General Chat

Hello all

June is amost over and halfway through the year??

I've read back and you have been as busy as ever Cynthia. Thank you for your daily postings.

What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer.

O, what peace we oftern forfeit
O, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful?
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayers.

Sending ((hugs)) to those in need right now.

Good morning :-)


Yesterday was St. Peter’s Day and, in the church, this time of year is called ‘Petertide’. It is a time when many who are called to serve within the church are ordained either as a deacon or a priest depending on which stage of training they have reached.

There have been numerous pictures on Facebook and Twitter from dioceses across the country who have held these special and important services for these special people. It has been heartening to see the number of people being called to ministry at a time when we are often told about the shortage of clergy. We pray that God will continue to call, encourage and sustain those who have answered God’s call.


God our Father, Lord of all the world,
through your Son you have called us into the fellowship
of your universal Church:
hear our prayer for your faithful people
that in their vocation and ministry
each may be an instrument of your love,
and give to your servants now to be ordained
the needful gifts of grace;
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.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

St. Peter's Day.

This day commemorates the martyrdom of two saints, the two great Apostles, Saint Peter and St. Paul.

Peter was the leader of the apostles and the first pope. Paul was born Saul but converted to Christianity on the road to Damascus.

They had been imprisoned in the infamous Mamertine Prison of Rome and both knew they were to be put to death.

They were killed on the same day. St. Paul was beheaded by a sword as he was a Roman citizen and afforded a quicker execution.

It is said of Peter that he was crucified head downward as he didn't feel worthy of being crucified in the same way as Jesus.

In 2010, images of Peter and Paul were found on the wall of catacombs dating back to the 4th Century AD.

We thank God for all the churches that are dedicated to these two great men.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Simple Gifts
The smell of the bush after some rain,
the desert in flower on a red plain,
the coming of sleep after much pain;
For gifts simple and profound,
we thank you, loving Friend.

The sound of waves along the shore,
the children’s laughter as they explore,
the promise of love for evermore:
For gifts simple and profound,
we thank you, loving Friend.

The sight of black swans on a calm lake,
the taste of summer in a fruit cake,
travelling by faith after a mistake:
For gifts simple and profound,
we thank you, loving Friend.

The scent of green grass from the cut lawn,
the pure-white blossom on a rough thorn,
the return of hope with new dawn:
For gifts simple and profound,
we thank you, loving Friend.

The fragrance of bread just freshly made,
the brimming cup sipped in the shade,
the pardon of debts never repaid:
For gifts simple and profound,
we thank you, loving Friend.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


I love the summer’s golden rays,
shining from the sun
the warmth of lots of laughter
with children having fun.

I love the summer’s breezes,
gently drifting in the air
the sounds of pure delight
when the weather is so fair.

I love the summer’s laziness,
the strolls along the lane
the sound of utter peacefulness
and summer’s gentle rain.

I really do love summertime,
its smells, its sights, its sounds
I love that God so blesses me
when summer comes around!
~~~~~~~~~~
Psalm 118:24
“This is the day which
the Lord hath made;
we will rejoice and
be glad in it.”


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


The Collect (special prayer) for today:

Lord, you have taught us
that all our doings without love are nothing worth:
send your Holy Spirit
and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love,
the true bond of peace and of all virtues,
without which whoever lives is counted dead before you.
Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Luke 9. 51 – end – Jesus sets off for Jerusalem.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



Saturday is like a blank page, fresh and new, a pause away from routines and responsibilities. Thank you for rest, for recreation, family and friends. Lord, thank you for Saturdays. Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Lord, I want to offer this Friday morning prayer as a way of quieting my mind of all the daily cares and worries and tasks ahead and to take time out to focus on you God, on your love and on your greatness.

I find myself quiet in your presence, full of peace and love. This time is precious and set aside for worship Lord, it is my time to honour you as I awake and thank you for giving me this new day to spend in your presence Lord. Amen

Cx :-)

Hello all

Heavenly Father

As I lay down to sleep, relax the tension in my body, calm the restlessness of my mind; still the thoughts which worry me. Help me to rest my anxieties and all of my concerns in your strong and loving arms.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Sending healing thoughts to all in need.

Good morning :-)

Take care in this heat friends!


May Thursday be a hope filled day,
That floods my fears with light,
A day that quiets all anxious thoughts
As I encounter Christ.
Let Thursday always prompt my heart
To stop and find Your peace,
And live upon the truth You give
My eyes to You I lift.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Heavenly Father, this blessed Wednesday is the day You have made and I will rejoice and be glad in it. I give you all the praise you for the gift of another wonderful day. Your steadfast love never ceases. Your mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Amen


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Holy Spirit, we thank You for this Tuesday. Despite all of the stresses and chaos of the world, we know that You see us and care for us.

Lord, we ask today for more of Your Holy Spirit in our lives. It can be easy for us to become consumed with the fears that surround us in life, but we know that just as Your eye is indeed on the sparrow, so also do You care for and see us. We thank you. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Heavenly Father,
I give thanks for the blessings of seeing another Monday morning. Walk beside me as I endure the challenges of today. Give me the strength I need to challenge the week ahead. May I walk in faith and in your strength. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

A prayer for Father's Day.

Lord, you are our heavenly father who loves us for all eternity.

Today, we give thanks for our earthly fathers.

For the new ones, who endure sleepless nights with infants in arms.
For the busy ones, who juggle the pressures of home and family life.
For the foster dads that are called to gather and cover the fragile ones.
For the Sunday dads who care for our children and lead them in faith.
For fathers who have adopted and treasured their children.

For fathers who are no longer with us, but whose memory we hold dear.

We thank you for these wonderful fathers.

Father God, uphold those for whom this day may be painful. Those fathers whose children have died and the children for whom this day is difficult because of past hurts.
Lord, bless and protect them all. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Last day of the PILGRIMAGE WALKS....today, we're in Ireland.

St. Finbarr Walks

In West Cork and South Kerry the practise of walking pilgrim paths to St Finbarr’s hermitage in Gougane Barra has been in place for many centuries. In one such place, Drimoleague, local tradition recalls that St Finbarr arrived at the Top of the Rock in the sixth century and admonished the people to return to Christ, after which he made his way to Gougane Barra.

It is the spiritual aspect that attracts many people. The contemplation, the seeking and the finding, the friendship of other “pilgrims” and the pains and aches at day’s end…all these make St Finbarr’s Pilgrim Way a special experience to be anticipated and experienced to the full.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


PILGRIMAGE WEEK – a shorter one today.

Canterbury Cathedral Pilgrimage in a day.

Canterbury was where St Augustine first settled, on a mission from Rome to convert England to Christianity, and where Thomas Becket, the 12th-century Archbishop, was murdered in the Cathedral.

The city has welcomed pilgrims for over a thousand years, attracted by St Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral and St Martin’s Church – the oldest church in the English-speaking world – and its many other ancient churches, saints, holy springs, and, latterly, Chaucer’s tales. Give yourself an extra day to explore the city and hear the cathedral choir sing evensong.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

PILGRIMAGE WEEK - The Two Saints Way Chester to/from Lichfield.

In the late Middle Ages a steady stream of pilgrims walked between Chester and Lichfield, both housing shrines to two game-changing Mercian saints in the 7th century – St Werburgh and St Chad – who were much loved.

St Werburgh was of Royal blood, and very beautiful, but she cared not for the easy life associated with being a princess. Instead she longed only to do good and to make other people happy, and to grow good and wise herself. To do this St Werburgh studied and worked hard and became a holy woman and an Abbess.

She opened several convents, but this did not change her humility that had always characterized her and in her devotion to all those in her care she was more a servant than the mistress. God rewarded her for her childlike trust by many miracles, one of the best known being her command given to a flock of geese causing havoc in the cornfields of Weedon. The command banished them and since then no geese have been seen in those parts. She is buried at Chester Cathedral.

When, in 699, Chad was appointed as Bishop in Mercia, he established his see in Lichfield. He chose for his dwelling a shallow watery valley where a stream divided to form a small island. He founded a small monastery beside a well of spring water. According to the Venerable Bede, he prayed naked at this well, standing on a stone at the bottom of the water. He baptised converts to the Christian faith in this water.
His shrine and well at Lichfield worked many miracles and, close by he built a church which he dedicated to St Mary. After his death, this little church was re-dedicated in his name and has continued the work of God to this day.


We start at Chester, then along the Shropshire Union Canal, resting at the picturesque village of Bunbury, and along the Llangollen Canal to the market town of Nantwich.

On to Industrial Stoke on Trent, from where we follow the Trent Valley, through the town of Stone and over Beacon Hill to Stafford. Joining the Heart of England Way for a while, we eventually arrive at Lichfield Cathedral and St Chad’s Well.

A coffee stop is due!


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

PILGRIMAGE WEEK

After a good night’s rest, we are up and off again – this time our destination is …..Scotland!

St Cuthbert’s Way – 62 miles – 6-7 Days – Melrose to Lindisfarne. St Cuthbert began his religious life at Melrose; this picturesque town is therefore a fitting place to start.

We will visit three great Border abbeys – Melrose, Jedburgh and Dryburgh – and unspoilt villages; touch the Rhymer’s Stone; visit the home of a medieval dragon in Linton; a massive Iron Age hill fort at Yeavering Bell; travel through the sweeping Eildon and Cheviot Hills; stroll along the River Tweed; cross the border between England and Scotland; and find brief shelter in St Cuthbert’s Cave like the monks carrying his coffin did before us, before heading for Holy Island off the coast of Northumberland Coast, the eventual resting place of Saint Cuthbert and the site of his original shrine.

By following Cuthbert from the hills to the sea, hopefully we too will find the serenity he discovered on the sands of Lindisfarne.

Coffee coming up!

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Thanks Gwyn, hope you enjoy this trip as well :-D


PILGRIMAGE WEEK - hiking boots on again! ??

St Hilda’s Way – 43 miles – 4 days – Hinderwell to Whitby Abbey. St Hilda’s Way celebrates the life of St Hilda – Anglo-Saxon princess, spiritual leader, arts enthusiast and peacemaker – by visiting places dedicated to her (including eight churches) in the beautiful North York Moors.

In 664, as the first abbess of the double monastery of Streonshalh now known as Whitby Abbey, she hosted the famous Synod of Whitby. She trained five male bishops, and it is said that seabirds in Whitby still dip their wings in honour of her, and her logo, the ‘Hildoceras’ ammonite (pictured), came about because her holy presence was famed for turning snakes into stone.

We begin at a holy spring discovered by St Hilda in Hinderwell and end at the sea at Whitby. Along the way we will traverse the North York Moors. Feel the ancientness all around you in a landscape that is true to itself – humans have never held full dominance here. The paths feel old, the rivers timeless, the pace slow.

The thread of Hilda runs through the churches dedicated to her, evenly spaced along the route, inspiring a quiet devotion to someone we can imagine but never fully know. Nevertheless, one gets the sense that for centuries she has been loved by many people, and there is no reason why that should cease now.

Coffee later! ??


Cx :-)

Good afternoon :-)

Cynthia, -How lovely to have a chance to all meet together again for your Walking Day.
I'm pleased for you that there was a good response.

Another interesting topic to enjoy.
I'd love to revisit St Davids.
I remember attending a friend's double wedding in the Cathedral many years ago, when 2 sisters married on the same day.
I haven't been to Wales for several years now, but have an urge to return.
Hiraeth, the Welsh call it.