General Chat

Lovely quotes Cynthia and definitely something to think about :-)

Good morning.. :-)


My drains have turned into a saga! It seems as though they have to bring in an engineer on Monday to tell them how to tackle the problem. The manhole cover is in a garden 3 doors down from us - I bet they were thrilled to have United Utilities knocking on their door at tea time......ooops! Looks as though we are in for some fun and games but, at least it is being sorted out which is good. We are hoping to have a downstairs loo put in for the sake of my husband, so it will be good to know that the drains work. :-)



Some quotes from famous people to think about today:


The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us. ~ C. S. Lewis


Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength. ~ Corrie Ten Boom, Protector of Jewish People during the Holocaust


Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe. ~ St. Augustine


Faith is a living and unshakable confidence. a belief in God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake. ~ Martin Luther


I am one of those who would rather sink with faith than swim without it. ~ Stanley Baldwin


For we walk by faith, not by sight. -- Corinthians 5:7



Enjoy your day......Cx :-)

Good luck with your drain problem Cynthia I hope that it will get sorted out soon.

Since hubby came out of hospital in May I have had the blocked paved drive taken up and resanded and levelled and relaid because it was uneven and unsafe before.. Now it is all sorted and we both are very pleased with the work and the workmen too.

I had asked for a quote to have the back wide concrete path made good as it had crumbled in places with the ice and snow that settled last Winter. I got very irritated when people I had contacted did not bother to return my call but I spotted an advert in our village magazine and have spoken to a builder who has come to look at the problem and has quoted a reasonable price to put a concrete screed covering to make the pathway smooth and safe for us to walk on. We have arranged for the workman to come at 8am next Friday morning and so that is another job that I can cross off the "jobs to do "list before the Winter weather puts a stop to outside work.

I am so thankful to be given the ability to cope with sorting the repairs needed to be done around the bungalow. I am sure that it will be fine when it is has been done.

Warm thoughts for all in need of comfort and prayer right now.

Good luck with your drain problem Cynthia I hope that it will get sorted out soon.

Since hubby came out of hospital im May I have had the blcok paved drive taken up and resanded and levelled and relain because it was uneven and unsafe before.. Now it is all sorted and we both are very pleased with the workand the workmen too.

I had asked for a quote to have the back wide concrete path made good as it had crumbled in places with the ice and snow that settled last Winter. I got very irritated when people I had contacted bid not bother to return my call but I spotted an advert in a village magazine and have spoken to a builder who has come to look at the problem and has given us a reasonable price to put a concrete screed covering to make the pathway smooth and safe for us to walk on. We have arranged for the workman to come at 8am next Friday morning and so that is another job that I can cross off the "jobs to do "list before the Winter weather puts a stop to outside work.

I am so thankful to be given the ability to cope with sorting the repairs needed to be done around the bungalow. I am sure that it will be fine when it is has been done.

Good morning :-)


I'm so glad that yesterday's thoughts brought back happy memories.... :-)


I am expect United Utilities to turn up anytime, so my visit may be brief. I have suddenly become an expert in broken drains, blocked drains and any old drain you care to mention.......sigh. My OH used to deal with all this and now it is my responsibility.....not quite sure I am up to spec really... ;-)


For today:


Most of the battles of life
are won by looking beyond
the clouds to the sun.
And having patience
to wait for the day
when the sun comes out
and the clouds float away
One thing never changes.
It remains the same forever.
God truly loves His children
and He will forsake them never!

~Helen Steiner Rice


Remembering: Vera's widowed friend; Emma's young friend; kandj and her OH and any known to us who have asked for prayer.

Love, Cx

My Catholic friends in our village used to have a SVP group who met each week and gave a report of people in the parish that they had visited and new people were added to a growing list of folk who were in need of a helping hand. They were visited and supported regularly in their own homes and by being taken to hospital appointments or shopping trips to local stores.

Each year, usually at Pentecost, the group went on a weekend retreat and for several years I was privileged to be asked to join in their pilgrimage. This was always held at an Abbey run by an order of Cistercian monks. It was spiritually uplifting and so very quiet and peaceful. An awesome experience and a joy to be a part of their group fellowship at such an important time in the church calendar.

Sadly, as personal circumstances changed I have been unable to join with my friends on their weekend pilgimage but I have very many lovely happy memories of the work and time freely given to those in need in the name of St Vincent de Paul, so thank you Cynthia for reminding me of this very special Saint.

Thank you for that Cynthia very interesting.

Emma x

Good morning... :-)


Thanks for that kandj - I certainly think you made the better selection there - a prize to treasure for all time. Much better than Ashes of Roses bathcubes.... :-D


I often look to see which Saint's Day is being celebrated as I believe we have so much to learn from those who have trodden the Christian path before us.

Today it is the turn of St. Vincent de Paul....his biography is interesting.

Vincent, the son of poor French peasants, was born in 1581. When he grew up and became famous, he loved to tell people how he had taken care of his father's pigs. Because he was intelligent, his father sent him to school. And after finishing his studies, Vincent became a priest.

At first, he was given an important position as the teacher of rich children, and he lived rather comfortably. Then one day, he was called to the side of a dying peasant. In front of many people, this man declared that all his past confessions had been bad ones. Suddenly Father Vincent realized how badly the poor people of France needed spiritual help. When he began to preach to them, crowds went to confession. He finally decided to start a congregation of priests to work especially among the poor.

The charities of St. Vincent de Paul were so many that it seems impossible for one person to have begun so much. He took care of criminals who worked on the sailing ships. He started the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity with St. Louise de Marillac. He opened hospitals and homes for orphans and old people. He collected large sums of money for poor areas, sent missionaries to many countries, and bought back prisoners from the Mohammedans.

Even though he was such a charitable man, however, he humbly admitted that he was not so by nature. "I would have been hard, rough and ill-tempered," he said "were it not for God's grace." Vincent de Paul died in Paris on September 27, 1660. He was proclaimed a saint in 1737 by Pope Clement XII. Jesus asks us to be good to others, especially to those who suffer.

He says to us too, 'As long as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me. "


Those words are a prayer in themselves.

Remembering all those who have asked for prayer.......Cx :-)

A definite nip in the air in the evenings now that Autumn has arrived but today in Yorkshire we are blessed with blue sky and white fluffy clouds and a gentle breeze that is drying the washing. (A double bonus).

When I was in junior school VERY many years ago, I won a prize for the best "composition" in English class. I was asked to go to the front of the class and decide which gift I would like. My friends urged me to pick Ashes of Roses bath cubes but I wanted the poetry book, A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson and that was my choice. I still have this lovely special book and will share his Autumn poem with you today.

Autumn Fires by R.L.Stevenson

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The gray smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the Summer,
Fires in the Fall.

I can still enjoy this poetry book even today, and I hope you enjoy the poem too.

Good morning :-)


Sometimes, we have to admit that we are 'past praying' and it's time to let others pray on our behalf until our spiritual strength has built up again. I liken it to 'floating' on a cloud of prayer, and the experience is a humbling one. I thank God for those who are so willing to support others in this way.


Yesterday was the first day of Autumn.......my word, how the year has flown...




O God of Creation, you have blessed us with the changing of the seasons.
As we embrace these autumn months,
May the earlier setting of the sun
remind us to take time to rest.

May the crunch of the leaves beneath our feet
remind us of the brevity of this earthly life.

May the steam of our breath in the cool air
remind us that it is you who give us your breath of life.

May the scurrying of the squirrels and the migration of the birds
remind us that you call us to follow your will.

We praise you for your goodness forever and ever. Amen.


Love to all.....Cx :-)

Sometimes, because of tiredness or brain-fog moments I do find it difficult to pray or find the right words when I am so grateful for each new day (despite the challenges
I offer my hands outstretched and know He understands and can read my thoughts.

Offering support in thought and prayer for those who are struggling and feel in a dark place today.

Thinking of all in need of comfort,
For all who have no one and are lonely,
For those in pain who need strength to see them through
the stressful times.
And for the blessing of a loving and caring family.

Emma x

Good morning :-)


It's always good to have a laugh........and I love to hear laughter in church. We used to have some great times with our late vicar but, as we slowly come to terms with his loss, there is fun creeping back into our church life. :-)


Thank you God for giving me another day,
another chance to become a better individual, another chance to give and experience love.

Thank you God for giving me health, for the food you provide, for the awareness you have awaken in me..

Thank you for the energy that feeds my soul, the sun that warms our bodies and the air that fills our lungs...

Because of you I believe in the good without the bad and the ugly, because of you I am learning to love and accept myself, because of you I believe in believing.
My source, stay connected to me today and always, for I need you in order to fulfil my spiritual tasks...

God, show me how to love myself, to be able to love others. Help me become the type of person that I would like to befriend, help me forgive myself and forgive others...

God, make me a channel of your energy and help me understand. I thank you God for giving me another day, another unused opportunity to do it right. Keep us all close to you and listen to our prayers.

Amen.


Love to all.....Cx :-)

So funny! Just what I needed. A real tonic Cynthia, thanks very much for those.

Good morning :-)


Thank you for reminding us of that hymn kandj, I've just been humming along to it. Wonderful words and such a cheerful tune.... :-)


Speaking of being cheerful, how about some announcements from church bulletins?


• Coming Up—Theological Open House. We discuss thought-provoking topics. Your opinions are hardly welcome.

• All singles are invited to join us Friday at 7 p.m. for the annual Christmas Sing-alone."

• Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early.

• Wednesday, the Ladies Liturgy Society will meet. Mrs. Jones will sing "Put Me In My Little Bed" accompanied by the pastor.

• Thursday at 5:00 p.m. there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club. All wishing to become little mothers, please see the minister in his study.

• Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.

• The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing "Break Forth into Joy."

• The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church.

• Next Sunday Mrs. Vinson will be soloist for the morning service. The pastor will then speak on "It's a Terrible Experience."

• Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.

• The concert held in Fellowship Hall was a great success. Special thanks are due to the minister's daughter, who laboured the whole evening at the piano, which as usual fell upon her.

• Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

• The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours."


It's good to start the working week with a smile :-)


Continuing to remember our friends in prayer.....Cx :-)

Very interesting today, Thank you Cynthia.

St Matthew was chosen by Christ to leave his materialist love of money behind and come and follow Jesus; and he did this in faith and hope without hesitating.

Matthew ch 9 v 9
As Jesus went from there, he saw a man sitting at the tax collectors booth. "Follow me", he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Jesus looks for sincere commitment. Money and material trappings cannot compare with being a friend and follower of Jesus. How easy would it be for any of us to answer His call "Follow Me" today?

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, will you let my love be known
Will you let my life be grown in you and me in you.

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel or kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare, should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me.

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me.

Will you love the "you" you hide, if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found, to reshape the world around
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me.

Lord, your summons echoes true when you but call my name
Let me come and follow you and never be the same.
In your company I'll go, where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

Though these words form a worship song of our generation, it's call to the Christian pilgrim is a timeless one and fits in with the Collect of Today posted by Cynthia.

Good morning... :-)


Today, we are celebrating the feast day of St. Matthew, one of the twelve Apostles, and the author of the first Gospel. He was the son of Alpheus and was called to be an Apostle while sitting in the tax collectors place at Capernaum. Before his conversion he was a publican, i.e., a tax collector by profession. He is identified as the "Levi" in the Gospels of Mark and Luke.


The Collect for today:

O almighty God,
whose blessed Son called Matthew the tax-collector
to be an apostle and evangelist:
give us grace to forsake the selfish pursuit of gain
and the possessive love of riches
that we may follow in the way of your Son Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and for ever.
Amen.


Cx :-)

Thank you Cynthia, lovely words <3

Good morning... :-)


So many hymns contain wonderful words don't they? Mind you, I have to admit that some of the Victorian ones are a bit 'hellfire and brimstone' and are rarely sung these days.

Some words for today........


We rob ourselves of life's greatest need
when we lock up our hearts and fail to heed the
outstretched hand reaching to find
a kindred spirit whose heart and mind are
lonely and longing to somehow share
our joys and sorrows and to make us aware
that life's completeness and richness depends
on the things we share with our loved ones and friends.

~Helen Steiner Rice


With love to all. Cx :-)

I am also agreeing with Vera that is such a beautiful hymn. Very many thanks Cynthia, for sharing the link which is very powerful and moving.

Remembering that our collective prayers are ongoing for all who are finding life difficult.

Thank you to everyone for supporting me and my husband, your prayers and kind words are appreciated so much.