General Chat

Hello all

So sorry that you still have back pain Cynthia, oh dear, keep taking the tablets!

Continuing with Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life for this years Lent season.

Chapter 3 WHAT DRIVES YOUR LIFE?
I also observed that people work hard and become good at what they do only
out of mutual envy. This too is pointless , just chasing the wind. (Ecclesiastes 4.4).

Heavenly Father,
Help me to see this holy season of Lent as a time for spiritual renewal.
Help me to look within myself and embrace each new day that comes from you. Amen.

Remembering the lonely and homeless who will sleep in the street tonight. xxx

Good morning :-)


My back is still playing up - I will probably be suffering for a few more days if it goes true to form... :-(

Another perspective on fasting during Lent............

Fast from fear; Feast on Faith
Fast from despair; Feed on hope.
Fast from depressing news; Feed on prayer.
Fast from discontent; Feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger and worry; Feed on patience.
Fast from negative thinking; Feast on positive thinking.
Fast from bitterness; Feed on love and forgiveness.
Fast from words that wound; Feast on words that heal.
Fast from gravity; Feast on joy and humour.

(adapted from A Lenten Prayer by William Arthur Ward)

Hoping to out with a friend for an hour or so later......just got to make sure that my OH is settled.


Love to all Cx :-)

Just sending you a very gentle hug to ease your pain Cynthia
<3 I hope your poorly back recovers very quickly.

Remembering all who are in any sort of physical or mental pain today

Hello all

I hope you managed to meet up with your friend Cynthia and that your back was less painful for you today.

Vera, I am upholding you and your family in prayer.

Day 4. Chapter 4. Made To Last Forever.
God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity
in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's
work from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3 v 11). New Living Translation

Thinking of all who await hospital test results. xxx

Good morning :-)


I had a lovely couple of hours out yesterday - the passenger seat in my friend's car has a heater - so it was blissful for my sore back. :-D

Thank you for all the good wishes - I will let you know when normal service is resumed.

Today is St. Valentine's Day..........a day which has become associated with romance, roses and chocolates. However, the truth behind St. Valentine is a different story......here is a very brief version....

St. Valentine was a priest from Rome in the third century AD.

Emperor Claudius II had banned marriage because he thought married men were bad soldiers. Valentine felt this was unfair, so he broke the rules and arranged marriages in secret.

When Claudius found out, Valentine was thrown in jail and sentenced to death.

There, he fell in love with the jailer's daughter and when he was taken to be killed on 14 February he sent her a love letter signed "from your Valentine".

And not a chocolate in sight.........


Cx :-)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

Cynthia I hope your back pain has calmed down a little for you today.

Eating chocs together now on this special day,(I didn't give up chocolate for Lent)

The book that I have chosen to read during the 40 days of Lent is thought provoking.
It is Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life and has 40 chapters and suggests reading one chapter every day throughout Lent. This is a real challenge for me.

Chapter 5. Seeing Life From God's View.
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the
morning fog -- it is here for a little while, and then it is gone.
(James 4 v 14. New Living Translation Bible).

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

Good morning :-)

Two babies were baptised yesterday, but I have to say that I am going off the new service our priest in charge is using. It was all over and done with in 35 mins and I didn't feel as though I had been to worship at all. Many of our usual congregation are either staying away or going to the Holy Communion service at 9am. Time for a re-think.

My back is still extremely painful so a doctor's appointment may be in order.



During Lent we will be looking at various aspects of the season, either by prayer, meditation, poetry or video. For today....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFBe0Pd-LgI

As Jesus resisted temptation by the devil in the wilderness, help us reflect on his faithfulness to God, his rejection of worldly values and hold these thoughts in our hearts throughout Lent and beyond. Amen


Cx :-)

Hello all

"Time for a rethink" Cynthia. Perhaps the priest should notice what is happening and decide also that it is time for a rethink on her behalf to keep her congregation.
Although in my own previous experience, I feel this is highly unlikely to happen.

Thank you for an encouraging prayer and a beautiful video today.

Chapter 6: Life Is A Temporary Assignment.
Lord, make me to now mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is:
That I may know how frail I am. (Psalm 39 v 4. King James Version).

Praying for all who are living with physical or emotional pain every day. xxx

Good morning :-)


I'm not sure what will happen kandj. Ever since our beloved priest died, we seem to have been passed from pillar to post as far as leadership is concerned. Ah well...time will tell.


For today:


Lord God,
I trust in you today.
I thank you that you keep turning the pages of my life. Everyday you give me a new beginning.
Help me to ride each new wave of temptation, and to overcome the things that can drag my life down. As I look to you I declare your promise of freedom over my life.

Amen.


Remembering friends in prayer Cx :-)

Hello all

A cold night and a heavy white frost here in Yorkshire first thing this morning. It has become brighter but it is still very cold. Can't grumble really as it is still February.

I am still managing to find the time to read a chapter each day of Rick Warren's
The Purpose Driven Life. Day 7 today and 33 more days to go to make up 40 days!

Chapter 7 The Reason For Everything.
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom
be glory for ever. Amen. (Romans 11:36. King James Version.)

Thinking of people who have no heating in their homes during this cold spell. xxx

Good morning :-)


Not had a good night with OH - back and leg still painful - now I have a nosebleed. Sigh.....never rains but it pours :-D

For today:

Indifference
When Jesus came to Golgatha,
They hanged Him on a tree,
They drove great nails through hands and feet,
And made a Calvary.
They crowned Him with a crown of thorns,
Red were His wounds and deep,
For those were crude and cruel days,
And human flesh was cheap.

When Jesus came to Birmingham
They simply passed Him by,
They never hurt a hair of Him,
They only let Him die;
For men have grown more tender,
And they would not give Him pain,
They only just passed down the street,
And left Him in the rain.

Still Jesus cried, ‘Forgive them,
For they know not what they do!
And still it rained the winter rain
That drenched Him through and through;
The crowd went home and left the streets
Without a soul to see,
And Jesus crouched against a wall
And cried for Calvary.

G A Studdert Kennedy (1883-1929)


Love to all Cx :-)

Hello all

A heavy frost overnight with rain, rain and more rain today.

Like all your problems Cynthia, this can only get better, we hope and pray.

Continuing to share my Lent reading with you. It is already past 7 days and today is;

Chapter 8: Planned For God's Pleasure.
Thou art worthy , O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure, they are and were created.

Thinking of those who work outside on this cold and rainy day. xxx

Good morning :-)

My back and leg pain continues to plague me but I am trying to carry on as normal as possible. ouch!

For today, one of the most popular hymns which is used during Lent....

Forty days and forty nights
Thou wast fasting in the wild;
Forty days and forty nights
Tempted, and yet undefiled.

Sunbeams scorching all the day;
Chilly dew-drops nightly shed;
Prowling beasts about Thy way;
Stones Thy pillow; earth Thy bed.

Should not we Thy sorrow share
And from worldly joys abstain,
Fasting with unceasing prayer,
Strong with Thee to suffer pain?

Then if Satan on us press,
Jesus, Saviour, hear our call!
Victor in the wilderness,
Grant we may not faint nor fall!

So shall we have peace divine:
Holier gladness ours shall be;
Round us, too, shall angels shine,
Such as ministered to Thee.

Keep, O keep us, Saviour dear,
Ever constant by Thy side;
That with Thee we may appear
At the eternal Eastertide.


Remembering friends in prayer Cx :-)

Hello all

Aww Cynthia, sorry you are still in pain. A real penance during Lent.

A lovely old traditional hymn I remember form school days...... thank you.

Chapter 9: What Makes God Smile?
May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.
(Numbers 6 : 25. NLT.).

Remembering all in need of prayerful support today.

Good morning :-)

It is a Lenten penance indeed kandj.....and very painful first thing in the morning until the painkillers start to work. :-(

For today:

O God, who makes all things new,
new stars, new dust, new life;
take my heart,
every hardened edge and measured beat,
and create something new in me.
I need your newness, God,
the rough parts of me made smooth;
the stagnant, stirred;
the stuck, freed;
the unkind, forgiven.
And then, by the power of your Spirit,
I need to be turned toward Love again. Amen.


Remembering friends in prayer Cx :-)

Hello all

I tried earlier and got an error page, so here goes for a second time tonight.

Chapter 10 : The Heart of Worship.
Nor must you surrender any part of yourselves to sin to be used for
wicked purposes. Instead, give yourselves to God, as those who
have been brought from death to life, and surrender your whole being
to him, to be used for righteous purposes.
(Romans 6:13. Good News Translation.).

Sending out a gentle hug to all in need tonight. xxx

Good morning :-)


In an effort to keep a variety on our Lenten theme, today I offer you a legend....



The Legend of the Dogwood Tree

At the time of the crucifixion, the dogwood had reached the size of the mighty oak tree. So strong and firm was the wood that it was chosen as the timber for Jesus' cross.

To be used for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the dogwood. While nailed upon it, Jesus sensed this, and in his compassion said. "Because of your pity for my suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used for a cross. Henceforth, it shall be slender, bent, and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross–two long and two short petals.

In the centre of the outer edge of each petal will be the print of nails. In the centre of the flower, stained with blood, will be a crown of thorns so that all who see it will remember."



Love to all Cx :-)

Hello all

Cynthia, that legend was really interesting and all new information for me. Thank you.

Day 11 of a Lenten journey in faith. I am finding the Rick Warren book
The Purpose Driven Life just amazing. I used this book for a Lent Course
in church in 2003. I had highlighted several sentences and readings from
Scripture from all those years ago. I don't actually remember much from then.

Chapter 11. Becoming Best Friends With God.
Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him.
(Psalm 25: 14. Living Bible.).

Prayers for those in Government and all in authority to make wise and compassionate decisions regarding the future for us all. xxx

Good morning :-)


Oh dear I had a really bad evening with my back and took some advice from our churchwarden who is a pharmacist. She helped considerably thank goodness. However, bad back or no bad back, I still have to get up in the night to help my husband. I think that I will have to miss church this morning as I am going to try and catch up with some sleep. I hate missing church but............... :-(


Today is Thinking Day for the Girl Guiding movement. Our own groups will be leading the service this morning.


The Collect for today:

Almighty God,
who shows to them that are in error the light of your truth,
to the intent that they may return to the way of righteousness:
grant to all that are admitted into the fellowship of Christ's religion,
that they may avoid those things which are contrary to their profession,
and follow all such things that are agreeable to the same;
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 forever, Amen.

Remembering friends in prayer Cx :-)

Hello all from a wet and windy Yorkshire.

Sorry you have had a disturbed night Cynthia, hope you both are able to relax today.

Chapter 12: Developing Your Friendship With God.
The Lord dislikes the perverse, but takes the upright into his confidence.
(Proverbs 3:32. New International Version.)

Praying for all who are struggling with loneliness today. xxx