General Chat

Good morning :-)


Hi Pat, it sounds as though it could get quite noisy at this time of year in your village. :-D

I love church bells, but the one note chime can sound very solemn and reminds me of funerals.

For today...

The Three Kings presented the Christ child with three famous gifts……….gold, frankincense and myrrh. Why?

Gold is a precious metal and as such was a very valuable commodity. The gift of gold to the Christ child was symbolic of His divinity—God in flesh.

Frankincense is a symbol of holiness and righteousness. The gift of frankincense to the Christ child was symbolic of His willingness to become a sacrifice, wholly giving Himself up, comparable to a burnt offering.

Myrrh symbolizes bitterness, suffering, and affliction. The baby Jesus would grow to suffer greatly as a man and would pay the ultimate price when He gave His life on the cross for all who would believe in Him.

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.


Cx :-)

Hello all

A dark rainy day here. We have no heating as our gas boiler is being replaced today.
How easily we have become used to modern day heating and a warm home. We have been thinking of the poor people who have been badly affected by the floods.

Heavenly Father
We pray for those who are affected by the floods and face destruction in their homes and livelihood. Give daily strength to everyone and to those working to bring relief.
Amen.

Good morning



Brrr.....hope your boiler is soon fixed kandj.....we take so much for granted I agree.


As we draw to the end of our thoughts on the arrival of the Three Kings, we offer this prayer…..



Lord Jesus
may your light shine our way,
as once it guided the steps of the magi:
that we too may be led into your presence
and worship you,
the Child of Mary,
the Word of the Father,
the King of nations,
the Saviour of mankind;
to whom be glory for ever.
- Frank Colquhoun


Cx :-)

Hello all

New boiler in place and up and running, so we are cozy and warm here now.

As evening approaches I will share this prayer today. It will help me to relax through the night and I hope it may help others like me, who aren't sleeping very well now.

May the Holy Trinity
encircle you throughout this night.

May the Heavenly Father
enfold you in his arms.

May Jesus Christ
save you from all harm.

May the Holy Spirit
guide you through the night.

That you may wake up fresh
in the morning light. (Gavin Ellis).
Amen.

Good morning :-)


I think many folk will relate to this prayer......


Whatever the New Year has in store,
Remember there's always a good reason for
Everything that comes into our life.
For even in times of struggle and strife,
If we but lift our eyes above
We see "our cross" as a "gift of love."

For things that cause the heart to ache
Until we feel that it must break,
Become the strength by which we climb
To higher heights that are sublime.
So welcome every stumbling block
And every thorn and jagged rock;
For each one is a stepping-stone
To a fuller life than we've ever known;
And in the radiance of God's smiles
We learn to soar above life's trials.
So let us accept what the New Year brings,
Seeing the hand of God in all things,
And as we grow in strength and grace
The clearer we can see God's face.


Praying that those who are sleepless may find rest tonight. Cx :-)

Thanks Cynthia. Life does indeed throw lots of challenges to us all each day.
How blessed to feel that we are never left alone in dark and troubled times.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,
Give thanks in all circumstances;
For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
First Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Remembering people who feel alone this night. xxx

Good morning :-)


Today, we celebrate the Baptism of Christ and, oddly enough, we do not have any baptisms in church today. :-S


The Collect (special prayer) for today:

Heavenly Father,
at the Jordan you revealed Jesus as your Son:
may we recognise Him as our Lord
and know ourselves to be your beloved children;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen.


Love to all Cx :-)

Hello all

"When you arise in the morning,
think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive,
to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."

Prophetic words written by Marcus Aurelius.

Hoping everyone will have a happy day today. xxx

Good morning :-)

My OH has had a few better days lately so we made it to church reasonably easily. As usual, he was hugged and kissed and fussed over......by both men and women! :-D

For this week, I thought we could take a look at our community - the people we meet and the places we go.

'Love your neighbour as yourself'.

Father, please use me to be an example of your love among my neighbours.

Help me to be more like you so that I become more effective in helping them come to know you.

Lord, please let me see my street transformed, as people turn to you.

Help me to look for situations where I can do good for others, whether at home or at work.

Help me not to tire of trying to be a good neighbour, especially when I face rejection.

Give me strength to keep persevering, and guide me to the people who need my help the most.

Amen.


Thinking of all those who have 'difficult' neighbours. Cx :-)

Hello all

So glad that your husband was able to be with you in church Cynthia. He is obviously very well thought of to be given so many hugs and kisses. It will have made his day!

We are blessed to live in a road with kind and caring neighbours, although this hasn't always been the case over the years.

I often "prayer walk" which is simply walking the streets and silently praying for the homes that I pass, the people in the houses and any worries that they might have.

Loving our neighbour means helping those in need, even if they do not live near us

Praying for the true ultimate neighbour spirit in the flooded areas, help one another..
Praying for the rescue teams, police, fireman, river and water management workers

Good morning :-)


Continuing our look round at the communities where we live.......

Lord, we pray for the shops in our community.

For those who open early and close late in order to serve us.

For those shops which have been handed down from generation to generation and those who have recently opened.

For the shops where we buy food to feed us, clothes to clothe us, comforts for our homes and holidays to help us relax.

Bless them in their work and may their dealings with both employee and customer always be honest and fair.

Amen.


Cx :-)

Hello all

An interesting thread Cynthia. We live in a village that has an abundance of shops!
Many of the small family run businesses have sadly had to end through one thing or another, although there is a newsagents and a gardening/pet shop and both are run by 3rd generation and it's always pleasant to buy items and have a little chat too.

Heavenly Father

We pray for all who work in small shops and in large supermarkets.
Bless them all with happy days and pleasant company each day.
Amen

Good morning :-)

Dear me.....my computer decided it needed to update, do a dance, cook lunch and 101 other things besides.............grrrrrrrr Anyway, I am here now! :-D


For today:

We pray for the schools in our community.

Bless the teachers as they endeavour to teach and educate the children in their care.

May they be given patience and understanding ..... stamina and enthusiasm as they face each day.

In return, may the pupils respect their teachers and be willing and helpful students.

We pray that bullying may be banished and good work encouraged.


Amen.



Cx :-)

Pray for the teachers of the faith, both past and present.
Remember evangelists, people of vision who have started Christian Movements.
Pray for the present Missionaries and their families who face danger each day.

Good morning :-)


Today we think of those in the field of medicine who live and work in our community.

We pray for all doctors, nurses and dentists as they strive to take care of our health and wellbeing.

May they be blessed with expertise, sensitivity and patience in their dealings with those in pain or despair and with compassion to those facing death. Amen


Remembering those who have asked for prayer Cx :-)

Hello all

We have much to thank the NHS for. We give thanks for the dedication and kindness given at all visits, where staff are clearly overworked but still manage to smile at us.

Thinking of all who are in need of prayerful support today. xxx

Good morning :-)


For many years, pubs are places where people have gathered to enjoy food and drink in the company of others.

Lord, we pray for those who are landlords and responsible for the smooth running of our local pubs. Help them to be dutiful in their service and welcoming in their hospitality. May those who enter their doors find friendship and refreshment and remember to be responsible in their drinking. Amen.


Brrr.....its chilly here today........love to all Cx :-)

It is very cold here also Cynthia :-)

Every flower blooms when it's time,

Every prayer is answered in God's time.

xx

Cold here to but bright and dry and not the sleet of yesterday. We are pleased to have had the new boiler fitted so we are warm and comfortable in our home.

Last week a pub in the village was demolished to make way for a supermarket.
We both felt quite sad as we used to meet for Saturday night dances to live band when we were in our teens. Half time drinks were tea, coffee, orange an lemonade.
No alcohol was served in this building and no one seemed to want this either.
The building began originally as a village social hall and used for weekend dances.
WI Meetings, Scouts and Brownie and St Johns Ambulance weekly meetings.

Alterations were done over the years and a Brewery refurbished the rooms and put in a bar. This lasted for very many years but was knocked down last week and a national supermarket will be built on this site and is planned to be open in Easter.

It's sad to see the rubble of the building where we have spent such happy hours for very many years.Not just us, but family and friends who also have similar memories

Count your blessings, count them one by one
Count your blessings, see what God has done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one
Count your blessings, see what God has done..

Good morning :-)

So many pubs are closing nowadays. We live in what was once a mining community and I have been told that there was a 'pub' on most street corners many years ago, some of which were houses from what I gather. There are still two 'proper' pubs within walking distance - both dating back a couple of hundred years or so and still seemingly going strong.


We end this week of praying for our Community by thinking of the church we attend or the church in whose parish we live.

We pray for the clergy who take services – that they may be loyal and true to their calling. May they be ready and willing to serve God and His people whenever and wherever needed.

We thank God for the church building where people have worshipped over the generations and where many memories are held.

We pray for the congregation – that they may be true witnesses of the faith and encourage others to learn more about Christ.

May the church fellowship always be welcoming to the stranger and extend God’s love beyond the walls of the church. Amen.


Love to all Cx :-)