in God's strength

'Behold, I am the Lord.....is anything too difficult for me?' Jeremiah 32:27

Visions and dreams, goals and aims, hearts longings and desires, health and happiness, service and love are all the things we desire and at times the 'dreaming' seems to big for us alone.

The value of putting God first in all things is what enables the 'dreaming' to become a reality and a song of all sorts to sing in your heart.

'What matters is not the size of the mountain, but the strength of the mountain mover.' (Anon)

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Heavens above and below

'I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.' Psalm 89:2

The glory of the Lord was all about this morning from the golden rising of the sun to the misty clouds tipping the mountains and the sky was scattered with various, facinating cloud formations.

Sometimes you can look at the sky and see just that, the sky and other times you can look at the sky and see it like a huge dome, other times its a place of darkness, or light, sun, moon, stars, colour and exciting cloud formations. What a mighty God we have, who 'pegged' out the skies, the heavens and its in that greatness that our heart sings his praises in word and action as we come to this new day.

L Moody said:

A little faith will bring your soul to heaven but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul.

Anne, servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings

Blessed assurance.

'Ti's mercy all, immense and free: for, O my God it found out me.' TIS 209

A glorious morning to be out walking and welcoming in the day and as I did so I reflected on yesterday. What a wonderful, liberating, freeing day for all. The confirmation of two young men with disabilities.

I could not help but look on them in the service, one being assisted by friends and the other presented in his wheelchair amidst a packed church. and I thought these words from psalm 18:32 ' 'It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.' These young men were very visibly touched by the Spirit of God.

As I reflected on yesterday I still can't determine who received the blessings the most. The congregation, the two being confirmed, their families, me, or Bishop Trevor............ or was it God!

Abraham Lincoln said:

God is the silent partner in all great enterprises.

Anne, servant of the Lord.

Blessings

Gilded sky

'May the name of the Lord be praised.' Job 1:21

As I walked this morning I watched the pink of the early morning sunrise give way to a band of deep gold around the horizon that pushed its way above the clouds and to my voice came the hymn: 'When Morning Gilds the Sky.'

I am excited about Sunday. Two young men from our disability ministry are coming forward in Confirmation to declare that they are friends of Jesus. They know the Love of Jesus in their life, they radiate it, and they want to declare that before us all.

The love of God is so wide, so inclusive, so embracing, so special.

James says in his Epistle:'Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?' (James 2:5)

I continued walking with these thoughts in mind, singing: When morning gilds the sky, let earth and sea and sky from depth and height reply, let Jesus name be praised.

Anne, servant of the Lord

Blessings

From where comes our strength

'Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress.' Ps 71:3

I walked along Casey's Beach, looking at the sand and I looked up and saw a wall of huge rocks banked up along the shore line keeping the high tide and crashing waves from breaking out over the road and residences.

What a fortress, a strong hold, of protection.

And then into my mind came a arrow prayer. 'Lord, be to me always, protection, a solid rock to lean on, to stand on, a fortress against all that challenges me, confronts me, encroaches on me, threatens me as a child of yours.'

Like the rocks on the shoreline, God is our solid rock and keeping our eyes on him, nothing can break through and destroy.

Whats that hymn we sing?......................'on solid rock we stand, all else is sinking sand...........'

Anne, servant of the Lord

Blessings

wide wide as the ocean

' He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.' Job 9:8

That verse comes to mind every time I look at the ocean, so vast, so wide that its horizon meets the sky and its edges wash the uncountable grains of sand and I want to sing, 'Wide wide as the ocean, high as the heavens above.........................is my Saviours love.

It gives me a sense that if God can encompass such a broad creation, and control it, with its beauty and its storms then we, his creation, are well included in his care through our beauty and our storms.

There is a saying:

I can face the waves for I trust the One who made the ocean.

Anne, servant of Jesus

Blessings

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