General Chat

Hello All

I am very late and so feel an evening prayer is appropriate.

As this evening prayer rises before you Lord
May Your mercy come down upon us all this night
May we all be blessed with a peaceful, restful sleep
and awake refreshed in the morning to praise Your holy name.
Amen.

Remembering all who are in need of prayerful support right now. xx

Good morning :-)


Yesterday we had the baptism of a tiny baby whose family are regular worshippers with us. It was lovely to be able to be part of their special day. I was allowed to hold him and it was such a privilege as he is so small..........went all broody ! :-D


For today :

Christ, our all in all,
into your presence I come, Lord;
a few moments of quietness,
closeness
in a busy world
that demands my attention.
Breathe on me now,
that I might know your power
to see this day though.
Amen


Praying for all those whose lives are hectic and demanding - that they may find peace. Cx :-)

If the only prayer you said in your life was

"Thank You"

that would suffice.

- Meister Eckhart -

Hello All

Schools all finished now until September and the village roads are so much quieter while the streets and shops are busy as little ones are around with relatives now.

For very many years I was involved in the church children's' club which took place Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings and was always very well attended, extremely noisy with lots of excited children and tiring too as I remember, BUT it was worthwhile and good to be in Jesus' team. Not sure if this still operates when so many Mums need to work now and church volunteers few and far between (and very much older than before!).

Heavenly Father
We pray today for all children as they begin their schools holiday.
Keep them safe and make them happy with friends and family.
We pray for the teachers that they may enjoy this Summer and
return to school in September welcoming all children in their care.
In Jesus' name. Amen.

Remembering those who anxiously await hospital test results today. xxx

Good morning :-)

Lovely to see our friends popping in on here............hope all are well.


For today and those who will be doing a little bit of gardening:





My Garden of Prayer

My garden beautifies my yard
and adds fragrance to the air ...
But it is also my Cathedral
and my quiet place of prayer ...
So little do we realize
that the glory and the power
Of He who made the universe
lies hidden in a flower.

- Helen Steiner Rice



Cx :-)

Hello All

I agree Cynthia and loved Emma's simple prayer..... so very true! Thank you Emma

I love my garden but really haven't had the time these last few years to keep on top of everything, but I do keep trying and promise myself that next year will be different.

I remember visiting my paternal Uncle's pristine garden and seeing a stone plaque which had these words imprinted on them;

The kiss of the sun for pardon
The song of the bird's for mirth
You are nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.

I found these words so amazing as I had never ever seen them written anywhere before. My Uncle could see how impressed I was and with a straight face he told me that he had written them and had them put on a stone slab to put in his garden.
What a load of rubbish and a big porkie pie.

I was only about 10years old at the time and it wasn't until several years later in the village library I came across a book which had a full poem written by Dorothy Frances Gurney named God's Garden and Uncle's words were written in verse 4?? He had died by then or I would have knocked at his door (armed with the library book) and asked some pertinent questions!

God's Garden

The Lord planted a garden
in the first white days of the world,
and He set there an angel warden
In a garment of white unfurled

So near to the peace of Heaven
That the hawk might nest with the wren
For there in the cool of the even
God walked with the first of men.

And I dream that these garden-closes
With their shade and their sun-flecked sod
and their lilies and bowers of roses,
Were laid by the hand of God.

The kiss of the sun for pardon
The song of the birds for mirth
You are nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.

For He broke it for us in a garden
Under the olive-trees,
Where the angel of strength was the warden
and the soul of the world found ease.

written by Dorothy Frances Gurney
(no credit whatsoever given to my paternal Uncle!!).

A gentle hug for those who feel alone right now. xxx

Good morning :-)


Love the story of your uncle kandj....... :-D


For this new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food,

for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends,

We thank Thee, dearest Lord.

Amen.


Praying for those who feel they are without hope.... Cx :-)

What a lovely man your uncle was by the sound of it :-)

Bet he had a twinkle in his eye when he said that kandj.

Was at my podiatrist this morning and my dentist tomorrow
and thought thank goodness for these people who take care
of my needs, mostly I am thankful for my husband who is my
full time carer and who I would be lost without.

My prayer today is for all carers, young and old, for all the love
and care they give. God bless you x

Hello All

My family history research uncovered a hidden skeleton in my paternal Uncle's
cupboard, he certainly wasn't worthy of the whiter than white image he portrayed, but I still have some lovely memories that he has left with me.

Cynthia........ Amen to your posting today.

Emma, my husband also appreciates all I do as his carer to make life a little better for him. It is not easy but it is a privilege, we feel blessed to be at home together.

Colossians 3 v 12 says it all so nicely imho.
So, as those who have been chosen by God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Another scripture verse also comes to mind, which is;

Galatians 6 v 9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Praying for those who work in care homes and hospital care of the elderly wards xxx

Amen to today's prayers and special thoughts for carers everywhere.

Until the age of 74 my father was extremely active and fit but then an illness struck and within a short space of time he was very disabled. Later he became registered blind but still managed pretty well until dementia hit. Then he really did need care full time, night and day. My brother, who is not married, gave up work to care for Dad for the last two years of his life. I know from the short spells that I looked after Dad to give brother a break just how hard it was. I consider my brother a saint in his own way, though he would deny it, and I have complete admiration for all carers.

Good morning :-)

Some very thoughtful posts re carers today. I am carer for two - my husband and my daughter and I appreciate just how much it can take out of one. We often hear of the wonderful way in which many folk care for their loved ones and how demanding and tiring it is. Some of the young folk who care for their parents are amazing. God bless them all. <3

I did a little searching and came up with this prayer for carers....

The Carer’s Prayer

God of love, our true shepherd! Fill our hearts with your strength, joy and compassion to continue to care for those in our lives,
to care for those we find it difficult to care for and to be open to those in need of care.

‘The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.’ May the fruit of the Spirit continually nourish us and be ever-present within us, those we care for and those who care for us.

Lord of hope! Give us the courage to be people of hope, to show respect, dignity, empathy, love, faith and friendship. Help us to be truly present with those we care for and those who care for us.

And when we are over-burdened, restore us… comfort us… strengthen us…
We thank you God for the many opportunities of being Christ-like to others. Amen.


Continuing to remember those who have asked for prayer. Cx :-)

Amen for today's prayer Cynthia x

Hello All

Thank you also Cynthia for the Carer's Prayer.

Our 14 year old granddaughter has recently returned safely from a school trip abroad.
Today we hear on the news that a young 12 year old girl has tragically died in a swimming accident whilst on a school trip in France. Our hearts go out to her parents and family, especially her grandparents who must all be totally devastated today.

Thoughts and prayers for all who are forced to cope with a sudden death in family. xxx

Good morning :-)


It was so sad to hear about that child's death whilst she was on a school holiday. Many of us have waved our children off on this sort of thing, hoping that it will be a great experience for them and that they will return home safe and sound. We pray for the agony which that family must be experiencing, that they may know that they are surrounded by love and upheld by prayer as they go through the grieving process.


For today:

Lord God, may we be grateful for our lot, and compassionate toward all those who are suffering every kind of distress at this difficult time.

May we hold back nothing, and hasten to be the ministers of prayer and mercy, like the disciples of Him who went about doing good in times of need.

For Jesus' sake. Amen.



Cx :-)

Hello All

Thank you Cynthia. Amen to your morning prayer.

"There but for the grace of God, go I" is what our family have said more than once.

Our family have been thinking how blessed we have been that our lovely K enjoyed the fun and excitement with school friends in Iceland and is safely home once again

Not such a happy ending for the family in the news whose daughter tragically died during a school trip to France.Their family link is broken and their loss heartbreaking

"There but for the grace of God go I" is a phrase thought to have originally been said by John Bradford (born c1510) and used as an expression of humility whilst recognizing God's good grace rather than our own mortality.

Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of others
(written by George Washington Amen to those wise words.

“Do not hesitate to love and to love deeply. You might be afraid of the pain that deep love can cause. When those you love deeply reject you, leave you, or die, your heart will be broken. But that should not hold you back from loving deeply. The pain that comes from deep love makes your love ever more fruitful. It is like a plough that breaks to ground to allow the seed to take root and grow into a strong plant.

Every time you experience the pain of rejection, absence, or death, you are faced with a choice. You can become bitter and decide not to love again, or you can stand straight in your pain and let the soil on which you stand become richer and more able to give life to new seeds.

The more you have loved and have allowed yourself to suffer because of your love, the more you will be able to let your heart grow wider and deeper. When your love is truly giving and receiving, those whom you love will not leave your heart even when they depart from you. They will become part of yourself and thus gradually build a community within you.

Those you have deeply loved become part of you. The longer you live, there will always be more people to be loved by you and to become part of your inner community. The wider your inner community becomes, the more easily you will recognise your own brothers and sisters in the strangers around you. Those who are alive within you will recognise those who are alive around you.

The wider the community of your heart, the wider the community around you. Thus the pain of rejection, absence, and death can become fruitful. Yes, as you love deeply the ground of your heart will be broken more and more, but you will rejoice in the abundance of the fruit it will bear.”

(Henri J. M. Nouwen, “Love Deeply,” The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish To Freedom.)

Beautiful Dermot, real pearls of wisdom. Thank you.

Thank you Dermot. A lovely piece of writing.

My heart goes out to the parents of that little girl and to everyone who has lost a child.

Good morning :-)


Such wonderful words Dermot....thank you. I used some of Henry Nouwen's words elsewhere this week - a man with much insight and compassion.


For today:

Be thou my vision, Lord
this day and every day,
the centre of my life,
the focus of my thoughts.
Be thou my wisdom, Lord
the inspiration of my words,
in every situation,
Your Spirit my support


Remembering all who mourn at this time. Cx :-)

Hello All

Be thou my vision hymn is going around in my head after your prayer Cynthia.

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art
be thou my best thought in the day and the night
both waking and sleeping, thou presence my light.

I love the traditional hymns the best. All are a wonderful way to praise God.

The nights are drawing in already which comes as a bit of a shock really.

Remembering all who are homeless and will spend the night out on the streets. xxx