General Chat

Such a beautiful carol.

To all who look in and contribute to this thread I
wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy
Healthy New Year.

Always remembering those in need of prayer.xx

Thank you Cynthia, that's a favourite carol for many people. I hope you recover from your cold soon.

Thinking of Kandj and her OH and hoping he starts to improve again very soon and hoping 2015 sees further progress for Emma's young friend. May everyone in need be given the strength to cope with their problems.

I wish you all a joyous Christmas and a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3



kandj has sent her Christmas greetings to those on this thread and I too, wish you all a very Happy and Blessed Christmas. Cx :-)

Merry Christmas to you Cynthia, kandj, Vera and
all who look in on this thread <3

Dear All

Hello

One of favourite prayers at Christmas:


"When the Christmas candles are burned out,

the carols have died away,

the star is set,

all the radiant song-filled night has passed,

Thou alone, the Eternal, remainest,

and Thou art enough.


Remain with us, more beautiful,

more beloved,

more real than any of the romance

that clusters around thy birthday".


Taken from the "The Friendship Book"


Take gentle care
With best wishes
Love from Elizabeth,
xx

Good morning :-)


I hope everyone had a good Christmas Day yesterday. We managed to get to church and my husband actually managed it to the altar rail instead of having the sacrament brought down to him....... :-D

There had been a large crowd for the midnight service and the one we went to at 10.15am had a good congregation too. There were three small, fair-haired children in, the youngest of whom seemed to be battery powered :-D She was a delight to watch as her excitement took her all over the church, exploring under the pews, round the trees and up and down the aisles, and then standing wide-eyed watching what was going on at the altar. One happy little girl indeed.

We went to our son's for Christmas lunch but, because there were 15 of us, my husband soon tired and we returned home in the afternoon to some peace and quiet......it was lovely to see everyone though. <3


Today is Boxing Day - known also as St. Stephen's Day. St. Stephen was the first Christian Martyr.


As the days of Advent brought God to man, the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany were said to bring man to God. On the feast of St. Stephen, King Wenceslaus gives us the golden example of charity. By feeding the poor we feed Christ and come closer to Him. In Yorkshire the farmers' wives made large goose pies which were cut on St. Stephen's Day and given to the poor. This day was commonly known as Boxing Day in England — a day on which the earthen banks or boxes of apprentices were filled with money gifts. The piggy bank is a direct descendant of these clay savings boxes.


Stephen's name means "crown," and he was the first disciple of Jesus to receive the martyr's crown. Stephen was a deacon in the early Christian Church. The apostles had found that they needed helpers to look after the care of the widows and the poor. So they ordained seven deacons, and Stephen is the most famous of these.

God worked many miracles through St. Stephen and he spoke with such wisdom and grace that many of his hearers became followers of Jesus. The enemies of the Church of Jesus were furious to see how successful Stephen's preaching was. At last, they laid a plot for him. They could not answer his wise argument, so they got men to lie about him, saying that he had spoken sinfully against God. St. Stephen faced that great assembly of enemies without fear. In fact, the Holy Bible says that his face looked like the face of an angel.

The saint spoke about Jesus, showing that He is the Saviour, God had promised to send. He scolded his enemies for not having believed in Jesus. At that, they rose up in great anger and shouted at him. But Stephen looked up to Heaven and said that he saw the heavens opening and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

His hearers plugged their ears and refused to listen to another word. They dragged St. Stephen outside the city of Jerusalem and stoned him to death. The saint prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" Then he fell to his knees and begged God not to punish his enemies for killing him.



Just a little light reading...... :-)

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Many of us miss friends and relatives at this festive time. I found this poem .....



Christmas in Heaven

I've had my first Christmas in Heaven
A Glorious, wonderful day.
I stood with the saints of the ages,
who found Christ the Truth and the Way.

I sang with the Heavenly Choir:
Just think: I who longed so to sing!
And oh, what celestial music
we brought to our Saviour and King!

We sang the glad songs of redemption,
How Jesus to Bethlehem came,
And how they called His name Jesus,
That all might be saved through His name.

We sang once again with the angels,
The song that they sang that blest morn,
When shepherds first heard the glad story
That Jesus, the Saviour, was born.



Oh, how I wish you had been there:
No Christmas on earth could compare
With all the rapture and glory
We witnessed in Heaven so fair.

You know how I always loved Christmas;
It seemed such a wonderful day,
With all of my loved ones around me
The children so happy and gay.

Yes, now I can see why I loved it:
And oh, what a joy it will be
When you and my loved ones are with me:
To share in the glories I see.

So dear ones on earth, here's my greeting:
Look up till the day dawn appears,
And oh, what a Christmas awaits us,
Beyond all our parting and tears.

Dr. Albert Simpson Reitz


Continuing to remember our friends in prayer. Cx :-)

Good Morning to you all.

I have read the latest opinions etc and thank everyone for this.

Our Christmas was not quite what we expected.

At first all went well" our children had all recived their presents etc.
Then our telephone brought very sad news from my husbands youngest son.

His wife, who has not lived with him for a long time, nor seen the children , for a long time had left this world, in the sadest way possible.
I worry now for children and their father and the Father of this young woman.
The shock must have been dreadful.

So sad for the children, will they recover ?

Please think of the two boys and there younger sister.

Thank you

From Bridget
.

Good morning :-)



That was very sad news indeed Bridget and so distressing for the whole family.

However, children can surprise us and be incredibly resilient at times like this. It may well be that, as they have not seen their mother for a long time, they will be able to deal with the situation in a better way than we imagine.

We will hold this little family in our prayers..... <3


The Collect for today:


The Collect

Heavenly Father,
whose children suffered at the hands of Herod,
though they had done no wrong:
by the suffering of your Son
and by the innocence of our lives
frustrate all evil designs
and establish your reign of justice and peace;
through 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.


Cx :-)

Remembering all in prayer those who are in need
of comfort and support at this time.x

Good morning :-)



My word, it's cold these mornings.......brrrrrr


"Joy to the World," the carolers sang out
As last minute shoppers scurried about,
Desperately seeking that one special gift
That would give Christmas morning a magical lift.

As an old man stood standing, listening to the song,
Midst all the madness of the bustling throng,
In a shaky, hoarse voice he began to join in
Singing the words of the famous old hymn.

One by one people stopped with their madness
To join with the old man for a moment of gladness.
By the time the carollers finished with singing the song,
The whole throng was united as they all sang along.

As if by magic from out of the sky
Church bells rang out from a chapel near by.
And when it was over the people greeted each other
With messages of good will they shared with one another.

You see, that magical lift the shoppers sought for so long,
Was not in the buying or scurrying along.
That magical gift so desperately sought
Was the Spirit of Christmas—which could never be bought.

--Tom Krause


Remembering those who have asked for prayer.....Cx :-)

Such distressing news for the family, Bridget.

I shall pray for these children x

Good morning :-)



Yet more disasters in this world of ours........such sadness for so many families.....



Lord, we pray for those who mourn,
for parents and children,
friends and neighbours.
Be gentle with them in their grief.
Show them the depths of your love,
a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven.
Spare them the torment of guilt and despair.
Be with them as they weep beside the empty tomb
of our risen Saviour,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.



Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


And so another year comes to its end. How quickly time passes by.

Each year brings its own sorrows and its own joys and we trust our heavenly father to be with us through the ups and downs of life. It has been good to travel life's road in the company of those who find this thread helpful.


God Knows

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”

And he replied:

“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.


So heart be still:
What need our little life
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.


God knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.


Then rest: until
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life’s stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God’s thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill.

- Minnie Louise Haskin



Cx :-)

You beat me to it Cynthia. I have this verse pinned on my kitchen board and find it a great comfort, but I have never known all the verses.... it is inspiring!

Thank you to Cynthia and everyone for your postings which I do appreciate.
My thanks also for all the support and kind words and prayers these last months.

As we each step forward in faith, reaching out into a new year full of hope and anticipation I would like to share this verse with everyone tonight.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29 v 11.

Wishing everyone a Healthy and Happy New Year, with many blessings in 2015.

Good morning :-)



A New Year

God grant us this year a wider view,
So we see others' faults through the eyes of You.
Teach us to judge not with hasty tongue,
Neither the adult ... nor the young.

Give us patience and grace to endure
And a stronger faith so we feel secure.
Instead of remembering, help us forget
The irritations that caused us to fret.

Freely forgiving for some offence
And finding each day a rich recompense.
In offering a friendly, helping hand
And trying in all ways to understand;

That all of us whoever we are ...
Are trying to reach an unreachable star.
For the great and small ... the good and bad,
The young and old ... the sad and glad

Are asking today; Is life worth living?
The answer is only in, loving and giving.
For only Love can make man kind
And Kindness of Heart brings Peace of Mind.

By giving love, we can help this year
To lift the clouds of hate and fear.

- Helen Steiner Rice


I join with kandj in wishing everyone a very Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year.


Cx :-D <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

As a "popper-inner" can I just say thank you to all the regular posters who have kept this thread going through 2014 and wish everyone health, happiness and peace in 2015.

Good morning :-)


How about some smiles at the beginning of this new year? :-D


An atheist went on holiday to Loch Ness in Scotland. While out in a boat fishing, the Loch Ness Monster reared up and hissed at him. The atheist cried out, "O my Lord, HELP!!"

A voice from Heaven came down and said, "I thought you did not believe in Me!"

Replied the atheist, "A minute ago, I didn’t believe in the Loch Ness Monster either."

***

"Dear Lord, I pray that you will put one hand on my shoulder and the other over my mouth, Amen"

***

The parish priest called to visit an elderly couple. The old gent said, 'When I die I'm going to leave everything to my dear wife'.

'He already does that Vicar,' replied the wife.

***

My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?"

I mentally polished my halo while I asked, "No, how are we alike?"

"You're both old," he replied.

***

A young couple invited their pastor for Sunday dinner. While they were in the kitchen preparing the meal, the minister asked their son what they were having.

"Goat," the little boy replied.

"Goat?" replied the Pastor, "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes," said the youngster. "I heard Dad say to Mom, 'We might as well have the old goat for dinner today as any other day."

***

A Jewish rabbi and a Catholic priest were good friends. They were at a community picnic one day and the priest was eating a ham sandwich. "You know," he said to his friend, "this ham sandwich is simply delicious. I know you're not supposed to eat ham, but I don't understand why something as good as this would be forbidden to you. Why don't you break down and try one?"

To which the rabbi replied, "Sure, at your wedding."

***

The Lord is my programmer, I shall not crash.
He installed His software on the hard disk of my heart. All of His commands are user friendly.
His directory guides me to the right choices for His name's sake. Even though I scroll through the problems of life, I will fear no bugs, for He is my back-up.
His password protects me. He prepares a menu before me in the presence of my enemies.
His help is only a keystroke away.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and my file will be merged with His and saved forever.
Amen

***



Faithful With Much




At a Wednesday evening church meeting a very wealthy man rose to give his testimony.

"I'm a millionaire," he said, "and I attribute it all to the rich blessings of God in my life. I can still remember the turning point in my faith, like it was yesterday:

I had just earned my first dollar and I went to a church meeting that night. The speaker was a missionary who told about his work. I knew that I only had a dollar bill and had to either give it all to God's work or nothing at all. So at that moment I decided to give my whole dollar to God. I believe that God blessed that decision, and that is why I am a rich man today."

As he finished it was clear that everyone had been moved by this man's story. But, as he took his seat, a little old lady sitting in the same pew leaned over and said: "Wonderful story! I dare you to do it again!"

***


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

Enjoy yours Cynthia :-D :-D :-D

‘Religion arises not out of sacerdotal invention or chicanery, but out of the persistent wonder, fear, insecurity, hopefulness & loneliness of mankind’.

(C&P from ‘The Story of Civilisation’ by American Historian - Will Durant 1885-1981).