General Chat

Good morning :-)


I hope everyone is well. Part one of my drain repair works begins on Tuesday - thanks to our insurance company. Hopefully, I will soon be able to ask for the work on our downstairs bathroom to begin. (Just thought you may like to know that) :-D


Some blessings from our Celtic friends.......



"May God grant you many years to live,
For sure he must be knowing,
The earth has angels all too few,
And heaven is overflowing"


"May your troubles be less,
And your blessing be more.
And nothing but happiness,
Come through your door."


"Whenever there is happiness
Hope you'll be there too,
Wherever there are friendly smiles
Hope they'll smile on you,
Whenever there is sunshine,
Hope it shine especially for you to make each day
for you as bright as it can be."


"These things, I warmly wish for you-
Someone to love, some work to do,
A bit of o' sun, a bit o' cheer.
And a guardian angel always near."


"He who loses money, loses much;
He who loses a friend, loses more;
He who loses faith, loses all."


"May the friendships you make,
Be those which endure,
And all of your grey clouds
Be small ones for sure.
And trusting in Him
To Whom we all pray,
May a song fill your heart,
Every step of the way."


"May joy and peace surround you,
Contentment latch your door,
And happiness be with you now,
And bless you evermore."


"May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow.
May the soft winds freshen your spirit.
May the sunshine brighten your heart
May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you.
And may God enfold you in the mantle of His love."


Love to all....Cx :-)

Good morning.. :-)


Some thoughts for today:



FEARS

I feared being alone ....... Until I learned to like myself.

I feared people's opinions ....... Until I learned that people would have opinions about me anyway.

I feared failure ......Until I realized that they are only the stepping stones to success.

I feared rejection ..... Until I learned to have faith in myself.

I feared pain ..... Until I learned that it is necessary for growth.

I feared the truth ..... Until I saw the ugliness in lies.

I feared life ..... Until I experienced that it depends solely on my attitude.

I feared death .... Until I realized that it is only a beginning.

I feared hate ..... Until I saw that it was nothing more than ignorance.

I feared love ... Until I realized that I do need the other person to love me back.

I feared ridicule ... Until I learned how to laugh at myself.

I feared success .... Until I learned that it is okay to be the best I can.

I feared the dark ... Until I saw the beauty of the stars and moonlight.

I feared light ... Until I learned that the truth would give me strength.

I feared growing old ... Until I realized that I gained the beauty of wisdom every day.

I feared the past ... Until I realized that it can only hurt me if I allow it to.

I feared the future ... Until I realized that it is only this moment that matters.

I feared change ... Until I saw that even the most beautiful butterfly had to undergo a metamorphosis before it could fly.



~ Author Unknown


Remembering our friends in prayer. Cx :-)

Thanks too Cynthia, for such an appropriate prayer today. following on from Vera's interesting post yesterday.

Thank you Cynthia

Good morning... :-)


Good friends are, indeed, a blessing and there are times when all of us have been grateful for the care shown by others.


With your words in mind Vera, I offer this prayer for today - especially with the news headlines.....


Interfaith Prayer for Peace

O God, you are the source of life and peace.
Praised be your name forever.
We know it is you who turns our minds to thoughts of peace.
Hear our prayer in this time of crisis.
Your power changes hearts.

Muslims, Christians, and Jews remember, and profoundly affirm,
that they are followers of the one God,
Children of Abraham, brothers and sisters;
enemies begin to speak to one another;
those who were estranged join hands in friendship;
nations seek the way of peace together.

Strengthen our resolve to give witness to these
truths by the way we live.
Give to us:
Understanding that puts an end to strife;
Mercy that quenches hatred, and
Forgiveness that overcomes vengeance.
Empower all people to live in your law of love
Amen.

- Anon


Cx :-)

The simple prayer is lovely and profound, genuine friends are angels in disguise.

Vera, your evening with the your guide sounded really interesting, thanks for sharing his views here.

Ongoing thoughts and prayers to all who are in need of comfort today.

Thank you Cynthia for those words :-)

Also Vera for your thoughts about our friend who
is coming on slowly :-)

Emma x

Thank you Cynthia. Simple but true. Friends are so important, particularly as we get older.

On another subject, we were in Turkey just recently. We had had a slightly problematic holiday with illness and other stresses but we had a wonderful last evening there. The company rep, a young Turkish man, took just 6 of us who had seemed a little more interested in the culture of his country, on a village tour.

One of the things we did was visit a village Mosque. While there we sat down together and discussed Islam and Christianity. Our guide described himself as "a lapsed Muslim" but was extremely knowledgeable. As always when I've been to a group like this I was left wondering why we emphasise our differences instead of celebrating the things we have in common, which are many.

Someone asked this young man about the Islamic State fighters. His reply was "They are terrorists. They pick a few words from the Koran, take them out of context and use them to justify their actions. They are not true Muslims". This thread is not the place for a political discussion but I thought the views of someone brought up in the Islamic faith and living closer than us to the problem were interesting.

I am so pleased that your young friend is making progress Emma. I am keeping in my thoughts others who may need a little extra strength at this time.

Good morning... :-)

Something simple for today:


Prayer for a Friend

Stores don't sell
I must confess
the joys of life
that cheer and bless
but friends and prayers are priceless treasures
beyond all monetary measures -
and so, my friend,
I say a prayer -
that God will keep you in His care.



Cx :-)

Good morning. :-)


I always remember the 'smell' when it was Harvest Festival in church....that lovely aroma of apples and other fruit which decorated church window sills and pulpits. Sadly, that seems to have gone now, to be replaced by serried ranks of tinned goods along with packets of many different kinds of produce.

As I thought, church was packed yesterday and there was so much going on - it was exhausting! :-)

My husband had a good day yesterday and I had hoped he would accompany me to church but, because we guessed it would be very hectic and he would not cope with it very well, I went on my own. Next week - hopefully.

He is very up and down and his mobility is limited. However, we keep plodding on and I am quite good at nagging, or should I say, encouraging him to keep going..... :-D


Today is Michaelmas....and I freely admit to having taken the following information from wiki.....

Michaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel (also the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels) is a day in the Western Christian liturgical year that occurs on 29 September.

Because it falls near the equinox, it is associated in the northern hemisphere with the beginning of autumn and the shortening of days. In medieval England, Michaelmas marked the ending and beginning of the husbandman's year, George C. Homans observes: "at that time harvest was over, and the bailiff or reeve of the manor would be making out the accounts for the year."

In Christianity, the Archangel Michael is the greatest of all the Archangels and is honoured for defeating Lucifer in the war in heaven. He is one of the principal angelic warriors, seen as a protector against the dark of night, and the administrator of cosmic intelligence.

Michaelmas has also delineated time and seasons for secular purposes as well, particularly in the United Kingdom and Ireland as one of the quarter days.


Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray;
and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.
Amen.

......and not a mention of M & S. :-D


Remembering our friends in prayer.....Cx :-)

Still a bit of a challenge here Emma but its good to hear that your young friend is improving slowly.

Harvest Festival service in our village church too Cynthia but I didn't make it this year. We do have many lovely memories of Harvest Festival services and the fresh produce we dug up and then distributed around the village to the Old Folk....... we are now the Old Folk, but now its tinned food or cereal donations given for breakfasts for the homeless.

Cynthia, I hope that your husband is feeling a little better now?

Kandj she is progressing slowly but is doing fine.

I hope you and your OH are coping and also Cynthia
and her OH <3

Remembering all those in need.

Emma x

Good morning :-)


It is Harvest Festival for us today so I imagine we will have a full house - so to speak. :-)

Someone is coming from the diocese to give us the Child Friendly Church Award which we were actually awarded last year just before our vicar died. That, of course, threw everything into confusion but, at long last, we have got round to having it presented officially.


The Collect for today.

God, who in generous mercy sent the Holy Spirit upon your Church in the burning fire of your love: grant that your people may be fervent in the fellowship of the gospel that, always abiding in you, they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service; 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.


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

Emma, I hope that your young friend is continuing to improve....I am remembering all who face sickness and worries of any kind today.

Cynthia, one job often leads to another (imho) so Good Luck with the drains!

The quote Corinthians 5:7 reminded me of the words of the worship hymn which is
so full of hope and has a real toe-tapping tune as well. Little ones love to sing and share actions to this modern song.

Be bold, be strong
For the Lord your God is with you.
Be bold, be strong
For the Lord your God is with you.
I am not afraid.... No No No
I am not dismayed... Not Me.
For I'm walking in faith and victory
Come and walk in faith and victory
For the Lord your God is with you.

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.