General Chat

Hello all

How tragic for 39 people to end their lives inside a lorry on an industrial site.

Thoughts and prayers for them, for their families and for all the police and ambulance workers who have witnessed such an horrific/shocking scene in Essex today. RIP.

How beautiful was that poem, very moving x

Good morning :-)

Very sad indeed David :-(


C.S. Lewis had a wonderful way with words and his quotes and writings are still very popular. <3

For today:

The Touch Of The Master's Hand

T'was battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar, then, two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three . . ."
But no,
From the room, far back, a grey-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a carolling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low, said:
"What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
"Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
"Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice;
And going and gone. "said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand,
what changed its worth -
Swift came the reply:
"The Touch Of The Master's Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A 'mess of potage,' a glass of wine;
A game - and he travels on.
He is 'going' once, and 'going' twice,
He's 'going' and almost 'gone'.
But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's Hand.

by Myra B. Welch (1877-1959)


Cx :-)

In 1945 my maternal grand father lost his youngest son, killed WWII, his ship

torpedoed, and his wife he had been nursing to bowel cancer, within days. :-(

Hello all

A coincidence that I have just finished reading a C.S.Lewis book "A Grief Observed" written when he had lost his wife Joy to cancer after only four years of marriage.
I can recommend this inspirational book to anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one.

"God allows us to experience the low points in life in order to teach us lessons that
we could learn in no other way." C.S.Lewis.

Sending ((hugs)) out to all who need them today. x

Good morning every one :-D <3

That link is a bit deep for me too, an enigma, a riddle wrapped up in a mystery.

Have a good day everyone <3

Good morning..... :-)

More poetry to come in the week.

Today a touch of inspiration :

“If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them.”

C.S. Lewis



Cx :-)

Hello all

I agree you Emma. I like easy and simple, and today's poem is both.

Your link is much too deep for me David. Sorry.

Beautiful Cynthia :-)

I love a bit of poetry x

Good morning :-)

Oh David, it's far too early in the morning for me to tackle numerology etc. Old Testament or otherwise!! :-D :-D

How about a week of poetry and inspiration?

This poem can apply to both men and women! :-D

The bible wore her imprint
Its cover soft from use
The pages rubbed and wrinkled
The binding coming loose

And even if this Christian
And her bible were apart
She still would have it with her
Hidden in her heart

Oh make me such a woman Lord
Who hungers to be fed
Who cherishes a line from you
More than her daily bread

And when my days are over
May this be my epitaph
“She longed to spend more time with Him
And now she’s doing that”.


Cx :-)

I read (for what it's worth) that much of the OT was in parts of the
middle east speaking languages other than Hebrew and Aramaic.

Seems in the early days the had a form of numerology called Gematria
to turn language to numbers to translate to another language (?)

e.g. Aish HaTorah, http://www.aish.com/spirituality/prayer/Prayer_6_-_Hear_O_Israel_Part_1.asp, which says "It is part of a Kabbalistic tradition ... Gematria is a Kabbalistic way of showing how two ideas are related on a conceptual level; it is using numerology as a basis to confirm (not create) the connection."

Good morning :-)


The Collect (special prayer) for today:

Almighty and everlasting God,
increase in us your gift of faith that, forsaking what lies behind
and reaching out to that which is before,
we may run the way of your commandments and win the crown
of everlasting joy; 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.

The gospel tells the story of the unjust judge and the persistent widow.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

It is indeed David.


A final look at animal Christian symbols..

Christian Butterfly symbolism has been talked about throughout the ages. The butterfly emerging from the chrysalis has traditionally been a symbolism of Christ rising from the tomb.

The stages of the butterfly - egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly are wonderful analogies to our life as Christians.

The miracle starts with an egg the size of the top of a straight pin....just as human life starts with a tiny fertilized egg. A few short days later a TINY caterpillar emerges through the shell of the egg.....a baby is born.

The caterpillar stage of eating, eating, eating is symbolic of life on earth.....preoccupied so often with the physical and material.

In the chrysalis stage it appears the caterpillar is lifeless inside the chrysalis.....symbolizing death and the darkness of the tomb, an inevitable reality. But, inside of the chrysalis a miracle is taking place.....The butterfly emerges..... symbolic of our souls rising from the grave and ascending into heaven and eternal life.


Cx :-)

A prominent Christianity symbol is the Crucifix

Good morning... :-)


David - IHS is a 'Christogram' symbolizing Jesus Christ . From Greek it is an abbreviation of the name IHS??S ( Jesus ).

Christian animal symbols....The pelican

Long before Jesus walked on the earth, the people of the Mediterranean had an incredible respect for the pelican. In fact, the pelican became a legendary figure. In times of famine, the pelican was known to tear at its own breast, draw blood, and feed its young in order that they may have life.

Naturally, when these people received news that God, in His great love, had come into the world in human form, shedding His own blood to wash, adopt, and redeem us (Holy Baptism), and to FEED US (The Lord’s Supper) so that we may have forgiveness and life, they made a direct connection with what they already had seen in the pelican.

The symbol of the pelican feeding its young with three drops of blood from its chest was used in numerous cathedrals through the end of the Middle Ages. In some, it was included as stained glass, in others the scene was etched into stone on the altar.

Thus, the pelican symbol in Christianity, also called pelican-in-her-piety, symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ on the cross (because he gave his blood for others) as well as the Eucharist (because it represents Christ's blood and provides spiritual nourishment).


Cx :-)

I think the I H are the first two Greek letters of Christ.

That hymn is new to me Kandj. Thank you for posting it.

I'm enjoying your threads Cynthia so interesting thank you x

kandj ...such a beautiful hymn, thanks for sharing x

Hello all

The dove is an age-old biblical symbol which I think most will be familiar with.

Today's posting reminds me of the words from the hymn On the Wings of a Dove which was a favourite with my parents I'd like to share this with all who look in today.

ON THE WINGS OF A DOVE

On the wings of a snow white dove, He sends His pure sweet love,
A sign from above, on the wings of a dove.

When troubles surround us
When evil comes
The body grows weak
The spirit grows numb.
When these things beset us
God doesn't forget us
He sends down His love
On the wings of a dove.

On the wings of a snow white dove, He sends His pure sweet love
A sign from above, on the wings of a dove
A sign from above, on the wings of a dove.

Good morning :-)

Do you mean the IHS David? That's for another day :-D

However, it's interesting that you mentioned a dove...….here's one I typed earlier!! .


A very familiar animal Christian symbol is the dove……

Even before the birth of Jesus, the dove was considered an animal with a strong symbolic value. For the Greeks it was a symbol of love and a messenger of the goddess Aphrodite. In Egypt, it was used as a shipping bird, to send messages. Among the Jews, it was a sacrificial offering for the poor, who could not afford more expensive sacrifices. The dove symbolised love, the yearning for God through purification and peace.

At the end of the Flood, a dove sent by Noah, is carrying an olive branch in its beak, giving new hope to decimated humanity. In this sense, the dove appears as a heavenly messenger. In the Bible, the dove is the most mentioned bird.

With the advent of Christianity, the dove became the symbol of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was baptised, in fact, it is said that a dove descended on his head. It is a new beginning for man, the renewal of the Covenant with God after the Flood, God’s Love that descends upon men by giving them a hope of salvation and eternity.

Cx :-)