God's gift

The heavens are telling the Glory of God and the  firmament proclaims his handiwork. Ps 19:1
Sometimes when I am out walking its a matter of what will I look at first. Sometimes I almost pivot on the spot as God sends magical moments from the east, the west, the north and the south, moments of awe, of pure delight that roll on and on through the day.
I had my back to the view of the sea when I was alerted to turn around and there was this rainbow, the bow not fully visible but it was like an arm of God reaching from the heavens to the sea and it took my breath away. The colour, the beauty,the brightness, the awe. There were no words except a breath of prayer, 'Thank you Lord.'
Steiner Rice says: Everything that's wonderful is but a rich reward given to us lovingly by a gracious generous Lord.

Eden. NSW

R&R

' Be still and know that I am God.' Ps 46:10
A retreat is so refreshing, centering and gives us a dose of  holistic  soul medicine. I have had four days away in stillness and quiet, with a   dash of good company, a glorious view that captured all the moods of the ocean, multiple blessings from all of creation from a God who said, 'did you like the song  of that  special bird?' well, just listen to this one. Did you like that beautiful flower that came from a plain leafed succulent, well, look at this one, and what of that whale waving its flipper then its gigantic tail, teaching its baby  to do likewise?' (the echo of its 'splash' reaching my ears on shore in a backdrop of a  bright yellow sunrise casting a golden pathway across the sea from the  horizon to the sandy shore.) Did you like that? And into my mind came the song, Be still for the presence of the Lord is moving in this place.
 Oh what sacred ground to sit and be in communion with God. O what soul moments.
Margaret Geunther wrote: Its easy to forget that God is a God of surprises, an intrepid escape artist and master of disguises.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord.

How sweet the name

'How sweet the name of  Jesus sounds in a believers ear. It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds and drives away his fears.' (John Newton)
This is one of the most asked for hymns from the older people in the nursing home. It brings a true sense of peace that goes deep, deep into the soul, and I think of all the names that come to mind that are encompassed in the name Jesus and I can come up with: redeemer, saviour, friend, master, comforter, healer....
Lee Self says:
I try to encompass all your names but they slip from my grasp.
When I hold nothing, I hold you.
When I hold you, I hold everything.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Early Christian symbols. Israel

steeped in prayer

'O Lord, three things I pray: to see thee more clearly, to love thee more dearly, to follow thee more clearly day by day.' (Prayer of St Richard of Chichester)
Recently while reading I was struck by how meaningful this prayer is for our daily living and I was thinking of the various ministries we all have through our daily life and with this prayer in mind I reflect on the words of C.T. Studd.
'Some want to live within the sound of church and chapel bell.
I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.
 May our hearts and  lives always reflect this prayer, for Jesus.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Credo Cafe in a back lane of Melbourne behind  a church on a main street. The cafe is a place for street people and the homeless. The sign on the wall reads: We are not human beings trying to be spiritual, we are spiritual beings trying to be human

My cathedral

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here while I go yonder and pray.' Matthew 26:36
The world around us is so full of  wonderful places to pray. I look out my study window and I see rolling green hills, a  pond of water graced with wood ducks and an occasional black swan and a glorious pair of  Rosellas  feeding at the bird feeder and immediately it all becomes a prayer.  I spend time in my garden, a very new garden, a place of growing beauty, colour, fragrance and solace and immediately it becomes a prayer, a place of connection and I think of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, a place of prayer for him and get a sense of why he went to such a place to pray.
Steiner Rice says: My garden beautifies my yard and adds fragrance to the air, but its also my cathedral and my quiet place of prayer. So little do we realize that the glory and the power of him who made the universe lies hidden in a flower.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Garden of Gethsemane. Holy Land

Salvation

'Salvation is through a door. Jesus said:'I am the door' Luke 13:22
The imagery in my mind still holds clear from my pilgrimage to the Holy Land a couple of years ago. We visited the ruins of St Peter's house and saw a doorway that was like two doors set in the one. There was the original door and carved within that was a smaller door said to be for security and safety, your escape route into your home where you could be saved from pursuing evil . Jesus used such images from daily life to convey his message and so he said, looking at such a door, 'I am the door and its through me you are saved.' (paraphrased) Even after a life time of faith and belief I am still in awe of God's grace for us by giving Jesus, our door to salvation.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

A door way to safety and security. Holy Land

Abba father

Then Jesus answered and said to them. 'Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do;for whatever he does, the Son also does in like manner.' John 5:19
I was thinking how my oldest son works in the same profession  his father did, how he admired his commitment and work and chose to follow in his footsteps and somehow that thought raised a connection for me with our Heavenly Father and how God invites us to be involved with him, to follow his way of life after all, as a Father he loves us and wants us to be involved in his work and so with eyes wide open we need to watch and see where he is working so we can be a partner in it with him.
One of my favorite spiritual songs is  ' Abba Father let me be, yours and yours alone.......never let my heart grow cold, never let met go.'
May you see God at work around you, may it be evident through  what you do that others will see the love of Jesus and want to ask 'Who is it you work for?'
May you be blessed in your daily work. May the light of Christ shine through you.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Covenant care day hospice

freedom

' I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Matthew 25:35b-36
How blessed are we to be in a position to take this text and apply it in our daily lives.  I was talking to a man at the day hospice and he was sharing appreciation to me about being there.
 'you know.'  he said.' When I was found

I was cold and wore no socks on my feet because I couldn't reach down to put them on. I was lonely and isolated, a prisoner in my own home since the diagnosis of a life threatening illness. I shut myself away. Now I can have socks on, now I am no longer lonely and now I am no longer a prisoner in my own home.'
There is a Celtic prayer which says:
You who work by Christ's side and share his great love,You who touch with his hands and feel with his heart, his blessing yours, his joy to the end,Take it, hold it, you are his friend.
May your day be full of blessings.
Anne, servant of the Lord
  (Covenant Care is a community initiative operating out of Holy Covenant Jamison ACT. It offers a day with a difference for older people with a life threatening illness who are cared for at home by an elderly husband or wife.)

Thank you

1 Chronicles 16:8 'O give thanks to the Lord.'
And I want to shout, 'I do, I do.'
Thank you for life
Thank you for the beauty of spring
Thank you for the sound of the frogs in the pond
Thank you for the sound of the dawn, silence
The sound of dawn waking, the warbling magpies
Thank you for family and friends,for dogs and cats
For humility to serve you among those who need a companion for the journey, those who society abandons
Thank you for the love of Jesus in our lives.

May our thanks fill the quiet spaces of our day
May it be the last word on our breath before sleep.

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

A lamp at our feet

'Thy word is a lantern unto my feet: and a light unto my paths.' Psalm 119:105
These words are in the front of my  King James bible that I was given by my parents at my confirmation by Bishop Burgman and they became a valued part of my life journey.
Several things have cropped up in the past little while that cause me to think it would be nice to know what will happen, what will be the outcome,what the future will hold, but then I refocus and know within my heart and soul that the future lies in God's hands, always has,always will, and it is in him we put our trust. It is in him we depend. It is on his shoulders we lean. Its into his arms we run, its his lap we sit in, for today, for always for whatever life holds, day by day.

scroll and lamp. Nazareth village

God isn't going to let you see the distant scene so you might as well quit looking for it.
He promised a lamp unto our feet not a crystal ball into the future
We do not need to know what will happen tomorrow
we only need to know he leads us .
How is that for reassurance, comfort and stability!(Lucado)

May the peace of Christ be with you.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

holding together

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. John 3:36

How many times have we heard it said, or said it ourselves that we don't know how we would manage in the trials of life if we didn't have Jesus. I know if I didn't have Jesus, I would fall apart because Jesus is what holds me together.  This became even more a reality for me after I read a profound story about a navy helicopter pilot who said 'As complex as these helicopters are their whirling rotors are held in place by one simple hexagonal nut, and guess what that nut is called? Smiling he said, 'Its called a Jesus nut.'

Blessed are they who place themselves in the hands of Jesus. He will place himself in their hands. (Anon)

rejoice and be glad.

' Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love;so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.' Psalm 90:14 (NRSV)

The abundance of God's gifts early in the morning,
particularly at this time of the year.......in spring
.........are magnificent.
Blossoms, perfumes, colour,
and the busy sound .....the music of the birds.

Its many years since I used an alarm clock and recently I read this responsial prayer that expressed to me that 'automatic wakening' every morning just pre dawn. It said:
Set the clock of your heart for dawn's arrival
taste the joy of being awake. (Seven Sacred Pauses)

Be blessed today with the smells and sights and sounds of the new day.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5
I see the prunes tree  loading itself with masses of pink blossom, the wattle a flush of bright yellow, signs  that tells me spring is just around the corner. As I see these signs of spring

 its easy to theologically reflect. Many thoughts  about God come to mind, new life, faithfulness,  assurance, presence, love, joy.
When I pause to see the petals of the last seasons roses lying softly on the ground I think of God's gift to us in beauty and brokenness.
When I hold the hand of the frail elderly in their dying then I am on Holy ground.
Early in the morning when I look to the east to catch the rising sun and offer my prayers, and in the evening when I turn my face to the sunset to give praise for the day, it seems that all around me and where I am, there is God.
Today keep an eye out for his presence, not only in the surrounding of nature, and in others you encounter, but also in yourself.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

mirror image

' let your light shine before others so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.' Matthew 5:16
I look from my office window across the road to a large pond and on a day when the air is clear, the sky is blue and the day bright I am drawn to see, in the stillness of the water a reflection of the ponds surrounds is  so clear and detailed that it stops me in my path. Were I to take a photo it would be hard to distinguish the reflection from the real scene. I often see the beautiful reflection before I see the scene that made it.
I remember reading about St Francis of Assisi and how he felt  so unworthy of God's presence and use of his life and people would say, 'What is it that draws us to you, why is the whole world following you?'
Francis himself would marvel that God chose such a 'worthless creature' to do his work,  to reflect God's life.
Amy Carmichael says: A pilgrim looked at the reflection of a mountain in still water. It was the reflection that first caught his attention. But presently he raised his eyes to the mountain.'Reflect me, ' said the Father to him, then others will look at you, then they will look up and see me.'  
                                       The stiller the water the more perfect the reflection.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

photo:Galong monastery

Jesus among us

'Lord Jesus stand among us and bring your healing love. May we know your presence as we break bread together.Give us your peace.' (APBA)
A small, frail, elderly lady sat  among the others gathered for the Communion service at the aged care facility.I had been told she had dementia and she had forgotten much. She sat quietly, just looking at the floor, not engaging or participating until we sang our final hymn, 'Jesus loves me this I know.'  She didn't move, she showed no emotion, she held the hymn book closed on her lap but her lips mouthed the words and her eyes seemed to be looking down the years of knowing. As I looked at her my heart melted. I felt a deep sense of peace, of hope, of assurance and of  being on sacred ground. All else might be seemingly lost to her but there is Jesus. His presence was  alive in the very words she mouthed ' Jesus loves me this I know.'
How important it is to retain the old hymns and the old familiar version of the prayers. especially the Lords

Prayer. They allow inclusion and familiarity for those who seemingly have lost all else.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

God's presence

Jesus said: ' I am not trying to do what I want, but only what he who sent me wants.' John 5:30
I can imagine how a climbers heart must leap and spirit soar when they reach the summit of a high mountain and survey the view around and below. Breath taking. I can imagine a leaping heart and soaring spirit when an architect surveys a completed magnificent building. When I drove into Durham and came around the corner to be confronted by the city, there in its midst was the Durham Cathedral towering over all other buildings causing my heart to leap and my spirit to soar. Like wise when I came over the hill in Jerusalem to be confronted by the city with the Dome of the Rock before me and the tears just silently  ran down my face. Yet I also can look at a brightly coloured beautifully crafted flower or a tiny blue wren and my heart leaps and my spirit soars. To me this is standing on sacred ground. A hiker on a mountain top explained her experience like this: ' Suddenly I felt God's power and presence penetrate right through me. I was so overwhelmed I just sat down.  My eyes overflowed with tears and I thanked God that he had taught me to know him and I begged him ardently that my life be consecrated to his will.'
What causes your heart to leap and your spirit to soar?  Where do you 'meet'God?
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Photo: Western Wall. Jerusalem

You are seen

I am his and he is mine, here in the power of God I stand.(Song: How deep the Fathers love for us)

I think  the words of this spiritual song make for a good mantra.'I am his and he is mine, here in the power of God I stand.' Think of all the situations and times  you could grasp hold of that line as a life line, a means of strength or to express the power of God's saving grace.

I remember a conference I went to at Kurrajong in the foot hills of the Blue Mountains, a place of beauty and rest, a place of quiet yet the sound of the Bell birds still rings in my mind.  There an aged care chaplain told the story of an elderly frail  lady with sever dementia and her conversation seemed to have no meaning to the listener. As the chaplain sat with her,gently  massaging fragrant oils into her arthritic hands she had a great sense of inadequacy in her ability to have meaningful conversation with this lady and often the silence was long and uncomfortable. This particular day the chaplain had brought with her a CD for background music  to fill the silences. In the CD was a repetitive one liner: ' You are seen, you are loved, you are doing very well.'  Then, in the midst of a muddled conversation the elderly lady looked into the chaplains eyes and after a moment of silence said, as clear as the call of the Bell birds. ' You are seen, you are loved, you are doing very well.'

Serve God with confidence for you to are seen, loved and doing very well.

Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ

Anne, servant of the Lord

God's recreation

'Morning has broken, like the first morning.' TIS 156
The sun did nothing spectacular when it came over the horizon today but minutes later a midst the morning fog and icy frost it hung ghost like from  the shifting fog that had covered its face, a breathtaking  perfect circle of , colourless shinning  silver. All was so still and quiet except for beautiful song of a magpie. It was a special moment.
One of my favourite hymns is 'Morning has Broken.' It says so much about what we see and hear if we take the time to listen and look, and it says so much about what we miss if we don't go a little slower, to say nothing of missing the joy of the gift of each new day
.(Lessin)
Jesus is the sun rise in the morning and the sunset of your day.
His mercy greets you every morning and his goodness tucks you in at night.

Every new day is like looking God straight in the eye. Its as simple as that.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

let your light shine

At the end of each day I reflect on the people who have crossed my path and sum that up in my prayers, especially  when I think of those who experienced Christ through the encounter, those who catch a glimpse of Christ through  relationship with them or in a brief passing. a brief word, a brief touch. I think of my daily round and yours and sum that up as many who have had a touch of God through us all and I thank God that we can bring some light into a dark world through who we are and what we are doing. For some, as the saying goes, we may be the only gospel they ever hear, the only encounter with God they ever have and it may be just enough to change their world.
'Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.' Matthew 5:16

Robert Louis Stevenson, as a small boy, was staring out his bedroom window one night when his nanny summons him to bed. He was reluctant to come and

his nanny asked what was the attraction outside in the dark night. he said, pointing to the lamplighter who was lighting the street lamps. 'Look nanny,the man is putting holes in the darkness.'
Lotz says in her book Just give me Jesus. 'You and I may not be able to change the world, but surely each of us can put a hole in the darkness.
Turn on the light! share what Jesus means to you and give God's word to someone else.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne,servant of the Lord.

A gift for life

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things in all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Cor 9:8
Most of us love to receive gifts. They remind us that we are thought of and loved even if they are only 'momentary' gifts like a movie pass,a book, once used or read it becomes a personal memory. How many times do we receive a gift that we can share with others, for life.
I think of our daily lives and how we give from the bottom of our hearts, for the love of Jesus, giving him to others through love, a love that we ourselves have experienced in Christ. What a  gift. There are still many in need of that lasting gift, the gift of God's love: your neighbor,the homeless, the man on the street corner looking for a handout, even the friend you might be having coffee with today.
The gift of Jesus, the Christ, is the gift that keeps on giving, through us as we share the gospel through word and action.
Lets not hoard and keep this gift stowed away in our hearts, but scatter it on the air and breath of this new day so it falls on those who need it.

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