General Chat

Hello all

Shall we claim the Great Minds Cynthia..... I'm sure nobody else will know!
I am enjoying being reminded of the gifts of the Fruits of the Spirit. Thank you.
Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.
(Matthew 5:9 New International Bible)

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me
Let there be peace on earth the peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father, Brothers all are we
Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony..

Let peace begin with me and let this be the moment now.
With every step I take let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment and live each moment, with peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

We have a Peace rose just coming into flower in our garden. Friends of ours
sadly needed to go into a care home and relatives clearing their home asked
if we would like anything at all. I am the gardener here and so I begged the
Peace rose which has bloomed and brought beautiful happy memories to us.

The peace of the Lord, be always with you. xxx

Good morning :-)


I DID wonder about great minds.... :-D


We continue to work our way through the Fruits of the Spirit...
today we pray for God's Peace in our lives....

Lead me to your still streams O Lord
Where I can kneel in the waters of life

Lay down my anxious thoughts
And cast all my cares on You

Here I will wait a while
Wait a while

And bathe in the life-giving waters
Bathe my mind in Your Spirit O God

Come fill my being with Your peace
Bathe my heart with Your love O God

Come still my being with Your peace
Bathe my spirit with Your freedom O God

Come saturate this life with Your peace
Amen.



Peace to all on here........Cx :-)

Hello all

Dare I suggest that Great Mind's Think Alike Cynthia ha ha.

I have two books written by Mother Teresa waiting to be read. They have been
gathering dust for a very long time. I just seem tied up with so many other things.

I was brought up being told that "kindness costs nothing", and I have passed this
little pearl of wisdom on to our children and grandchildren too.

"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with
the person nearest to you". (Mother Teresa).

Smile at a stranger today, this small act of kindness might just make their day better.

Thinking of all who live each day without being shown any form of kindness. xxx

Good morning :-)

Interesting that you should use a quote from Mother Teresa kandj as I had already prepared this..... :-D

Today's Fruit of the Spirit is Kindness..

Be kind and merciful.

Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier.

Be the living expression of God’s kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes,

kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.

- Mother Teresa


Praying for all who suffer unkindness at the hands of others. Cx :-)

Hello all

Mother Teresa's words seem appropriate for today's gift of FAITHFULNESS

"Be faithful in small things, because it is them that our strength lies".

A cool cloudy and wet day here today. Thinking of all who work outside. xxx

Good morning :-)

Like you kandj, I have been blessed with patience many times......but, occasionally, it can be stretched especially when tired.

Today's Fruit of the Spirit is......Faithfulness

Father in Heaven,
ever-living source of all that is good,
keep me faithful in serving You.
Help me to drink of Christ's Truth,
and fill my heart with His Love
so that I may serve You in faith
and love and reach eternal life.
In the Sacrament of the Eucharist
You give me the joy of sharing Your Life.
Keep me in Your presence.
Let me never be separated from You
and help me to do Your Will. Amen.



Love to all Cx :-)

Hello all

I have been truly blessed to have lots of patience most of my life. It has definitely
come in handy as hubbies Carer....... as I do have to count to 10 some days.

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance
for each others faults, because of your love. (Ephesians 4:2 NLT)

Thinking of all ambulance drivers and crew today. xxx

Good morning :-)


Looking at today's Fruit of the Spirit - Patience


Lord, teach me to be patient - with life, with people, and with myself.
I sometimes try to hurry things along too much, and I push for answers before the time is right. Teach me to trust Your sense of timing rather than my own and to surrender my will to Your greater and wiser plan. Amen.




Hope everyone succeeds in being patient today Cx :-)

Hello All

How strange but wonderful too for you and hubby to watch the service on TV.

Joy!....... I immediately thought of this:

Give me joy in my heart keep me praising
Give me joy in my heart I pray
Give me joy in my heart keep me praising
Keep me praising till the break of day

Sing Hosannah, sing Hosannah
.Sing Hosannah to the King of Kings
Sing Hosannah, sing Hosannah
Sing Hosannah to the King.

I used to attend a ladies only Christian meeting where some could speak in tongues.
Initially, I was very embarrassed/uncomfortable, but I learned to accept this "gift."

Remembering those who have no joy in their lives today. xxx

Good morning :)

Funnily enough yesterday, despite being unable to go to church, we turned on the TV to find a service coming from our own cathedral......... :-D

As we celebrate Pentecost, we remember the Fruits of the Spirit which were given to us and which we are to cultivate in our lives.

Today : Joy.

Father,

Please help me to rest in your happiness,
To allow a smile to linger on my lips,
To dwell within a wonderful memory,
To walk back through sunlit places.

Please help me to awake with hope,
To engage with life in all its variety,
To take in the beauty of others joys,
To touch the souls of those I meet with thankfulness.

Please help me to sing with faith,
To carry the truth close in my heart always,
To rejoice at new life and
To have peace as I age.

Please help me to indulge in love
To breathe in the sweetness of intimacy,
To taste the kindness of friendship,
To feel the warmth of embrace.

Please help me not to miss
A single drop of heaven,
To catch each moment
And drink in the great joy of life.

Amen.

Love to all Cx :-)

Hello all

Pentecost Sunday I remember as a very special service. I used to go to
high Anglican church where the Minister would bless water and then during the first hymn, he would walk around church and sprinkle holy water on the congregation.
The atmosphere was amazing. I do miss not being able to join in at times like this.

Spirit of the living God
Fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God
Fall afresh on me.
Break me, melt me,
mold me, fill me.
Spirit of the living God
Fall afresh on me.

Thinking of all Clergy and retired Clergy and their families on this special day. xxx

Good morning :-)

Today is Pentecost Sunday.....

Pentecost is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church and the start of the church’s mission to the world.

Pentecost is the festival when Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter (the name comes from the Greek pentekoste, "fiftieth").

It is also called Whitsun, but does not necessarily coincide with the Whitsun Bank Holiday in the UK.

The Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that is the way Christians understand God.


Today, all Anglican and some Methodist churches in our deanery are closed (apart from those with pre-booked baptisms). The closure is to encourage all church folk to attend a special event in a local park, at which the Bishop will be present and there will be lots of things going on. Holy Communion is to be distributed throughout the park so I understand.

Unfortunately, for those whose mobility is limited, those who would find such a day very tiring and those for whom this is not a preferred style of worship, it means a non-church going Sunday - unless they go to a church outside of this deanery.
Obviously, this affects us as there is no way my OH could cope with such a day, so a quiet day it is. We have had plenty of similar events in the past (though never with all churches being closed) and must let the next generation enjoy their time.


Spirit God,
blow into our lives,
move us to action,
break down the walls that separate us.
Where our language divides, offer us translation.
Where our fear overcomes, fill us with the fire of courage.
Where our lives are becalmed, fill our sails with wind,
moving us forward into the unknown future.
Fill us with the hope and promise of Pentecost! Amen.



Love and prayers to you all Cx :-)

Hello all

I can't remember a time when I didn't know the words of the Lord's Prayer.
These simple words have helped me in dark troubled times. Prayer is powerful.

"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is Thank You,
It will be enough." (Meister Eckhart)

Remembering all couples being married today. xxx

Good morning :-)


As the week of journeying with 'Thy Kingdom Come', comes to an end, we look at part of the letter which was sent to each serving priest in the Church of England.



“At the heart of our prayers will be words that Jesus himself taught us – ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.’ It is impossible to overstate the life-transforming power of the Lord’s Prayer.

It is a prayer that is reassuring enough to be on the lips of the dying and yet dangerous enough to be banned in cinemas.

It is famous enough to be spoken each day by billions in hundreds of languages and yet intimate enough to draw us ever closer into friendship with Jesus Christ.

It is simple enough to be memorised by small children and yet profound enough to sustain a whole lifetime of prayer.

When we pray it with sincerity and with joy, there is no imagining the new ways in which God can use us to his glory.”


How very true.


Have a beautiful day my friends........Cx :-)

Hello all on this Friday 13th (I am not superstitious, are you?).

Plenty of really simple ideas to help us all to pray for others. Thank you Cynthia.

Friday Blessings:
May Gods blessings flow through you now
and touch the lives of everyone that you meet today.
May the Lord bless you all with a relaxing weekend.

Praying for all who are travelling this weekend. xxx

Good morning :-)

Lovely to see you Emma.........lots of blessings........


We are getting towards the end of looking at the Archbishops' Initiative of helping our churches to pray and for Christians to receive new confidence in praying. Today we look at praying for our friends....

Praying for others to know Jesus is one of the most powerful things we can do; persistent prayer for others brings transformation to their lives.

Consistently praying for others takes discipline, and there are many ways that we can build up habits that will help us to pray for our friends and family.

Choose five people you would regularly like to pray for and write their names down onto a list. If you’re not sure who to pray for, ask God to guide you as you choose. Once you have settled on 5 names, commit to praying for them regularly.

Here are five easy ways to pray for five people regularly. Choose the one that suits you best:

1. PIECE OF STRING
Take a piece of string or cord, and tie five knots in it to represent each of the five people you have committed to pray for. You could carry the knotted string in your pocket, tie it round your wrist or place it somewhere that you’ll see it regularly. Use the knots to remind you to pray for each person on your list of five.

2. SMALL STONES
Find five small stones (light coloured ones are best) and write each of the people on your list onto each of the stones. Place them on your desk, bedside table or fireplace as a reminder to pray. Alternatively, you could place each stone in a different room of your home and pray for each person as you enter or leave the room.

3. BUSINESS PRAYER CARD OR BOOKMARK
Grab a piece of card that will easily fit inside your wallet, purse or book. Write your list of five names onto the card before putting it in your wallet or book. Use this card as a daily reminder to pray for them.

4. PRAYER ALERTS
Add your list of five people to the alerts section of your phone and set reminders to pray for them. You could choose one name per day, or pray for all five across your day. Remember to set alerts for a suitable time where you can stop to pray for your list.

5. POST-IT NOTES
Use five post-it notes and write one name onto each. Stick them onto your mirror, above your bed or somewhere that you’ll see them regularly and will be reminded to pray.

Here are a couple of prayers you may like to use.

Loving Lord,
Please work in me so I can share your love, life and message with…………..
Reveal your love to them, that they might know, follow and witness to you, for Your Glory. Amen

Loving Father,
Send your Holy Spirit so I can share your love, life and message with…
Reveal Jesus to them, that they might know, follow and love him,
For Your Glory. Amen


Plenty to work on there :-D Love to all Cx :-)

Thanks Emma..... this is going around in my head too now. The old one's
take some beating ha ha.

Count your blessings count them one by one
Count your blessings, see what God has done
Count your blessings, name them one by one
And it will surprise you, what the Lord has done.

Garden weeding is calling me now!

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Why this came to my mind today I do not know.

The chorus is going round in my head now. x

Hello all

Oooh, I LOVE this prayer walking idea. Have done it for years....... it works!

Back to sunny weather here today after few dark days of rain.
Weeds are calling me out to keep the borders tidy.

A GARDEN BLESSING

The Lady of Life and the Lord of seeds
Shall give my garden what it needs,
In gentle earth and the breath of wind
I will plant and it will begin.
They will bring the rain and sun
and I will harvest when its done.
(Ashleen O' Gadia)

Thinking of those who will visit a Garden of Remembrance today. xxx

Good morning :-)


We can have a proper journey with the Archbishops' initiative today..........Prayer Walking. I would suggest that for those who find difficulty in walking simply think about the area in which they live or, maybe, use a map and trace a route.

Prayer walking is as simple as it sounds - praying as you walk. When we prayer walk we are stepping into our authority as God’s children to bless people and places in Jesus’ name. This simple task is a great way to bring transformation to your local community by asking God to break in. How to get started....

KNOW YOUR LOCAL AREA
Know the places and people that make up your local community. What jobs do people do? What ethnicities and social classes live in your area? How many sacred buildings are there?

KNOW LOCAL PEOPLE
Find out what the needs are in your local community by speaking to those in your area.

KNOW LOCAL NEEDS
Are there problems with unemployment, crime or poverty in your area? You could put all of this information onto a physical map of your community, or write it down in one place. This will help inform your prayers, and you can add to it the more you prayer walk.

GET PRAYER WALKING
The core of prayer walking is conversing with God; ask Him to show you what He sees; to know His heart for your community. Prayer walking can be done on your own, in pairs or with a group. For the purpose of this page, we will plan for walking on your own.

Here are some practical suggestions on how to prayer walk effectively:

CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT TO PLAN YOUR ROUTE
You can plan ahead to ensure that you pray for specific places, or simply ask the Holy Spirit to guide your time - just make sure you don’t get lost!

USE YOUR NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL SENSES
As you prayer walk, be aware of your surroundings: what you see, smell, hear and touch. But also be aware of what God is saying to you as you move around your community; if any Bible verses pop into your head or if you have any pictures, visions or words of knowledge. Turn these natural and supernatural senses into prayer.

PRAY FOR OTHERS
As you prayer walk, the focus is on those who are living in your community so be intentional about praying for God’s blessings on what you see and feel. Even in difficult areas, try to pray positively. Focus on God’s plans and purposes for the place and people that live there. “Your Kingdom come, your will be done…” is an excellent start.

KEEP GOING
After your prayer walk, keep praying for your community. As you keep praying, continue to ask for God’s blessing in your area; praying for God’s kingdom to come and His Will to be done in your area. If you feel that God is highlighting specific needs or challenges, think about how to take action; how could you and your Church be part of God’s solution practically, as well as prayerfully?


Such a lot to think about........Cx :-)