now the reason begins

' 'When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him ad he found the place where it is written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recover the sight of the blind, to let the oppressed go free and to proclaim the year of the Lord. 'Luke 4: 16-19

The mad rush of Christmas, the preparations, the gift buying, the gatherings together can be hectic to say the least. Times of worship are meaningful and encouraging and I say its all over bar the shouting. Well, here comes the shouting:

(Howard Therman)

When the song of the angel is stilled,when the star in the sky is gone,when the kings and princes are home,when the shepherds are back with their flocks

the WORK of Christmas begins:

to find the lost,to heal the broken,to feed the hungry,to release the prisoner,to rebuild the nations,to bring peace among the people

to make music in the heart.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne, servant of the Lord.

holiday or holy day

' Joseph (also) went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee,to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem.' (Luke 2:4

So much of my recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land just jumps out at me from the pages of the bible. I can't read of the Christmas story without saying to myself in humble excitement, 'I know, I know, I have been and seen.' But you know, everyone of us can take the road to Bethlehem each year through the way we see and celebrate Christmas; by the way we treat Christmas day as a holiday or a holy day.

I was touched by a comment passed to me in the supermarket just yesterday by one of the staff frantically trying to keep the shelves stocked. He looked at me and connected with who I am and said 'Its a very busy time of the year for you too isn't it.' To be known as a follower of Christ, a traveller on the road to Bethlehem, in our local community is what blesses me so much about Christmas. He was stacking the shelves with gifts yet within himself he knew the greatest gift; The gift of Jesus, the Christ and Saviour of the world.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ may Christmas be a holy day

Anne

A star

'How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "your God reigns." Isa 52:7

I think I have already had the most treasured Christmas present for this year. One of the children at church walked up to me and placing her hand in mine she looked up and passing a small red star into my hand she said, 'This is for you, to remind you of Christmas.' She is all of 4years old.

I read this saying today:

'Christmas is a gift from God that we cannot keep unless we give it to someone else.'

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

God's angelic choir

' Fear not for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; you will I help.' Isa 41:10

I stood in the bush on a small winding track and looked at the vast mountain ranges all around me and in all the beauty and density of my isolated surroundings I found the overwhelming peace of Christ. But, you know what brought me to my knees? In the silence, the deep quiet I heard a chorus singing Amazing Grace. I looked around for another person, a house, somewhere it could be coming from but there was non to be seen. The singing was not from with in my mind or my heart or my voice, it was a choir outside my being surrounding me with Amazing Grace and I felt it deep in my soul.

I later read this quote:

I must have the saviour with me, for my faith at best is weak; he will whisper words of comfort that no other words can speak.

Take time to go into the quiet places and hear the voice of God.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

God's face

' Come 'my heart says,'seek his face!' 'your face, Lord, do I seek.' Psalm 27:8

I was out walking in the evening on the fringe of the bush and in the quiet I asked God to show me his face because it was his face I was seeking.

Then, right across my path came this most magnificent Echidena, shy and nervous, hesitant but trusting as he walked across the path before me. Then, within feet of me was a mother wallaby, grazing, and from her pouch the tiniest face of her joey looked at me with interest between long dangling legs.

God continued to show me his face as he pulled down the shutters on the day over the stone faced, magnificent mountain before me, lit in awe inspiring colours of the sun set.

I asked the Lord to show me his face, and he did.

As you go into this day, ask the Lord of no more, than to show you his face.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

heavenly

' The heavens are telling the glory of God.' Ps 19:1

A great deal of God's creation could be called the glory of God but I think none surpasses the heavens. Most times when we look upward we can be in a moment of experiencing God's glory.

The predawn silence in oneness with God, the glorious colourful sunrise of pastel colours blue, pink orange, clouds tinted, mountains tipped. The sunset, Oh did you see last nights? Black voluminous clouds filled the horizon and were ablaze with brilliant orange. Then I look to the heavens in the evening and am left in a stare of mystery and awe. Millions and millions of stars in a velvet sky that just goes on and on to a distance beyond our imagination and in it all is the revelation of the Glory of God.

(Stanislau Kennedy) The (night) sky- -we are immersed in mystery, an immense mystery.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

blessings

'..........see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down an overflowing blessing.' Mal 3:10 (paraphrased)

Blessings are so special.

The small child who puts his hand in yours, unexpectedly.

Seeing the complete, bright rainbow after a storm.

The smile of an elderly person

Seeing the joy of achievement for one with disability.

Looking at a glorious view

Seeing the tiniest of blue wrens in the garden.

I ask myself what is a blessing and I answer, something that gives you goosebumps, something that makes you feel warm and happy inside, because it comes from God.

Be blessed by many things today.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

water wells

' Who ever drinks this water will get thirsty again: but whoever drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again.' John 4:14

I remember as a small child peering down this great hole in the ground as my uncle swung a bucket on a rope down into its depths to get some water. It was the first well I had ever seen and I was fascinated with the fact that if we dig deep enough we will find water, life giving water. I have never forgotten the memory of him drawing that life giving water from the well, the source of life.

After the woman at the well received her drink from Jesus she then became a well for others to drink from. (John 4:39)

Macrina Wiederkehr says: Look for wells along the way and be such a well for others to find.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

wide wide as the ocean

'As the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord' (Habakkuk 2:14)

I was reading these statistics:

There is approximately 326 million trillion gallons of water on the earth and 98% of that is in the oceans. Habakkuk, the prophet compares God's glory to water that fills the sea. That's one heck of a lot of God's glory.

How often do you think about the glory of the Lord and try and take in its magnitude, its richness, its blessings. Next time you walk on the beach and paddle in the sea reflect on Habakkuk's words and have that sense of the glory of the Lord.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

All for Jesus

'May the mind of Christ my Saviour live in me from day to day' TIS 609

I looked across the vineyard that had been pruned and was now in lush growth, vibrant, alive and ready to produce fruit. when I look at the seasons of the vineyard and Jesus stories about vineyards I am always filled with hope and assurance.

One of the elderly ladies at the aged care facility Communion service, who has dementia, started in the middle of prayers to softly sing in the most loveliest of voice: 'May the love of Jesus fill me as the waters fill the sea.' What sacred ground we were on as the room seemed to fill with the Spirit of God. What assurance, what hope I was filled with. Season after season in her long life she still comes back to the source of her being and the ability to bring Christ to others.

May the mind of Christ our Saviour live in us always.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

God's love

' As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you. ' Isaiah 66:13

I was watching a baby Rosella in the bottle brush playing with the branches trying to see how to get his own food, fluffing up his inmature feathers and totally absorbed in his activities when he was suddenly startled and became anxious and called for his mother. She called back with a calmer call which almost said, 'All is well, I am here.' As soon as he saw her he flew right into her space and snuggled up against a familiar body , calmer, quieter and safe.

This reminded me of our Lord. We go off and do our thing, we work, we minister, we play and sometimes when we least expect it we feel anxious, threatened ,frightened and alone.

God is never far off, all we need do is call and he will respond and that finds us snuggling into his everlasting arms.

Grace this day, and peace, from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Heading for Jerusalem

' Because the Lord God helps me, I will not be dismayed, therefore I have set my face like flint to do his will, and I have known that I will triumph.' Isaiah 50: 7 (TLB)

We know God helps us because he is on our side, so why do we dismay?

How blessed are we to be in a situation where we can know this right to the core of our heart, that God is always present, always in what we do in his name. We sometimes say in tricky situations: Grit your teeth and get on with it, or bite the bullet and just do it! I like this great sense of determination from Isaiah.................'I will set my face like flint to do his will.'

When we have the problems of 'dismay' in our days we have the promise of God's help so whatever it is today, go for it, God will be there.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

a field of flowers for you

' This is the day that the Lord has made..................let us rejoice and be glad in it.' Ps 118:24

There are days when we feel that the last thing we want to do is rejoice. Sometimes we feel discouraged, sometimes we feel things are out of hand. The writer of this psalm obviously felt likewise at times and he too was a follower of God.

However, as the psalmist talked to God in prayer the psalm always ended in praise. Now doesn't that say something? As the psalmist, on a day of not wanting to rejoice talked to the Lord he then ended up 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.

(Lessin) New day, new needs, new mercies, one faithful, loving, caring God in the midst of it all!

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

' For the joy of the Lord is your strength.' Neh 8:10

I just love the resurrection of the garden in spring. The transformation of a drab space into moments of wonder as week by week the plants comes to life in colour, bloom and perfume. I find myself wandering about the garden being amazed by each new burst of blessing.

Its like coming out of darkness into light, like being asleep and now awake, like having a tough time yet knowing there will be better times ahead, its like individual moments of resurrections that bring joy to our hearts, deep within.

Sister Stan says:

Joy comes in little whispers

in sudden unexpected glimpses of mystery.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

shepherd

' The Lord is my shepherd.' Ps 23

last minute request to do something that gave me no time for preparation just sent me into 'a spin.' I could feel my pulse racing, heart pounding and palms sweating. I could feel anxiety taking control and in a last minute effort to gain self control I sent up a mantra of help to God.

'peace Lord (deep breath) peace Lord and I just put my whole self into his hands and a great sense of peace and assurance fell gently through me.

I love the image of Jesus as the shepherd and myself as the sheep. Sometimes he is beside me, sometimes just a little way off and sometimes just out of sight. Its an image that brings a sense of safety, of 'being with in reach' and no matter where God was, or what he was doing when I sent up my mantra for help, he responded, he came to me and walked with me and surprise, surprise all was well.

How blessed we are to have Jesus 'with in reach.' May we never forget that but more so, may we never forget to call on him always, he is just there!

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

awakening

' ...then their eyes were open and they recognised him. Luke 24:31

The disciples walking the road to Emmaus were startled to find that their companion was the risen Lord Jesus and the disciples on the sea of Galilee were startled to see the figure walking towards them was the risen Lord Jesus.

Sometimes we too are startled to find the Lord is with us. He presents himself and shows himself and reveals himself in the beauty and in the pain of our daily life if only we can recognise that it is him. Sometimes the realisation is sudden and sometimes, like the disciples, it can be a slow awakening.

Frederick Buechner said:Lord, catch me off guard today. Surprise me with some moment of beauty or pain so 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.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

wonder and surprise

'Now thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices...' (TIS 106)

I find it hard not to see something in all that is around me to thank God for. Glorious spring flowers packed to the max with sweet perfumes, fresh new leaves bursting from swollen buds on trees, paddocks of green, thick grass, lambs by mothers sides. I marvel at all the surprises God has for us.

I was down at Bermagui on the weekend and amidst a lazy afternoon decided to go for a drive about town. I ended up on the cliffs overlooking the sea and there before my very eyes were whales and the baby of the pod was rolling over and over, trying to blow water our of its spout and banging flippers on the water surface. I sent up to the heavens an almighty thank you.

Sister Stan (Moments of Stillness says)

Thank you for the ordinary gifts of every day evoking in me wonder and surprise.

Take a look and SEE the wonder and surprise of God's gifts to you, in your place, where you are right now.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

simply refreshing

' Out of the believers heart shall flow rivers of living water.' John 7:38

Softly the rain falls on the thirsty earth. plants drink the life giving water and drenched birds shake bodies of wet feathers, enjoying the bath. A fine mist hovers in the air that's filled with the perfumes of the garden and all seems to come to life, brighter, fresher, emanating joy as they drink it all in.

How so truly we can relate this to the life giving waters of Jesus our Lord that drenches us with love, quenches our thirst and allows us to 'bathe' in him and to emanate the perfume of himself, brighter, fresher and with joy.

How blessed are we, how blessed.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

Good food.

' Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink--even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk--its all free! Isaiah 55:1 (NLB)

When I was on Pilgrimage I enjoyed the foods of Israel and Turkey. Wonderful food that was healthy, fresh and in abundance, which we had to pay for, of course, but once we had our fill at breakfast then walked all the morning we were hungry and ready to eat again. We had to make sure we had money in our pocket to pay.

I have a friend with disability who loves to go to social outings and when I ask whats so good about the outings she says, 'Free food Anne, free food!' Every time she says that I think of Jesus who offers us food and drink for life..........free, readily available, always within reach and the more we reach out and receive the more he gives and the more we are filled and satisfied.

I love that old hymn........'Bread of heaven on thee we feed.' (TIS 513)

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anne

Treasure chest

'Open my eyes so that I may behold wondrous things........'Psalm 119:18

I walked into the emerging day with the warmth of the sun on my back. I saw the vineyards lined up like soldiers, the horses 'snorting' vapour mist from their nostrils in the cold air as they grazed in the frosty grass.The mountains, O so blue in the early light stood magnificently as a backdrop and I was doubly blessed by the laughter of the kookaburras , and a cluster of native bluebells flourishing in the weeds on the edge of the path, I have been amongst God's treasures. He opened the lid of the treasure chest today to let a few come out.....................for me.... a true and wonderful gift after a very hectic and pressured weekend.. God always knows what we need, be it his assurance, his care, his love..............he always delivers.

Lord open our hearts eyes so we can see you clearly and open our minds so we can understand you better and serve you more.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.