And the silence is itself

Declare your steadfast love in the morning.  Psalm 92:2
Sometimes we can sit so still and quiet as if a bird has landed on our head and our whole being  is  focused on the moment. Pre dawn is always such a lovely time with silence, stillness and presence  and I was reading a saying by Thomas Merton which said: This flower. This moment. This silence - the Lord is here. Best because the flower is itself and the silence is itself, and the silence is itself and I am myself.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord

morning stillness. The Lord is here

sweet melody

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise you the Lord.  Psalm 150:6
So does that mean my little dog who lies on my knee in sleep, breathing softly, or the bird that sings at the crack of dawn in rhythm of its breathing ,praises the Lord?  To these thoughts I say yes, yes and yes,I believe so. The bird high on the lamp post as the sun rises and sets, singing its little beating heart out with such beautiful musical notes that it can be doing nothing more than praising God. William Blake said: For every thing that lives is holy. Life delights in life.

Singing to the Lord

I sing because I'm happy

You are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:31
Even though the sparrow is a common, plain little bird, he is loved by God and God uses this common little bird to tell us that no matter what we are, no matter how we look, no matter who we are we are valued by God. I watch these little birds scavenging in the garden ever so happy, ever so 'chatting' and busy and cant help saying to each and every one, 'you are special.' Mary Oliver says:Of course I love the sparrows, those dun-coloured darlings, so hungry and so many.' and I found these words : I sing because I am happy. I sing  because I'm free, for his eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me. (anon)
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

A sparrow in the tomb garden in Jerusalem

It happens so suddenly.

Is anything to wonderful for the Lord? Gen 18:14
We can be just going about our day minding our own business when a piece of music, the sight of a beautiful flower, a sweet perfume in the air or a butterfly ever so graceful crosses our path, or the blackbird singing in the morning sun rays and our heart flutters for one brief moment and we are raised out of what ever it is we are doing to a 'heavenly place' and then, in just a flash, we are back on our way in our daily routine. 'All the things we enjoy, ' says John Calvin, 'are ladders by which we ascend nearer to God.'
May the Lord of peace himself, give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Lost in wonder

Who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:4
I was always fascinated by the wriggly bark on some gum trees and wonder what God had in mind when he planted that species. Who did he invite to joining in the creation with him? Is it just a pattern on the tree trunk or did he have the assistance of a tiny creature? I think when we look closely at just about anything we can be asking similar questions that steer our minds and thoughts to God. Like the beauty of the rose bud that blossoms into a flower from the inside out. Or an acorn that grows into a huge oak tree, or the small ants that make huge nests. God gave us so much to see, to treasure, to draw us into his presence in wonder and delight. Jean-Pierre de Caussade said: If one looks long enough to almost anything, looks with absolute attention at a flower, a stone, the bark on a tree, grass, snow, a cloud - something like revelation takes place. Something is 'given' and perhaps that something is always a reality outside of self.'
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Tiny ants, huge nests. How clever is that.

Hope

Love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord. Thessalonians. 1:3
 The catastrophe fire storms have left so many people homeless, lives lost and  stock killed and thousands of miles of bush and wildlife destroyed  . Can there be any hope for those who are in the midst of all of this? I was watching the news and taken by the hope that one farmer has. He was all but burnt out yet in a paddock that had been singed by fire and surrounded by devastation there was a  horse who had just given birth to a new foal.The farmer saw this as a sign, and it gave him a great sense of hope. Amidst the fire storm there was new life,a blessing,  a new beginning and a quote came to my mind: 'Hope is like the sun, which,as we walk towards it, casts a shadow of our burdens behind us.' (author unknown) 
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

New life, new hope.

Take a little rest

Wide, wide as the ocean, high as the heavens above, deep deep as the deepest sea is my saviours love. (hymn)
Ah, there is nothing like a rest after a hard days work and that goes for all creatures in our world, not just us humans. Without stepping aside we fail to see the treasures that God has prepared for us, for our enjoyment.I stepped aside for two days and spent it by the sea and God didn't fail in his blessings. The sky was blue, the white topped  waves were playing gently with the breeze, the seagulls were almost aerobatic in their attempt to catch a morsel of food from a passer by before the other dozens of gulls caught it. (a bit like feeding the 5,000) and the pelicans got into clusters to see who could be first to take the catch thrown to them from  the fishing boat that had just positioned itself at the jetty. All the activity of the fishermen and the creatures came to a stop  in the afternoon. It was a time of rest from business and the pelicans caught my eye again, all lined up in a row, resting. The entire day was like a kiss from God.  We have a beautiful world, created for our pleasure and enjoyment if we take the time to stop and enjoy. There is a Jewish saying: On the day of judgment God will ask one question: 'Did you enjoy my world?'
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Time for a break from working.

Oops, they got it wrong.

Then Peter said to Jesus, 'Lord it is good for us to be here;if you wish I will make three dwellings here, one for you,one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' Matthew 17:4
Sometimes we get it wrong. Sometimes we over think things and sometimes we rush in before we think or in our excitement we over look the real meaning of what is happening. These thoughts were running through my mind as I was quietly looking at three 'wiltjas' or Aboriginal 'dwelling places.' at a campsite of  story telling  around Alice Springs. As I was looking I thought of  Peter's words to Jesus when he said: 'Lord it is good for us to be here. If you wish I will make three dwelling places. One for  you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. At the first rush of adrenaline, at the first assumption of why they were on the mountain with Jesus, they got it wrong. I love these words of  Mary Oliver.. She wrote: Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.  
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

And there were three dwelling places.

Holding tight

Hold me up that I may be safe: Psalm 119:117
The wind has been particularly wild lately, blowing in all directions and with force, yet as I was driving, I was in awe of a tiny lady bird holding fast to the window screen of my car. Despite the wind which I thought had the power to break a tree, this little creature with its bright red coat and tiny black spots stayed with me on the window of my car. What incredible strength in those tiny legs and how the suction on its feet. (are they called feet on ladybirds?) held her on. I found myself talking to this little creature saying hang on we will be home soon and the moment I pulled up at home this little soul flew off the window and landed on a rose in full bloom. Its a parable isn't it?   I can see how such a story could be our story as we  hang onto God when life gets rough and the strength he gives us to hold on until we arrive 'home' and fly off to safety in him. I read this  saying: The little bugs that scurry, the little beasts that creep among the grasses and the weeds, and where the leaves are deep: All of them were made by God as part of God's design. Remember that the world is theirs, not only yours and mine.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord

All God's creatures have a place in the choir.

Free spirit

For he commanded and they were created. Psalm 148:5
There is a survey going on at the moment  to record sightings and colours (what I call their personalities)of the butterflies. There is something about a butterfly. Its like a soft gentle spirit silently passing by and hovering over the perfume of the  sweet smelling flowers.They are like angels, drifting on the air,  a creature that stops us in our path and draws from us a breath of delight -  an AH moment  - and leaves our heart feeling warm and fuzzy. They are those little angels that delight us at the time we are looking to God for comfort or  peace or just an uplifting of our spirits yet when we think about its transformation from a caterpillar to this beautiful spirit we are left in wonder.   Maya Angelou said:We delight in the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty   
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord.-  

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly. (Richard Bach)

a

Pause as the new day dawns

This is the day that the Lord has made. Psalm 118:24
Its here again Lord, your gift to us of another day and I wonder how much we really appreciate that. Have we stopped to listen and to look at its sights and sounds before rushing head long into it. Is our wakening mind full of the coming events of the day, all those hastily scribbled notes for the days agenda that wait in the diary to be fulfilled.Take a moment, a precious moment and look at the face of spring blooming around you.Go low enough to see the face of the flowers and take in their sweet perfume. Mary Oliver said. O do you have time to linger for just a little while out of your busy and very important day for the goldfinches that gathered in the field of thistles.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways
Anne, servant of the Lord

And a new day dawned

Eastern or Western spirituality.

He is named wonderful counselor, mighty God. Isa 9:6
Around the walls of my office I have a few icons of various sizes that I have bought home from several trips to the Holy Land but there is one that sits on my prayer desk and it comes with me when I go on retreat, on holiday and on many occasions when I have been in hospital. Its small enough to travel  in my pocket, be placed on a bedside table or desk with my prayer book and note book, and other items of devotion and has the image of Mary and the baby Jesus. Somehow, it doesn't matter how many times I look at it in prayerful silence it always has something new to discover and meditate on. Its a bit like sitting in the quiet of a garden and in the stillness gaze at the intricate,  delightful and colourfull  flowers and seeing something new every time, just sitting and looking at my surroundings and reflecting on the creator. I call these icons too. Living icons. that I never tire of. Thomas Merton said: I have a small icon that goes with me, its made of wood and is of Mary and child. Its like a kiss from heaven and is a perfect act of timeless worship. I never tire of gazing at it. It is unutterably splendid and silent.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in all ways.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Lost in wonder, love and praise.

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From a bud to a rose

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. Matt 13:44
I recall the story of a young boy who was seen by his mother as he sat on the back step of their home just quietly and with curiosity peeling  petals  off  the a tight a rose bud. His mother asked him what he was doing and he said he was trying to open   the  rose.. His mother replied that the rose and all its beauty and sweetness can only be opened from the inside. Its like a parable isn't it? or is it a miracle ? that change and goodness and beauty come from within when opened out by God. That what begins is not how it is.  Spring  is a time when there are  signs of new life and opening rose buds are on full display. I love this line from one of Mary Oliver's poems:Roses- opening now their soft dresses, their leaves are shining. Oh how spring can bring a picture of parables and miracles.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.
Anne ,servant of the Lord.

Ah, what beauty, what perfection

created, shaped, drew and painted.

He gave us eyes to see them and lips that we might tell how great is God Almighty who has made all things well. ( hymn 135,v5  TIS).
Spring is such a lovely season that carries beauty, perfume and many an 'Ah' moment. But then again so does the autumn with its stunning displays of leafy colours that drifts on the wind from their moorings and yet again we can claim winter as a lovely season with its white frost, magical floating fog and the icy cobwebs that hang on the fence wire. Summer also can claim our love with its warmth, clear blue sky and long balmy nights. Sometimes I am speechless at God's creation. What love for us that he created and made and drew and painted adding splashes of colour, different shapes, different sizes and different sounds all of which draw our minds and thoughts to him.Vincent Van Gogh said: (But) I always think that the best way to know God is to love many things.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Even the laughing kookaburra

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Live with intention

Be still before the Lord and wait in patience Psalm 36:7
We live in a fast pace world that often leaves us exhausted and under pressure. Today's world is one we know we have to step out of regularly for the sake of our body, mind and spirit and what better place to do that than  in the garden where there is a sense of peace and calm and the only sounds are that of the birds singing to God. A quiet place I love to be  is in my small garden surrounded by open spaces and the rich colour and the beauty of the spring flowers. Its here I  can feel God's presence moving in and the stress and pace of the day moving out.
Elena Pasquali said:I sit still and quiet in this my quiet place, and think of good and lovely things and God's unfailing grace.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

Silence and stillness are gifts.

Lost in wonder

For everything created by God is good. 1 Timothy 4:4
I was admiring the beautiful spring flowers that are everywhere in the garden from tulips to blue bells, to jonquils, to lavender and as I reached out my hand to draw the vine of sweet peas closer to get a full burst of their perfume my arm stopped before I touched them and it was like there was a real oneness in that moment.
Pablo Neruda said: Many things give me completeness, they did not only touch me, my hand did not merely touch them, but rather, they befriended my existence. 

Painted by God.

O what a gift, what a wonderful gift.

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day so may the light of your presence, O God set our hearts of fire with love for you now and forever. (Daily Office APBA)) 
Every time I say the daily office I think of all of you who are doing likewise. its a practice that bonds us together even though we can be near or many hundreds, even thousands  of  miles apart.  Its a practice not by rote or habit but with a true hart and therefore with sincerity we say 'Thank you Father for this day because its a lovely gift from you and  thank you for the birds. Even if I don't praise you they would go on singing to your glory'  (Treasury of prayers)
May we  focus our eyes and our thoughts and our presence to see God at work in our day. Unwrap it slowly, gently, bit by bit, savoring its silence, its sounds,its perfumes, its beauty.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord  .
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PEACE

God revealed

When he is revealed........ we will see him how he is. 1 John 3:2 (paraphrased)
Many of us have 'symbols' in nature that remind us of the presence of God. We look about and God speaks.There are so many daily blessings and affirmation of his presence with us.. Even the tiniest flower will be dressed in the handiwork of God. Its like he has a paint palate and he ponders and chooses colour and shape and splashes that around and perhaps he will think with each stroke of his brush that this will please my people, this will bring them joy, this will bring them blessings.this will show them my love. Look and see that the Lord is good.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne,servant of the Lord.

Who would make a flower so beautiful

See more than there is.

All things have been created through him. Col 1:16
So much more can be seen when we  look beyond what is right before us and so often we miss the beauty, the blessings of awareness. So,when you look at a window, look through it into the world.  When you look at the beautiful bright mass of yellow on the wattle tree take a closer look at the tiny balls of fluffy yellow that make up the mass. When you look at a gum leaf after the rain you can see a life giving drop of water bulging on its tip.When you walk past a pocket of perfume on the Daphne bush notice its little tiny pink and white individual flowers that make up its beauty  What delight there is when we let our 'God mindfulness' play on our imagination.  W.E.B Dois says:  Lord make us mindful of the little things that grow and blossom in these days to make the world beautiful for us. 
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Look beyond the window

All the things we enjoy

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,give thanks in all circumstance.  1 Thess 5: 16-17             
 A weekend of silent retreat in the  highlands of New South Wales and I found myself repeatedly thanking God around every corner I turned. There were flowers smiling brightly,an occasional fading autumn leaf still visible on the ground,an old  tree of fading pink blossoms that looked like it had been sharing its joy for many years, Kookaburras laughing, and  rows and rows of vineyards ready to burst into production of the finest dinner wines and there was peace and there was quiet and there was God. John Calvin said, 'All the things we enjoy are ladders by which we may ascend nearer to God.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.
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                                     I see heavens glory shine and  faith shines equal (Emily Bronte)