a step back and be still and hear what God wants us to advance with. And in all of that  the beauty of retreating is - --- suddenly  there are flowers to smell and birds to see and the stillness of God's voice to hear.  If you haven't  retreated from your day to day life for awhile then step aside with God and be renewed, refreshed.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

And I heard the little bird sing

The richness of God

The blessings of the Lord makes a person rich. Proverbs 10:22
You know, its that time of the year when the Daphne is out and there is no way I can walk past it and not stop to have a smell of those beautiful richly perfumed blossoms. Its like meeting with God every time I take in the aroma and everything else seems to fall into oblivion. What a sacred moment. Its one we want to visit again and again just to be in his presence. What makes you rich in life? Where do you meet God and have that sense of space where there is just you and him? Seek it out and pause often.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Packs a punch of perfume.

 

Rejoice

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so might the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with  love for  you now and forever. (daily office)
As I was praying this  I looked up from my place of prayer and saw the gifts already being given and the presence of God was so visible in the breaking of the day. A glorious  naked tree standing proud with buds of new life ready to burst open, jonquils and  daffodils at its base, bright gifts of joy interspersed with violets, their perfume filling the air. Wet grass from a heavy dew and the deep,sweet melody of the warbling magpie all made this prayer  come to life.
As Steiner Rice says: Who but God can make the day!
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Beautiful Galong at day break

This day, right now

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it. Psalm 118:24
There are days when the last thing we want to do is rejoice. Sometimes we feel things are out of hand, sometimes we feel flat, or are discouraged.  The writer of this psalm obviously felt like that  on some days and he too was a person of God, a person of faith. However , as the psalmist talked to God in prayer, his psalm always ended in praise.
Be honest with God. If you don't feel like rejoicing, say so and it can almost be guaranteed that you will end up with praise on your lips before the day is ended. God has given us this day to live and to serve him. Be glad in it.

   A new day.  New needs. New mercies.
  One faithful, loving caring God in the midst of it all.(Lessin)

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

New day. New needs

 

Full of presence

Blessed be his glorious name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with glory. Amen,Amen.  
Psalm  72:19 
I stepped outside before turning in for the night and from the wet ground following a rain shower there was a mist rising, embracing the night and filtering through the trees. It was like a veil of silk and the night was so peaceful and full of 'presence'    My thoughts went to this psalm I had been reading and these lines from it stayed with me:
Let the mountains be laden with peace (because of his righteousness)
May he come down like rain upon the new-mown fields: and as showers that water the earth.

God walks the earth: he goes before us in all things,
He is in all things, holding all things together
Including you and me.

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

A veil of silk like mist rising

Rock of safety

My God and the rock of salvation. Psalm 89:26
Massive rocks line the beach beyond the sand as a barrier to potential danger. They are rocks that protect the community of houses beyond them from the force of storm erosion and rising swells. But when I look at these rocks I see more than that. I see solid rock that can't be moved.Solid rock that is protective. Rock that is unbreakable but even more than that I see God. The God David  relates to in his psalms when he says 'The Lord is my rock, my rock of safety.' and I want to burst into song with Rock of Ages Cleft for Me followed by ' On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all else is sinking sand.' And then I add my own words of  'Fastened to the rock of ages, I shall not be moved.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Rock of safety.

Messages of blessings

In you I trust, O my God. Psalm 25:2
I love it when I have a day at home. Whatever I do with it I encounter many blessings. Blessings of rest,of friends, of quiet walking and lazy reading. Its a time of 'catching up' with myself. It allows space to reflect and to garden. I stopped in a moment of awareness as I was gardening. It was striking....the deep,deep green of the moss growing through the cracks in the brick paving and as I turned over  the leafy mulch on the garden bed it exposed clustered tips of the new growth of spring bulbs, revealing their intention to burst out of the darkness into the daylight, into their full glory. And the buds on the Japonica bush are threatening to do likewise. The gifts from God. The hand of God, in the seasons of life. In the seasons of our life. Full of messages of blessings, reassurance and hope.
 Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord 

Some just cant wait to blossom

Climb into the lap of God

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
This line from psalm  46 is well worth visiting time and time again. How often do we get caught in the business of life and self and forget what it is like to be in a place with just God.
I recall the silent retreat I was on recently at beautiful Galong where again I was struck by the 'deafening silence' amidst a group of people  who had come for the same reason, in fact almost ran to Galong from a busy life for the same reason, to be still and know God. When I reflect back on the retreat I realise how 'filled' the days were yet  I did very little except seek God in the stillness and the beauty of the place and in the peace of meditation. Its a feeling like  I had climbed into God's lap, snuggled in and stayed secure and warm in deep peace. I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything else except for the interludes of praise and worship. It reminded me of those winter days when you curl up in front of the fire, warm and snug with a good book. Retreats equip us for who we are  and what we are called to be in Christ. Without it we walk alone, running close on empty. Quiet, solitude, meditation, God and self.......what a mixture of ingredients...a recipe we all need to taste.
May today bring you some times of quiet and solitude.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

The peace of Galong.

Always there.

He who keeps you will not slumber. Psalm 121:3
'Where does God go when I go to sleep? ' a small child asked me. 'Does he go home to sleep? Can I invite him for a sleep over if I need him?' Sometimes we might feel that God is only with us when we are awake  but I assured this child that God is with us always.When we are awake and when we are asleep. I assured him that God is only a whisper away.
Timothy Dudley-Smith wrote: 'I lift up my eyes to the quiet hills with a prayer as I turn to sleep: by day, by night, through the dark and light, my shepherd will guard his sheep.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

By day and by night, always there

Come away

He went up on the mountain to pray. Matthew 6:46
Even when sitting in my room on the retreat at Galong I could see through the window the things of God. Everywhere on the lawn were the little blue wrens, scatty and busy. The sun rise just clipping the frame of the window enough to show the light breaking through the night darkness. Everything is still. Everything is quiet until a distant kookaburra laughs, and laughs.  It all puts a smile on my face as I acknowledge the presence of God. How blessed we are when  we step aside,take a break,  and recharge in a place where we see God more clearly and feel him so near away from the noises of daily life. If you haven't had the chance to experience the presence of God lately then set a goal to do it somewhere quiet, somewhere peaceful.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

The welcoming driveway  to Galong

Gather in the new day

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
How often do we get up of a morning and see nothing before us  but the worries and issues of yesterday. We miss the glorious  day with the  sun shinning and the crispness of the frost on the ground. We miss the gift that it is , ready and waiting to be opened and lived. Indeed the unfinished  business from yesterday may well be with us  but what a shame to  allow  that to block out the sun (Son)on a new day.
Mary Jean  Iron says: Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, savor you. Let me not pass by you in quest of something rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may for it will not always be so.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Sunrise over Alice Springs.

Holy is the Lord

Holy,  Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts: the earth is full of his glory. Isaiah 6:2-5
I often reflect on the Holiness of God and in one of his books Max Lucado says that 'God's Holiness silences human boasting.' When I think of the holiness of God I get a sense deep within of a stirring of the Spirit, not in a charismatic way but in a way that curls me up inside like I am wrapped in a blanket of God's love and held in his arms. I guess in some ways we call it humility. Lucado says that the one occasion that the Seraphim occurred in scripture  they endlessly sang   'Holy, Holy, Holy  is the Lord God Almighty.  In  Hebrew scripture repetition acts like a highlighter, a tool to emphasis.
God is not Holy....... He is not Holy, Holy......... He is Holy, Holy,Holy.
May we all find and cherish the Holiness of God.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Holy, Holy, Holy

The wonder of God

He heard things which he couldn't put into words. 2 Cor.12:4
I passed a garden when I was out walking that was very drought effected and in the middle of a drooping bottlebrush shrub were the most magnificent  flowers,  soft orange in colour and in the brown bush  and on a twig sat a lovely Jenny Wren and just momentarily it sang its song.This verse from Corinthians draws my thoughts into  what it is  that we hear or saw and cant put into words. Things such as  magnificent scenery in a special place that takes our breath away , a perfect reflection on a pond,  the chorus of  morning birds when all else is asleep,and  time and history etched on the face of  the elderly, or the colour of autumn leaves,or the reaching out of hands to receive the sacrament. All of this causes a small  voice in our hearts to say 'Yes' and senses the presence of God  that cant be described. Matthew Henry said: The ground of our hope is Christ in this world but the evidence of our hope is Christ in the heart.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

a reflection on a pond

A spark or a fire?

(Jesus said)  A person takes a mustard seed, the smallest seed in the world, and plants it in the ground. After awhile it grows up and becomes the biggest of all plants. (Mark 4:11-32)
I wonder how often do we think of ourselves in the big picture of the kingdom? Do we wonder  about the impression we might make? Do we wonder about our gifts and abilities, after all they are God given.Do we see them as small with only a small impact?How sure are you that he can even  use the smallest of your gifts to proclaim the greatness of the Lord? What was it that Paul said to the Corinthians? He said that God chooses what the world considered weak, to shame the strong. Amando Nervo wrote a poem, a portion of which reads: I am only a spark, make me a fire. I am only a string make me a lyre. I am only an ant hill, make me a mountain. I am only a drop, make me a fountain.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

I am only a bud make me a flower

Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill our lives

O let the Son of God enfold you with his Spirit and his love......TIS 655
That is such a lovely hymn and I found myself humming  it this morning when I woke up and it brought to mind a glorious sunrise that I has seen recently. It swept across the sky like colourful streamers across a ballroom ceiling just hanging, waiting for the dance to begin. Ribbons of bright colours of brilliant orange layered with pastel pink and blue.......a breathtaking sunrise.
I heard a man ring into the local radio station saying: 'I just caught a glimpse of the rising sun in my rear vision mirror.'  Two thoughts crossed my mind when I heard his words. May we never see the risen Son in hindsight and may others see the risen Son in us today.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Kingdom building.

At the works of your hands I sing for joy. Ps 92:4
Our attitude and how we see our purpose in life has a lot to do with how we go about our daily life. About how we see things, how we do things especially how we see our attitude with God and our journey as followers of Jesus. I read this profound saying: Two stone cutters were asked what  they were doing. The first said, ' I am cutting this dammed stone into blocks.' The second replied:'I am on a team building a cathedral.(anon)
How do you approach your daily life?
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

St Saviours Cathedral Goulburn

The lantern of your life

Come let us walk in the light of the Lord.Isaiah 2:5
Early this morning I was reflecting on those words.
It seemed the country side has stood still, almost empty, not a sound, even the early birds were still asleep yet I knew that within the hour the light would come and every living creature and plant would start  responding to the new day. Its like that with the light of Christ. We know that it too will move and filter into dark places and will reflect on each of us as 'light bearers'  as those who carry  the light of Christ into places of need be it through action or the word or the breath of our prayers. I have a mission statement for my nursing ministry to some of the most vulnerable in the community who struggle with the daily  issues of just living. It says: please bless the ones who have no hope and show me how to help.
Macina Wiederkehr Says: Bathed in morning light, pray that the lantern  of your life moves gently this day in all those places where light is needed.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Light filters into dark places.

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