General Chat

Thank you Cynthia, that brought a smile to my face <3

Sending thoughts and good wishes to kandj.

Emma :-)

Good morning :-)


kandj has been so grateful for all the prayers, love and support she has received from her friends on here. I am sure she knows that we will continue to pray that God will give her and her OH strength to face each day.


Some words from a lively hymn - just to get folk humming through the day - written by Sydney Carter who said:

"I see Christ as the incarnation of the piper who is calling us. He dances that shape and pattern which is at the heart of our reality. "


Lord of the Dance

I danced in the morning
When the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon
And the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven
And I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem
I had my birth.

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said he.

I danced for the scribe
And the pharisee,
But they would not dance
And they wouldn't follow me.
I danced for the fishermen,
For James and John -
They came with me
And the Dance went on.


There are a couple more verses of this hymn and it is easily available on YouTube.


Happy singing.....Cx :-)

That will be with me all day Cynthia :-)

lovely to see that John's granddaughter has arrived safely ............... and what a lovely name his daughter and s-i-l have chosen ............... Amelie May


See Hayley's thread for the news ........................


http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/general_chat/thread/1340651


Congratulations to John and his family.

Good morning :-)


Lovely news indeed Sylvia......and many congratulations to John and his family.

As this thread was initiated by John, I hope I he finds this helpful.



Heavenly Father,

I know that every period of our lives has its responsibilities as well as its joys. Today, it seems that grandparents have either too little use or too much
---either we are shunted aside
to do nothing or we are called upon to do everything.

Help me to know just where my duties lie in my particular situation
and to carry them out as best I can.
Take care of my family---my children and their children.
Inspire them all to follow your Son and lead truly Christian lives.

Keep all of us in your loving care, never let us turn away from You,
and help us in the end to receive the joy of entering
into your glorious presence forever.
Amen.


Welcome to the world little Amelie May. <3


Cx. :-)

Good morning :-)


Some thoughts for today :


Helen Steiner Rice's 10 Commandments

1. Thou shalt be happy

2. Thou shalt use thy talents to make others glad.

3. Thou shalt rise above defeat and trouble.

4. Thou shalt look upon each day as a new day.

5. Thou shalt always do thy best and leave the rest to God.

6. Thou shalt not waste thy time and energy in useless worry.

7. Thou shalt look only on the bright side of life.

8. Thou shalt not be afraid of tomorrow.

9. Thou shalt have a kind word and a kind deed for everyone.

10. Thou shalt say each morning -- I am a child of God



Thinking of kandj and her husband and all those who need our prayers.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Over the last few weeks, as with many others, a I have been researching the names on the 1914-1918 war memorial of a local church. Many of the young men were coal miners, spending their working lives in the darkness of the coal pit, digging out and hauling the coal to the surface. To think that their lives ended in the horror which was a foreign battle field, fills me with despair. Each time I travel into town, I pass the homes where some of them lived and I think of what the families must have gone through. Very, very sad.


On a cheerier note, I hope everyone is keeping well and we continue to remember kandj in our thoughts and prayers.


Our prayer for today:

Let me prefer your presence, O God, to all other company. Let me exalt your name above all others names, and let me love your will beyond all other desires; for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897)


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



This Blessing Is For You

May the blessing of light be upon you,
Light on the outside ... light on the inside.
With God's sunlight shining on you,
May your heart glow with warmth
Like a turf fire that welcomes friends
And strangers alike.

May the light of the Lord shine from your eyes
like a candle in the window,
Welcoming the weary traveler.

May the blessing of God's soft rain be on you,
Falling gently on your head,
Refreshing your soul with the sweetness
of little flowers newly blooming.

May the strength of the winds of Heaven bless you,
Carrying the rain to wash your spirit clean,
Sparkling after ... in the sunlight.

May the blessing of God's earth be on you
And as you walk the roads,
May you always have a kind word for those you meet.

May you understand the strength and power of God
in a thunderstorm in winter,
And the quiet beauty of creation
and the calm Of a summer sunset.

And may you come to realize that
insignificant as you may seem
in this great universe,
YOU ARE an important part of God's plan.

May He watch over you
And keep you safe from harm.


- Roma Downey.


Enjoy your day everyone.......Cx :-)

Cynthia. I so enjoy your postings. Feel like a turf fire now myself.

Have come on briefly just to thank a special person for sending me Proverbs 17 v 6

"Children's children are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children. "

Still in my thoughts and prayers, kandj and those in need of comfort,

Emma x

Good morning and hello to 'Grandad' John! :-)


Another Sunday is upon us.....where does time go?


The Collect for today :


God our redeemer,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life,
so by his continual presence in us he may raise us to eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.


Remembering kandj and all those know to us who need our prayers.

Have a peaceful day... Cx :-)

Still thinking of Kandj and other friends in need.

lovely to see John's new avatar!



she's gorgeous! :-)

Good morning everyone......and yes, what a lovely picture of new baby Amelie. Absolutely beautiful...... :-)


An interesting prayer/poem for today:


Ponder....Wonder Wonder....Ponder

In the shadows of my mind,
Lurk questions and conundrums,
About the purposes of life,
And where does mankind come from.

I cannot view a lovely flower,
Or take in some awesome scene,
Without wondering about it all,
And what it really means.

I constantly am struck,
By the marvels of the world,
Yet, no less am I affected,
By baby boys and girls.

And I have so many questions,
At the death of any man,
"His time to go," is what they say,
I find this hard to understand.

If I express my puzzlement,
To wiser men than I,
They always say that God decides,
When one is born or dies.

And if I further question them,
About what I still don't understand,
They merely say, "Have faith, my friend,
This is God's plan for man."

"Have faith," they say, "God's plan for man,"
What exactly does that mean?
"Faith," they smile and say to me,
"Is the main theme of God's scheme."

Faith is believing in a God,
That one cannot see or hear,
Though His works are all about us,
He is beyond men's eyes and ears.

Faith is accepting God made man,
And earth, and sky, and sea,
And through His love and by His grace,
He gives man eternity.

Faith is trusting in a God,
Who loves us, one and all,
Who cares enough to punish us,
But will not let us fall.

But, still I question suffering,
Which seems unfair, unkind, unjust,
Does it come from this same God,
Who loves us all so much?

Wise men say, if we have faith,
We'll understand things by and by,
But I would like some answers now,
Must I wait until I die?

Do explanations replace faith?
Or does faith take the place of proof?
Ponder, wonder - wonder, ponder,
Do even wise men know the truth?

If we understood the all of God,
And how He operates,
In Him, there'd be no mystery,
Thus, there'd be no need for faith.

Is this what mankind really wants?
I honestly think not,
I think we'd rather take on faith,
Whatever God hath wrought.

- Virginia Ellis



Hope everyone has a good day..... Cx :-)

Yesterday, we had a bring something yourself local arrangement in chapel. They are lovely services and very informal. We sit round in a circle (about 30 yesterday so a large circle, and pick some hymns and readings).

One lady of 93 sang a soprano (sic) solo of "Bless this house" and hit all the high notes perfectly - some feat at 93.

I chose the 10 commandments of HSR (given by Cynthia earlier this week) and said a few words about HSR that I had "wickied". Not sure many know much about her, though she did write an autobiography that I intend to read.

Born 1900 as Helen Steiner to a working family (father a railway worker) in Lorain on banks of Lake Erie in northern Ohio.

Became a leading public speaker in her 20's and could command $150 for a speech.

Met her husband Mr Rice in 1927 - he was a wealthy banker and they married in 1928 in great wealth. Cruise in Caribbean, massive house, six cars etc.

Crash of 1929 made them relatively poor. He committed suicide in 1932, like so many tragic bankers after the Crash.

She wrote verses for a card company to keep body and soul together and rest is history. Died about 1980.

Everybody in chapel loved her verses, but had no idea about her life. Hope that is interesting for some who look in and like HSR but knew little about her.

Baby Amelie is such a blessing for us and her parents. Daughter says she is such a good baby, as she was herself 32 years ago. Never seen anything quite so beautiful in my life as when Ellie was born - she was like a porcelain doll. Can't believe it was 1982 :-0

Have a lovely Spring Bank Holiday (two weeks before Whit Sunday but still Whit Bank Holiday, I think). I keep all of you in my prayers.

OH!! Forgot an important bit. HSR attended 20th Street Methodist chapel in Lorain (now Lighthouse United Methodist) and was a Bible teacher there and that was where she honed her public speaking skills. :-)

John,

It's good to see you posting again, and congratulations on the safe arrival of you grand-daughter

Regards

Allan

Thank you for that information John as you know I'm
a great fan of HSR.

I say a special prayer for a 17 year old I know who is in a coma,
for her family and friends and for those who's lives she touched.

Emma

Good morning.. :-)


How lovely to have some feedback when I arrive here each morning.....so good to see you all.

It was good to have John back with us and to hear about his Sunday worship. To hear the 93 year old lady singing 'Bless This House' must have been a very moving moment for everyone who was there.


Our prayer for today and thinking of kandj, Emma's friend and all those who need a spiritual 'hug'.


Christ, be our hope
when sadness overwhelms us.
Christ, be our strength
when testing times are near.
Christ, be our light
when darkness would engulf us.
Christ, be our cornerstone
when quaking in our fear.
Christ, be our victory
when we lay our lives before you.
Christ, be our all-in-all,
today and evermore. Amen.

- Alison Judd


Take care everyone. Cx :-)

Thank you Cynthia :-)

My thoughts and prayers to kandj and those in need of comfort,
also to A.... My grand daughters young friend <3

Emma x