General Chat

A good reminder Cynthia that we are blessed daily and have much to be grateful for.
I am liking the Virginia Ellis words, which are similar to the Helen Steiner Rice ones, but are all new to me and so thought provoking...... thank you.

Good morning everyone. :-)


Thank you for that list of hymns......I like them all, but have grown to really like 'In Christ alone' as I love the way the melody is so powerful and inspirational.


We had a good congregation yesterday and it was also the final service for our oldest Lay Reader. She admitted, during her sermon, that when she was first licensed as a Reader, she thought she would be able to go on and on and on. Unfortunately, her mobility is now very restricted and it limits her severely. She will, however, still be coming to church as and when she can and she was given a gift, flowers and cake (made by our Vicar's widow) as a token of our appreciation.

This service was followed by three baptisms and chaos reigned :-D


I know we have mentioned counting our blessings before, so here are some words on that theme :


Count Your Blessings

As I was walking down the street,
I met a lady with no feet.
Because she had no feet to use,
She did not complain she had no shoes.

Then as I walked further on,
I met a man who'd lost an arm.
He had no coat ... he had no sleeve,
I neither heard him cry nor grieve.

In a few more steps, whom did I spy,
But a stumbling man with a blinded eye.
He could not walk his path alone,
I did not even hear him groan.

Somewhere else along my walk,
I met a man who could not talk.
He could tell no one of his pain,
He did not grumble nor complain.

Another block brought me quite near
To a man who could not hear.
He never once had heard a hymn,
But he kept his anguish closed within.

In that same block, whom did I find ...
But some lost soul without a mind.
A lot of babble he did utter,
But no objection did he mutter.

Not much further did I go,
When I saw an old man moving slow.
His hands were gnarled; his back was bent,
Not one complaint did I hear him vent.

When my walk was nearly through,
I found myself approaching you.
You always say there's something wrong,
So, for that reason, hear this song.

Aren't you aware how you've been blest?
Can't you see you've no distress?
Don't you know how whole you are?
See where you've been, and just how far?

Can't you quiet your complaints?
Appreciate those men's restraints?
There, but for God's holy grace,
Could you be walking in their place.

~ Virginia Ellis ~



Praying that all keep safe in the terrible weather which is forecast. Cx :-)

Many thanks, kandj. Wish I had taped that programme. I know all those hymns well and would have loved to sing along with you :-) :-) Lady in my church is nearly blind and loves those sort of hymns because they are so familiar and words are so scriptural and meaningful.

We had 6 yesterday from Complete Mission Praise. Modern to me, what are called "songs" rather than "hymns". All nice, couple quite familiar. But I must start learning a few more of them and become a bit more "modern" and more confident with these modern "songs".

Despite humming a lot yesterday through most of the songs, I did enjoy service a lot. OT reading was from Joel Chapter 2. I liked verse 13: "and rend your heart, and not your garments"

Gospel reading was about the Pharisee and the tax collector (tax collectors were quaintly called publicans - I suppose they were Jewish public or civil servants working for Rome).

Jesus was very taken by the humility and enthusiasm of the tax collector, and was generally upset that the Pharisees knew the Law so well and generally adhered to it but had missed the central truth about rending your heart.

Young preacher (newly married) said that, if his wife went away for a few days, he was given a list of things to do. He hated lists generally, but because of their love for each other, he did the tasks much more easily. And he suggested the tax collector really loved God but the Pharisee's love for God had grown cold and been replaced by dull routine and forced adherence to duties and rules.

My prayer this morning is for our friends across the world (not only the storm battered UK) who are experiencing difficult and unusual weather conditions at present and having risks from flooding, bush fires, fallen trees and the like. May God wrap his arms round each and everyone of them and show how much he loves them. How much he loves you as you read this thread.

Amen.

Thank you to Cynthia and John for very interesting postings (as usual), and always really appreciated.

Hubby and I have just watched the recording of today's Songs of Praise edition from the Royal Albert Hall depicting The Big Sing of chosen most popular top 10 hymns in the UK.
For those who missed this very special programme this evening, here they are, in reverse order as they were presented:-

10. The Day Thou Gavest, Lord is Ended.
09. Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace.
08. Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer.
07. Abide With Me.
06. And Can It Be.
05. I The Lord of Sea and Sky.
04. Dear Lord and Father of Mankind.
03. Be Still, For the Presence of the Lord.
02. In Christ Alone
01. How Great Thou Art.

A brilliant event and a great sing-a-long for us two.

Many thanks, Cynthia.

May I wish a happy start to the blustery and colder week for everyone. Hope we don't have these severe storms that some commentators suggest, but lighter stuff is already blowing round outside as I write.

First, I wanted to comment on that lovely passage from Corinthians. Corinth was a small church in a big city, a city that worshipped a myriad of gods and had centuries of culture, trade and learning. In this little church, the Jewish diaspora who believed Jesus was their Messiah got together every week and prayed with people who had been worshipping all these Greek gods and had no idea even that there was only one God until Paul and his friends preached and wrote to them.

So I think it would have been more difficult for them to love each other than it would be for many groups who are brought together from different backgrounds. Can you imagine a small Anglican community in the shires joining in worship with a group of Moravians from a West Indian background? I remember a little village where I lived in Northants (Edeyrn pronounced Eden) had a Moravian chapel. Disused except a couple of times a year when a load of folk from a West Indian Moravian background would descend on the village to worship - most with strong Brummie accents :-) :-)

My hymn for this morning is:

"Will your eyes behold through the morning light
The city of gold and the harbour bright?
Will you anchor safe by the heavenly shore,
When life's storms are past for evermore?"

And the wind has just died down and sun is peeping through
:-)

Good morning everyone.....is anyone around? It was very quiet on here yesterday.


A lovely hymn for the first day of the week:


For The Beauty Of The Earth Hymn

For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
Pleasures pure and undefiled,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For each perfect gift of thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of heaven,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For thy Church which evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.


It's a while since this hymn was on here I think - here is John Rutter's version of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gicd-GbtVyE



Have a lovely day. Cx :-)

Good morning everyone. :-)


John, for several years we used to have a dramatised version of The Passion read at the Good Friday service. One year, however, it was changed to a vivid and graphic account of Christ's suffering upon the cross - it was not easy to read nor to listen to. It did, however, bring home the absolute agonies of his suffering and some people complained that it was too gory!! Unfortunately, sometimes we have to be realistic to remind people that we do not believe in a fairy tale, we believe in someone who suffered greatly......for us. It reminded me very much of the saying......."No cross.......no crown".


LOVE IS............

Love is patient,
Love is kind.
Love is not jealous,
It does not put on airs,
It is not snobbish.

Love is never rude,
It is not self-seeking.

It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not rejoice in what is wrong,
But rejoices with the truth.

It always protects,
Always trusts,
Always hopes,
Always preserves.

Love never fails.

~ I Corinthians 13:4-8 ~




LOVE IS.........

Love is the best thing in the world ...
And the thing that lives longest.

Love is something to share with a wonderful person,
And once it's there, you've got to make it last.

Love isn't something to be taken for granted ...
It's something to be nurtured,
And cared for and caressed.

Love can last forever ...
If you want it to.

Love isn't tough and tentative ...
It's wonderful and gentle and tender.

Love is mysterious ...
But it asks that you keep no secrets.

Love is blind ...
But it asks that you see how happy it can make you.

Love is more like a flower than a tree ...
The wrong things can hurt it so easily.
But the right things can make it more beautiful
Than anything else your life has ever know.

Love is something to be treated
As the best of blessings ...
And as your own little miracle
That will keep coming true ...
As long as you want it to.

~ Author Unknown ~



Hope everyone has a good day....... Cx :-)

I enjoyed the What If questions. What if God wanted us to pay the price of sin? Now, that is a pretty terrifying thought :-0

Thankyou for concern over my teeth. Strangely the pain has been much less last 24 hours. Still can't eat anything solid like bread, so it is bananas, yogurt etc. But I nearly had full night's sleep last night, feel much better and looking forward to having my plates fitted next week.

Well, no good looking backwards. It will be happening!!!! I expect other people have tooth ache and then false teeth, but I never imagined it happening to me :-)

It is ridiculous, I know. Have just read this about the night before Jesus died:

"The flagrum, a short whip with small balls of lead tied near the ends of each thong, "is brought down with full force again and again across Jesus's shoulders, back, and legs. At first, the heavy thongs cut through the skin only."

The succeeding blows, however, "cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin and finally, spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles."

The whip tears into the deep skeletal muscles to produce ribbons of bleeding flesh. "

Only the beginning of his torture. Could any of us even take that level of pain?

Cynthia, hoping that your OH is more comfortable since his eye operation and that you both have found time to relax together now.

The WHAT IF words certainly give food for thought, many thanks for your daily words.

John, I hope your toothache has lessened and you are trying to be brave for next week!

Good morning everyone and many thanks for that meaningful prayer kandj. :-)



There are a lot of 'What if's?' in life and the following words are thoughtful words.... :


WHAT IF?

What if GOD couldn't take the time to bless us today
because we couldn't take the time
to thank Him yesterday?

What if GOD decided to stop leading us tomorrow
because we didn't follow Him today?

What if we never saw another flower bloom
because we grumbled when GOD
sent the rain?

What if GOD didn't walk with us today
because we failed to recognize it as His day?

What if GOD took away the Bible tomorrow
because we would not read it today?

What if GOD took away His message
because we failed to listen to the messenger?

What if GOD didn't send His only begotten Son
because He wanted us to be prepared
to pay the price for sin.

What if the door of the church was closed
because we did not open the door
of our heart?

What if GOD stopped loving and caring for us
because we failed to love and care for others?

What if GOD would not hear us today
because we would not listen to Him yesterday?

What if GOD answered our prayers
the way we answer His call to service?

What if GOD met our needs
the way we give Him our lives???


What if GOD just didn't care???



Those words have certainly made ME think.

Praying that John's toothache has eased and that everyone is well..... Cx :-)

Might I just add a healing prayer for all who need one.

Lord, look upon me with eyes of mercy
May your healing hand rest upon me
May your life giving powers flow into every cell
of my body and into the depth of my soul
Cleansing, purifying, restoring me to wholeness
and strength for service in your Kingdom......... Amen.

:-D :-D Thanks very much Dermot ( I think) ;-)

John - a bit of belated advice concerning toothache (my dad's remedy anyway - take it or leave it!)

'Desist from shaving on a Sunday - do the task last thing on a Saturday night. You will never suffer from toothache'.

Occasionally, when the mood hit him, he added that it would work for some of the ladies too.

That was good news Cynthia. What wonderful work they do at Liverpool Eye Hospital. We are so lucky to have professionals in the Health Service.

Couldn't sleep last night. Found some Bonjela in very bottom of first aid box (which we must have used for the children who are now 31 and 28!!!!). And I sinned because at 4am I grabbed my son's bottle of best 30 year old whisky and rubbed it all round my teeth. It was kill or cure but left a horrible taste.

Bought oil of cloves for tonight, which I think tastes just as bad. But at least I am getting a little sleep and will get it all sorted out early next week.

I doubt anyone in the world is in as much pain as me at present. It is so difficult being a man :-( ;-)

Seriously, when you read some threads on here from carers and those in a lot of pain, it makes me feel I am very lucky indeed. I just hope that they can look forward to some respite also. I do try to pray for a handful of Genes "friends" every day.

Thank you Cynthia, still here looking in and reading
all contributions from everyone.

Emma :-)

Good morning everyone. :-)


Poor John, I do hope that the toothache is soon sorted out for you - pain of any sort is unpleasant.

The doctor was pleased with the results of the eye operation and we go back in 10 days for a further appointment.

What with all this talk of eyes and teeth, I thought it would be appropriate to mention St. Luke today. His Saints Day was celebrated last week - 18th October and, as so many of use are grateful for the skills of all medical staff in whatever sphere, it's an opportunity to remember and be glad.


A special prayer for St. Luke's Day.



Almighty God,
you called Luke the physician,
whose praise is in the gospel,
to be an evangelist and physician of the soul:
by the grace of the Spirit
and through the wholesome medicine of the gospel,
give your Church the same love and power to heal;
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.


Cx :-)

Cynthia, I hope you and OH had a good appointment today and that his eye operation was successful

John, glad that you liked the Gratitude prayer and I hope you toothache has calmed down. I broke my tooth a month ago and our wonderful village dentist reconstructed the tooth and saved it which is very much appreciated.

Big elephant/elegant hugs to everyone today.

Am rushing back to bed now, so will look in later.

I have raging tothache (dentures to be fitted next week and not so apprehensive now - just be glad to get rid of teeth, to be honest. Not serious, I know. But I am a man :-( And we suffer pain more than most.;-)

Did see kandj's post before turning in last night (or not turning in as it transpired) and did feel plenty of gratitude reading the prayer. Many thanks kandj.:-) :-)

Elephant hugs to all this morning. Hope operation at St Pauls is a success when you go back today, Cynthia (assume eye hospital is still St Pauls). Prayers for OH's swift recovery. How wonderful they can do so much for eyes these days when it would have been blindness or nearly only a few years ago.

When I consider how my light is spent
Ere half my days in this dark world, and wide.
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodgd with me useless though my soul more bent
To serve my Maker and repent.

from John Milton's sonnet about going blind when still quite a young man.

Will close this with a hymn by Milton (my favourite poet in English*):

"He, with all-commanding might
Filled the new-made world with light
For his mercies aye endure
Ever faithful, ever sure":-)

by John Milton (1608-1674), based on Psalm 136.

*Celtic poets and hymnwriters have an immediate advantage over writers in the English language, imo. Celtic languages all flow poetically. My favourite poet of all is T Gwynn Jones ( 1871 - 1949), a native of the Colwyn Bay area, who wrote his best works in Welsh (surprise, surprise ;-))

Good morning all. A very quick visit. OH ended up having emergency eye surgery in Liverpool yesterday and we have to go back this morning to check that all is well. I thank God for the skill and expertise of the surgeons who carried out this delicate operation.


"He Lifted Me"....I haven't heard those words for a long time but can remember them being sung by my mum from her days in the Salvation Army. Wonderful words. Thank you.


A smile for today:

AN ELEGANT HUG!

When God created elephants,
He thought, "Now, let me see ...
They must be big and loveable,
And as huggable as can be."

He experimented first with ants,
Then moved up, in size, to bugs ...
"They won't do at all," He said,
"They give such tiny hugs."

Next He worked on cats and dogs,
Then walruses and whales;
He even went as far,
As dinosaurs with tails.

He finally worked up to elephants,
Then, smiled and said with glee ...
"Elephant hugs are the greatest,
And not only that, they are free!"

"So, kids and folks can copy them,
And learn to hug their way ...
An elephant hug is an "elegant" hug,
Have you had yours today?


~ Virginia Ellis ~


Take care all Cx

Cynthia, hope all went well for your OH today.

John,....He Lifted Me.... is a good old fashioned hymn and I don't recall that we have sung this for quite a while, but I am now singing along myself just now.

It is good to be reminded of all God's good gifts that surround us daily and which we can often take for granted. Might I share A Gratitude Prayer with everyone :-

Dear God
I give thanks for all the amazing gifts you have blessed me with in this lifetime.
Thank you for the clouds in the sky and the grass beneath my feet.
Thank you for the roof over my head that shelters me from the cold,
and the food in my stomach that nourishes my body.
Thank you for the clothes on my back and the knowledge in my head.
Most of all God
Thank you for your everlasting love, guidance and understanding.
Thank you dear God,
Thank you.