General Chat

Is there any record of what became of Jesus' adoptive Father Joseph ?

There is no mention (that I am aware of) of Joseph being a follower or disciple of Jesus or present at the Crucifixion of Jesus.

Good morning :-)

Anger is often an accompaniment to grief, but not always. In my experience, I have found that those who have a faith, whilst still grieving bitterly, are rarely very angry. There tends to be an acceptance - an understanding that, for the Christian, this is the beginning of a new chapter. There is always sadness at the parting of course.

I feel for those who have lost someone in totally unexpected and traumatic circumstances - whether they have faith or not - and can understand the initial anger and rage which accompanies this.

It's always moving to hear of those who forgive the person who has torn their lives apart. What courage! <3

For today:
Martha was very quick to find fault with Mary when Jesus was visiting them.

Sometimes we can see what’s wrong with someone else more easily that we can see what is wrong with ourselves. Jesus speaks about seeing a speck of dust in someone else’s eye, but not see a huge piece of wood in our own.

Father, please forgive me for being critical of others. Humble me and make me as loving and accepting and forgiving as You are. Make me aware of my own faults before I criticize others. Amen.

Cx :-)

Hello all

Interesting post as always. Thank you Cynthia.

David I find in grief that anger is draining and no help to me at all.

I have always been blessed with lots of patience and positive thoughts.

"A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back" (Proverbs 29:11)

Far too hot for me, I'm staying indoors. Stay cool and drink plenty fluids everyone.

Good morning Cynthia.
Anger is at the root of bereavement, grief, we feel robbed, we disbelieve.
The closer the relationship, a spouse, a parent, the greater the anger. It calms.

Good morning :-)

Hope everyone is keeping their cool in this weather :-D

Martha was really cross with Mary for not helping her.

Anger is in the air. It’s in our political climate, religions, the media, and social media. Mean speech, injustice, inequality in pay and opportunities, prejudice in all its forms, and let’s not forget anger about loss. The loss of relationships, loved ones, health.

Yes, there’s a lot to be angry about! But we can’t let anger consume us like a wildfire. Are we easily angered?

It’s okay to be angry - we were created in God’s image. God gets angry too - just read the Old Testament. Then there’s Jesus. He is often thought of as being ‘meek and mild’ but he has considerably more power and presence than that. Remember the story of Jesus acting out his anger by making a whip of cords and driving the sheep, dogs, cattle, and money changers out of the temple. Then he poured out all the coins and overturned all the tables, shouting, “Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!”

Father, give me a gentle answer that comes from a tender heart when my temper rises and my mind fills with the unkind words I’d like to speak. Please help me remember to put the relationships ahead of being right. Help me respond gently and forgive quickly. Help me love like You. Amen.



Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Goodness me, it's been hot hasn't it? Mind you, we stayed indoors and kept the curtains closed - I think it worked. Come the cooler evenings and mornings - all doors and windows are thrown open :-D

Martha was a bit of a worrier.....I think most of us have times like that...….


O Lord, I am wound up inside.
I feel I cannot continue to meet the demands placed upon me.
I am close to burn out and I fear I may buckle under the weight of these worries.
I am tired of carrying this stress around, I so need to find some peace.

So I come to you.
To rest in your Father heart,
Shelter in your Almighty hand,
And cling to your promise of peace.

I trust that you can lead me to a new place,
Take the fabric of my life and weave in new colours.
I look to you.
I dwell on your words.
I open my heart.

Please restore me.

Amen.


Cx :-)

Life catches up with me and takes over as
it does with us all. Think we need to step back and
take time for ourselves, easier said than done.

Amen for your prayer today Cynthia x

Good morning :-)

I'm a bit of both too Emma. If we take it back to the biblical facts, I really wish I could be more like Mary, but my life is so taken up in caring for OH and daughter at the moment, that finding a quiet time to consider the deeper aspects of life is quite difficult. Must try harder :-D

Thinking of Mary and Martha……When life gets busy, does your time with God tend to get pushed aside?

Lord be with me. Already I feel consumed and overwhelmed as I think about all that is before me today. Feelings of frustration have already started to surface as little annoyances pop up. Lord, I give these to you. Be with me now. Holy Spirit protect me from myself -- my tendency to anger or impatience. Help me see my life through your eyes, Father. Amen

Cx :-)

Well I'm a bit of both and feel that nothing
has changed from when young to the age I am now. :-)

Hello all

I do find the Martha/Mary story interesting. I have always been a Martha type but being of mature years has turned me into a Mary, not fully, but I'm slowly getting there!

A beautiful sunny God given day for us all today. How blessed we are. I hope that everyone can enjoy whatever they have planned. Take it easy in the heat though xx

Good morning :-)

Yesterday, in church, we heard the story of Mary and Martha. .

Jesus was visiting the two sisters and Mary was sitting at his feet listening to what he was saying. Meanwhile, Martha was busy rushing around and preparing the meal and she was cross with Mary because she was not helping. When Martha mentioned this to Jesus, he was quite specific in his reply – “Mary has chosen the better thing”.

Are You a Mary or a Martha?

Mary writes poetry Martha writes to-do lists
Mary paints canvases Martha paints the walls
Mary sings in the rain Martha sings in the choir
Mary likes chocolate Martha likes cheesecake
Mary wears trainers Martha wears heels
Mary goes to theme parks Martha goes to museums
Mary drives a convertible Martha drives a mini-van
Mary has a BBQ Martha has a tea party
Mary dyes her hair Martha stays grey
Mary loves tiger lilies Martha loves daisies

But they are better together . . .Somehow, we need to be a little bit Mary and a little bit Martha!

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Well, how lovely to log on to those comments. Thank you kindly everyone. Funnily enough, before I saw them, I spied the date it was started and thought to myself..."Flippin' heck, I've been doing this a long time!" :-D <3

Rambling, as for that young Transforming man......pffft. ;-) :-D


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.


The gospel reading tells the story of Mary and Martha.

Cx :-)

Thank you indeed Cynthia. Without your commitment the thread would have been dead long since. A lot of the posts have at least made me think even when I haven’t agreed with what’s said, one or two have made me a bit angry and some have made me smile but they have always been interesting. Thank you and the other posters <3

Well done Cynthia and thank you. x

It has been truly a labour of love on Cynthia's part to keep this thread (started by John) going for so long, and even more of an achievement that it has remained interesting , comforting and inclusive (even of the Doubting Thomas's ) .

A certain "transforming" young man ( not on here, Cynthia knows who I mean lol) could take some lessons ;-)

Well done to all who have contributed and kept this a 'safe' place for others to enjoy.

Just noticed .............

you are now (after this post) only 2 from reaching 6,000 posts, for a thread that has brought a lot of help, comfort and information to others

Thank you Cynthia x

and thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread over the years.

Good morning :-)

Glad I made you all smile :-D


More on the moon landing.....


As you cannot possibly miss it – today is the 50th anniversary of man landing on the moon. A fact which is not often mentioned, is the fact that Buzz Aldrin was a Christian and took with him the elements for Holy Communion.
The following link tells the whole story – and it’s worth a read.

https://www.nordskogpublishing.com/what-was-the-first-liquid-and-food-consumed-on-the-moon/


O God,
who made the universe and all that is in it,
we thank you for the skills and talents
that enable us to explore the mysteries of creation.
Give us the will to cherish all that you have made,
and to use the riches of our own world
for the good of all,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen


Cx :-)

Hello all

Thanks as always Cynthia. Your posting has made me smile on a very wet day.

I hope all who look in will have a happy and peaceful weekend xx

It’s always good to start the day with a smile :-D :-D. Thank you Cynthia. However I fear the first prayer may already be too late for me. I should have been saying it twenty years ago.

I hadn’t heard about Communion being taken on the moon either. I have heard Buzz Aldrin speak on TV several times and never heard it mentioned. I’ve learnt some interesting things on this thread.

Amen to both prayers more so the first one :-D :-D