General Chat

Good morning :-)

Thank you for that kandj......I am indeed living in faith and trust and hope. :-) I thought that this prayer was indicative of how we find ourselves at times.....


LABYRINTH

Lord God of Mysteries,
Lead me, Your wandering servant,
safely through the labyrinth of my life.

Keep me alert at every turn to see my way clearly and to avoid the pitfalls of evil
and temptation.

Stay with me each day of my journey, I beg of You.
Let me remember that You walk with me always, and are my Closest Companion and my Ultimate Destination.

I will not know how far I have progressed through the maze of my life until I turn
that final corner, and see You standing before me in blinding light
and radiant glory.

Please, Oh, Lord, please let me not
be lacking when I exit from the winding passage of my earthly existence,
to make an accounting for my life.

Please forgive all my missteps now,
in advance, and keep me moving forward
in humility, wisdom and charity, negotiating successfully the turning hallways of my own personal journey.

All this I ask in humility and hope,
in gratitude and great burning love,

Amen


CHRISTIAN LABYRINTHS

Early Christians often took a vow to make a pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem. Over the centuries as Christianity grew in Western Europe, this pledge became increasingly difficult to fulfill.

Practices emerged which enabled the devout to honour their sacred pilgrimage commitment symbolically.

One of these was the labyrinth. These were created on the floors of many European cathedrals, and people walked them prayerfully, as a substitute for the great pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

The most famous of these labyrinths is on the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France (circa 1200).

A labyrinth differs from a maze in that there are no wrong turns or dead ends. you cannot "get lost."

- Donn B. Murphy


Thinking of our friends who have asked for prayer.......Cx :-)

i do hope that the PD organization can help to make small changes that may be useful to improve the quality of your husbands daily lifestyle so that you can become less stressed and worried about his debilitating condition very soon..

All God's testings have a purpose
Someday we will see the light;
All he asks is that we trust Him
Walk by faith and not by sight.....Zoller.

God tests our faith, so that we may trust His faithfulness.

Good morning... :-)


Amen indeed to those words kandj, thank you.

Life is still difficult here but we press on. We are, indeed, blessed by the fact that there is a support network for those with Parkinson's. I will be getting in touch with them today to see if they can come up with some ideas on how to make life easier for my husband. There is always the Parkinson's specialist nurse at the end of the phone too.

It's interesting how the support is there for so many conditions but, for those adults who have autism, it is far more difficult to access any help. That's why I spend time and effort in raising awareness for the condition. One day maybe.......... :-)


A prayer for today:


Sometimes I'm overcome with doubt,
When I try to read God's Book.
I must be very dense, I guess,
For I look, and look, and look.

I read His Book most every day,
A lot of it's not clear.
I re-read many passages,
I staunchly persevere.

Some days I think I see the Light,
Other days, I'm not so sure.
But, often when I turn a page,
I find words that reassure.

Now, God, please send Your guiding hand,
I truly want to know.
Why do I sometimes miss the point,
Am I just dull and slow?

Or is my mind so cluttered up,
With useless, worldly things.
That there's no room for godly words,
And the benefits they bring?

Let me find a place alone,
Just for You, Your Book, and me.
Then let my eyes be humble tools,
With which Your words to see.

Teach me how to concentrate,
How to shut the whole world out.
Help Your word be clear to me,
Make the time I spend devout.

Because there's many parables,
Let me have time to think.
Please slow me down and quiet me,
To make Your thoughts distinct.

Please help me, God, to understand,
You know my every need.
I pray to do the best I can,
Please bless me, as I read.

- Virginia Ellis


Remembering those who have asked for prayer.


Cx :-)

Thank you Cynthia. I hope that your husband is feeling a little better and that you both have had a good day today.

I remember all who are in need of support and my prayer for you today this:-

SMILES, when sadness intrudes
LAUGHTER upon your lips
HUGS when spirits sags
FRIENDSHIPS to brighten your being
CONFIDENCE for when you doubt
COURAGE to know your yourself
COMFORT on difficult days
RAINBOWS to follow the clouds
SUNSETS to warm your heart
BEAUTY for your eyes to see
FAITH so that you can believe
PATIENCE to accept the truth
LOVE to complete your life................. AMEN

Good morning :-)


Thank you for your kind and comforting thoughts and prayers. I am fine really, it's just that my husband has Parkinson's and we don't know whether the latest problem is due to that or to something else. However, we press on in faith and keep smiling :-)

I have a fondness for prayers from the Celtic tradition and I came across this....


A brief catechism by Saint Ninian of Whithorn (c. 432):

Q. What is best in this world?
A. To do the will of our Maker.

Q. What is our Maker’s will?
A. That we should live according to the laws of God’s creation.

Q. How do we know those laws?
A. By studying the Scriptures with devotion.

Q. What tool has our Maker provided for this study?
A. The intellect, which can probe everything.

Q. And what is the fruit of study?
A. To perceive the eternal Word of God reflected in every plant and insect, every bird and animal, and every man and woman.


I found those words quite profound.

Enjoy your day and we continue to remember our friends in our prayers. Cx :-)

Cynthia, laughter is a good tonic and a release for us all when things are difficult and challenging. I pray for you and also your husband and do hope that he will be feeling much better and that you are given the strength needed to carry on caring for your husband and find the peace and laughter to help you through each and every day.

Thank you Cynthia for never letting us down
by not contributing to this thread through your
difficult times.

My thoughts and prayers for you and your husband
that he may find calm to ease him and you strength
to help him through this difficult time.

My thoughts and prayers also to those in need of
comfort and support at this time.

Emma x

Thank you Cynthia. The gift of laughter is indeed a blessing.

I am sorry to hear about your husband. May he find ease and you be given strength as you continue to support him. You are in my thoughts <3

Good morning :-)


The gt.granddaughter of one of our folk was baptised in the main service yesterday and they brought many guests with them. Shall I just say that I didn't realise that hot pants were back in fashion to such an extent! Everything went well and the baby was beautifully behaved.


Life is a bit difficult at the moment as my husband's condition has deteriorated somewhat over the last few weeks and I thought it would be good to think about some laughter.....and those who make us smile...



GOOD HUMOUR

Dear God of Happiness and Smiles,

We are the only creatures on earth who can laugh.

What a good gift you gave us in humour: the ability to laugh, and not to take ourselves too seriously.

We have moods and the ability to change our moods from dark to bright if we work hard enough at it.

We are able to make jokes, to turn difficulties into humorous stories,
and to see beauty in the unexpected twists and turns of fate in our lives.

Please, Lord, let me be able always to see
"the bright side" and to see happiness and humour, even in the challenging and dark times which fall sometimes upon all our lives.

Please bless the clowns, the humourists,
the jokesters, the pranksters, the comedians
and the writers of comedy, who bring smiles
to our faces and bright shining happiness
to our hearts.

Thank You, God, for the Joy of Laughter,
and the Gift of Life!

Amen


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


It's funny you should mention parish magazines kandj - we still produce one and I have been typing it out for the last few months. The issue for September is quite a large one as several people have written articles for it, including the widow of our dearly beloved late incumbent. It is almost 12 months since his sudden and tragic death and we still feel his loss keenly.

As with any bereavement, there has been sadness, anger and some bitterness to overcome. Rivalries have broken out here and there and hasty words have been spoken which have caused pain. Despite the fact that someone was 'put over us' from the beginning, we have been like a ship without a rudder....without a captain and have been drifting hither and thither. Unfortunately, the 'hierarchy' have left a lot to be desired - they have failed to understand the depth of feeling and seem out of touch with life at grass roots level.

However, I can see signs of recovery and, maybe once the anniversary of his death is in the past, we will be sailing on less troubled waters. We desperately want to return to the happy, faithful and fruitful church we once were. Pray God it will not be long in coming.

The Collect for today:


Almighty and everlasting God,
who gave to your apostle Bartholomew
grace truly to believe and to preach your word:
grant that your Church may love that word which he believed,
and may faithfully preach and receive 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 for ever.
Amen.


Our prayers continue for all those of whom we have been thinking recently.

Cx :-)

Amen to your prayer Cynthia and also kandj
for Deuteronomy 31 v 8.

Emma :-)

Amen to your prayer this morning Cynthia.

A beautiful God-given morning here in Yorkshire. Blue sky, white fluffy clouds with no rain clouds in sight although it has forecast heavy showers for this afternoon.

I have been reading through old church magazines this week. All very interesting as we no longer have them but only a single news bulletin instead... not quite the same.

This article caught my eye and so I am beginning the day by sharing this with you.

FAITH

This is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it, or use it for good.
What I do today is important,
for I am exchanging a day in my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone.
Leaving in its place, something I have traded,
I want it to be gain, and not loss;
Good and not evil;
Success and not failure,
So that I shall not regret the price that I have paid for this new day.

Thinking and praying this morning especially for those who are facing a troubled and anxious day.

The Lord will lead you and be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you, so do not lose courage or be afraid. Amen. (Deuteronomy 31 v 8)

Good morning :-)


It's looking rather damp outside but there is still a new day awaiting us......


Dear God,
grant me this day to live a simple, sincere and serene life,
Letting go every thought of anxiety, discouragement, self-seeing,
Cultivating joy, generosity, love, and the habit of holy silence.
Grant me to be faithful in the habits of prayer, work, study, exercise,
eating and sleeping.
As I cannot by my own strength do this,
nor even with the hope of success attempt it,
I look to you, O Lord my Father,
in Jesus Christ my Saviour
and ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.


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

Good morning :-)


It's so nice having your thoughts and prayers on this thread and to know that we are not alone in our musings.... :-)


Some words for today:

We cannot all be famous
Or be listed in "Who's Who,"
But every person, great or small,
Has important work to do.

For seldom do we realize
The importance of small deeds,
Or to what degree of greatness
Unnoticed kindness leads.

For it's not the big celebrity
In a world of fame and praise,
But it's doing unpretentiously
In an undistinguished way.

The work that God assigned to us,
Unimportant as it seems,
That makes our task outstanding,
And brings reality to dreams.

So do not sit and idly wish
For wider, new dimensions
where you can put into practice,
Your many good intentions.

But at the spot God placed you
Begin at once to do,
Little things to brighten up
The lives surrounding you.

If everybody brightened up
The spot where their standing,
By being more considerate,
And a little less demanding.

This dark old world would very soon
Eclipse the evening star,
If everybody brightened up
The corner where they are!




Remembering those in any kind of need today.....Cx :-)

Thank you for that story Kandj. Plenty of food for thought there.

Last Sunday the hymn "O God you search me and you know me" was sung on Songs of Praise and it has been going round and round my brain ever since. It is slowly driving me barmy, but it is a lovely melody.

My thoughts are with those in need

Thanks Cynthia and Emma, the post was a bit long but a really interesting story that gives us food for thought. How blessed we are to believe that God understands our needs.

I love the Lord for He heard my voice, He heard my cry for mercy. (psalm 116 v 1)

I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. The Lord is gracious and righteous: Our God
is full of compassion. Psalm 116 v 3,5.

Continuing to remember our friends in prayerful support for their special needs today.

Thank you kandj a lesson to remember in today's
busy life we all lead.

Emma :-)

Good morning :-)


What a great story kandj - love it.....and so very true. :-)


Just a brief prayer for today as those words from kandj are so meaningful in themselves.

May you experience God's
vast, infinite, indestructible, expansive love,
that has been yours all along.
May you discover this love is as wide as the sky,
and as small as the cracks in your heart
that no-one else knows about,
and may you know deep in your bones
that you are welcome, invited and loved. Amen.

- Brian Anderson


Praying for Vera's widowed friend, Emma's young friend and her family and not forgetting kandj and her husband. Cx :-)

Such a long time since I heard the words of the beautiful hymn, I agree with Emma and thank you Cynthia for the detailed write up too.

I have these words to share. It's a bit long, but well worth reading I think.

The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee.

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours
in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very
large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into
the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas
between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if
the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "Yes".

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table
and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space
between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now", said the professor as the laughter subsided. "I want you to recognize
that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things --
your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite
passions -- and if everything else was lost and only they remained,
your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter
like your house, your job and your car.

The sand is everything else-- the small stuff. "If you put the sand in the jar first"
he continued, "There is no room for the golf balls or the pebbles. The same
goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will
never have room for the things that are important to you".

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with
your children. Take time to get medical check-ups. Take your spouse out
to dinner. Play another 18 holes There will always be time to clean the
house and fix the rubbish bins. Take care of the golf balls first--things that
really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand".

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no
matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups
of coffee with a friend".

Please share this with someone you care about. I JUST DID.

The words of that hymn are so beautiful Cynthia,
thank you for sharing.

My thoughts and prayers to all in need.

Emma x