General Chat

hello to everyone on here

Cynthia .......... so pleased to hear that your OH made it to church with you, and that he had such a good welcome. xxx



thinking of you all xxx

Good morning :-)


It's so nice to see friends popping in now and again.....*waves* to Sylvia and Vera :-D


Talking of friends, what better thing than to thank God for our friendships this morning?


Prayer for Friendship

You have blessed us, O God,
with the gift of friendship,
the bonding of persons
in a circle of love.
We thank you for such a blessing:
for friends who love us,
who share our sorrows,
who laugh with us in celebration,
who bear our pain,
who need us as we need them,
who weep as we weep,
who hold us when words fail,
and who give us the freedom
to be ourselves.
Bless our friends with health,
wholeness, life, and love.
Amen.

- Vienna Cobb Anderson


Continuing to pray for our friends who have asked for prayer... Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Something that can be easily overlooked these days are the Ten Commandments - I fear many folk think that they are outdated and of no consequence. However, these writings given by God to Moses so long ago, are as relevant today as they were then.

Traditional version:

1. I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol.
3. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God.
4 .Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
5. Honour your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
10. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbour



The Hillbilly version :

1. Just one God

2. Put nothin' before God

3. Watch yer mouth

4. Git yourself to Sunday meetin'

5. Honor yer Ma & Pa

6. No killin'

7. No foolin' around with another fellow's gal

8. Don't take what ain't yers

9. No tellin' tales or gossipin'

10.Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff


:-D :-D :-D


With love to all. Cx :-)

Thanks for that Cynthia it did make me smile :-D

:-D :-D :-D

That was fun!


Thanks, Cyn

Good morning :-)

You're very welcome to a touch of humour my friends. :-D


A busy day lies ahead. It's our Christmas Fair for church so it's all systems go. We set up our 'Lyons' Corner House Cafe' last night (theme is 1914), and it looked good. We are hoping and praying for a good financial result as it costs so much to keep a church running these days.

I must shortly go and don my black and white waitress's outfit.... :-)


For today:

Enable this church to do your will
Make it vulnerable that it may speak with calm humility;

Make it outward looking that it may care deeply
Make it a community of peacemakers and bridge builders
In the midst of turbulence let the church make space
for the hearing of your still small voice


Cx :-)

I hope your Christmas Fair went well, Cynthia, and that you aren't too exhausted.

I was doing a bit of tidying up on the computer this afternoon and came across the following blessing that I must have copied from somewhere at some time. I thought it was rather gentle and calming.

A Blessing

May the Sun bring you new energy by day,

May the Moon softly restore you by night.

May the Rain wash away your worries.

May the Breeze blow new strength into your being.

May you Walk gently through the World and know its
Beauty all the days of Your Life.

EDIT: It's just occurred to me that I might well have copied it from this thread at some time in the past. If that's the case I apologise but it's worth reposting

Good morning :-)



No apologies needed Vera, they are lovely words. Thank you.


The fair went extremely well and took over £3,000 in total. :-D

Most folk seemed very happy and relaxed - although I did hear a bit of a 'to do'
about raffle prizes, so I slid gracefully away.... :-D

The children from school sang beautifully and a lot of folk pitched in to help clear up after a very good day. There will be some tired folk in church this morning.....


Today is the Feast of Christ the King....and this is reflected in the Collect


Eternal Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven
that he might rule over all things as Lord and King:
keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit and in the bond of peace,
and bring the whole created order to worship at his feet;
who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen


Remembering our friends in prayer. Cx :-)

Cynthia and Suffolk Vera, thank you xxxx

Good morning :-)


You're very welcome Tenerife Sun......it is nice to see you - anytime <3


Yesterday was good.........my OH not only made it to church, but he also sat and chatted with folk whilst I was busy about my baptism welcoming. Later on, we went for a short drive to get a Mr. Whippy, which he really enjoys :-D


As the season for giving gifts is fast approaching, some thoughts for today:



PRICELESS GIFTS TO GIVE FOR FREE

The gift of listening:
No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your responses. Just listen.

The gift of affection:
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back, and handholding.

The gift of laughter:
Share articles, funny stories, and cartoons to tell someone, "I love to laugh with you."

The gift of a compliment:
A simple and sincere "You look great in red," "You did a super job," or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.

The gift of solitude:
Be sensitive to the times when others want nothing more than to be left alone.

The gift of a cheerful disposition:
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, even if it's just saying hello or thank you.

The gift of a prayer:
Let your friends and loved ones know you pray for them--then do it!

~ Barbara Johnson




Love to all Cx :-)

I am so pleased that your husband is back to
his church and enjoying the experience :-)

Remembering all in need of comfort, through illness
or loneliness. May they find strength to help them each
and everyday.

xx

Good morning... :-)


Off to see the consultant re my husband's macular degeneration today. He will tell us if any more eye injections are needed or not. I have to say my OH does surprise me at times - he loathes injections but waltzes in for those in his eye with no qualms........... :-S

We haven't mentioned angels for a while.....

MEETING ANGELS UNAWARE

On life's busy thoroughfare,
We meet with angels unaware,
But we are too busy to see or hear,
Too busy to sense that God is near,
Too busy to stop and recognize
The grief that lies in another's eyes.
Too busy to offer to help or share,
Too busy to sympathize or care,
Too busy to do the good things we should,
Telling ourselves we would if we could.
But life is too swift and the pace is too great,
And we dare not pause for we might be late
For our next appointment which means so much
We are willing to brush off the Saviour's touch.
And we tell ourselves there will come a day,
We will have more time to pause on our way,
But before we know it life's sun has set,
And we've passed the Saviour, but never met.
For hurrying along life's thoroughfare,
We passed Him by and remained unaware
That within the very sight of our eye,
Unnoticed, the Son of God passed by.

--Helen Steiner Rice



Love to all Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



I think I must be going through a 'silly' session.......it wasn't the Consultant yesterday, simply an eye test, drops and a scan for my OH, even though the letter gave the impression that we would be seeing a doctor. Also, I had something in my diary for last night, only to discover that it should have been down for 16th December. Dear oh dear! :-( Never mind, I have loads of excuses I can use...... :-D

For today:

Lessons to be Learned from Noah

•Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

•Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone might ask you to do something REALLY big.(amen!)

•Don't listen to critics -- do what has to be done.

•Build on high ground.

•For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

•Two heads are better than one.

•Speed isn't always an advantage. The cheetahs were on board, but so were the snails.

•If you can't fight or flee -- float!

•Don't forget that we're all in the same boat.

•Remember that the ark was built by amateurs and the Titanic was built by professionals.

•Remember that the woodpeckers INSIDE are often a bigger threat than the storm outside.

•Don't miss the boat.

•No matter how bleak it looks, if God is with you, there's always a rainbow on the other side.


Continuing to remember our friends in prayer....Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Some simple but profound words for today:


I ask Lord for daily bread, but not for wealth, lest I forget the poor

I ask for strength, but not for power, lest I despise the meek

I ask for wisdom, but not for learning, lest I condemn the simple

I ask for a clean name, but not for fame, lest I condemn the lowly.

I ask for peace of mind, but not for idle hours, lest I fail to hearken to the call of duty.

- Inazo Nitobe


Love to all Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

We had a very productive visit from an Occupational Therapist yesterday. After listening and observing, she is arranging for us to have a stair lift fitted and a wet room installed. All of this will make life a lot easier for my husband and help to maintain his independence for a while longer. So grateful...... :-)



A prayer from the Celtic tradition today:

Lord of the day

Lord of the sunrise,
we give thanks for the birth of each child,
for the freshly opening rose,
for all newborn animals.

Lord of the morning,
we give thanks for energy and enthusiasm,
for the challenges of a new day,
for your Resurrection power.

Lord of the noonday,
we give thanks for the ability to work,
for all we can achieve,
for unrealised potential.

Lord of the sunset,
we give thanks for those who have died
in the faith of Christ,
for all who have inspired us, for our loved ones.

Lord of the night,
we give thanks for rest and refreshment,
for all your love and care,
for the promise of a new day.


Remembering our friends in prayer Cx :-)

Wonderful news Cynthia, I find that my stair lift is
essential for me, and it will be so for your OH plus
the wet room :-)

Good morning :-)


Quite often, when church topics are discussed, I find that non-believers think that some of us are hypocritical in our belief. The following is, perhaps, an example of their thoughts.....

Stay or Run?


One Sunday morning during service, a 2,000 member congregation was surprised to see two men enter, both covered from head to toe in black and carrying sub-machine guns. One of the men proclaimed, "Anyone willing to take a bullet for Christ remain where you are."

Immediately, the choir fled, the deacons fled, and most of the congregation fled. Out of the 2,000 there only remained around 20.

The man who had spoken took off his hood, looked at the preacher and said, "Okay Pastor, I got rid of all the hypocrites. Now you may begin your service. Have a nice day!" And the two men turned and walked out.


Food for thought indeed.


Love to all. Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Quite a day today......not only is it St. Andrew's Day, but it is also the First Sunday of Advent.

The Collect for today :


Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and to put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen



Prayer for St. Andrew's Day:


Brother of Simon Peter, you heard John the Baptist say:
"Behold the Lamb of God," and you chose to follow Jesus.
Leaving your nets, you became a successful fisher of souls.

Lover of the Crucified Christ, you too were crucified like him.
Teach us to live and suffer for Him and to win many souls for Christ. Amen.


Inspiring words to see us through the day. Cx :-)

Thank you for St. Andrews Day Prayer Cynthia. x

Good morning :-)

OH at church again yesterday which was lovely. :-)

We are having a change of incumbent again though. The chap who was appointed after the death of our beloved vicar, is standing down to pursue another path within the deanery. The female area dean is taking us under her wing as from January. Interesting times :-D

Our current priest in charge celebrated his 50th birthday last week and was given a surprise gift and a round of applause which took him by surprise. He then moved forward to say the prayers for the Advent Wreath and to explain the meaning behind the 'four candles' of Advent. He stopped.....said "four candles" with a rueful shake of his head and the whole congregation burst out laughing..... :-D I'm not sure that the younger folk quite understood the hilarity though...... :-D


For today:

God, Here

Hello, My Child,

This is God speaking. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help.

If the devil happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, DO NOT attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) Box. It will be addressed in MY time, not yours.

Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold on to it or attempt to remove it. Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem.

If it is a situation that you think you are capable of handling, please consult me in prayer to be sure that it is the proper resolution.

Because I do not sleep nor do I slumber, there is no need for you to worry or stay awake, my child.

If you need to contact me, I am only a prayer away.

And remember that I LOVE YOU!




Love to all Cx :-)