General Chat

Thank you Cynthia and Emma for your kind thoughts for my neighbour.

We have been away for a couple of days and today we went to Bath where we visited Bath Abbey. What a beautiful church! Even though it was full of tourists I found it very peaceful and full of light. While we were there one of the priests announced that now and then they ask their visitors to join them in a short prayer. A few people left a bit quickly but most stayed. The priest said a short prayer, we all said the Lord's Prayer and then sat in silence for a moment. It took about 5 minutes and I thought what a good idea it was.

Remembering all our friends in need

I am also keeping kandj, her husband, Vera's friend and
our young friend in my thoughts and prayers.

Emma x

Good morning.... :-)



Rather overcast here today but, hopefully, it will brighten up later. A busy morning at church - the Area Dean is with us for two services and four baptisms - should be fun!


The Collect

O God, the protector of all who trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:
increase and multiply upon us your mercy;
that with you as our ruler and guide
we may so pass through things temporal
that we lose not our hold on things eternal;
grant this, heavenly Father,
for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.


Remembering kandj and her husband. Emma's young friend and family and Vera's friend in our prayers.

Cx :-)

Thank you Cynthia for the interesting marriage statistics and the words from HSR.

Thinking of Kandj, Emma's young friend, my neighbour who is very seriously ill and others in need of comfort and support at this time

Cynthia..... :-) <3

Good morning :-)



Summertime seems to be the most popular time for people to get married and, despite the fact that many people prefer to live together without marriage, I discovered some interesting facts.

1. There was one marriage every 2 minutes in 2012

2. There was an increase in marriages in 2012, with 262,2401 taking place. This was a 5.3% increase from 2011 when there were 249,133.

3. Civil ceremonies accounted for 70% of all marriages in 2012. The proportion of marriages that were civil ceremonies first exceeded religious ceremonies in 1976

4. 60% (156,480) of marriages took place in approved premises such as hotels, stately homes and historic buildings.

5. 67% (175,0401) of all marriages were first marriages for both partners.

6. 15% of all marriages (38,320) were remarriages for both parties and 19% (48,8801) were to couples where only one partner had been married previously.

7. The greatest number of marriages were for men and women aged 25 to 29.

8. The mean age at marriage was 36.5 years for men and 34.0 years for women.

9. The largest percentage increase in the number of marriages was for men and women aged 65 to 69, rising by 25% and 21% respectively.

- Office for National Statistics, June 2014.


With marriage in mind, and for anyone we know who has a marriage in the family coming up.......

What is Love?

What is Love? No words can define it—
It’s something so great only God could design it.
It grows through the years in sunshine and rain.
In gladness and sadness, in pleasure and pain.
It’s ever enduring and patient and kind—
It judges all things with the heart not the mind.
And love can transform the most commonplace
Into beauty and splendour and sweetness and grace.
For love is unselfish, giving more than it takes.
And no matter what happens, love never forsakes.
It’s faithful and trusting and always believing.
Guileless and honest and never deceiving.
Yes, love is beyond what we can define.
For love is immortal, and God’s gift is divine.

- Helen Steiner Rice

Enjoy your day Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

kandj has sent a message to say how grateful she is for the continuing prayer and support she is receiving from her friends on here bless her. We will continue to hold her in our thoughts.


Today, in the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, we celebrate the life of St.Benedict the patron saint of Europe and students.

He was the son of a Roman noble in Nursia and tradition has it that he had a twin sister named Scholastica.

He founded many monasteries and is famous for his 'Rule of St. Benedict' which gave guidelines for the monastic life. His life is well chronicled on Wiki.


A Prayer of St Benedict (480-547)

Gracious and holy Father,
please give me:

intellect to understand you;
reason to discern you;
diligence to seek you;
wisdom to find you;
a spirit to know you;
a heart to meditate upon you;
ears to hear you;
eyes to see you;
a tongue to proclaim you;
a way of life pleasing to you;
patience to wait for you;
and perseverance to look for you.


Grant me:
a perfect end,
your holy presence.
A blessed resurrection,
And life everlasting.



Words to live by even today. Cx :-)

Good morning all.

Elizabeth thank you for God's Rainbow, lovely words indeed.

My thoughts and prayers to all who need comfort and support.

Emma x

Good morning :-)

Thank you for those words Elizabeth - I absolutely adore rainbows.

What lovely words they were to start our day - there is no need for me to add more.


Remembering kandj and Emma's young friend and her family and others who would appreciate prayer at this time. Cx :-)

Dear All

Hello

Over the weekend, I had the privilege of seeing 3 separate rainbows during one afternoon.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"GOD'S RAINBOW"



Rainbows appear after mighty storms,

When things look their very worst,

Just when the skies are darkest gray,

Look for the rainbow first.



The rainbow is a sign of God's promise,

That He will guide us through any storm,

That He will see us through all our troubles,

No matter what their form.



When you feel battered by life's storms,

And you are filled with doubt and dismay;

Just remember God's rainbow is coming —

It's only a prayer away.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Take gentle care
Best wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

Good morning :-)


Welcome back Sylvia.....and yes, we do miss John very much. Personally I miss his off-beat humour, his sense of mischief but, most of all I think, his love of God and his insight into the faith he holds dear.


With humour in mind.........I thought of the expression 'Fools for Christ' - taken from 1 Corinthians 4:10



Call to Worship: Fools for Christ


We come into the presence of a God

we can neither see nor touch,

yet a God we can sense.

We are fools for Christ’s sake.



We come in the name of Jesus,

whose beauty we cannot explain or capture,

but know intimately.

We are fools for Christ’s sake.



We come to hear from a book,

words and stories that are ancient, and yet ever new.

We are fools for Christ’s sake.



We live in a world whose economy is based on keeping,

yet in this place we are invited to give.

We are fools for Christ’s sake.



We come, leaving behind all the business of our lives—.

all the other important things we could be doing.

We come here to worship.

We are fools for Christ’s sake.


Lord, may we ever be a fool for you.



Cx :-)

so sorry to see that John has been banned :-(

Amen to that Cynthia <3

Good morning :-)


Yes Emma, an unusual prayer and that's what I love about prayer.....so many different types and versions....there is a prayer for every situation in life. :-)

I was struck by a news item yesterday and the fact that so many older folk are living very lonely lives. Such a sad situation to be in and, maybe, a symptom of our society. At our church we have the Friday lunch club which caters for all ages and there are a mixed group of people who attend. There are some local hairdressers who pop in; occasionally the Community Police enjoy a meal, as do the council workmen who mow the church lawn.

However, there is a nucleus of widowed men and women who meet up and enjoy a laugh with their friends and it's good to listen to the laughter and banter which is going on.

On that theme.......


Loving God,
there are times in each life
when there is no one.
No one with whom to share
a word,
a laugh,
a sad remembrance,
a gentle touch,
a fond embrace,
a kiss of love.

Bless each one who suffers
from such loneliness.
Enrich life with a friend
or gentle stranger
who will spend a moment
noticing
and loving.

In those times
your love shines through,
the world is reborn,
and Christ is known.
So be it!
Amen.


Thinking of kandj, Emma's young friend and family, and anyone who would like or needs prayer at this time. Cx :-)

An unusual prayer Cynthia but one needed to be heard
more often.

Emma :-)

Good morning :-)


I hope everyone has had a peaceful and relaxing weekend. Our son and daughter-in-law celebrated their wedding anniversary yesterday, so we went to see them in the evening. They were watching the video of their wedding and we joined them with some laughter, some teasing and a little sadness as we saw loved ones who have since died.

Our prayer for today - something we read far too much about in the news...


Domestic Violence

Home should be a place where we feel safe,
yet for many it is a place of fear because of domestic violence.


Lord, we pray for those who commit violence against their loved-ones,
that You would bring a complete transformation of the heart.

May they realise the damage they are causing
and make a genuine commitment to change.

Lord, would You help me to be aware of the times when I pursue
power instead of loving others.

Mandy Marshall




Remembering kandj and Emma's young friend in our prayers. xx

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


This is quite a weekend in the sporting world.......World Cup, Wimbledon, Grand Prix and Tour de France.....the crowds will be enormous at each event.

There will be crowds at church services too .... in cathedrals and churches across the country. There will be special services as deacons are ordained, babies are baptised, the recently departed remembered and the general hum of normal Sunday worship.

I am reading the New Testament lesson for today - a rather convoluted piece- Romans 7. 15-25a. - where St. Paul seems genuinely frustrated with the way he behaves.


The Collect for today:

Almighty God,
you have broken the tyranny of sin
and have sent the Spirit of your Son
into our hearts whereby we call you Father:
give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service,
that we and all creation may be brought
to the glorious liberty of the children of God;
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.



I hope everyone enjoys whatever they are doing today..... Cx :-)

Cynthia I knew that was a HSR offering when I saw the
first two lines..wonderful words, thank you x

My thoughts and prayers to those in need of support
and comfort, and for those in pain in body and mind
may you find strength to carry you through these times.

Emma x

Good morning :-)



All went well with the injection in the morning and then, in the evening, I went to watch our granddaughter as she arrived for her 'prom' after leaving school. Doesn't seem two minutes since I was pushing her down the lane in her pram. :-)


For today:

If wishes worked like magic
And plans worked that way, too
And if everything you wished for,
Whether good or bad for you,
Immediately were granted
With no effort on your part,
You’d experience no fulfillment
Of your spirit or your heart,
For things achieved too easily
Lose their charm and meaning, too,
For it is life’s difficulties
And the trial-times we go through
That make us strong in spirit
And endow us with the will
To surmount the insurmountable
And to climb the highest hill.
So wish not for the easy way
To win your heart’s desire,
For the joy’s in overcoming
And withstanding flood and fire,
For to triumph over trouble
And grow stronger with defeat
Is to win the kind of victory
That will make your life complete.

Helen Steiner Rice



Thinking of kandj, Emma's young friend and family and all who would like prayer at this time. Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


It's a dull start to the day here and I will soon be off to take my OH for yet another eye injection bless him. For someone who hates needles, he is remarkably calm when the time comes, and then he comes out as if nothing had happened....... :-)


A prayer for the day ahead....




There are so many things I take for granted. May I not ignore them today.

Just for today, help me, God, to remember that my life is a gift, that my health is a blessing, that this new day is filled with awesome potential, that I have the capacity to bring something wholly new and unique and good into this world.

Just for today, help me, God, to remember to be kind and patient to the people who love me, and to those who work with me too. Teach me to see all the beauty that I so often ignore, and to listen to the silent longing of my own soul.

Just for today, help me, God, to remember You.

Let this be a good day, God, full of joy and love. Amen.


- Rabbi Naomi Levy


Love to all. Cx :-)