General Chat

I had heard the pelican story a long while ago but had forgotten it. It's good to have a reminder and a re-think on the symbolism.

Thank you Cynthia for your kind thoughts for my OH. In fact, you would not think anything had been wrong with him - at the moment he is in the garden weeding. Our doctor thinks it is going to be one of those never-to-be explained mysteries but has ordered various tests to be on the safe side.

Like most people our age we have our aches and pains but I never cease to be thankful for our general good health. So today my special thoughts are for all who are coping with long term conditions and remembering their carers for whom life can be hard at times.

Hello all

Like Vera, I have also heard of the pelican symbol but very many years ago now.

Vera, I hope your OH keeps well. That must have been scary for you both.

Happy moments.............................Praise God.

Difficult moments............................Seek God.

Quiet moments...............................Worship God.

Painful moments.............................Trust God.

Every moment.................................Thank God.

Good morning :-)


So glad your OH has recovered Vera......but I think that having some tests done is a wise decision.

I think I will have to visit the doc soon - my back and leg are really playing up - sciatica. I think it stems from the fact that I have to pull my OH out of chairs quite a lot.....:( Ouch and double ouch.

My son is waiting for the results of a scan on his knee which will probably be followed by an operation.......we could make quite an odd couple if people watched us walking down the road together - limp, hop, limp. Limp, hop limp :-D

Anyway, for today....

The next Christian symbol we will look at is the anchor.

The anchor became a key Christian symbol during the period of Roman persecution. The first century symbol wasn't the cross; it was the anchor.

First century Christians, hiding in the catacombs, would have been encouraged by the sight of an anchor. It would remind them that Jesus was their anchor, and gave them hope. It reminds us that God is there during the storms of life.

The Boys' Brigade hymn "Will your anchor hold" is a great example and contains the chorus :

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!


Another hymn to keep singing during the day :-D


Cx :-)

Hello all

Can I join in with an occasional OUCH when I turn too quickly and pull my neck.
I hope all will be straightforward with your son's knee scan Cynthia.

Vera I hope your OH will get good results when he has his tests.

After reading today's post I am now singing the lovely BB hymn..... join in.

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

Chorus
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour's love.

Good morning everyone :-)


"Keep on with the painkillers" was the gist of the advice from the doctor yesterday......yeah......right. Double Ouch.

For today :

Triquetra - Also known as The Trinity Knot.

Like all Celtic knots the triquetra is constructed of one continuous line interweaving around itself symbolising no beginning or end, an eternal spiritual life.

The Celts favoured the idea that everything important in the world came in threes; three stages of life, three elements, three domains; earth, sea and sky, past, present and future.

The triquetra is sometimes drawn weaving around a circle, symbolising the unity of the three parts.

The Christians adopted this knot because it fitted in so well with our belief system. To us it came to represent The Son, Father and Holy Spirit.

I DO wish we could post images on our threads sometimes.........sigh


Love to all Cx :-)

Hello all

So the GP says to keep taking the tablets? We will all be rattling together then Cynthia

I love this Celtic knot symbol for the Trinity. I love all the Celtic blessings too.

May the God of peace
bring peace to this house.
May the Son of peace
bring peace to this house.
May the Spirit of peace
bring peace to this house.
This day and all days.
Amen.

Good morning :-)


I love Celtic prayers and blessings too kandj. Maybe time to have a Celtic week soon :-D


For today:

Today we take a look at a Christian symbol which is quite familiar… The Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end.

These symbols represent the eternal nature of Jesus Christ and God. Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last – together, form a symbol for one of the names of Jesus, meaning ‘the beginning and the end’.

As symbols, the Alpha and Omega were used in early Christianity and appeared in the Roman catacombs. Putting the two together, they represent the eternity of Christ as the Son of God.

Lord, we thank you that you are with us always, from the beginning of our lives to the end and beyond.  Amen



Cx :-)

I too love the Celtic blessings. They seem to say so much in simple words.

I am sorry your back is not good at the moment Cynthia, and Kandj too. I am thinking of you. I know it must be hard for you as you are both carers and can't just give in. Sending you a cyber hug <3

Could we start an 'Ouch Club'? I am in bed at the moment trying hard to forget the pains in my back. For the third time in three years I had to see the out-of-hours doctor in the early hours of this morning . He is based at our local hospital, local being 20 miles away. No-one seems able to diagnose what is wrong so the latest idea is that my GP should arrange for me to see a urologist in case it is a kidney problem. Thankfully OH seems to have fully recovered from his 'turn'.

With our experience of last weekend and yesterday in mind, my prayers today are for those living alone who must find such events very frightening. May they find strength and reassurance.

Hello all

Vera, sorry that you are another suffering with aches and pains. I do like your
suggestion of an OUCH club. I think there will be a long waiting list to join!
It is good news that your OH is much better. I pray you will feel better before long.

Looking at the many Celtic blessings would be really interesting I think Cynthia.

Alpha and Omega

You are Alpha and Omega
and we worship you our Lord
You are worthy to be praised

We give you all the glory
We worship you our Lord
You are worthy to be praised..

Good morning :-)

Oh poor Vera......I certainly sympathise with you and hope that your problem will soon be sorted out. Forming an 'Ouch' club seems a very good idea. <3


Today our Women's Guild will have their annual rededication service. It's quite a large group and they have a lot of activities going on. I haven't joined it yet - I was a member of the Mothers' Union for many years but, on retirement, took a step back.


For today:

The Collect (special prayer) 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.


The Gospel for today reminds us of the cost of discipleship when we follow Jesus.

Love to all. Cx :-)

Hello all

A friend is struggling with lots of stressful situations. I have passed on the
Ten Commandments for reducing stress. Hope this list will interest others.

1. Thou shall not be perfect or even try to be.
2. Thou shall not try to be all things to all people.
3. Thou shalt sometimes leave things undone that ought to be done.
4. Thou shalt not spread thyself too thinly.
5. Thy shall learn to say "NO"
6. Thy shalt schedule time for thyself and for thy supportive network.
7. Thou shalt switch off and do nothing regularly.
8. Thou shalt be boring, untidy, inelegant and unattractive at times.
9. Thou shalt not even feel guilty.
10 Especially.. thou shall not be thy own worst enemy, but be thine own best friend.

Good morning :-)

Love the 10 Commandments - if you don't mind, I will share them on our church FB page :-D


It's three years today since our beloved vicar collapsed and died......he is still much loved and much missed. Looking across my room now, I can still see him sitting on the settee with a mug of tea, telling us a tale or two. <3


For today:

Continuing with our Christian symbols for a couple of days……today we look at ‘Fire’.

Fire often appears as a symbol of God’s presence and a sign of his power - there are many stories about fire in the bible. We remember the story of the disciples when they were filled with the Holy Spirit – it was as though tongues of flames rested on their heads.

The mitre which bishops wear is shaped like a flame as a reminder that they are chosen by God to do the work of the disciples.

The Salvation Army motto is ‘Blood and Fire’…….the blood of Christ and the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Candles in church denote Jesus, the light of the world and we give candles to those who are baptised in our church….’shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father’.

Father,
come and fill the hearts of your faithful
and enkindle in us the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit
and renew the face of the earth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.


Cx :-)

Hello all

Is it really three years since your popular vicar died so suddenly? Unbelievable.

Of course you are more than welcome to use the Ten Commandments for
Reducing Stress. I hope that others might find this useful.

Today a large fire engine pulled up in front of our bungalow???

An officer rang the doorbell while two others stayed in the cab.
I invited him inside and he explained that they were doing a check in the village
and fitting fire alarms for free. The two other firemen came and have replaced
one battery smoke alarm that was originally fitted in 2010. We also have a
wired smoke alarm which the officer said was perfectly fine. Reading Cynthia's
post today about Fire....... is very appropriate I think.

Good morning :-)

I hope you asked for identification from the firemen kandj :-D

The fire service are very good at dealing with smoke alarms - its worth checking their website as they fit alarms for free and it saves so much hassle.

For today:

Our final look at Christian symbols…..the most recognisable of all……The Cross.

Strangely, whilst the cross is known as a symbol of suffering and defeat it is also known as a symbol of triumph and salvation. It is the universal Christian symbol – acknowledged by all denominations as the single visual image of the faith.

The cross is everywhere, not just in churches but in homes, movies, paintings and music. It is worn as a necklace, as earrings, as a tattoo - a fashion statement.

The cross on which Jesus was executed 2000 years ago has been a symbol for his followers from very early on. At first, they were scared to display it publicly in case they were persecuted or mocked. But after the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in the 4th Century, crucifixion was abolished as a punishment, and the cross was promoted as a symbol of the Son of God.

On a hill far away, stood an old rugged Cross
The emblem of suffering and shame
And I love that old Cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

Cx :-)

Hello all

I didn't need to ask the fire officer for identification Cynthia as he was a very
professional gentleman and had his ID clearly visible when he introduced himself.

I do love the tune and the words of the Old Rugged Cross but sadly, I only ever seem to sing this now during funeral services.

Here is a rousing chorus of another old hymn, declaring the Christian faith.

Life high the cross
The love of Christ proclaim
Till all the world adore
His sacred name............... tra la la la la la la

Good morning....... :-)

I was laughing to myself kandj, 'cos if a fire engine drew up outside your front door, then I guess identification is hardly necessary. Were they all hunky chunky guys? :-D

Getting tired of having sciatica now.....fed up of taking painkillers too......hope it doesn't hang around much longer :-(


On a brighter note :-)

You are the glorious morning,
You are refreshment and peace.
You are the sounds as the dawn breaks,
You are the rose that smells sweet.

You are the Lord, my creator,
You are the wonder of life.
You are the great words of wisdom,
I read them and fill up inside.

You are the wonderful sunrise,
You are restorer of hope.
You are the air that we breathe now,
You are the warm winter coat.

You are the Lord, my creator,
You are a love without end.
You are all grace and forgiveness,
I stand loved and free as your friend.


Cx :-)

Hello all

Sorry you are still having the sciatica pain, hope it gets better soon Cynthia.

Yes, it's unlikely that they would steal a fire engine, but who knows ? The fire officer
and the two firemen looked the part, all were professional and very pleasant too.

You are the King of Glory
You are the Prince of Peace
Your are the heaven and earth
You're the Son of Righteousness
Angels bow down before You
Worship and adore You
For You have the words of eternal like
You are Jesus Christ the Lord.
Hosanna to the King of David
Hosanna to the King of Kings
Glory in the highest heavens
For Jesus the Messiah reigns.

Good morning :-)

Now it is time for the Paralympics to take place. Those brave men and women who overcome their handicaps to compete in many sports.

The slogan for the 2016 Paralympics is “A New World”

Along with the Olympic torch, the medals and the mascots, the slogan plays a major part in creating the unique identity of each Olympic Games. For Rio 2016, the core values of the slogan and the manifesto are unity, respect for diversity and the will for change.

"It is what the Olympic movement is all about – changing the world for the better" said Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the event.

As we watch and wonder at the events which are about to unfold, we thank God for the bravery and courage of these athletes.


Cx :-)

Hello all

The Paralympic events will be watched here with great interest each day until the closing event on 18th September.. We both find that all the competitors taking part are so humbling to watch and an inspiration to us all. Triumph over adversity!

Heavenly Father
We pray that despite the financial issues surrounding the Paralympics,that they are a successful celebration of what people with disabilities can achieve.
We pray for all who are involved in the many outreach faith organizations in Rio
who will support the athletes and witness to tourists and others throughout this time.
Amen

Good morning :-)

We seem to be doing very well on the medal scene don't we? I haven't actually watched anything yet but my daughter keeps me up to speed. Am going to try and catch some of the excitement over the coming days.


“Knowing Jesus is the ultimate journey to eternal life”. South African triple gold medallist, Fanie Van der Merwe was born with cerebral palsy and became a Christian whilst in High School. He also says…

“It was also good to see all my friends from around the world who I've met over the years. And I just realise that this is what it's all about, building relationships and inspiring others. I'm very happy and privileged to be at my fourth Paralympics and super excited to shine God's light on the track.”

Lord, may we be as excited to shine God's light in our lives. Amen.


Cx :-)