General Chat

Good morning


I hope there is better news for Emma's granddaughter's young friend today.

I am shortly off to Liverpool as my OH has his 6 monthly appointment with the Parkinson's nurse. It's looking rather grey and miserable outside, so I thought I would try and lift the mood with some words from a popular hymn. :-)


Colours Of Day

Colours of day dawn into the mind
The sun has come up, the night is behind
Go down in the city, into the street
And let's give the message to the people we meet

Chorus: So light up the fire and let the flame burn
Open the door, let Jesus return
Take seeds of His Spirit, let the fruit grow
Tell the people of Jesus, let His love show

Go through the park, on into the town
The sun still shines on, it never goes down
The light of the world is risen again
The people of darkness are needing a friend

Chorus:

Open your eyes, look into the sky
The darkness has come, the sun came to die
The evening draws on, the sun disappears
But Jesus is living, His Spirit is near



Enjoy the moment......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMHltavlVs4


Cx :-) Remembering kandj and all who need our prayers.

Good morning. :-)


Still rather grey and miserable here today, but we still have much to be grateful for .

Some thoughts for today:


Happiness is something we create in our mind,
It’s not something we search for and so seldom find,
It’s just waking up and beginning the day
by counting our blessings and kneeling to pray,

It’s giving up thoughts that breed discontent
And accepting what comes as a gift heaven-sent,
It’s giving up wishing for things we have not
And making the best of whatever we’ve got,
It’s knowing that life is determined for us,
And pursuing our tasks without fret, fume or fuss,
For it’s by completing what God gives us to do
That we find real contentment and happiness, too.

- Helen Steiner Rice.



Have a good day and special thoughts to all friends who need our prayers. Cx :-)

Happy Birthday, C
xxxxx


:-D :-D :-D

Many thanks for video and HSR, Cynthia. Lovely words in both.

One of my favourite saints was Rector of Olney near Milton Keynes. A large and rather bluff man who had made his money out of being a slave ship Captain. A man who swore and drank more than most. Yet a man who had the most humbling experience and lived his life out as a faithful and gentle servant of his Master. He experienced that amazing Grace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsCp5LG_zNE

I had one or two cwtches (cuddles) with my darling granddaughter Amelie yesterday. It was the most fantastic experience. God has created such a beautiful child, and I look forward to many years watching her grow and develop into a lovely young lady. A real answer to prayer, and my daughter was really touched by the messages on Hayley's thread and elsewhere.

One of the best recordings of Amazing Grace was by Iris Williams 43 (yes, 43!) years ago. Cannot find it on youtube, and hope you won't mind me posting one of her other songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et70EtJ0Shg

Iris was born in 1946 in Rhydfelin near Pontypridd and brought up in the Cardiff Valleys. Father American, mother from Valleys. She lives in America now, but often visits her family in Rhydyfelin area. An ex work colleague of mine was married to a younger sister and obviously knows Iris quite well. She is a lovely girl, totally unspoilt by success. And what a wonderful voice.

Dear All

Hello

Many congratulations John on the safe arrival of your grand-daughter.


Take gentle care
With very best wishes to all your family,
Elizabeth,
xx

Dear All

Hello

A prayer for Ascension Day:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Lord Jesus, we remember how you returned to your Father on the first
Ascension Day.

Although we cannot see you with our eyes,
we know that you are still with us as your promised you always would be.

Thank you for being our constant friend.

Help us to remember that you are near and that you will never fail us.

Help us to come to you when we are frightened, disappointed or lonely and
may we remember to tell us our joys and happiness too".

Amen.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Take gentle care
With best wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

Dear All

Hello

A prayer for those in need this night:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Dear Lord you know this day has been so stressful,
but you have brought me safely through it.

Jesus also knew tiredness and fell asleep on the boat;
he discovered how exhausting people can prove.


Renew in sleep, I pray, anyone who knows special tiredness now.
Keep them safe throughout the night.


Guard all those who are on night duty;
medical staff, police and fire officers,
crews of planes and boats.


Please watch over the little children and the elderly, support the sick,
comfort the worried and if you can, could you watch over me?"

Amen.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Take gentle care <3
Sincere wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

God be with you till we meet again;
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep in love enfold you;
God be with you till we meet again.

(CHORUS) Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again!
’Neath His wings protecting hide you,
Daily manna still provide you;
God be with you till we meet again!

God be with you till we meet again!
When life’s perils thick confound you,
Put His arms unfailing round you;
God be with you till we meet again!

God be with you till we meet again!
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you,
Smite death’s threatening wave before you;
God be with you till we meet again!


From http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/861

Night, night, sleep tight. S

Good morning :-)


What beautiful words to be greeted with this morning. It was, indeed, Ascension Day yesterday Elizabeth and thank you for the prayers.

Sue, I haven't heard that hymn in ages.....but remember it well as it brought back many memories. I will probably be humming it all day now.......thank you, it was a lovely thought.

John, you are obviously going to be a doting grandad and have lots of lovely cuddles with little Amelie. Grandchildren are a wonderful blessing, and I have a fridge magnet which reads "If I had known grandchildren were so much fun, I would have had them first!" :-D


As we start a brand new day :

May I arise this morning
feeling your warmth
embracing me,
conscious of your love
forgiving me,
knowing your peace
within me,
feeling your Spirit
strengthen me,
hearing your whisper
encouraging me.

In all I do
and in all I say
may my life
this day
and all days
reflect
the beauty of my Lord.

Amen.


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

Lovely posts the last couple of days. Thank you everyone.

I was in Cambridge for the day yesterday with a group from our local Study Centre and at noon we went along to St John's College where, on Ascension Day, the chapel choir sing from the top of the chapel tower. They sang an Ascension Day Carol, an anthem and a hymn, interspersed with the Chaplain singing the Collect for the Fifth Sunday after Easter and the Collect for Ascension Day. As this was solo it was difficult to hear from below but we had been given a leaflet with the words so could follow it. It was quite moving and uplifting, particularly when some of the "audience" in the court below joined in with the final hymn.

And the icing on the cake was that, on a grey day, the sun suddenly shone through at noon and stayed bright for the 15 minutes or so that we were there, before disappearing again for the rest of the day.

Good morning :-)


Thank you for sharing that with us Vera and what a lovely experience for you on a grey day.

I had a look to see what I could find about this tradition and it's most interesting.

Every year on Ascension Day, the Choir ascends the 163ft Chapel Tower and sings the Ascension Day Carol.

This custom dates from 1902 and was begun by the then Director of Music, Cyril Rootham, following a conversation with Sir Joseph Larmor. Sir Joseph was insistent that a choir singing from the tower would not be heard from the ground. Rootham was keen to prove him wrong and saw Ascension Day as the perfect time to do it.

Without telling anyone in College, the Choir ascended the tower and as the clock finished striking noon, they started to sing an Ascension Day Carol. To Rootham's delight, he saw Sir Joseph open his window in the court below to see where the music was coming from. The event proved popular and since then it has been repeated every year.

The College have a fine musical tradition - dating back to the 1600's.


Church choirs are an important part of worship and most of them, including the choir at my church, start with a prayer similar to this, before they take part in a service :


Bless, O Lord, we thy servants who minister in thy temple;
grant that what we sing with our lips
we may believe in our hearts.
And that what we believe in our hearts,
we may show forth in our lives.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Thinking of kandj and all friends in need of any sort.


Cx :-)

Jesus lived. Well, yes, I sort of know that. Plenty of records in Bible, Torah, Q'ran, Jewish history and elsewhere that he caused at least a ripple in the oceans of this world.

Jesus died. Well, we all do actually. If you live, you die. Fact.

Jesus died for you. No he didn't. He died because his body was stretched across a block of wood till the breath left his body. No dignity at all, only 33.

Jesus rose from death. What???!!!! You are being silly now.

Jesus appeared all over the place after his death and resurrection. Hmmm. Is that what you really think? Any doctors available? Nurse!!!!

And then he rose from the earth and went up into the sky behind a cloud. What are you on? Are those M & M's you are eating really just peanuts?

Many of us will fly in a big metal lump in next few weeks and have total faith in it. And when we land at our holiday destination we will skype and text our friends and switch on hotel TV and watch Corrie via space satellite.

All of that is fact. We believe in all of it.

Yet this central tenet of the Bible is so seldom believed.

First Acts Verse 9:

"And when Jesus had spoken these things, whilst they looked on, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight."

Just the last of many miracles recorded and witnessed in the last few weeks of the short 33 year life of a man who was at the centre of the most important period in the whole of the history of our world.

Do you believe yet that he came to earth to do all these things for you personally?

Good morning :-)


Oh John! You are so deluded at times. Clouds? Disappearing acts? I suppose that NEXT, you are going to say that Jesus sets fire to his disciples heads and assures them that he will be coming back!!! Where DO you get your ideas from? You're obviously watching too many sci-fi flilms ;-) :-D


In answer to your question.....yes, I believe that Christ died for me. It brought to mind that very old hymn, to which I only know the chorus......."He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own....."


The Collect for today :

O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and for ever.
Amen.



Kandj sends her love to all her friends on here and we continue to hold her in our prayers.

Cx :-)

http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/t/g/itgarden.htm

This is a hymn I am more familiar with:

"I serve a risen Savior
He’s in the world today.
I know that He is living,
Whatever men may say.
I see His hand of mercy;
I hear His voice of cheer;
And just the time I need Him
He’s always near.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart."

Thinking of kandj and my family and myself are keeping
our young friend in our prayers.

Emma x

Good morning :-)


I remember that hymn too John.......such stirring words. Thank you.


We had an interesting moment in the service yesterday morning. Our preacher was someone who is well known and loved by the people of our church. She was giving out the notices before the service began and finished by reminding us that next Sunday is Walking Day.

Walking Days are a tradition in this area but are sadly dying out somewhat. They are a 'walk of witness' where church members, Sunday Schools, Church groups, uniformed organisations etc. talk part in a march around the parish. The idea is to bear witness to the Christian faith and the procession is headed by someone carrying a cross and there are usually lots of banners.

Anyway..........our preacher went on to urge us to turn up to bear witness to the faith because we are Christians and this is still a Christian country. Someone said "here here" and the congregation broke into spontaneous applause. It was a good feeling....... :-)

Our prayer for today:


God in Christ in the Spirit, may we your
people bear witness to Your Love for all.
May those we encounter in our daily lives know that
we are Christians by our lived witness of Your Love
for us, in us, and through us.

We are a diverse people but we have need of each other
and we have need of You.
Help us to live into the gift of Your Oneness -
Your Family - Your Church - Your Love...
for ultimately we all live in You.
Amen.


- National Council of Churches.


Remembering kandj, Emma's granddaughter's friend and all who need our prayers.

Cx :-D

Good morning :-)


Like many of you, I am so very grateful for the friendships I have formed over the years, so I thought I would share this with you this morning :



A Golden Chain

Friendship is a Golden Chain,
The links are friends so dear,
And like a rare and precious jewel
It's treasured more each year...

It's clasped together firmly
With a love that's deep and true,
And it's rich with happy memories
and fond recollections, too...

Time can't destroy its beauty
For, as long as memory lives,
Years can't erase the pleasure
That the joy of friendship gives...

For friendship is a priceless gift
That can't be bought or sold,
But to have an understanding friend
Is worth far more than gold...

And the Golden Chain of Friendship
Is a strong and blessed tie
Binding kindred hearts together
As the years go passing by.


- Helen Steiner Rice.



Cx :-)

Thank you Cynthia, beautiful words <3

Good morning :-)


I have a busy day ahead of me, so a quick visit.


When we are going through dark times
give us, O God, glimpses of light.
May we never lose our hope and trust in you.
Help us to remember that, however hard the path, however dark the tunnel,
at the end of it is the light of your love beckoning us on. Amen.

- Anne Brown


Remembering kandj and all who need our prayers.

Enjoy your day....Cx :-)