General Chat

Good morning :-)


Yesterday, we heard the rather unsettling story of King Herod promising to give Salome, who had danced for him, anything she wanted, which led onto the beheading of John the Baptist. In the sermon I heard, our Lay Reader spoke of making and keeping promises…or not. One thing we can be sure of, is the fact that what God has promised us, that promise will be kept.

Promises, promises

Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

This promise from our Lord has helped millions of weary Christians. We are not promised an easy life, but we are encouraged to hand our worries, our problems and our difficulties over to God, and He has promised to take care of them. Thank you Lord.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



The Collect (special prayer) for today

Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding:
pour into our hearts such love toward you
that we, loving you in all things and above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
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.


Cx :-)

Hello all

Very simple yet thought provoking postings this week Cynthia. Thank you so much.

Heavenly Father
Thank you that you don't forget your promise to hold us all in the palm of your hand. Teach us patience and understanding and give us all a willingness to see your beauty that is all around.
Amen.

Good morning :-)


‘I’m not going to believe in God because I can’t see or hear Him’. Maybe we have said this ourselves or heard others say it. This is a lovely piece about how we may be missing out……….


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 field of flowers bloomed.

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.


Lord, help us not to miss out on a blessing simply because it isn't packaged the we expect.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



God won't ask what kind of car you drove; He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.
God won't ask how big your house wase; He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
God won't ask about the designer clothes you had; He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.
God won't ask what your salary was; He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
God won't ask what your job title was; He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of our ability.
God won't ask how many friends you had; He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
God won't ask in what neighbourhood you lived; He'll ask how you treated your neighbours.
God won't ask about the colour of your skin; He'll ask about the content of your character.
God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation; He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven and not to the gates of Hell.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



One day, God was looking down at Earth and saw all of the rascally behavior that was going on. He decided to send an angel down to Earth to check it out. So, he called one of His angels and sent the angel to Earth for a time.
When he returned, he told God, "Yes, it is bad on Earth; 95% are misbehaving and 5% are not."

God thought for a moment and said, "Maybe I had better send down a second angel to get another opinion." So God called another angel and sent him to Earth for a time too.

When the angel returned he went to God and said, "Yes, it's true. The Earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving and 5% are being good."

God was not pleased. So, He decided to e-mail the 5% that were good, because He wanted to encourage them, give them a little something to help them keep going.

Do you know what that e-mail said?

No?

Oh, so you didn't get one either?


Cx :-)

Hello all

Loving this weeks postings. Thank you Cynthia.

Good morning :-)


As disciples of Jesus, these are things which most of us have said………but take heart….

We say: It's impossible
God says: All things are possible

We say: I'm too tired
God says: I will give you rest

We say: Nobody loves me
God says: I love you

We say: I can't go on
God says: My grace is sufficient

We say: I can't figure things out
God says: I will direct your steps

We say: I can't do it
God says: You can do all things

We say: It's not worth it
God says: It will be worth it

We say: I can't forgive myself
God says: I forgive you

We say: I can't manage
God says: I will supply all your needs

We say: I'm afraid
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear

We say: I'm always worried and frustrated
God says: Cast all your care on me

We say: I feel all alone
God says: I will never leave you nor forsake you


Thank you God. x

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

A young lady named Sally remembers an experience she had in an RE class given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith was known for his quirky object lessons and, this particular day, as Sally walked into the class she knew they were in for something special.

On the wall was a big target and, nearby were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.

One by one, the students went up to the wall. Sally's friend drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. She was pleased with the result.

The class then lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was disappointed and a bit angry when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall.

Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face, and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smith simply said 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:40)

No other words were necessary; tears filled eyes of the students who were focused only on the picture of Christ.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


It's been a bit hectic round here, so I hadn't caught the news about the heatwave in Canada, I spotted that Sylvia has put a thread up about it though.

However, I did see something the other day about the rise in Covid cases and the fact that, some youngsters have discovered that using lemon juice (don't ask me how), they can falsify a covid test by making it positive. Thus, they get time off school and, of course, their mates have to self isolate. This skews the figures completely.

Yesterday, the gospel told us Jesus sent his disciples out two by two to spread the Good News. I know we often feel that we are not capable of this, but…..the next time you feel like God can't use you, just remember......

Noah was a drunk.
Abraham was too old.
Isaac was a daydreamer.
Jacob was a liar.
Joseph was abused.
Moses had a stuttering problem.
Gideon was afraid.
Rahab was a prostitute.
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young.
David had an affair and was a murderer.
Elijah was suicidal.
Isaiah preached naked.
Jonah ran from God.
Naomi was a widow.
Job went bankrupt.
Peter denied Christ.
Martha worried about everything.
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once.
Zaccheus was too small.
Paul was too religious.
Timothy had an ulcer.
AND...
Lazarus was dead!

So, we have no more excuses left. God can use us to our full potential. Besides, we aren't the message; we are just the messengers!

Cx :-)

Hello all

Remembering in prayer all who are affected by the current heatwaves in Canada and Northern USA,

I do hope that Sylvia in Canada is well, also thinking of those caught up in the forest fires in Cyprus.
I'm also hoping that Pat is safe and that the fires aren't near to where Pat and her husband are living.

Keep safe all as the covid figures are rising again.

Good morning :-)

The Collect (special prayer) for today

Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church
is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry
they may serve you in holiness and truth
to the glory of your name;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Dear God, I thank you for waking me up today. You have given me another sunrise to enjoy. Thank you for the wonderful sounds of nature and the cool breeze brushing through the trees making the birds sing beautiful melodies. I praise You, Father, for allowing me to live another beautiful day in Your Kingdom. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Almighty God,
you fill all things with your presence. In your great love, keep us near you this day. Grant that in all our ways and doings we may remember that you see us, and may always have grace to know and perceive what things you would have us do, and give us strength to do the same;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Cx :-)

Amen to your prayers this week Cynthia.

I hope you are all well and contented folks. Take care

Good morning :-)


God, help me love the life I live right now. Show me the good things I often overlook and help me be content with what I have. Forgive me when I compare myself to others, forgive me for longing for things outside of you and your kingdom. Thank you for loving me right where I am, right as I am. Help me keep my eyes on you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

God, we give you sincere thanks for the rest of the past night and for the gift of a new day, with its opportunities to pleasing you. Grant that we may so pass its hours in the perfect freedom of your service, that at evening, we may again give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Petula Clark! That's a name from the past........Downtown............ :-D :-D


Dear God,
At the start of each day, help us to recognize you above all else. Enlighten the eyes of our heart that we might see you, and notice how you're at work through our lives. Give us wisdom to make the best choices, fill us with a desire to seek after you more than anything else in this world. Let your Spirit and power breathe in us, through us, again, fresh and new. Amen.

Cx :-)

Hello all

A dark and rainy day today. The bonus is that I won't have to water the garden and the tubs.

After reading today's post I've had the Petula Clark hit song from the 1970s going around in my head.

THANK YOU for waking me this morning
THANK YOU for giving me today
THANK YOU for every new day dawning
I'll be thanking you.

THANK YOU for every tree and flower
THANK YOU for every sky of blue
THANK YOU I should be every hour
Truly thanking you.

THANK YOU for every piece of music
THANK YOU for every song I sing
THANK YOU for giving me sweet music
Thanks for everything.

THANK YOU for everything you give me
THANK YOU for everything we share
THANK YOU for simply being with me
Thanks for being there.

THANK YOU for cheering me with laughter
THANK YOU for every smile you bring
THANK YOU for now and ever after
Thanks for everything.

Take care today and stay safe everyone.

Good morning :-)


Good morning, Lord! Today's a new day, a chance for a new start. Yesterday is gone and with it any regrets, mistakes, or failures I may have experienced. It's a good day to be glad and give thanks, and I do, Lord. Thank you for today, a new opportunity to love, give, and be all that you want me to be. Amen


Cx :-)