General Chat

Cynthia, not surprised you overslept. Take it easy for a couple of days and recharge your batteries (physical and spiritual). Thank you for today's words.

John, I hope your happy hymn gave Cynthia some energy because it has me.....
thank you and tra la la la la la la.

Good morning...... :-)


I do like that hymn John and it always reminds me of school........ :-)


Some words for today... :


An ancient Irish prayer..

WE ASK NOTHING ELSE OF YOU BUT YOURSELF.


I beseech you, Jesus, loving Saviour, to show yourself to all who seek you so that they may know and love you.

May we love you alone, desire you alone, and keep you always in our thoughts.

May love for you possess our hearts. May affection for you fill our senses, so that we may love all else in you.

Jesus, King of Glory.

You know how to give greatly. And you have promised great things.

Nothing is greater than yourself. We ask nothing else of you but yourself.

You are our life, our light, our food, and our drink, our God and our all.


Have a happy and peaceful day....... Cx :-)

Many thanks for that thought this morning, Cynthia :-D

Dark and miserable morning here with plenty of rain. As one lady told me: "that is why the grass is so green in Wales".

Just read Sydney Carter's:

"Give me courage when the world is rough
Keep me loving though the world is tough
Leap and sing in all I do
Keep me travelling along with you"

I will do my best, Sydney :-D :-D

Thank you Cynthia for the Irish prayer :-)

John I also will do my best, lovely words
to help me through. Thank you :-)

Hello everyone, hope you are all well.
I have been following this thread for quite a while now,
but have never added to it.
Not sure if I should, I may be considered an 'outsider'
If anyone objects please just pm me and I will remove.

I was born and brought up Christian.
In 1973 I was accepted into the Hebrew faith
for very personal reasons, I follow the faith
as an Orthodox Jew, but still enjoy the
Christian celebrations.

I wont write anymore now as I really don't want
to upset any of you lovely people.

Mazal Tov
:-) :-)

Why would you upset anyone, I for one
would look forward to anything you would
like to add to this thread and am sure the
others would feel the same. Welcome :-)

Emma :-)

Thank you Emma :-)

Hello Jeniwren and welcome. :-)

That was quite a decision to take - I've had a look at what is involved in converting to Judaism - a very interesting read. I have known several people of the Jewish faith in my life and my best friend is of Jewish descent.

Please feel free to add your thoughts. :-)

Hello Cynthia, thank you for the welcome.

It was a decision that I thought long and hard about, and took quite
a long time to finally prove to the Rabbi that I was serious, but once he
was convinced he was very helpful.

It is a completely different way of life but I have never regretted converting,
it isn't just a religion, it is different in many ways, family values, traditions, close family ties, and of course different festivals and celebrations.

Mazal Tov
:-) :-)

I haven't read much on here for a while, but do dip in from time to time, as an observer...a Christian 'manque' perhaps :-)

But I too would be very interested to read whatever you contribute Jeniwren :-) especially if you don't mind me asking questions lol :-D

Hello Rose, I don't mind answering any questions you want to ask,
am always happy to discuss any subject.
Mazal Tov xx :-) :-)

Cynthia, another beautiful Irish prayer and John the jolly One More Step Along the World I Go hymn comes to mind..... thank you both.
Hello Jeniwren and "welcome". I am sure we all think....the more, the merrier..... I found your comments really interesting, so please feel free to share your thoughts anytime.

Jeniwren. I am personally very interested in Judaism and Islam. And had some good discussions with Hare Krisha devotees (a sort of Western style of Hinduism) when I was running some courses for them (not religious courses) in George Harrison's beautiful old house in Letchmore Heath near Watford..

Both Jesus and John the Baptist were Jewish rabbis. John never knew anything about the Pentecost after Jesus died (which Christians consider the birth of the Christian religion) . John was only 31 when he died and he had only been a rabbi for a few months. But he took the modern and sophisticated Jews in his day back to a time of original and basic Judaism.

I do feel that all religions have a tendency to go away from their roots. There needs to be a constant process of reform. Anyway, a warm welcome and I know we will all enjoy learning about your faith
:-) :-)

Good morning my friends..... :-)



A few words for today:


My God Is No Stranger

I've never seen God,
But I know how I feel ...
It's people like you
Who make Him so real.
It seems that I pass Him
So often each day,
In the faces of people
I meet on my way.

He's the stars in the heaven,
A smile on some face,
A leaf on a tree,
Or a rose in a vase.

He's winter and autumn
And summer and spring,
In short, God is every
"Real," and wonderful thing.

I wish I might meet Him
Much more than I do ...
I would, if there were more
People like you!

~ Helen Steiner Rice ~


Have a lovely day..... :-)

Good morning to everyone :-) :-)

Cynthia lovely words, thank you for sharing them :-)

Hope you all have a good day :-)

Mazal Tov xx

I really like Helen Steiner Rice way with words.
Thank you Cynthia. :-)

Have a good day all.

Emma :-)

As a regular reader but only an occasional contributor to the thread I've been made to feel very welcome so I am sure you will be too Jeniwren.

I'm still not totally sure of my own beliefs and am a very irregular church goer, but I am interested in all the major religions and would be happy to learn more about Judaism.

I went to school in the 1950s and was very lucky to go to a school with quite an advanced outlook. It was never a case of "doing scripture" but we did do quite a bit of comparative religion (unusual at that time) and we were certainly taught tolerance. It was suggested to us that those that believed in the one God whatever their religion were simply taking different paths up the same mountain. As an adult I have done a couple of short comparative religion courses and have always been amazed at the similarities between them.

I look forward to reading anything you have to say.

Vera

Vera. In a sense we are all travelling. I have just been doing a bit of research today for one of my brothers in law. His ancestor (Richard Hughes) was lighthouse keeper at Point of Ayr at mouth of Dee near Prestatyn.

The other keeper was Samuel Brooks (born c 1790). He had a young wife and family in 1851c and, later that year of 1851, the family settled in Utah as Mormons!!! What faith!! What an adventure. Similar to the Welsh colonists in Patagonia in their bravery.

As a Christian, I believe there is only one way to heaven. Jesus states that “no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). He used several picturesque descriptions to emphasize this point—He called Himself the way (14:6), the door (10:9), the living bread (6:51), and the good shepherd (10:11).

So I agree with John Bunyan that whichever paths we take, at some point we have to find that little door (he called it a little "wicket gate") in heaven. But I do find any religious discussion fascinating, love to hear about different churches, mosques etc. Love that phrase Mazal Tov. As I do Shalom (lots of chapels here in Wales called Salem - peace)

L'Chaim :-)

Dear Jeniwren

Hello

Very good to see you posting.

Shalom, my friend. <3


Take gentle care
Best wishes
Elizabeth, EOS
xx

Good morning everyone :-)


It's interesting to discuss the different aspects of various faiths. They all seem to hold the basic views that - 'there is a higher power than us', that 'human life is valuable', that 'peace is better than violence' etc.

From the Christian point of view, the difference lies in the fact that no other faith has a Saviour who came down from Heaven to die for our sins nor does any other faith have a Saviour who died for them, rose from the dead and is with us still - in the power of the Holy Spirit.

In a way, I suppose one could say that Christianity is not a 'religion' - it is a relationship with God. :-)

As the famous atheist-turned-Christian C. S. Lewis once stated: “Christianity is a statement which, if false, is of no importance, and, if true, is of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.”


Some words for today:

Hello God

Hello God, I called tonight
To talk a little while ...
I need a friend who'll listen
To my anxiety and trial.
You see, I can't quite make it
Through a day just on my own;
I need your love to guide me,
So I'll never feel alone.

I want to ask you please to keep,
My family safe and sound;
Come and fill their lives with confidence,
For whatever fate they're bound.

Give me faith, dear God, to face,
Each hour throughout the day;
And not to worry over things,
I can't change in any way.

I thank you God, for being home,
And listening to my call;
For giving me such good advice
When I stumble and fall.

Your number, God, is the only one
That answers every time;
I never get a busy signal,
And never had to pay a dime.

So thank you, God, for listening
To my troubles and my sorrow;
Good night, God. I love You, too,
And I'll call again tomorrow!

~ Author Unknown ~

Have a good day my friends....... :-)