General Chat

Hello all, hard to think that we are already into February.

"Evenings are the sweet spot between the harsh light of the day
and the deep darkness of the night". Author unknown.

Sending gentle hugs to those in need. xxx

Thank you for your post Cynthia x

Remembering all in need of prayer and comfort.

Good morning :-)

What miserable weather we are experiencing.......how about something to inspire?

We all need to feel inspired at some points in our lives…..so this week’s posts are hoping to do just that.

If you woke up this morning
with more health than illness ...
YOU are more blessed than
the million who will not survive the week.

If you can attend a church meeting
without fear of harassment, arrest,
torture, or death ...
YOU are more blessed than
three billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator,
clothes on your back,
a roof over your head,
and a place to sleep ...
YOU are richer than
75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank,
in your wallet,
and spare change in a dish somewhere ...
YOU are among
the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If you hold up your head with a smile
on your face and are truly thankful ...
YOU are blessed because
the majority can, but most do not.

If you can read this message ...
YOU are more blessed than
over two billion people in the world
that cannot read at all.

Have a good day and count your blessings!


Remembering friends in prayer. Cx :-)

Hello everyone, on a dark, cold rainy day this morning.

Both your passages mention light Cynthia. It has brought the words of this
beautiful hymn into my mind. I will probably be singing this most of today now!

LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

Light of the world You came down into darkness
Opened my eyes let me see
Beauty that makes this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with you.

Chorus
So here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that your my God.
Your altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me.

King of all days, Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in Heaven above.
Humbly You came to the earth You created
All for loves sake became poor.

Chorus.

I'll never know how much it cost, to see my sin upon that cross
I'll never know how much it cost, to see my sin upon that cross.

So here I am to worship.

Praying for all who are sad, worried or sick today. xxx

Good morning :-)

The Collect (special prayer for today)

God our creator,
who in the beginning commanded the light to shine out of darkness:
we pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
may dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief,
shine into the hearts of all your people,
and reveal the knowledge of your glory
in the face of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.


The Gospel set for today, tells the wonderful story of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. From this reading comes the Nunc Dimittis - a passage well known in musical circles and often used at Christian funerals.

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”



Love to all. Cx :-)

Hello all

Thank goodness for the NHS. Where would we all be without it??!!!

HAPPY SATURDAY TO EVERYONE. HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND.

"The art of being happy lies in the power of
extracting happiness from common things".

Thinking of all the patients who are in hospital this weekend. xxx

Good morning :-)

No change in medication, but a referral to a Speech and Language because of a slight difficulty in swallowing liquids. I'm not sure if she has also referred him to the Memory Clinic because he has some problems in that direction to. All good fun!

A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out.
A Christian Scientist came along and said: "You only think that you are in a pit".
A Pharisee said: "Only bad people fall into a pit".
A Legalist said: "You deserve your pit".
A Charismatic said: "Just confess that you’re not in a pit".
An tax man asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.
An insurance agent asked if he had insurance for that pit.
An Optimist said: "Things could be worse"
A Pessimist said: "Things will get worse!"
Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.

Keeping friends in prayer. Cx :-)

Thank you Cynthia and Kandj for today's posts. I hope the hospital appointment went well Cynthia and they were able to be helpful.

Listening to the wind and rain outside tonight, my thoughts are for the safety of those who are travelling on the road, on the sea or in the air and for the public service workers who have to be out whatever the weather

Hello all

Thanks Cynthia, I enjoyed reading today's post.......very true indeed.

I hope all went well for the two of you at the hospital appointment today.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU

With sunshine to warm you
When the world seems cold.

With smiles to cheer you
When the road seems long.

With bright stars in the sky
When the road seems dark.

Thinking of all who are tending the sick throughout this night. xxx

Good morning :-)


My word, it's very windy out there - praying that you all keep safe.

GOD'S INVISIBLE BREATH

The man whispered, "God, speak to me."
And a meadowlark sang.
But the man did not hear.
So the man yelled, "God, speak to me!"
And the thunder rolled across the sky.
But the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said, "God, let me see you."
And a star shone brightly.
But the man did not notice.
And the man shouted, "God, show me a miracle!"
And a life was born.
But the man did not know.
So, the man cried out in despair.
"Touch me God, and let me know that you are here!"
Whereupon God reached down and touched the man.
But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

MORAL: Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way you expect.
.

Off to Walton hospital this morning.......it's been a difficult couple of weeks here, so let's see if they can advise us.

Cx :-)

Hello all

A brighter day here, and I hope that this brightness extends to everyone who reads this Christian thread and to those who feel weighted down by worries today.

Passing on some cheerfulness, praying that joy and happiness will surround you all xxx

Good morning :-)


It's good to hear that the situations are under a certain amount of control Vera.....we'll keep praying for you and for them... <3



We have had a fairly serious few days so maybe it’s time for a little humour.

Father,

the day to day living can be so challenging and easily drain us of the pleasures in life if we’re not careful.

We thank you for our friends and family who pull us away from that mindset and add laughter to our lives.

Please bring genuine laughter to the hearts of our readers today as they go about their daily duties.

May they hear laughter and may they make laughter, verbally, and in their hearts. In the name of Jesus we pray,amen.


The following was sent to me by a friend

The dentist's hymn:... "Crown Him with Many Crowns."
The weatherman's hymn:... "There Shall Be Showers of Blessings."
The contractor's hymn:... "The Church's One Foundation."
The tailor's hymn:... "Holy, Holy, Holy."
The golfer's hymn:... "There Is a Green Hill Far Away."
The politician's hymn:... "Standing on the Promises."
The optometrist's hymn:... "Open My Eyes That I May See."
The tax man’s hymn:... "I Surrender All."
The gossip's hymn:... "Pass It On."
The electrician's hymn:... "Send Out Thy Light."
The shopper's hymn:... "Sweet By and By."
For those of you who drive, if you must speed on the motorway, please sing these:
45MPH............................"God Will Take Care of You."
55MPH............................"Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah."
65MPH............................"Neared My God to Thee."
75MPH............................"Nearer Still Nearer."
85MPH............................"This World Is Not My Home."
95MPH............................"Lord, I'm Coming Home."
Over 100MPH..................."Precious Memories."


Cx :-)

Thank you Cynthia and kandj for your kind words and thoughts. I have heard today from both my children. My daughter, in her words, is "not great, but OK". My son's difficulties are harder to deal with and likely to go on for rather a long while but he seems to be coping with the stress, so that is a blessing.

I have also been talking today to a friend who was suffering severe depression a couple of years ago but with the help of her doctor, her husband and one or two good friends she has made a remarkable improvement. So tonight my thoughts are with those people who are suffering mentally. May they soon see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Hello all

Nice to have you posting Vera, so sorry that you have family worries.

There is an old saying, "When young, children pull at your purse strings, when they are older, they pull at your heart strings." As a Mum myself, you have my sympathy.

I love Maya Angelou quotes, so thank you Vera for sharing one.
She was a remarkable lady, so powerful and inspirational to all who read her words.

"Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud". I think that one is my favourite.

Remembering all new parents and their tiny babies this night. xxx

Good morning :-)


How lovely to see you Vera but so very sorry to hear that you have family worries. It's hard enough seeing your children go through problems when they are small, but at least there is usually something you can do. However, when they are grown up and have left the nest, it's hard having to take a step back as you watch them struggle. I guess our parents felt the same about us when we hit those hard patches.

Be assured though, the sun will shine again and, hopefully, all the present problems
will be put into perspective as time moves on. Thinking of you... <3



We have just passed the date, but January 18th - 25th is traditionally known as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. It is the week when we think of our friends from different Christian denominations.

There are many different Christian churches and denominations, but all have the same basic calling – to worship God, to share the good news about Jesus Christ and to work for the good of all people.

Lord Jesus, you said that everyone will know that we are your disciples if there is love among us. Strengthened by your grace, may we work tirelessly for the visible unity of your Church, so that the Good News that we are called to proclaim will be seen in all our words and deeds. Amen.


Praying for all those facing huge problems at the moment...... Cx :-)

Cynthia and kandj, you must be thinking you are just talking to each other, but I have been reading each day, as I am sure others have. Thank you for your continuing efforts to keep the thread going.

Cynthia, your poem/prayer on 9th Jan. rang very true for me as it probably did for many others. Sadly both my son and my daughter are having to struggle and cope with difficult and serious problems at the moment and there is little I can do to help, other than provide a listening ear and moral support. On 24 Jan. kandj had a list that included "Let go of what I can't control". I am trying very hard to do that but it is difficult not to constantly worry when your children and grandchildren are shouldering very heavy burdens and you cannot help them.

When I am feeling particularly down I remember a simple quote from Maya Angelou which I always find helpful: “No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”

I am very thankful for the good things I have in my life so today I am thinking of those who don't have my advantages or a supportive husband and loving family. May they be given strength to carry their particular load.

Hello all

Hope you soon get used to your new glasses Cynthia. Please don't do what I did.
Last month I had new reading glasses and a couple of days later I trod on them, they had fallen off the sofa and I hadn't noticed, silly me. All sorted out next day.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5 v 10. New International Version.

Pray for persecuted Christians and their families, and peace in our troubled world. xx

Good morning :-)


Picked up some new specs yesterday - for driving and reading - I don't wear them all the time. No problem with those for driving, but those for reading are taking some getting used to....I hope they settle down soon or I will be going back to make sure the correct lens have been put in :-D

We will finish our look at the Beatitudes today :


"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Almighty God,
who has taught us through your Son Jesus Christ
that those who follow Him may be persecuted;
strengthen, comfort and encourage all those who suffer harassment, violence, imprisonment and even death for being followers of Jesus.

We pray for those who persecute your people; may their hearts
be turned towards you through the faithful witness of those they persecute.

Protect members of the families and church communities of those who are persecuted and bless the work and ministry of those working in difficult and dangerous circumstances.

Amen.


Remembering those who have asked for prayer Cx :-)

Hello all

Thanks for the reminder about the tonic water Cynthia, I will get some in (perhaps the gin might be better at helping me sleep ha ha).

I don't remember hearing about Education Sunday, I will have a quick Google now.

PEACE..........It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise or trouble.
It means being in the midst of those things and still calm in your heart.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children on God.
Matthew 5 v 9.

Good morning :-)

Cramp is horrible - I hope it soon passed kandj. Are you still drinking tonic water?

I've had 2 reasonable nights plus a daytime nap - it makes all the difference.

Yesterday was Education Sunday and Y3 from our church school led the service. They were very good and talked about 'vocations'. Some excellent little readers too.

We continue with our look at the Beatitudes for two more days...

"Blessed are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called the children of God".

God of Justice, God of Peace,
May we be peacemakers by
feeding the hungry,
tending to the sick,
planting good will, and
sowing justice,
always and everywhere.
Amen.


Cx :-)