General Chat

His sense of humour will live on. As will all those precious memories of his time here. You have all been very lucky to have known such a character, Cynthia. :-) :-)

A day of mixed emotions for you Cynthia and all your church family.
Your vicar has left his gift of humour behind. A blessing indeed.

Good morning all........ :-)


Those who attended the service yesterday morning, were still smiling about the music last night. It really seems to have lifted people's spirits. :-)



Another new week and I have always found the following prayer, a very challenging one:



I God asked for health
that I might do greater things ...
I was given infirmity
that I might do better things.

I asked God for riches
that I might be happy ...
I was given poverty
that I might be wise.

I asked God for power
that I might have the praise of men ...
I was given weakness
that I might feel the need of God.

I asked God for all things
that I might enjoy life ...
I was given life
that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for,
But everything I hoped for.

Almost despite myself,
My unspoken prayers were answered.

I am, among all men,
most richly blessed!

~ Attributed to an Unknown Confederate Soldier ~



Enjoy your day :-)

I have never heard that before, Cynthia.

But the words resonate with me very much. And I am sure many people too.

If I ask for anything now, it is always for other people. He knows me, he will give me what I need and deserve. Which, I come to agree in the fullness of time, is good. Though at the time, it did feel as if He had abandoned me to fate.

If I pray for anybody else, I have learned never to be specific. But usually those prayers seem to be answered more or less as you expect. And when a friend or a member of the family recovers from a seemingly hopeless illlness, or constant pain, or constant worry over mounting debts, you know (and often they realise too) that prayer has been heard, that God loves them and is helping them. However much they have turned their backs on God in their lives, and often still continue to turn their backs.

It is all of Grace, all of agape (that selfless love). One day we know that we will be able to love our enemies in the same way that God loves his enemies :-) Forgive us our trespasses, O God. In the same way that we forgive those who trespass against us.

What a way to start a new week. Many thanks, Cynthia :-) :-) :-)

I agree with John, what a way to start a new week. Food for thought with today's words.
Thank you Cynthia.

Good morning all poppers-inners - if you're still around.... and good morning even if you're not :-)


I heard Sunday's prayer a long time ago and it always made me stop and think. I've found those words helpful over the years, especially when times have been hard.


For today.......



Step by step
We climb day by day,
Closer to God
With each prayer we pray.
For the cry of the heart
Offered in prayer,
Becomes just another
Spiritual stair
In the heavenly staircase
Leading us to
A beautiful place
Where we live anew.

So never give up
For it's worth the climb,
To live forever
In endless time,
Where the soul of man
Is safe and free,
To live in love
Through eternity!

~ Helen Steiner Rice ~


Enjoy your day everyone

Cx :-)

Cynthia. Many thanks for those words. Makes it clear what we are doing here on earth. I often wonder :-)

Frequently, I think of Jacob's ladder. He must have been so totally exhausted to fall asleep on a stone. But for him to dream about that ladder to heaven (I think of it as being a rugged rocky pathway rather than a wooden ladder) was so wonderful.

Can you imagine it. God and heaven at the top, you at the foot. And these angels coming down to hand out God's instructions, and then back again with our prayers and our needs.

And Jacob was spared. And I hope God, on balance, thinks we have made a good go at climbing so far in our lives :-) :-) :-)

It passeth praises, that dear love of Thine,
My Savior, Jesus; yet this heart of mine
Would sing that love, so full, so rich, so free,
Which brings a rebel sinner, such as me,
Nigh unto God

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/nt/154

Thank you Cynthia and John.

Emma :-)

The hymn that came into my mind after today's words was

ONE MORE STEP ALONG THE WORLD I GO

One more step along the world I go
One more step along the world I go
From the old things to the new
Keep me traveling along with you.

refrain:
And it's from the old I travel to the new
Keep me traveling along with you.

Round the corner of the world I turn
More and more about the world I learn
All the new things that I see
You'll be looking at along with me

As I travel through the bad and good
Keep me traveling the way I should
Where I see no way to go
You'll be telling me the way, I know.

Give me courage when the world is rough
Keep me loving when the world is tough
Leap and sing in all I do
Keep me traveling along with you.

You are older than the world can be
You are younger than the life in me
Ever old and ever new
Keep me traveling along with you.

I love the simple yet profound words, which say everything to me.

kandj

I love that song/hymn too. Needs to be sung at a brisk pace. Very popular amongst younger people.

Written by Sydney Carter, who died fairly recently and was quite a character. His nickname was Polly (no idea why) but he wrote some very catchy tunes. Adapted from an old Shaker hymn, Lord of the Dance was probably most famous:

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/sydney_carter/lord_of_the_dance.html

Good morning - kandj, we actually sang that hymn on Sunday. I think it was chosen because of the licensing of our two new Lay Readers :-)


I like Sydney Carter's hymns too John :-)



Something a little bit different for today....rather thought provoking :


THE PIT

A man fell into a pit and couldn't get himself out.

A SUBJECTIVE person came along and said:
"I feel for you, down there."


An OBJECTIVE person came along and said:
"It's logical that someone would fall down there."


A PHARISEE said:
"Only bad people fall into a pit."


A MATHEMATICIAN calculated
how he fell into the pit.


A NEWS REPORTER wanted
the exclusive story on his pit.


A FUNDAMENTALIST said:
"You deserve your pit."


An I.R.S. AGENT asked
if he was paying taxes on the pit.


A SELF-PITYING person said:
"You haven't seen anything until you've seen MY PIT!"


A CHARISMATIC said:
"Just confess that you're not in a pit."


An OPTIMIST said:
"Things could be worse."


A PESSIMIST said:
"Things will get worse!"


JESUS, seeing the man,
Took him by the hand, and
LIFTED HIM OUT of the pit!


~ Author Unknown ~



Have a good day everyone...Cx :-)

John, yet another toe-tapping hymn, thank you for the link.

Cynthia, all new words today. Thank you for your ongoing postings.

Earlier this morning I had previously read psalm 40. Verse 2 says:-

He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire,
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along................. coincidence or what??

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

One of my very favourite hymns - Charles Homer Gabriel.

Good morning :-)

That was very interesting indeed kandj - I once heard a bishop say that he didn't believe in 'co'-incidences, he believed in 'God'-instances......I think I know what he means :-)


For today:


God Gave Man The Earth

The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof ...

He gave it to man as a gift of His love

So all men might live as He hoped they would,

Sharing together all things that were good.

But man only destroyed the good earth of God.

He polluted the air and ravished the sod,

He cut down the forests with ruthless disdain.

And the earth's natural beauty he perverted for gain.

And now in an age filled with violent dissent,

Man finds he's imprisoned in his own discontent.

He has taken the earth that God placed in his care

And built his own hell without being aware

That the future we face was fashioned by man,

Who in ignorance resisted God's beautiful plan;

And what God created to be paradise

Became by man's lust and perversion and vice.

A cauldron of chaos in a fog of pollution

To which man can find no cure or solution.

How far man will go to complete his destruction

Is beyond a computer's robot deduction.

~ Helen Steiner Rice ~


Wishing you all, a very good day Cx :-)

Cynthia


<3

Good morning everyone - very quiet here at the moment. :-(



A thought for today......


Is It Any Wonder?

Is it any wonder
That the world is filled with pain,
When man sets aside its beauty,
For his own material gain?

Is it any wonder
That lovers' hearts grow dim,
When they do not hold in honor,
The love that's found within?

Is it any wonder
That the homeless often fail,
When they're forced out of house and home
To seek another trail?

Is it any wonder
That nature falls to ruin and rubble,
Because we drain it thoughtlessly,
Allowing it to crumble?

Is it any wonder
That children go astray,
Because we did not take the time,
To show them the proper way?

Is it any wonder
That evil's strong and bold,
When we can't see any goodness,
And we let our hearts grow cold?

Is it any wonder
Racism thrives, my friend,
When we cannot see the person,
Just the color of his skin?

Is it any wonder
That friendships die and fade,
When we forget the reasons,
Why they first were made?

Is it any wonder
Our world has been polluted,
When we allow our industries,
To strip it and permute it?

Is it any wonder
There's so much grief and sorrow,
That we don't even seem to care,
What will take place tomorrow?

Is it any wonder
We see no value in our brothers,
And we hold ourselves too far above,
The many needs of others?

Is it any wonder
Our world is like it is,
When all we do is grumble,
And no action do we give?

Is it any wonder
We wait in fear of Judgement Day,
When we do the things we do,
Then forget the way to pray?

~ Author Unknown ~


I do hope everyone is okay....... Cx :-)

Wow, Cynthia. Those are tough verses to read. Particularly the last.

One old sage said to me that there are only two things certain in this life - death and the judgment. We can avoid neither eventually.

I think I look forward to both (though worried about the process of dying, and hope it is not my lot to have debilitating or mind wasting final illnesses). But so important to keep loving, keep helping and keep praying and reading to make that election as sure as possible. :-)

I came across this awhile back and as with what has and
is going on in the world thought I would share it with you all.

Lord God, your own Son was delivered into the hands of the
wicked, yet he prayed for his persecutors and overcame hatred
with the blood of the Cross. Relive the sufferings of the innocent
victims of war, grant them peace of mind, healing of body, and
a renewed faith in your protection and care.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Emma :-)

Amen to that Emma

Good morning my friends :-)

Something brief for today......


May you have -
Walls for the wind
And a roof for the rain,
And drinks bedside the fire
Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire

- Celtic Blessing


Hope everyone is okay........Cx :-)