General Chat

Thank you Cynthia for your words of remembrance this week. I am sure we all have lost loved ones who somehow remain a part of us.

My thoughts are with all those who are newly grieving, particularly the family of our lovely GR friend Jane, whose funeral is tomorrow (4th) <3

Good morning :-)

As we near Remembrance Day ..


O God of truth and justice,
we hold before you the men and women
who have died in active service throughout the world.
As we honour their courage and cherish their memory,
may we put our faith in your future;
for you are the source of life and hope,
now and for ever.
Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Another lockdown yes kandj, hopefully it will help. We are in this together and must keep our spirits up albeit that this week is quite a sombre week given Remembrance Sunday is looming.

Yesterday we celebrated All Saints’ Day and gave thanks for those in whose lives, the Church as a whole, has seen the grace of God powerfully at work.

Today is All Souls’ Day which celebrates the saints in a more local and intimate key. It allows us to remember with thanksgiving before God those whom we have known more directly: those who gave us life, or who nurtured us in faith.

‘A Time to Remember Those we Love but See no Longer’.

You are very welcome to add names on this post……

Rest eternal grant to them O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them:
May their souls, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen


Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us everyday,
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed and very dear.

Remembering :

My husband and all family members who have gone before.

Our friend David

Cx :-)

Hello all

Not liking the idea of another lockdown and I do hope that people will keep to the rules and get the infection rate lowered considerably during that time.

The Sermon today was about the Beatitudes for
for All Saint's Day service.

No church services for the next four weeks.... or maybe even after that time..... who knows??

Stay well and keep safe everyone.

Good morning :-)

Gloomy weather and gloomy news. We pray for all those for whom news of a further lockdown seems like the end of the world. May we always be are of our friends who are lonely and lost.


Today is All Saints' Day - the day when we remember ...... the saints!

The Collect for All Saints’ Day

Almighty God,
you have knit together your elect
in one communion and fellowship
in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord:
grant us grace so to follow your blessed saints
in all virtuous and godly living
that we may come to those inexpressible joys
that you have prepared for those who truly love you;
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



St. Matthew 5.1-12

JESUS, seeing the multitudes, went up into a mountain; and when he was set, his disciples came unto him. And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



Halloween is All Hallows Eve which falls on 31st October and refers to the day before All Saints Day (November 1st). For many years in the northern hemisphere, many different festivals have been associated with gathering in the harvest, preparing for winter, remembering loved ones who have died, and preparing for the time of longer nights and winter cold. From a Christian perspective, Halloween is the first chapter in the story that ends with All Saints’ Day.

At Halloween, we unpack all the standard bogeymen of childhood fairy tales – witches, ghosts, skeletons and vampires – and confront them. We can acknowledge that, yes, evil exists and the world is scary and dangerous, and, yes, someday we will all die. And then, on All Saints’ Day, we hear the second half of the story – that death is not the end, that on the other side of fear is victory and that we do not become ghosts or skeletons when we die but spend eternity with Jesus, with new life stronger than death.

Pray about Halloween and for those who get involved that they might find something of the light of Jesus.



Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Yes indeed kandj, another dreadful event - what a year this has been :-(


A college student was in a philosophy class which had a discussion about God's existence. The professor presented the following logic:

"Has anyone in this class heard God?"
Nobody spoke.
"Has anyone in this class touched God?"
Again, nobody spoke.
"Has anyone in this class seen God?"
When nobody spoke for the third time, he simply stated, "Then there is no God."

One student thought for a second, and then asked for permission to reply. Curious to hear this bold student's response, the professor granted it, and the student stood up and asked the following questions of his classmates:

"Has anyone in this class heard our professor's brain?"
Silence.
"Has anyone in this class touched our professor's brain?"
Absolute silence.
"Has anyone in this class seen our professor's brain?"
When nobody in the class dared to speak, the student concluded, "Then, according to our professor's logic, it must be true that our professor has no brain!"

(The student received an "A" in the class.)


Cx :-)

Hello all

Shocked to read of the terrorist attacks in France!!

Thoughts and prayers for all who are affected. RIP

Good morning :-)



There is a story about the schoolboy who attended a cathedral service with his parents and was amazed at the stained-glass windows above him. The east window took his eye as it was full images of people. He was enthusiastic about the many colourful glass figures that the sun traced through the stained-glass windows onto the floor and he excitedly asked his mother what this and that meant. She whispered that this was ‘such and such’ a saint, and that was another.

Sometime later the bishop visiting the child's school and, seeking to give the children a challenge, asked if anybody knew what a saint was. He looked round not really expecting anything more than a name, perhaps St Peter or St Mary. The excited boy, raising his hand, said, “I do”.

“A saint is someone that the light shines through!”

The bishop was dumbstruck for a moment, then a huge smile lit up his face. “You have preached my sermon young man! May we all become saints!”


Cx :-)

Lovely, thought provoking stories this week Cynthia. Thank you :-)

Good morning :-)



A young man was at the end of his tether. Seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer. "Lord, I can't go on," he said, "I have too heavy of a cross to bear." The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."

The man was filled with relief and said, "Thank you, Lord," and he did as he was told. Upon entering the other door, he saw many crosses, some so large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall. "I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered.

And the Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."


Cx :-)

Hello all

A beautiful posting Cynthia. Thank you.

My thoughts and prayers are for all NHS staff who are working under pressure now that the covid patient admission numbers are increasing.

Take care and stay safe everyone.

Good morning :-)


The man whispered, "God, speak to me"
And a meadowlark sang.
But, the man did not hear.
So the man yelled, "God, speak to me"
And the thunder rolled across the sky.
But, the man did not listen. The man looked around and said,

"God let me see you."
And a star shined brightly.
But the man did not see.

And, the man shouted, "God show me a miracle."
And, a life was born.
But, the man did not notice.

So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here."
Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.
But, the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-) :

Arrghh I forgot to come on here yesterday - probably because I have to rush to get to church these days. Apologies.

The end of this week has some interesting days coming up .....but, until then, here is something to read whilst you have a coffee :-D


I Don't Believe God Exists

"I don't believe God exists" Mike the barber said in a matter of fact way. It started simply enough. Bill went to a barbers to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation, telling stories as usual about their families and kids. They eventually touched on the subject of God, Mike said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'

"Why do you say that?" asked Bill.

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me Bill, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there wouldn’t be any suffering or pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

Bill thought for a moment, but he didn't want to start an argument. Mike finished his work and Bill left the shop. As he went out, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. Bill turned back and entered the barbers again and he said to Mike, the barber:

"You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" Bill exclaimed.

"'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."

"Exactly!' Bill affirmed.

"That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! And that's what happens when people do not come to God too."


Cx :-)

Hello all

Vera, I knew Jane from AnnG birds and gardening threads. I posted there several years ago.

Such sad news as Jane was a lovely lady, kind, caring and with a good sense of humour too.

My condolences to the family. RIP dear Jane X

Sylvia this year has thrown challenges to everyone. So sorry to read about your cancelled train travels.

Amen to your posting Cynthia.

Stay safe everybody.

I am sorry to hear this Sylvia. I hope things improve quickly in Canada so you are able to visit early next year. I do understand how you feel as I haven’t seen my son for a year and he is only 220 miles away. Just as we were going to spend a couple of nights with him the “rule of 6” came in and there are already 6 in his family. Then his area came into the zone of extra restrictions and now my dil is isolating as she was at a funeral and another person there has tested positive for Covid. Hey ho, it will get better sometime.

I don’t know how many on this thread had contact with our lovely Jane Rose who sadly died yesterday evening. Her first grandchild is due in a very few weeks and it is so sad that she never got to meet him. May I ask for your thoughts and prayers for her loving, supportive family. RIP Jane <3

Good morning :-)


Oh Sylvia, that's such a shame and I can well imagine how you are feeling. Sending a hug to try and cheer you up a bit. Don't give up hope as you never know when an alternative arrangement may turn up. <3




Dear Father,

I give you this day, may your spirit be at work in me. Clear the mix of dreams and thoughts from my mind and help me to embrace everything that you have for me today. I give you the mental and physical tiredness I can feel and ask for your life to flow through me.

May your hope stir in those who are close to me and bring joy into their hearts. May your love cause me to find new energy, ideas, and solutions throughout the day. And may your truth allow me to stay on track and walk confidently in all that I do.

Father, I give you this day. Amen.


Cx :-)

That's it then :-(

Our Christmas trip is cancelled.

I got a phone call from the train company, and it was death in little steps .........this train was cancelled, that train doesn't look like it will be re-starting, etc

Discussion with her made it clear that there was no choice .............. no trains or uncertain trains meant we can't go.

Have already had a full refund of the points I used to pay for the first half of the trip, they're back in my account. The money refund will take 5-7 days to be credited to my M/C.

I'm putting up a thread with fuller details if you want to know more.


It's a dull, grey, rainy day, just fits my mood! :-( :-(

Good morning :-)


Praying everything went well for David's funeral yesterday - they are so difficult to plan these days.


Thank you, God, for all your blessings to me and my family; for the strength you give me each day and for all the people around me who make life more meaningful. As we begin a new day, help us to engage your will with a reckless faith. Teach us to trust in you and help us grow in righteousness and give us the courage to step out in faith this day. Fill our hearts with your spirit and let us speak your words with pride. Amen.

Cx :-)

Thoughts and prayers with David’s family today.