General Chat

Good morning :-)

Thank you for that lovely prayer Vera........ <3


It was bitterly cold at our Cenotaph yesterday but the crowds were huge. Then they all packed into our warm church - standing room only - must have been about 500 folk in.


It was also my husband's birthday yesterday so it was quite a day!




Loving God, may our hearts be full of memories of and gratitude for our coun-trymen and women who served under the armed forces in wars fought for the freedom we enjoy today.
We remember and express our gratitude for those who fell in battle and those who, while they may not have died, offered their bodies, hearts, and energies fighting for a better world.
Bless all those who gave the best of themselves for our country and be with all those who continue to give of themselves to establish peace and protect the innocent in our world. Amen.


Cx :-)

It's lovely that you felt able to pop on to the boards Kandj. You and your hubby are very much in my thoughts <3

As we remember those who gave their lives in past conflicts, and as we mark the centenary of Passchendaele, I find it distressing that we humans seem to learn so little from the lessons of the past. How can we still be fighting wars?

At school, 60 odd years ago, we regularly said a prayer for peace and it somehow seems even more relevant today.

Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed, kindle we pray Thee in the hearts of all men the true love of peace; and guide with Thy pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of this earth, that in tranquillity Thy kingdom may go forward, till the earth be filled with the knowledge of Thy love. Amen

Good morning :-)


It was lovely to hear from kandj during what is, for her and the family, a very worrying time. We continue to hold them in our prayers <3

As today is Remembrance Sunday, there will be many Acts of Remembrance taking place across the country.

The Collect (special prayer) set for today.

Ever-living God,
we remember those whom you have gathered from the storm of war
into the peace of your presence;
may that same peace calm our fears,
bring justice to all peoples
and establish harmony among the nations,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

The reading for today is the one where Jesus commands us to ‘Love one another as I have loved you’.


The weather forecast is for very cold conditions this morning........brrrrr I had better wrap up well. Our son is coming to dadsit this morning as it would be too long for my husband to be out - what with road closures and marches taking place.


Love and prayers Cx <3

<3 kandj and her husband <3

Hello all...... here I am just popping in quickly. I feel like a zombie on auto pilot!!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, your kind words, thoughts and prayers are a BIG help.

Hubby has become stabilized but we are anxiously awaiting CT scan results just now.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
(Philippians 4:13.)

Good morning :-)


Today is the 99th anniversary of the end of World War One. As we have remembered past warfare through poetry, this morning we contemplate the future through prayer.

Compassionate God and Father of all,
we are horrified at violence
in so many parts of the world.
It seems that none are safe, and some are terrified.
Hold back the hands that kill and maim;
turn around the hearts that hate.
Grant instead your strong Spirit of Peace -
peace that passes our understanding
but changes lives,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen


We continue to hold kandji and her husband in prayer. <3


Cx :-)

My thoughts and prayers for kandj and her husband <3

Good morning :-)


A MOTHER'S WARTIME PRAYER – past, present, future.

War of the air keep safe my son
Till he returns his duty done
From shrapnel shell, from fire and blast
Protect his plane until the last
Bequeath to him a courage fine
To brace him in the firing line
Make straight his aim, make keen his eye
Make brave his heart to free the sky
O Lord Almighty, Lord of Air
Keep thou his mind from dark despair
Heal Thou his nerve so sorely tried
By strain of war and friends who died
And grant to me when war is done
The blessed sight of this my son.


Continuing to hold kandj and her husband in prayer. <3


Cx :-)

Amen to that Emma.

Kandj and her husband - God hold you in the palm of his hand <3

I'm saying a prayer for you today,
That God will touch you with His healing hand
and give you the comfort and peace you need
to get you through the day.

kandj and her husband <3

Good morning..... :-)


Our thoughts remain very much with kandji and her dear husband today. God bless them both. <3


A sombre poem from WW1

In Memoriam
by Ewart Alan Mackintosh (killed in action 21st November 1917 aged 24)

So you were David’s father,
And he was your only son,
And the new-cut peats are rotting
And the work is left undone,
Because of an old man weeping,
Just an old man in pain,
For David, his son David,
That will not come again.

Oh, the letters he wrote you,
And I can see them still,
Not a word of the fighting,
But just the sheep on the hill
And how you should get the crops in
Ere the year get stormier,
And the Bosches have got his body,
And I was his officer.

You were only David’s father,
But I had fifty sons
When we went up in the evening
Under the arch of the guns,
And we came back at twilight -
O God! I heard them call
To me for help and pity
That could not help at all.

Oh, never will I forget you,
My men that trusted me,
More my sons than your fathers’,
For they could only see
The little helpless babies
And the young men in their pride.
They could not see you dying,
And hold you while you died.

Happy and young and gallant,
They saw their first-born go,
But not the strong limbs broken
And the beautiful men brought low,
The piteous writhing bodies,
They screamed “Don’t leave me, sir”,
For they were only your fathers
But I was your officer.



Cx <3

So sorry to read this update.

May kandj and her husband be given the strength to face the days ahead.

I am so sorry to hear this. My thoughts and prayers are with Kandj and her dear husband <3

I have just heard from kandj who tells me that her husband has had a heart attack and is very poorly indeed. She has spent two days and nights at his bedside but has come home for a much needed rest.

We continue to keep them both in our prayers. <3

Holding kandj and her husband in my prayers x

Good morning :-)

There is still no word from kandj - we will keep her in our prayers. <3


Until I began this search for wartime poetry, I had no idea of just how many there are. I wonder if this is how many folk express themselves after going through such awful conflicts......?

A poem from the Falklands War……..

Why do they look at me that way?

Why do they look at me that way?
"He's not all there", I've heard them say
Leave me alone you faceless folk
To fight in war it aint no joke
I've lost my wife my job my friends
Was it all worth it? That all depends
I don't know why I feel this way
I took my oath
I did obey
I killed because I was scared to die
By blowing those Sky hawks from the sky
Those retard bombs they drove us mad
They sent us on the Galahad
The screams of the dying, twisted metal shards
A floating burning hell of dead Welsh Guards
I did not cry for them that day
Why do they look at me that way?
My brain recorded events for me
I seem to torture myself with glee
In the capital Stanley we drank ourselves sober
The Sergeant Major said "The party is over."
They sent us back to our home shore
Amongst our families we were still fighting our own war
It's nearly twenty years since we won the day
Those painful memories just wont go away
I love my Country and my brothers in arms
On November the 11th I'll sing hymns and psalms
I will wear my medals with pride on that day
The only day of the year they don't look at me that way.
- Tony McNally


Cx :-)

I had not seen today's poem either - very moving. Thank you.

Sending loving thoughts to Kandj and her husband <3 <3

Such a moving poem Cynthia thank you x

My prayers for kandj and her husband <3

Thank you Cynthia.
I had not seen that poem before.

Not far from here is Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, where over 300 Canadian soldiers are buried.
I often think about them and their families, who probably were never able to visit their loved one's resting place.
The local people remember them though and there is a ceremony each July on Canada Day, when local school children place flowers on each grave.

War touched so many nations.


Holding kandj and her husband in my thoughts and prayers.

Good morning :-)


There is no update from kandj at the moment - we continue to hold her and her husband in our prayers.... <3


Continuing our wartime poetry......

This poem is dedicated to Freddy Harris, a sergeant in the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada - killed in action on D-Day 1944. "My Buddy"
BBC/PeoplesWar/Stories

MY BUDDY
In memory of a man from '43
He came from a land across the sea
"Hi there, Limey!" he yelled with a grin
"Hallo!" I replied, "how've you bin"
"Go inside and stow your gear,
Bring your pals, we'll go for a beer".
From this moment a friendship grew.
We ate, we trained, and socialised too.
Then one day the orders came
Realising now this wasn't a game.
We boarded ship, then on our way
And during the night we gathered to pray.
Landing craft lowered seven miles from land.
We scrambled down nets, hand over hand
Into the boats, a fearsome task.
Look after us Lord, that's all I ask
The sea was stormy, we had a rough ride.
I looked at my buddy who sat by my side,
"Take care Limey, you'll do fine,
Good luck Canuck, old friend of mine".
The ramp went down, we plunged into the swell,
The beach before us a living hell.
Our feet on the ground, we dashed to the wall
From the corner of my eye I saw him fall.
Again and again I still ask why!
My friend from Toronto, why did he die?
- Cyril W Crain


Cx :-)