General Chat

Remembering all those killed and injured in Beirut yesterday <3

We heard the explosion and had the shock wave go through our house, frightened the dog. We didn't know what it was until the news came out. We ruled out a small earthquake.

Good morning :-)


As we pray today, we think of the dreadful explosions in Beirut - so many killed, so many injured, so many families devastated. Lord, we pray for those people who are already living in a state of crisis and whose lives have been shattered by this event. We thank you for those who are attempting to rescue and help them and for the medical teams who will be caring for them. Lord, in your mercy........hear our prayer.


Quietly Celtic

Lord,
I wait for the tide to turn
Until the distant becomes close,
Until the far off becomes near,
Until the outside is within,
Until the ebb flows.
Lord,
I wait for the tide to turn
Until weakness is made strong,
Until blindness turns to sight,
Until the fractured is made whole,
Until the ebb flows.
Lord,
I wait until the tide turns,
Until the ordinary becomes strange,
Until the empty is Presence full,
Until the two become one.
Until the ebb flows.


Cx :-)

Lovely Celtic words this week. Thank you Cynthia and Kandj for your contributions.

Hello all

Beautiful uplifting words. Thank you Cynthia.

Keep well and stay safe everybody.

Good morning :-)

I hope everyone is well......


A Quietly Celtic week


On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.
And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets in to you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green,
and azure blue
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.


Cx :-)

Hello all

May the peace of the tallest mountain
and the peace of the smallest stone
Be your peace.
May the stillness of the stars
Watch over you.
May the everlasting music of the waves
Lull you to rest.

An ancient Celtic prayer for peace and sleep.

Happy Monday, and keep well everyone.

Good morning :-)

A Quietly Celtic week

As the rain hides the stars,
as the autumn mist
hides the hills,
as the clouds veil
the blue of the sky, so
the dark happenings of my lot
hide the shining of thy face from me.
Yet, if I may hold thy hand in the darkness,
it is enough, since I know,
that though I may stumble in my going,
Thou dost not fall.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Collect (special prayer) for today:

Almighty Lord and everlasting God,
we beseech you to direct, sanctify and govern
both our hearts and bodies
in the ways of your laws
and the works of your commandments;
that through your most mighty protection, both here and ever,
we may be preserved in body and soul;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Today's gospel reading is about Jesus feeding the 5,000.


This morning I am 'zooming' to church :-D

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Our last look at the bird table........the pigeon

One bird which frequents my bird table daily is the pigeon, well quite a lot of pigeons really! Often thought of as a pesky nuisance its interesting to know that pigeons are mentioned about 12 times in the bible.

We are all familiar with the symbol of the dove as the Holy Spirit, but we forget that pigeons and doves are from the same family. Pigeons were often offered as a sacrifice if people could not afford a dove. It was a pigeon that went with Jesus on His first visit to the temple.

Pigeons are said to be resilient, perceptive, and devoted. They can become attached to people and, if they fly away, they will return home, hence homing pigeons.

The pigeons defence is their unity and speed, and their ability to change direction, as one: fast. Outsiders are probably welcome to try to join, but they have to keep up. They need to share the unity of purpose, not act alone; follow the rules and hold the formation as it swoops and glides across the sky. After half an hour or so the pigeons return to their loft. They know their home and their keeper, where they are fed and cared for. We could learn something from homing pigeons.

St. Francis said, "My brother birds, you should greatly praise your Creator, and love Him always. He gave you feathers to wear, wings to fly, and whatever you need. God made you noble among His creatures and gave you a home in the purity of the air so that though you neither sow nor reap, He nevertheless protects and governs you without your least care."


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

It's going to be a bright, bright sunshiny day! :-D


The Swallow

I see these birds overhead occasionally – so graceful. Over time, this bird has been a symbol of the Incarnation and of resurrection. Around mid-September, they prepare to migrate to escape the winter. Their six-week journey will take them to the very south of Africa flying quite low and covering 200 miles each day, resting each night in huge flocks at traditional stopover spots. Sadly, many will die of starvation or other predations; but if they survive, then early next year they will make the hazardous return journey to return to the UK to breed.

Like swallows Christians have for centuries undertaken long, hazardous journeys that became known as pilgrimages which often took years to complete. Traditionally, the ultimate pilgrimage was to the Holy Land so that even before the end of the first century AD hundreds of pilgrims were making that perilous journey. Many were robbed by bandits as they went, many died en route. Today Christians still undertake pilgrimages abroad and there are also many shrines in this country.

Each day is part of our pilgrimage through life with its associated difficulties and dangers so that, like the footsore pilgrims and the swallows, we must be prepared to face the challenges that come our way. With God by our side we will, like the swallows and pilgrims, be well prepared for our journey through life to attain our Eternal Home.

Cx :-)

Hello all

Another interesting weeks postings. Thanks Cynthia

Keep well and stay safe everyone.

Good morning :-D


The cockerel/rooster

I very much doubt I will ever see one of these at my bird table, but they have an importance in our Christian tradition - the rooster symbolizes a sinner's acceptance of divine pardon through Jesus Christ. Depictions of roosters are found in the Roman catacombs and on the tombs or sarcophagi of Christians in other places as well. Roosters are also seen on many church steeples and are thought to be a reminder of St. Peter and his denial of Christ.

The rooster, as a symbol, becomes a call to repentance. Some see the rooster as a symbol of Christ Himself, the One whose coming brought the true light of the world and the One in whose resurrection we have our hope. It is the rooster who announces the morning, and it is Christ who announced an end to spiritual darkness and despair. In many cultures, the rooster’s habit of crowing at the dawning of each new morning made it a symbol of the Christian’s victory of light over darkness and the triumph of life over death.

A male chicken is considered a cockerel when he is less than one year old from the time he was hatched. After one year, the cockerel becomes a rooster. Cockerels crow at the break of dawn, signalling the start of a new day. Before alarm clocks, this helped farmers get up early to care for the animals and tend to the crops.


Oh God, enlighten my mind with truth
Inflame my heart with love
Inspire my will with courage
Enrich my life with service
Pardon what I have been
Sanctify what I am
Order what I shall be
And thine shall be the glory
And mine the eternal salvation
Through Jesus Christ my lord
Amen


Cx :-)

Good afternoon :-)

Sorry I'm late but had a few jobs to contend with this morning. :-D



The Owl

I haven’t seen one of these at my bird table but it’s interesting to know that various species of owls are mentioned in the Old Testament. Apart from being on the list of unclean birds the Israelites were not to eat, they would generally symbolize tormenting loneliness, desolation, mourning, and judgment. They were probably considered unclean because they are predatory creatures who eat flesh with the blood in it.

Sometimes they are thought of as wise and drawings are made of them with glasses. Maybe that is because they have such huge eyes in respect to their head size. They do not move their eyes up and down or side to side as we do, but instead can turn their head 270 degrees. When owls fly, they are swift and silent as they hunt for prey, such as small animals and rodents. Their wings were designed to give them stealth. Their hearing is very sensitive and they can locate prey even if there is very low light. The sound an owl makes is often considered to be “eerie”.

Whilst owls may be linked to such negative things, we thank God for those friends who help to lift and support us when we are feeling lonely, desolate and sad. We think of our church family who have been there for us during these difficult months….. thank you Lord. Amen.

Cx :-)

Hello all

I'm like Vera and will enjoy reading about the different birds this week. Sadly I only feed a variety of birds at the front and no longer feed the birds in the back garden after a rat decided to visit and eat the food!!!

Keep well and stay safe everyone.

Good afternoon :-)

The Sparrow

Quite a few of these at the bird table, a cheerful little bird who can be quite noisy and seem to enjoy poking about in all sorts of things. Whilst they are known throughout most of the world, monitoring suggests a severe decline in the UK house sparrow population. House sparrows measure about 14-18cms and have a life span of approximately 3 years.

In the bible the Sparrow is mentioned numerous times and have several important symbolic meanings. These birds are tiny and dull bland colouring. In the Scriptures, this physical insignificance represents the size and importance of each soul relative to the immense expanse of the universe. The sparrow is just a bird… but the bible indicates that we are worth more than many sparrows to the Lord. So, if His eye is on the little sparrow, then you can know without a doubt that HE watches you. He loves you. He is going to take care of you!


Cx :-)

I love the idea of a bird week. Thank you Cynthia.

During the past months I have really enjoyed sitting in our conservatory watching the birds on the feeders, particularly the goldfinches and blue and great tits. Between them they cost me a fortune in sunflower hearts, meal worms and peanuts. OH says they eat better than he does :-) I have had so much pleasure from them. Now we are enjoying watching solitary bees flying in and out of the bee box we put up last year. I think they are mostly mason bees and leaf cutter bees but they are fascinating to watch.

Amidst all the gloom we do have much to be thankful for.

Good morning :-)


During lockdown, I found myself taking more interest in the birds coming to the bird table. So much so, I even went out and bought mealworms (ugh). It made me think about birds in the bible and what they represent after all, Jesus said “Consider the birds of the air.”

Today : The raven

The raven is the first bird to be mentioned in the bible and there are about 11 references to ravens all told. In the Book of Genesis, the raven was the first bird Noah released from the ark after the great flood to test whether the waters had receded.

While ravens were considered an unclean bird, they make an appearance in the Bible not only as examples of God's provision but also as messengers with God's provision. ... God illustrates His care and provision for us as He takes care of the ravens. Jesus uses the raven as a lesson to be studied. He states that the raven is just like us, the raven isn’t pure or innocent — it fails, it blunders, it’s noble, it’s shifty — much like us.

Interesting fact: The common raven is closely related to the crow and is the largest of the perching birds: it reaches a length of up to 66 cm (26 inches) and has a wingspan of more than 1.3 metres (4 feet). If captured as a nestling, a raven may make an interesting pet capable of learning to mimic a few words. One captive bird on record lived 69 years.


Cx :-)

Hello all

Matthew ch 13 v 31-33 (NIV) says

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed , which a man took and planted in his field . Though it is the smallest of all seeds , yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches."

Even now, this is still a fundamental truth about nature and it is still really amazing.

Good morning :-)


The Collect (special prayer) for today :

Generous God,
you give us gifts and make them grow:
though our faith is small as mustard seed,
make it grow to your glory
and the flourishing of your kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Thanks Dermot and kandj <3


From: God
To: All His Children

Dear Children,

I am God.

Today, I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that you have no need to worry and I do not need your help.

If life 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. All situations will be resolved in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work, think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad, think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend, think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new grey hair in the mirror, think of the cancer patients in chemo who wish they had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!

Your everloving Father. God.

Cx :-)