A ball of yellow

 God - dressed up in sunlight. Psalm 104 (The Message)

So many mornings I see it from the window when I open the curtain to greet the new day, I see it before any other thing - its faint outline in the fog, a ball of yellow filled with the capacity to give us light and warmth and to me its God, dressed up in sunlight and my morning prayer along with the beautiful, harmonious odal of the magpies, their  heads held high, is a very simple prayer: 'Good morning God, good morning, good morning. A great way, an absolutely great way to start the day.

As you bless me with light at the sun's rising, shine on me now with love.   Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                            Good morning God.

Kissed by his peace.

 God gives richly all things to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17

The real gift in God's beauty is to recognise the creator, the one who made all that is before our eyes in creation. If you stand at a scenic lookout looking  across vast green valleys to distant hills and high purple mountains, and then add a pastel pink and red and blue setting sun in the sky or look into the centre of a tiny, tiny Forget-me-not  you will be so enriched and much blessed if you see in it all the creator and not just the creation and you will be 'kissed' by his peace.

I read these lovely words somewhere recently; 'God sprinkles tiny hints of heaven on earth.' a sunset, the smell of the ocean, strains of music, a beautiful scene, the trill of a tiny bird, the laugh of the kookaburra, the sweet, deep perfume of the Daphne flower - all to give us a hint, a tiny taste of what's to come - mere glances and flashes of heaven.'

May the God of all creation bless us and keep us today and always.  Anne, servant of the Lord.

For-get-me-not

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

 Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done and  his miracles. Psalm 104: 4

I recall sitting out side a house of prayer recently when I was on a retreat. The view was captivating. The green of the rural countryside, rolling hills, seed planted fields and roaming, grazing sheep in paddocks before me emanated peace. Suddenly I could hear a group of people from the prayer room beginning to sing, softly, gently, slowly: 'Turn your eyes upon Jesus', followed by 'Isn't he beautiful.' All in one spirit I joined in, as did others near by and the Spirit of God filled that place. Later I wrote in my journal: God is before me in the morning, dressed in all his wonderful, beautiful creation. Everywhere I look I can see him and I heard a still small voice whisper. 'As you sit looking at me, so am I looking at you. You see me in creation, so I see you in creation,' and there was a deep sense of oneness.

Take time, make time, to pause, stop and enjoy God's handiwork, his fingerprints and loving touches which abound in nature...…..turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full in his wonderful face.

Go well into the day, encounter the soft breeze of the Spirit across your face and walk humbly with Jesus by your side.         Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                                    Peace.

Applause for God

 An invitation to look at Gods wonder.     Altogether now - applause for God. Psalm 66: 1 (The Message.)

Take a good look at God's wonders they will take your breath away. I mean. just look at the tree decorated with the red and green of the King Parrots. Take a good look!  Take a good look at the first Jonquil to be in flower this winter, burst forth from its deep sleep to give us joy and resurrection hope. I mean take a good look.  God made such things, he made all his creation just for you and me.  Praise the Lord.

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

                                                          King Parrots decorations.

Sing to the Lord

 O for a thousand tongues to sing my great redeemers praise. TIS 210

What a way to wake up in the morning - with a hymn on your lips and in your heart. The morning  shrouded in fog was alive with a wonderful chorus that was completely in harmony with the paint brush in God's hand as he painted a loud magnificent dawn of bold red and gold and blue. - The chorus was magnificent.   A mass of Currawongs in harmony with each other, Crimson Rosellas 'pipping' a high and low note and the tiny trill of the darling Blue Wrens all just seemed to pull together a chorus of a thousand tongues singing praise to their great redeemer.  I joined in the chorus with:

                 My gracious Master and my God, assist me to proclaim. To spread throughout all the earth                        abroad, the honour of your name. (Charles Wesley) 

           Take these words into your day because such music in our ears is life and health and peace.

                                                    Anne, servant of the Lord.         

                                                 Tiny trill of the darling Blue Wrens.
   

Bird song

 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Psalm 105:6

Morning by morning I hear the beautiful song of a little bird sitting on a twig in the tree, head held back as if he is singing to heaven and he sings and sings and sings. Its as if he is singing morning praises to his creator, singing his little heart out. I think this little bird knows he belongs to God. When the psalmist says let everything that has breath, praise the Lord, he means everything, even the little birds. I wonder how diligent are we  at singing praises every morning to the Lord?

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

And he sings and he sings and he sings.

Gift of his love

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. TIS 768

From the sacred space I could touch the glorious bloom of the last rose of summer. In the stillness and the quiet as I pondered with God on the gift of this new day I marvelled at the acuteness of its colour and the beauty of its perfect formation. It was as if God had placed it within my sight in an otherwise bare winter garden as an offering, a gift, of his love through creation. Stillness and quiet are what invites God into our space to sit and to be with us and to show us his love.  My morning prayer rises with these words: Teach me your ways so that I may hear you in the silence, see you in the emptiness, touch you in the gifts of creation.

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

.

                                                       The last of the summer roses- a gift.

Looking for God moments.

 The glory of the Lord appeared in the clouds. Ex 16:10

 Sometimes I go looking for God in moments of wonder and sometimes they just come to me unexpectantly. There are so many new moments of wonder to be grateful for all day and every day, just those fresh drops of rain on a dusty leaf, a verge of wildflowers, the sun shining through on a winters day, the birds in morning song  to say nothing of an unexpected gift, a conversation or the smile of a passer by. Recently while in the remote outback I went out with my camera  'to catch the sun set' and I was well rewarded but as the sunset evolved it became  far less of a sunset to catch but the deepening presence, wonder and awe  of God as 'the glory of the Lord appeared in the clouds.'

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

Pukatja/Ernabella SA

Daily blessings

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

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

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

Now there's a gift!

Breath taking God

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

I was in awe  of the beauty of the autumn trees along the path way. Glorious in shifting colours, dressed for autumn were the trees as they prepared themselves for winter rest. They were so colourful that they took my breath away. Every leaf seemed to emanate the handywork of God and I was left with a song in my heart: Glorious things of you are spoken.

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

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

                                                                Glorious things

Well of living water.

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

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

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

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

                                                An anchor for life.

Silence and solitude

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

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

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

                                                    Sit awhile with me.

There is beauty.

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

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

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

Alleluia Christ is risen.          Anne servant of the Lord.

                                              Created by God.

Creation announces the Divine

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

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

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

                                                A single autumn leaf fell to the ground. 

Oh wow!

 Be surprised and full of wonder. Isaiah 29:9

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

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

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

                                                                Red flowering gum

Shafts of sunbeams.

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

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

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

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

                                                Good morning Lord.

'Here I am'

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

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

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

Miraculous creation.

Walk and talk.

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

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

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

.                                                Dance, dance wherever you may be.

In the storm

 'I am with you always. Matthew  28:20

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

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

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

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

   

A stormy sea.           

                                    

God at play

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                                  A gift from the 'flying sideways 'bird.

Stand and see

O sing a new song to the Lord. Psalm 96

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

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

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

                                                     Pink hues in the snow gum.
 

Star gazing

 The heavens proclaim his righteousness and all peoples have seen his glory. Ps 97

The practice of going outside before bed to gaze at the heavens and all the stars in the sky has been with me for many years. The stars are so bright and fresh looking, some 'sparkling' and 'winking' , seemingly just hanging there . Somehow it has a settling effect and speaks of the greatness and magnitude of our God and his presence and I stay  awhile in the quiet and the peace.   I think of the three wise men and how they saw the bright star in the east and followed it until they found Jesus.  Star gazing at night draws me to Jesus, to reflect, to be nearer. Tonight, go outside, gaze at the stars and think of the star that drew people to the Christ child.

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

                                                         The star in the east.

Come, sit.

 Now when he had spoken, a Pharisee asked (invited)  him to have lunch with him, and he went in and reclined at the table.  Luke 11:37

Christmas is the time of the year when we seem to get many invitations. Invitations to lunch, invitations to dinner, invitations to catch up with friends, invitations to attend various church services and carols in the park and some invitations even come with a gift. But  the greatest invitation, the greatest gift, is the one from Jesus who so often says, ' Come aside and sit with me awhile.'  In the business of Christmas preparations, lets not forget to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. Lets not forget his invitation, and his gift  to us of hope, of peace, of love and of joy.

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

                                                               God's gifts to us.

Colours of Christmas.

 Let all together praise our God. TIS 297.

God is so 'there' in the sacred space which is surrounded by his creation and filled with the warmth of the rising summer sun and around me I catch glimpses of the bottle brush bushes with green leaves and Oh so brilliant red bottle brush like flowers. Their colour and presence remind me of Christmas and  what joy they bring among the other mixed  colours of the garden and have you seen them after the rain?  As Christopher Monaghan says.'  A bottle brush after heavy rain is beaded  and jewelled with natures own tinsel.'   Take a moment to look at the bottle brush in all its glory of Christmas colours and next time it rains take a look at its 'tinsel.' You will be so blessed.

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

                                                        Colours of Christmas.

Yesterday and today.

 The joy of the Lord is my strength. Nehemiah 8:10

It can be so hard to stay positive sometimes in this struggling world where we seem to hear nothing  but the destruction of lives through war and famine day after day after day. It can be so easy to let these thoughts steal our joy.  To find positive thoughts I turn to God who has always been my strength and I recall writing some time ago these words:

Yesterday I had a wonderful day. I woke with the Lord and opened the day in prayer with a chorus of birds in the background.     Today I had a wonderful day. I woke with the Lord and opened the day in prayer with a chorus of birds in the background.  

May we continue to hold up in prayer all those who are suffering and pray for peace.

Let the peace of Christ dwell in your heart.    Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                Wake each day with the Lord.

A gentle soft presence.

Fill us at daybreak with your mercy, that all our days may sing for joy.  Psalm 90:14

I love that first light of the morning as it cuts into the night sky with a gentle, soft presence, the awakening of a new day. Its still, its quiet and holds all the glory of the moment. 

I love the old Irish blessing which says: 'May the blessing of light be on you, light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine on you and warm your heart till it glows like a great peat fire, so that the stranger may come and warm himself at it, and also a friend.  What a lovely thought at the start of the day as the sunrises.'

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

                                                  Sunrise over the sea of Galilea 

A glimpse of heaven

 May my prayer come to you like the sweet smell of incense. Psalm 141:2

D.H Lawrence said: ' Oh for the wonder that bubbles into my soul.' and that was exactly my sentiment this morning as I stepped into the sacred space and my breath was drawn in deeply taking with it the absolute richness of the perfumes of God that surrounded me, perfumes that floated in the gentle breeze, coming to me like rich gifts.  The roses, the jasmine, the sweet peas. All so full of blessings. I read somewhere that God sprinkles tiny hints of heaven on earth that give us a taste of what's to come. A  glimpse of heaven on earth.

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

 The sweet pea. A gift from God.

I saw the face of God

 The Lord has decided the number of  the stars and calls each one by name,. Great and mighty is our Lord. Psalm 147:5

I saw it in the puddle of life giving water by the roadside. I saw it in the sky night stars being tucked away behind soft pink clouds in the sunrise. I saw it as the sun shone through the crimson maple leaf. I saw it in the Currawong as he calls his mates into the dawn. I saw it in the single crystal clear rain drop that hung from each leaf and  single blade of grass. I saw it in the soft blue, perfect formation of the bluebells that clutched the side of the road. I saw it. I saw the face of God and my soul sang: How great thou art! World famous musician Pablo Casals said: I find God in the smallest and the largest things. I see God in colour and design. No two things are alike, no two voices the same. 

Be blessed by the face of God that surrounds your day.    Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                                    Native blue bells.

The fulness of joy.

The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything. Julian of Norwich

  So many words can be said and written about the wonders of God, the beauty of his creation and the joy of our lives being filled with his love but sometimes we don't need many words, sometimes we just need quiet and space and a focal point for meditation such as the surrounds of  a sacred space, therein lies many blessings. I mean, what can be more beautiful, more reflective, than gazing on a garden full of bluebell?

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

 

                                                    A garden of Bluebells.

Gather me in Lord.

 May the Lord cause you to flourish. Psalm 115:14

Just sitting in the sacred space and pondering the beauty of God in his creative work in the garden thinking - what a paint palate he must have - pinks, and yellow and red and blue and green and all in variants of their colours.  Its among the flowers in the miracles of their life that I  am enriched in my faith for who can look on creation  and not see the creator. Silently, silently,  in the stillness I hear a tiny bee humming and I know that God is with me and as  I look a small prayer passes through me saying : 'Gather me in Lord, gather me in as one of your created, enable me to flourish and grow.  

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

                                                          All the variants of the colours

Pray for peace

 Hymn 446 in TIS says: 'Glorious things of you are spoken, Zion city of our God: he whose word cannot be broken formed you from his own abode. On the rock of Ages founded, what can shake your sure repose? With  salvations walls surrounded, you may smile on all your foes.'

I wonder do we know what we are singing when we sing words such as this from this beautiful old hymn especially in light of todays war in the middle east. The Dome of the rock sits on Mount Zion within the old city of Jerusalem, surrounded by its high fortress, ancient walls of which I have walked around. For Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian  this is the centre of  faith. O that it never be damaged by war. In the foyer of  St Georges Cathedral in Jerusalem these words are written: Pray not for Arab or Jew, for Palestine or Israel but PRAY  rather for ourselves that we might not divide them in our prayers but keep them both together in our hearts. 

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

                                             Mount Zion. Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem City

A morning offering

 I arise today, blessed by all things. May I live this day.  John O'Donohue

'Its 4 in the morning  and why is the currawong calling. Its  moon light before the dawning - why is the currawong calling?'  Those were my thoughts  as I lay awake listening to the sound of the currawong, I felt it was a special gift in the silence and I recall these words (By  John O'Donohue)  'Meet me in the morning dawning - I will wait for you there.'  Just you and me Lord and that bird singing to us from a tree. Peace, O such peace. What a gift.  Ah, its moments like these that I know God is with me.

May the God of life bless you and keep you today and always.  Anne - servant of the Lord.

Its 4 in the morning

And God smiles

 All  things bright and beautiful....the Lord God made them all.  (TIS 135

Spring is the time when God surrounds us with his smile. The glorious colours of the flowers in bloom, deep green grass and the breath taking sun rises and sun sets. This is the season when all of creation shouts before us the smiling face of God.  His presence is a present - a gift, a treasured gift. As I gathered myself  in prayer in the sacred space  my words rang out to God -  How good of you , to give us all of this.

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

.                                                    smiling face of God.

Wander in the morning

 Creator God who  shaped the earth and heavens. Your glory shines in all you have made.  (Christian song)

There is so much of God's creation to soak in when time is spent among it, just sitting of wandering in and about the garden. Beauty before me and out of the corner of my eye I catch yet another beauty to indulge in. We are so enriched and blessed by creation. As I wandered in the early morning I stooped to pick a cluster of Freesias  to bring home, feeling like I had been given a pearl of great price. I put the flowers in a vase and the fragrance of God filled the house .

Michael Leunig writes: 'you have no place in spring except upon your knees.' 

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

God's love

Brilliant creator

 '...all creation shows your glory, heaven and earth draw near your throne, singing, 'Holy, holy, holy. (TIS 99)

God's love for us is so great that he showers us with countless gifts and blessings. He lavishes his love on us and its all about to see.  Just sit awhile and look, unwrap each bit of his beauty before you and enjoy with thanks and praise, marvelling at the brilliant creator.  The other day I picked a small piece of the forget-me-not flowers  from the garden  and placed it in the lapel of my vest and all day long I saw and reflected the love of God for me, a God who will forget-me-not.

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

                                                                The love of God.

I am here, with you

 'I am with  you always.'  Matthew 28:20

Imagery can be so strong. 

Every time I see a flower growing in the crack of a path or out of a stone wall thoughts such as this come to mind: 'May you always notice the  flowers growing up between the cracks and may your life be full of little resurrections' (Neil Paynter)

May the peace of God fill your life every single day.

Anne, servant of the Lord

                                                Growing between the stones.

the voice of silence

A time to keep silent and a time to speak. Eccl 3:7

Sometimes I can listen deeply, so deeply that the silence is loud. So deeply that out of the silence comes the still small voice, or more profound  a beautifully, richly coloured bird lands within inches of my sight and God speaks. I was sitting in the sacred space, just sitting in the morning quiet with God and a beautiful  Crimson Rosella came with his partner. They looked at me and I at them and for that moment we were one in God. Mother Teresa said: 'God is the friend of silence. See how nature, trees, flowers and grass all grow in silence.'

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

                                                        They looked at me and I at them.

And it forms a prayer.

 I love the place O God, wherein thine honour dwells - it is the house of prayer  where in thy servant meets. (Hymn)

There is a warmth in the sacred space of late and its not just coming from the change in the season. It comes from that special gift we give ourselves when we take the time to sit alongside God awhile where there is little else besides the voice of quiet and all within sight forms a prayer. I mean, look at the spent leaves from the nearby tree dancing in the wind, blowing up and down and around and around.  Look at the spring flowers in all their glory growing there for your delight and as gifts to share with those who pass by.  Everywhere, all around  on every side there is a joy and a prayer. May you feel the warmth in the place you call your sacred space. 

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

                                                   Swerling into a pile.         

Bathed in God's Glory

 When morning guilds the skies. my heart awakening cries, may Jesus Christ be praised. TIS 227

Words of a timeless melody. One of those old favourites that hangs about forever. But, Oh! How true it is. When morning guilds the skies our thoughts go to God.

I saw in the sunrise a magnificent sight that I could not put into words. The words that did come forth were in gratitude, appreciation and worship[ to a faithful God who never fails us, morning by morning. During the week the same breath-taking blessings crossed my lips as I watched the moon fade away into the sunrise. In the interim the soft mist hovered over the ground, magically weaving its way between the trees with ghost like moves. I thought - and there it hangs, the morning mist, moon-light bathed and sunrise kissed. God is in his house. 'O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder.'

With his grace and presence, go into your day having been blessed at its beginning.    Anne, servant of the Lord.

                                              Morning glory.

Grateful praise

 For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies, for the  love which from our birth over and around us lies. (Hymn F.S.Pierpoint)

It is so hard not to have those words in your heart and the tune in your head at the moment as all God's beauty 'over and around us lies.'  Everywhere we see God's extravagant gifts in abundance. Clusters of jonquils, daffodils, wattle, daphne, violets and so the gifts keep giving full of the mystery and miracles in the waking earth at springtime and have you seen the super moon of late? Yes, God's beauty fills the skies at night with the moon  in a perfect shape, full of light surrounded by a magnitude of stars. God's love does indeed cover us on the earth and in the skies. Feed on his beauty.

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

(super moon)

God's light shinning

Let my hands perform his bidding, let my feet run his ways. (Hymn, All for Jesus)

Often in my morning prayers are the words to Jesus, 'Where you lead I will go.' and again he led me to the nursing home with  a bunch of daphne and my little dog in hand, just to wander about and bring some joy to people.  As I went around those seated in the lounge room there were many wanting to smell the daphne and the responses flowed. One said ' What a blessing, I smelt the daphne and I saw my mother.'  Another, 'I smelt the daphne and was right back in my garden.'  The joy and delight that memories bring but I noticed one lady in a day bed, nothing moving except her eyes and I approached her with my little dog and sat her on this ladies knee and ever so slowly her feeble   hand  reached out and held her paw, she stroked the paw and I saw a faint smile break on the ladies face and for a moment she connected with me and the little dog and I heard a still quiet voice within say, ' Let your hands perform his bidding and your feet  run his  ways.'

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

                                                A moment of joy.

leaping faith

 God will always leave a witness. 1 Kings 11:36

In the sacred space the air is filled with the fragrance of God emanating from the glorious daphne bush and the clusters of violets and I am drawn to reflect on our loving God who wants us all to share his fragrance with others. Often we don't see the result of our evangelising  but recently I saw it  as I reflected on an elderly Christian lady who befriended a lonely lady at her home and brought Christ to her. When that lady went into a nursing home she took Jesus with her and recently when she passed away her closest friend there started to go to the chapel service to seek what her friend had. Here was faith 'leaping' from one person to another - where to next I ponder.

May God's fragrance  continue to fall from us all onto another, to another.  Anne, servant of the Lord

.                                                The fragrance of violets.

God's shadow

 For the joy of ear and eye, for the heart and minds delight, for the mystic harmony, linking sense to sound and sight. Christ our God to the we raise, this our sacrifice of praise. (TIS 137)

When looking down the valley on a crystal clear frosty morning there was one long, thin band of deep pink cloud fringing the  mountains and the reflection from it shone on the pockets of white snow in the valleys which changed them  to a soft marshmallow pink,  glistening  in the sun like a million crystals and I recall a quote from Gabriela Mistral: ' beauty.......is the shadow of God on the universe.' How wonderful O Lord are the works of your hands. What beauty to behold. You have created a divine song in our hearts from what our eye has seen and your presence fills the start of our day,

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

Its the shadow of God.

Born anew

 I am the resurrection and the life says the Lord. John 14.

It feels unseasonably like spring.  The bulbs are up. The daffodils, the jonquils, the tulips, the snowdrops, all those that have seemingly died and laid  under the soil all winter now spring back to life in all their glory. How much I ponder this miracle of our creator God yet why do some doubt so much that we too will rest awhile in our seemingly death yet rise again in glory?  Oh, how much we can learn from nature, the miracle of nature, that tells us nothing really dies. Its no wonder we call the season of spring 'spring' because isn't that what it does, it springs nature back into life. 

                                                            Beautiful Creation.

Be with me-enjoy me.

 For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies. Christ our God to the we raise this our sacrifice of praise. TIS 137

When I came to the sacred place there was a wonderful collection of surprises waiting for me all covered in the perfume of the Daphne bush just outside the gate. There is the dancing heads of the Daffodils swaying in the gentle breeze, the endless flowering of the Grevilia bush, the numerous coloured  Cyclamens pushing their flower heads through their leaves ( how can that tiny pin head of a bud turn into  such a flower?) and the ever faithful Violets of every imaginable colour competing with the other fragrances of the garden. Oh what love God showers onto us and all of a sudden all that is before me becomes a prayer. What a display of God's Glory  which to some is 'a lovely garden' but to me its my cathedral filled with the wonders and mysteries of God. It was Noel Davis who wrote: ' Look around with your eyes and your heart, you will see and feel me everywhere. Be with me, enjoy me. Foster all that is good and share me.'

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

                                                                    God's love.

Where I am there you are also.

' We love the place, O God, wherein thine honour dwells, the joy of thine abode all earthly joy excels. it is the house of prayer wherein thy servants meet and thou, O Lord, art there. (William Bullock)

The more I visit my sacred space the more I feel the presence of God waiting there for me. Its like his hand is on my empty seat and he is patting it and saying, 'Come, sit with me awhile.' That's the draw of the sacred space. Its such a peaceful quiet  shelter away from the pending tide of the daily rush and business. A place where one is enfolded in love. A place wherein all I look out and see  is of God because it is said of God: 'Where I am there you are also and there is nothing on earth that you are not in.' The flowers, the buds on the trees waiting to burst into spring blossom, the perfume of the Daphne floating in the air, the puppy on its morning walk with its person, the birds singing in the new day, the clear blue sky....the breaking of a new day, .there is ever so much of God's love to be seen. Where ever your sacred space is, that place you have created to spend special times with God, may you also be filled with his presence. May you also feel he is waiting there for you. May you pause awhile and thank God for all that is and all that will be.

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

The presence of God.

Made by God.

 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. Genesis 1-2

What detail. What incredible handiwork. What a creator. They were my thoughts as I lightly touched the delicate, perfect flower head of the blooms on the daphne bush, its perfume holding on my fingers. If one were to create the world and all that is in it in 7 days you would be inclined to think that it was a rushed job, things thrown together, tossed here and there but not so. The beauty of the smallest flower, the painted back of the lady bird with its red coating and black spots and the tiniest of legs, the colours of the birds and shapes of the animals, that's no rushed job. When you look in the mirror this morning you will see your image. Pause and look, that was no rushed job either, what you see is as precious in the sight of God as all of his creation made by God.

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

                                                        Its perfume holds on my fingers

Its colour, its perfume.

 'All is silent, in the still and soundless air I fervently bow to my Almighty God.' (Bing Xin. China)

One thing was on my mind when I came to meet with God this morning. It was the words of the beautiful hymn, 'Glorious things of thee are spoken.' and I had this image in mind of the beautiful, stunning bright yellow of the wattle trees coming into bloom that line some of our roadways and dot the bushland around us.. Bright, cheerful yellow balls of fluffy wattle blooms that hold a perfume which send me right back to childhood memories. Somethings in God's creation can put us on our knees with their colour, their beauty, their perfume, their memories and I thought of these words from the Iona Community: The turn of the leaf in the morning sun and the catch in our throat drives us to our knees and into prayer.

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

                                                        Beauty in colour.