acorns

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

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

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

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

Anne, Servant of Jesus
Blessings

crisis and recovery

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

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

But Oh how much more bearable,

how much more manageable,

how much more possible,

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

Washington Irving says:

Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune

but great minds rise above them.

Anne, servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings

Flood crisis

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

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

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

In this Great Southland, Australia,

sparkling beach and arid plain:

stamped upon her rugged form is,

drought and flood, then drought again.

In a land that's always changing,

there's a constant mighty force

Jesus Christ our Lord is with us

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

To all the people of Queensland, especially the deacons

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

Anne

Thoughts for the New Year

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

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

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

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

Our time in prayer can change the world.

Our time in prayer can change us.

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

Anne, servant of God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings.

Crown the year

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

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

I thought of the gift of the day

The gift of the hour.

The gift of the moment

new opportunities

in the gift of the New Year

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

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

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

Blessings.

New Year

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

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

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

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

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Christmas Eve

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

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

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

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

Blessings

Anne

The nativity

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

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

What are you thinking?

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

I think of the journey Mary and Joseph have taken.

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

separated from family and friends.

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

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

And I pray.......

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

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Gifts

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

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

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

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

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

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

For the love of Jesus

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

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

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

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

An ancient Chinese Proverb says:

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

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

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

All for Jesus

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

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

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

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

memories

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

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

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

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

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

pockets of darkness

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

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

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

Steiner Rice says:

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

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Advent

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

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

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

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

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Inclusion, welcome, embrace.

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

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

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

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

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

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

Is God the first daily appointment in your diary?

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

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

The blackbirds calling,

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

cobweb in the wire

stillness, quiet.

God hour,God's hour.

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

Top priority for the new day.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

'symbols' of Gods presence

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

Ever present God.

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

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

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

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

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Keep watch, keep listening

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

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

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

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

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

Go OUT in peace to love and serve the Lord

Anne

Here I am Lord

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

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

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

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

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

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

new life

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

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

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

A prayer for today:

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

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne